During the middle of January we were inverted?!?!?!?!? The valley floor was below freezing and foggy while above the cloud line it was sunny and near 40 degrees. During this time you could see the effects of a Fata Morgana aka mirage an optical phenomenon caused by the refraction of light in air layers with different densities: one cold layer near the surface and warmer air in the general atmosphere. Really amazing to see. It makes you want to rub your eyes and do a double take. Normally it’s a hit and miss phenomenon but we could see them here for nearly a week during the most recent inversion. Below are two images of the mirage playing tricks with the pointy Mission Mountain Range. Amazing!
I spent the rest of the morning shooting the sunrise and skiers. Enjoy the images.
The Mission Mountains look more mesa like than rocky range.
The entire Mission Mountain Range seen from the summit of Big Mountain.
Chair 5 sitting high above the clouds.
The Flathead Valley socked in with dense fog during a recent inversion.
The sun pokes between peaks in the Great Bear Wilderness.
This job must rock on these days.
Chair 7 lift operator Josh heads down to his post.
Sarah testing out the groomers.
Sun and fun with friends at the summit of Whitefish Mountain Resort.
TJ Andrews flys off a snowghost at sunset during a recent inversion.
TJ flying high above the clouds.
TJ smacks off a snowghost at sunset.
Now I can finally check of my Endless Winter 2008. The year I skied every month within 75 miles of my house. More like 67 miles, just need to break out the GPS to see my final mileage. I may have started something here… skiing every month. Why not go for 2 years? I have a friend Dan’l who has skied 120 months strait around the world. I’m just going for the local aspect of it. I’m at 13 months now and building. Another side note is I hit my year of skiing and year of practicing hot yoga 6 days a week at the same time ~ Namasté.
December was completed Sunday night with a skin up the resort and ski down. Then come Tuesday it was with the help of these nifty little things call chair lifts. It has been over 8 months since I last road one to ski. I have had no problem making some early season groomer runs on the backside of my local mountain WMR Whitefish Mountain Resort . Those deep powder days will soon come. We got a late start to winter here and I’ hoping for a few more feet to fill in the rest of the resort and backcountry.
Below are some photos from our skin up on Sunday and the first powder day at WMR on Dec. 10, 2008 showcasing telemark skiers Erick Gelbke, "Big" Dave Erickson and Marc Fredrickson on snowboard.
Enjoy.
Amy, Kim and Sonny skinning up Sunday night.
Erick found a nice line with 5" of fresh snow.
Big Dave freeing it, almost a face shot.
Dave and Erick wondering who will go first.
Marc said he loves his new snowboard. I bet the new snow doesn’t hurt either.
Marc getting some tea from Sam at the Big Drift in the village with snow falling.
Erick cruising the groomers.
Dusk from the resort.
Finally it’s spring time in Northwest Montana. I’m glad to see the longer days and warmer temps. This ski season is a record year. Whitefish Mountain Resort had a record year with 430″ season from Dec. 1 to April 6, 2008 and we had many of 50″ weeks. I was hiking Lodi at 2:00 on the last day in dumping snow, what a season. I have over 70 days on the snow this winter and still hitting the backcountry. I will post images from this winter periodically on the blog for all you powder dreamers on hot summer days, along with new updates. Here are two shots taken in Hellroaring Canyon. First on Nov. 14, 2007 and the other taken Feb. 19, 2008.
I have been out in the backcountry a few times with friends skinning and skiing. Here are a few images from a trip on April 7, 2008 in the Hungry Horse Reservoir backcountry with my friend Sonny. Tele-Madnesses doesn’t stop just because the lifts do. We skinned up from the reservoir and skied a wide open burn area. It was pretty cool skiing past black trees with white contrast.
We have tons of snow for a reachable endless winter ski dream. Glacier in the summer. South America anyone?
Sonny skinning up.
Sonny on all fours. It was worth it.
Jet and I about to drop in.
Sonny freeing it.
The black forest. Wildfire burn area.
Here are two shots from last night taken at my house in Kalispell. First a piece of ash that I found in the yard and a pano from the front yard of the smoke.
Remember this is smoke, not clouds.
Yesterday I shot the 2007 Montana Cup from a chase boat. It was the first time I have had a the chance to photograph the boat my wife crews on from a chase boat. The first shot was taken at 7:30 a.m. during the first leg of the Class B race of the Montana Cup. It’s smoke in the sky from the Chippy Creek Fire. Racers were cleaning off the ash from their boats before heading out. It was like gray snow falling.
Here are a two shots of White Star.
To see more photos from the 2007 Montana Cup visit: www.GlacierStock.com
