Endless Winter Adventures

Skiing all year long in Montana? Is that possible?

You bet it is. Kalispell photographer Craig Moore did just that in 2008, finding a place to ski — and not just cross country skiing, but telemark skiing — in every month of last year, all within 60 miles of his home.

During that time, he hiked to some of the most remote areas of northwest Montana, searching for those north-facing slopes that contained enough snow for a good run, including peaks in Glacier National Park, wilderness areas like the Swan, and Forest Service land in the Whitefish Range and up the North Fork of the Flathead River, among the many areas he trekked to.

While it’s easy to ski in January, February, March, April and December, finding places the other seven months when ski resorts are closed was the challenge.

“Obviously, I had to find north-facing slopes in order to find the best snow, or in the middle of summer, any snow at all. And that meant hiking to some pretty remote areas. But you don’t want to pack in enough stuff for an overnight trip, plus a pair of telemark skis and boots, only to find out there isn’t enough snow. We had to do our homework ahead of time,” said Moore, who owns and manages www.GlacierWorld.com, an online site that features his photography, including photos documenting his yearlong skiing effort.

“I headed for places that were known to have snow year-round, but I also made friends with everyone who worked at the climbing and skiing shops in Kalispell and Whitefish,” Moore said. “I talked to anyone and everyone who would be able to tell me where some good snow was.”

Part of Moore’s purpose was to see firsthand the effects of climate change in the region. He wondered if he’d be able to find complete snowfields or glaciers in an area like northwest Montana, where those were once common year-round at higher elevations.

Not so anymore.

It wasn’t unusual for Moore to have to climb 5,300 vertical feet — and up to 25 miles or more roundtrip — just to find enough snow to ski 800 vertical feet. He measured his progress, the length of his hikes and ski runs, and identified snow locations using GPS mapping with a handheld unit.

In addition to 19 pounds of ski gear, Moore traveled with 15 pounds of camera gear, and about 15+ pounds of “travel” gear including a tent, sleeping bag, water, food, first aid kit and other essentials. Some were day hikes, and some were overnighters, but all were a physical test, packing in about 55 pounds for each trip.

Overall, his goal is to highlight changes affecting the environment.

“One of the reasons I’m doing this is because I want to raise awareness of the melting glaciers and snowfields. Ultimately, I’d like to start selling prints, calendars, posters, mouse pads and other things, with the idea that folks can see just how global warming is affecting our climate,” Moore said. “A portion of the proceeds from those sales would go back to Glacier Country Avalanche Center and climate-based organizations.”

Many of the “destinations” Moore went to were just hunches he had, based on past hikes, hunting trips or information from friends. Moore, along with several of his friends, and his wife Amy, traveled to many locations to find a place to ski, but encountered setbacks along the way — missed trailheads, spotty, non-existent or “dirty” snow that precluded skiing, and crappy weather to boot, but after 12 months, he’d done it.

“Someone saw us in Glacier (National Park) packing skis in August, and asked us if we were ‘extreme skiers,’” Moore said, referring to the downhill enthusiasts who go down the sides of almost sheer cliffs and mountains, in often life-threatening conditions. “I told him ‘No, more like extremely crazy skiers.’ They got a kick out of that.”

And after 12 months, he accomplished his goal. However, Moore is just now starting the process of completing his next goal — using the trips to build awareness of climate issues. Currently, he’s trying to identify climate and wilderness organizations that might be interested in his pictures and mapping efforts, and that might benefit from his informal field research.

And he’s keeping his skis handy for 2009, even as the normal ski season winds down.

“It was a goal I had, and it required a lot of work, but I’m going to try it again in 2009,” Moore said.