HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – Preparations to get the Bear Paw Ski Bowl open are nearly complete, but warm weather last month likely means it won’t open this weekend.
Snowdance Ski Association member Dave Martens, Jr., says although there is probably enough snow at the base of the hill, they need more snow above the tree line.
“Above the tree line it’s kind of a little more bare because of the warm weather and the wind. There’s wind that really blows sometimes when the weather gets warm, those Chinook winds hammered it pretty hard above the tree line.”
Once the snow does arrive and the ski hill opens, they will have an operational rope tow for the first time in over 20 years.
“We’ve been having work parties almost weekly dedicated to the rope tow, at least some of the people working on the ski hill,working exclusively on the rope tow from the beginning of October through this weekend,” Martens says. “One of those things that we really wanted to get happening at the hill to get new skiiers started.”
Martens says the chances of opening this weekend are now slim-to-none, but they could open next weekend if they receive significant snowfall over the next week.
