BOZEMAN — We’ve all noticed by now: the temperatures are mild and the snow… not piled. By mid-January, you’d probably expect to see people skiing in town, but that’s not the case, as there is snow to be found on many trails, making it a challenging ski season.
“I don’t even know the last time it was below 20 degrees,” said Andrew Morehouse, a Bozeman resident and Nordic Program Director for Bridger Ski Foundation.
Bridger Ski Foundation is a local non-profit that maintains trails and offers ski programming for kids and adults.
“Just this week we started our intro program, which has just about 200 kids participating in it,” said Morehouse. “Normally, they are showing up and trying on skis for the first time, but that hasn’t happened yet this season.”
WATCH: Bridger Ski Foundation adapts programming as unusually warm January leaves trails bare
Morehouse says this hasn’t happened yet because of the lack of snow.
“It’s a big impact not having snow this year,” said Morehouse. “Without a pulse of cold weather and snow, it’s going to continue to make our job a little more challenging."
The lack of snow has made things harder for the entire organization, which serves thousands of people.
“This is the absolute latest in the season that we’ve had something like this,” said Dan Cantrell, Bridger Ski Foundation’s Trails Director.
In fact, when we interviewed Cantrell in January 2023, he said:
“The ski conditions have been as good as they ever get.”
For the Bridger Ski Foundation, no snow has meant having to go to higher elevations like Hyalite to find skiing.
“That’s been the bummer this year, that we haven’t had that close access to skiing,” said Cantrell.
“In a big winter, there’s going to be feet of snow out here; it’s going to be a winter wonderland,” Cantrell added, pointing to the empty fields.
Cantrell said normally, Bridger Ski Foundation can make snow if necessary, but not this year, as it requires a high of 22 degrees or less.
“This year we’ve had five total days that we’ve been able to make snow,” said Cantrell.
These conditions are having an impact on the organization.
“It’s challenging with our program because it’s all dependent on our corporate sponsors and voluntary passes and grants,” said Cantrell.
Those voluntary passes, which Cantrell says are essentially a donation for a ski pass, make up 50 percent of the Bridger Ski Foundation’s funding.
“When we don’t have snow, people aren’t buying passes, and that’s understandable, but it does really impact our program and the sustainability going forward,” said Cantrell.
“I really want to stress how thankful we are for the people who have purchased passes this year,” he said.
Now, Bridger Ski Foundation says the priority is having:
“A funding model that sustains down years like this so that we can come back strong,” said Cantrell.
And:
“Keep kids skiing, and keep the winter culture alive,” said Morehouse.
