Maverick Mountain

Montana's local ski bums keep the Maverick Mountain ski area on their list of places to go for first tracks and no lines. Since 2015, the Borge family has maintained this small winter venue within the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.

Sitting near the Idaho border in the southwestern section of Montana, it sits approximately 50 miles west of Dillion, south of Butte. Motorists can get to Dillion using Interstate 15 before transferring to Montana State Highway 278. The Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport is available for travelers, as is the Bert Mooney public airport in Butte.

The Big Drop Under the Big Sky

The small winter venue at Maverick Mountain has a base elevation near 7,000 feet and provides guests skiing or riding a verticle drop of 2,020 feet. That is a lot to work with down the slope, giving rippers and shredders plenty of momentum to bomb down the mountain. Once the ski season starts, visitors will find the resort opens daily, but it falls into a four-day weekend schedule after the New Year.

Cold air from Canada can drop down into the region during the winter, bringing with it temperatures that drop below 0-degrees Fahrenheit, but that does not mean it dumps heavily around the resort. The average annual snowfall at the Maverick Mountain ski area is 154 inches. As a smaller "mom & pop" facility, the ski resort does not operate any snowmaking equipment, meaning that regional visitors depend upon what Mother Nature gives them to play on.

Facilities at the Maverick Mountain ski resort include amenities at the day lodge. That includes drinks, food, equipment rentals, tune-ups, and lessons for newbies or rusty skiers and riders. Those looking for lodging can use the Elkhorn Hot Springs Resort just down the road or facilities in nearby communities like Dillion.

No Frills and No Traffic

The winter venue at Maverick Mountain does not receive tons of visitors like other ski areas in the region. That means that skiers and riders here have a better chance of cutting tracks in fresh snow. It also means that guests will not wait in line to use the double chair or handle tow that serves as the lift system for the Maverick Mountain ski area.

The double chair at Maverick drops guests off at the Midway Unload or the top, giving downhill access to over 400 acres of skiable terrain. Ratings on the mountain are evenly divided, with slight favoritism for skiers with some experience. Newbies learning to ski or ride at the Maverick Mountain resort area will find 30-percent of the terrain rating green, while those with some experience can enjoy blue ratings on 40-percent of the runs here. The remainder of the mountain is a black diamond or double diamond ratings for advanced skiers and expert riders.

The Maverick Mountain trail system has two dozen routes to select from, including the discovery area near the lodge and ski patrol at the base. Length of runs vary, with 1.3 miles the longest trail at the resort.