Yesterday I had the company passes, and a couple of free hours in the morning to ski at Bridger. It hadn't snowed since Monday, but possible flurries were in the forecast.
First lift runs at nine, and when I arrived about a quarter 'till it was absolutely dumping. Not a breath of wind, and the snow was coming down so hard it was almost dark. Between 9:00 and 1:00 it snowed more than a foot. Occasionaly I'd hear a few whoops and hollers, but most skied in stunned silence. It seemed like people didn't want to disturb the surreal beauty of it all. Besides, it was hard to open your mouth without gulping huge snowflakes deep into your lungs.
There was almost nobody there until noon, when word finally spread in town. The sun never came out, the snow stayed light and fluffy, and I stretched my couple of hours on the hill to four hours of the best steep and deep skiing that I've ever enjoyed. At 1:00 it almost quit snowing. I paused for a pint in Jimmy B's, then went home to tackle the chores.
Lucky Thursday the 13th
If you're driving, be careful. It get's pretty wild out on the northern plains. The combination of wind and snow can close the interstates and, of course, it's nothing unusual for a herd of mule deer or elk to trot out in front of you when you're doing 70 on a sheet of ice. All your Montana friends want you to arrive safe and sound.