Excitement building for the 2023-24 ski season

As the leaves continue to fall and snow coats the mountain tops, ski season is on the way. 

“Skiing is just as essential to life as food and water. There's lots of whys for me when it comes to skiing. Just to list a few includes the thrill, the happiness it brings to me, it straight up just warms my heart,” junior Toby Hambelton said. 

According to opensnow.com, Montana is likely to be hit by El Niño this winter, which generally means more snow. Following a historic snow year for some parts of the country — Utah and California specifically — many will be hoping for a repeat of last season's thrills. 

Montana resorts such as Big Sky and Bridger saw an above average snowfall last year, but it was nothing compared to the amount that Mammoth and Alta saw. 

“Given we do get more snow [than last year], that means I'll probably go for more skiing trips to places, or just go touring on big days more,” Hambelton said, “If we get really good snow I would like to attempt a double backflip and maybe even land one. More snow really just means harder work for the legs and honestly more fun. Can't hate on a good powder day.”

Hoping for five inches of snow a day may be a bit of a long shot but there was still a ton of snow to be found last season in Montana. Hopefully that trend will repeat this year. 

Even if we don’t get the full effects of El Niño, both Bridger and Big Sky thrive on having fresh pockets of snow that last for days after the most recent storm. Even if they don’t get fresh snow, the local resorts will continue to be favorites for all who ride in Bozeman. 

“I will most likely spend most of my season at Bridger because I usually work both days on the weekends,” Bridger Bowl ski instructor and junior Heidi Ernst said. “I am looking forward to being back on the mountain with the kids. It's always so rewarding seeing their growth and progress over the season. I also, of course, am looking forward to powder days.”

Coinciding with the excitement for the season building, ski and snowboarding films have and will continue to premiere all across Bozeman as we inch closer to late Nov. Whether it’s tours like Level 1 or Teton Gravity Research making stops in Bozeman or local creators such as the Montana Bandits or Entourage putting out their latest work, there’s no shortage of films to choose from. 

“This year I've gone to the Mountains and Mind film and the Level 1 freeski film. I also plan on going to Warren Miller later this year, and would like to try and see the Banff film,” Hambelton said. 

Both the Bandits and Entourages films can be found online for free.With big names in the freeski world such as Henrik Harlaut releasing new films, there’s no reason to not be hyped for the upcoming snowy season. 

“Last year I hiked the ridge at Bridger. I've never skied anything like it before and it was by far the highlight of my skiing memories. The experience was filled with so much adrenaline and excitement,” Ernst said. 

With so much great terrain both in the resorts and the backcountry and an El Niño hopefully on the way, it’s looking to be a great season of riding.