Weird.
The snow was deep. The lines were long. The parking was chaos.
Powder-hungry skiers and boarders - many of whom had worried the streak of warm, sunny weather the past week might kidnap their ski season early - were not about to let this epic, thigh-deep snow day pass them by. Snowbowl recorded 1,242 skiers and boarders, which is above average even for a Saturday, but not record crowds for the family owned ski area.
The record ski day was set just a few weeks ago on Saturday, Jan. 19, when 1,650 people hit the slopes.
“It looks bigger than it is,” said owner Ronnie Morris, pointing out that most skiers made a split-second decision and drove up one person per vehicle. That's opposed to the weekends, when droves of families and carpools show up, she said.
The crowds came early, fitting vehicles into tight, cockeyed spots. Bumper-to-bumper parking along both sides of the narrow, winding road stretched a half-mile from the mountain, creating one-lane traffic for much of the day.
And though they were opting out of school or work, it was all business for these skiers and boarders. No breaks. No groomed runs. Heaven forbid anyone would ride single on the chairlift. It was top-to-bottom runs all day.
Only three ski resorts worldwide - one in Alaska and two in Switzerland - received more fresh powder than Snowbowl on Wednesday, according to OnTheSnow.com, a Web site that tracks 24-hour snowfall at 2,000 ski resorts around the world.
Rob Sullivan, a senior at Sentinel High School, decided on his way to school to check the snow report because of the 4 to 6 inches in town. His plans suddenly changed.
“Hopefully, my mom called me in sick,” said the 17-year-old.
It's not the first time Sullivan's skipped school to board, but it's the first time this year, he admitted.
Dennis Lower, a local building contractor, kicked off the 2007-08 season heli-skiing in British Columbia, Canada.
“This is as good as up there, just more tracked out,” said the 48-year-old.
Snowbowl isn't open Tuesdays. So when a thick flurry of snow poured into Missoula that evening, Lower was unwavering in his decision.
“My customers probably know where I'm at anyway,” he said.
It seems as though everyone had the same good idea. The wait to get on the chairlift at the base was 15 minutes. Long lines deterred some skiers from staying.
Marilyn Slaughter of Potomac has a bad back, but loves to telemark. Her doctor ordered her to take advantage of powder days; they're easier on the back. But waiting in long lines isn't part of the deal.
“One run is just fine with me,” said the 53-year-old substitute teacher, who owns a weekday ski pass. “Thank God they didn't call me in today.”
A sign at the top of the chairlift read what everyone was thinking: “Winter is back.”
Except, Morris was never worried it had gone.
The snow depth at the summit is 103 inches and March is supposed to be colder and wetter than normal, she said.
“There's no way we wouldn't get through the long season,” Morris said.
Friday is supposed to warm up.
Temperatures in Missoula may reach the upper-40s. At the base of Snowbowl, the forecast has temperatures in the mid- to upper-30s. Though it may cool down slightly this weekend, the mercury is expected to creep back up the beginning of next week.
So for those skiers and boarders who didn't call in to work “sick” Wednesday, it's likely they may very well be sick with envy.
Reporter Chelsi Moy can be reached at 523-5260 or at chelsi.moy@missoulian.com.
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