For most people summer skiing sounds like an oxymoron, a fevered dream, the result of too many days spent smelling your own ski socks. Contrary to popular opinion though, summer skiing is here in the Northwest. 
A few hours southwest of Moscow lies Mount Hood, where Palmer Glacier hosts several camps as well as a resort that is open to the public. Hood offers a summer skiing experience that is not far removed from what you would expect in the winter.
Timberline Lodge is a year-round resort on Hood, when the summer comes and most of the snow melts Timberline just closes its lower trails and moves operations up to the year-round Palmer Glacier.
In the opposite direction is Beartooth Basin, which offers a summer skiing experience like no other. Beartooth Basin is not a ski resort. It is a ski area. It does not have a lodge, hot-tubs or an over-priced cafeteria. Instead it has two poma lifts and 1000 feet of North America’s steepest summer skiing.
Beartooth Basin is only open in the summer and, unlike Hood, is hours away from the nearest city or airport. Located outside of Red Lodge Montana, the highway to the Basin is only open for the summer months.
The drive up to Beartooth Basin is wild and beautiful, it lies near Yellowstone National Park and houses a natural beauty not far removed from its famous neighbor.
June 5-8 Beartooth Basin hosted the Fourth Annual Beartooth Summer Session, put on by ON3P skis.
The Session is basically an opportunity for a bunch of professional and amateur skiers to get together and finish out their seasons in sunny style. It is loosely organized with several planned events but the Session is mostly made up of spontaneous skiing, with everyone doing whatever they feel like for most of the time.
The Session kicked off with an open ski day where everyone from local kids to big name pros had the opportunity to strut their stuff on the cliffs and jumps of the basin.
Pocatello native Sander Hadley impressed everyone with his massive airs while local boys, Shay Lee and Sandy Boville showed everyone that style is alive and well in Montana.
The event carried almost a party atmosphere with everyone relaxed and committed to having a good time. ON3P brought out skis to demo and every evening was punctuated with campfires and cold beverages.
One of the main events of the session was the Timmy Dutton Memorial Backflip-Off. Held in the honor of the late Timmy Dutton skiers donated money for his family and attempted to complete 150 backflips (Timmy’s favorite trick) in one hour.
Tanner Rosenthal, founder of Pocatello based Panda Poles, and Hadley led the charge, throwing huge backflips on the 50 foot jump the Beartooth park crew put together. Unfortunately fog rolled in, cutting the event short but regardless many backflips were thrown and money was raised.
The biggest event of the session was the Booster Strap Big Mountain Slopestyle, a competition held on a course the length of the area. Competitors picked their way through cliffs or dropped a massive cornice before hitting a 50 foot jump at the bottom of the course.
Ian Hamilton took the win for the over 21 men while Erik Hilb won the under 21 with a switch right 180 off a cliff. Katie Cerovsky took the win for the women while Derek Tice won the snowboard category.
Worthy of mention is Parker White, a professional skier who showed up and entered the snowboard category. After a crazy run, punctuated with a hand drag through a sponsor banner Parker took home second place in the snowboard category. At the end of the day prizes were awarded from the events sponsors and everyone went home tired and happy.
The Fourth Annual Beartooth Summer Session definitely showcased a totally unique summer skiing experience. With its relaxed vibe and high caliber skiing. Beartooth Basin is definitely on to something special.
Cy Whitling can be reached at [email protected]