LOST TRAIL: Two-Strokes and Spines
About an hour and a half south of Missoula, Montana, lies a ski area with some of Montana’s rowdiest inbounds terrain. Err, I mean Idaho. Actually, no, it is Montana.
Lost Trail Powder Mountain sits on the border of Idaho and Montana off Highway 93 on Lost Trail Pass. It’s a beautiful, relatively untouched spot as visitors from Montana drive through the Bitterroot Valley up to the Pass, where they stand on the precipice of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, before descending down in to Salmon, Idaho.
This past weekend, the family-owned ski area played host to the David Shepherd Memorial Snowmobile Hillclimb attracting some serious slednecks, diesel trucks, and sled-aids—a made-up, oxymoronic word for hot girls in Arctic Cat suits.
While the two-strokeers brrrapped their way up the hill, we played around on some of the funnest (I know it’s not a word, but it should be ‘cause most fun sounds lame) pillows and spines right up from the old, timber lodge below our skis. And since everyone watched the exhaust mania, we had the mountain to ourselves along with skinny-stick old-timers. Then again, the mountain is only open from Thursday through Sunday, so I don’t think it’s ever crowded with Missoula locals opting for the closer Snowbowl.
Montana friends have told me about the surprising rowdiness of the place, but I finally found out for myself. And their claims were more than true.
