For skiers and snowboarders who’ve exhausted the groomed runs at Whitefish Mountain Resort and are ready to go deeper, Great Northern Powder Guides opens a different Montana entirely. Operating from a base in Olney, their snowcat carries small groups into remote backcountry terrain above the Flathead Valley — wide-open bowls, gladed tree runs, and the kind of untracked powder that exists beyond the reach of any lift system.

Guides are experienced in backcountry safety and terrain selection, and the small group format ensures maximum vertical and minimum waiting. A mid-day yurt lunch in the wilderness adds to the expedition feel. Seasonal and weather-dependent — which is exactly how it should be. If powder skiing is the reason you came to Montana, this is the experience that delivers it in its purest form.