Discovery Ski Area :
Review.gif)
 |
| Discovery
Ski Area Lodge |
Discovery
Ski Area is Montana’s finest skiing secret.
Lying in the heart of Montana in a scenic and secluded setting
near Georgetown
Lake, Discovery Ski Area has superb skiing
for all levels of skiers. Whether you are an expert skier
or just starting out, Discovery Ski Area has a wonderful
mix of terrain that can keep anyone happily occupied for
an entire day of skiing.
| Discovery
Vital Statistics |
| Snowfall
: |
210
inches |
| Acres
: |
548 |
| Vertical
Feet : |
1670
ft. |
| #
of Lifts : |
3
triples, 3 doubles. |
| Terrain
: |
20%
Beginner, 25% Intermediate, 25% Advanced,
30% Expert |
|
Discovery
Ski Area is built on a moderate sized mountain known as
Rumsey Mountain, which has a top elevation of 8150
ft. Discovery doesn’t get pounded by huge amounts of
snow each year, averaging around 210 inches generally. However,
while Discovery may not get buried under mounds of snow,
the snow that it does receive tends to stick around. The
high base elevation of Discovery Ski Area (6480 feet) along
with its location in a known “cold pocket” of
Montana (Georgetown Lake), inhibits melting in comparison
to other ski areas in Montana. Additionally, as the ski area
it located on the west side of the continental divide, Discovery
isn’t as plagued by high winds and blowing snow like
other Montana ski areas can be.
Discovery,
like most other ski areas in Montana, is a ski area – not
a resort. What this means is that there are no slope side
lodging, fancy restaurants, condos or hotels.
In short, it is just a place to go skiing, with the only
buildings being a very nice and functional base lodge. Additionally,
while Discovery may lack the killer vertical and snowfall
that other bigger name Montana ski areas have, it more than
makes up for it in killer terrain diversity.
For those who
have never heard of Discovery before, the
ski area is located just off of Highway 1, which is also
known as the Pintlar Scenic Highway. The ski area itself
is sort of located out in the middle of nowhere, although
two major cities, Missoula and Butte, are located within
fairly easy driving range. Missoula is located about 95 miles
away to the west, while Butte is 45 miles to the southeast.
The closest towns to Discovery Ski Area are Anaconda (25
miles to the east) and Phillipsburg (25 miles to the northwest).
 |
| View
of Discovery Ski Area seen from a trail on Jubilee
Peak |
Getting to Discovery
Ski Area is pretty straight forward.
Just hop onto Highway 1 and look for the signs in Georgetown
Lake. The town itself is impossible to miss since the road
and town lay right along the shores of beautiful Georgetown
Lake. From Georgetown Lake, just follow the signs to the
ski area, which is about 5 miles from town.
While getting to Discovery is pretty simple, here are a
few things to keep in mind about the roads which lead up
to the ski area. First, the road from Georgetown Lake to
the ski area turns to gravel and can be a bit muddy and/or
slippery at times. Secondly, keep in mind that Highway 1
gains some pretty significant elevation, especially if you
are coming to the ski area from the west (Missoula and Phillipsburg).
The road is generally well plowed but does have a pretty
steep gradient a times and many, many turns. During snowy
or slick weather, allow extra time to reach the ski area
as well as exercise a bit more caution than one normally
would.
Well,
that’s enough about the facilities and how to
get to Discovery. Let’s move on and talk about the
excellent skiing that Discovery has.
See
an Aerial View of Discovery Ski Area (large
image)
Next Page : Skiing
the Front Side of Discovery
Page : 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
5 | 6
Top
of Page
|
