A local mountain above Missoula in Montana with a big vertical for a small operation, and a long standing reputation for steep terrain that suits people who already know how to ski. Six lifts serve a mountain with genuine pitch, tree skiing and open ground higher up, and the crowds are thin. There is a learning area but the mountain is not built around beginners. Missoula, around twenty minutes away, is a university town with a good food and music scene and more going on than most Montana ski towns. Prices are low and the atmosphere is unpolished, which is much of the appeal.