Glacier Country News

Many ski resorts in Montana that employee hundreds of the state's citizens made the announcement last week that they’re shutting down lift services earlier than normal.

Resort authorities are responding to recent recommendations from public health officials and limiting the sizes of the crowds to 50 or less in an effort to halt the spread of the coronavirus.

The Big Sky Ski Resort witnessed a lot of snowfall on March 8. However, resort officials told skiers that the season would be ending earlier than normal.

Taylor Middleton, president of the Big Sky Resort, told Yellowstone Public Radio that sometimes the right decision is the hardest decision. However, Middleton says the early shutdown is what needs to be done to ensure the safety of the skiers and the staff members.

“Sometimes the right decision is the hard decision, and this was a really hard decision, but we’re convinced this was the right thing to do for our community, for our guests, and for our state,” Middleton told YPR.

Middleton says closing now is the right thing to do. The season usually ends on April 19, but Middleton says that the early closure follows health officials’ recommendations regarding "social distancing."

The Big Sky Resort says lodging stayed open until March 22, which allowed guests to alter their travel plans. Food outlets also remained open to allow the remaining guests to eat before leaving the resort. However, the resort honored its commitment to enforce social distancing.

Middleton also told YPR that the seasonal staff at the resort would still have some work to do. He said the resort would also compensate other staff members for the early closure.

“We’ve assured all of our seasonal workers that we will have work for them or compensation for them for this coming week,” Middleton told YPR.

Middleton says Big Sky Resort usually employees 1,800 people. Additionally, the resort provides housing accommodations for hundreds of seasonal employees.