MISSOULA AND WESTERN MONTANA - Montana and Wyoming - page 250

Winter Recreation
For downhill skiing, head down the valley to Lost Trail Powder Mountain (Conner, 406/
821-3211, www.losttrail.com , 9:30am-4pm Thurs.-Sun. Dec.-Apr., extended hours around
holidays and in spring, $37 adults full-day or $32 half-day, $27 children 6-12 full-day or
$23 half-day, free for children 5 and under), which sits high atop the Continental Divide
and straddles the Idaho-Montana border. It is a great small-town Montana family-friendly
mountain with fantastic terrain and more than 300 inches of snow annually. There are one-
ride passes and discounts for afternoon-only and morning-only skiing as well as discounts
for seniors and almost-seniors.
Cross-country skiers will be in heaven in the Bitterroot with places like Chief Joseph
Cross-Country Ski Trail (Hwy. 43, 40 miles south of Hamilton, 406/689-3243), which
offers 15 miles of groomed trails for every level of ability. Groomed by the Bitterroot
Cross-Country Ski Club ( www.bitterrootxcskiclub.net ) , the trails and warming hut are open
December-mid-April or as the snow permits.
At the end of a long winter's day, why not soak in the warm waters at Lost Trail Hot
Springs (8321 U.S. 93 S., 406/821-3574, www.losttrailhotsprings.com , $7.25 adults, $6.25
seniors, $5.25 children 2-12, $2.25 children under 2) in Sula, not far from either ski area.
The rustic resort offers a marvelous hot pool in any weather as well as lodging, food, and
plenty of history.
ACCOMMODATIONS
The greatest number of hotels can be found in the valley's largest town, Hamilton, but the
valley overall offers a handsome range of accommodations, from the ultraluxe, adults-only
Triple Creek Ranch (5551 West Fork Rd., near Darby, 406/821-4600 or 800/654-2943,
www.triplecreekranch.com , $950-2,650/night/couple all-inclusive) to the budget-friendly
and pet-friendly City Center Motel & Annex (415 W. Main St., Hamilton, 406/363-1651,
www.remlcsportmanslodging.com , $56-80), which has standard rooms with microwaves
and mini-refrigerators or full kitchenettes.
Among the larger properties in Hamilton is the pet-friendly, 65-room Bitterroot River
Inn and Conference Center (139 Bitterroot Plaza Dr., 406/375-2525 or 877/274-8274,
www.bitterrootriverinn.com , $74-149), which has all the standard amenities and comfort-
able, Western log decor.
A historic property that is long on charm is the Stevensville Hotel (107 E. 3rd St.,
Stevensville, 406/777-3087 or 888/816-2875, www.stevensvillehotel.com , $85-145),
housed in the 1910 Thornton Hospital building. In bed-and-breakfast tradition, the rooms