WeatherWeather Wise

Actions

Weather Wise: 60 months of skiing

Posted at 6:02 PM, Aug 09, 2021
and last updated 2021-08-09 20:02:18-04

HELENA — Curtis' 60-month streak started Labor Day weekend back in 2016 when an early season snow blanketed Showdown Resort near Neihart.

A picture of the early fall powder landed him on national news.

October of 2016 provided another early season, backcountry opportunity near Lincoln. The rest, as they say, is history.

Curtis says it's easier to clock turns when the lifts are spinning at Montana ski resorts from Big Sky to his backyard mountain: Great Divide.

Skiing can get tough in the spring, but Showdown almost always has enough snow into May.

And when the weather is at its worst, sometimes the skiing is some of its best. Curtis braved temperature 6 below zero when a storm dumped 65" at Teton Pass.

Speaking of brave, Curtis has notched runs in Big Sky's famous Couloir and the North Summit Field. Runs that require avalanche gear and signing out with the ski patrol.

St. Patrick's Day and Halloween have been popular holidays to keep the streak alive.

He has also gotten to experience some of Montana's most scenic and remote locations, like Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness, with sticks strapped to his feet.

Curtis has even skied on one leg as he recovered from a torn Achilles tendon.

So when you are hoping for sunshine and warmth in June and July, know that your favorite local weatherman is hunting for snow with his faithful pup in places like Copper Creek and the Beartooth Mountains.

And now you are a little more Weather Wise.