The Documentary Video
Victron Energy’s video documentary showcases our high altitude business beginnings using their products.
Here’s a link to Victron Energy’s corporate website to view thier thoughts of the Elev8150’ project.
Our Victron solar electrical system was acquired and designed by - Intelligent Controls - 406-880-5952 Missoula, Montana
Elev8150’ Backcountry Concept Vibe
Backcountry Skiing - Elev8150’
Over the last five years, alpine touring—more commonly known as backcountry skiing—has experienced explosive growth in the United States. Beginning around 2019 and accelerating during the pandemic, sales of backcountry ski equipment surged nationwide. According to Freeskier, there are approximately 14.3 million skiers in the U.S., with an estimated 700,000 now investing in backcountry touring gear.
The driving force behind this growth is simple: cost. Traditional resort skiing has become increasingly inaccessible. The rising expense of lift tickets, lodging, rentals, lessons, and on-mountain food has steadily pushed many people—particularly those aged 25 to 34—out of conventional ski culture. In response, skiers have begun seeking more self-reliant, community-based alternatives that trade luxury for freedom.
Backcountry skiing offers significant cost savings. Friends share transportation, food, and gear, trading crowded lift lines for long days earning turns together in remote winter landscapes. The appeal is undeniable: untracked snow, silence, and a deep connection to the mountains.
But the dream often looks very different in practice.
Unlike Europe—where alpine touring has been integrated into mountain culture for generations—the United States has very limited infrastructure for backcountry skiing. The comforts, safety systems, and emergency access built into ski resorts simply do not exist in remote terrain.
A typical backcountry day often begins between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m.—hoping everyone shows up on time, hoping the weather cooperates, hoping there’s safe and legal parking. Groups drive long distances in the dark toward untracked zones, checking avalanche forecasts and weather reports along the way. Skis are strapped on, skins applied, and miles of uphill travel begin—each skier carrying survival gear, food, and the unspoken hope that everyone’s skill level, fitness, and decision-making align.
After hours of effort, planning, and expense, the reward may be one single run, limited by short winter days and rapidly changing conditions. And while those moments of bliss can be unforgettable, Mother Nature is never passive. Avalanches remain the ever-present and deadly risk—the final authority in any backcountry decision.
Most backcountry ski days unfold far beyond the reach of emergency services. In many cases, no agency even knows where a group is skiing, let alone how to reach them quickly if something goes wrong. The responsibility for safety, rescue, and survival rests entirely on the people in the mountains.
This is the reality of backcountry skiing in America: breathtaking, demanding, humbling—and unforgiving.
The Plan
Elev8150’s business model is designed to solve some of the most pressing challenges facing backcountry skiers in Montana—without sacrificing the soul of the experience.
By offering a warm, safe destination already high in the mountains, Elev8150 removes many of the logistical barriers that make backcountry skiing exhausting, risky, or inaccessible. Instead of starting the day in the dark from far below, skiers wake up where the snow already is.
What Elev8150 Provides
Warm Food
A true mountain meeting place where skiers can refuel between laps. Hot meals, soup, and a place to thaw fingers and boots—something rarely available in the backcountry.
Après & Community
Backcountry skiing doesn’t have to be solitary. Elev8150 reintroduces the social side of skiing—creating a shared space where skiers of different abilities can connect, swap stories, and build community, much like ski culture once was.
A Warm Bed
Guests wake up on top of the mountain, with the possibility of deep powder just steps from the front door. No long drives, no dawn alarms—just snow, light, and quiet.
A Bit Safer
Backcountry risks will always exist, but Elev8150 tilts the odds in the skier’s favor. With snowmobiles and snowcats on site, reliable radio communication, and a local staff deeply familiar with terrain and conditions, guests gain support that doesn’t normally exist in remote zones. Knowing someone lives on the mountain—and knows you’re out there—matters.
Great for Beginners
For skiers new to the backcountry, Elev8150 provides a crucial middle ground. Beginners can build skills and confidence without facing the full isolation and exposure of remote terrain. Challenging lines remain optional, while a warm bowl of soup and a friendly local are never far away.
A Place for Families
Elev8150’s model welcomes entire families. While advanced skiers chase steep, deep powder, others can relax at the observation deck, ski mellower terrain, or explore nearby options. Constant radio communication and a shared basecamp ensure no one feels like the weak link—or the reason a day gets cut short.
An added advantage is Elev8150’s proximity to Discovery Ski Area, allowing guests who aren’t ready for the backcountry—or those wanting a warm-up day—to enjoy resort skiing nearby.
The Cost
By eliminating lift tickets, daily commutes, and many resort expenses, Elev8150 brings the cost of a meaningful ski experience back within reach. Guests pay primarily for lodging and transportation—making multi-day powder skiing attainable again for cash-strapped enthusiasts.
The Environment
Backcountry skiing naturally values ungroomed terrain and minimal tree cutting, making it inherently more sustainable. Elev8150 builds on this ethic through efficient water use, responsible waste management, renewable energy systems, thoughtful heating solutions, and reduced transportation impacts. Every system is designed with efficiency—and restraint—in mind.
Intentional Exclusivity
Elev8150 is private by design. Limited capacity preserves what backcountry skiers seek most: trackless powder, silence, expansive views, and access to over 60,000 acres of Montana wilderness.
A small footprint also minimizes environmental impact and avoids the logistical burden—and mountain wear—that comes with large-scale operations. This ensures the experience remains special, sustainable, and respectful of others who share the landscape.
The Ultimate Dream
The ultimate dream is to inspire more like-minded entrepreneurs to create a network of similar destinations throughout the Rocky Mountains in the western United States. Entrepreneurs can give an alternative to expensive alpine skiing and expand a diversified terrain portfolio accessed by beginner and expert backcountry skiers. Promoting a natural, eco-friendly journey into the high country that Mother Nature controls, not corporate profits and snow-making machines. Don’t get me wrong. I love Breckenridge, Vail, and Jackson Hole, and given a chance, I would still ski these modern American institutions. On the other hand, being alone on a wind-blown ridgeline deep in Montana’s wilderness without a ski track in site creates a one-and-only breathless experience.
The Snowmobile Connection
Snowmobiling - Elev8150’
History
The Anaconda Snowmobile Club has a long history spanning several decades in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. The Anaconda Snowmobile Club's trail system has, managed over the years, expanded large enough to touch both Deer Lodge and Granite County. The club regularly grooms 120 miles of routes between December 15 and April 1. These routes are called The Red Lion Snowmobile Trail System. These groomed trails pass by places such as Fred Burr Pass, Warm Springs Creek and Granite, with a route that takes one back to Georgetown Lake. There are also several unmarked trails with a few play areas nearby. The Forest Service and Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks cooperate with the Anaconda Snowmobile Club to keep these trails open.
The Reality
Elev8150’ could not exist or operate if the Anaconda Snowmobile Club hadn’t spent years developing The Red Lion Road to Showers Lake portion of this trail system. The Red Lion to Showers Lake trail system cuts Elev8150’s property in half 10 miles above Georgetown Lake and Discovery Ski Resort, creating an artery of snowmobile traffic. The benefit of having this group local to Elev8150’ is the amount of knowledge this club brings to the area and the expertise that matches that knowledge. Having some of the most seasoned Montana outdoor enthusiasts recreating in our mountain area adds a layer of awareness, familiarity, and safety unprecedented for a beginner new to the backcountry experience. The Anaconda Snowmobile Club updates its members yearly on Avalanche awareness, safety, and recovery techniques through a once-a-year class. The history of Montana’s winter backcountry experience was first explored through recreation by snowmobilers, and without them, the mountain peaks would not be easily accessible.
This map was published on Avenza maps. Check out this map on the Avenza Map Store Anaconda Snowmobile Trails. Information provided by the Anaconda Snowmobile Club’s Facebook page.
Summary
Elev8150 will be an adventure destination for travelers interested in exploring the Flint Creek/Pintler mountain ranges. The company aims to offer a small bistro-style eatery, a tiny house village, and Airbnb accommodations. Elev8150's target market is those interested in backcountry sking, snowmobiling, mountain biking, 4x4 touring, and specialty lodging.