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’
In the last five years, Alpine touring (backcountry skiing) has seen explosive growth. Starting in 2019, backcountry ski gear sales have had rocketed success across the country, increasing during the pandemic. According to freeskier.com, there are around 14.3 million skiers in the United States, with an estimated 701,000 thousand currently investing in backcountry touring. The main reason for this extreme growth is the continued rising cost of traditional alpine skiing. The expense of lodging, ski rentals, lessons, and food has started squeezing out all but the wealthy, causing 25 to 34-year-olds to devise creative alternatives.
Alpine touring has excellent cost savings allowing skiers to buddy up with friends to share expenses. Friends sharing transportation costs enjoying days of untracked powder in remote winter wonderlands.
The dream of backcountry skiing sounds excellent on paper, but the reality can differ. Unlike Europe, which has been alpine touring for years, the United States has very little infrastructure. For the most part, a typical ski resort's luxury, amenities, and built-in safety mechanisms are far from any remote mountain top.
On a typical day for a backcountry skier, the day starts with a 4 to 5 am wake-up time, hoping the rest of the group shows up and doesn't sleep in. The crew driving in the possible dark hours to an untracked mountain zone, checking avalanches and weather reports while desperately hoping to find safe parking, jumping out to ski uphill several miles on skins, carrying survival gear and food, hoping that all your "friends'" skills levels and endurance match. Big rewards as you crest a summit knowing that after all that work, planning, and expense, you might get one run in due to the short winter days. Mother Nature isn't sitting on her laurels in those mere blissful moments of nirvana. Mother Nature has been waiting for extreme outdoor conditions, with her coup de grace being the ever-feared deadly avalanche. Most epic days are planned without outside emergency agencies even knowing where a group might be skiing, let alone being able to quickly mitigate a rescue during a day that's gone wrong.
The Plan
Elev8150's business model addresses some of the challenges faced by backcountry skiers in Montana while preserving the heart of the experience. With a warm and safe destination already high in the mountains, skiers can avoid the early morning wake-up call. Elev8150 makes backcountry skiing more accessible by providing:
Warm Food - A meeting place on the mountain to recharge and refuel during laps.
Apres & Nightlife - An opportunity to meet more people of different skiing levels and create a social environment, as skiing was in the past.
Warm Bed to Sleep In - The chance to wake up on top of the mountain, with the possibility of deep powder just seconds from the front door.
A Bit Safer - With snowmobiles and snowcats on site, and a local staff that understands terrain and conditions, skiers can enjoy their gear investments without the constant fear of lacking support. Although dangers will always exist, having people who live on the mountain knowing that you're out there puts the advantage in your corner.
Great for Beginners - Backcountry skiers just entering the sport can gain confidence without the exposure to the full wrath of Mother Nature. They can take on terrain challenges without being completely alone, knowing a warm bowl of soup and a smiling local is there for support.
Family - The business model opens the door to an entire family participating. With the most experienced family members taking on multiple epic steep powder runs, others can enjoy resting at the observation deck or conquering less aggressive terrain. With a local meeting place and constant ski radio communication, nobody feels left out or like a buzzkill to others. An added benefit of Elev8150's location is its proximity to Discovery Ski Resort, allowing family guests not ready for a backcountry experience or experienced members needing a warmup to enjoy the resort.
The Cost - Paying for as little as a room to stay in and transportation to get there, the overall cost of a great ski experience is back in reach of most cash-strapped enthusiasts.
The Environment - The concept of backcountry skiing promotes ungroomed slopes and frowns on cutting trees, which makes the sport more sustainable. Elev8150 incorporates sustainable practices for water conservation, heating, garbage disposal, human waste management, transportation efficiency, and electricity production, ensuring every aspect of the resort is planned to extreme efficiency.
Exclusiveness - By design, Elev8150 will always be a very private resort. For backcountry skiers, this means trackless powder, grand views, and 60,000 acres of Montana's playground. The resort's footprint on the mountain will always remain relatively small, as it would not be cost-effective to transport a large staff, bring in daily supplies, and take back down garbage without taking a toll on the enjoyment of the mountain by others.
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.