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MissoulianSolitude, snow at Flint Creek Range lodge
HIGH ABOVE MAXVILLE - Outside, there is no sign of man-made light. The mountainous horizon extends for a hundred miles, yet the Flint Creek Range and the Sapphire Mountains hide behind falling snowflakes illuminated by stars and moon. Other than Mother Nature's skylights, three propane lanterns inside one cabin and the headlamps strapped to foreheads are the only sources of light for visitors at Altoona Ridge Lodge after the sun sets. Five miles into the Flint Creek Mountains south of Drummond, Altoona Ridge Lodge services skiers and snowshoers in the winter looking to escape the sights and sound of civilization. The lodge's website welcomes solitude seekers. It's the kind of experience that owner Denison von Maur experienced many times in Europe and Colorado skiing from backcountry lodge to backcountry lodge, and it's the kind of experience he knew Montanans would enjoy.
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Montana HeadwallAt Altoona Ridge, the solitude's as deep as the snowThe ridge sweeps away in a breathtaking panorama to the high peaks of the Flint Creek Range where the white-clad massif of Mount Powell dominates the skyline. Falling to the valley below are dozens of steep chutes and fingers of old growth with tempting, untracked powder stashes we're about to ski. It's springtime in the valleys and Montana's downhill areas are all closed. But here, just a short ski from the fledgling Altoona Ridge Lodge, north-facing slopes hold high quality snow awaiting bold descents. The route to this isolated, little-visited mountain range begins at the tiny town of Maxville, tucked just off Highway 1, the state's first designated Scenic Highway, which runs from Anaconda up to Georgetown Lake and then down the beautiful, largely agricultural Flint Creek Valley to Drummond.
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NewWestMultimedia Feature: Backcountry Access From Altoona Ridge LodgeIn its second winter season, this lodge in Western Montana offers visitors the chance to create their own adventures.By Andy Ambelang, 2-04-11 Northeast of Philipsburg, Montana, at about 7,600 feet in the Flint Creek Mountains sits Altoona Ridge Lodge. Opened just over two years ago, the lodge offers easy access to backcountry skiing during the winter and is still a secluded getaway during the summer months. Denison von Maur, owner and operator, is proud to point out the backcountry lines on all slope aspects and angles his guests can explore. In only its second full season of operation, the lodge has been steadily gaining interest and, this year, snowfall. Three avalanche classes have been offered, and almost every weekend through March is booked this season.
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