A trip to Whitefish, Montana wouldn’t be complete without a cowboy connection.But longtime Whitefish ranch builder Scott Ping is no ordinary cowboy. And Kona is no ordinary horse. They’re both hooked on Ski Joring. “It’s an extreme sport, for sure,” says Scott. “I broke my neck doing it. And eight ribs. And twelve fractures.”What is Ski Joring, you ask? Stemming from winter travel in Scandinavia, a horse and rider pull a skier through gates and jumps in the least amount of time possible. Watch the video for a taste, in case you didn’t catch it as a demonstration sport in the 1928 Winter Olympics.Kona’s a champ, with the breastplate to prove it, from the 2006 championships in Jackson Hole.Despite his litany of injuries, Scott’s still smiling. Probably because he won the North American Championships last year.This year’s season is just getting started, but Scott is puts his 12-year-old Appendix through his paces in the round pen to make sure his legs are sound. There will be $20,000 in prize money at stake January 25th, 2014 during Whitefish Winter Carnival. It’s the largest Ski Joring event in North America. Last year 75 teams competed. Everyone is welcome to give it a try, whether you’ve Ski Jored or not. However, before pulling any skiers this year, these Ski Jorers have some chores to do. When I left them, Scott and Kona were heading off into the forest to find a Christmas tree, chop it down and drag it home through the snow. Something tells me Whitefish always has a white Christmas.And so ends the Blue Besos sojourn to this charming mountain town in Northern Montana. Merry Christmas, Whitefish! Until we meet again.
Month: December 2013
Loving Latitude 48
Google tells me the exact coordinates for Whitefish, Montana are 48.4117° N, 114.3400° W, but this bistro rounded down to the nearest non-fractional number. As someone who only vaguely knows that I reside somewhere above the 49th parallel, this name seems specific enough.Venture inside and you’ll see that everyone else in town managed to find Latitude 48 just fine without the four decimal points. Packed on a Friday night, the smiling hostess still found room for our walk-in appetites. Compliment her on the decadent feather earrings she’s wearing and you’ll learn she designed them herself. Because her dad is into flyfishing. I love Whitefish!If you still have room for another drink after your excellent meal (I had tagliatelle with fire roasted chicken, wild mushrooms and truffle essence: extra-delectable due to the pasta made in-house) there’s a lounge option that means you don’t have to put your coat back on to get to. In fact, you can bring the rest of your wine. Just follow the red arrow… … down to the Red Room. We were lucky enough to catch Kelly West & Crew in the middle of a set. Packaged in a tough-looking tank top and crewcut, she has the most ethereal voice. She plays again on December 20th. If you’re in Whitefish, you have to go see her.
Next up: one the craziest sports I had never heard of. Hint: it hails from Norway.
Room 236
The crowning jewels of Whitefish Montana are the ski resort and the lake. If you can tear yourself away from the view… … and turn to the Lodge at Whitefish Lake, you’ll see another. On the far right. Middle floor.Occupying a generous southwest corner (I admit I didn’t fact-check that geographic designation, I’m just going on the sunsets witnessed from these windows) Room 236 has to be one of the best rooms at the Lodge at Whitefish Lake.Not that I saw any other rooms. This vista left me totally biased. I kept meaning to try the hot tub, peaking through the slats in this pic, but the giant oval tub in the bathroom was just as inviting.After feasting my eyes on the scenery, the full-size kitchen had every appliance necessary for a stomach-stuffing feast. Including that dual-temperature-zone wine fridge. I left some dishes in the sink, purely to prove that this isn’t a promo pic. Nothing to do with my slide toward the slovenly.Room 236 is about three times the size of my old apartment in New York. It’s a little dark in the photo, but the fireplace on the far wall brought the temperature to toasty even faster than the thermostat.Did I mention that this is just one of the balconies?The other one is off the bedroom. That’s right, Room 236 is a full-size apartment.And just in case you’re feeling lonely, a teddy bear is provided along with the fresh linens.
Still to come: the restaurant and lounge combo that can’t be missed.
Big Opening Day
Arriving for opening day at Whitefish Mountain Resort in style. Even though Saturday, December 7 ended up being so unusually cold that officials were threatening to close the main chair to the summit for safety reasons, ski bunnies and boarders came out in droves. And when the Lodge at Whitefish Lake’s complimentary chauffeur whisks you door to door, it takes the sting out of a wind chill warning.Turns out Chair 1, aka the Big Mountain Express, was open for business. That’s Chair 5, frozen in time. But those cold temps made for a bluebird day!Whitefish Mountain Resort used to be Big Mountain. But in 2007, the CEO got tired of a generic name for a hill that wasn’t easily associated with its location and decided to copy the name of the historic railroad town just 15 minutes away. Even before the resort was founded in 1947, its name was a moving target. After the first cabin was built by Whitefish volunteers in 1935 in the headwaters of Hell Roaring Creek, Whitefish skiers with a thirst for speed formed The Hell Roaring Ski Club. A moniker with moxie — but they changed it to the Whitefish Lake Ski Club to placate townspeople who weren’t fans of Hell. And let’s not even mention Haskill Mountain.At the Summit House (elevation 6817 feet) suds-sipping snowboarders enjoy a crystal clear view of Glacier National Park.I wasn’t tired at all on my first day riding this season — I was merely pausing to appreciate the view of Whitefish Lake. As a fierce proponent of fairweather riding, it was my first time ever wearing a face mask. I bought a cute black and pink one from Stumptown Snowboards on Central Avenue so I can wear it into a 7 Eleven. Kidding! In Alberta you can wear a face mask at any gas station and no one thinks a robbery is in progress. Because it is often that cold. But I digress. You may have noticed,I had the courtesy to pull down my mask to expose my teeth for the photo. But only the top row.Apres the day on the mountain, the lobby at the Lodge led straight to…… the Boat Club Lounge. Where, Canadians will be pleased to learn, they make a mean Caesar. That, my American friends, is similar to a Bloody Mary, except it’s made with Clamato juice. I know, sounds gross, but it’s soooo good.If you want to take your Apres outside, the hot tub provides a wonderful view of Whitefish Mountain Resort for the war stories.Up next: the best room at the Lodge and another fantastic night in the Fish. Do they call it that? Umm, actually, no… I don’t think so. I rescind that statement. But check back soon — Blue Besos is in Whitefish all week!
Cajun Food Counteracts Crazy Cold
The Lodge at Whitefish Lake is full of photo opportunities. Including this spot on the second floor, giving you a wonderful view of the main lobby. If I wasn’t so obsessed about getting the right shot of this shirt from Forever 21 (with Victoria Secret’s leopard print peeking through) I’d probably take a sneak peek at that moose smiling on the wall downstairs.If you’re worried that I won’t survive the record-breaking frigid temperatures in a sequin mini skirt, fishnets and a see-through shirt, don’t. (Mom, I’m talking to you.) These Michael Kors boots come with detachable sheepskin. Very sensible for this weather.And with the Lodge’s valet keeping my car warm by a roaring fire, the temperature just isn’t an issue…… although after admiring the Christmas decorations for, oh, 30 seconds or so, I was ready to hustle inside to dinner. I’m told that -2 Fahrenheit (-19 Celsius) is unusual for Whitefish, but it couldn’t freeze the charm of the lights overhead, which are nothing compared to what they’ll be on December 13, when the cars clear out of Central Avenue for the annual Christmas Stroll and tree lighting ceremony.Inside Tupelo Grille, the art almost distracted me from my rumbling tummy. Call me a populist, but I love me some Blue Dog. I first discovered George Rodrigue’s cute canine in a Carmel, California gallery and have been hooked ever since. The Cajun connection (George is from Louisiana) makes sense at a restaurant known for its New Orleans cuisine.The room itself has nooks and crannies character, including a back booth you have to shimmy along the bench to get to the end. And oh — the food was fab. The shrimp and crawfish cakes were my fave delish dish of the night. And fyi, if you want skinny fries to be part of your steak frites experience, the waiter will make it happen.Finally, if you still have an ounce (have I ever mentioned how anti-metric I am?) of strength left after Day 1 on your Whitefish Winter Weekend that includes a multi-national road trip to get here, make a stop at the Ultimate Safeway. I wish they had a Safeway this deluxe in Calgary. Just a few blocks south of Montana’s vintage village on US 93, this gourmet haven is open 24/7. More importantly, it has a wonderful vino selection to stock that duo-temperature-zone wine cellar back in your room at the Lodge.
Next up: opening day at Whitefish Mountain Resort.
Blue Besos Goes To Whitefish!
Driving into Whitefish, Montana in December is like driving into a ski town postcard from the Seventies, as long as you substitute cowboy hats for toques and save the melted fromage for cheeseburgers instead of fondue.Nestled in the Northern Montana Rockies just 25 miles from Glacier National Park, Whitefish is a destination that keeps adrenalin junkies sated year-round. But even if you don’t come to Whitefish for an Official Activity, you could happily while away the hours in the town center, brimming with independently owned shops, untouched by McDonalds, Starbucks or Walmart. This particular weekend, the weather is more winter than wonderland, so window-shopping isn’t the most comfortable option……unless you have a natural fur coat, like this guy loitering on Central Avenue in front of Montana Coffee Traders. He’s onto something, though, because a mocha stop here will help you power through any weather. And the warmth of Whitefish residents melts away any remaining frosty residue.The view is a constant reminder of why we drove six hours from Calgary to be here (the winter roads added an hour to the travel time, but the border was a breeze). Look at those untouched runs on Big Mountain. Tomorrow is the opening day of the season at Whitefish Mountain Resort.Even from the less scenic side, the Lodge at Whitefish Lake looks good. And so does the hotel’s white Suburban, which comes in handy for chauffeur-driven 3-minute jaunts to town and 10-minute drives to the hill.Inside, the lobby of the Lodge is like Christmas morning — if your Christmas morning includes a 99 room waterfront mansion. Still, it feels homey… probably because the Lodge is owned and operated by a fourth generation Montana family, the Averills.Sculptures and paintings don’t detract from the cozy feel, even though there’s enough to fill a small museum. All are discreetly for sale.The Averills take their art so seriously that even the main floor ATM blends into the aesthetic. As someone who is obsessed with aesthetic, I fully support this attention to detail. Next up: details on Whitefish at night!
AERIN Fragrance Collection
With the unexpected pairing of rose and cognac, AERIN Evening Rose is not an innocent daytime dalliance for a fresh, girlish mood. It conveys a feminine knowing. Seduction. Capital W for scent of a Woman. My scent for December.Not content to rest on the Lauder family laurels, Aerin Lauder launched her own luxury lifestyle brand in 2012. Now she pushes her petal to the metal, taking her collection up a fragrant notch. AERIN introduced five perfumes in November, packaged in a bottle adorned with a gem-like stone. I’ve been wearing Evening Rose, a blend of voluptuous Rose Centifolia and Bulgarian Rose Absolute, with hints of blackberry and cognac. Deliciously decadent.
The AERIN Fragrance Collection can be found at Holt Renfrew in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.
Twas The Night
‘Twas the night to begin Christmas shopping, and all through CORE mall,
Many creatures were stirring: hundreds of deal-seekers, big and small.
First a performance by the Calgary Philharmonic and Choir,
Underneath a tree with soon-to-be lit star on tallest spire.
Host Dan Levy, formerly of MTV’s the After Show,
Braved the red carpet, which being inside, had no snow.
Jann Arden played to a massive crowd,
In the name of 5 charities, everyone got loud.
Even the 2014 Stampede Royalty were on the go,
Western riding and jumping may be fun, but how about polo?
Media types like myself were invited to see the sight,
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.