Northern Montana & Idaho

Trixie parked right at the base of Whitefish Mountain. Check out Rico's little dog head in the window. Photo by: Isaac Miller Photography

We finally found the snow in Whitefish, Montana. I had visited this town over the summer and it was blanketed in a thick layer of smoke to the point where I couldn't even see any mountain peaks. The town is a little touristy, but I have a few little spots I love.

Trees covered so heavily in snow that you can't even tell it's a tree. It's a snow ghost! Photo by: isaacmillerphotography.com

Camping at Whitefish Mountain is free for guests – the parking lot is large and easy to navigate with the camper. The ski in/ski out was so essential here because we hit a pretty good powder day, getting first chair was way easier than driving the 25 minutes from downtown. After a few wet, snowy nights at the mountain, we decided to book a night at the Firebrand hotel downtown Whitefish. We all took long, hot showers (including Rico), enjoyed tasty dessert in the lobby and soaked in the gorgeous rooftop hot top under the stars.

After spending every night for two months outside in the trailer, we took a break in Whitefish and dried out and warmed up in a hotel. They really took good care of Rico.

Next, we spent a few nights off-the-grid at Glacier National Park. They have a few spots plowed for campers and winter camping was free with park admission. It was the beginning of a brutal cold snap, complete with blowing wind and blizzard conditions. Winter in the park is peaceful and beautiful but far from any civilization. 

I actually got a lot of work done in Glacier NP because there were no distractions and the weather was too brutal to even want to go outside. These are some mountains I drew from some ski designs for Shaggy's Skis.