By Mike Terrell
Friends looked at me strangely when I told them I was taking Amtrak to Whitefish, Mont., for some skiing at Big Mountain and snowshoeing in Glacier National Park. Spend a night on a train when you could get there in a few hours by flying? That's the unasked question, of course.
It's a genteel way to travel and a geography lesson at the same time. It's a wonderful way to see middle America as the Empire Builder travels more than 1,700 miles between Chicago and Whitefish. You cross six states and two major rivers before reaching the towering peaks of the northern Rocky Mountains. I caught Amtrak in Kalamazoo, taking it to the Windy City where I changed trains at historic Union Station.
The Empire Builder has sleeping car accommodations that include dining service and outlets to power laptops and cell phones. It's modern, updated and quite cozy. An attendant, always on duty, is just a push of the call-button away. They turn down your bed at night and make it up in the morning while you eat breakfast rolling across the prairie. It's almost like traveling on an overland cruise ship with restaurants, movie theaters, game rooms, observation domes and a lounge.
The train follows the northern route across America first followed by the plains Indians and later paralleled by major portions of the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail. It passes through the hill country of Wisconsin and follows the broad Mississippi River up to Minneapolis before heading off into "big sky" country.
The first morning we awoke to the vast plains of North Dakota, a desolate area stretching as far as the eye can see, dotted by an occasional white-shingled farmhouse. It's the land where the "antelope play and buffalo roam," which we occasionally saw from the train as well as a few coyotes. As the Empire Builder crossed into Montana and rambled along the Missouri River, stops at ramshackle towns straight out of a western movie set become more frequent. In the far distance a tiny speck pierced the horizon; our first glimpse of the Rockies and Glacier National Park.
You pass through the park near dusk if the train's on time. Glacial streams shine in brilliant blues and greens. Soaring peaks surround you as the train slows to a crawl inching up the mountains. It makes a couple of stops in East Glacier, Essex and Izaak Walton Inn and West Glacier before stopping at Whitefish.
Great Northern Railroad built the Izaak Walton Inn in 1939 to house snow removal crews. Nowadays the inn hosts cross-country skiers, snowshoers, outdoor enthusiasts of all types, and railroad buffs during winter months.
Whitefish is one of the few communities in North America that can lay claim to massive peaks and big water. Perched on the shore of six-mile long Whitefish Lake, this small community is posed under the 7,000-foot summit of Big Mountain; just a short hop from the national park. For snowsports enthusiasts the choices are endless.
You have skiing and snowboarding at Whitefish Mountain Resort on Big Mountain, cross country skiing, snowshoe hikes, dog sledding and snowmobiling. Nearby Glacier National Park offers numerous snowshoe hiking opportunities. Guided hikes are optional.
Whitefish Mountain Resort offers a small, upscale village at the base of Big Mountain that provides all the necessary services without overwhelming the eclectic feel of the area. It's been called one of America's great cult ski areas. It's truly a big mountain with more than a 2,300-foot vertical drop. Slopes face all directions and ramble across 3,000 acres of gorgeous terrain offering easy, green boulevards with a few that meander all the way from the summit, endless blue cruisers and plenty of molar-grinding glades, chutes and even a few 50-foot cliffs.
It's highlighted by super-sized scenery; the postcard-perfect peaks of Glacier National Park everywhere you look and sparkling "snow ghosts" -- powder-shellacked trees -- that dot the top of the mountain.
The mountain village offers upscale slopeside properties like Kandahar Lodge or Morning Eagle Lodge, or the friendly, funky town of Whitefish is just 10 minutes down the mountain. It offers lots of lodging choices, theater, music, classic neighborhood bars, stores and a bevy of great restaurants. It's a real western town with a lot of charisma.
If you're thinking of taking a spring trip west for some snowsport adventures, consider the train instead of flying. Make the trip part of the journey. It's a fun, relaxing way to travel. The relaxed informality of train travel breeds friendly conversation among passengers.
Amtrak fares for coach class range from $149 to $332 each way from the Midwest, and you don't have to pay extra for taking your ski equipment. The food is quite good, and eating in the dining car with its wrap-around windows is both a gastronomical and visual treat.
