The air was bitingly cold, with wind chills certainly in the negatives. Snow and wind battered my exposed face, leaving my nostrils dripping with snot as I fought to combat frostbite.

The wind buffeted my body as I sank in snow drifts up to my waist, the elements making my ascent to the summit all the more difficult on a brutal winter day, high above sea-level.

While such an account sounds like it could have come from someone hiking up Mount Everest, it was actually this reporter hiking up Big Mountain in Whitefish on Saturday. Yes, what I’ve said is true; I may also be somewhat of a wuss. The goal of my two-hour hike up the ski resort’s west shoulder to the summit house was one run, one glorious run on untouched powder, an early skier or snowboarder’s dream.

We’ve been lucky – if you enjoy winter outdoor recreation – to have gotten a healthy dose of cold and snowy weather by now, especially in the mountains. Big Mountain, recently renamed Whitefish Mountain, is no exception, but their opening day isn’t until Dec. 4. However, because the resort holds a special use permit from the U.S. Forest Service, hikers, or uphillers as they are known, have been heading up the mountain since the first snow has hit.

Because uphillers can cause potential conflicts or collisions on the mountain, the Forest Service has set up certain rules: “It is prohibited for any skier, hiker, or person otherwise, to approach within 100 yards of grooming machines, whether stationary or moving; or snowmaking equipment, to include but not limited to fan guns, high-pressure water lines, and high-voltage electrical cables, within the Whitefish Mountain Resort permit boundary.”

Skiing in bounds at a resort is particularly special because many outdoor enthusiasts choose to ski backcountry wilderness which is much more rugged and can have many more avalanche dangers. This alternative gives a similar experience on a sweet mountain, especially before lift-riding skiers are on the slopes. The result is beautiful and uncrowded, a perfect way to start your season.

One of the routes designated for uphillers is the Toni Matt trail, which editor Ali Bronsdon and I decided to ascend Saturday morning.

For both of us, it was our first venture into uphilling. I am terribly out of shape and had to stop frequently. I became so hungry at one point that I had to stop and inhale my sandwich. Taking my gloves off to eat, I nearly froze all 10 fingers off; it was that cold, as I’m sure anyone at the Griz-Cat game can attest.

As soon as we started hiking I realized my Camelbak had frozen. To try and unfreeze it, I put the hose in my bag, hoping my body heat would break the ice. It did, but the water leaked onto my back and snowboard, meaning when I got to the top, my snowboard’s base surface was covered with snow. I couldn’t move with so much ice on my board’s base, so I sat and chipped away at the ice, becoming increasingly cold as I sat there, wanting to just rip down the mountain and blow through all the powder I had drooled over on my way up. Finally I did, and I couldn’t believe the coverage. I plowed down in light, fluffy waist-deep powder, thoroughly enjoying my first run of the season.

When we got down, both Ali and I agreed it was a cool experience, but not one we would necessarily always pursue. It’s hard to justify, at least to myself, a two-hour hike for one single run. And with the shape I’m in, there’s no way I could go up again on the same day, even if I wanted to (which I didn’t).

But, and this may be surprising, I’d recommend uphilling to anyone ambitious enough to try. It’s a great way to get exercise and a rewarding way to ski in an environmentally-friendly way. For more details, visit www.skiwhitefish.com and follow all posted rules.

Enjoy the winter season!