Whitefish's COVID-19 task force and the operator of the S.N.O.W. bus that shuttles skiers and snowboarders between the city and Big Mountain are urging riders to wear masks when boarding – and keep them on for the duration of their trips.

The task force and the Big Mountain Commercial Association, the nonprofit that runs the S.N.O.W. bus, said Monday its drivers had "struggled" with maskless riders in their first week of winter operation.

"Mask-wearing is a condition of ridership for this free service, and we need everyone to respect the rules. To be clear, the bus will not run if riders are not masked for the entire trip," Jenny Cloutier, executive director of the S.N.O.W. bus, said in a statement. "If we want to keep those chairlifts running and we want to keep the buses running, we need folks to mask up whenever they're on the bus."

Cloutier added that any rider who shows up without a mask can ask the driver for a complimentary one.

"By and large, people are really complying," she said Tuesday. "It's just there are a few folks that are adamant about not complying."

The Big Mountain Commercial Association, which contracts with Rocky Mountain Transportation to provide the S.N.O.W. bus service, said it has made "significant investments" to lower the risk of coronavirus transmission. That includes doubling the size of the S.N.O.W. bus fleet by using school buses, spraying a special "fog" disinfectant in each bus after each route is completed, and offering free hand sanitizer along with the masks.

In addition to wearing masks, riders are asked to load and unload through the back door of the S.N.O.W. bus in an effort to protect drivers.

Reporter Chad Sokol can be reached at 758-4434 or csokol@dailyinterlake.com