Anyone who has ridden on Chair 3 at Whitefish Mountain Resort has no doubt noticed the Snow Bear Treehouses perched along the west side of the slope. The three tree-house chalets are some of the most distinctive rentals anywhere in the valley—and beyond—and now the developer behind the innovative project is embarking on her newest development next-door.

Montana Bear Properties broke ground on Snow Bear Chalets in November 2019 and they plan to have the seven new luxury slopeside vacation rentals completed this coming November. Guests will be able to stay in the unique new rentals starting December, 2020.

“We’re so excited to see this project all come together,” said Gail Goodwin, the mastermind behind the various Snow Bear properties.

The chalets will take many of the unique, upscale elements of the tree houses and add additional features and, most importantly, extra space. Goodwin said guests at the tree houses—from Canadian tourists to Silicon Valley technology bigwigs—have often gushed to her about the experience, but have lamented they couldn’t share it with more people, since the three tree houses together sleep 22 people.

With that feedback in mind, Goodwin decided to expand into the neighboring property and created the vision for the chalets. The seven new properties will sleep double the number of guests that can stay in the tree houses. Most will be two-bedroom rentals complete with kitchens, bathrooms, decks and bars, and a few have three bedrooms.

From one person to 80 people, Goodwin insisted, “We can take care of it. We’ve got you covered.”

But space is only one the many amenities that will be available at the new Snow Bear Chalets.

“It’s all high-end, luxury,” said Goodwin, who has developed properties in nine states and three countries.

Guests at Snow Bear Chalets will be able to enjoy ski-in, ski-out access to Hope Slope, complete with a trail directly from the front door to the run; indoor, heated parking with full charging hookups for electric cars; individual storage units and a separate ski locker room; a glass-enclosed fitness center; multiple fireplaces in each residence, with one in every master bedroom; private decks with hot tubs for each unit; button-operated mattress warmers and innumerable extra special touches.

The interiors will be decorated in the same style as the tree houses, with upscale furnishings such as the mountain back-splash in the kitchen that Goodwin said guests rave about more than almost any other feature.

All seven of the individual units will have a few unique accoutrements of their own, like 24-foot glass doors that open directly onto the deck in unit four. “Each of our vacation rental units has something special,” Goodwin pointed out.

But they all will share Goodwin’s trademark architectural element — turrets.

“I love turrets,” Goodwin said. “It’s kind of my signature.”

The turrets will house spiral staircases that lead up to small spaces with beanbag chairs, ceiling lights meant to resemble stars and views of the mountain or valley. This one-of-a-kind feature, which is part of the tree houses and chalets, was inspired by Goodwin’s childhood experiences of building a tree house and “counting nails” alongside her builder father.

“We tried to think of everything, as the details are so important,” she said.

The chalets will feature unrivaled onsite management, since Goodwin and her husband will live in the seventh, penthouse unit when the building is completed.

“The views are amazing from the first floor, and it only gets better higher up,” she said as she gazed out at the valley during her first visit to the top floor of the new development.

The Goodwins’ residence will include a few personalized touches, like plumbed artificial turf for their pet Samoyed to relieve himself without going down to the ground level.

As if it wasn’t obvious, Goodwin pointed out she has acute attention to detail with every aspect of her projects.

And she’s proud to be one of the only women creating developments like Snow Bear. “There aren’t many girls doing this,” she noted. “There aren’t many women developers.”

The joy for her as a Whitefish resident, she said, is introducing people to everything the local community has to offer. “I love bringing people to Montana and introducing Whitefish to people who have never heard of Whitefish,” she said.

“Snow Bear has gone on to help put Whitefish on the international map,” she said of the tree houses. “It’s so unique.”

She hopes her latest development will continue to inspire international appreciation for the valley.

When the chalets open for guests in December, they will require a three-night minimum stay and a week-long minimum stay during holidays. To learn more about the chalets or to make a reservation, visit: https://snowbearchalets.com

Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at bserbin@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4459.