Big Mountain’s annual skimo race sees gnarly climbs and warm temps
KELSEY EVANS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 6 months AGO
Grant Chong, a skimo athlete from Washington, charged through the finish line at the foggy summit to win the long course at the 2026 Whitefish Whiteout at Whitefish Mountain Resort on Saturday.
Over 100 athletes raced up and down Big Mountain for the annual ski mountaineering race, which is sanctioned by the United States Ski Mountaineering Association and part of the Big Sky Cup, Montana’s skimo series. It features long, medium and short courses and a single ascent option.
Competitors saw no precipitation, typical limited visibility, and temperatures that climbed to over 40 degrees at the base by the afternoon.
Long course participants completed nearly 8 miles with 5,090 feet of climbing, five ascents and four descents.
They ascended Benny Up, traversed Haskill Slide and climbed to the North Bowl Face. They descended Hellfire into Picture Chutes and climbed Hellfire. The last lap went down and up East Rim, with a final grueling boot pack up NBC.
Chong finished in 1:42.07, holding off second place finisher Matt Palilla who finished in 1:57.29.
Jessie Young was the first-place woman, finishing in 2:01.58. Kelly Wolf was second in 2:13.03.
Owen Crandall, 18, earned first place in the U-19 division in 2:09.48. Joel Shehan took first for the 45-plus category in 2:11.12, just ahead of Matt Seeley with 2:13.13. Fourteen-year-old Porter Sheehan was first in a USSMA special youth division.
For complete results, see competitivetiming.com
Olivia Skillings competes in the Whitefish Whiteout on Saturday, Jan. 31. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)ARTICLES BY KELSEY EVANS
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