Bear Paw Ski Bowl close to opening

As Havre locals experience the heart of winter, they will need to find a way to take advantage of the snowy weather to have some fun. One of those opportunities will be the chance to hit the slopes at Bear Paw Ski Bowl through the season. 

That chance is soon near as the Bear Paw Ski Bowl is beginning preparation for the season. The mountain currently does not have enough snow yet but Dave Martens Jr., who helps run the slope, believes that one more snowfall could get the hill into the right conditions to allow skiing and snowboarding. 

"I think one good dump would probably put us where we need to be," Martens said. 

Snow is in the forecast for the rest of this week, with 5 inches to 10 inches predicted in the mountains.

If the slope does get enough snow soon, Martens estimates that the earliest Bear Paw Ski Bowl will be open is Saturday of next week. If that is the case, the Bear Paw Winter Sports will soon open up for skiers and snowboarders. At the moment it is only open by appointment, which people can make by messaging the shop's Facebook page. 

When the hill is open, Bear Paw Winter Sports on the 400 Block of First Street will be open Friday nights, Saturday and Sunday mornings for rental pickups and evenings for drop-offs.

The shop will be open from 4 to 8 pm. Fridays and the morning hours through the weekend are from 8 to 9:30 a.m. The shop will also be open Saturday and Sunday nights for rental returns.

Along with renting out skis and snowboards, the shop also does tuning and waxing for equipment. Along with daily rentals, Bear Paw Winter Sports offers rentals for equipment through the entire season.