Published August 13, 2026 11:25AM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
In the basement just outside of the bathrooms, the walls are lined with rust-colored shag carpet. There\u2019s a sign that reads, \u201cPlease Save Our Burger Baskets\u201d next to an\u00a0antique, wooden, hand-painted display that lists adult lift tickets at a whopping price of $8.50.<\/p>\n
This is Maverick, a single-lift mountain in Southwestern Montana self-described<\/a> as the \u201csoul of skiing.\u201d As I write this, crews are battling the Sand Creek Fire, now burning at more than 27,000 acres<\/a> and\u00a0tearing through Maverick and its surrounding communities. The fire, which remains at zero percent containment, began on August 1, about seven miles outside Wisdom, Montana, an equally funky, true-cowboy kind of town.<\/p>\n An estimated two-thirds of the ski area\u2019s runs<\/a> are reportedly burned, as well as the upper portion of the ski lift<\/a>. But we won\u2019t know the full extent of the damage until fire crews are able to get a handle on the flames.<\/p>\n Maverick Mountain<\/a> is the second ski area in 2026 to succumb to a wildfire, after Eagle Point Resort<\/a> in Utah burned down in July. Firefighters continue to battle fires across Oregon, including those threatening historical structures on Mount Hood, such as Timberline Lodge. Portions of Spokane, Washington, are leveled. I haven\u2019t been able to see the outline of the mountains from my home in Missoula, Montana, for weeks because of intense smoke.<\/p>\n These fires threaten more than just acreage\u2014they jeopardize the heart of Western outdoor culture.<\/p>\n Smokejumpers and firefighters working around the country are holding fire lines, installing pumps and sprinkler systems, and wrapping threatened structures, including those surrounding the spunky Elkhorn Hot Springs near Maverick. While homes burn down and people are evacuated, we are also losing a connection to ski culture and the weird, quirky, outlandish outdoor places we love.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n