Drive east out of Missoula along the storied Big Blackfoot River and before too long the mountains pull back, the valleys yawn, and the snow piles up deeper and sticks around longer. It’s a setting practically synonymous with “picturesque”: forested mountain ridges set behind broad plains of snow-covered sagebrush, dotted with ranch houses and small thickets of cottonwood, all beneath that illimitable sky.
In one such expansive valley you’ll find the Resort at Paws Up, itself a storied institution in our region, encompassed by—and embedded within—this iconic Western Montana landscape. The Resort at Paws Up is a widely-renowned resort catering to national and international clientele with luxury lodging, world-class dining, and all the outdoor activities one could imagine, summer or winter.
And winters are cherished here in Western Montana. For many locals, winter, with its myriad possibilities for recreation and togetherness, is a major reason why they consider this a special place to call home. It’s for this reason that the Resort at Paws Up created WinterFest, an annual celebration of the season and the region, to share its joys far and wide.
“It’s really nice to have something to celebrate winter here,” says Krystle Swenson, Executive Pastry Chef at Paws Up. “Summer gets a lot of attraction but winter should just as much; it’s just as beautiful.”
Sunny Jin, the resort’s General Manager of Food and Beverage, feels similarly about WinterFest’s unique promise.
“Our activities don’t stop. Montana doesn’t stop,” he says. “Winter here is my favorite season. It feels like your own playground. We want to embrace that, and we actually want to share that. So WinterFest has become something we build on every year with new programs, new guests, new collaborations. It’s turned into something very unique that we look forward to.”
“We all know why we’re here in Montana, why this is home for us,” he continues. “It’s really nice to be able to share that with enthusiasm.”
Krystle also sees WinterFest as an antidote to the general clamor of the holiday season, and a healthy excuse to hold a celebration in the middle of the wide—and often sleepy—gulf between New Year’s Day and Memorial Day.
“There is a lot of noise and chaos with the holidays; you don’t really get that reset or quiet time,” she says. With WinterFest, “there’s time for guests to come away with some clarity, to have some fun and action, of course, but also to just have some of that time to decompress, whether it’s with friends or loved ones or family, to reconnect, to have that experience that I think you want during the holidays but a lot of the time there are other agendas.”
A quick perusal of the WinterFest web page will give a glimpse into what one might experience between Valentine’s Day and President’s Day: there are images of curling, horseback riding, snowmobiling, fireworks, fireside cocktails, and more. The website will tell you a bit about what could be in store for the next WinterFest but if you want the full WinterFest picture, well, you’ll just have to experience it firsthand.
“We don’t want to give away too many of the secrets” about WinterFest, Sunny says, “because we like the anticipation, the understanding that there are going to be some closed curtains, some things you’re going to experience that we don’t publicize. There are these little hidden gems where we continue to push ourselves to make sure we don’t stay redundant or stagnant. It doesn’t matter if the guests turn over; we don’t want to repeat ourselves. We’re always looking at what’s next.”
“We also encourage guests to explore for themselves,” adds Krystle. “That’s one of the beautiful things about Montana, with this pristine, untouched landscape for them to just explore on their own and create their own memories and their own experiences because there’s so much to do. It’s kind of a pick-your-own-adventure.”
“It’s amazing,” Sunny continues, “the guests are sitting there smiling up a storm, almost to the point of exhaustion, but still wanting more the next day. The snowmobiling, the dogsledding, the nature hikes—if you just kept it as simple as that, you could keep yourself occupied for a week out here.”
While there are certainly some very exciting knowns and unknowns surrounding WinterFest, one absolute you can bank on is a once-in-a-lifetime dining experience. In the caring hands of Krystle, Sunny, and the rest of the Resort at Paws Up culinary crew, you’ll no doubt have a warm seat and expertly-crafted foods and beverages waiting for you when you return indoors from whatever wintry adventures you choose to take part in (and there are many; of that you can also be assured).
As Chef Krystle says, food is “at the center point” of WinterFest. “Any time I think about creating menu items or developing something for events, I always try to think about the guest’s perspective. So I imagine: they’re out on activities, they’re out in the snow, what would feel nice and warm and cozy when they come down to eat dinner and celebrate? I always try to put myself in the guest’s shoes; what feels comforting and genuine, versus ‘oh I have this cool new thing I want to try.’”
“It comes down to genuine hospitality,” she continues. “I never liked when people say ‘oh my god, this is gonna blow your mind.’ I’d rather people just take it in and enjoy it. There’s something about telling people how they’re gonna feel that doesn’t resonate with who we are. I’d rather lay out all the cards, let them take it in, and then enhance where we can.”
In case it is not yet clear, Krystle and Sunny and all of the Resort at Paws Up staff are here to help each and every visitor create their best and most memorable stay, in whatever form that takes. And they very much hope that WinterFest shines in visitors’ minds like the North Star on a crystal-clear February night.
“I think if we did our job right, they’ll be talking about it with their families six months down the road,” Sunny says. “If we set that as a goal then we’ve accomplished a lot.”
“I hope it’s a little bit of adventure, a little bit of relaxation, and a lot of celebration,” Krystle says.
"There are these little hidden gems where we continue to push ourselves to make sure we don’t stay redundant or stagnant." - Sunny Jin
WinterFest (February 14-17)
Has winter intimidated you with its freezing temps? Do you feel like the season overstays its welcome? Maybe you dread the monochromatic landscape? WinterFest at Paws Up is a chance to celebrate winter in all that it offers us. Great food, warm embraces, top-notch wine tastings, and exhilarating activities await. Let your senses open up and not only accept this season but embrace it. Enjoy live music, nightly bonfires and s'mores, and the unique experience that Paws Up has to offer.
The Resort at Paws Up