WaterSki Magazine

WATERSKI Magazine
2001-06-14 15:00:00 | 393 views | 0 Comments

We looked at Holter Lake in the endless landscape of Montana and, excuse us, but we had to gush.

Just as Montana is the most thinly populated state among the continental 48, Holter's 26-mile surface is sparse on activity. So sparse, in fact, that barefooters have staked claim to the length of the lake for endurance practice. Road traffic on Montana's roads is so light and quick (there's no speed limit on interstates) that you'd barely even know I-15 runs right past Holter. One skier who frequents the lake told us it isn't unusual to see the water downright deserted on a weekday. Nor is it a freak of nature to have the constant companionship of wild goats and eagles.

What helps keep Holter quiet is Waterski Mania, a two-lake tournament site in Helena where you can pay to play. We'd recommend this man-made facility to skiers who don't enjoy the surroundings of national forests and Rocky Mountain ranges. That's exactly what you'll deal with on Holter, which is situated at the Gateway to the Rockies. In person “Gateway to the Rockies” means the mountains look like gates that swing open and closed as you move around the water. It's the kind of scene that brings all those flowery descriptions - “majestic,” “nature the way it was meant to be” - to life.