Showdown Montana Ski Trail Map - Layered Wood Wall Art
by Mountaincut
Montana's oldest ski area, still doing it the old-school way, now on your wall. Mountaincut's Showdown Montana Ski Trail Map is a layered wooden wall art piece featuring hand-traced ski trails expertly laser cut from premium birch and/or walnut plywood, a handcrafted tribute to the family-run Little Belt Mountains gem where champagne powder falls, lift lines do not exist, and skiing still feels the way it always did.
Montana's Oldest Ski Area, Captured in Wood
Tucked into the Little Belt Mountains on the slopes of Porphyry Peak near Neihart, Montana, within the Lewis and Clark National Forest and right along the Kings Hill Scenic Byway, Showdown Montana has been welcoming skiers since 1936. Originally called King's Hill Ski Area and started by a group of volunteers with the Great Falls Ski Club, it is the oldest continuously operating ski area in the state and one of the oldest in the country. From a base of 6,800 feet to a summit of 8,200 feet, Showdown delivers a 1,400-foot vertical drop across 640 acres, with 39 named trails served by four lifts: one triple, two doubles, and a beginner conveyor. And here is the beautiful part, there is no snowmaking at all. Showdown runs entirely on 240 inches of pure, dry Montana champagne powder. This handcrafted map captures every run, glade, and bump line in beautiful layered wood relief.
Every Trail, Every Glade, Every Memory
Showdown's terrain breaks down to roughly 28% beginner, 44% intermediate, and 28% advanced and expert, laid out much the way it was generations ago. Beginners start on Sour Dough Hill near the base before graduating to longer greens like Brown-eyed Queen and Golden Goose. Intermediates can ski the entire mountain top to bottom on flowing groomers like King's Ridge or Upper Ripley into Lower Ripley, with the longest run stretching 1.8 miles. Experts head for the five steep, tree-lined black diamonds dropping off King's Ridge, and the summit opens up excellent tree skiing and genuine bump runs that hold snow beautifully. Terrain parks near the base serve freestyle riders. The 12.5-minute ride up the Prospector triple is not fast by modern standards, and that is entirely the point: the Little Belts unfold around you the whole way up, softened by snow-capped conifers across nearly three million acres of national forest. Family-owned for over 50 years and now woman-owned after George Willett passed the mountain to his daughter Katie Boedecker in 2021, Showdown remains proudly independent, blissfully uncrowded, and among the most affordable lift tickets in Montana. SKI Magazine calls it one of Montana's best-kept skiing secrets.
Exceptional Craftsmanship, Made in the USA
All Mountaincut wooden trail maps are precision laser cut and etched, hand-stained, and finished in the United States using birch and/or walnut plywood. The two-layer construction creates a rich, dimensional look where the mountain's ridgeline, glades, and trail network stand out in beautiful relief. Hanging hardware comes preinstalled, so your new trail map will be on display in minutes.
Because each piece is crafted from real wood, no two maps are exactly alike, with natural variations in the grain and stain giving every piece its own character, just like a champagne powder morning on Porphyry Peak.
The Perfect Gift for Showdown Skiers
Whether you learned to ski on Sour Dough Hill, cruised King's Ridge from the summit, found untracked powder in the trees on a quiet Thursday, grabbed a coffee at the T-Bar before first chair, or have been making the drive down from Great Falls for as long as you can remember, this map is a lasting reminder of the mountain that shows what Montana skiing has always really been. Independent, unpretentious, and genuinely one of a kind, Showdown Montana deserves a place on your wall. Mountaincut products are made to order and most items ship within 2 to 3 days. Larger sizes (30" and above) may take 5 to 8 days before shipping.
Available in multiple sizes. Montana's oldest ski area, on your wall every day of the year.
