Alpine Ski/Ride Program

In an effort to increase accessibility and consistency of adaptive skiing for local residents, DREAM is excited to offer a Locals Ski Program! Locals Lessons are offered at discounted rates for those wishing to schedule regular weekly lessons on set dates from December to March, for individuals that reside permanently in the United States within 90 miles (one-way) of Whitefish and who commit to a minimum of 4 lessons.

Local Alpine Ski/Ride Program Dates:  

*no lessons offered on Dec. 25th or Jan. 1st

• December 15, 2025 – March 16, 2026

Please note:  Early/Late season and holiday lesson scheduling will be dictated by snow conditions and availability of instructors.  We will do our very best to accommodate your request.

Local Lesson Rates

Includes a trained instructor, lift ticket, any adaptive equipment needed, and helmet and goggles (if needed). Lift tickets are only valid when skiing & riding with DREAM.

$20 Deposit is required to request lessons. Deposit will be applied to your total lesson cost. 

**Partial and full scholarships are available through an application**       

• Half Day Lesson (2.5 Hours) $45.00

Important Details

• For individuals who will stand-up ski or snowboard, you must provide your own equipment: skis, boots and poles or snowboard and boots. We are happy to provide recommendations on local rental shops!
• All lessons start and finish at the Base Lodge unless otherwise communicated.
• We do not provide lunch or supervision during lunch.
• For first timers, please plan for up to an hour for your first initial adaptive equipment fitting if applicable. We want to ensure you have the best fit and equipment possible.
• Please be sure to review our Winter Program Essential Eligibility Criteria
• Self-care and toileting assistance are not provided by DREAM Instructors

All registration items must be completed  and received by DREAM no less than 14 days before your first lesson.

DREAM is happy to work with local school and adult group for weekly lesson opportunities in addition to Specialty and Destination Group Programming opportunities.  Availability for these opportunities are limited and available on a first come first serve basis each season.

To inquire about availability please contact our Program Team no later than September 15th each year.

Program Team contact contact:  programs@dreamadaptive.org  or call (406) 885 – 9539

Alpine Ski and Snowboard Program Essential Eligibility Criteria (EEC)

To be eligible for participation in the DREAM Alpine Ski and Snowboard Program, all participants must meet all general program EEC in addition to all alpine ski and snowboard program EEC.  DREAM reserves the right to request that a guardian/caregiver be accessible to program staff while the individual is participating in the program.

General Program Essential Eligibility Criteria

• Individual lives with a long-term disability and requires specialized instruction or adaptive equipment to recreate outdoors.
• Individual is 5 years old, or older.
• Individual is cleared by their doctor to participate in designated activity.
• While participating with DREAM programs, individual can refrain from risky behavior that pose a threat to themselves and others including aggressive behavior, ignoring safety precautions identified by instructors, drug/alcohol use, inability to set boundaries pertaining to their physical ability and needs.
• Individual can contribute to a safe learning environment. Harassment and abusive behavior will not be tolerated.
• Individual can follow instructions given by instructors independently or with the assistance of a companion*.
• Individual can wear all protective equipment required for the activity.
• Individual can manage personal care independently or with the assistance of a companion*.
• Individual can breathe independently and does not require medical devices to sustain breathing.

* For the use of this document, a companion can be a personal support person, family member, or friend and excludes any, and all DREAM instructors, assistants, or staff.

Alpine Ski and Snowboard Program Essential Eligibility Criteria

• Individual must be 200 pounds or less if using a monoski
• For tethered sit equipment individual must be 150 pounds or less
• Individual must be able to assist themselves in getting up from the snow with minimal assistance.

If you have questions regarding eligibility please email programs@dreamadaptive.org or call (406) 855-9539 

DREAM Program Cancellation & Tardiness Policy

DREAM’s cancellation and tardiness policy aims to assure respectful participation and allows DREAM to maintain a dependable volunteer instructor team. DREAM’s goal is to serve as many participants as possible through their empowering programs. Activity cancellations and no-shows inherently keep other well-deserving participants from receiving our services. Once a reservation is made, that assignment is solely reserved for the participant and other reservations may be denied due to capacity. Without advanced cancellation notice, filling the reserved activity last-minute is a challenging and often, an unlikely task due to the careful consideration of how to best support each unique participant.

DREAM holds a 48-hour cancellation policy.

• Program opportunities that are canceled within 48 hours of start time will be charged for 50% of the program fee. Depending on schedule availability, we will attempt to offer a make-up opportunity.  
• Program opportunities canceled within 24 hours of program start time or no call no shows will automatically be charged the full program amount. No opportunity will be given to reschedule.
• Program opportunities that are canceled more than 48 hours before the program start time, will be given the opportunity to reschedule depending upon schedule availability.

Please Note: If participants on scholarship (including Military Veterans who participate at no cost) cancel within 48 hours on (2) scheduled programs within a given season, their financial aid scholarship will be revoked, and future lessons may be reconsidered.

Weather cancellations

Are at the discretion of DREAM. Safety is our top priority and we have protocols in place to combat the often unpredictable NW Montana weather. In the rare case that we choose to cancel your program due to extreme weather or unsafe conditions, we will do our best to provide an opportunity for a make-up lesson.

Tardiness Policy

If you are running a few minutes late, or going to be late for any reason, please call or text (406) 201-9215.   With your proactive communication, we’ll hold your instructor for up to 15 minutes. However, after that time the instructor will be released and the lesson will be counted as a late cancel / no-show (see cancellation policy above).

If we do not hear from you about being late, we will attempt to call you 10min after the scheduled program start time informing you we will hold the instructor until 15 min. after the scheduled program time.  After 15 min if we have not heard from you, we will release the instructor and the program will be counted as a late cancel / no call no show lesson. 

For any questions regarding the DREAM Program Cancellation & Tardiness Policy please email the DREAM Program Manager at: mwestbrook@dreamadaptive.org or call (406) 885 – 9539 ext 2.