Missoula has two downhill ski areas within a 30 minute drive of town that offer good vertical drop and quality snow conditions. Montana Snowbowl is the larger of the two and is well known for its annual Gelande competitions that draw athletes from across the intermountain west to test their skills at distance flight through the air while wearing alpine equipment. Visitors to the Missoula area also have a great number of excellent XC ski trails at their disposal during the winter months. Some of the more popular Nordic ski trail systems include the Pattee Canyon/Rattlesnake National Resource and Wilderness Area and the University of Montana Forestry Department maintained Lubrecht Experimental Forest; a short drive to the east of Missoula brings visitors to the Garnet Mountains where visitors can access an additional 55 miles of trail in the Garnet Resource Area.