We awoke in the Big Sky parking lot to the growls of distant snowcats working, bombs so loud they shook the camper, and a brisk Montana air that burned the inside of your nostrils. The evening before, we had crossed the Idaho/Montana border and almost instantly, the sky grew bigger and the hills were lit with a light we hadn’t seen in days. The nickname “Big Sky Country” seemed fitting and we were happy to be in Montana.
Just outside of Ennis, MT. Big Sky Country.
First Montana sunset in all it’s glory.
Big Sky Resort is a resort we’ve never been to before and when we arrived, we wondered why. We studied the trail map online for quite some time before heading up to the mountain and we knew just by what we could see from the parking lot and what the map entailed, there was a ton of terrain to explore.
Big Sky from the road in.
The free parking lot we were parked in was very close to the base area and although it was within general walking distance, they will pick you up in a little trailer sleigh and take you to the base. After getting our tickets (inside mountain services if you have the MAX Pass) we headed for the most centrally located lift called the Swift Current Lift.
What better way to get familiar with a mountain than heading to the very top!? No better way in Tyson’s opinion. After unloading the Swift Current lift we skied down to the Powder Seeker Lift to get us up to the tram loading area. It’s worth mentioning that the Powder Seeker Lift is by far the nicest chair lift I’ve ever ridden in my life. Not only are the seats heated (I think? I mean they felt heated and someone said they were), there is a blue bubble that comes down over your torso! It basically blocks the wind and elements and allows you to ride the lift in warm comfort. I vote for those to be everywhere. But I’m always cold. What would be even better is my own personal bubble so that I can be warm even when I’m skiing. I’ll have to work on that.
Upon approaching the tram line, the operator was warning everyone of the horrible conditions up top. He mentioned how dangerous it was up there, how hard packed, and how downloading the tram wasn’t an option as it could be put on a wind hold at any minute. The wind was blowing 30-40 mph. We knew there was a backside to the top, which we couldn’t see from the bottom of the tram and Tyson was convinced there would be an easy way down if we needed it. The lift operator was informing us that this wasn’t the case.
Waiting for the tram.
We piled in the tram with 7 other people and before closing the doors, the lift operator once again warned us of the horrible conditions. The doors closed and suddenly we were swinging high above the icy terrain below us. We finally made it to the top and as soon as the door opened, there was a patroller warning us of the challenging conditions that existed. I was definitely hesitating at this point. He gave Tyson and me a recommendation for skiing down and with so many closures, there weren’t many options. He showed us where to begin and warned us that there would be a lot of side stepping to get through the rocks that had been exposed because of heavy winds.
Making our way through the rocks.
We made our way through the rocks and the snowflakes felt like pellets hitting our faces. The wind would blow a small person over and any exposed skin was burning. The rocks beneath our skis gave us perception of where the ground was. After making it through the scree field, we traversed left and found Lenin. It was a steep chute with fairly good coverage. The only problem was that the coverage was ice. In this scenario, a fall would take you all the way to the bottom of the chute. We precariously made our way down, focusing on every turn and move.
Looking down Lenin Chute.
While the conditions were less than ideal, it was fun to explore the terrain off of the Lone Peak Tram. We couldn’t stop dreaming about what the skiing would be like on a deep powder day (and more importantly consecutive powder days to cover the rocks). The amount of challenging terrain at Big Sky is pretty incredible.
Over the course of the two days we explored Big Sky, we were definitely able to scare ourselves a little bit. Our second day there, the resort received 4-8 inches around the mountain and we were able to get onto some steeper terrain that would provide fun skiing with some soft snow. Off of the Headwaters Lift there are some really fun and mellow and some tricky and challenging chutes. We traversed over and hit Firehole Chute and while this was an accessible option, you can hike the ridge and access a ton more chutes. Some of them cliff out so make sure you know where you are going!
Plenty of opportunity to work on your cliff drops at Big Sky.
Lone Tree Quad also offered some really fun, easy to access, and quick pow laps. Head left off of the lift, then side step up for a few minutes and traverse out as far as you can. It’s not the longest run in the world but the snow was protected, deep, and not too skied out.
The view from Six Shooter.
On top of the challenging terrain, there is an incredible amount of beginner to intermediate terrain, all providing riders and skier with remarkable views of the area. If you’re into terrain parks, Big Sky has some really fun and flowy features. There are a few main parks, and we found the one off of Swift Current to be the best. There is another park over off of Six Shooter but it’s not huge and it is kind of cumbersome to get to. If you were in for a park day, you’d want to ski one park for a period of time and then head over to the other one for the rest of the day. It’s not a set up that you would alternate every lap.
All skiable terrain off of the Headwaters Lift.
On top of Lookout Ridge.
Overall, we were psyched to ski at Big Sky and on a good year, we would definitely come back and spend a week or more there. While we didn’t hit the resort during ideal conditions, we were happy to have a little powder day to do some exploring. The vastness of the terrain is pretty crazy and we feel like on deep days, snow wouldn’t get skied out too fast because there are so many options for people to ski.
Situated only about 40 miles from Bozeman, we understand now why Big Sky is such a popular destination. The hot springs, which you will see if you are driving to Big Sky from Bozeman, are also amazing! They are very relaxing, extremely nice, and inexpensive too. This area has a lot to offer from outdoor adventures, relaxing hot springs, and beautiful Montana views. We’ll be back for you Big Sky.
Bozeman Hot Springs… We definitely recommend.
Looking south from Lookout Ridge.
With the MAX Pass, you receive 5 days of skiing at all 39 participating resorts! They even have options like add-on passes, which is what we did for our Rocky Mountain Super Pass Plus. For more information, visit the MAX Pass website.
