Third Stop: Big Sky, MT -- The biggest may be the best

“The best part about skiing is that the worst part about skiing is still better than anything else.”
        -My dear friend, on a lift at Big Sky, suffering from three days of punished shins and sore feet.

Big Sky brags of having The Biggest Skiing in America. So much so that they trademarked the phrase. As the locals tell it, “Out here, we like our elbow room.” They’ll tell anyone willing to listen – while somehow retaining the modesty and politeness of every Montanan – that their ski resort is the best around, it’s just that most folks don’t know about it.

They did not disappoint.

Big Sky emerges from the banks of the Gallatin River, which you follow for almost the entire drive from nearby Bozeman (45 miles). It is huge, though only when you count Moonlight Basin, it’s sister resort for which you need to pay more to ski, does it surpass Vail in skiable acres.

But no more nitpicking. The skiing is spectacular. The terrain is variable enough to satisfy anyone. And there is plenty of elbow room. During a three-day weekend (one sunny, one powdery, and one both), we only had to wait more than 30 seconds for a lift once – and that was for the tram that takes you to Lone Peak, the ominous spot at the height of Big Sky.

Lone Peak

When first laying eyes on Lone Peak, from one of the other lifts, it doesn’t even appear to be part of the same mountain (a testimony to the breadth of Big Sky). It also appears so daunting from afar that we joked, while on the lift, that we should ski it – not knowing that was possible.

Our host responded quite seriously that, in fact, we would.

Anticipating the ride

Later that morning, sun shining, we were on our way up. The tram ride is intimidating. You head up the front face of the mountain, such imposing terrain that skiers apparently need special permission to head down it. Once at the top, though, the 360° views were breathtaking. From Lone Peak, 11,000-feet up, you can see all the terrain the region has to offer – mountains, cliffs, lakes, to name a few.

Back to the skiing…heading down from Lone Peak was challenging, but the most difficult hurdle is its intimidation. If that run weren’t after a foreboding tram ride and high above all else, it wouldn’t seem nearly as difficult. Look downhill, forget about the altitude, and it’s just another tough run.

Skiing Lone Peak

The Biggest Skiing in America also offers impressive variety. Powdery bowls abound at lower elevations, too, as do a fair amount of glade runs (though not quite as many as Breckenridge) and lots of groomed trails for the more relaxed alpiner.

[One of the lower bowls caused the faceplant of the trip. One of our group lost his footing in the powder, somersaulted four times, and ended up a good 25 yards below his skis. The fall was so spectacular that the lift, a full 300 yards away, erupted in applause. A ski instructor even slid by to give the spill a 9.8 out of 10, the remaining .2 “only because there was no high-pitched scream.”]

The best recommendation I can make is to ski the mountain with a local. We had a couple friendly people guide us around the mountain; what a difference it makes. Rather than grasping for the best run all morning, someone familiar with the mountain can lead you straight to the gold (or diamond, as it were).

Which brings up the final, and most lasting, impression from Big Sky. Big Sky’s greatest asset isn’t it’s views, or the small-but-lively slopeside town. The most distinguishing characteristic is the quality of people that live and work there. Having such a universally pleasant population may not be too special, but acting as such while dealing all year with less-pleasant tourists is as impressive as the natural wonders that surround them.

Of course, if the rest of us got to spend our winters skiing this mountain and our summers rafting the river that leads to it, we’d probably be a lot more pleasant, too.

Reviews (updated for the other mountains as the tour progresses):

Terrain/runs: 9. There is something for everyone, and you never have to fight others to get where you’re going.

Bowls: 8 – not as many as Vail, and not the variety for less-than-experts. But if you can hack it, the snow is awesome.

Lifts/lines: 10 – Liking their elbow room pays off with no waits.

Food/beer: 7.5 – If you’re only there for a few days, the variety and quality are good. If you’re there for longer, the options run thin.

$$ value:

People: 10 – a scale from one to ten fails to capture the pleasure.

Town: 7 – small and very accessible, plenty available in/around the mall for a quick trip.

Overall: 9.5 – There is not much more you can ask for out of a ski town. One of the best mountains in America, without a doubt.

**Bonus Review – Bozeman, MT**

It’s the closest big town, and the place you almost certainly have to go through en route to Big Sky. If you can, take a day and spend it there. It’s a college town (Montana State University) with plenty to do.

There are bars to frequent (we sample several), shops to buy boots that help you fit in on your trip out West, and they even have a respectable nearby ski area, Bridger.

You never know what you’ll see – you may see a hunter pull up with his latest catch, a mountain lion, sitting on top of the box holding the hunting dogs that trapped it. [We learned that moutain lions, while exceedingly rare, are easy to kill if you have dogs. They are petrified of the canines, head up into a tree, and are then easy targets]

Notice the "WE BITE" warning

The people are just as pleasant as in Big Sky. If you have the chance, take a day and enjoy Bozeman.

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