BOZEMAN, Montana — Thank you Idaho for helping me rekindle the love I had for skiing as a kid. You can't beat the affordability, the lack of crowds and I love how many ski resorts I can visit from the Treasure Valley.
This year we have taken you to Bogus Basin, Brundage, Tamarack, Sun Valley and even Pomerelle, but I thought it would be fun to show you where I grew up skiing.
In 1995, Big Sky Ski Resort built a 15-person tram that takes skiers and snowboarders to the top of Lone Peak, the summit has an elevation of 11,167 feet.
I remember the first time riding the tram. It is an intimidating experience and there is no easy way down. The Liberty Bowl is a single black diamond that is steep, but wide open and that, aside from riding the tram back down, is the easiest way off the summit.
At the time Big Sky was a relatively unknown destination, but the tram helped changed that. Today Big Sky and it's 5,850 skiable acres is the the third highest skiing destination in North America behind Whistler-Blackcomb in British Columbia and Park City in Utah.
Big Sky features terrain for all abilities and they have some unique amenities, including a covered magic carpet protecting beginners from the elements.
They feature several high speed lifts with heated seats and weather bubbles, including their new Ramcharger 8, and the Swift Current 6 is the fastest lift in North America.
However, those amenities come with a cost. A single day ticket at Big Sky costs $240 and last winter they added an additional cost to ride the tram for the day, that can be anywhere from $20 to $80.
By comparison, my twilight season pass at Bogus Basin cost me $140 for the entire season and I can go everyday from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
But I will continue to return to Big Sky because the terrain is so unique. It is big mountain skiing with highly technical terrain.
In 2019, the resort implemented the triple black diamond rating which includes the North Summit Snowfield and the Big Couloir, one of the most famous runs of any ski resort. It requires people to check in with ski patrol, go with a partner and carry avalanche equipment.
I tried out the Headwaters zone and I found it to be one of the most intense experiences I've ever had. The sketchy hike along the ridge and the steep pitch that narrowed into a chute was barely wide enough for my skis, it was admittedly above my skiing ability.
Big Sky defines the triple black diamond rating as exposure to uncontrollable falls along a steep, continuous pitch, route complexity and high consequence terrain.
Basically it means skiers and snowboarders enter a no fall zone where staying in control is really important. An uncontrolled fall could result in tumbling all the way down to the bottom.
Ski Patrol mitigates these areas for avalanches as Big Sky has some of the most extreme in bounds terrain of any ski area in North America.
related articles:
