The Club’s Trip to Big Sky, was the largest group of people we have ever had on a trip! 54! And a good time was had by all! Weather was fantastic, snow was quite good, and the slopes were awesome. Big Sky is so BIG that there is definitely something for everyone.
We arrive at the Huntley Lodge, named after the newsman Chet Huntley, who started Big Sky. The lodge is straight out of Hallmark winter movie. Like the airport there’s a huge fireplace in the lobby. Old skies are mounted everywhere. There are nooks where you sit and relax. A fully functional theater shows Warren Miller films twice a week. Then there is the huge bronze grizzly bear who dominates the main lobby. Locals tried to tell it’s a life size copy of any actual Montana grizzly, but this was about 4 times bigger than any bear I’ve ever seen. Side doors to the outside are barred by 4-5 feet of snow. The bellmen are handsome young men dressed as cowboys, wearing black pants, black vests, a long black rancher’s coat, and a black cowboy hat. They’re there to serve your every need. Need to go to town? No problem. A black Suburban pulls up and takes you where you need to go. Just call when you need to be picked up.
We had a lovely Pizza party in the hotel, and many people opted to go to the dinner at the local wild game place (Bucks T-4). And there was a good group of people who went snowmobiling … in Yellowstone … to Old faithful …. saw a heard of buffalo … coming right at them. See utube video below.
Many of us took the mountain tour the first day. It was a great look at the mountains and slopes. The guide told us there were no groomed black runs. But not to worry because many of the blue runs were really black runs and many of them were groomed at least every other day. Notice our stylish club banners we sport on our helmets.
Many of us took the tram to the top to see the view. And yes, there was a line, and you had to time when you arrived for the shortest wait time. The tram ride provided a view of the “BIG” couloir that is famous there, but I did not see anyone running it when I went up. And a few people braved the icy slope on the back side, at least one hanging on for dear life, as they skied down it.
One day, Doug Waltman, organized a group photo by the BIG SKY sign. It was fun having a group assemble there. Afterwards we skied down mostly together, before splitting off to our own favorite ski areas.
Gregariousness seems inherent in the Montanan character. We never had a problem striking up a conversation with someone. They’d ask “Have you been here before?” We’d come back, “no this is our first time,” which always led to “well welcome.” The response was so automatic and universal it seemed like they were taught to say this to strangers in school. Most of the Montanans we met either moved here 3 years ago, were born here, or left for a few decades, but then always came back.
This is a ski area and community in transition and suffering growing pains. It had been steadily growing over the years but two changes have stood out. First, the merging with Moonlight Basin Ski Area next door in 2013 changed things. They used to be neighbors that hated each other. Our mountain guide said comparing the relationship to the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s would not be an understatement. Suddenly they were married to each other and there’s still hard feelings to this day. Instead of the region being called Moonlight Basin it’s now just the North area. However, folks who still work that side of the mountain refer to it as Moonlight Basin.
One thing missing from Big Sky is a ski town. There are lots of homes and condos, but apart from a small mountain village, there really isn’t a town per se. The mountain village has some restaurants, fancy clothing stores, a ski shop, and two souvenir stores. Several miles down the road there is Big Sky, or is it Meadows? I never really found out the real name of the place. They have a town square with a few shops and restaurants, but it is not a ski town. By 9 PM the town closes till next day. One necessary requirement for any ski town/ski resort are the presence of big dogs. Big Sky had some of the biggest. The Huntley Lodge was pet friendly and some of the resident canine guests included German Shepherd and some other pooch that looked like a Great Dane. At the village mall we encountered a very friendly St. Bernard. We didn’t see any cats though.
The skiing at Big Sky is generally more difficult than at many other resorts. Many of the green runs are actually blues. There are blues that are actually blacks. Many blacks are actually double-blacks. Most of the double-blacks are extreme runs. It is a skier’s mountain because of that. Conditions this week have been mostly packed powder with some hard pack sometimes on heavily travelled runs. There are lots of moguls and trees, and trees with moguls. This is a glade skiing paradise. There are tree runs for everyone, beginners to experts. Then there is The Bowl, nestled just below Lone Peak. This is a happy playground with something for everyone. We’ve been having mostly blue bird days. Days start off in the teens and have been raising to about thirty during the day. We had a few inches Wednesday that helped resupply powder up top.
A few people had some medical issues while there, one of which drove home the need to STAY HYDRATED! The incident sent him to the hospital, and several tests later he was released, but not without missing a day or so of skiing. Fortunately, there were no lasting ill affects.