Why Ski or Snowboard Big Sky? Pros and Cons
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- čas přidán 17. 07. 2024
- If you are considering a ski or snowboard trip to Big Sky, Montana, it may be helpful to think about the pros and cons involved. Here are a few:
1) The Size. (0:10). One positive is that Big Sky is the third largest ski resort in North America, and the second largest in the United States. It has 5800 skiable acres. And while the beginner and intermediate terrain are less than 50% of the mountain, Big Sky is so large that the beginner and intermediate terrain nevertheless combine to be larger than the entire mountain at resorts like Telluride, Taos, Killington or Aspen.
2) Lone Peak. (1:51). Another positive is that if you are an expert skier or snowboarder, or you just want to take in an incredible view, you can head to the Lone Peak.
3) Chairlift Lines. (3:44). A negative is that the lines for chairlifts can often be long, particularly at the bottom of the mountain in the morning. The Lone Peak tram usually has a wait that lasts at least one hour. Big Sky is contemplating adding a fee to access the tram, but they may only impose it when there are significant wait times. Generally, there are plenty of chairlifts where there is no wait.
4) Multiple Bases. (4:31). A third positive is that Big Sky has four mountain bases. If you find that one base is particularly crowded in the morning, you can try a different base the next morning to see if it is less crowded.
5) Lack of a Central Town. (4:49). A second negative is that Big Sky does not seem to have a main town that is comparable to Aspen, Park City, Sun Valley, South Tahoe, or towns at many major ski resorts. It really seems to be a collection of accommodations at the base of the mountain. That may actually be a good thing for diehard skiers and snowboarders because it may limit visitors to those who are truly interested in being on the mountain. But if you are someone who enjoys exploring the local scene at the end of the day, you may be disappointed.
6) Lack of Convenient Flight Options. (5:17). A third negative is that while Big Sky is convenient to fly to directly from over ten cities, the timing of the flight arrivals and departures will prevent you from arriving on a Friday night after work and leaving on Sunday night after a weekend on the mountain. You have to arrive and depart in the morning or early afternoon.
7) Uncle Dan's Cookies. (5:51). Another positive is Uncle Dan's Cookies. These cookies are made locally. They have typical flavors like chocolate chip and sugar, but they also have some more exotic flavors. If you love cookies, you will be happy about this!
8) Sustainability. (6:10). Big Sky cares about the environment and is planning to be clean energy by 2030.
Skied there the last few Februarys for a week. Lift lines were short, snow was good. Doesn't matter to us there is only a small "downtown". Stayed at the Lake Condominiums. Also stayed in July last year. Place is fun in the summer. Beautiful view from the top. West Yellowstone is cool.
The summers must be incredible. Agree on the lack of the major town too - it can actually be a positive for diehard skiers and boarders; less appeal to the broader population may mean less people coming.
Big Sky is my home mountain and this is a good video. One more thing to consider is that Big Sky needs a good snowpack before it skis well. Tree runs at big sky can be very hazardous because there can oftentimes be obstacles (rocks, roots) right under the snow surface. Check base depth before taking a trip to big sky because this will greatly affect the quality of the skiing.
Thanks for adding that point!
1 hour lift line stopped me dead in my tracks.
You can have it.
I will be heading to the backcountry thx.
Really great place thank you sharing wonderful video and excellent photography 👌👌👌
Thanks so much!
Well done video that is informative. I have been going to Big Sky since 1992 and I agree with most of the pros and cons. The lift lines will very depending on the time of the season. For example if you visit during Presidents day weekend the lines will be very long, but if you go during mid January or when its below 0 degrees then the lines will be shorter. The flights are getting better. The Bozeman Airport (BZN) is currently working on an expansion and will be getting more gates and flights from new destinations. Currently 30 non-stop destinations with 10 Airline companies. Big Sky just announced a few days ago that a New Tram will be made in the next few years! Along with a New Gondola lift that will end right next to the new Tram. When the new lifts are completed you can go from the base to the peak in 2 lifts.
Thanks! That's great news about the new gondola/Tram. Much easier to get up to the Lone Peak. I wonder how it will affect wait times for the Big Couloir if more people are getting up there each day. Totally agree on the lines - it often depends on timing. Was just at Crystal Mountain in Washington. Weekend lines were killer. No line at all on the following non-holiday Monday.
If you’re an aggressive advanced skier looking for adventure on challenging off piste conditions then Big Sky should be on your list along with resorts like Jackson Hole , Alta Snowbird to name a few. However if your looking to just have fun a cruise the groomers there are so many better resorts that off more non skiing things like eating, drinking and shopping. Park City, Deer Valley have easy access from the airport, a great ski town and decent average snowfall with lots of grooming.
Carbon offsets are bullshit, particularly after you just flew there on a jet.
Good point. At least it's a start until they get to zero emissions, right?
Skied the opening years at big sky, lifts sucked but there were no lines
What's a "renewable energy credit"? sounds fancy.
Ah,,,BIG SKY it is!...In 1998ish I rented a condo @ the base, bought a pass, and skied 40 days...Oh those wide open days of rippin' the A-Z chutes are long gone...stand in line like a Starbucks! Then realize ur in
the "Palisades" but much colder....Doing laps on Chute 2 with beautiful cold smoke will never be forgotten.
Nor the completely untouched laps off of Challenger...It sucks getting old folks. Rip while you still can.
I spent a week there in 2001 and still didn't cover the whole mountain. I grew up skiing Mammoth and Big Sky dwarfs it. I'm an expert skier (ex-instructor) but no way I was going to do the chutes off the top. Took Liberty Bowl down which is a gorgeous run. I'm sure they've built up the base area since I was there. There was virtually nothing. If you want "apres ski" go to Park City or Vail. If you want to ski, put it on your bucket list!
Totally agree! Big Sky is so impressively large. Those chutes are insane to find inbounds, and Liberty Bowl itself is a great run and challenging enough. Kind of reminds me of the way Alta used to be (not sure if it still is) - focus is more on the mountain experience than nightlife.
Man this is my second year here and I’m still remembering all the trails, ofc I have to remember cause I’m all over the mountain. But it’s too damn big☠️ and getting around is hard if you get lost, but overall great
I lived in Mammoth for a few years. Great mountain. I never did Star Chute/Kiwi Flat. Phillipe's and Hangman's were good enough for me. The craziest thing I hit was Rock Chute in the Sherwins with super firm conditions
Anyone else live about an hour away and chuckled when he mentioned flights
Good video and did a good job of briefly pointing out pros & cons. I disagree with lift lines as a con as was just there on Presidents’ Day and skied most of the day with no lines. A few central lifts are crowded and I just mostly avoid those on busy days. I don’t see this as a con because literally every resort has lines on popular lifts at busy times and big sky seems to have less than virtually any other major resort (tram access availability / cost is a legitimate con but a new tram will open in 23-24 season).
I agree it is a con not to have a large town for restaurants / bars for apres ski. Bozeman is great for all of this, but it is not the same as having in close proximity to the mountain.
I agree - lift lines can vary dramatically, depending on time of day and time of year. In mid-March last year, the lines at Big Sky were long at the bottom in the morning (which is to be expected), and sometimes long in the afternoons further up the mountain. To be fair, the lines were never as bad as some other resorts like Vail. But they also were not as good as Zermatt, a much larger resort, where I was lucky enough to be last week. It's unfortunate how long lines can affect someone's perception of a resort when it was really just the time of year that they went.
@@SkiBoyNY. Agree. And now I know I’ve got to check out Zermatt!
First time going out west, headed to big sky. I am particularly interested in all the runs available and the sustainability
No matter what your level, Big Sky should have plenty of runs that will work for you. I'm currently at Keystone, which I think is not the best for beginners and is only okay for intermediates compared to nearby resorts. Big Sky has a lot more for all. And for sustainability, it may just be a matter of their plan. They've done a great job so far and have ambitious goals, so it's great to support them in that effort!
Been here twice
It's a good one for sure
🙏 for snow
Also things have changed in just a few years. There were 0 lines in 2018.
And the tram was only a 30 min wait...and free.
@@nefariousjohnson8851 I wish I had checked it out back then! Still, I had a great time and will be back at some point. Kind of a pain about the tram, though.
@@SkiBoyNY. glad ya did the tram regardless. The view is outstanding isn't it? Which were you favorite runs?
Idk what you mean by not having a town. The town center has bars and restaurants, you can shop or watch a movie if you want to just chill..... ice skating is a fun activity 12-5.
Maybe it was COVID-restriction related, but it just seemed nowhere near the size of an Aspen, Park City, Telluride, etc. But will definitely take advantage next time, ice skating for sure!
@@SkiBoyNY. And that is the way we want it.
@@jasoncraig4049 Agree! It's nice to have a resort option that's focused on skiing/boarding and doesn't attract a Hollywood-type sceney crowd. Though I was just in Snowbird and rode the lift with a host who was from Montana, and he said that even Big Sky has changed compared to how "purist" it used to be decades ago. Particularly Bozeman, in his view, the past few years.
@@SkiBoyNY. Well, if a person wants shiney new lifts and all of the upgrades on the mountain, you need the crowds to come and pay for it. From what I am told, they will be putting in a new 2 stage gondola, replacing the tram with a 22 seater, and expanding/adding lifts in Moonlight.
Lift lines have been reduced with the replacement of the Swift Current High speed quad with a heated seat six Pack.
The Lone Peak "Beer Can on a String" is being replaced by a modern large capacity tram and they are adding a gondola to access that tram. The tram is scheduled for Winter 2023. We'll see.
The problem with the tram is that many days, the additional elevation is not worth skiing. They have initiated additional tram fees to keep the traffic down.
Thanks for the update! I wonder if they'll still require the add-on fee for the tram?
@@SkiBoyNY. They will continue the add-on for the tram. The rate changes with demand.
@@SkiBoyNY. If history is any indication, once a fee is applied, it becomes permanent.
Going to jump into to this. Appreciate the video. I found Big Sky incredibly difficult to get around. The Moonlight basin side has great terrain, but it is a challenge to get from there to anywhere, with truly only one lift to get you out of the base. Much of the terrain is fantastic, but again, due to its size, where to start? Also, much of the resort is not groomed overnight- not a big deal, however some of the mountain can be have "dust on death". Keep an eye out of bubbas in jeans, as I was double ejected after being hit by an out of control skier!
Thanks! I agree that Big Sky is so large that it definitely takes a while to navigate to where you want to go. Would be interesting to learn how they approach grooming with so much terrain. That's really disappointing about the double ejection. There are many people out there who don't have a clue about the Skier's Responsibility Code!
Being from the east, I sadly know exactly what you mean. And also sadly, I was in Washington State two weeks ago, and the Summit at Snoqualmie was exactly like that due to warm weather and rain this year followed by re-freezing. So people in the west may become familiar with it too.
Big sky looks incredible… will have to make it out there some day…
Wait… no ski town? No drinking? 😑
They do have liquor stores, though, haha!
@@SkiBoyNY. that’s a start I guess…
We have a full town lol idk what this guys talking about. Restaurants stores and movie theater included. It's not as big as some places but it's beautiful and definitely has a night life for travelers
@@kalel2723 so you’re saying there’s a chance I can get smashed? All I need to hear!
We also have like 6 bars lol defdont need anymore haha
Where that "Blackholm" place?
Whistler-blackcomb. British Columbia
going out to school out there from illinois and Im finally gonna be skiing an actual mountain and not a hill
Awesome! I wish I had a place like that to ski in college, but I went to college in Illinois, so there were only the small hills like you're used to!
Montana state ?
You can ski bridger the day you arive
❄️🇺🇸
70$ on top of lift ticket to ski tram.
That's steep indeed!
The lines never use to be a problem... we have the shortest line times outta any of the big resorts... people keep coming so the lines get longer... less people less time to wait don't count the line times as a con where everywhere else is longer and more crowded. I miss when I could pull up to a lift and not even wait a minute. TOO many people now, not fun anymore.
Yes, I was riding a chairlift two weeks ago at Snowbird a with a Host who grew up in Montana. He said not only Big Sky, but Bozeman itself has changed a lot in the past 20 years. But he agreed that the good thing is that Big Sky is still more of a skiers/boarders resort than a Hollywood/Aspen type environment. So let's hope it at least holds on to that!
Very typical Karen type of comment!!!!!! Only me, me first, just for me, me me me .......! Disgusting!
hello gianna, i'm Jorge, a pilot from Lima peru, working with LATAM airline. i came across your page here through the utube suggestion for me so i thought to write to you. where are you from?
Write me when you can and do have a nice day and may God bless you
Snow has been so thin that beacon and shovel are a joke. Patrol should check for crampons and ice axes for self arrest
Yes, it seems like the snow has umfortunately been pretty thin at a lot if places this year. A lot of ice out there.
Who measures in acres..🤦🏼 we need the lengt of the slope.. if its 10 miles wide and 1 foot long, that a lot of acres.. but in reality its not anywhere usefull for snow sports..
……… are you joking… if u need to ask WHY … then don’t go … more for real deal … skiers …
I spent way too many days at Big Sky. Windblown andesite all over. Most runs flat as a pancake. Other than the Lone Peak gully most chutes are short. It's the paragon of corporate skiing. Kind of the McDonald's of skiing. I now refer to it as Big Lie. Don't waste your money. They do have some good bars though.
If you have a few thousand dollars burning a hole in your pocket by all means. Other than that I wouldn’t recommend it.
Overcrowding at its finest. I’d rather ski a smaller mountain with no lift lines.
Yes, I heard from a local that there are some good smaller mountains in Montana with no lines for sure.