Deep in the pristine wildness of the radiant, secretive, mysterious Gallatin National Forest, a mountain rises, a fortress among the clouds - Lone Peak. It is an awe-inspiring sight, this exalted monument of rock, sediment and millions of years of geology, towers over the surrounding mountain ranges and the open valley below.
Built in the shadow of Lone Peak is the 'Biggest Skiing in America,' Big Sky.
The community of Big Sky is built about one of America's premier skiing areas: Big Sky-Moonlight Basin. Big Sky Resort and its sister resort Moonlight Basin attracts thousands of skiers from around the world every winter. The fluffy, perfectly packed snow, makes powder addicts salivate. Many skiers give up their savings just for a chance to ski the trails of Lone Peak and the surrounding area. In addition to downhill and cross-country skiing trails, the area has snowmobiling options, snowshoeing trails and plenty of Après Ski and Resort fun.
I'll be the first to admit that I don't ski. When I was 12, my youth group in NC went skiing in WV and the worst blizzard in 30+ years plagued the journey, so that on the return trip our bus broke down - in 11 degree temps with no heat. A five hour drive took 22 hours. I wasn't put off from skiing, but decided to hold off for the Rockies. When I was a freshmen at MSU in Bozeman I got into a freak car accident that left me with a broken neck, right femur and numerous breaks in my hands and wrists - so although I'm mostly healed, I cannot ski for risk of re-injury. That being said, I love winter in Montana and respect those that do ski. I enjoy at least one trip up to Big Sky in the winter, to snow shoe, and fall into the winter wonderland - the magic of pure white snow, capped atop miles of mountain peaks, flawlessly placed by nature on giant evergreens.
So even if you aren't a skier or just getting into the sport - Big Sky is a great winter getaway (even better in the summer for a hiker like me - I'll blog about summer rec. in Big Sky in the late spring)
A little history...Big Sky is the dream realized of late newscaster Chet Huntley. In the late 1960s he purchased much of what is known as Big Sky Mountain and Meadow Villages. His goal - to develop one of Montana's first alpine ski areas. The foundation of this goal - to increase tourism and jobs to the region. Big Sky is ideally placed halfway between Bozeman and West Yellowstone MT (40 miles approximately to Bozeman-BS, BS-West YNP). This makes it the perfect location for touring Yellowstone and the gorgeous all-season recreation of The Gallatin Canyon (one of my favorite places in the world). The Gallatin Canyon is carved by the Gallatin River and volcanism. Each bend and break in the road provides stunning views of rocky outcroppings, specified trees, deep evergreen forests. Big Sky is in the heart of the Canyon, surrounded by its unparalleled beauty.
Big Sky Resort and Moonlight Basin offer one of the Biggest Skiing areas in the nation, with over 5,512 acres of playground, 4,350 of vertical feet of action, 220 trails, and 400 inches of snow annually...a half pipe and two terrain parks.
The resort and town are spread over ten miles, with Meadow Village at the base area of the canyon, followed by the Town Center area...Big Sky Resort is at the base of Lone Mountain, above the rest of the valley.
Lodging:
Big Sky has numerous lodging options from the affordable Whitewater Inn (in the Gallatin Canyon) to the pricier private condos, houses...The Summit Hotel and Huntley Lodge run about $180- $500 per night. If you are on a budget, you can stay in Bozeman (Motel 6 to Hilton) then take the Skyline Bus from Bozeman to Big Sky everyday. Even if you don't stay at Big Sky Resort, you can take in the ambiance with a cup of hot cocoa in the Huntley, enjoy a Spa Day and hearty meal at the resort.
There are also lodging options (privately owned, not affiliated with Big Sky) - Rainbow Ranch (pricy but worth the investment - right on the banks of the Gallatin River); 320 Guest Ranch, Lone Mountain Ranch, Buck T 4's (great dinner with local game); The Corral (good restaurant attached to Motel)...
Dining:
Big Sky has numerous restaurants from burger joints, casual-elegant Karabiner to Whiskey Jacks. I recommend lunch at The Hungry Moose (Town Center and Summit), Any of the restaurants in the Town Center are good (I personally did not like Choppers - bad service, good food though). Buck T -4's for local game and fair, Cowboy cuisine at The Corral, gourmet cuisine at Rainbow Ranch...320 Guest Ranch...
Activities:
Skiing: thousands of miles of cross-country and downhill trails on the Mountain, in the Canyon and in Yellowstone.
Snow coach to Yellowstone/Yellowstone excursion
Snowshoeing - daily hikes led by Big Sky on Moose Tracks Trail
Spa, Resort activities for kids and adults...
Snowmobiling.
Catch a performance at Big Sky or the new Warren Miller PAC
Links to get you started on a Big Sky Adventure:
Big Sky Resort: http://www.bigskyresort.com/
Big Sky -http://bigskymontana.org/
Skyline Bus: http://www.skylinebus.com
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