Northern Rockies/Alberta 2023-2024 Big Sky Resort/Conditions/Meetups

[tele]

It’s a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll ! The view from the base of the new tram
View attachment 216690

This thing is going to be SICK !
Parked and ready to go, just add snow

View attachment 216691

There are 5 RFD gates, not necessarily in this order with quantities TBD
1 General public
2 Patrol
3 Sight seeing
4 Guides
5 Ski School

Spot on. This is how the new groupings will work. Specific numbers will not be public from my understanding.

 

[tele]

Their trip is in March…..it’s November. Don’t kill their trip already…lol.

CPC isn’t making it look much better anytime soon.

 

[skidrew]

Spot on. This is how the new groupings will work. Specific numbers will not be public from my understanding.

Trying to understand this - there are five lines, and they'll take a certain number from each line for each tram cab/trip up? But we don't know the mix . . . (I'm sort of assuming the real question is skiers vs. scenic, and patrol will always go as will ski school/lessons, unless there's a huge number of them).

 

[skidrew]

Subscribing to this thread. Our first visit to Big Sky will be in early March. Hoping to gather insights on where to park, where to ski, what to eat, etc. Have the Mountain Collective pass and have made reservations.

We are a couple of seniors, Adv-intermediate skiers, not sure if taking the tram, skiing Liberty Bowl will be a good idea. Weather and snow conditions dependent, I suppose.

Thanks!

1) Where are you staying? You can park near Mountain Village, but it's a walk or pay more situation. For eating, are you asking dinner or lunch? For dinner, look into Buck's T-4, Lotus Pad Thai, Riverhouse (BBQ) among others. But really depends on what type of food you're looking to eat. Options on/near base are limited and not great compared to down the mountain to Big Sky Village.

2) Where to ski is really choose your own. You could take the meet the mountain tour (I think it's called that) - leaves about 10 am from Mountain village and takes you around mountain. Or you can start with some runs off Swiftcurrent to start - several blues to give you a feel for what's a blue (Calamity Jane is probably the best to start with). Then you can go up PowderSeeker to the Bowl and try some runs there (the further along you go the steeper it is). If you're looking for more challenge, you can try out Challenger. Or if you've found your level, skiing off the front of RamCharger (Silverknife, Ambush, etc.) keeps it in the intermediate level. After that just explore.

 

[BS Slarver]

Dinning update- Bucks is done for the foreseeable future and Lotus Pad isn’t far behind, staffing and other issues I can’t discuss.
@teejaywhy - reach out when you get closer, be happy to share intel or give you the .02 tour if it’s not a pow day and those aren’t lining up just yet but it’s early.

Thank a snow maker when you see one ! If the mtn didn’t make so many upgrades we wouldn’t be skiing at all right now, I’m still puzzled how they made snow on Safari

 

[Tom K.]

Bucks is done for the foreseeable future

Wow. That place is or was an institution. I don't eat there a lot, but off and on since they opened in the mid-70s IIRC.

For a vacation lunch treat, we always enjoyed the smallish restaurant and bar NOT in the baae lodge, but nearby, maybe by a t-bar? Sorry, can't recall the name, but awesome burgers and coffee!

 

[teejaywhy]

Thanks for the tips so far.

We are actually staying in W. Yellowstone and commuting. Not ideal, but staying at the hill is not in the budget. As for parking, is there any advantage or disadvantage to parking at the Madison base vs. main mountain village? Angling for easy in/out if we want to do the parking lot brown bag lunch.

For dining, I guess we will be just looking for lunch, snacks or a beer during the day or possibly an early dinner before heading back to our humble accommodations. Not picky about food, but typically look for quality and value - not an easy ask at the typical ski resort!

We have only two days to explore and I realize that isn't close to being enough but we will have fun in any case. Our choice of terrain will depend on weather. Perfectly happy cruising groomers if there is no new snow, but willing to expand if there is fresh stuff.

I did get an email promoting this:
Ski the Sky Loop
Seems an interesting way to get acquainted with the mountain, but would probably take the whole day.

When time comes, I will give a shout out.

 

[blackke17]

It’s a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll ! The view from the base of the new tram
View attachment 216690

This thing is going to be SICK !
Parked and ready to go, just add snow



There are 5 RFD gates, not necessarily in this order with quantities TBD
1 General public
2 Patrol
3 Sight seeing
4 Guides
5 Ski School

Wow. That terrain looks heavy!!!

 

[Tom K.]

We are actually staying in W. Yellowstone and commuting.

Any chance your group are also xc skiers? The Rendezvous Trail System in West Yellow is truly astounding.

parking lot brown bag lunch

With the caveat that I haven't been there in forever, Big Sky at least previously used to be in what has become a small club, with a huge brown bag room with tables and chairs upstairs in the main lodge.

Pro Tip (that might rankle some Big Sky locals/lovers): It's a rocky place. If there is doubt of coverage, don't bring your A skis. Better to have B skis and see everything without worrying about a few dings. IMO.

 

[dbostedo]

We have only two days to explore and I realize that isn't close to being enough but we will have fun in any case.

FWIW, I spent the week at the Gathering a few years ago, and didn't even ski Shedhorn, Dakota, Challenger, or the Tram. (Others probably skied almost nothing BUT those lifts - when they were open, which varied.) Trip report is here:

Northern Rockies/Alberta - Big Sky Gathering? Big Time Fun!

View of Lone Peak from my morning bus stop on my last day of the Gathering I thought I'd just start this trip report with maybe the most important part... During this year's Gathering, we got... 40... freaking....inches... of... snow! Up high, at least. It came in over several days, made...

www.skitalk.com

 

[skidrew]

FWIW, I spent the week at the Gathering a few years ago, and didn't even ski Shedhorn, Dakota, Challenger, or the Tram. (Others probably skied almost nothing BUT those lifts - when they were open, which varied.) Trip report is here:

Northern Rockies/Alberta - Big Sky Gathering? Big Time Fun!

View of Lone Peak from my morning bus stop on my last day of the Gathering I thought I'd just start this trip report with maybe the most important part... During this year's Gathering, we got... 40... freaking....inches... of... snow! Up high, at least. It came in over several days, made...

www.skitalk.com

Shedhorn and Dakota are commitments. It can be fun, and it's really uncrowded. But it does take some time getting there and back.

 

[skidrew]

Dinning update- Bucks is done for the foreseeable future and Lotus Pad isn’t far behind, staffing and other issues I can’t discuss.

That's horrible news . . . I will say I didn't enjoy Bucks as much the last couple of years. They changed the menu in directions that didn't appeal to me or harken to their roots. But I still liked eating there. (I think this may have coincided with a sale/transfer of the business?)

Hopefully they can get it back together.

 

[UGASkiDawg]

FWIW, I spent the week at the Gathering a few years ago, and didn't even ski Shedhorn, Dakota, Challenger, or the Tram. (Others probably skied almost nothing BUT those lifts - when they were open, which varied.) Trip report is here:

Northern Rockies/Alberta - Big Sky Gathering? Big Time Fun!

View of Lone Peak from my morning bus stop on my last day of the Gathering I thought I'd just start this trip report with maybe the most important part... During this year's Gathering, we got... 40... freaking....inches... of... snow! Up high, at least. It came in over several days, made...

www.skitalk.com

That was a GREAT week and your trip report brings back sweet memories!

 

[tele]

Trying to understand this - there are five lines, and they'll take a certain number from each line for each tram cab/trip up? But we don't know the mix . . . (I'm sort of assuming the real question is skiers vs. scenic, and patrol will always go as will ski school/lessons, unless there's a huge number of them).

Exactly correct. My understanding is they will not publicize how many.

 

[teejaywhy]

FWIW, I spent the week at the Gathering a few years ago, and didn't even ski Shedhorn, Dakota, Challenger, or the Tram. (Others probably skied almost nothing BUT those lifts - when they were open, which varied.) Trip report is here:

Northern Rockies/Alberta - Big Sky Gathering? Big Time Fun!

View of Lone Peak from my morning bus stop on my last day of the Gathering I thought I'd just start this trip report with maybe the most important part... During this year's Gathering, we got... 40... freaking....inches... of... snow! Up high, at least. It came in over several days, made...

www.skitalk.com

Great report Dave, some good info there, thanks for sharing!

 

[Talisman]

Pro Tip (that might rankle some Big Sky locals/lovers): It's a rocky place. If there is doubt of coverage, don't bring your A skis. Better to have B skis and see everything without worrying about a few dings. IMO.

Skiing Big Sky is easier if you consider all skis to be rock skis. Even in great snow years wind can scour areas so there is some scree to negotiate.

 

[Tom K.]

Skiing Big Sky is easier if you consider all skis to be rock skis. Even in great snow years wind can scour areas so there is some scree to negotiate.

QFT.

In addition to wind, Lone Mountain has significant geothermal heat beneath it, so snow sublimates off the scree, slowly but surely.

 

[tele]

We got a few inches during the day today. Ambush is definitely improving, but there are a lot of sharks out there.

 

[Talisman]

I'm hearing Elk Park Ridge is opening next Saturday if the control issues on Thunder Wolf get resolved.

View looking uphill:



Looking at the base of Thunder Wolf

 

[tele]

I'm hearing Elk Park Ridge is opening next Saturday if the control issues on Thunder Wolf get resolved.

View looking uphill:

View attachment 217303

Looking at the base of Thunder Wolf
View attachment 217304

Lift control issues?

It amazes me they haven't just replaced this entire lift with an electric one. It feels as if the rebuilds never help and just make things worse.