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TonyPlush

Getting off the lift
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Jan 4, 2018
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492
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Minnesota
Calling @skidrew @SShore @Talisman @Rio among other BS experts.

Me and my annual ski buddies have agreed on Big Sky as the spot for our 2019 ski trip. It will be my first visit - can anyone help me decide what month is (usually) the best time to ski?

Skiing 3-4 days. Avoiding the crowds is always the silent priority. We'll be skiing weekdays, so not too concerned, but did want to double check that we don't accidentally stumble onto a busy festival, Spring Break, or similar unknown.

That leaves the top priorities as:
  1. chance of good snow/powder
  2. open terrain (heard BS can be pretty rocky)
  3. cost of lodging for 8 dudes
We're all advanced intermediates, and by that I mean blues and blacks with the occasional double black. I'm not touching Big Couloir, but I'd like to be able to enjoy Liberty Bowl and similar terrain.
 

SShore

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Calling @skidrew @SShore @Talisman @Rio among other BS experts.

Me and my annual ski buddies have agreed on Big Sky as the spot for our 2019 ski trip. It will be my first visit - can anyone help me decide what month is (usually) the best time to ski?

Skiing 3-4 days. Avoiding the crowds is always the silent priority. We'll be skiing weekdays, so not too concerned, but did want to double check that we don't accidentally stumble onto a busy festival, Spring Break, or similar unknown.

That leaves the top priorities as:
  1. chance of good snow/powder
  2. open terrain (heard BS can be pretty rocky)
  3. cost of lodging for 8 dudes
We're all advanced intermediates, and by that I mean blues and blacks with the occasional double black. I'm not touching Big Couloir, but I'd like to be able to enjoy Liberty Bowl and similar terrain.

You have to take my response with a grain of salt as this is my first full season here. Conditions are great right now. Last year they were really good through mid to late March, but went downhill after that. January and early February were very warm this year, but the locals tell me that is unusual. Last year January was brutally cold. I would recommend from February after Presidents day to mid March as the ideal time to come.
 

focker

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We'll be heading there in early/mid march Tony, and I've read on several threads that is around the best time to go. Sounds like this year was the year to go actually. Hopefully next year is still decent.
 

skidrew

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I've skied a few days at Big Sky each year in the range from mid-Jan to late March over the past 7-8 years. I think any of those times are fine, but come with the usual risks of lack of fresh snow, although BS is typically pretty reliable (I think Tony Crocker's bestsnow.net site shows BS has some of the lowest variability in snow over the years).

In mid-January there's some risk not all terrain will be open, but typically the last terrain to open is the steepest stuff - you should still be able to find plenty of blues and blacks even in a bad scenario. And there's the extreme cold risk in January (although true later too - highs today are forecast in mid teens at base).

In late March you run some risk it's started to warm up and there haven't been any refresher storms. One year it was pretty warm, which meant pretty sloppy at the base late in the day (higher levels stayed better) with refreeze overnight. Still enjoyable, but you had to choose your runs carefully. I also confronted a snow drought in mid-Feb one year, so runs had gotten pretty packed. In any case, they do a good job grooming a lot of the runs, but not the experts of course (although I think they now groom parts of the Bowl [not Liberty Bowl])

so that's the worst I've had - one late March trip on the other hand was towards the end of a bumper snow season. Everything was in play - my instructor said he'd been skiing runs for the first time in 20 years. Other times have also been great.

In terms of crowds, from trying to book, Presidents Day is busy, but later in March during Spring Break seems to be the busiest - they seem to host some large conferences then. That said, I've been there during those "busy" times and you still have very few lift lines, other than the Tram. The only thing you may need to do is make reservations for lessons and restaurants if that's what you're doing. If you want no crowds at all, January would be your best bet but really I'd schedule based on things other than crowds - they just aren't meaningful at BS.

You might check this year's events calendar on the big sky website. They have some events during the non-high weeks that might interest you - things like bluegrass festivals and "snobar" (a bar made from snow banks piled up). I don't think those draw huge crowds by themselves, but some of those events might be of interest to your group (or not). I wouldn't be scared off that one of those is happening while you're there though.

Cost of lodging totally depends on where and how plush. While I haven't booked for 8, if you're right on mountain and getting 4BR+, you could be well over $1000/night. If you're willing to walk/drive/access lift and/or use sleeper sofas etc. you can probably get under $500/night.
 

focker

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Tony, there are some condo's at the base of the lone moose area that are pretty reasonable for ski in/ ski out stuff. Much cheaper than up at the main base it seemed to me. Not sure if they have 4 br ones though. They have 2 and 3 br for sure.

I think we're just going to drive down from Bozeman since we'll do 2 days at Bridger and 2 days at Big Sky and don't want to have to change lodging to do it.
 

skidrew

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Tony, there are some condo's at the base of the lone moose area that are pretty reasonable for ski in/ ski out stuff. Much cheaper than up at the main base it seemed to me. Not sure if they have 4 br ones though. They have 2 and 3 br for sure..

No specific recs on these, but one word of caution - if you're going late march and it's on the warm side Lone Moose direct ski access may get cut off - the altitude is lower and the snow tends to start melting off sooner there.
 

focker

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Tony, there are some condo's at the base of the lone moose area that are pretty reasonable for ski in/ ski out stuff. Much cheaper than up at the main base it seemed to me. Not sure if they have 4 br ones though. They have 2 and 3 br for sure.

I think we're just going to drive down from Bozeman since we'll do 2 days at Bridger and 2 days at Big Sky and don't want to have to change lodging to do it.
No specific recs on these, but one word of caution - if you're going late march and it's on the warm side Lone Moose direct ski access may get cut off - the altitude is lower and the snow tends to start melting off sooner there.

I could see how that could be an issue. I have heard however that Flatiron mountain (the sub-peak Lone Moose goes up) can be a powder stash spot days after the rest of the mountain is tracked out. It's not very widely skied.

We like the idea that our kids could ski those runs when my wife and I call it quits and hit the outdoor hot tub and we don't have to worry about them getting lost. :cool:
 

focker

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^ Definitely some under-skied terrain.

https://liftblog.com/lone-moose-big-sky-resort-mt/

You can scroll down through those photos and see the typical lift line there.

Here is where those Condo's are. It's a nice setup IMO. Outdoor hot tub as well.

img_2301.jpg
 

Talisman

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Calling @skidrew @SShore @Talisman @Rio among other BS experts.


That leaves the top priorities as:
  1. chance of good snow/powder
  2. open terrain (heard BS can be pretty rocky)
  3. cost of lodging for 8 dudes
We're all advanced intermediates, and by that I mean blues and blacks with the occasional double black. I'm not touching Big Couloir, but I'd like to be able to enjoy Liberty Bowl and similar terrain.

Low moisture content snow doesn't cling to andesite rock very well so expect rocks and if you rent skis get the insurance for base damage and if you bring your own skis know that a few base repairs maybe required. This is an epic snow year and there are rocks to clack in the usual spots like the traverse into the headwaters, the traverse into the Dictator Chutes or the Gullies.

Weather is tough to predict a year out but as others have said late February to mid March should be fine. We have had big warm ups in March when it looked like the mountain would close early and then April snow made everything better again.

Even with events and conferences mid week is not crowded other than Xmas week. Expect a line at the tram if there is good visibility and fresh snow. The Liberty Bowl can get crusty from sun scorch and though steeper Marx and Lenin with good snow are more fun than the Liberty Bowl with mank.

Book the trip and count on having fun. If the snow isn't great a tour of Yellowstone Park, horse back riding at Jake's, fly fishing, snowmobiling, zip lining, drinking, fighting and losing money in a casino are all non-skiing options.
 

Rio

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The best skiing I've had at Big Sky has been in late March and early April. Some of the worst skiing, and definitely most dangerous, has been during the same period. If it stays near normal temperatures late March is great but if it is a warm year the mountain turns to mush. This winter is a La Nina year so the weather is staying cold and wet. Because of the uncertainty I would recommend an early March date so you'll have optimal snow pack and little chance of a hot spell.

Many people that ski Big Sky stay a night or two in Bozeman to save money and to ski Bridger, usually at the end of the trip since it makes catching a morning flight much easier. Bozeman has offerings from all the major hotel/motel chains so you can use any points you might have garnered. Bridger is a fun mountain and well worth a day or two.
 
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TonyPlush

TonyPlush

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Great info guys, thanks!

Sounds like the last week of February or first week of March could be a great mix of open terrain, not too cold, and not too warm. According to ZRankings, Feb 15-March 15 is peak snowfall too, which seems to check out with your experiences.
 
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TonyPlush

TonyPlush

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Tony, there are some condo's at the base of the lone moose area that are pretty reasonable for ski in/ ski out stuff. Much cheaper than up at the main base it seemed to me. Not sure if they have 4 br ones though. They have 2 and 3 br for sure.

I think we're just going to drive down from Bozeman since we'll do 2 days at Bridger and 2 days at Big Sky and don't want to have to change lodging to do it.
Thanks for the suggestion! Although nothing is coming up - I'm guessing the area might not have any condos big enough for a group of 8.
 
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TonyPlush

TonyPlush

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In general, how is getting around the mountain?

I find a huge trek across multiple lifts to get to the goods annoying to start the day, and cutting the day short in a great part of the mountain to start "heading back" is one of my big pet peeves.

I see a lot of ski in/out around the Pony Express lift/Moonlight Lodge that could fit our group. Option two looks to be at the base of the Bear Back Poma.

Any input on which is more convenient?

I'm a little confused by the trail map. It looks like the Pony Express lift sort of leads to nowhere, which could be complicated in the mornings. Meanwhile, the base of Bear Pack looks accessible only from the top of Andesite, and I can't tell how tough getting there from the Shedhorn/Powder Seeker/Six Shooter areas would be.
 

wyowindrunner

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Bridger is a fun mountain and well worth a day or two.
Brdger is a fun place- Used to take an annual pilgrimage there with kids, and have followed the same advice. Just be aware that you can have some major crowds there during the weekends or on snow events or on mountian activities.
 

Talisman

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In general, how is getting around the mountain?

I find a huge trek across multiple lifts to get to the goods annoying to start the day, and cutting the day short in a great part of the mountain to start "heading back" is one of my big pet peeves.

I see a lot of ski in/out around the Pony Express lift/Moonlight Lodge that could fit our group. Option two looks to be at the base of the Bear Back Poma.

Any input on which is more convenient?

I'm a little confused by the trail map. It looks like the Pony Express lift sort of leads to nowhere, which could be complicated in the mornings. Meanwhile, the base of Bear Pack looks accessible only from the top of Andesite, and I can't tell how tough getting there from the Shedhorn/Powder Seeker/Six Shooter areas would be.

Big Sky is pretty easy to get around. From the Bear Back Poma it is a pretty easy shot to the main base area and Swiftcurrent or Ram Charger lifts. Some of the Moonlight properties are off of a maze of green trails, but from the Pony Express Lift you can ski down to Iron Horse which lets you ski to Big Sky base in one shot with some skating or to the base of the Sixshooter lift at Moonlight. Given a choice I would stay at the properties around the Bear Back Poma as you can walk to food, drink and other options in the main base area versus driving. You can also "ski/skate" back from the main base to the Bear Back Poma should you spend too much time at après ski.
 

skidrew

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643
In general, how is getting around the mountain?

I find a huge trek across multiple lifts to get to the goods annoying to start the day, and cutting the day short in a great part of the mountain to start "heading back" is one of my big pet peeves.

I see a lot of ski in/out around the Pony Express lift/Moonlight Lodge that could fit our group. Option two looks to be at the base of the Bear Back Poma.

Any input on which is more convenient?

I'm a little confused by the trail map. It looks like the Pony Express lift sort of leads to nowhere, which could be complicated in the mornings. Meanwhile, the base of Bear Pack looks accessible only from the top of Andesite, and I can't tell how tough getting there from the Shedhorn/Powder Seeker/Six Shooter areas would be.

Bear Back is just to serve that real estate - it's a short poma so you can ski down to Ramcharger/Swiftcurrent/main base area. You can also walk from there.

Swiftcurrent is the main lift at the base, from which you can ski to Shedhorn area, Powder Seeker for the Bowl and Tram. To get to Six Shooter you'll need to ski over to the Moonlight area, go up Iron Horse lift and then ski down to the bottom of Six Shooter.

One drawback, if you will, to Big Sky is that the Moonlight Basin area, which used to be separately owned, and Big Sky are not super-well connected. You have to ski across to get from one to the other, which adds some time. For ease, the Challenger Triple is approximately the "continental divide" between the two areas, and you're best served not going back and forth between the two sides too much (i.e., spend a morning or day on one or the other side).

As @Talisman notes, the Mountain Village base area has more to do - it's geared to hotel/condo visitors with restaurants and a "mall" (which is really just enclosed shops). The Madison base, and Moonlight Lodge, are really geared towards the home/condo owners in Moonlight and not to folks who want to go "out" at least right nearby.
 

focker

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I'm a little confused by the trail map. It looks like the Pony Express lift sort of leads to nowhere, which could be complicated in the mornings. Meanwhile, the base of Bear Pack looks accessible only from the top of Andesite, and I can't tell how tough getting there from the Shedhorn/Powder Seeker/Six Shooter areas would be.

This map may help show how the black bear poma works. Looks pretty convenient

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.2814611,-111.397539,411a,35y,38.78t/data=!3m1!1e3
 

Talisman

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One drawback, if you will, to Big Sky is that the Moonlight Basin area, which used to be separately owned, and Big Sky are not super-well connected. You have to ski across to get from one to the other, which adds some time. For ease, the Challenger Triple is approximately the "continental divide" between the two areas, and you're best served not going back and forth between the two sides too much (i.e., spend a morning or day on one or the other side).

You are correct on the Challenger Ridge being the divider, but that is also an advantage. If you can ski bumps getting back and forth from from Moonlight & Big Sky is pretty easy. Up Challenger and then down Moonlight or Outer Limits to Comet to the top of the Six Shooter. Coming back is go up the Headwaters lift and a choice a few runs like Highway, Country Club, St Alphonse Trees and the like back to Big Sky.
 

SShore

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We usually park at Madison but ski The Big Sky side. Getting back and forth is much faster and easier than , say getting from Blue Sky Basin to Vail Village or getting from Arrowhead to Beaver Creek.

From Madison base to Mountain Village it is one lift (six-shooter) and a five minute run at most to the Village. Going back it’s two lifts(Swifty and Iron Horse) and two quick runs. We usually throw a run off Powderseeker in the mix also. I like skiing the terrain off of Ironhorse, especially when the base lift lines get a little long so don’t overlook that area.
 

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