Big Sky usa
Review of snowboarding and skiing in Big Sky USA.
Big Sky Ski Holiday Facts
Established in 1973 the American ski resort Big Sky lies at ? metres altitude in the Montana region of the American Rockies? snow cannons ensure artificial Big Sky snow making covers ?km of ski trails, which equates to around 10 of the ski slopes. The nearest airport transfer to Big Sky (USA) is Bozeman at a distance of 72km or approximately ? minutes driving time. Big Sky ski season runs from November to April.
SNO-man says
A new tram into the top of Lone Peak gave Big Sky the biggest lift-served vertical in the USA in 1995 (a title since taken by Snowmass in 1997), and the area has won numerous awards for its uncrowded slopes and non-existant lift lines/queues. There's an average of less than two skiers per acre on the busiest days and the longest lift lines are reportedly to the free breakfast buffet at Huntley Lodge where up to 927 guests may be served. The resort still holds the world record as the place where the most vertical feet have been skied in one day, by local Rusty Squire who made 220 helicopter ascents to claim his title. There is skiing on two lift-linked mountains for all standards and good facilities for 'boarders and telemarkers. The steepest route down is Castro's shoulder, with a 50 degree pitch, whilst the Big Couloir run down from the tram has pitches of around 42 degrees nd is 2600 feet long. There are numerous accommodation options for all tastes and budgets, including the slopeside Huntly Lodge, Snoshore and Snowcrest Lodge condominiums. The resort's biggest project has been the construction of the 45 million dollar slopeside Summit Hotel. Big Sky is located close to Yellowstone National Park.
alpine downhill runs to ski in Big Sky USA
Beginner Trails
 0 runs ?km |
0% |
Intermediate Trails
 7 runs ?km |
9% |
Advanced Trails
 39 runs ?km |
52% |
Expert Trails
 29 runs 29km |
38% |
Big Sky Resort & Holiday Info
| Beginners learning to ski |  |
| Intermediate Skiers | |
| Expert Skiers | |
| Snowboarders | |
| Apres Ski | |
| Family friendly | |
| Snowsure | |
| Ambience | |
| Value for money | |
| Ski Pass Prices (adult 6 day) | $444 - $444 |
Traditional Ski Village / Purpose Built Ski Resort |
| Ski Resort Opens | Nov 2011 |
| Ski Resort Closes | Apr 2012 |
| (snow conditions often influence resort opening & closing) |
Ski Area Big Sky Mountain
| Downhill Ski Runs | 136km |
| total length of Big Sky trails |
| Longest lift serve Run | 9.8km |
| longest piste or trail reachable by ski lift |
| Ski Slope Orientation | S E |
| direction Big Sky ski areas face |
| Top Altitude | 3398.5m |
| top station of highest ski lift |
| Bottom Altitude | 2072.6m |
| bottom of lowest ski run |
| Resort Altitude | 2072.6m |
| centre of Big Sky ski resort |
| Vertical Drop | 1325.9m |
| total descent from top lift to bottom piste |
| Skiable Vertical | ^v 1325.9m |
| can include extra hike up which may be possible above top lift - stat used by some resorts to con us about true "vertical drop" which is lift-served |
Skiing in Big Sky
Skiing Big Sky you'll enjoy 75 pistes and trails and that means approximately 136km of ski runs. Big Sky lifts number 21 with the capacity to uplift 25000 skiers up the mountain per hour. The longest ski run in the American ski resort of Big Sky is over 9.8km long. Ski Big Sky summer or winter as there is also glacier skiing in Big Sky.
Big Sky Ski Area
Big Sky ski area has 0% beginner ski runs or nursery slopes, 9% intermediate, 52% advanced ski slopes and 38% for expert skiers - the most difficult Big Sky piste is the ?km Castro's Shoulder run, with a steepness/slope angle of 50%. You can't ski Big Sky after dark.
Big Sky for skiing gets 4 stars out of 5 overall
Big Sky Apres Ski
The apres ski Big Sky scene and off-slope or "non-skier" activities include:
8 apres ski bars 21 restaurants 0 bowling 0 night club 1 cinema 0 billiards / pool 0 games room 0 concert 1 indoor swimming 2 outdoor heated pools 2 saunas 2 hot tubs 0 solariums 0 masseurs 0 indoor ice skating 0 outdoor ice skating 1 indoor sports centre 0 indoor tennis 0 squash racquetball 2 sleigh rides 0 ballooning 0 horse riding 0 prepare winter walks 0 climbing 1 golf 0 fishing 0 museum 0 library Plus these additional apres ski facilities On-Mountain Religious Services, Yellowstone National Park Excursions (30km/16 Miles) , (More facilities in Accommodations) .
SNO-man says
Beyond the ski lifts, the area surrounding Big Sky offers unlimited potential for a host of outdoor activities. Nearby Lone Mountain Guest Ranch have 65km of groomed trails winding through rolling hills, lush forest and willow-lined creeks. The Lone Mountain Ranch is a fully serviced nordic centre with a rental and retail shop, gourmet dining room, lounge, cabins and several resident moose! Nearby there are many National Forest trails and other groomed trails located in West Yellowstone along the Madison River and in the Rendezvous area.
Snowshoeing, cross-country, telemark skiing and backcountry boarding are all growing in popularity here. At Yellowstone you can hire a snowmobile and enjoy groomed trails through the forest. Dog sledding, horseback riding and fly fishing are all available.
Most visitors set aside at least one day to visit Yellowstone National Park which has the highest concentration of thermal geysers on the entire planet. Old Faithful seems to be the favourite one, not because it is the biggest but because it is the most regularly erupting. The Old Faithful Inn is the world's largest log structure and a National Historic Landmark. Built in 1904 of ageless knotty pine logs and other indigenous materials, the lobby rises to 85 feet above a massive fireplace built from local stone.
Yellowstone Lake is the largest mountain lake in the northern hemisphere with the shoreline measuring 110 miles. Yellowstone Park is also home to a variety of wild animals and birds including elk, buffalo, antelope, wolves, trumpeter swans and white-tailed ptarmigan.
Big Sky for apres ski gets 3 stars out of 5 overall
More Big Sky Snow Ski Area and Resort Information
Big Sky resort - ski Big Sky by any other name
The American ski resort of Big Sky ski resort is also known as Big Sky Flat Iron, Lone Mountain, Andesite Mountain and has the following common misspellings:
Big Sky ski area has ski slopes which face S E
The direction which the various Big Sky ski slopes face can make or break your skiing or snowboarding holiday. If you want to guarantee good snow and ski conditions, you should choose a resort with ski slopes which face the right way for the time of year you're travelling.
- In the coldest winter months of January and February you need a ski resort with some sunny south facing ski slopes, so your days on the snow doesn't feel like a polar expedition. Conversely, in the warmest spring skiing months of March and especially April, a ski resort with some cool and shady north facing slopes will ensure you're not skiing on slush, but benefitting from best late season snow. The best ski resorts have ski areas and slopes which face in all directions so that you're guaranteed greating skiing whatever the weather. Big Sky ski resort has ski slopes facing S E.
Big Sky for snow gets 4 stars out of 5 overall