Press Release

Big Sky Resort Has Best Skiing in the Rockies, Most Terrain

Update with the leading season of snow for Big Sky Resort, Saturday December 12th Big Sky to open Thunderwolf High Speed Quad and offering 2,000 acres of open terrain.

BIG SKY, Mont. — The snow gods have been smiling and snowing on Big Sky Resort through the opening of the 2009-10 ski season providing the most acreage available in the Rockies.  The season started with over five feet of natural snow and the most terrain choices for any Rocky Mountain resort for Thanksgiving Day, 20% over its 30 year average.  Big Sky opened with a wide variety of skiable terrain from black diamond powder turns to a smooth beginner area base with everything in between, including terrain park features.

Rolling into December and after two storms since Thanksgiving, the Lone Peak Tram opened bringing the total number of 1,161acres of terrain and a continuous vertical drop of 3,650 feet.  Currently most Colorado and Utah resorts are relying on manmade conditions with limited choices of skiable terrain. 

In addition to the Lone Peak Tram opening, Big Sky Resort is operating Challenger Chair, Lone Peak Triple, Swift Current High-Speed Quad, Explorer and the three base area carpets.  There are 50 open runs including green beginner slopes, blue-square groomed cruisers and the steep black and double black diamond runs with natural snow.

“We’re hearing from people across the country who are making their holiday week vacation plans who are energized with the epic early season turns we’ve been spoiled with,” said sales and marketing director, Meg O’Leary.  “We’re in a perfect position with the rest of the season having the opportunity to open so much terrain early and get skier compaction, supporting the new snow through December.”

The upper mountain base is now at 35 inches, snowmaking will continue on Andesite Mountain preparing for a mid-December opening. The new snow has been popular so far with skier counts rising 40% higher than the year before, yet with the eight lifts running, still non-existent lift lines.

Follow www.bigskyresort.com for the latest snow and deals, including free night/day packages, even over holiday week.  Early season lodging packages are available by calling Big Sky Central Reservations at   1-800-548-4486.  Non-stop flights are available daily to Big Sky from Denver, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Minneapolis, Chicago, San Francisco with limited winter non-stops from Atlanta, Detroit and Las Vegas.  Follow the fans at www.facebook.com/bigskyresort for videos, photos from opening day.

Located in Southwest Montana 17 miles north of Yellowstone National Park, Big Sky offers the Biggest Skiing in America each winter on 5,512 acres of terrain in cooperation with an interconnect ticket with Moonlight Basin.