2/23/2013 6:23:00 PM

BEATING EARLY UPS is a hard thing to do; especially on a powder day. Saturday, luck was in my favor when I was invited along by extreme skiing legend Dan Egan and his Steep Camp for the special opportunity to get first tracks through the Big Couloir with a few eager and fearless first timers.

Put on by the resort’s First Tracks program, we skied the lower mountain off Andesite until 8:45 before heading for the Tram. The fresh snow from overnight was super fluffy and provided a great opportunity to warm up and get our legs under us.

Once warmed up we set sail on Swifty and headed to the Peak. After checking in with Ski Patrol Director Jimbo Humphries and a quick safety talk with Ryan Ayers, we clipped into our skis and ventured around the back of the peak to the entrance of the Big. From the top, we sent groups of 2 down the resort’s most illustrious run. The deep snow that had filled in the Big from the previous few days was unbelievable and was an experience that the group participants (Leslie, Mike, and Scott) were stoked to check off.

After skiing the technical top section, I veered out of the Big Couloir proper and headed for the Secret. Thigh deep fluff awaited me as I dove into my first turn, and every turn thereafter until just above the Cue Ball. Reconvening with our group just above the Triple, we exchanged high fives and pole taps after giving everyone a BIG congratulations.

Live big, play hard: BIG SKY.

-Kipp Proctor

Tags: skiing, montana, big sky resort, yellowstone, yellowstone national park, big sky, technical terrain, tram, lone peak, dan egan, powder, early ups, first tracks, big couloir, ski clinics,

Montana | Skiing | The Way I Ski It | Snowsports

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Big Sky's Top 10 Season Highlights

4/25/2012 9:51:00 AM

WHILE THE REST of the country prayed for snow this season, Big Sky was rolling in the powder. But awesome snow was just part of what made the '11/'12 winter season at Big Sky so rad. Check out what season highlights made our top ten:

10) Spring Powder and Corn Snow. Intermixed with several epic pow days, warm temperatures in March and April made for the best spring corn snow in years.

9) Christmas Present Powder. While Colorado and California resorts thirsted for snow, Big Sky got dumped on right before Christmas, making for an epic holiday week.

8) The Glade-iators. New glades Shady Chute, Wolf Den, Wolverine, Congo Line, and Madagascar upped the anti for tree skiing on Andesite mountain.

7) Cole Bixby’s Mullet. Enough said.

6) Tim Cowie rips a bulletproof Big Couloir. Just watch how fast he goes… (1:26)

5) Dave Stergar’s 26 Tram Laps. Stergar took full advantage of being stranded on Tram Island when the Triple chair went on wind hold one day, and clocked it with his Big Sky Replay app.