The Way I Ski It: Big Sky Resort's Blog

 
AS WINTER NEARS, the familiar butterflies return citing that eagerness to get out on the mountain.  If you live in a ski town, you can access the backcountry which will scratch that ski-itch but if mountains aren’t in your backyard, don’t ignore the itch; go through your preseason checklist like I do:

1. Dust off the Sticks – That’s right, if you haven’t pulled them out yet, now is the time.  If they’ve collected a little dirt give them a good wipe down with some warm well-diluted soapy water.  After wiping them down, bring them to your local ski tech for a pre-season tune and binding calibration.  Save your knees, get your bindings tested every year to ensure they’re releasing correctly.  My go to tuning wizard is Brit at the Big Sky Repair Shop.  With over a decade of tuning under his belt he delivers one mean tune. 

2. Avy Gear – If you’re venturing into the backcountry, avalanche safety gear is a must.  Be sure you’re not missing your shovel handle, probe deploys, first aid kit is fully stocked, and don’t be a cheapskate, replace your year old beacon batteries; no use getting yourself or buddy killed over a $3 buy from C&P Grocery.

3. Ski Wear and Accessories – Pullout the outerwear and baselayers, it’s ski season!  Suiting up is one of the final checks to ensure nothing’s missing since your last ski adventure.  And trust me things get lost. I’ve wound up with mismatched gloves, missing poles, to broken goggle lens and none of them were fun realizations and the last thing you want is to pull up to the mountain and figure it out there. Have no fear though, picking up new gear is exciting and Big Sky Sports has you covered; everything from clean socks to GoPro cameras and accessories.

4. Brain Bucket – Always check your helmet for dents or cracks not only at the beginning of the season but throughout. It’s good practice since the majority of helmets out there are only rated for 1 impact.  So if you knocked your noggin last winter, pick up a new one, it could save your life.

5. Ski Pass Photo – Show off your creative side or wear what your Mom would have never dressed you in for picture day.  I once pointed out a black eye that my best friend gave me just so I could remind him every time we were out riding.  It’s your photo so take it how you want it to be taken; great pass photos are true keepsakes.

Following this list will assist in making a stress free and fun first day on the mountain.  And if you’re proudly wearing a smile, I’ll know it all worked out.  See you out there. 

-Kipp Proctor
 

SKI MOVIE PREMIER season is in full swing which is also one of the first signs that ski season is right around the corner. Lovingly referred to as “Ski Porn” in the world of skiing, ski film premiers offer an experience that every snowsport enthusiast should partake in at least once during their ski careers. Accessing one is probably easier than you think too. Most major film companies lineup national tours that hit major ski towns and larger metropolitan areas all across the country, and trust me, being part of one is an experience all in itself. I can vividly remember my first when I was just a lowly freshman at Montana State and how it’s now turned into an experience I seek out every year.

Last night I had the opportunity to represent Big Sky Resort and attend the Bozeman premier of The Dream Factory at the Emerson Cultural Center. As an avid skier, nothing is quite as inspiring as watching the world’s best pros skiing huge, epic lines in Alaska and skiing them at a level most of us can only imagine. The Dream Factory is the newest release from the seasoned and veteran team at Teton Gravity Research (TGR). Based in Jackson, WY, TGR has become synonymous in the ski industry for putting out some of the most progressive yet grass roots driven footage. While many of their films have large segments filmed around Jackson, The Dream Factory focused on skiing in the great state of Alaska.

The Dream Factory was no let down either; TGR produced yet another great film that took you on not only a tour of Alaska’s breathtaking and exhilarating peaks but also gave you an interesting journey through Alaska’s famed history in heli-skiing. Broken into segments, the filmed offered a bit of background on the major turning points and a look back at archival footage from some of AK’s first major descents. The history portions then lead into clips of today’s pros revisiting these same lines and ripping them all over again. It was a great way to draw on the similarities between todays sport of skiing and how yesterday’s pioneers lead the revolution of big mountain freeskiing.

While not all ski films are created equal, there is one overwhelmingly unifying similarity, and that’s the all-around amazing vibe and high level of excitement throughout the audience. This electrifying energy radiates through the crowd and becomes heightened even more by the film’s soundtrack. Huge smiles, high fives, hoots, hollers, oohs, and ahhs are to be expected throughout the film as the crowd cheers on their heroes and dreams of the day when they might get the opportunity to drop into a legendary AK line.

Don’t fret if you’re a local Bozeman/Big Sky resident and missed The Dream Factory premier; here’s a list of few other notable ski film premiers dropping the next few months in Bozeman:

Poor Boyz Productions – Triple Threat – September 19th
Level 1 Productions – Sunny – September 27th
Match Stick Productions – Super Heroes of Stoke – October 10th
Teton Gravity Research – Further (snowboard film) – October 25th

-Kipp Proctor

BY MILE FOUR-AND-A-HALF of the Jim Bridger Trail Run, the already uphill slant of the trail steepens to an angle that more closely resembles a wall than a slope.  In the beating sun, my jog slowed to a hike, then to a halt as soon as I found shade.  I needed water and calories, and as I downed a gu packet in hopes it would stop my dizziness, I wondered if I was finished.

Ten miles, 2,000 feet of elevation gain, and relentless sunshine make the annual Jim Bridger Trail Run outside of Bozeman a test in strength and stamina.  For some it’s a training race for the longer, gnarlier Bridger Ridge Run, a chance to test out racing paces and push limits.  But for me?  I was just trying to finish.

Thankfully, the gu worked it’s magic and I was back climbing the last stretch of a continuous six-mile uphill section.  And as the ridge crested, I remembered why I’d signed up for this race in the first place: a rainbow of wildflowers and expansive views of the Gallatin Valley.  I spread my arms to let the breeze cool me off, and I started to laugh.  After all, everything was downhill from there.

The Trip: Hiking or running the trail section of the Jim Bridger Trail Run, starting at the Sypes Canyon trailhead outside of Bozeman. Take the longer, 10-mile loop, or do a shorter variation.

Getting There:  Just over an hour north of Big Sky in the Bridger Mountains, the trail begins at the Sypes Canyon trailhead off of Springhill Road. 

Why Go:  If you’re not already out of breath at the top of this 2,000-foot climb, the views will take it away from you anyway.  With wildflowers springing up all around, you’ll see the whole Gallatin Valley stretched out before you with snowy peaks floating in the distance.

-Greer

 
The trail gains 2,000 feet of elevation over six miles.


Coming into the home stretch


Big Sky runner Lyndsey Owens, who is training for the Bridger Ridge Run, finished in under two hours...

...I finished in just under three...

PEOPLE SAY TRAVELING is about the journey, not the destination.  But when the journey is on a modern airplane and the destination is your Montana vacation, most would rather, well, skip the journey part.

It’s why I’m so excited the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport is adding direct flights to Portland, Oakland, and (!) New York.  That makes 13 major cities and hubs with direct access to Bozeman.  Faster, easier travel time, longer, quality Big Sky time. 

If you’ve ever been to Big Sky, you know location is Big Sky’s best aspect and worst misconception.  While Montana and Yellowstone National Park may conjure images of roaming bison, stunning peaks, and Brad Pitt fly fishing the Gallatin river (A River Runs Through It was filmed next to Big Sky), it also may conjure images of never-ending rides on dirt roads, possibly in a covered wagon, and days of travel time.  People are never quite sure just where Montana is, but they’re sure as heck it will be hard to get to.

Well, only half of those images ring true - the wild-west scenery we’ve got, but the remote-looking landscape is surprisingly accessible .  And yes, while Montana has traditional ranchers and a wild-west feel, we also have cars, running water, the whole modern works.

Still, I get it.  Because in the age of GPS, every time I look at a map of the United States, I’m slightly surprised.  And I’m always surprised that I’m so surprised – didn’t I spend all of 4th grade learning the names, locations, and capitols of each of these states?  Apparently, it didn’t stick, because my own notions of where each state is never seem to match up with the picture, no matter how many times I look.  I still somehow revert back to my pre-4th grade concepts, when everything past the Mississippi constituted as “Out West,” a vast and mysterious world of big mountains and animals - very, very far away.

Luckily, that’s not the case.  Big Sky, while in a huge and largely unpopulated state, is 45 minutes from Bozeman, MT, where direct flights currently fly in from 10 major cities and hubs.  Most recently, Alaska Airlines and Allegiant Air added Portland and Oakland, respectively, to the list, and a New York direct is on the horizon too, possibly starting this summer. 

Besides my New Yorker parents, who love another excuse to visits to their far-flung daughter who happens to live in a ski town (convenient, eh?), skiers on both coasts are rejoicing – especially when ski conditions have been dismal at most resorts but Big Sky so far this winter. 

But you want to know the best part?  Oakland flights start at $79.98 round trip.  Under 80 bucks!?!  Pack your bags, Lake Tahoe, and come find out where Montana really is.  Jet setting and snow chasing just got a lot easier.

-  Greer

Flights between Bozeman and Oakland International Airport (OAK) on Allegiant will begin April 27, 2012.

Flights between Bozeman and Portland on Alaska Airlines will begin June 4th or 5th and operate daily through Aug. 25th, 2012. 

Dates and carrier for flights between Bozeman and New York are expected to be announced soon, and will be made possible by a government transportation grant supplemented by community-raised money.