2/19/2013 2:55:00 PM
Big Sky base area vs. Vail
WHEN I GO SKIING I want to ski. Busy trails and endless lift lines seem to always come to mind when planning a trip over a holiday weekend; unless you’re skiing Big Sky Resort. We’re not kidding when we boast about our nonexistent lift lines and the 3,832 acres of nearly private skiing.
Whether you’re a long time local or guest, it’s hard to complain when you take into account what other resorts in the Rockies experience (Vail for example) during high traffic periods. Even with one of our busiest years to date, lift lines at the base area have remained sub 10 minutes and are more often than not walk-on/ski-on. They’re also an added blessing when they fall on weekends (like this last one) that deliver over 16 inches of fresh snow and all you want is get back up top to make another lap. I'd gladly pass on fighting Vail's crowds and helplessly watching my favorite line getting poached.
Short waits and long laps; Big Sky is the ticket.
-Kipp Proctor
Tags: skiing, montana, big sky resort, yellowstone, yellowstone national park, big sky, technical terrain, tram, lone peak, short lift lines, long laps, lift lines, vail, busy resorts,
Montana | Skiing | The Way I Ski It | General
2/15/2013 8:45:00 PM
LONE PEAK WAS at it again today after a difficult to explain combination of fresh snow and wind deposited well over a foot of fresh cold smoke on the south face. If the roughly 18 inches of fresh wasn’t enough, we were also graced with a beautiful bluebird day.
My friend and I headed straight for the tram with the expectation to ski some of Lone Peak’s free refills under the bluebird sky. After shooting a few photos from atop the peak, we headed towards the snow fences above Liberty Bowl and this is when we first came upon the unexpected deep that lay before us.
I was shocked, dumb founded, blown away and surprised. Face-shots were plentiful and seemed to never end turn after turn during our top to bottom run. High fives and pole taps were a given at the bottom as we stared back up at the unexpectedly epic run that fell/hit us in our laps.
Lone Peak: expect the unexpected.
-Kipp Proctor
Tags: skiing, montana, big sky resort, yellowstone, yellowstone national park, big sky, technical terrain, tram, lone peak, powder, liberty bowl, face-shots, unexpected
Montana | Skiing | The Way I Ski It | General
2/12/2013 6:01:00 PM
MAGICAL LONE PEAK was at it again over this past weekend picking up more than just a few additional sneaky inches that were reported at the base. That’s right, Big Sky’s angry inch was at it again and those who sought out the peak were generously rewarded.
While it stormed all day and the visibility was somewhat poor, the snow was great. Despite the fact we correctly reported 7-8 inches around the base and mid-mountain, Lone Peak was once again a different world. My first tram lap down the dictators at 11:30 was one of the deepest runs of the day at thigh deep. Nearly every turn through D2 buried me under a cloud of fresh Montana cold smoke. Lone Peak wasn't the only exception with great turns to be had across the mountain. Dakota/Shedhorn in particular provided their usual private skiing experience with fresh tracks to be had still at 3:00pm.
Good friends, deep powder, and magical Lone Peak once again made for another epic ski day.
-Kipp Proctor
Tags: skiing, montana, big sky resort, yellowstone, yellowstone national park, big sky, technical terrain, tram, lone peak, powder,
Montana | Skiing | The Way I Ski It | General
2/8/2013 8:20:00 PM
Photo Credit: Vladimir Barabanov
SURE, EVERYBODY LOVES a powder day but the real skiing that locals at Big Sky secretly fiend for and is difficult to explain, is the wind buffed conditions found on our high alpine, above tree line slopes. The creamy, hero snow found on the Peak after a good dose of wind grooming produces an experience like no other resort around.
Ask any long time local what’s possibly better than a powder day and the unanimous answer will always be a beautiful wind buffed day off the Tram. The hero conditions make any avid skier fall in love all over. Being able to rip a wide open run such as Lenin or Marx as if it were a groomer off Southern Comfort is like nothing else. Any skeptic will be convinced once they dive into their skis, feel their edge sink deep and are reward with the confidence that they can arc a turn at any angle they wish.
So seek the Peak and arc some epic turns!
-Kipp Proctor
Tags: skiing, montana, big sky resort, yellowstone, yellowstone national park, big sky, technical terrain, tram, lone peak, wind buffed,
Montana | Skiing | The Way I Ski It | General
1/21/2013 6:00:00 PM
DEEP BLUE SKIES, breathtaking sunsets, incredible skiing and uncrowded runs were the standard this past weekend at Big Sky Resort. No matter where your skis took you, it always seemed like they were finding great snow underneath the sunny skies above.
It didn’t seem to matter who you spoke to; friends, co-workers, guests, patrollers and locals all seemed to all agree that the skiing was great! Reports from Liberty Bowl, Challenger, Southern Comfort, the bowl…you name it, were off the charts and I couldn’t agree more.
Running from shadows and chasing after fast-carvable-sunny-cruisers kept me occupied. Two spots that my friend Dylan and I found to be skiing particularly well were El Dorado and Upper Morning Star where you were able to lay-out high speed turns with plenty of grip underfoot. Then as if the skiing wasn’t good enough, we were graced with stunning sunsets each evening that set the sky on fire with reds, oranges, purples and blues.
Awestruck and thoroughly worked, it was another weekend to add to my continuously growing Big Sky highlight reel.
-Kipp Proctor
Ski Photo Credit: Anna Middleton
Skier: Dan Bartzick skiing Liberty Bowl
Tags: skiing, montana, big sky resort, yellowstone, yellowstone national park, big sky, technical terrain, tram, lone peak, southern comfort, liberty bowl, challenger, groomers,
Events | Montana | Skiing | The Way I Ski It | Yellowstone | General
1/9/2013 12:45:00 PM
WITH A FAMILY of mountain goats peeking in from above Castle Rock, the 2nd Annual Smash Life Banked Slalom was held this past Saturday (Jan. 5th). Coming into its 2nd year, the event was held in memory of Aaron Robinson a native Montanan snowboarder who always dreamed of providing an opportunity for under privileged kids to experience the joys of snowboarding. In tribute to his dream, all proceeds from the event benefit the A-Rob Plant a Seed Foundation which was created after Aaron’s untimely passing.
Lead by local organizer Shane Stalling, the banked slalom course was assembled the few days prior to the event with the assistance of the Big Sky Terrain Park Crew and volunteers. It featured banked turns that were larger than the year before with an added straight line to the finish. The day of the race featured eighty-five registered contestants ranging from a junior’s class for the groms to a masters class for the 40 and over crowd. The course was fast and everyone rode hard which made for an exciting event to watch.
After the race, everyone reconvened for an après awards ceremony, raffle and movie screening of A-Rob’s movie brain child, Of Life and Love. Then later that evening, The Riot Act rocked the house at the Scissorbills after party in front of a rowdy crowd of race participants that even the goats on ridge would attest to.
For more images, info and coverage of the event follow these links below:
http://www.snowboardermag.com/exclusives/second-annual-smash-life-banked-slalom-goes-down-at-big-sky-montana/#b8e0bc0aa6
http://snowboardmag.com/stories/smash-life-banked-slalom-goes-down-at-big-sky-mt
http://snowboarding.transworld.net/1000193077/featuresobf/go-boardin-road-update/?pid=48956#ngtop
http://www.yobeat.com/2013/01/05/the-2012-a-rob-smash-life-banked-slalom/
http://vimeo.com/56840350
-Kipp Proctor
Tags: skiing, montana, big sky resort, yellowstone, yellowstone national park, big sky, technical terrain, tram, lone peak, smash life, banked slalom, aaron robinson, a-rob plant a seed foundation,
Events | Montana | Skiing | The Way I Ski It | Terrain Parks | General
1/3/2013 11:26:00 AM
AFTER A FULL day of work, Big Sky’s New Year’s Eve festivities were here before I knew it. I excitedly headed home where I reconvened with my girlfriend to prepare for our evening's endeavors.
Once cleaned up, we set our sights on the mountain to meet our friends at M.R. Hummer’s for dinner. We joyously shared memorable stories of the year that was over a delicious dinner with great company. One story that highlighted the evening was our friends’ recent engagement and how my buddy’s planned proposal seemed to be foiled at every turn until the perfect opportunity arose for the taking.
We were joined by a few more of our friends and continued to celebrate at Hummer’s until the countdown to midnight was upon us. Just before the start of 2013, we ventured out to the base area to take in Big Sky’s incredible fireworks display with the first round going off right on time.
Friends in tow, we made our way to Whiskey Jack’s to finish off the evening with Way Alt West Fest. The Ben Rice Band delivered a great performance mixing original tracks in with Oasis and Tom Petty covers. We parted ways at the end of the night sending our friends home with a sober ride and memories of an amazing New Year’s Eve.
-Kipp Proctor
Tags: skiing, montana, big sky resort, yellowstone, yellowstone national park, big sky, lone peak, new year's eve, new year's, dinner, m.r. hummer's, way alt west
Events | Montana | Skiing | The Way I Ski It | Yellowstone | General
12/19/2012 10:48:00 AM
WHEN YOUR CO-WORKER asks you out for lunch, it usually entails a meeting over a greasy meal from some sort of semi-fast food restaurant with small talk covering office politics, local happenings, or some other non-exhilarating topic. Here at Big Sky Resort, you better wear your ski boots and bring your snorkel because lunch breaks here usually entail face shots and powder turns…num num num num num.
The other day was an extra special on-hill lunch break since I got to spend it with members from my Marketing and Sales team. The six of us made laps all over the mountain heading up the Triple, Swifty and throwing it down in the terrain park. Our Weddings Specialist, Go-Go, showed off her skills throwing it down in the park and tore it up laying trenches down Mr. K. Mad Chad McDealy got steezy with it while popping over pine trees in Rice Bowl and then slashing turns down Crazy Horse. The Gricer, with her avy pack strapped to her back, ripped the upper mountain after dropping into the Bowl leaving us all behind in her whitewash before patiently waiting at the bottom. Local ripper and reigning Groomer Skier of the Year, Ski-lando, led the pack and showed off her smooth, fluid style. The genius behind BSPN and master of the lens, The K-Man, juggled the task of slashing big face shots on his board while still shooting footage of our epic lunch break. I tagged along but won the award for best fall of the day after I got bounced below Rice Bowl. Needing redemption, I headed for the Buffalo Jump cliff to end the day on a good note.
Just another day at the office…face shots and powder turns. Life is good.
-Kipp Proctor
Tags: skiing, montana, big sky resort, yellowstone, yellowstone national park, big sky, powder, technical terrain, face-shots, face shots, lone peak,
Montana | Skiing | The Way I Ski It | General
