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

The Big Sky Town Center Stage held Music in the Mountains to celebrate the 4th of July.


LAST YEAR ON Independence Day I set out to have the most American 4th of July ever. This year, I wondered how I could top last year's 10k run, whitewater rafting, bar-b-que, beer, and fireworks.

Turns out, Big Sky lends itself to the ultra-American 4th, and topping last year wasn't so hard.  This year I started with a mountainous trail run put on by the Big Sky Community Corporation that wound for 10 miles under spacious skies and through amber waves of grain, the majesty of purple mountains palpable around me. 

I followed up with a burger at the Big Sky community celebration while watching locals like Big Sky Resort VP of Lodging Barb Rooney brave the dunk tank.  The afternoon was then filled with sunny hours on my porch with friends, grilling and dodging firecrackers set off by a host of neighbors. 

In the evening I donned my American Flag cape and US Senate sunglasses to watch Freddy Pink play the Town Center Stage.  I sang the National Anthem as a giant fireworks display lit up the Meadow Village, raising my beer up like Lady Liberty’s torch.  I felt a surge of love – for my country and community.  For my freedom and friends.
 
For the second year running, my mission for the ultimate American 4th was complete.  Not too difficult when you live in Big Sky, Montana, this beautiful mountain town in the Great American West.

-  Greer

YESTERDAY I WENT on an expedition to the top of an 11,166-foot peak.  Lone Peak, to be specific, on the inaugural Lone Peak Expedition: Tram to the Top.  It’s the first time the tram has run in the summertime, and while, granted, you don’t get to ski down, the trip up might just be (gasp!) an even cooler experience than riding in winter.

We started at 9am under clear blue skies in the Mountain Village.  A lift, safari vehicle, and tram ride later, we were peering all the way over to the Tetons.  We even spotted a fox, a deer, and a family of mountain goats along the way.  But don’t take my word for how beautiful and rugged it was – all you have to do it check out the photos.

-  Greer

A PRIMAL SCREAM resounded through the Mountain Village – a high pitched, deafening noise that could only have come from the deepest place within the gut of a truly terrified beast.

Oh my gosh – was that… me?!  Shocked, I realized the sound had escaped from my own throat without my permission.  But as soon as it came out, the scream transitioned into a whoop of joy and a wild laugh –I had just leapt from a 25-foot high platform, but instead of hitting the ground, I was swinging 60 feet out over Big Sky Resort’s Mountain Village. 

It was one of the inaugural rides on the opening day of Big Sky Resort’s new Giant Swing.  Strapped into a harness and helmet, I climbed up to a tall platform with fellow Big Sky daredevils Katie Grice and Margo Humphries, joking about being nervous as we went.

But as each of us took our turn sitting on the platform ledge before our swing, the jokes didn’t seem so funny, and the nervousness turned startlingly real.  Margo screamed several times in anticipation of the swing, and Katie yelled “Oh my gosh – this is scary!  I’m not sure I want to do this anymore!”  I clung to our guide’s leg, afraid I would get pulled off the ledge prematurely. 

And then it was time for take-off.  Suddenly I was launching off the platform, falling through the air, and screaming at the top of my lungs before catching, flying through the air, and laughing and hollering.   Soaring through the air, my fear turned into exhilaration at my daring, delight in the afterglow of an adrenaline surge.

Stepping  back onto solid ground minutes later, I was still shaking from the rush.  Shaking, but smiling. We all were.

-  Greer

 
Has your expression ever been captured in a moment of pure emotion? Margo, Greer, and Katie the moment after the launch.


At $12 a pop, guests on the Giant Swing soar 60 feet over the Mountain Village.

IN THE WINTER, Big Sky’s Huntley Dining Room is known for one mean breakfast buffet.  But come summer (read: wedding season), the Huntley Dining Room takes on a whole new role - chafing dishes full of scrambled eggs and bacon are replaced with ivory linens and breathtaking floral centerpieces.   And the occasional hay bale.

Think elegant and civilized meets rugged wild west.  Last week I met with a bride-to-be whose wedding will be just that.  While her life and career may have taken her to the big city, her Montana roots remain as strong as the reins on the Quarter Horses at her parents nearby ranch.  This bride’s upcoming wedding will be a weekend-long event, kicking off with a western-themed bar-b-que for over 300 people in the Huntley Dining Room.  There will be s’mores around the fire, a wagon filled with penny candy, red and white checkered tablecloths, BBQ pulled pork, and, a mechanical bull.  After a few rounds on a bucking bronco and several trips to the dance floor, guests will kick off their boots in either the four-star Summit Hotel or the luxurious Village Center – both within a short walking distance of the reception .

Other brides lean towards the more traditional, focusing on the grandeur of the outdoor beauty at Big Sky.  Just a week after one bride’s western bar-b-que, another will celebrate outdoors in the Lone Peak Pavilion as the sun sets behind the towering mountain.  Guests will sip on fine wine, munch on mini bison steaks served on Montana grain crostini, and sway their hips to a local Bluegrass band.
 
But no matter which end of the spectrum a wedding leans towards, there’s no divorcing it from Big Sky’s sense of place and culture.  Like the GeoTraveler, making sure to experience the local culture wherever she roams, a wedding at Big Sky is for the GeoBride, finding elegance and beauty in what is distinctly Montana.

-  Margo Humphries, Big Sky Resort Wedding Sales Manager

SPOTTING A BLACK BEAR or a Grizzly can be what makes your trip to Yellowstone Country.  It can also be what breaks it – if you’re not prepared, a surprise run-in can go quickly awry.

Last week, Jim Holstein of Yellowstone Tour Guides came to talk to Big Sky employees about being bear aware.  He shared some pretty heady stories – getting bluff charged by grizzlies, encountering crowds of people just feet away from a mama bear and cubs – and tips on how to keep bear sightings in the realm of wondrous instead of dangerous.  Here’s what we took away:

    1) Always carry bear spray, and keep it readily at hand – bear spray is only as good as your ability to use it
        quickly.
    2) Know how to use that bear spray (just don’t practice on your friend during  a morning trail run)
    3) Follow the Four or More rule – hike with a buddy, or better yet, buddies at all times.  
    4) Be on the lookout for telltale bear signs: poop and prints.  Animal carcasses are also a good indicator that hungry bears may be nearby.    
    5) Make noise as you travel – use a bear bell, talk loudly with your fellow hikers, yell things like “Hey, Bear!” at the top of your lungs.
    6) Cook any meals at least 100 yards from any backcountry campsites
    7) Store any food or game carcasses (!), at least 100 yards from any backcountry campsites.
    8) Don’t sleep in the same clothes you cook in – stash them with your food for the night.

During my trail adventures around Big Sky, I’ve crossed paths with plenty of wildlife, from almost literally running smack dab into a moose, to taking a pleasant jog with Big Sky’s resident fox.  Bears are no exception, and I’ve encountered the furry beasts on many occasions without incident.  But that doesn’t stop me from wearing a bear bell, running with my iPod on speaker mode, and carrying bear spray in-hand.  I may look a little over-the-top decked out, but no one can say I’m not bear aware.

-  Greer


Don't take it from us - check out what the National Park Service recommends for people to stay bear aware in Yellowstone National Park.  Find more informfrom the Center For Wildlife Information.

Recent bear sightings around Big Sky Resort.  While sightings are common, attacks are not.  Keep it that way by following Bear Aware protocol.

The Trip:  Lava Lake trail, a popular day hike for people traveling from Big Sky and Bozeman.  Covering three miles over a 2,000-foot ascent, the Lava Lake trail takes you through the Lee Metcalf Wilderness in Gallatin National Forest.  Feeling ambitious? Choose to hike up and over Table Mountain to Asbestos trailhead or Deer Creek. 

Getting There:  Head north from Big Sky on highway 191.  After 11 miles you’ll round the sharp corner at the “35 miles an hour bridge” and continue ¼ mile to a turn-around (look for big blue sign on right).  You’ll need to turn around and head back south ¼ mile to the gravel road on your right.  Continue .2 miles and park at the trailhead.  Horse and bike traffic are not allowed on the Lava Lake trail, but on a nice weekend day expect to see many people and dogs- parking at the large trailhead may be limited. 

Why Go:  This beautiful wooded hike leads you to a beautiful alpine lake.

THIS PAST SATURDAY I made my yearly pilgrimage to Lava, as we locals like to call it.  Dusting off the hiking boots, I went through the checklist:  raincoat, extra layers, sunscreen, water, snacks (plural), wildflower book, map, bear spray, post hike refreshments, and flip flops…check, check and check. 

On the journey winding up through the tall stands of Lodge Pole Pines, I was on the lookout for early season wildflowers.  This year I was a little early to see some of the usual flowers  like lupine, larkspur, virgin bowers vine and columbine, but I spotted a Calypso bulbosa of the orchid family - also known as Fairy Slipper or Venus’s Slipper.  These small delicate flowers can be spotted in sheltered areas near down logs.

The Lava Lake trail is also known to host berries later in the summer - wild strawberry, thimbleberry, raspberry and huckleberry can be yours for the picking. 

We were a little early for berries too, but as I hiked along, breathing in the fragrant forest air and stopping to admire the playfulness of Cascade Creek, I started to really feel a connection with nature.  Summer is upon us.  Inspired, I couldn’t stop thinking about the long season spanning before us:  which of my favorite places in the high country to visit next and what new places to explore under the Big Sky. 


-  Lyndsey Owens

 
Photo by Katie Grice

THE OFF-SEASON in Big Sky has been the usual mix of mud, rain, and snow since late April.  But with the Resort opening in just a week, we’re finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, the (literal) rainbow in the stormy skies, and I have a feeling the pot of gold is just around the corner.  Temps are creeping up, animals are out, and Montana is showing her true summer colors- an entire spectrum of ROYGBIV. 

WHEN I TOLD my sister last December that I I’d never heard of I Can Has Cheezburger,she was shocked and appalled.  Apparently, I was the last person on the face of the planet not obsessed with Lolcats, and she had me download the blog feed immediately.

At first it seemed inane.  But now I find myself chuckling over ridiculous captions of silly cat pictures on a regular basis.  Apparently, cute animal + bad spelling = obsession.

And then I discovered Animal Capshunz, I Can Has Cheezburger’s sister blog that extends beyond the world of silly cat pictures into silly pictures of animals in general.  My favorites are the LOLs of animals I can see in my own backyard, and in Montana that means moose, bears, and elk. 

So in honor of the animals emerging all around Big Sky as summer approaches, here are some of my favorite Big Sky style Animal Capshunz, as well as some relevant LOLs of my own:

-  Greer