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