Big Sky gathering
April 17, 2013
Have there been any reports? Did I miss something?
Yep, and we hit the slopes one day with Girlboarder247. Need to upload an apres ski pic.
Some seriously steep stuff at Big Sky, Bridger Bowl and Moonlight Basin. I didn't ski Big Couloir, but I did do Slushmans.
Denis, instead of a trip report, we need to get together over some beers in the next month or so. I'd love to hear about your trek to the smaller Montana areas.
Way to go MWG! How would you rate the experience compared to other places you've been?
[quote=JimK How would you rate the experience compared to other places you've been? [/quote]
Big Sky is a great place for all levels of skiing. It has plenty of easy wide open cruisers for beginners to intermediates. There are plenty of bump runs - from not so steep intermediate bumps to gnarlier runs such as Stump Farm. It has tree runs for those who like trees - although probably not as much tree skiing as Steamboat. And Big Sky has steeps! Everything from just plain steep (Liberty Bowl) to steeper (Lenin, A to Z chutes) and experts only (Big Couloir.) Actually, to me, the most difficult thing can be the traverses, especially if you have a lot of people in front and behind you. I think it is similar to Jackson Hole re: steepness and difficulty.
Big Sky was at its most crowded while we were there. It actually was their busiest week (the week before Easter) Lift lines were manageable, but there was a bit of a wait for the tram at times. I have been there in early February when we had no wait for the tram and virtually no lift lines anywhere - even on a powder day.
I can't really rate my experience at Big Sky vs. other mountains because I tend to like skiing just about anywhere, especially when I'm with friends. FWIW I would be quite happy to ski there again!
I do have a couple of things about The Epic Bear Gathering that I want to add:
On Friday, the last "official" ski day of The Gathering, Johnl, myself and and Skisailor (a SkiDiva friend of mine) took what we thought was a last run with Ursula, Big Sky's famed ski instructor. Ursula had been guiding the Bears around on and off during The Gathering. That last run turned into an hour long free ski lesson from Ursula for us. We were probably the last guests on the mountain. The lesson finally ended when we looked up and saw 3 ski patrollers patiently waiting for Ursula to finish her lesson so they could "shoo" us down the mountain!
On Saturday, after The Gathering was officially over, Girlboarder247 guided Jimmy, Johnl and me around Big Sky and showed us some great tree runs. She also invited the three of us as her guests to the Big Sky Ski Patrol dinner Saturday night. We had a great dinner, free beer and heard some pretty funny ski patrol stories.
Blue Room was sweet right up until closing run yesterday, love those trees! (And Bear Lair hasn't gotten any shorter! Did an AASI (PSIA for snowboarders) clinic on Saturday, and took a group of boarders from all over the northwest through those trees, when we got to the bottom they said, "Man, Big Sky has some long runs!" LOL)
Glad you all enjoyed ski patrol dinner (still laughing about mwg saying, "no we're not staying for beers, just stopped in to say hello" ...then turn around to see Jimmy and JohnL with a beer in each hand...looks like you're staying for beers! hahahha) And thanks for dinner at Land of Magic [insert cowgirl cut steak joke here
]
That's better. Thanks.
still laughing about mwg saying, "no we're not staying for beers, just stopped in to say hello" ...then turn around to see Jimmy and JohnL with a beer in each hand...looks like you're staying for beers! hahahha
Jimmy and JohnL are men of action.
At least we didn't have to come up with some cover story like in Wedding Crashers.
There are plenty of bump runs - from not so steep intermediate bumps to gnarlier runs such as Stump Farm.
How would you know what Stump Farm is like?
Saw at least two 50-100 yard slides from the Challenger Lift on some of the not steepest terrain at Big Sky. Actually, there was some scary steep turns right next to the path one of the guys slid down. Real steep, some rocks hidden in the snow, and a rock band 50 feet below you. That was not a place to lose an edge. I felt relieved to make it to the face the guy slid down. (That guy ended up rag dolling, missing his tele buddy on the way down by feet.)
How would you know what Stump Farm is like?
Skied it twice in Feb 2012. Just didn't ski it this trip.
Me three. But I didn't ski much with the Mid-A bunch. Enjoyed the days at Bridger and Moonlight Basin, as well as Big Sky.
My first taste of Big Sky was last year when there really wasn't much snow cover up top. Was happy the Gathering provided a good reason to go back sooner rather than later. Sooo much easier to get to the fun stuff after getting off the tram or Challenger this time. Mostly snow, instead of half rocks and half snow.
A few pics of Liberty Bowl (off tram) and a run off Challenger. If you look closely, there are dots that are skiers in both of the pics looking down slope.
HaHa d, Neither john or I have ever passed up free beer. Bears Lair is that the steep bumpy tree run I spent the morning getting down?
MWG convinced me that I had to ski Liberty Bowl with her and Billsavage one afternoon. After the bowl on the run back down, Bill went off the groomer into some trees that looked inviting, mwg followed bill, jimmy followed mwg you get the picture anyways the trees started off with a mellow pitch that funnels into a narrow bobsled run with downed trees and rocks in the middle, the woods got thicker, you could see the bottom about 500' below, found mwg but no Bill. We asked Bill about it the next day and he said he had hoped we didn't follow him.
I went to Montana with the intention of crossing it off my list; now that i've skied there all I can think about is how badly I NEED to go back.
I went to Montana with the intention of crossing it off my list; now that i've skied there all I can think about is how badly I NEED to go back.
LOL, that's what SWMBO said, except about Oregon.
Nice marzNC.
Montana is the WV of the West.
did djop ski Mt. B??
Yeah, Bear's Lair is that long bump/tree run that should have an O2 station halfway down! hahaha It comes out into a little gully...Or if you go skier's right it's more of a chute, then on down to the Thunderwolf Lift.
Yes. But only 280 degrees of it.
MWG convinced me that I had to ski Liberty Bowl with her and Billsavage one afternoon. After the bowl on the run back down, Bill went off the groomer into some trees that looked inviting, mwg followed bill, jimmy followed mwg you get the picture anyways the trees started off with a mellow pitch that funnels into a narrow bobsled run with downed trees and rocks in the middle, the woods got thicker, you could see the bottom about 500' below, found mwg but no Bill. We asked Bill about it the next day and he said he had hoped we didn't follow him.
I went to Montana with the intention of crossing it off my list; now that i've skied there all I can think about is how badly I NEED to go back.
Haha . . . I didn't hear about that adventure from Bill. He's a schoolmate of mine who became a ski buddy several years ago when alumni started getting together at Alta Lodge late season. My Diva friends, the ladies from Quebec, followed Bill off the beaten path a few times in MT and at Alta afterwards. Avalanche Gulch at Bridger sounds like the adventure they could have done without. My new adventure with him this time was Greely Hill on the Backside at Alta. First time going that far on the High T.
My condo-mates had a grand time skiing at Targhee, Big Sky, and Bridger after meeting up in SLC. We had five people and two personal cars for the drive north. Since Bill and I bought the MCP for 2013-14, which includes Jackson Hole, a plan for another SLC ski safari will be in the works over the summer. Neither of us have skied JH before.
I do have a couple of things about The Epic Bear Gathering that I want to add:
On Friday, the last "official" ski day of The Gathering, Johnl, myself and and Skisailor (a SkiDiva friend of mine) took what we thought was a last run with Ursula, Big Sky's famed ski instructor. Ursula had been guiding the Bears around on and off during The Gathering. That last run turned into an hour long free ski lesson from Ursula for us. We were probably the last guests on the mountain. The lesson finally ended when we looked up and saw 3 ski patrollers patiently waiting for Ursula to finish her lesson so they could "shoo" us down the mountain!
On Saturday, after The Gathering was officially over, Girlboarder247 guided Jimmy, Johnl and me around Big Sky and showed us some great tree runs. She also invited the three of us as her guests to the Big Sky Ski Patrol dinner Saturday night. We had a great dinner, free beer and heard some pretty funny ski patrol stories.
So I picked up a free copy of
Mountain Outlaw magazine and after I got home I got a chance to read it. I'm flipping through and there on page 97 is a really nice article about Ursula. After I finished I thought I should read the article on page 96 about the Moonlight Basin instructor, from the article
In 1998, while teaching at Canaan Valley, she received her Level I Certification through the Professional Ski Instructors of America. Two years later, seeking bigger mountains and better snow, the Ackermans moved to Angel Fire Resort, New Mexico, where they lived and instructed for six years. There, Ackerman earned her Level II Certification and Level II Children's Accreditation
through PSIA.
Maybe someone here remembers Frances?
