Bridger Bowl and Big Sky conditions

[marzNC]

We did a free tour in 2020, but it felt like they guide had to take us the "approved" tour. He pointed out certain trails, but wasn't allowed to actually take us on any of them. The kids hated it (it was like dangling treats in front of them but telling them they couldn't eat any), and after 1.5 hours we had to politely part ways.

With kids, that's different. Better to just ask a host at the base for current snow conditions in your favorite areas.

The advantage of a free tour is that you can ask questions of the host about the terrain that you can see from the groomer for future reference. It's fine to join or leave at any point.

A few years ago I did one run with a host who I'd chatted with at the base earlier in the week. He was from New York City (so am I). He had been an instructor at Vail for a few years after retirement. Happened to spot him leaving the trail map at the top of Ram8. I was skiing solo at the time. He took his group down the "blue groomer" towards the base but it had snowed so much overnight that there was a lot of pushed around snow. Most of the group had a hard time to keep up. He made it look easy. When we got to the bottom I saw a few friends I hadn't skied with yet, so I said a quick goodbye and rode up with them.

 

[teppaz]

We did a free tour in 2020, but it felt like they guide had to take us the "approved" tour. He pointed out certain trails, but wasn't allowed to actually take us on any of them. The kids hated it (it was like dangling treats in front of them but telling them they couldn't eat any), and after 1.5 hours we had to politely part ways.

My understanding is that the free tour is not like a guided tour of the trails but an overview of the resort and the lay of the land, and maybe tips about conditions on any given day. At Big Sky, specifically, it can be useful because the place is big and it's not all that easy to navigate at first — to go from Andesite to Madison, for example.

All the free mountain tours I've taken have been for beginners/intermediates to make sure they're accessible to many people and nobody gets in trouble. When I did one at Killington a couple of years ago, I was the only person to show up so the guide took me all over the mountain. We ended up skiing together for an extra hour after the tour was supposed to end. But that's because I was alone.

 

[MsWax]

My understanding is that the free tour is not like a guided tour of the trails but an overview of the resort and the lay of the land, and maybe tips about conditions on any given day. At Big Sky, specifically, it can be useful because the place is big and it's not all that easy to navigate at first — to go from Andesite to Madison, for example.

All the free mountain tours I've taken have been for beginners/intermediates to make sure they're accessible to many people and nobody gets in trouble. When I did one at Killington a couple of years ago, I was the only person to show up so the guide took me all over the mountain. We ended up skiing together for an extra hour after the tour was supposed to end. But that's because I was alone.

For this, since we are a family of 5, we were the only ones in the tour group. I think our guide was very "by the book," and did not want to stray from the standard procedure.

 

[teppaz]

For this, since we are a family of 5, we were the only ones in the tour group. I think our guide was very "by the book," and did not want to stray from the standard procedure.

Interesting. I wonder if they worried about liability or something. Or maybe it was simply a person who was by the book, as you said.

 

[marzNC]

Interesting. I wonder if they worried about liability or something. Or maybe it was simply a person who was by the book, as you said.

My guess is that every mountain is a bit different about a free guided tour.

Boyne Resorts has been providing free tours at Big Sky and Brighton for years. The first time I skied at Brighton was on a tour in 2015 with @dloveski as a mountain host. As a host, she was not allowed off the blue groomers. After lunch, she could free ski with me and my friends anywhere. Even in her Brighton jacket. That led to the first time I skied powder in Utah trees without worrying about where we were going.

The first tour I did with Bill at Big Sky happened to be at the same time that a ski club from the northeast was doing the tour. Most were seniors. Bill and I opted for the "blue-blue" group instead of the "blue-green" or "green." Our host was an older woman who was a very good skier. Once she confirmed that everyone in the group could keep up, she was moving quite fast on the blue groomers between stops. Back then, there was just one tour. Not a "north" and "south" tour as there is these days. She was able to take our group all the way over to Moonlight and show us how to get back and forth on a Big Sky ticket (separate from Moonlight at the time). I learned a great deal about the off-piste terrain during that tour. At the end, one of the people wanted to give her a tip. But she made it clear that the policy was "no tips."

 

[dloveski]

My guess is that every mountain is a bit different about a free guided tour.

Boyne Resorts has been providing free tours at Big Sky and Brighton for years. The first time I skied at Brighton was on a tour in 2015 with @dloveski as a mountain host. As a host, she was not allowed off the blue groomers. After lunch, she could free ski with me and my friends anywhere. Even in her Brighton jacket. That led to the first time I skied powder in Utah trees without worrying about where we were going.

The first tour I did with Bill at Big Sky happened to be at the same time that a ski club from the northeast was doing the tour. Most were seniors. Bill and I opted for the "blue-blue" group instead of the "blue-green" or "green." Our host was an older woman who was a very good skier. Once she confirmed that everyone in the group could keep up, she was moving quite fast on the blue groomers between stops. Back then, there was just one tour. Not a "north" and "south" tour as there is these days. She was able to take our group all the way over to Moonlight and show us how to get back and forth on a Big Sky ticket (separate from Moonlight at the time). I learned a great deal about the off-piste terrain during that tour. At the end, one of the people wanted to give her a tip. But she made it clear that the policy was "no tips."

Marz: I remember that day. I also think it resulted in an incident report when an out of control boarder hit your ski friend from NC (can't remember his name) and he bruised his shoulder).

Ahh, those were the days! I also gave tours at Solitude in my years there as host. Both resorts have shut that aspect of Mountain Host down, relegating Hosts to rental shop support and ski school schlepping of toddlers on beginners lift. That's when we quit hosting, when the resort saw Hosts as cheap labor.

My DH had so much fun with tours, especially when Germans came (he speaks German and has skied in Alps in past life) and they ended up skiing all over, drinking beer at the end of the day. Those were the days.

 

[teppaz]

I’ve always wondered why Alta doesn’t have those free tours.

 

[marzNC]

I’ve always wondered why Alta doesn’t have those free tours.

One way to keep costs down and therefore prices for customers as low as practical is to have minimal staffing. While a lot of resorts have hosts who are volunteers, they do get perks like jackets and season passes. Alta ticket prices and lesson prices are lower than the destination resorts around SLC.

Alta is not a "resort" in the same sense as a destination resort like Snowbird or Big Sky. Alta Lift Company owns and operates the lifts (including those to a few lodges) and the ski school, plus Alta Ski Shop. Everything else at Alta are independent businesses. That's true for all five lodges and the on-mountain food service.

Note that Alta doesn't bother with "double-black" or "blue-blue' or "blue-black" trail ratings either. Depending on snow conditions the shortest section of Ballroom that is rated blue on the trail map can in fact be much harder, or even unskiable if the snow is too deep.

Boyne Resorts has valued mountain host tours for quite a while. Still only available at some Boyne locations.

 

[MsWax]

Wanted to post a conditions update for anyone going to Big Sky soon. We skied 2/21-2/25. They got ~4" of fresh snow for our first day, making for longer than normal lift lines, but great skiing. There were still a LOT of rocks on the trails off the Challenger lift, but most other areas had plenty of coverage and soft snow. I fell in love with the tree skiing there this trip, and while still a bit scary, didn't feel like I was going to die on the double black diamonds my kids dragged me on! We had a great time, and still didn't explore all the terrain there, but saw more than we did on our previous trip 2 years ago.

 

[geargrrl]

Are you going to get the Atmospheric River over there? Snow levels up to 7000' in the Cascades over to Western Montana...

 

[marzNC]

Not really conditions, but a good intro to the new base lifts at Big Sky for people who haven't experienced them.

May 2022

 

[marzNC]

Way too soon for winter weather info for Big Sky, but wanted to note that opening and closing dates have been announced. Interesting that the dates for 2021-22 were included on the website.

 

[marzNC]

Not conditions, but something to look for at Big Sky.

Next time in Big Sky …..

….. you need to go to Silverknife. Laura will be watching over you!

www.theskidiva.com

 

[bsskier]

Absolutely incredible snow totals at Big Sky and Bridger overnight. 11”+ in some parts. It’ll be interesting to see the crowd levels this weekend.

 

[contesstant]

Absolutely incredible snow totals at Big Sky and Bridger overnight. 11”+ in some parts. It’ll be interesting to see the crowd levels this weekend.

We’re rolling in on Sunday, skiing Monday through Wednesday and hoping we don’t freeze to death on Monday!

 

[bsskier]

@contesstant I didn’t even see the NOAA temps until now! 25 today then -10 Sunday for a high is damn cold. DH skis at -3 and I don’t ski under 3 but we’re able to get out of that cold and awful BS wind quickly as we ski right into the house so really, layer layer layer up and know where you can stop to warm up. Will miss you, heading out to ski elsewhere!

 

[contesstant]

@contesstant I didn’t even see the NOAA temps until now! 25 today then -10 Sunday for a high is damn cold. DH skis at -3 and I don’t ski under 3 but we’re able to get out of that cold and awful BS wind quickly as we ski right into the house so really, layer layer layer up and know where you can stop to warm up. Will miss you, heading out to ski elsewhere!

Thankfully, we all know how to layer and have several down jackets. If only I had some down knickers! Looks like things moderate by Wednesday. If it's awful on Monday, we might skip Tuesday and ski Wednesday before we head to Targhee.

 

[bsskier]

You might need these!

 

[contesstant]

I'm sure those are very affordable. I'll do my dirtbag hack and stick toe warmers on the outside of my base layers on my thighs and my lower back At least I have heated socks!

 

[skibum4ever]

The first time I was at Big Sky it was -20° and the mountain didn't open. I could only stare longingly at it from my bedroom.