Big Sky

On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 22:15:03 -0800, Ted Waldron
wrote:

In article .com,
" wrote:

AstroPax wrote:

Seemed like an awfule lot of rocks...rock city...especially off of
the
tram.


That was my experience in 97. The rocks on top of the tram really
gouged my bases. And if you fall there you better have a helmet.
But I did have fun. But I haven't been back either.

Fred

Surely nothing can be like the base gouging, must be landscaped by the
dreaded "P-Tex Lobby" backside of Lake Louise, I think they must
re-shaled the backside every summer then cover it with white paint.
However i have heard that Big Sky is very rocky.



During a powder cycle at Big Sky one January, I noticed huge patches
of unskied terrain. Rockpiles. Locals were in the know, tough for
tourists. I hit a log as well. Huge boulders, not rocks really, off
the tram, especially if you get too far left off of one run. They are
massive and can practically stop you. They don't blow in as well as
the boulders on Rendezvous Bowl at Jackson that for all practical
purposes, disappear..

Being recklessly uninformed, I hit some of these blank open powder
fields and scored some amazing lines without hitting anything. I
think they rely on idiots like me to test these areas out - or they
did then. Anyway, riding the lift up one time some guys pointed to my
tracks, and laughed and laughed. Apparently I had gotten very lucky
in not hitting a rock. But it was a sweet line! I smiled silently on
my corner of the chair. The whole week was like that though. Good
stuff so long as you are down with slamming some rocks.

The place was absolutely empty. I had a great time that week. We had
a foot of fresh everyday (it was the week after the famous incident
where the ski patrol girl died while bombing off the tram).
Snowmobiling was amazing. Best I've ever experienced, and it is just
down the road from the resort a small ways.

I had a girlfriend at the time. Definitely a BYOG ski resort.

I have not been back, but I plan to return. Its a nice ski area with
plenty of good stuff if they have/get some snow. Moonlight Basin is
ever expanding as well.

Have fun! Maybe some weather will settle on the area. If the skiing
is truly awful, rent some sleds with a group and split a guide that
can take you way up. The guide we hired was nuts. Scared the hell
out of me, and that is saying something.

nate

Ted Waldron wrote:

In article .com,
" wrote:



AstroPax wrote:


Seemed like an awfule lot of rocks...rock city...especially off of


the


tram.



That was my experience in 97. The rocks on top of the tram really
gouged my bases. And if you fall there you better have a helmet.
But I did have fun. But I haven't been back either.

Fred



Surely nothing can be like the base gouging, must be landscaped by the
dreaded "P-Tex Lobby" backside of Lake Louise, I think they must
re-shaled the backside every summer then cover it with white paint.
However i have heard that Big Sky is very rocky.


ted




I think the LL backside is rockier but in a bad snow year like this (and
'97 was the last that was anywhere near this up here) Big Sky sucks. At
least Sunshine has some snow now but LL is still prety bare. I also
talked to a guy who skied at Panorama last weekend . Sounded terrible
and the top of that is a nightmare in low snow years also.

Dave M.

I second that

--
I ski, therefore I am
"Dave M" wrote in message
...
rosco wrote:



Dave M wrote:

AstroPax wrote:

On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 00:33:03 -0700, rosco
wrote:



I have never been to Big Sky and am going in a few days. Does
anyone know the mountain and have a good game plan for the mountain
in these scarse snow conditions?




I don't have an answer to your question(s)...

...but I'll comment anyway ;)

I've skied there a few times, and frankly, I wasn't too impressed with
the place.

Seemed like an awfule lot of rocks...rock city...especially off of the
tram.

And unlike Jackson's 4000+ vert, the 4,350 of advertised vert at Big
Sky is not continuous. But of course, they don't tell you that little
detail. Instead, they call it "Skiable Vertical":

http://www.bigskyresort.com/ontheslo...ch_ots_mts.asp

Big Sky also claims an average annual snowfall of 400+ inches, but in
reality, the season average is more like 261".

I don't like places where the marketing department uses smoke and
mirrors, and Big Sky is one of them.

30" at the base, and 50" mid-mountain right now. That sounds like
bare minimums to me. Personally, I wouldn't waste my time or money at
this (or any) point.

-Astro



I'd second all of that. At this point, anything in the PNW is at
bare minimums or even closed completely for lack of snow. You didn't
say when you are coming but it was almost 50F in Whitefish yesterday.
A buddy of mine said that the place is a ghosttown. *No one* is
skiing much except the touristas. That weather pattern is expected to
continue through the coming week at least with the very warm wet
stuff tracking north past the coast.

Big sky has _some_ OK terrain but it will all be a mass of exposed
rocks, twigs, and crap this year. 30-50" seems like less than bare
minimums, seems like bare runs. Also, given the temps the snow that
they have should be complete slop. With only 85% open, you can guess
that anything steeper is either closed or should be closed -- which
might be fine for you, I don't know. But, if you are going for steep
stuff or good snow, stay home.

(BTW, there are better places in MT for a lot less money that have
much better steeps/snow/extreme ****e [e.g. BridgerBowl for steeps or
Great Divide for glades and trees] but even they have no snow to
speak of and not enough to have fun in the fun stuff, for sure)

Take your money and go buy beer and cheese to sacrifice for a better
year next year.

Dave "I got my bike down yesterday" M.


Oh bloody well. I am already committed at this point. We will be in
Yellowstone on snowmachines the day before, so its not like I am
investing travel time or $ on the venture. I am well aware of the
weather as it is spring conditions here in the Tetons. At least it is
thawing every day and we are getting some large-faceted crystal
developement otherwise called corn. Having recently been from the
Sierras, this is a favorite form of snow to me. I am fearful, but
optimistic there will be enough coverage to keep me from injury. At
least its a paid roadtrip.

RAC


Hey, if someone else is paying and you aren't on your good skis ....
Any day skiing beats a any day of working.

Dave M.

uglymoney wrote:

On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 22:15:03 -0800, Ted Waldron
wrote:


In article .com,
" wrote:


AstroPax wrote:

Seemed like an awfule lot of rocks...rock city...especially off of

the

tram.


That was my experience in 97. The rocks on top of the tram really
gouged my bases. And if you fall there you better have a helmet.
But I did have fun. But I haven't been back either.

Fred

Surely nothing can be like the base gouging, must be landscaped by the
dreaded "P-Tex Lobby" backside of Lake Louise, I think they must
re-shaled the backside every summer then cover it with white paint.
However i have heard that Big Sky is very rocky.




During a powder cycle at Big Sky one January, I noticed huge patches
of unskied terrain. Rockpiles. Locals were in the know, tough for
tourists. I hit a log as well. Huge boulders, not rocks really, off
the tram, especially if you get too far left off of one run. They are
massive and can practically stop you. They don't blow in as well as
the boulders on Rendezvous Bowl at Jackson that for all practical
purposes, disappear..

Being recklessly uninformed, I hit some of these blank open powder
fields and scored some amazing lines without hitting anything. I
think they rely on idiots like me to test these areas out - or they
did then. Anyway, riding the lift up one time some guys pointed to my
tracks, and laughed and laughed. Apparently I had gotten very lucky
in not hitting a rock. But it was a sweet line! I smiled silently on
my corner of the chair. The whole week was like that though. Good
stuff so long as you are down with slamming some rocks.

The place was absolutely empty. I had a great time that week. We had
a foot of fresh everyday (it was the week after the famous incident
where the ski patrol girl died while bombing off the tram).
Snowmobiling was amazing. Best I've ever experienced, and it is just
down the road from the resort a small ways.

I had a girlfriend at the time. Definitely a BYOG ski resort.

I have not been back, but I plan to return. Its a nice ski area with
plenty of good stuff if they have/get some snow. Moonlight Basin is
ever expanding as well.

Have fun! Maybe some weather will settle on the area. If the skiing
is truly awful, rent some sleds with a group and split a guide that
can take you way up. The guide we hired was nuts. Scared the hell
out of me, and that is saying something.

nate

The trip was nice. Got down to 3 degrees in West Yellowstone the
morning we were on snowmachines. We were with a family from Florida
(amoung others) on the tour. Kinda freaked them out at first but it got
bluebird and warm and they came around.

The name should be Big Rocky Sky. I enjoyed being at a new mountain but
they need snow, just like many northern resorts. Not much corn, but
there was still stuff to ski. Challenger lift had a few good lines and
there were some bump runs off the lower lifts that were quite skiable
and of good form (read "no boarders"). The tram was not on the program
because of snow conditions and lack of snow conditions but looked like
it would be great fun if you knew the mountain and there was good
coverage. I don't and it wasn't. I caught multiple rock shots as it was.

Mostly it was nice long blue groomers... my wife had a much better time
of it than I did. She was in cruiser heaven. I mostly refuse to ski
groomers so I had to suffer some remarkably nasty conditions at times.
It was still good times and we will be back when more snow arrives.

RAC