When I headed out to Bozeman, Montana last week for a quick 3-day ski trip, I assumed those 3 days would be spent at Big Sky. It was one of the few ski resorts out west I hadn’t skied and been at the top of my list. As the name implies, Big Sky encompasses a sprawling 5850 acres of Rocky Mountain skiing terrain, ranging from wide-open groomers to dynamic glades to challenging steeps, with more runs to ski than I’d ever jam into 3 days. Little did I know there are two other mountains to ski in the vicinity: Bridger Bowl, the community run mountain where the locals ski, and at the other end of the spectrum, the ultra-exclusive Yellowstone Club.
A few years ago a good friend of mine, Lynn Shanahan, moved out to Bozeman. We met on a press trip about 20 years ago when she was a Group President at Tommy Hilfiger and I was the Visual Editor at Self magazine. Tommy Hilfiger was sponsoring the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team at the time and had invited a handful of editors to Deer Valley, Utah to watch an Olympic lead-up competition. In the good old days of the print magazine business, our accommodations were at the world-famous Stein Erikson Lodge and the rest of the weekend followed suit in alpine luxury.
Lynn has quite the different life now, having opened up a bar and café in Gallatin Gateway, just southwest of Bozeman, called The Jump. Once a strip club, The Jump still has dancing but not on poles. She herself is a competitive ballroom dancer. With regular live music, locals and tourists alike, along with students from Montana State University in Bozeman, can be found on the dance floor nightly for some country western two-step and line dancing. They offer dance lessons too.
WESTERN LIFE AND STYLE IN BOZEMAN: TOP, LYNN AT THE JUMP, MY DANCE PARTNER COWBOY RAY; MIDDLE, LUCCHESE BOOTMAKER, DOUBLE D RANCH SNAP SHIRT AT HEAD WEST, SCHNEE’S SPORTING GOODS; BOTTOM, MAIN ST. BOZEMAN, SUREFOOT
When I arrived Friday night, that’s where we headed. “Ten Foot Tall and 80 Proof” was playing and the place was packed. Although I couldn’t seem to get the rhythm of the two-step, it didn’t matter. I still enjoyed faking it on the dance floor with a few cowboys – my favorite a 93-years young regular, Ray, super stylish in his black cowboy hat, graphic red western shirt, silver tipped cowboy boots and belt buckle to match.
BRIDGER BOWL
I was on my own for the first day of skiing. Since Lynn and I would be skiing together the next day at Big Sky, she suggested I go where the locals go, Bridger Bowl. With the price of the lift ticket $87 vs Big Sky’s hefty 1 day at $245, it wasn’t too tough of a decision there. I headed out for day 1 with a pair of all-mountain Volkl Secret 96 skis I’d been sent to demo. With such a short trip planned and new ski boots too, I’d visited Surefoot before I left to make sure my feet would be comfortable to max out the time I had.
Ski boots are rarely pain free, and usually need some breaking in or custom fitting. Surefoot sells and fits boots with a range of products from custom insoles to full liners. With locations across the country, Canada, and Europe – including a new outpost in Big Sky — I’d visited the Surefoot here in NYC and was outfitted with insoles not just for my ski boots but running shoes too. They happen to own Super Runners shop as well.
Bridger Bowl is about 45 minutes northeast of Bozeman, the opposite direction to where Big Sky is. Though it offers about half the skiable terrain as Big Sky, it’s still a huge mountain with 75 trails, over 10 lifts, and an elevation of 8800 ft. Since its opening in 1949, Bridger Bowl has been a non-profit ski area, community run and funded by donations, sponsorships, and grants “to plan, develop and maintain facilities and services in a financially sound manner which provide the best possible skiing experience at a reasonable cost to local, regional and destination skiers.”
What it lacks in fancy frills it makes up for with plenty of great skiing especially if you’re used to mountains half the size on the east coast. The only complaint was the snow – not the mountain’s fault but Mother Nature’s. It’s been a pretty dry winter out west this year, but that was about to change later that evening…
Snow was falling as we headed out to dinner and the symphony – yes, the symphony. Lynn and her partner are season ticket holders to the Bozeman Symphony. Listening to Brahms Symphony No.1, led by the very animated and dynamic conductor Norman Huyn was a fun and totally unexpected way to spend an après ski evening, which had been preceded by a delicious early dinner at Hooked Sushi.
BIG SKY
It had been snowing all night and continued as we headed out that morning for the scenic hours drive south along the Gallatin River to Big Sky. After yesterday’s hardpack snow, we’d be getting a powder day at Big Sky, and my Volkls were the perfect ski for the conditions. With my 3 days at Big Sky now down to two, Lynn navigated the mountain trying to show me as much terrain as we could cram into just a few hours, which I think was just about 4 of the 38 lifts – cushier than Bridger Bowl, bubble covered with heated seats – and maybe 20 of the 320 runs on the mountain.
BIG SKY
Big Sky also has the brand new state of the art, Lone Peak Tram, just opened this season to celebrate their 50th Anniversary. The tram transports guests to the 11,166 feet summit of the mountain, and the most extreme terrain on the mountain. With stunning views of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks many ride it just for the vistas and take it back down. My legs were not up to those steeps and deep after just a couple of days of skiing this year so I’ll have to save that experience for next trip.
YELLOWSTONE CLUB
At the other end of the ski mountain spectrum in Bozeman is the Yellowstone Club. The only way to ski there is if you are a member — or a member’s guest — and to be a member you must own property. Homes dotting the mountain and golf course range from about $3 million for a condominium to as much as $25 million for a slopeside ski house.
There are dues to pay as well. Joining Yellowstone Club costs an initial $300,000. Annual club dues are $36,000 and annual property owners association dues are another $10,000. With the aim to remain exclusive, membership is capped to 864 households and includes the likes of Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Eric Schmidt, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Timberlake, and Tom Brady, just to name a few.
THE RAINBOW LODGE AT YELLOWSTONE CLUB
Lest you think a private ski club has just a few lifts and a handful of runs, Yellowstone Club is a full-on ski mountain, larger than Deer Valley or Sun Valley, with 15 lifts and 60+ trails, ranging from wide-open groomers to above-the-treeline chutes to gladed skiing. There’s far more terrain than skiers so members rarely experience lift lines.
Funnily enough, I had heard that Big Sky was one of the most expensive lift tickets in the country, around $250 for 1 day. The press office kindly comped me 1 day and a lift ticket at Bridger is about 1/3 of the price. If you can hook up an invite to Yellowstone Club that’s the best deal in town. But no matter where you go, Bridger Bowl, Big Sky, or Yellowstone Club, it’s all about the snow, and you can’t buy that. It started snowing the day so I got more than I paid for this trip!
