realskiers

With the home we bought in Montana, I pretty much have to get a on a plane to ski but other than trips to ski with Harald in Colorado, I rarely get on a plane to go anywhere else to ski. I have skied most of the name resorts in the U.S. and I encourage everyone to hop on a plane and come ski Big Sky. The terrain is unrivaled anywhere in North America (some may prefer JH or Snowbird or Squaw or some other spots but BS has steeps and big mountain skiing that is on par or better than anywhere). But what you also get is an an empty mountain with no lift lines and the snow quality rivals colorado and Utah (more snow than Colorado and similar quality, and less snow than Utah but better quality). The only knock that you can make on the mountain is that there is no 5 star resort to stay in and the area is less built up with restaurants and other ammenities. It also can get very cold for a few days at a time but this happens all over the rockies. You get 4000 vert with some of the best lift accessed sidecountry skiing in the world and it's also over 6000 skiable acres when you include moonlight basin which can be skied on a combo ticket (all connected).

Not trying to be a commercial but Big Sky is 50 minutes from the bozeman airport. You can fly direct/non stop from several cities including SF. From many places you do need to connect to get there (either through SLC. Denver or Minneapolis) but you make up the extra 2 hours of travel time on the first day with no lift lines and that much more skiing.

No one that I know has ever left Big Sky without being blown away by it.

Something to consider when making plans to hop on a plane to ski!!