Big Sky, Montana
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January, February, and March offer beautiful wintery scenes and a distinct lack of other people.
Something special happens in Yellowstone in the winter. The national park’s already impressive landscape transforms into a serene wonderland—the kind most of us usually only see on the side of a biscuit tin or as a screensaver.
The mundane becomes magical at this time of year. Parking lots disappear under blankets of deep snow. Ordinary side roads become epic, twisting snowshoe trails. Bigger roads are also closed, fit only for travel on cross-country skis. The abundance of snow and ice forces you to travel at a much slower pace and notice things that would pass by in a flash during the summer. Streams and waterfalls are frozen, seemingly solid until you stop to see—and finally hear—trickles of water rushing underneath.
Best of all, most humans seem to be in hibernation. It’s not just the bears that disappear at this time of year. You can explore for miles and miles and not see a soul. Bison and elk aplenty, sure, but no two-foooted creatures. You’re almost more likely to see a wolf.
Where to stay in the northern Yellowstone and Big Sky area
Montage Big Sky
In Big Sky, Montage Big Sky is the place if you’re after extreme luxury after a day or two exploring the snow. With stunning views of the Spanish Peaks, ski-in, ski-out services situated about a hundred feet from a lift, its own bowling alley, huge steaks and an even bigger wine list at Italian restaurant Cortina, it offers everything you’d expect from a five-star mountain hotel.
11 Yellowstone Lodging Options for Campers, Spa-Goers, and Everyone in BetweenAmerica’s first national park celebrates a birthday this month. March marks 150 years since Yellowstone was named a national park.
Located largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming, the park’s more than 2 million acres span active geysers like Old Faithful, roaming bison, the Yellowstone river, deep canyons, and more. Its geothermal areas “contain about half the world’s active geysers,” according to the National Park Service.
The park saw its busiest year on record in 2021, when more than 4.8 million visitors flocked to its gates for whitewater rafting, fishing, biking, and more. For the first time ever, the park welcomed more than a million visitors in a single month last July.
Modern alpine luxury abounds at the new Montage Big Sky resort, from guest-room views of the snowcapped Spanish Peaks to the indoor pool, where you can relax before or after a rejuvenating facial at the spa. Rooms and suites are bedecked in furs and stone-colored furnishings, not to mention opulent tubs for a soak.
The Best New Hotels in America: Iconic Buildings, Outdoor Escapes, and MoreFrom boutique properties to luxury resorts, there’s no shortage of accommodations for travelers opening in 2022 across the United States. And after two years of limited travel, we’re thrilled to be checking out (or perhaps more appropriately, checking into) these new hotels in the coming months.
Montage Big Sky
Even though Montage Big Sky just opened, it’s already getting a lot of buzz. Arguably the most luxurious hotel in Montana, the resort has 150 guestrooms and suites (plus 39 Montage Residences, which are apartments available for purchase), as well as amenities like an 18-hole golf course, bowling alley, indoor lap pool, fitness center, spa, various eateries, and more. It’s also well situated—guests have ski-in/ski-out access to Big Sky Resort, and you can drive to Bozeman or Yellowstone National Park in about an hour.
Where to Travel in 2022The 22 locations that should land on your bucket list this year.
The pandemic has certainly taught us a lot about ourselves and the world, but we’ve unlearned quite a few things as well—like how the “work hard, play hard” ethos might not be the healthiest of mantras. We’ve rediscovered balance and the truly important things in life, and travel is very much a part of that, whether it’s voyaging across oceans to see family we’ve missed or venturing across continents to reconnect with places we’ve so enjoyed before.
The opening of the Montage Big Sky has solidified Montana as the next great destination of the American West, with the help of two buzzy television shows, Yellowstone, starring Kevin Costner, and Big Sky, from showrunner David E. Kelley. It won’t be long before Hollywood movie stars start colonizing Bozeman and its surrounding areas, much like they already have in Aspen and Park City.
The Best Ski Resorts in the United StatesWith world-famous runs, top-notch facilities, and sustainability efforts that make a difference, these are the ski destinations to put on your list this year, next year, and every year.
Winter’s great consolation prize is the ski vacation: Waking up under thick down comforters and opening the curtains to sublime views of powder-covered peaks; strolling down snowy, lighted main streets of a ski town and dipping into this bar or that; and, of course, the snow sports themselves. In their rugged alpine settings, the best ski resorts feel far from life’s daily grind; they give you an opportunity to leave your comfort zone by taking a few risks out on the slopes—and relax with a little luxury and revelry after.
With an average of 400 inches of snow falling on 5,850 acres of skiable terrain, 2,300 acres of which are perfect for beginners, Big Sky offers reliable conditions and a good place to learn. It’s one of the largest ski resorts on the continent and offers an acre of space per skiier, making it simple to socially distance on the slopes and feel as if many of the trails are all to yourself.
Beyond the resort, the biggest news this season is the opening of the ski-in/ski-out Montage Big Sky, the first big-brand luxury hotel to open in Big Sky. Look forward to 139 modern rooms, six dining venues (including the northern Italian-inspired Cortina), a bowling alley, and a 10,000-square-foot Spa Montage, the first full-service spa to open in the destination.
Giving Back to Move ForwardHow Big Sky is tackling growth.
Still a relatively new place, Big Sky Resort
was founded in the early 1970s by famed NBC broadcast newsman Chet Huntley and purchased by Boyne Resorts in 1976 after Huntley’s untimely death. It was a pretty quiet ski area until the Lone Peak Tram was installed in 1995. Beyond a bit of seasonal work bumping chairs or teaching skiing, there weren’t enough jobs to create an employee housing crisis. In the early 2000s, new development projects sprung up around Big Sky Resort including the Yellowstone Club, Spanish Peaks, and Moonlight Basin, but the financial crisis of the late 2000s slowed growth considerably in the area for a time.
As is the nature of things, Big Sky was “found”—slowly, and then seemingly all at once. Stable ownership of the larger development projects created accelerated demand for the area. Winter visitation was further accelerated by Big Sky Resort’s popularity with IKON passholders and the resort’s significant investments in lift infrastructure as part of the Big Sky 2025 vision. Today, Big Sky resides amongst the pantheon of North American destination ski resorts alongside Jackson Hole, Aspen, Vail, and Whistler Blackcomb. And Big Sky is no longer just a ski town. In summer, nearby Yellowstone National Park has seen annual visitor increases top 10 percent over the past five years. There’s nothing quite like this region in North America—and that’s no longer a secret. The demand for visitation has impacted the local housing market, with over 1,000 units having been converted from employee and community housing to short-term rental housing over the last four years.
While Big Sky has a “Town Center,” it is not a town. Big Sky is still an unincorporated area straddling two different counties, creating both unique challenges and opportunities for addressing local issues. Big Sky isn’t immune to the struggles facing other mountain towns and ski resorts of North America, including housing, environmental and other community concerns. But challenges can also be seen as opportunities. And nowhere is that more true than in Big Sky, which still has time to shape its future.
In late 2019, community members and leaders throughout Big Sky came together with funding from the Big Sky Resort Area District (BSRAD) to draft “Our Big Sky,” the community vision and strategy for articulating the needs and priorities of the community’s growth —focusing on “Our People, Our Character, Our Recreation, and Our Natural Environment.”
Backcountry Skiing 101Backcountry. Ski touring. Alpine touring. Earning your turns.
Whatever you call it, more folks than ever are seeking fresh snow, new terrain, healthy exercise, and fewer crowds beyond the boundaries of ski resorts. And while climbing for turns isn’t for everyone, the barriers to entry have never been lower. Today’s lightweight backcountry gear maximizes comfort and efficiency while skiing uphill (called “skinning”), and sacrifices little in downhill performance (so you can shred like you always do). Backcountry education and information is also now readily available: guides and educators have developed safe, fun programs to introduce new users to the sport.
But it’s not all high fives and face shots. As the past two years have made tragically clear in Southwest Montana, the backcountry can be a deadly playground. Unstable snowpacks are endemic to this part of the Northern Rockies—and beyond. Thirty-six people died in U.S. avalanches last winter. Before you consider heading out into avalanche terrain there are skills to master. There’s no ski patrol out there. And when there’s no guarantee of help, self-sufficiency is key. But if you’re up for learning and have a modicum of fitness, the backcountry holds a lifetime of adventure and untracked snow. Here’s how to get started safely.
Do Some Research.
Before you invest your cash in new gear, talk with a reputable local shop, guide, or experienced backcountry skier about what you really need.
Read Everything.
A great primer is Backcountry Skiing: Skills for Ski Touring and Ski Mountaineering, by guides Martin Volken and Margaret Wheeler. Another is the descriptively-named Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain, by Bruce Tremper. There are also a number of excellent introductory avalanche awareness tutorials online, including Know Before You Go, (kbyg.org). Practice on Safe Terrain. Try skinning where there’s no avalanche risk— inbounds on a groomer. Many ski resorts, including Big Sky, provide designated uphill skiing routes. Wear a pack, break-in your gear, and get used to how everything works in a controlled environment. Later, head to a beacon park (there’s one on the hill and one in town) to get to know your avalanche transceiver.
Prepare Every Time.
Never enter the backcountry—even from a resort gate, or mellow trailhead like Beehive Basin—without a partner, avalanche safety gear (transceiver, shovel, and probe), and the practiced ability to use it. Take an eight-hour avalanche rescue course, and make your partner take it—they are your rescuer, after all.
Hire a Mentor.
Sign on with an experienced guide who can provide learning moments, keep you safe, put you in the best terrain and snow, and let you focus on the experience. Be honest with your guide about your abilities and goals, and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Continue the Education.
If you plan to backcountry ski without a guide where avalanches are possible (on or adjacent to slopes steeper than 30 degrees— so most everywhere in the mountains), take a 24-hour Level 1 Avalanche course from a qualified course provider approved by the American Avalanche Association (americanavalancheassociation.org). This is a critical first step in understanding how to avoid avalanches, travel safely in the mountains, and find great skiing.
Keep at It.
The rewards of backcountry skiing are commensurate with the challenges!
Drew Pogge owns Big Sky Backcountry Guides and Bell Lake Yurt (bigskyback country.com), serves on the board of the American Avalanche Association, is former Editor-in-Chief of Backcountry Magazine, and explores remote peaks around the world on skis. He lives in Bozeman with his wife and a real-life powder hound named Waylon.
What’s in a Name? The Lone Peak CouloirsAn iconic tram, a rugged Rocky Mountain summit,
and a famously hairball ski line. Nope, not Jackson Hole. We’re talking Big Sky Resort, where the north and east faces of Lone Mountain (the official name) pack some of the most extreme lift-accessed terrain in North America. Here, the resort’s pièce de résistance—Big Couloir—drops more than 1,400 vertical feet below a 50-degree entrance and around a high consequence dogleg. “It’s so cool up there,” says Scot Schmidt, the father of American-style big mountain skiing and star of more than 40 films. Schmidt, who grew up in Helena, first explored Big Sky just after the resort opened in 1973. As a teenager he watched as a skier crashed in Big Couloir—and kept on crashing. “He cartwheeled down it, bouncing off the walls, and I thought, ‘Wow, that’s what happens when you fall on something like that.’ That left a mark on me.”
Man’s Best Friend
Early on, Big Couloir was, for a while, rebranded as “Smitty’s Couloir.” Despite some healthy conjecture, that’s not a reference to Schmidt. Rather, the name pays homage to a mutt, Smitty, who notched the first canine descent of Big Couloir in the late 1970s. A proper powder hound, the story holds that the dog dropped in first.
Go Little
Down the ridge from Big Couloir, a smaller, steeper, and spicier line hides out: Little Couloir. “Compared to the Big, the Little is like going from the freshman team to varsity,” says Dave Stergar, a retired teacher from Helena who’s been skiing Lone Peak for more than three decades. If Little Couloir is open, it’s likely at the Apple Core, an alternate entrance to skier’s left that drops you into the main line. Stergar once fell twice during one descent of Little Couloir with patrollers and his wife watching. When she pointed out that he’d gone down, the patrollers told her it couldn’t be Dave because “he wouldn’t fall in there.” Stergar says: “I got up, skied down, and immediately skied it again because you gotta get back on the horse.”
Three First Descents
The skier—and Big Sky Resort employee—Mark Kalitowski was the first to shred Big Couloir. The date? June 23, 1973. Not long after, in 1975, Kalitowski and the alpinist and patroller Dougal McCarty notched the oblique entrance to the more technical Little Couloir via that near hanging face dubbed the Apple Core because they’d shared an apple before dropping. They followed the fall line traced by the apple core they tossed down the chute. In the winter of 1981, Kalitowski and Jon “Yunce” Ueland (who started with ski patrol in 1979) claimed the first descent of Little Couloir’s direct entrance.
Why the Lone Face?
Why the heck is Lone Peak so solitary? Known as a laccolith, the mountain is a volcano that never erupted. Instead, magma rose between layers of sediment and solidified into dacite, an igneous rock slightly darker than granite. The intrusion process also baked the surrounding sandstone into a harder form: shale. So as the softer sedimentary mass eroded around it, the dacite-shale formation emerged as a promontory. If you clip a piece of dacite on your way down Big Couloir, you’ll notice something. It doesn’t move.
Fire and Ice
Although it looks like an act of divine intervention, Big Couloir wasn’t etched by Ullr. Erosion and glacial ice carved the accents, couloirs, and cirques into Lone Peak. In fact, a rock glacier—talus and ice—underlies about a mile of terrain below the tram, including the lower tram house. Evidence? The seemingly random pile of rocks below Big Couloir, known as “the Cue Ball,” is actually part of the Lone Peak Rock Glacier. The talus insulates the ice while gravity pulls them both downhill.
Watch the Mountain
You need avalanche gear, a partner, and a check-in with ski patrol to descend Big Couloir and the adjacent North Summit Snowfield. To set yourself up, keep a constant eye on the weather and take a good look at the line to see what the snow’s doing. That way, you’ll be ready to nail that steep, exposed first turn—or go somewhere else. Schmidt recommends watching the sastrugi to follow snow deposits. If you feel dialed, enter Big Couloir uphill and skier’s right of the common entrance to milk it for three extra-smooth, wind-buffed turns.
The Best New Hotels Opening in 2022As we continue to work our way through the 150+ great new hotels that opened last year, we’re getting distracted by the newcomers on the horizon for 2022. Can you blame us?
Montage Big Sky had its soft opening in mid-December in time for the winter ski season at Big Sky near Yellowstone National Park. Adding a luxurious lure to Montana, a state so blessed by Mother Nature, special hotel features include a terrific spa with an indoor lap pool, a sports stimulator, and a bowling alley. But get outside! In addition to skiing, winter is for snowshoeing, ice skating, and dog sledding, while the action in warmer climes centers around biking, hiking, and fly-fishing. (January)
13 Haute Mountain Hotels That Make a Case for Stylish Winter GetawaysWhether you’re a seasoned heli-skier in pursuit of the city’s tallest peaks or a spa-goer adhering to a treatment-heavy itinerary, there are plenty of ways to spend a cold-weather vacation. After all, ski towns are nothing if not charming streets flanked by Michelin–star eateries, designer boutiques, and renowned art galleries. Plus, there’s hardly a better way to unwind than with a hot toddy in front of a crackling wood-burning fireplace in a luxurious hotel’s lobby.
Less than an hour outside Yellowstone, one of the United States’ most popular national parks, the recently-debuted 139-room Montage Big Sky, whose rugged surroundings inform the classic North American chalet, is about as idyllic as alpine retreats get. It may not be a massive resort with hundreds of guest rooms, suites, and residences, but the new Montage property does have a whopping six dining outposts, including the rustic Italian–inspired Cortina and The Living Room, a cozy après-specific spot with a tableside raclette cart. There’s also a full-service 11,000-square-foot spa that encompasses 12 private treatment rooms, an indoor pool, relaxation lounges, heated plunge pools, a massive fitness center rivaling the world’s most renowned workout studios, and a bowling alley.