Apr 13, 20205 min read

First-Timers Snowboarding Guide To Big Sky Resort

Love snowboarding? Hate crowds? Me too. It's one of many reasons why Big Sky Resort appealed to us. Find out why you need to go to Big Sky Resort - the snowboarders' best-kept secret resort in the United States!

Fast Facts About Big Sky Resort

Skiable Acres: 5,850
Lifts: 38
Peaks: 1
Vertical Feet: 4,350
Longest Run: 6 Miles
Total Snowfall ( in 2016) 277"
Total Snowfall over 1 night while we were there: 9" #bluebird
The number of people we saw after getting off the first lift over the holiday? 30?

*Photo credit: Big Sky Resort*

Where is Big Sky Montanan?

Big Sky, Montana. Where, you ask? The middle of nowhere, USA. And I mean that in a good way! This resort is in the middle of the mountains in Montana - halfway between Bozeman and West Yellowstone.

Big Sky, Montana Coordinates

45.2618° N, 111.3080° W

Why Is Big Sky So Great?

It is one of the biggest ski resorts in the United States with great staff, great lifts, and great runs. But the best part? It's so big that you hardly have to board (or ski if that is your flavor) with a bunch of people. The runs are nice and long. You are challenged no matter your skillset. These are all reasons why Big Sky was on Dustin's bucket list. And so we went...

We grabbed our boards, bindings and cold weather gear and headed out west. We live in South Dakota (dang near Minnesota) so we had a bit of a drive to get us there, over 13 hours, but still, it was worth it. Flying with all the gear we'd need would have been an expensive nightmare.

Snowboarding At Big Sky

We spent a few days at snowboarding at Big Sky and didn't come close to hitting all fo the trails. I secretly think my husband was trying to kill me because we kept "accidentally" finding cat tracks which made my calves burn. I'm stronger on heels. He's better toe-side. So I don't know why that matters, but he seems to be able to handle cat tracks better than me. And these trail runs were miles long. We're used to boarding until we get hungry and then start heading back. Big mistake. It took quite a bit longer than usual to get back to the base of the mountain and by the time we had, I may have been a little hangry. #marriagetester We packed a lot of snacks, but I wished I would have had a stick of jerky or something with me. I wasn't prepared to be out there for hours at a time with just Dustin, Mother Nature and me.

Himalayan Peak

At nearly 11,200 feet, the wind was definitely whipping us around and we hadn't actually gotten to the top yet. Now, we had taken 3 chairlifts to get up high enough to make it to this point, but we still had one gondola ride to go...

It was stupidly bright. Like, we could hardly keep our eyes open for a photo-op.

The cliff band behind us

The resort actually has a ski rack at the bottom of the gondola so you can store your equipment there while you take in the views. Dustin made sure that we left our boards because...

"...I was just dumb enough to try something stupid."

He says that with love... and it was totally true. The first half of the gondola ride up I was contemplating how I was going to break it to Dustin that I wanted to go back down and get my snowboard and take my chances dominating the peak. The second half of the gondola ride I was contemplating my chances of survival should the wire snap in half because of the bitter-cold and how nuts the construction workers had to be to assemble this thing. What was nice about the gondola ride was that it was a nice escape from the winter cold and wind.

When we finally got to the top of the peak, I could barely convince myself to step off of the gondola. And then some crazy skier just slipped off and barreled down the mountain like it was nothing. My jaw hit the ground.

And even though the 13-hour car ride was long, every mile was worth it once we got to the top of the mountain. We got to the top of Himalayan Peak.

I have never felt so small and yet so thankful. Here I was with my husband, the man I learned to snowboard with, the man I fell down the bunny hill so many times our tailbones hurt till June, and the man who taught me how to love winter.

I never felt so on top of the world than I did at that moment with him...because of him. It was one of the best gifts he has ever given me, which is saying a lot... ironically also because of the time of year that we went.

We went there over Christmas, just a couple weeks before our 10th wedding anniversary. Since we would be celebrating the holiday a little differently, (usually with our families) I packed all of our favorite festive snacks and treats. It was a good thing too because many restaurants were closed. We got lucky. And we don't want you to feel like you have to leave anything up for chance so we've put together some tips when you decide to go snowboarding at Big Sky Resort.

Dustin's First-Timer Tips

The mountain is massive. So know your skill level and plan the runs you want to do. That way you're not standing at the top, looking at a map, trying to figure out how to get back down.
Still bring a map in case you get lost!
It snowed a little the entire time during our stay. So make sure your vehicle can manage winter conditions. We should have brought a shovel for peace of mind (we traveled back in a blizzard) but thank goodness we had our ice scraper. Each morning we had a couple of inches of snow on the pickup. We had Blue Bird days the entire time we were up there.
Worried about saving money? You might be able to save some cash if you book a hotel room at the bottom of the mountain in Bozeman.
They have warming huts peppered throughout the mountains. It was a lifesaver at times and my wife wishes she would have brought some hand warmers.
Parking was easy for us since we got there so early. However, if you aren't there right away in the morning you may have to park far away. Even so, they have shuttles going back and forth from the parking lot to the entrance so you won't have to trek it too far.
They had a "small town" at the top of the mountain. We weren't really there to shop so we can't speak to how expensive things were but it was a small village up there.
The gondola ride to the top is absolutely worth it even if you have no plans of snowboarding or skiing down. at the bottom because he, "didn't want me getting any dumb ideas" when we got to the top.
Pack snacks. You might not need them but your wife will likely get angry.
There are lots of cat tracks on the mountains. Your calves will be sore... or at least you will get to hear all about how sore your wife's are during the 13-hour trip back home.