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Average of 5 Reviews
Overall
Value
Downhill Terrain 
Family Friendly 
Nightlife 
Terrain Park 
All User Reviews
Featured Review
Value
Downhill Terrain
Family Friendly
Nightlife
Terrain Park
Overall
Pros: Super terrain, no lift lines, lots of high speed quads
Cons: rocks, rocks, and did I say, rocks. A couple of lifts are almost useless.
Really Big Mountain
SpikeDog
reviewed February 13, 2010 at 11:38 pm
reviewed February 13, 2010 at 11:38 pm
Spent a week there Feb. 2010. Never stood in line once, even for the Lone Peak Tram. Rode every lift, took most of the lines off the middle of the hill, but couldn't cover every run even with 5 days to do it.
I took the Liberty Bowl off the Lone Peak tram every time. It was truely fun terrain, resembling Rendezvous Bowl at Jackson Hole except it's triple the vertical. The ride up the Lone Peak Tram is awesome, especially when it's not foggy. Challenger lift is slow and creaky, but accesses some true double diamond runs. I think my favorite run of the whole hill is Highway, with an occasional shift over to 17 Greens.
The base was about 40" mid-hill; I'm not sure if that is that far below average for February. Most of the mogul troughs had rocky surprises, even higher up on the hill. There are some definate rock bands that seem to defy snow coverage, and you need to carefully scope the terrain from the lift whenever possible to identify their nature. I found myself looking less down the slope and closer to the front of my skis in order to minimize rock encounters.
The Dakota lift is a mystery to me. The lifties gave us the advice on how to find it, "keep going until you feel lost, then keep going some more." Other than the Dakota gully, I'm not sure what runs it really accesses. One shouldn't have to bushwack to get to a lift. On the other end of the resort, the Lone Moose lift is also a mystery - two sloppy black diamonds and a green cruiser are all it services (probably there more for condo access).
I had some good meals at lunchtime, and some decent dinners too. It seems that there is no central 'town' of Big Sky, with the base area and the Meadows seeming to be the only shopping zones. I would think with the amount of homes in the area, there'd be some big box stores, but I never came across one. The stores seem to have the size of their facade limited to small unobtrusive lettering, ala Park City. I guess the locals go shopping in Bozeman for the essentials.
I spent a day at Moonlight Basin before the week in Big Sky. I was never tempted to buy an all-resort ticket after my first day at Big Sky.
I took the Liberty Bowl off the Lone Peak tram every time. It was truely fun terrain, resembling Rendezvous Bowl at Jackson Hole except it's triple the vertical. The ride up the Lone Peak Tram is awesome, especially when it's not foggy. Challenger lift is slow and creaky, but accesses some true double diamond runs. I think my favorite run of the whole hill is Highway, with an occasional shift over to 17 Greens.
The base was about 40" mid-hill; I'm not sure if that is that far below average for February. Most of the mogul troughs had rocky surprises, even higher up on the hill. There are some definate rock bands that seem to defy snow coverage, and you need to carefully scope the terrain from the lift whenever possible to identify their nature. I found myself looking less down the slope and closer to the front of my skis in order to minimize rock encounters.
The Dakota lift is a mystery to me. The lifties gave us the advice on how to find it, "keep going until you feel lost, then keep going some more." Other than the Dakota gully, I'm not sure what runs it really accesses. One shouldn't have to bushwack to get to a lift. On the other end of the resort, the Lone Moose lift is also a mystery - two sloppy black diamonds and a green cruiser are all it services (probably there more for condo access).
I had some good meals at lunchtime, and some decent dinners too. It seems that there is no central 'town' of Big Sky, with the base area and the Meadows seeming to be the only shopping zones. I would think with the amount of homes in the area, there'd be some big box stores, but I never came across one. The stores seem to have the size of their facade limited to small unobtrusive lettering, ala Park City. I guess the locals go shopping in Bozeman for the essentials.
I spent a day at Moonlight Basin before the week in Big Sky. I was never tempted to buy an all-resort ticket after my first day at Big Sky.
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Value
Downhill Terrain
Family Friendly 
Nightlife
Terrain Park
Overall
Pros: Lots of terrain to explore. Uncrowded slopes. Good terrain for a variety of different skiers.
Cons: Lift system truly stinks. Mostly south east facing. Coverage is never all that great, even in April.
2 people found this review useful
Very big.
tromano reviewed September 6, 2009 at 5:28 pm
reviewed September 6, 2009 at 5:28 pm
I was there at ESA with my wife in early April. The snow was great, we got 5' of pow the week we were there. And we all had a great time. Still, when I look at the resort, I think this could be the best resort in the country. Except...
The lift system is truly heinous. There is great terrain, but it is very difficult to stay in one spot and run laps in one area. Many places you have to hit and run and it will take at least an hour to work you way back there. I spent alot of time wanking around on cat tracks trying to get back to where I was just a few minutes ago. Getting around the upper mountain is a real chore. From the main return you have to take 2 lifts to get back to the peak. If you go all the way down liberty bowl then its three. From the base you have to take 3 chairs to get to the peak. From Challenger, also, its 3. Weak sauce. It would be so much better if they just built the tram next to the bottom of the triple is. And it would be as good as jackson or the Bird if the tram was from the base.
The upper mountain must get really blown off because when I was there I was still hitting rocks all the time. It felt like early season in the Wasatch. Everyone I asked said this was the most coverage they have had in years and years.
The lift system is truly heinous. There is great terrain, but it is very difficult to stay in one spot and run laps in one area. Many places you have to hit and run and it will take at least an hour to work you way back there. I spent alot of time wanking around on cat tracks trying to get back to where I was just a few minutes ago. Getting around the upper mountain is a real chore. From the main return you have to take 2 lifts to get back to the peak. If you go all the way down liberty bowl then its three. From the base you have to take 3 chairs to get to the peak. From Challenger, also, its 3. Weak sauce. It would be so much better if they just built the tram next to the bottom of the triple is. And it would be as good as jackson or the Bird if the tram was from the base.
The upper mountain must get really blown off because when I was there I was still hitting rocks all the time. It felt like early season in the Wasatch. Everyone I asked said this was the most coverage they have had in years and years.
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Overall
Pros: Everything is good
Cons: If you like night life, avoid Big Sky
Big Sky !!!
bob4snow reviewed November 3, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Not really my home mountain but with friends who live there full time, I feel like it's my home mountain. It's simple, if you want to ski hard all day on endless terrain, than Big Sky is the place for you. If you like to go out and party to the wee hours of the morning after skiing all day.... Big Sky is NOT the place for you!
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