“This world-class summit experience is now serviced by a modern tram that will open up possibilities never contemplated until now, in both winter and summer.” –Taylor Middleton, Big Sky Resort President & COO

The long awaited debut of Big Sky Ski Resort’s new Lone Peak Tram happened yesterday and its looks like there were a ton of happy campers on hand to christen it. Big Sky is celebrating their 50th year of operations and the new Tram is major feather in the cap of their improvement initiative dubbed “Big Sky 2025” which they are is a 10-year vision for “transforming the Big Sky experience from the moment you touch ground in Montana to the top of Lone Peak.”

The new tram is replacing a gondola built back in 1995 and now can shuttle more passengers up the 2,142 foot climb in just under 5 minutes.

BIG SKY, Mont. (December 19, 2023) – Exactly fifty years and four days from Big Sky Resort’s inaugural opening day in 1973, the new Lone Peak Tram began carrying guests to the resort’s 11,166-foot summit.  The Lone Peak Tram is an engineering marvel positioned to serve as a gateway to experience one of North America’s most spectacular summits on Lone Mountain. 

The new tram is a complete replacement of the original jig-back gondola built in 1995. This state-of-the-art aerial tram technology is newly routed to carry more passengers spaciously up 2,142 vertical feet in just under five minutes.  

“The original tram opened the high alpine terrain of Lone Mountain to skiers and riders, and the new tram is symbolic of the experiential transformation we are endeavoring to accomplish through our Big Sky 2025 vision. This world-class summit experience is now serviced by a modern tram that will open up possibilities never contemplated until now, in both winter and summer.” –Taylor Middleton, Big Sky Resort President & COO

After two years of construction and many more years of planning, the new Lone Peak Tram marks a significant milestone in the resort’s 50th year. It allows for completely new ways to enjoy skiing the mountain’s high alpine eastern and southern exposures, and will open up countless other experiences yet to be unveiled. 

The tram complex will evolve in the years ahead, with the addition of a breathtaking observation experience planned at the upper terminal in both the winter and summer season.  Plans for the tram also include an architecturally stunning lower terminal enclosure and a mountaintop food and beverage facility housed in the old top terminal of the original tram.  

The new Lone Peak Tram is part of a base-to-summit lift network that will more fully come to life by the end of the decade, starting with the addition of the Explorer Gondola, scheduled to open for winter 25/26.  This new lift network will create improved access to the resort’s premier learning terrain, accessible to pedestrians for the first time ever, and complemented with new food and beverage experiences. MORE INFO HERE.

RELATED: Big Sky Breaks Ground On Replacement Lone Peak Tram

images from Big Sky Facebook

This incident at Big Sky Resort, Montana, is both unusual and remarkable. On December 15, 2023, the ski patrol reported two separate avalanches in closed terrain. Intriguingly, one of these slides appears to have been inadvertently triggered by a goat. Amazingly, this goat was carried the full length of the avalanche, over a distance of 1,000 feet and through rocky terrain. Remarkably, it emerged from this perilous journey unscathed.

The evidence collected by the patrol paints a vivid picture of the event. Goat tracks were seen leading into the crown area of the avalanche and later exiting the debris pile at the bottom. Impressively, there were no signs of injury, such as blood or broken limbs, suggesting the goat was remarkably lucky to escape without harm.

The patrol’s detailed description of the goat’s journey through the avalanche is a testament to the resilience and hardiness of these animals. The fact that the goat managed to travel such a distance and through challenging conditions, only to walk away apparently unharmed, is nothing short of miraculous. This incident also underscores the unpredictable nature of avalanches and the importance of respecting closed areas in mountainous terrain for safety.

“Further investigation of the avalanche yesterday showed goat tracks leading into the crown area of the avalanche. At the debris pile, it was obvious that a goat had taken the full ride in the slide that it triggered. There was a depression in the debris pile where the critter had come to rest at the surface, and obvious hoof prints trailing away from the debris pile, and then upslope for the long walk back up to rejoin the herd. There was no blood, and the tracks looked usual, with no obvious sign of broken leg(s). It is unknown if the goat was wearing an airbag or if it was deployed in the avalanche. It was a significant ride, 1K’ vt., 1⁄4 mile linear, likely of high speed, through 2nd Dictator transition, which was taken down to mostly bare ground.”

– Big Sky Resort patrol

In spite of low snowfall in Montana so far this winter, Big Sky Resort is off and running. On Wednesday, the Montana ski resort kicked off its 50th season on Wednesday with 172 acres of skiable terrain. Those who made it for the first chair were treated to complimentary breakfast, coffee, and hot chocolate. Later in the day, Big Sky had a live DJ, and MAP Brewing tastings. 

Currently, Big Sky has seven trails open on 179 acres of skiable terrain, and six lifts operating. The lifts they currently have open are the Beehive Basin Carpet, Explorer 2 chairlift, Middle Basin Carpet, Ramcharger 8, Small Fry Carpet, and Swift Current 6. On Thursday, Big Sky got a small refresh, receiving 1″ of snow.

In terms of the new Lone Peak Tram, its projected opening day is December 19th.

Image/Video Credits: Big Sky Resort, Kirby Grubaugh (Featured Image) and Jonathan Stone

The biggest infastructure project in Big Sky’s history is expected to make its debut in just 46 days.

Yesterday, the Montana ski resort announced that the new Lone Peak Tram will host its Grand Opening Ceremony on December 19th. For the first tram ride, they’ll be auctioning off the 45 available spots. The proceeds from this auction will go towards the Big Sky Community Organization (BSCO), Gallatin River Task Force, and Morningstar Learning Center. You can place a bid here.

On a side note, it’s incredible to finally see the new tram cabins on the haul rope. This engineering marvel is going to become one of the best lifts in North America when it opens.

For more information, check out Big Sky’s official press release below.

New Lone Peak Tram to Open on December 19; First Guest Rides to be Auctioned to Benefit Big Sky Community Nonprofits

100% of funds raised benefit three community organizations: Big Sky Community Organization, Gallatin River Task Force, and Morningstar Learning Center  

BIG SKY, MT – (November 1, 2023) — Excitement is building in Big Sky, Montana, as the biggest on-mountain infrastructure project in Big Sky history, the Lone Peak Tram, will open on December 19, 2023.

To celebrate this momentous occasion, Big Sky Resort will offer the first public tram cabin with 45 guest spots to be auctioned off, with all proceeds to benefit three non-profit organizations in the community: Big Sky Community Organization (BSCO), Gallatin River Task Force, and Morningstar Learning Center. 

“Opening the tram is a transformational moment in Big Sky’s history,” said Troy Nedved, the resort’s general manager. “What makes this event even more special is that the funds raised through this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will be donated to three vital organizations in the Big Sky community.”   

The auction, currently open for bidding, offers ski enthusiasts the opportunity to secure their place in Big Sky and ski history. Interested guests can vie for a chance to be one of the first passengers in the inaugural public tram ride, which includes a professional photographer to capture every moment of the journey, a champagne toast at the summit of Lone Mountain, and a special memento to commemorate this historic occasion.  

Hosted jointly by all three nonprofits, the auction will close on November 15 at midnight, and winners will be notified upon closing of the auction. Proceeds will be split evenly among BSCO, Gallatin River Task Force, and Morningstar Learning Center.

Don’t miss the incredible opportunity to be a part of Big Sky’s history while supporting community organizations that are stewards of Big Sky’s recreation and trails, healthy rivers, and early childhood education.

For more information about the auction and to place your bids, please visit: First Tram: A Big Sky Community Fundraiser.

About Big Sky Resort:
Big Sky Resort is a world-class mountain resort, home to North America’s most technologically advanced lift network, including a brand new 75-passenger Lone Peak Tram accessing 300 degrees of skiing off Lone Peak. Established in 1973, Big Sky Resort is located in the Northern Rockies of southwest Montana between Bozeman, Montana, and Yellowstone National Park. Big Sky Resort is owned by Boyne Resorts, the largest family-run, four-season resort company in North America.

About BSCO:  
The Big Sky Community Organization (BSCO) is a 25-year-old nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating year-round recreational programs, growing and maintaining outdoor spaces, and creating community partnerships that serve all of Big Sky. The BSCO vision is a connected, engaged, and thriving community. From the BASE community center to local parks and trails, historic preservation to recreational sports leagues and wellness programming, BSCO provides safe, meaningful ways for people to recreate and grow, both indoors and outdoors.  

About Gallatin River Task Force:  
The Gallatin River Task Force has spent more than two decades filling the important role as the only organization solely focused on protecting and enhancing the health of the Upper Gallatin River and contributing ground and surface waters.  A collaborative approach led by a passionate board and staff directs the course of their work towards a healthy Gallatin River Watershed for future generations. The Task Force relies on robust scientific data to develop impactful restoration projects, shape conservation measures, exercise programming and contribute to recommendations for water and wastewater management for broad community benefit. 

About Morningstar Learning Center:  
Morningstar Learning Center (MLC) is a nonprofit early childhood education center in Big Sky, Montana, serving children from 6 months through 5 years of age. MLC is the only full-time, year-round, licensed childcare in Big Sky – and the only provider for children under three years old. MLC is committed to providing high-quality, affordable, and accessible childcare for our families and a nurturing, joyful learning environment for our children. In a sector that too often undervalues its professionals, Morningstar also invests heavily in making this a fulfilling career choice for our incredible teachers through professional development, housing opportunities, and double the national average salary and benefits.  

Image/Video Credits: Chris Kamman @skylabmediahouse, Big Sky Resort

Work has been steadfast this offseason on the new Lone Peak Tram, which will instantly become one of the marquee lifts in North America. After that, the next lift project for Big Sky will be a gondola.

This will replace the Explorer chair, which has been around since the ski resort’s opening in 1973. This will go from the Mountain Village base area to near the base terminals of the tram and Powder Seeker 6′. This D-Line gondola will have a mid-station, featuring a restaurant and a beginner learning area. But the question with this gondola has been when it will open.

Well, they finally announced the timeline, and it comes from an unexpected place.

Sunday River posted a video detailing their newest chairlifts (Barker 6 and Jordan 8), and how they will change the experience. They also detail other Doppelmayr D-Line chairlifts that are coming to the sister Boyne Resorts properties, like the Camelot 6 at The Highlands, Crest 6 at Brighton, and the Gondola at Big Sky. Mike Unruh, who’s the VP of Mountain Operations for Boyne Resorts, revealed that they have begun work on the gondola at Big Sky, describing it as a three-year project. They are aiming to open it in the Fall of 2025.

For more information about these projects, check out Sunday River’s video below.

Image/Video Credits: Sunday River Resort/Boyne Resorts

Big Sky Resort in Montana has released its new trail map, which includes a number of double blue square runs.

Why do you need to re-classify these runs, you ask? Big Sky says that some of the green-rated runs on the mountain had tricky, steep headwalls and were more indicative of a blue rating. So these runs were changed to blues, knocking the rest of the ratings up a notch. The new 2023/24 Winter Trail Map shows that approximately 15% of the resort’s terrain is now rated double blue.

The concept of introducing an advanced intermediate rating for ski resort slopes is not a new one; it has been in use for several years, although it remains relatively uncommon. Resorts such as Winter Park in Colorado and Telluride, also in Colorado, have already implemented a similar system using blue/black designations to signify trails that fall between the traditional blue squares and the more challenging black diamonds. This approach aims to provide skiers and snowboarders with a more precise understanding of the terrain’s difficulty, enabling them to make more informed choices when navigating the slopes. By acknowledging the need for nuanced skill progression, these resorts ensure that their guests can confidently select trails that align with their abilities and preferences, ultimately enhancing the overall skiing experience.

Big Sky Resort’s introduction of the double-blue trail rating is not the first instance of the resort innovating its trail rating system. In a previous development in 2019, Big Sky took a proactive approach by designating specific trails as “triple black diamonds.” This decision aimed to serve as an educational tool and raise guest awareness about the unique challenges and risks associated with skiing in high alpine, high-consequence terrain.

The relabeling sought to convey to guests the presence of factors above and beyond your typical double black diamond run. By incorporating these elements into its trail rating system, Big Sky not only provided advanced skiers with a more accurate understanding of the challenges they would face but also prioritized safety and informed decision-making on the slopes.

This forward-thinking approach demonstrated Big Sky’s commitment to both enhancing the skiing experience and ensuring the well-being of its guests. It served as a valuable educational tool, allowing skiers and snowboarders to assess their abilities and make informed choices about which trails matched their skill levels and comfort zones. Big Sky’s dedication to improving trail rating systems underscores its mission to provide a safe and enjoyable skiing environment while promoting education and awareness among its visitors.

We are all for communication and feel that the new trail rating will give skiers and riders an even better depiction of what terrain a skier or snowboarder can expect.

You know that we’re getting close to ski season when the new trail maps begin to drop. The latest ski resort to do this was Big Sky in Montana, which is one of the largest in North America.

These new maps are still in the classic James Niehues’ painted style, but they have made a few modifications. This new trail map is kind of a big deal for a couple of reasons…

The first reason is due to the new Lone Peak Tram. While the new location of the base terminal was already confirmed by Big Sky, this map gives you an idea of how to reach it from various points of the mountain. The old base terminal’s location was in the midst of the Upper Middle Star trail. The new tram’s base terminal is adjacent to the Jay Walk and the top of the Crazy Horse pistes.

Getting to the new tram is now much easier. Beforehand, you had to take a ride up to Swift Current 6, ski to the Powder Seeker 6, then shred over to the tram. Now, you only need to ride the Swift Current 6, and then ski to the new base terminal.

The second reason is the introduction of advanced intermediate terrain, also known as double blues. According to Big Sky, this “increased specificity gives skiers more confidence when making terrain decisions and navigating the mountain.” This has allowed to make previously easy trails like Safari and El Dorado, which have steep headwalls, into intermediate runs. Trails like Elk Park Ridge, Ambush, Congo, and White Witch are now classified as double blues. For the 2023-24 season, around 15% of the terrain is designated as advanced intermediate.

We’ve included photos of the new trail maps below, but for a more thorough look, check out Big Sky’s mountain maps page here.

Image Credits: Big Sky Resort

“It’s very exciting to finally see the path the new tram will travel up to the summit of Lone Mountain.”-Jas Raczynski, construction project manager at Big Sky Resort.

Arguably the biggest project happening in the North American ski industry this summer is at Big Sky Resort. A new tram will go from near the base terminal of the Powder Seeker 6 to the top of Lone Mountain’s perilous terrain.

According to the Billings Gazette, the tram is much bigger than its predecessor: it will travel 4,612 feet versus 2,800 feet due to its new location and will carry a maximum of 75 people versus the older tram’s max capacity of 15 individuals. It will only take four minutes to reach Lone Peak, with a maximum speed of 22 mph.

Back in August, they built the single lift tower, which is 100 feet tall. In order to build on top of the rock, Big Sky needed to drill 50 holes with depths of 50 to 70 feet. For the lift tower, they needed 250,000+ pounds of steel and 300 cubic yards of concrete.

The tram cabins arrived in August and were even greeted by a moose upon their arrival.

In an update from last week, Big Sky announced that the top terminal’s structural work has been completed.

Next up in the process has been installing the track ropes. Four track ropes are needed for this new tram, along with a haul rope. When a tram goes up the mountain, Each cabin ascends on two track ropes on either side of the haul rope that stabilizes the lift. Three of the four track ropes have been installed, with the haul rope installation happening within the next few weeks. Big Sky explained this process in its most recent update:

“Each rope installation is a multi-day process, as the track ropes are too heavy to be installed directly by helicopter. First, a helicopter suspends a pilot rope in the air after teams on the ground have secured it to the bottom terminal. The helicopter then flies the pilot rope to the tower, where it is secured in the tower sheaves, then flown up to the top terminal, where it is secured in the top terminal sheaves and anchored to the ground.

‘While it can sometimes take hours to install pilot ropes, the helicopter pilots at Timberline have been flying these up in 10 to 15 minutes,’ said Jas Raczynski, Big Sky Resort’s construction project manager. ‘We’re fortunate to have a super talented pilot.‘

Ground teams then attach a slightly larger intermediate rope to the pilot rope to pull between the terminals and over the tower. With the intermediate rope threaded, the process is repeated, and the track rope is pulled between the terminals. The track rope is then manipulated via cranes and other heavy equipment to ensure precise placement. Once the ropes have been secured around the bollards at the top and bottom, the final tensioning process begins. After a half day of rope tensioning, the installation is complete. This entire process is repeated four times total to install each track rope.” 

The construction process for the new tram is on schedule and the new lift is expected to open during the 2023-24 season.

Image/Video Credits: Chris Kamman of Sky Lab Media House

We’re only 99 days away from Big Sky’s biggest season ever. Yesterday, the Montana ski resort announced that they’ve moved up their projected opening day from Thursday, November 23rd to Wednesday, November 22nd. Big Sky’s goal is to make it to April 28th, 2024, which would make it the longest season in the resort’s history.

The beginning of Big Sky’s 50th season will feature complimentary breakfast snacks and hot chocolate at the base area, a live DJ located on the Vista Deck, and a MAP Brewing taste testing at the Vista Hall. The lifts will start spinning at 9 am.

Big Sky’s announcement video is full of great footage from its early days, along with some more modern-day powder skiing and riding.

The biggest addition at Big Sky Resort for next winter will be the new Lone Peak Tram. The new tram will be a significant capacity upgrade, with it being able to fit 75 people during the offseason. The winter capacity will be determined by ski patrol based on mountain conditions. In comparison, the old Lone Peak Tram could only fit fifteen people. Riding the tram will continue to be an add-on cost, with it being around $10-40+ per ride.

Last week, Big Sky Resort shared a video construction update, showing the only lift tower that will be built for the lift being installed. In order to build the 100-foot tower, they needed to use 250,000 pounds of steel and 300 cubic yards of concrete. It’s pretty wild to see these construction workers risking their lives to build this masterpiece. We definitely owe them some beers for the hard work after the tram’s finished.

Image/Video Credits: Big Sky Resort, Andrew Meehan

Arguably the biggest offseason project of any ski resort in North America is Big Sky Resort’s anticipated tram replacement. The fifteen-person tram is being replaced by a huge tram that will carry a maximum of 75 passengers in the summer, and fewer than that to preserve snow conditions in the wintertime. This capacity increase will help reduce lines that have been commonplace for the tram.

Back in March, Big Sky revealed a tentative price range for ski days of $10-40+ per ride. I imagine the $10 would be on midweek days, and then the $40 or more would occur on weekends/holidays or crowded powder days. The rate charged won’t change during the day.

Two weeks ago, Big Sky revealed what their new trams will look like, and they look incredible. On the exterior, Andesite Mountain, Lone Peak, Fan Mountain, Beehive Peak, Gallatin Peak, and Wilson Peak were drawn. Another part of the new tram that I like is that there are seats inside, which is something which I think more trams should have.

Earlier this week, Big Sky provided their latest tram update. The video below shows a helicopter moving pieces around, and construction crews building the future lift towers. Working on a project like this takes a lot of guts, so the construction crews deserve a ton of credit for the challenging efforts they’re putting in. The new tram is expected to open during the 2023-24 season.

Image/Video Credits: Big Sky Resort