The Riverside Press-Enterprise
Big Sky HAS A MOUNTAIN OF AMENITIES
A new fast summit tram is the latest offering for skiers and snowboarders
hotel opened in winter 2021 and features ski-in/ski-out access to Big Sky Resort, a three-meal restaurant, lobby bar and lounge, market, pub, bowling alley, two pools and signature Spa Montage. montage.com/bigsky
Dining
Montana is carnivore country, and wild game dishes (elk, venison and bison) are commonly on the menus along with exotic cuts of meat such as tomahawk steaks and meat imported from Japan and Australia. Vegetarians, pescatarians and vegans should not have high expectations for fine dining but won’t go hungry.
Everett’s 8800 offers an Alpsinfluenced menu and a wide deck with an outdoor bar and exceptional views of Lone Peak. Headwaters Grille at the Madison base offers barbecue and local beers. Backcast Bar & Grill at the Montage has piping hot bison ramen. Peaks Chophouse at the Summit Hotel and Horn and Cantle at the Lone Mountain Ranch near the resort are favorites for authentic Montana culinary experiences including steaks and wild steelhead trout.
A unique and very fun on-mountain dining experience is the Montana Dinner Yurt, tucked away high in the hills above the Mountain Village. One chilly evening I climbed aboard a burly red snow cat named Rosie (another snow cat is named Ginger), equipped with a passenger cabin and rooftop seating platform for a 15-minute ride to a secluded yurt. We started with a warming bowl of French onion soup, then, after optional sledding, our choice of filet mignon with peppercorn sauce or roasted wild salmon. Sides included garlic mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables. The meal was topped off with Toblerone chocolate fondue with pound cake and bananas dessert. bigskyyurt.com
Après-ski: Perhaps the best choice for après at Big Sky is the Umbrella Bar, a Euro-style circular spot with a retractable roof. Try the Tram Car IPA from Bozeman’s MAP Brewing or the Glacier Glasses cocktail (lemon vodka, lime juice, pea flower syrup and star anise) mixed by a burly ski hound.
Yellowstone in winter
A popular diversion for Big Sky visitors is a snow coach or snowmobile tour of Yellowstone National Park, about an hour’s drive to the south. Winter is a fantastic time of year to see wildlife such as bison, moose and elk and the perennial geysers blowing off steam amid a snowy landscape. If you don’t have a car, Karst Stage offers a round trip day excursion to West Yellowstone, karststage.com, and Yellowstone Vacation Tours operates snow coach and snowmobile tours. yellowstonevacations.com
Big Sky Resort has plenty of other ways to ramble through the white wilderness such as horsedrawn sleigh rides, snowshoeing or snowmobiles. Fifty-three miles of cross-country ski trails are maintained at Lone Mountain Ranch. Dog sledding, ice skating on a fullsize hockey and ice rink and even sledding are fun winter activities. A family activity is walking the “Enchanted Forest” at night on Andesite Mountain. Over 10,000 lights illuminate the way along a half-mile path, and you warm up at the end of your walk around an outdoor fireplace. bigskyresort.com/winter-activities/enchanted-forest
Getting to Big Sky
Big Sky is in the Rocky Mountains of southern Montana. Bozeman International Yellowstone Airport (BZN), is less than 45 minutes away and offers nonstop flights from Los Angeles and other West Coast cities. Shuttle service from the airport is offered several times a day by Karst Stage, karststage.com. Skyline Transportation offers frequent free bus transportation between Big Sky’s town center and the resort’s base at Mountain Village, about 6.4 miles.