Road Trippin' From The Hole To The Sky

This place has been on our wish list for a while and it felt good to be on the road heading to Montana. It’s a tall order to get in a car and drive away from Jackson Hole, which holds a deep and special place in our hearts, but not only were we watching Wilson disappear in the rear-view mirror as we headed up Teton Pass munching on Pearl Street bagels we were genuinely excited for a day of driving and what was waiting for us a few hours away.

We love road-tripping around rural US and are all about leaning into the cliché of journeys over destinations – it’s at least half the fun of travelling across the US. The gas station coffee, making impulsive choices with snack foods, tuning in to local radio for some fiery talkback, pulling over to stop every few miles to take (another) photo of a grain silo, an old barn or a billboard about God – bring it on.

We jagged an ideal driving day with mild temps, sunny breaks and mostly clear dry roads.  Google was confident it could be done in around 3.5 hours, but we’d advise to plan for 4 or 5. Winter driving can throw curveballs with icy roads and snow storms and there are some sections between Tetonia and Yellowstone (where this picture is taken) where if it’s storming or blowing they abruptly pull down the gates and close the road.  It’s country driving and even if you’re not used to driving on the right-hand side it’s not that different to anything most Aussie skiers would do between Sydney or Melbourne to get to their usual ski resort, although instead of watching for roos and wombats out here you need to slow down for snowmobiles crossing. The great news is, if you want to skip the driving altogether there are now handy shuttle connections running between Jackson and Big Sky – which is perfect for anyone wanting to tick off two seriously great ski areas without the hassle of car rental.  

As we neared the turn off to Big Sky there were signs we had arrived amongst our people.

A couple of hardcore Wim Hof-ers were in the river and the local school’s performing art centre is named for Warren Miller. We later learned his ashes are scattered out the back of Big Sky.

First impressions as we rolled up – it felt like a ski resort but also a real place.  It’s tidy, well organised and feels like everything works smoothly but not so perfectly you feel like you’re in the Truman Show.

Much of this is testament to the investment and work the owners, Boyne Resorts, have put in here recently to bring the resort experience up to date.  Big Sky has just celebrated 50 years and is looking as good as Gwyneth Paltrow. They’ve definitely had work done, but those high-speed lifts and sleek day lodges shave years off their true age. As Aussies we loved the played down approach to the big 5 – 0 milestone which the resort wryly says in their marketing, ‘we call that a pretty good start’.  

Big Sky’s birthday gift to themselves and their guests was unwrapped in December – a glorious, sleek and shiny new tram that flies you up to the top of Lone Peak in under five minutes and still has that new car smell.  

A couple of things about the tram – they don’t sandwich you in. You also don’t have to be a skier to ride it – you can head up top for a look and ride back down, but the loading station is up in the ski area, so you can’t do it in your Ugg boots (yet). The future plan is to build additional gondola links connecting the base to the summit, add dining and an observation experience as a year-round attraction.

The tram is a highlight but if you were anywhere else the rest of the lifting network would be a headline in its own right. Take your pick of high-speed six and eight seaters, savour the heated seats and bubbles that make the uphill experience almost as appealing as the downhill bit we are all here for. And they’re not done, there are more lifting upgrades in the plan so what is already a great experience – no lines, smooth rides – is only getting better.

But we’re completely burying the lead here, it’s the mountain that you’re here for and the clue is on the label, as promised it is… big. But unlike many resorts, that are also big and promise tonnes of tasty terrain, this one is uncrowded so the bigger feels even better.  

The pitch from Big Sky is that they offer around an acre per skier and as you get out on the runs you start to believe it. There were moments it felt like we’d accidentally entered a closed run because there was no one in sight. Some resorts might quibble about the stats as to which North American resort can claim to be the ‘biggest’ but if Big Sky isn’t on top, it’s damn close, and unlike other contenders such as Whistler and Park City there are zero crowds out here.  We know which mountain we’d choose.

This visit was a fly-by as we were short on time but as we took our last run we agreed, we really need to come back here and explore the place properly. We barely scratched the surface and skied past so many glades and looked up at so many chutes that are on the ‘next time’ list.  

Despite being tucked away in Montana Big Sky is slowly getting on more skiers’ radars and for good reason. Ikon Pass holders get between four to seven days here (you need to add the tram) and for Australians making the pilgrimage to Big Sky or Jackson Hole you’d be mad not to do both. Just leave space in your luggage in case you want to bring home a big ol’ cowboy hat and a belt buckle or two.