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Best ski resort in Montana?

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Cincher
Posts: 3403 - Karma: 535

In celebration of my graduation this year, I'm going to the US and a real mountain (I'm Manitoban) for the first time to ski and celebrate the release of the shackles that is pre-secondary education. The reason I chose Montana is because it's closer the canadian border.

What do you recommend?

Nov 5 2009 3:09PM
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KramerC
Posts: 619 - Karma: 21
BIG SKY SUCKS DICK HOLE.
Nov 6 2009 8:17PM
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Caveman.
Posts: 9067 - Karma: 330
Regardless I dont know why someone would come all the way to Montana to ski park.
Nov 6 2009 8:28PM
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50in07
Posts: 3070 - Karma: 1,471
I'd do BIg Sky/Moonlight.  Big sky has the tram that takes you to the top and also a good jump line while moon lights park is baller.  I could get close to 18 jibs in a run. They also have really good pow. I was there in April and they got 4 feet of snow the 5 days i was there.
Nov 6 2009 8:32PM
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Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
dude, thats why i ride bridger. their park is on the level of like breck and keystone
Nov 6 2009 9:18PM
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Caveman.
Posts: 9067 - Karma: 330
I think you mean Showdown's park sets the bar for Colorado parks to follow
Nov 6 2009 9:27PM
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eheath
Posts: 61470 - Karma: 122,041
If youre gonna be in the bozeman area ski a pow day at bigsky and then one at bridger and ski around bridger for a day or two after a storm and if there isn't any snow go to bigsky/moonlight
Nov 6 2009 10:13PM
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dresserski
Posts: 1039 - Karma: 1,727
haha yeah

go to great divide, it got the best vibe, park

big sky i feel is over priced, has some crazy terrain, but the park isnt that good

moonlight is a good price, and feels like u own the place, no crowds

bridger is fun, but if its a pow day it feels like the entire town of bozeman is there, so it gets tracked

red lodge is also pretty sweet, i went rly late last year, but i liked it

^i never went more than 3 hours outside of bozeman last year so thats all i got
Nov 6 2009 11:08PM
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Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
great divide has a fun park, but from what ive seen, its other terrain is rather limited.


i really think big mountain (now whitefish but i refuse to call it that) is your best bet.
Nov 6 2009 11:09PM
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Cincher
Posts: 3403 - Karma: 535
I asked because I was likely going to dabble in the terrain park, because I'm itchin' to see how big I can go on my new Anthems.
Nov 6 2009 11:38PM
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marley-skis
Posts: 794 - Karma: 330
way to diss your own mountain willis. i wasnt really talking about last year. and yes if you count how many rails we had set up it makes like 9 jibs aaand i was saying how many DIFFERENT ones we have not set up. we actually are having 4 jumps with one smaller one next to them i talked to park crew. i think the park crew is good they do what they can. but yeah i guess its not the best around i never said that. just better than the other ones in montana
Nov 7 2009 1:19PM
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Stan_Darsh
Posts: 3057 - Karma: 185
yeah definitely go to Big mountain.. but the bozeman area is worth checking out..
Nov 7 2009 2:16PM
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Cincher
Posts: 3403 - Karma: 535
Where should I stay in terms of a hotel if I were to go to Big Sky?
Nov 7 2009 4:15PM
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Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
you could stay in bozeman for exponentially cheaper. idk what the cheapest option is up @ big sky.
Nov 8 2009 2:53PM
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Caveman.
Posts: 9067 - Karma: 330
If you go to Big Sky on closing weekend you can get a pretty sweet deal staying at the Huntley. Otherwise Bozeman is probably your best option.
Nov 8 2009 3:03PM
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Rime.
Posts: 632 - Karma: 615
BIG SKY / MOONLIGHT BASIN

...is the shit.  Catch 'er on a midweek pow day and get the lone peak pass, you can shred all over and will be getting freshies nonstop.  You gotta kinda know where to go for the super dank terrain, but its all good.

AND there are some 30+ smoke shacks hidden all over the mountain, which makes for many random yet great haze breaks...
Nov 8 2009 3:09PM
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Tmcchesney
Posts: 305 - Karma: 2,548
It doesn't get much better than bridger on a deep pow day
Nov 8 2009 3:27PM
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PhilboydStudge
Posts: 3431 - Karma: 206
haha yeah i don't think any tourist in their right mind would come to great divide
Nov 8 2009 3:29PM
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Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
i think the best words you can use to describe Great Divide are

"only in montana"


lol. cuz seriously, where else could get away with the sketchy awesomeness of GD
Nov 8 2009 3:35PM
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PhilboydStudge
Posts: 3431 - Karma: 206
haha definitely. but that's why i love it
Nov 8 2009 3:40PM
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Caveman.
Posts: 9067 - Karma: 330
I always think of Great Divide as an anti resort which is badass.
Nov 8 2009 3:56PM
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Cincher
Posts: 3403 - Karma: 535
Well I'd like to go to Whitefish, but it requires an iffy pass on some mountain roads if I were to take the quickest route. By then I could stop and just ski at fernie!
Nov 8 2009 8:19PM
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Caveman.
Posts: 9067 - Karma: 330
Are you talking about Marias Pass? Its a major highway, not that bad.
Nov 8 2009 8:26PM
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Cincher
Posts: 3403 - Karma: 535
I don't know. I'll have to check..
Nov 8 2009 9:16PM
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Cincher
Posts: 3403 - Karma: 535
I'd have to take route 93.
Nov 8 2009 9:47PM
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Caveman.
Posts: 9067 - Karma: 330
why not take 89 and highway 2 to whitefish
Nov 8 2009 10:01PM
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Cincher
Posts: 3403 - Karma: 535
Is that slightly better and more managed?
Nov 8 2009 10:16PM
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Dainsey
Posts: 2263 - Karma: 378
ahaha so true
Nov 8 2009 10:27PM
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Caveman.
Posts: 9067 - Karma: 330
Don't know, just seems like a more direct route from eastern Canada. I could be wrong though, I just looked at a map, didnt actually add up any numbers or anything.
Nov 8 2009 10:30PM
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Willard
Posts: 5117 - Karma: 429
its golden
Nov 8 2009 10:40PM
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schillz33
Posts: 121 - Karma: 15
Are they getting rid of it?  They had some sick features when I was up there last time ( about 2 yrs ago)
Nov 11 2009 1:36AM
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Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
just the big jumps/pipe
Nov 11 2009 2:09AM
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bfilm
Posts: 352 - Karma: 2,222
Are you kidding me? Look up. And yeah...I have skied around a bit and BS and Moonlight can be some of the Biggest there is
Nov 11 2009 3:26AM
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Caveman.
Posts: 9067 - Karma: 330
I dont disagree that is the biggest, however thats not what I disagreed with, here is what I quoted;

Quoting bfilm from Nov 6 2009 11:08:01:
Out of everywhere I have skied BS and Moonlight combined have the best and steepest terrain anywhere in the lower 48. ...when snow is good

Now saying steepest is somewhat quantifiable, but what about the miles of flat groomers below Lone Peak, and "best" come on, how is that even quantifiable.
Nov 11 2009 1:49PM
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bfilm
Posts: 352 - Karma: 2,222
a lot of ski resorts have miles of groomers...I think your looking into this a bit far. This isnt something that should be argued over. If you love to ski do it, no matter where you are
Nov 11 2009 4:03PM
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Caveman.
Posts: 9067 - Karma: 330
Exactly, you were claiming it was the best and steepest in the lower 48
Nov 11 2009 5:49PM
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Mt_P0wDerJuNkIe
Posts: 1506 - Karma: 58
caveman is right end of story. bigsky does not have the best steeps in the lower 48.
Nov 11 2009 6:11PM
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Mt_P0wDerJuNkIe
Posts: 1506 - Karma: 58
jackson, silverton, telluride, snowbirdalta, crestted butte  are all ten times better steeps than bigsky any day
Nov 11 2009 6:14PM
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Caveman.
Posts: 9067 - Karma: 330
But I can see your Tetons from Lone Peak!!! SO Big Sky has to be better!!
Nov 11 2009 6:20PM
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Tripplesixty
Posts: 835 - Karma: 148
Big Sky is sick and has tons of terrain. Big Mountain is also pretty dope.
Nov 11 2009 6:20PM
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mophead
Posts: 1172 - Karma: 309
BIG MOUNTAIN AKA WHITEFISH MTN RESORT...seriously this is your best option hands down. Biggest park jumps in the state, best tree skiing, tons of cliffs and natural jibs, "jizz in your pants" powder days.
Nov 11 2009 7:13PM
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S_Jenk
Posts: 345 - Karma: 92
Yeah, and the ticket prices are absolutely ridiculous too! You can ski just as good of terrain in Montana as those places for a lot cheaper price. Our beer is cheaper too.
Feb 17 2010 11:55PM
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BMskier
Posts: 3363 - Karma: 365
post number 1. kinda impressed
Feb 18 2010 12:43AM
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Caveman.
Posts: 9067 - Karma: 330
So as the season is progressing and this thread got bumped, I will post an update.

From what i have heard, Showdown and Big Mountain (Whitefish) have the most snow in the state, I wouldn't take a trip to showdown though, go to Whitefish. Big Sky is fun but the snow is still thin and rocky. Great Divide has an absurdly ridiculous park set up now, I have heard people say it's the best in the state now, wont say that with any certainty since I haven't been to Big Mtn yet.
Feb 18 2010 1:18AM
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Isabelle
Posts: 947 - Karma: 1,582
http://www.montana-snowcenter.nl/

jk

Feb 18 2010 3:05AM
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Ftacnik
Posts: 1997 - Karma: 111
None of them!!! Which is why i'm moving back to California next week
Feb 18 2010 3:19AM
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Literature
Posts: 13673 - Karma: 3,085
This is Montana. We know how to plow and sand roads.

US 2 is the only major road that crosses the northern part of the mountains, it gets a decent amount of use and is pretty well taken care of. 93 is fine as well.

Honestly, I'd say that Big Mtn is the best value in the state. Great tree skiing, fun groomers, a decent to legit park depending on what's set up, and powder that sits for days if you know where to look. Plus, it's not as expensive or touristy as Big Sky, and is closer to the town (fifteen minutes from Wfish as opposed to an hour from Bozeman).

If you do head to Big Sky, don't get a Lone Peak pass. Super expensive, and there's no way that you can ski that much terrain in one day; the crossovers alone take three to four lifts. Just take day at Moonlight or day at Big Sky. And go up the tram at least once for the hell of it, more if the snow is nice.

Also, if you are driving from Manitoba, don't do all that driving for Great Divide or Showdown. Either one would be worth a day, but go to one of the larger places for a few.
Feb 18 2010 3:45AM
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Willard
Posts: 5117 - Karma: 429
well in whitefish its been pretty good this year there still having problems realizing the rails are not even close to being level
Feb 21 2010 11:37PM
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montanan
Posts: 1787 - Karma: 1,346
people have no clue what is in store for there frail legs when they come here, and no doubt stay far away
Feb 21 2010 11:44PM
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Mykel
Posts: 1560 - Karma: 84
Since I don't live there anymore ... Bridger is great if there is pow. Otherwise I'd say big sky for their park. Be warned, Montana skiers are chargers. I will say, don't expect to get too many freshies on a powder day at BB. That shit gets tracked out by 11. Between my junior year of high school and when I finished college, they had to more than double the amount of parking up there. It's way over crowded. Plan on Being in line at 830.
Feb 22 2010 1:00AM
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montanan
Posts: 1787 - Karma: 1,346
actually it does,,snowbowl on a pow day is epic...tons of vertical and half the people

love bridger too, but the bowl on a great day dont even compare
Feb 22 2010 8:22AM
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