CORRECTION: We accidentally included Mammoth in our Rockies rankings at the end of the video! As @scottbrizzolara8607 correctly pointed out, Mammoth is on the West Coast, and should not have been listed.
I wish you could filter your rankings to which things matter to each user. For example, my family is mostly intermediate (blues/blacks) and challenge is not something we would travel to a mountain for. Example 2: we have too many people for the lodges so an Airbnb usually makes the most sense so the lodging score would be filtered out. This way we could see the best mountain for our individual “wants”. All in all I absolutely love y’all for doing the research and ranking accordingly. Thanks for all the hard work and let me know if you are planning on adding a feature like this on the website.
@alexgianino2394 if you are thinking about skiing Big Sky and have a lot of people, you could find an airbnb at Island Park. It's not far from Big Sky. And probably alittle cheaper. As far as terrain goes Big Sky has a good variety of it. Weekends are always busy no matter where you go. I've been to all the resorts in Wyoming and Montana numerous times because I live close by. If you are intermediate skier with some expert runs Big Sky is hard to beat. Through it's gotten more expensive. I have my favorite place to ski down the road a bit. Best powder skiing I've been in.
As a skier of 30 years+, skiing has become way too much of a luxury sport from these corporate owners. I could care less about restaurants and fancy amenities, I care only about the snow and terrain. Ski independent family owned resorts, they keep it real!
@@colewilliams9134 Well I don't know if these are officially family owned, just not Epic/Ikon....but Wolf Creek, Silverton, Monarch, Sunlight, Powderhorn in CO are are 'local' and pretty reasonably priced In Utah, Beaver, Powder, Brianhead
@@TheUndergroundbeats Maybe worth checking out these spots. My fear is that Vail resorts will monopolize and make everything unaffordable, and price out the competition, where family owned hills will go out of business
Excellent breakdown! Went here February 2020 and experienced everything you noted regarding signage, pricing(how expensive it can be), the crowded lifts and open lifts. Would still love to go back but will need a solid week to experience 75% of the mountain.
Great job reviewing Big Sky! I totally agree with everything you said about it. Been skiing there since the late 80s. Back when there was just a plain chairlift to the top of Lone Peak. Boy things have changed over the years. Looking forward to seeing more of your channel. Subscribed
@infowarrior9 well I rode it in the late 80s and early 90s. Probably have a picture of it still. We always stayed at a condo in Island Park for a week at a time. Snowmobiled and skied.
I worked at Big Sky in 1992. It was an experience I will never forget. It wasn't glitzy. There wasn't a lot to do at night, but the snowboarding was amazing. People went there for the conditions and the lack of crowds. I went back with my family in 2022 for the first time since 92. It has definitely changed. I know that's obvious. I'm not talking about the tram and overall growth, it just didn't feel like the same place. The cost of everything and the crowds was a bit much. The up-charge for the tram is annoying. Something else that wasn't mentioned in this review is there was also an option to pay $45 extra to get on Ramchager 1 hour earlier. Talk about nickle and diming! Also, when went, there had not been any snow in a while. It was worse than east coast skiing and I am not exaggerating. Exposed rock everywhere. They cannot control the snow though and we got very lucky with snow that started the day we arrived. Overall, my family had a blast. Things change and that' life. For what they charge, I think the problems mentioned in this review could be addressed to justify the cost.
I rarely see any videos from Big Sky with great snow. It looks like it could easily get blown off. The upper steep terrain looks great. The up-charge makes me not want to go. Then again they want people with deep pockets. I am more of a value person.
This is the best resort I’ve skied out of 15+ big destination resorts in the Rockies, Sierra Nevada and Alberta, Canada. Huge resort, long and wide trails, good chair lift system, and good snowfall most years. Mammoth Mountain is my 2nd place (so far). Great review!
A crazy coincidence I have with your comment is I'm an east skiier and last year I went out west for the first time to mammoth. I'm a decent skier and skied just about every trail including the blacks with some limitations because it was spring skiing. I absolutely loved it as well. The crazy part is I'm going to big sky for my spring break this year. Im superrr excited.
@@maxwelllockett9872 my man! You will have gone to the two best, trust me I’ve been all over. Enjoy Big Sky! Some of those runs go on forever and ever that’s what I really liked about it, the vertical length. The nightlife / ski town isn’t much (head to downtown Bozeman) but the mountain itself can’t be beat.
@@PeakRankings SV should be your first resort to get a 10 on lifts and 9 on crowd flow, best setup I've skied. Lodges are basicly the same as Snowbasin.
Love the content, thank you very much. One series I think would be great would be a “how to” on how to get to prominent “hike to” terrain at top resorts
Nice review. I'll point out that the places you praise for holding powder are the same ones you critices for being hard to reach. That's precisely why they hold powder and I'm hoping Big Sky never changes this.
I lived in Bozeman and Big sky in the early 2000’s… there were plenty of days where it was just myself and 3-4 other skiers lapping the tram and big couloir all day. My season pass cost me about $700 and had full mountain access… pass went up to $900 when Moonlight opened and joined up so you could access that side of the mountain as well. I never had an issue with crowds or lift lines in the ten years I call Big Sky my home mountain… the last time I rode (yes I’m a snowboarder) Big Sky was around 2010 though :/… I got old and moved back to flat Minnesota.
My impression as a senior lifetime skier is Big Sky has what I'm looking for with reliable fresh snow, low crowds and a friendly welcoming vibe, a comprehensive lift network if you do your homework ahead, as I have. I'm near the end of my youth in later years, I want to meet the challenge if a doable expert terrain on top of my Europe, Utah history. I'm psyched!
Having worked Big Sky for a few years following high school back starting in 2016, getting to ride Big Sky without having to pay Big Sky prices was one of the best perks ever.. Hearing how the tram works now i sure regret never having been a tram operator. im very jealous of my buddies flynn, jacob, taylor and chad who got to ride that terrain without having to wait in line every single day. even working for the resort being there 7 days a week all season tram lines were always just too much for me. in my two seasons i think i made my way up top twice, maybe three times.. i spent a bit of time operating tram the summer i worked there. but obviously thats just for scenic tours
Your rankings are missing a "value" category for which Big Sky would receive a 3. It is the most expensive public resort in the US. With the tram ticket it's over $300 a day just for the lift ticket. There is no affordable lodging nearby. The least expensive room anywhere near the resort was $500 a night. Most rooms are closer to $1000 / night. Staying in Bozeman means a hour plus drive if the highway is passable. And of course food is super high at Big Sky, good but really expensive. Yes- other resorts like Deer Valley, Jackson Hole and Aspen are really expensive too. But there are ways to ski at those resorts without dropping $1000 a day on food and lodging. Another thing that should be mentioned about Big Sky is it gets colder than other US resorts. My stay last February the chairs were delayed from opening 90 minutes because it was -20 F. And those lower temperatures don't necessarily mean good snow. Last season, conditions were no better than marginal most of the year. So to sum up Big Sky: Really expensive, really cold and inconvenient big mountain.
Was gonna check out Big Sky this season, but having to purchase the tram ticket on top of my full ikon pass is a huge turn-off and nixes the resort for me. I'll stay home in the Wasatch.
10:52 Just a note but early and late season ticket prices go as low as $98 if bought online. Skied there twice this year and never payed more than that for the base rate
Thanks for this video review. I’m going to Big Sky February 7-9 and it will be my first time out there, so I’m very excited! I see that they got lots of snow this season, so looks like a good year to go! ⛷️
Another awesome review, well done. Best review for this mountain I’ve seen. Been so keen to get here for years……..but the price is a gee up. Not for me unfortunately. I’ll stick with my usual haunts…..
Love your reviews - thank you and keep em coming! A curious but relatively insignificant point here though - how does a resort with almost 6,000 acres earn a 9 and not a 10 for size? It’s top 3 or 4 in North America, depending on exactly what’s counted. Outside of Whistler it’s really #2, considering Park City is really 2 resorts and a big chunk of Powder Mountains acreage isn’t lift serviced.
We made the call to set the threshold for a size score of 10 at 7,000 acres or higher. Under that criterion, only Park City (7,300 acres) and Whistler Blackcomb (8,171 acres) earn a 10 in that category. We decided on this splitter to signify how truly insane the size of these mountains is.
i would really love it if you could do the big 3-5 michigan which arguably are: mt bohemia, nubs nob, boyne mountain, boyne highlands/highlands ski area, schuss, and finally cabrefe peaks. i would also if you do decide to do any of these rankings make a video about nubs and boyne highlands similarly to the snobird and alta video you uploaded. thanks for any sort of consideration as i know these videos aren’t the easiest to create
I love all ski areas. The smaller ones are just as fun as the bigger ones. The bigger ones are usually more corporate. The smaller ones are more local run and relaxed.
They plan on replacing the tram with a much higher capacity one, this season being the last season ever for the current tram. The problem with putting a gondola up to the peak isn't terrain difficulties or engineering limits, but because the true summit is so small, it would become overcrowded if they installed such a high capacity lift. Some chokepoints or problems in a ski resort's lift system don't have an easy fix, and this is certainly one of them.
@@sorenjones I agree. There’s not enough space at the very peak to hold a lot of people. It’s not like Jackson Hole or Snowbird, where the trams stop on more of a ridge and people have some room to spread out. Also, the exposure up there to wind and cold really limits what can be built and maintained. It’s all above tree-line, and there really aren’t many natural contours to shield a different lift-line.
I haven't been to big sky in ages and was planning a trip this year but the lone peak upcharge is a big turn off. Probably gonna go to Jackson Hole instead unless they charge to hit Corbets now 😂
Great review! I wonder if the resort (or the Yellowstone Club resort) is mentioned in the TV series Yellowstone? Another reason to start watch that I suppose. :)
Bridger bowl would be a better option if their cat tracks weren’t so painfully slow and in some parts uphill! Otherwise I agree their terrain is fantastic.
@@jeffreyhusack2400No Different Than All The Rest Of The World Everywhere The Prices Go Up All But Our Pay Checks. I Certainly Don’t See Any Other Resorts Upgrading Their Old Chairlifts Like Big Sky Resort Has.
Bigsky fills in late, don't be mistaken by this review. Sharks are everywhere, sometimes even into February. Also, the yellowstone club isn't anything special in regards to skiing; Unless you like ultra wealthy private clubs that pollute waterways and take advantage of visa workers, you aren't missing out.
0:18 can you explain me what do mean with ¨footprint¨, searched but no luck with understanding what you mean with it. English is not my native language. Cheers
I agree with most of these points with and would probably lower the score on lifts and crowd flow. even with the overpriced lift tickets and season pass, the resort is slammed beyond belief. facilities are pretty trash too. with tram access I'm surprised you didn't give the resort a 10 for challenge, having the steepest inbound run in North America with the little couloir and class 6 which has a mandatory 50-60 ft drop.
I'm surprised with their 9 ranking for challenge with tram access too. Very good points with Little Couloir and the 50°-60°drop on Class 6. As a complimentary support for Little Couloir, it's bigger sibling, Big Couloir, has the title for longest, steepest inbound run in North America with over 1,400 Vertical and steeps ranging 40°-50°+ throughout the run.
@@travisfetters8765I wish GoPros where around when I got to straight line big (well at least from half way up) on my snowboard in a fresh 4-5ft of snow. It was a Tuesday, we got 2-3ft overnight and on my way up to work at the Yellowstone Club I just called in sick and went snowboarding lol. The storm came from the north so it blew the 2-3ft of measured snow into Big Couloir causing it to stack 4-5ft in there. I did six laps before I saw anyone else up there with me that wasn’t patrol. Best day on a snowboard for me in my life.
I lived in Bozeman for two years and had a seasons pass to BS. Great mountain. If they lack one thing, it is better grooming. Knock down some those unruly bump runs so it doesn't get too out of control. Not all, mind you. The powder will blow your mind.
I will say that Big Sky Commitment for their Ropeway Infrastructure is So Far Ahead of Any Other Ski Resort in North America. Having 3 Brand New Bubble Chairlifts, Powder Seeker 6, Swift Current 6, Ramcharger 8 along with the Huge Addition ➕ To The Brand New Addition Of (2) 75 Person Glass Bottom Tram Cabins For Lone Peak and the Following Year Will Be The Addition of The 2 Stage Gondola 🚡 System. Also D Line.
I think visiting the big European resorts would blow many American skiers' minds lol. Big sky is "huge" for a us resort with 5850 acres, whereas 3V in France has 26,000, and has a vertical of 1900m. You will find that in Europe the tree line is much lower, so less glade and tree skiing, most of the good skiing is above the tree line, and the way the resorts work is very different. You don't get the 'dangerous' terrain with obstacles on pistes in Europe, but European blacks do compare to the American double black mogul fields and bowl runs. Ofc that dangerous terrain still exists, but it's off piste and so usually requires a guide, since in Europe there are no resort boundaries, just the marked pistes, and everything else is off piste and not patrolled or avi controlled.
I ve skied most all these resorts at least once if not many times, I like your reviews, don't agree with your ranking in particular Alta as # 1 it s too crowded on dumbs and hard to get to up cottonwood canyon ..... all good
Been skiing here since 1995 some changes are ok but too many now 22/23 the more they keep changing & building the more they have to keep changing. Many came here for what it was it now has become too modernized, now they have the big ugly blding at top of Swift Current ,destroying the natural view. Some people think they are making things better , I think not
Looks great from a skiing perspective but trash from a getting there/navigating. Regardless, the terrain is probably enough for me to justify the trip.
While I generally like your reviews, I completely disagree with your navigation rating. A 3? I have skied at Big Sky a few times and others that you have reviewed and Big Sky is massive, but I had ease navigating to where I wanted to go.
It fully depends on what parts of the mountain you are trying to go to. If you stick to the main areas (Mountain Village base, Ramcharger, Swift Current, Powder Seeker, etc.), we agree that it's pretty straightforward. But we feel it's really when it comes to the other resort areas, such as Dakota/Shedhorn and the former Moonlight Basin and Spanish Peaks areas, that getting around becomes a mess. These zones make up a substantial portion of Big Sky's footprint, and the difficulties accessing them reduces their practical utilization for many guests. Hope this helps explain our rationale, and let us know if we missed anything!
@@PeakRankings Why not a 5 or a 6? You just said yourself that the majority of the skiing area is fairly simple and takes you to one of the 4 major lifts. The area that you listed is bigger than most ski resorts.
@@seanj2370 the main areas discussed only make up about 40-45% of the skiable footrprint; our last message may have been unclear on that, so that is our bad. The other, more difficult-to-navigate areas make up the majority of the resort. Since such a substantial portion of the resort is a pain to get around, we landed on the assessment we did.
Not sure why you weigh navigation to spanish peaks so heavily since only a very small minority of guests actually stay there. There is no point of skiing to and from spanish peaks other than for lodging.
Big corporately owned resorts just get more nauseating every season. Worse and worse. The sport of skiing and enjoyment isn't the focus. The focus is how to remove people from the maximum amount of money.
These videos are well done and informative. Please, please get the guy wearing the Peak Ranking jacket a ski lesson. His skiing is abysmal and thus distracting.
Wow, just the first half of this tells you how valuable it can be for a family to be at a reasonably sized ski area where everyone can meet. "Wayfinding" ... that is the Architectual term for the profession of putting up signs that allow users to "find their way" should be ashamed.
Skiing is just getting too expensive to enjoy. The industry is gravitating to the bigger mountains with the higher prices. While the lesser mountains are closing. Sad. So I will not be skiing overpriced mountains like this one. Sorry.
Big sky has no snow and is a not fun place to ski. Jackson Hole has way better snow id recommend going there and avoiding Big Sky at all costs. Rock Sky is more like it
CORRECTION: We accidentally included Mammoth in our Rockies rankings at the end of the video! As @scottbrizzolara8607 correctly pointed out, Mammoth is on the West Coast, and should not have been listed.
I wish you could filter your rankings to which things matter to each user. For example, my family is mostly intermediate (blues/blacks) and challenge is not something we would travel to a mountain for. Example 2: we have too many people for the lodges so an Airbnb usually makes the most sense so the lodging score would be filtered out. This way we could see the best mountain for our individual “wants”. All in all I absolutely love y’all for doing the research and ranking accordingly. Thanks for all the hard work and let me know if you are planning on adding a feature like this on the website.
@@alexgianino2394 that is a fair point, we will be creating web/video content that is more specific to certain individuals in the coming months.
@alexgianino2394 if you are thinking about skiing Big Sky and have a lot of people, you could find an airbnb at Island Park. It's not far from Big Sky. And probably alittle cheaper. As far as terrain goes Big Sky has a good variety of it. Weekends are always busy no matter where you go. I've been to all the resorts in Wyoming and Montana numerous times because I live close by. If you are intermediate skier with some expert runs Big Sky is hard to beat. Through it's gotten more expensive. I have my favorite place to ski down the road a bit. Best powder skiing I've been in.
You guys make very informative and good mountain reviews. Glad to lend a hand if it means more informed skiers and boarders out there!
yo glad to see you here
As a skier of 30 years+, skiing has become way too much of a luxury sport from these corporate owners. I could care less about restaurants and fancy amenities, I care only about the snow and terrain. Ski independent family owned resorts, they keep it real!
Absolutely! I’ve loved skiing at Big Sky, but they are becoming more and more fat-headed!
Yeah! I always bring a sandwich to eat on the chairlift. I try to spend as little money as possible at resorts when I go.
@Justin M.
Where are the family owned hills?
Hard to come by
@@colewilliams9134 Well I don't know if these are officially family owned, just not Epic/Ikon....but Wolf Creek, Silverton, Monarch, Sunlight, Powderhorn in CO are are 'local' and pretty reasonably priced
In Utah, Beaver, Powder, Brianhead
@@TheUndergroundbeats Maybe worth checking out these spots.
My fear is that Vail resorts will monopolize and make everything unaffordable, and price out the competition, where family owned hills will go out of business
These reviews are so great, keep up the amazing work!
Great review and super insightful! I have Big Sky on my list for February so I really appreciated this video 🙏🏻
Thank you!
Always look forward to your reviews!
Thank you for your clarity on the pluses and minuses. I enjoy your reviews. Great job.
Lets go! This channel is the best account on youtube doing ski resort reviews, and the videos are always great quality and informative!
Yes yes yes yes yes! I’ve really been waiting for this one.!
Great review! I only skied Big Sky once, but was amazed by its terrain!
Thank you! Big Sky's terrain is really quite something.
Excellent breakdown! Went here February 2020 and experienced everything you noted regarding signage, pricing(how expensive it can be), the crowded lifts and open lifts. Would still love to go back but will need a solid week to experience 75% of the mountain.
Thanks for the kind words Stefan!
Great job reviewing Big Sky! I totally agree with everything you said about it. Been skiing there since the late 80s. Back when there was just a plain chairlift to the top of Lone Peak. Boy things have changed over the years. Looking forward to seeing more of your channel. Subscribed
Thanks so much!
Never did they have a chairlift to the top of lone peak
@infowarrior9 well I rode it in the late 80s and early 90s. Probably have a picture of it still. We always stayed at a condo in Island Park for a week at a time. Snowmobiled and skied.
this is a great review. very well done. Going to Big Sky has always been a dream of mine. One day I will get there.
Clear & unbiased, my expectations are complete.
I worked at Big Sky in 1992. It was an experience I will never forget. It wasn't glitzy. There wasn't a lot to do at night, but the snowboarding was amazing. People went there for the conditions and the lack of crowds. I went back with my family in 2022 for the first time since 92. It has definitely changed. I know that's obvious. I'm not talking about the tram and overall growth, it just didn't feel like the same place. The cost of everything and the crowds was a bit much. The up-charge for the tram is annoying. Something else that wasn't mentioned in this review is there was also an option to pay $45 extra to get on Ramchager 1 hour earlier. Talk about nickle and diming! Also, when went, there had not been any snow in a while. It was worse than east coast skiing and I am not exaggerating. Exposed rock everywhere. They cannot control the snow though and we got very lucky with snow that started the day we arrived. Overall, my family had a blast. Things change and that' life. For what they charge, I think the problems mentioned in this review could be addressed to justify the cost.
I rarely see any videos from Big Sky with great snow. It looks like it could easily get blown off. The upper steep terrain looks great. The up-charge makes me not want to go. Then again they want people with deep pockets. I am more of a value person.
Not what I expected it but way better!!!
Liked!!
Subscribed!!!
This is the best resort I’ve skied out of 15+ big destination resorts in the Rockies, Sierra Nevada and Alberta, Canada. Huge resort, long and wide trails, good chair lift system, and good snowfall most years. Mammoth Mountain is my 2nd place (so far).
Great review!
A crazy coincidence I have with your comment is I'm an east skiier and last year I went out west for the first time to mammoth. I'm a decent skier and skied just about every trail including the blacks with some limitations because it was spring skiing. I absolutely loved it as well. The crazy part is I'm going to big sky for my spring break this year. Im superrr excited.
@@maxwelllockett9872 my man! You will have gone to the two best, trust me I’ve been all over. Enjoy Big Sky! Some of those runs go on forever and ever that’s what I really liked about it, the vertical length.
The nightlife / ski town isn’t much (head to downtown Bozeman) but the mountain itself can’t be beat.
@@jasono.1629 you’re a beauty. thanks for the reply bro
Love these - Such high quality content! I'd love to see one for Sun Valley!
Thank you - Sun Valley is in the pipeline!
@@PeakRankings ❤🎉
@@PeakRankings SV should be your first resort to get a 10 on lifts and 9 on crowd flow, best setup I've skied. Lodges are basicly the same as Snowbasin.
Dude I just got home from Sun Valley. It is a great mountain. Prob my fav
@@joshcallen4838 I hated snow basin. Snow valley is amazing. Lifts are great and i agree. No lines!
Love the content, thank you very much. One series I think would be great would be a “how to” on how to get to prominent “hike to” terrain at top resorts
Thanks for the suggestion! We are hoping to do a deep dive into the toughest inbounds hikes in the near future.
Nice review. I'll point out that the places you praise for holding powder are the same ones you critices for being hard to reach. That's precisely why they hold powder and I'm hoping Big Sky never changes this.
Snow was great out there today!
I lived in Bozeman and Big sky in the early 2000’s… there were plenty of days where it was just myself and 3-4 other skiers lapping the tram and big couloir all day. My season pass cost me about $700 and had full mountain access… pass went up to $900 when Moonlight opened and joined up so you could access that side of the mountain as well.
I never had an issue with crowds or lift lines in the ten years I call Big Sky my home mountain… the last time I rode (yes I’m a snowboarder) Big Sky was around 2010 though :/…
I got old and moved back to flat Minnesota.
My impression as a senior lifetime skier is Big Sky has what I'm looking for with reliable fresh snow, low crowds and a friendly welcoming vibe, a comprehensive lift network if you do your homework ahead, as I have. I'm near the end of my youth in later years, I want to meet the challenge if a doable expert terrain on top of my Europe, Utah history. I'm psyched!
awesome, love these videos.. Jackson Hole next please!
My son Calvin Ricklick works here on the south side. He loves it! I like that his boss looks after him while I’m not there.
Great review. Excellent
You have to do one on Killington.
It’s the beast of the east.
Already did one
Have been coming for 5 years now and still solve it so much
This is great content! New sub!
Having worked Big Sky for a few years following high school back starting in 2016, getting to ride Big Sky without having to pay Big Sky prices was one of the best perks ever.. Hearing how the tram works now i sure regret never having been a tram operator. im very jealous of my buddies flynn, jacob, taylor and chad who got to ride that terrain without having to wait in line every single day. even working for the resort being there 7 days a week all season tram lines were always just too much for me. in my two seasons i think i made my way up top twice, maybe three times.. i spent a bit of time operating tram the summer i worked there. but obviously thats just for scenic tours
Your rankings are missing a "value" category for which Big Sky would receive a 3. It is the most expensive public resort in the US. With the tram ticket it's over $300 a day just for the lift ticket. There is no affordable lodging nearby. The least expensive room anywhere near the resort was $500 a night. Most rooms are closer to $1000 / night. Staying in Bozeman means a hour plus drive if the highway is passable. And of course food is super high at Big Sky, good but really expensive. Yes- other resorts like Deer Valley, Jackson Hole and Aspen are really expensive too. But there are ways to ski at those resorts without dropping $1000 a day on food and lodging. Another thing that should be mentioned about Big Sky is it gets colder than other US resorts. My stay last February the chairs were delayed from opening 90 minutes because it was -20 F. And those lower temperatures don't necessarily mean good snow. Last season, conditions were no better than marginal most of the year. So to sum up Big Sky: Really expensive, really cold and inconvenient big mountain.
This place is great I am 12 and have been here multiple times, it’s so fun and i love it
Big Sky is epic!
Was gonna check out Big Sky this season, but having to purchase the tram ticket on top of my full ikon pass is a huge turn-off and nixes the resort for me. I'll stay home in the Wasatch.
10:52 Just a note but early and late season ticket prices go as low as $98 if bought online. Skied there twice this year and never payed more than that for the base rate
Big Sky is so sick
i love the informative vids! have you made a whistler one yet?
Not yet, but we're returning this season!
Thanks for this video review. I’m going to Big Sky February 7-9 and it will be my first time out there, so I’m very excited! I see that they got lots of snow this season, so looks like a good year to go! ⛷️
Thanks- have fun out there!
Another awesome review, well done. Best review for this mountain I’ve seen. Been so keen to get here for years……..but the price is a gee up. Not for me unfortunately. I’ll stick with my usual haunts…..
Thank you! When it comes to lodging, try to go with a large group for the best deal.
could you do a bromley resort reveiw? Its my home mountian
Love your reviews - thank you and keep em coming!
A curious but relatively insignificant point here though - how does a resort with almost 6,000 acres earn a 9 and not a 10 for size? It’s top 3 or 4 in North America, depending on exactly what’s counted. Outside of Whistler it’s really #2, considering Park City is really 2 resorts and a big chunk of Powder Mountains acreage isn’t lift serviced.
We made the call to set the threshold for a size score of 10 at 7,000 acres or higher. Under that criterion, only Park City (7,300 acres) and Whistler Blackcomb (8,171 acres) earn a 10 in that category.
We decided on this splitter to signify how truly insane the size of these mountains is.
Montana has the fluffiest powder ever! I’m from Utah but since snowboarding here it’s not the same when we get powder days here.
that mountain looks nuts have u ridden here
Go back once they build the new lone peak tram!
Great content! Have you guys thought about going to Taos Ski Valley?
Yes! We already visited and will have a video up soon!
In the meantime, here's our written review: www.peakrankings.com/content/taos
Headwaters is life
High scores in all the right areas. If you can afford a ski in ski out house here, this is the best mountain in the world.
i would really love it if you could do the big 3-5 michigan which arguably are: mt bohemia, nubs nob, boyne mountain, boyne highlands/highlands ski area, schuss, and finally cabrefe peaks. i would also if you do decide to do any of these rankings make a video about nubs and boyne highlands similarly to the snobird and alta video you uploaded. thanks for any sort of consideration as i know these videos aren’t the easiest to create
also i left out how truly informative your videos are. they really help to set future destinations based on your insights
I love all ski areas. The smaller ones are just as fun as the bigger ones. The bigger ones are usually more corporate. The smaller ones are more local run and relaxed.
Is there some sort of engineering reason why they can't just build some sort of detachable gondola up to the peak?
They plan on replacing the tram with a much higher capacity one, this season being the last season ever for the current tram. The problem with putting a gondola up to the peak isn't terrain difficulties or engineering limits, but because the true summit is so small, it would become overcrowded if they installed such a high capacity lift. Some chokepoints or problems in a ski resort's lift system don't have an easy fix, and this is certainly one of them.
@@sorenjones I agree. There’s not enough space at the very peak to hold a lot of people. It’s not like Jackson Hole or Snowbird, where the trams stop on more of a ridge and people have some room to spread out.
Also, the exposure up there to wind and cold really limits what can be built and maintained. It’s all above tree-line, and there really aren’t many natural contours to shield a different lift-line.
When are you doing Whistler Blackcomb?
I haven't been to big sky in ages and was planning a trip this year but the lone peak upcharge is a big turn off. Probably gonna go to Jackson Hole instead unless they charge to hit Corbets now 😂
Definitely get to JH before they follow suit!
Just another way to get money out of people
Jackson has plenty of great terrain that you don’t need the tram. It’s nice but not totally necessary.
Great review!
I wonder if the resort (or the Yellowstone Club resort) is mentioned in the TV series Yellowstone?
Another reason to start watch that I suppose. :)
Bridger bowl is a good hill its closer to Bozeman, cheaper and has plenty of terrain options
Bridger bowl would be a better option if their cat tracks weren’t so painfully slow and in some parts uphill! Otherwise I agree their terrain is fantastic.
@@Chrisdabeastman34 thats fair. I personally feel the price makes up for it
Every time they upgrade, prices go up too ,got to pay the the lift updates some how
@@jeffreyhusack2400No Different Than All The Rest Of The World Everywhere The Prices Go Up All But Our Pay Checks. I Certainly Don’t See Any Other Resorts Upgrading Their Old Chairlifts Like Big Sky Resort Has.
Bigsky fills in late, don't be mistaken by this review. Sharks are everywhere, sometimes even into February.
Also, the yellowstone club isn't anything special in regards to skiing; Unless you like ultra wealthy private clubs that pollute waterways and take advantage of visa workers, you aren't missing out.
0:18 can you explain me what do mean with ¨footprint¨, searched but no luck with understanding what you mean with it. English is not my native language. Cheers
It's basically the size of the mountain.
@@PeakRankings Thanks for that one. Hope to see you reviewing ski resorts in Chile
Will you ever be reviewing Whitefish?
Yes.
Go to showdown ski resort im an instructor there and it's an amazing mountain
As a local to big sky, I gotta say the snow sucks, the runs are boring, and most of the time it’s a pretty dull experience. Would not recommend
Lmaoooo
Ha ha ha! 😉
I agree with most of these points with and would probably lower the score on lifts and crowd flow. even with the overpriced lift tickets and season pass, the resort is slammed beyond belief. facilities are pretty trash too. with tram access I'm surprised you didn't give the resort a 10 for challenge, having the steepest inbound run in North America with the little couloir and class 6 which has a mandatory 50-60 ft drop.
I'm surprised with their 9 ranking for challenge with tram access too. Very good points with Little Couloir and the 50°-60°drop on Class 6. As a complimentary support for Little Couloir, it's bigger sibling, Big Couloir, has the title for longest, steepest inbound run in North America with over 1,400 Vertical and steeps ranging 40°-50°+ throughout the run.
@@travisfetters8765I wish GoPros where around when I got to straight line big (well at least from half way up) on my snowboard in a fresh 4-5ft of snow. It was a Tuesday, we got 2-3ft overnight and on my way up to work at the Yellowstone Club I just called in sick and went snowboarding lol. The storm came from the north so it blew the 2-3ft of measured snow into Big Couloir causing it to stack 4-5ft in there. I did six laps before I saw anyone else up there with me that wasn’t patrol. Best day on a snowboard for me in my life.
Mammoth is listed as a Rockies resort at @13:34 fwiw
Oops! Thanks for flagging.
@@PeakRankings no problem. love your videos.
my quads are burning just watching the powder skiing
can you do a review of white fish Montana?
Once we get clear footage, it’s on the list!
I lived in Bozeman for two years and had a seasons pass to BS. Great mountain. If they lack one thing, it is better grooming. Knock down some those unruly bump runs so it doesn't get too out of control. Not all, mind you. The powder will blow your mind.
Can't believe you have Snowbasin ranked over Big Sky. Other then that your rankings make sense.
I will say that Big Sky Commitment for their Ropeway Infrastructure is So Far Ahead of Any Other Ski Resort in North America. Having 3 Brand New Bubble Chairlifts, Powder Seeker 6, Swift Current 6, Ramcharger 8 along with the Huge Addition ➕ To The Brand New Addition Of (2) 75 Person Glass Bottom Tram Cabins For Lone Peak and the Following Year Will Be The Addition of The 2 Stage Gondola 🚡 System. Also D Line.
Free the tram!
I think visiting the big European resorts would blow many American skiers' minds lol. Big sky is "huge" for a us resort with 5850 acres, whereas 3V in France has 26,000, and has a vertical of 1900m. You will find that in Europe the tree line is much lower, so less glade and tree skiing, most of the good skiing is above the tree line, and the way the resorts work is very different. You don't get the 'dangerous' terrain with obstacles on pistes in Europe, but European blacks do compare to the American double black mogul fields and bowl runs. Ofc that dangerous terrain still exists, but it's off piste and so usually requires a guide, since in Europe there are no resort boundaries, just the marked pistes, and everything else is off piste and not patrolled or avi controlled.
Another excellent video with stunning visuals. But couloir is pronounced KOO-wahr not ko-LORE
Appreciate the kind words- and noted for future vids 😅
220-240$ for a lift ticket, please who are they kidding. Unreal.
why are some of da runs rated triple black
According to Big Sky: "exposure to uncontrollable falls along a steep, continuous pitch, route complexity, and high consequence terrain."
@@PeakRankings So to translate that "Really Steep, Stays Really Steep, Rocks to hit and/or cliffs to fall off of if you miss a turn, Could Die".
@@andrewdiamond2697 "also avalanches"
'Scuse me while I kiss Big Sky.
Home of the $300 lift ticket 🤮
That used to buy a day of snowcat tours with a guide. Fuck skiing.
I ve skied most all these resorts at least once if not many times, I like your reviews, don't agree with your ranking in particular Alta as # 1 it s too crowded on dumbs and hard to get to up cottonwood canyon ..... all good
Been skiing here since 1995 some changes are ok but too many now 22/23 the more they keep changing & building the more they have to keep changing. Many came here for what it was it now has become too modernized, now they have the big ugly blding at top of Swift Current ,destroying the natural view.
Some people think they are making things better , I think not
Ello
If Big Sky gets a 9 for size, I doubt that it is possible for any resort to get a 10.
Whistler and Park City, which are both over 7,000 acres, have scores of 10.
@@PeakRankings Interesting. So only the largest ski area in each country (USA and CAN) gets a 10?
Looks great from a skiing perspective but trash from a getting there/navigating. Regardless, the terrain is probably enough for me to justify the trip.
While I generally like your reviews, I completely disagree with your navigation rating. A 3? I have skied at Big Sky a few times and others that you have reviewed and Big Sky is massive, but I had ease navigating to where I wanted to go.
It fully depends on what parts of the mountain you are trying to go to. If you stick to the main areas (Mountain Village base, Ramcharger, Swift Current, Powder Seeker, etc.), we agree that it's pretty straightforward.
But we feel it's really when it comes to the other resort areas, such as Dakota/Shedhorn and the former Moonlight Basin and Spanish Peaks areas, that getting around becomes a mess. These zones make up a substantial portion of Big Sky's footprint, and the difficulties accessing them reduces their practical utilization for many guests.
Hope this helps explain our rationale, and let us know if we missed anything!
@@PeakRankings Why not a 5 or a 6? You just said yourself that the majority of the skiing area is fairly simple and takes you to one of the 4 major lifts. The area that you listed is bigger than most ski resorts.
@@seanj2370 the main areas discussed only make up about 40-45% of the skiable footrprint; our last message may have been unclear on that, so that is our bad. The other, more difficult-to-navigate areas make up the majority of the resort.
Since such a substantial portion of the resort is a pain to get around, we landed on the assessment we did.
Not sure why you weigh navigation to spanish peaks so heavily since only a very small minority of guests actually stay there. There is no point of skiing to and from spanish peaks other than for lodging.
The fact that somehow Big Sky is ranked higher than Mammoth means you are using the wrong metrics to rate these places.
Big corporately owned resorts just get more nauseating every season. Worse and worse. The sport of skiing and enjoyment isn't the focus. The focus is how to remove people from the maximum amount of money.
These videos are well done and informative. Please, please get the guy wearing the Peak Ranking jacket a ski lesson. His skiing is abysmal and thus distracting.
Wow, just the first half of this tells you how valuable it can be for a family to be at a reasonably sized ski area where everyone can meet. "Wayfinding" ... that is the Architectual term for the profession of putting up signs that allow users to "find their way" should be ashamed.
Worked at big sky for 3 years. Great place, people and mountain. Hate the .1%’s ruining the vibe tho. Total elitist Attitude with the richy rich
Don’t ski big sky, go to ski Colorado
Or California.
Montana skier here.
1. Whitefish Mountain Resort
2. Big Sky
It’s not even close to be honest. Big Sky is so boring.
Plenty of places better then Big Sky.
Skiing is just getting too expensive to enjoy. The industry is gravitating to the bigger mountains with the higher prices. While the lesser mountains are closing. Sad. So I will not be skiing overpriced mountains like this one. Sorry.
I don't know how Arapahoe Basin made the list at all,..it's tiny. Short runs like a ski hill in Michigan.
Big sky has no snow and is a not fun place to ski. Jackson Hole has way better snow id recommend going there and avoiding Big Sky at all costs. Rock Sky is more like it
I agree that place is total garbage, go ski in California