Coming back here reminiscing. I love this video and did a lot to inspire me. This last year did the Shedhorn race at big sky. Hiked to the peak on the ridge line opposite this one. Skied down the big couloir then did this exact hike to first fork. All as fast as I could. Won first place u18 and third place overall. Thanks for your kind words and sick video. Listened to all these song while warming up for the race.
Coming back here reminiscing. I love this video and did a lot to inspire me. This last year did the Shedhorn race at big sky. Hiked to the peak on the ridge line opposite this one. Skied down the big couloir then did this exact hike to first fork. All as fast as I could. Won first place u18 and third place overall. Thanks for your kind words and sick video. Listened to all these song while warming up for the race. Love this shit
Thanks! The snow was not bad really. It dumped on Big Sky pretty hard for 3 days while there. It just got quite warm (sticky) in the afternoons: it was April after all. The snow had bonded to the layer below pretty well, but as it warmed up I did begin to worry about the slide potential. You might notice (1) that I cut an area out of the snow to put my skis on so I could also use it as a quick check on the most recent snow strata and (2) that I kept working to skiers right in the upper bowl area after a few turns. I wanted to have that rock line/ridge as a quick escape in the event a slide started. I could tell from the hike that there was a ton of talus under the snow and I didn't want any part of getting tumbled in snow and loose rock--and I didn't want to send any down on the guys below. If you haven't been to Big Sky, definitely put it on your A-List. Awesome place. Had a follow-up trip planned last spring, but COVID hit. Fingers crossed for this season.
FINALLY!!!!!! A skier who skis to The Floyd!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just an AWESOME CHOICE OF MUSIC. Talk about ENTERTAINING! Loved it!!!! Guess we know what you'll be skiing to when you do "The Wall" at Kirkwood!!!! THANK YOU!!! Life at it's BEST!!!!!!! I usually have Zepplin's "Trampled Under Foot" going through my brain when skiing the top of Mammoth. "I can't stop talkin' 'bout LOVE!!!!"❤❄⛄🎿
Thanks. Ha! You nailed it for Kirkwood. I would probably rock Mother to that one, especially if it just got hit with blower powder and there's a nasty lip/cornice that has to be beaten a few times with the poles. Glad you enjoyed it. You have given me another goal fellow PF fan.
@@scvidjr4098 dude that video was awesome. Great views and you educated me on sharks. And you learning curve isn’t a steep as that mountain you shredded.
Thanks for the kind words Tom. The way this season is shaping up, I wish more people would listen to their better angels and at least follow the advice of the avalanche centers if they're not going to get or use avy training (or hire a guide) to plan routes on the way to risk mitigation in the side/backcountry.
Nah, the hiking footage is actually useful asf to those unfamiliar with this area of Big Sky. For example, today (first day ever at Big Sky) I attempted to put my skis on and drop in at one of the sketchiest possible areas (somewhere between Hellroaring and Jack Creek), not realizing that not far ahead, the pitch leveled out SO much up on top and I would have easily been able to get my skis on. I deadass thought I was going to fall to my death trying to get them on, and was also alone. Knowing what to expect would have done wonders. Am I just an idiot for hiking up without a partner and without knowing what lay ahead? Maybe. But in my defense, I've done so many solo hikes now and I haven't had one where putting on my skis was anywhere NEAR this sketchy.
1. Never skied it b4 that. 2. First time on those skis. 3. Taking it all in. 4. About my 6th day back to skiing after a 25 year hiatus. 5. Assessing snow: Avy risk was really increasing with warming temps. Seeking good snow in safe line. 6. Saw people below me. 7. Taking it all in. 8. Was skiing solo and couldn’t afford to let a thinly covered rock take me out. 9. Didn’t take a break after the hike (was worried about temps and avy risk) and jumped right in (so legs were toast). 10. Was taking it all in. 11. Came from sea level. B/w that and hike, legs were spent. 12. I’m no longer 21 years old with no responsibilities, no dependents, no cares and no sense of real risk vs reward.. 13. See 1-12 above. If the snow is good next time I’m there, I’ll have a better sense of the line and more time on skis-so I’ll ski without so many breaks.
Major respect for the hike. Legit knee shaker. Was at the headwaters today watching patrollers ski cutting. You def had about 30 feet more of snow than today. No way that the forks could be skied too to bottom like you did without traversing around rocks and cliffs. Also, wtf is with the taboggan up top (half way through your video). If you fall, you end up at lone tree lift 1000 feet down. No way they can help a torn acl down that face!!!!
Thanks MDAB. Very true that some parts of that hike are no fall zones: long vertical drops w/ cliffs along the way. I get U may be joking about the sleds on the ridge. If not: I don't want to speak for Big Sky Patrol but I believe those sleds are strategically placed based on historical need & can be lowered down from the ridge via anchor points (using a belay tactic). Both sides of the ridge can be skied (if open): bowl/tram/Powder Seeker side and Headwaters side. The sled when u first crest is roughly @ Three Moons chute above the Pinnacles, so it could service everything from the hip (Pinnacles & glades below, Country Club, etc) to A-Z Chutes, & Hdwtrs Bowl to Hellroaring. The sled in the saddle just around/past Jack's Creek could service both sides of the ridge from JC-Hdwtrs & from Parachute westward on the South (tram) side of the ridge. Maybe your question presents an opportunity. I'll see if Big Sky Patrol wants to offer up a few comments on the subject for us. I know they use belay tactics to harness up and descend into The Big Couloir from a gimbal by the Tram station, so why not anchor and belay down the ridge at Headwaters? Oh...and sorry the snow wasn't better for you. It's still nice to ride Six Shooter and study/marvel at the Hdwtrs on the ride up.
fr tho. I still stand by my original point that some of the skiing felt choppy, but the hike in was really good. I still cant believe how you managed to hike like that with full confidence and be so quick. Personally, I think the hike is sketchier than three forks as a ski trail.
Hey Charles. I should probably qualify my response so as not to give you the wrong impression. I certainly exercised my due diligence before taking on the hike. But (1) this was my first time making the trek; (2) I was hiking solo; (3) I made a couple of stops at saddle points to hydrate, confirm that my due diligence matched my actual experience, cool off, and take in the views; (4) examine different lines that I might want to ski in the future; and, (5) check the cam battery. Also, I did not time the hike. I guess it took me maybe 40 minutes from the point where I strapped my skis on my back to the point where I removed them to put back on. It can be done faster for sure. You can see in the video where a couple of other hikers pass me by at various saddle points. They knew the hike well and were in better hiking shape (altitude-wise). I would say they probably did the same hike in about 30-35 minutes. Of course, besides familiarity/experience with Headwaters, other factors that would influence hike times include weather conditions, snow depth, slow hikers in front of you, fast hikers behind you, conditioning, your level of comfort with the more difficult/edgy/technical sections of the hike, knowing exactly which line you want to take, etc., etc.
@@scvidjr4098 cool thanks. I have thought about hiking all the way to three forks and was wondering how long it takes. I hiked a little on the ridge before to fire hole so not very far. It would definitely take me a while because I am from the east coast so I am not used to doing much hiking in my ski boots and the elevation difference between big sky vs upstate NY would also slow me down. Thank you for the response I will take all that into consideration if I hike three forks. Thanks for the great video.
Well you've done the hardest part then (the hike up to the ridge) as far as stamina goes. The rest of the hike is more technical without much more altitude gain. I'm a fellow East Coaster too (at least I was at the time I did it): I literally went from a hot, humid 7 feet above sea level to hiking Headwaters in a matter of days--so, if I could do it...you can too. Also, the year I did this video (at least the day I went), there were not many people making the hike. However, I went back this past spring and it was an ant hill up there---even with the snow conditions being a little sketchy. If you go back, and the activity remains the same as last season, you'll have plenty of company up there with you.
@@scvidjr4098cool. Yeah, I have heard the big sky has been discovered. Okay cool thanks for all this information I might give it a go next time I am at big sky.
Ha. Yeah. Actually, left of the spine on the ridge is steeper. The left side has mostly vert-to-near vert drop ins b4 taming down a bit. However, it was closed b/c it had not been cleared for avys. The slope I skied in 3 Forks ranged from 40-52 degrees in the top 2/3 of the line.
Blue skies. But I think you mean skis. I give my boot and ski types at the start of the video, but they are an older version of the Rossi S7s with Rossi Axial bindings. They are 188 length. Side cut = 145.5/115/123 mm. with artwork by Will Barras. All of my other skis are Head skis. The Rossi's were a gift and that day was my first day skiing them. I love them though. They are my go to skis on powder days. Some complain that they have too much chatter in the shovels, but they aren't meant to be daily drivers. As I like to say, 'Don't by a pontoon party boat to cruise the lake and then complain that it doesn't throw a good wake for water skiing and wakeboarding.'
Sorry for delayed response, but this was really posted for some friends and I haven't visited it much to keep up. Can't say for sure on the distance. First time at Big Sky and first time hiking it. Did it solo, so I focused more on the 'where am I going' than the 'how far is it' aspect. If I had to guess, I would say it was maybe 3/4 of a mile from the top of the Challenger Lift to where I dropped in? Coming from seal level, it might as well have been 10 miles. I def should have rested longer at the top before dropping in. My legs were en fuego even tho I was skiing very conservatively--quite obviously.
@@scvidjr4098 I agree. I did this hke today (also coming from TX/sea level) and I was GASSED every 50 meters or so during the steep parts. I'm talking "I'm about to collapse" level gassed, not just "I'm tired of hiking and want to rest". However, I will say that this hike was nothing compared to the hike to "Six Senses" at Breckenridge. That hike is not only long, sustained steepness, but also 3500 feet higher elevation. I think I actually DID collapse like 5 times during that one. Not even close to as scary though.
Thanks Charles! It would not exist if it wasn't for a rather remarkable Big Sky Patrol staff. I don't know a single one of them; however, I saw their work while I was there and they are a top notch crew.
@@scvidjr4098 they are. I hiked the ridge to fire hole not very far compared to three forks and it is insane how extreme it is and how cool it is that ski patrol is willing to work so hard to make it safe for the public to go up there and ski it. Tons of respect to them.
Thanks man. It's not quite the hike /climb that Fantasy Ridge is at Solitude, but it has some hairy spots, especially when I was just getting back into skiing and that was my first hike to ski in 25 years. I had hoped to do a vid of the Fantasy Ridge climb/hike--or at least Evergreen Peak/Ridge---and video skiing a chute down from the ridge last spring, but COVID shut things down. If we can get enough snow (fairly weak snow season so far) between now and early spring, I'll do one and post it on here.
I understand now why he filmed the hike! Yet another Big Sky video with no powder conditions. That makes 5 out of 6 now that I have seen on youtube with shitty conditions.
We actually had somewhere between 50-60" of fresh powder that (last) week. Made fresh tracks in boot cuff deep powder 1st thing am on same day this was recorded. Also, either the day before or two days before I recorded this video, I made about 10 sets of fresh tracks in knee deep powder in the bowl served by the Powder Seeker lift--I just kept lapping it, taking Turkey Traverse and hitting lines between Blackrock Gulley and Exit-Chute. Paradise had shin deep powder as well. I can't speak for others, but I tend not to do videos of powder days. (I don't do that many period.) For one, the push to get to the powder and enjoy it with no distractions before it gets tracked out makes me less inclined record the runs. Second, first person powder skiing vids often don't turn out that great. Maybe if you use a selfie stick or some other apparatus it captures the full effect better, but I don't do the selfie sticks and I don't like rigging myself up with camera extensions. IMHO, powder skiing looks best when seen from a second person perspective; that is, when it is recorded from another vantage point. You just can't get that when skiing solo. That said, I have seen some nice 1st person vids of powder runs that are chocked full of nice powder pillows, which you get more of at resorts with lots of large boulder-type rocks like at Jackson Hole. If you like those types of vids, try searching for 'powder day' in Washakie Glade or Grizzly Glade or Alta Chutes, Casper Bowl, Expert Chutes, etc. @ Jackson Hole; or, any 'powder day' at Alta or Snowbird. Alta-Snowbird loyalists like posting the powder day vids. As I am sure you are aware, Alta, Snowbird and JHMR also average about 100+ more inches of snow than Big Sky per year.
@@scvidjr4098 You went to a lot of trouble to write about a sample size of videos that I am seeing that show wind scoured conditions. People want to film powder days. This leaves me to believe that Big Sky, being an isolated peak, loses a lot of it's powder due to wind displacement.
@@DoNortSleepIn2024 I just wasn't sure where you were coming from Tom. I didn't know if you hadn't been there and were watching vids on the way to making a decision whether or not to visit Big Sky, or if you generally don't like Big Sky, or if you were just searching for vids with powder skiing. If the first, I just wanted to point out that we did have some powder days. If the second, well...that's just a personal preference thing. If the latter, I wanted to point you in a direction to find some pretty cool powder vids. For sure every mountain has its pluses and minuses, from certain wind-loaded peaks and faces to powder that's sometimes good for 2-3 hours in the morning before it turns into Sierra cement or mashed potatoes to peak season temps or crowds that can make you say, 'No thanks.' Neither am I knocking powder skiing vids in general. I'm just not the best at capturing them, especially on clear days with good viz. My luck has been such that it is still dumping when I can hit the mountain on those powder days, or, as this season has gone, it dumps every day and night before a day that I am working. Best of luck finding that powder! Maybe you can find some room for Japan on you bucket list and hit some major POW?!
Coming back here reminiscing. I love this video and did a lot to inspire me. This last year did the Shedhorn race at big sky. Hiked to the peak on the ridge line opposite this one. Skied down the big couloir then did this exact hike to first fork. All as fast as I could. Won first place u18 and third place overall. Thanks for your kind words and sick video. Listened to all these song while warming up for the race.
Coming back here reminiscing. I love this video and did a lot to inspire me. This last year did the Shedhorn race at big sky. Hiked to the peak on the ridge line opposite this one. Skied down the big couloir then did this exact hike to first fork. All as fast as I could. Won first place u18 and third place overall. Thanks for your kind words and sick video. Listened to all these song while warming up for the race. Love this shit
Huge respect for the hike in, and I appreciate your look-out for others. Shame the snow wasn't better. Well done.
Thanks! The snow was not bad really. It dumped on Big Sky pretty hard for 3 days while there. It just got quite warm (sticky) in the afternoons: it was April after all. The snow had bonded to the layer below pretty well, but as it warmed up I did begin to worry about the slide potential. You might notice (1) that I cut an area out of the snow to put my skis on so I could also use it as a quick check on the most recent snow strata and (2) that I kept working to skiers right in the upper bowl area after a few turns. I wanted to have that rock line/ridge as a quick escape in the event a slide started. I could tell from the hike that there was a ton of talus under the snow and I didn't want any part of getting tumbled in snow and loose rock--and I didn't want to send any down on the guys below. If you haven't been to Big Sky, definitely put it on your A-List. Awesome place. Had a follow-up trip planned last spring, but COVID hit. Fingers crossed for this season.
FINALLY!!!!!! A skier who skis to The Floyd!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just an AWESOME CHOICE OF MUSIC.
Talk about ENTERTAINING!
Loved it!!!! Guess we know what you'll be skiing to when you do "The Wall" at Kirkwood!!!! THANK YOU!!!
Life at it's BEST!!!!!!!
I usually have Zepplin's "Trampled Under Foot" going through my brain when skiing the top of Mammoth.
"I can't stop talkin' 'bout LOVE!!!!"❤❄⛄🎿
Thanks. Ha! You nailed it for Kirkwood. I would probably rock Mother to that one, especially if it just got hit with blower powder and there's a nasty lip/cornice that has to be beaten a few times with the poles. Glad you enjoyed it. You have given me another goal fellow PF fan.
I watch a lot of ski videos and this was one of the best. Hike was insane bro thanks for showing. Great tunes as well.
Thanks Marty! It was my first time doing a video and posting it--so there was def a steep learning curve.
@@scvidjr4098 dude that video was awesome. Great views and you educated me on sharks. And you learning curve isn’t a steep as that mountain you shredded.
Thank you for posting the video. You should be a guide - fantastic job with the hike and then skiing!
Thanks for the kind words Tom. The way this season is shaping up, I wish more people would listen to their better angels and at least follow the advice of the avalanche centers if they're not going to get or use avy training (or hire a guide) to plan routes on the way to risk mitigation in the side/backcountry.
def fast forward the hiking
Nah, the hiking footage is actually useful asf to those unfamiliar with this area of Big Sky. For example, today (first day ever at Big Sky) I attempted to put my skis on and drop in at one of the sketchiest possible areas (somewhere between Hellroaring and Jack Creek), not realizing that not far ahead, the pitch leveled out SO much up on top and I would have easily been able to get my skis on. I deadass thought I was going to fall to my death trying to get them on, and was also alone. Knowing what to expect would have done wonders.
Am I just an idiot for hiking up without a partner and without knowing what lay ahead? Maybe. But in my defense, I've done so many solo hikes now and I haven't had one where putting on my skis was anywhere NEAR this sketchy.
Why stop every 50 yards?
1. Never skied it b4 that.
2. First time on those skis.
3. Taking it all in.
4. About my 6th day back to skiing after a 25 year hiatus.
5. Assessing snow: Avy risk was really increasing with warming temps. Seeking good snow in safe line.
6. Saw people below me.
7. Taking it all in.
8. Was skiing solo and couldn’t afford to let a thinly covered rock take me out.
9. Didn’t take a break after the hike (was worried about temps and avy risk) and jumped right in (so legs were toast).
10. Was taking it all in.
11. Came from sea level. B/w that and hike, legs were spent.
12. I’m no longer 21 years old with no responsibilities, no dependents, no cares and no sense of real risk vs reward..
13. See 1-12 above.
If the snow is good next time I’m there, I’ll have a better sense of the line and more time on skis-so I’ll ski without so many breaks.
Major respect for the hike. Legit knee shaker. Was at the headwaters today watching patrollers ski cutting. You def had about 30 feet more of snow than today. No way that the forks could be skied too to bottom like you did without traversing around rocks and cliffs. Also, wtf is with the taboggan up top (half way through your video). If you fall, you end up at lone tree lift 1000 feet down. No way they can help a torn acl down that face!!!!
Thanks MDAB. Very true that some parts of that hike are no fall zones: long vertical drops w/ cliffs along the way. I get U may be joking about the sleds on the ridge. If not: I don't want to speak for Big Sky Patrol but I believe those sleds are strategically placed based on historical need & can be lowered down from the ridge via anchor points (using a belay tactic). Both sides of the ridge can be skied (if open): bowl/tram/Powder Seeker side and Headwaters side. The sled when u first crest is roughly @ Three Moons chute above the Pinnacles, so it could service everything from the hip (Pinnacles & glades below, Country Club, etc) to A-Z Chutes, & Hdwtrs Bowl to Hellroaring. The sled in the saddle just around/past Jack's Creek could service both sides of the ridge from JC-Hdwtrs & from Parachute westward on the South (tram) side of the ridge. Maybe your question presents an opportunity. I'll see if Big Sky Patrol wants to offer up a few comments on the subject for us. I know they use belay tactics to harness up and descend into The Big Couloir from a gimbal by the Tram station, so why not anchor and belay down the ridge at Headwaters? Oh...and sorry the snow wasn't better for you. It's still nice to ride Six Shooter and study/marvel at the Hdwtrs on the ride up.
fr tho. I still stand by my original point that some of the skiing felt choppy, but the hike in was really good. I still cant believe how you managed to hike like that with full confidence and be so quick. Personally, I think the hike is sketchier than three forks as a ski trail.
How long did the hike take
Hey Charles. I should probably qualify my response so as not to give you the wrong impression. I certainly exercised my due diligence before taking on the hike. But (1) this was my first time making the trek; (2) I was hiking solo; (3) I made a couple of stops at saddle points to hydrate, confirm that my due diligence matched my actual experience, cool off, and take in the views; (4) examine different lines that I might want to ski in the future; and, (5) check the cam battery. Also, I did not time the hike.
I guess it took me maybe 40 minutes from the point where I strapped my skis on my back to the point where I removed them to put back on. It can be done faster for sure. You can see in the video where a couple of other hikers pass me by at various saddle points. They knew the hike well and were in better hiking shape (altitude-wise). I would say they probably did the same hike in about 30-35 minutes.
Of course, besides familiarity/experience with Headwaters, other factors that would influence hike times include weather conditions, snow depth, slow hikers in front of you, fast hikers behind you, conditioning, your level of comfort with the more difficult/edgy/technical sections of the hike, knowing exactly which line you want to take, etc., etc.
@@scvidjr4098 cool thanks. I have thought about hiking all the way to three forks and was wondering how long it takes. I hiked a little on the ridge before to fire hole so not very far. It would definitely take me a while because I am from the east coast so I am not used to doing much hiking in my ski boots and the elevation difference between big sky vs upstate NY would also slow me down. Thank you for the response I will take all that into consideration if I hike three forks. Thanks for the great video.
Well you've done the hardest part then (the hike up to the ridge) as far as stamina goes. The rest of the hike is more technical without much more altitude gain. I'm a fellow East Coaster too (at least I was at the time I did it): I literally went from a hot, humid 7 feet above sea level to hiking Headwaters in a matter of days--so, if I could do it...you can too.
Also, the year I did this video (at least the day I went), there were not many people making the hike. However, I went back this past spring and it was an ant hill up there---even with the snow conditions being a little sketchy. If you go back, and the activity remains the same as last season, you'll have plenty of company up there with you.
@@scvidjr4098cool. Yeah, I have heard the big sky has been discovered. Okay cool thanks for all this information I might give it a go next time I am at big sky.
Nice work. One of the better big sky videos.
Was the slope on a tilt? You look way more comfortable at the top turning left than right lol.
Ha. Yeah. Actually, left of the spine on the ridge is steeper. The left side has mostly vert-to-near vert drop ins b4 taming down a bit. However, it was closed b/c it had not been cleared for avys. The slope I skied in 3 Forks ranged from 40-52 degrees in the top 2/3 of the line.
Great Tunes!
Thanks JP. Glad you enjoyed them.
Just curious (if you happen to check comments again), what kind of skies?
Blue skies. But I think you mean skis. I give my boot and ski types at the start of the video, but they are an older version of the Rossi S7s with Rossi Axial bindings. They are 188 length. Side cut = 145.5/115/123 mm. with artwork by Will Barras. All of my other skis are Head skis. The Rossi's were a gift and that day was my first day skiing them. I love them though. They are my go to skis on powder days. Some complain that they have too much chatter in the shovels, but they aren't meant to be daily drivers. As I like to say, 'Don't by a pontoon party boat to cruise the lake and then complain that it doesn't throw a good wake for water skiing and wakeboarding.'
@@scvidjr4098 😂 Blue skies are the best! Thanks for all the info!
how long is the hike
Sorry for delayed response, but this was really posted for some friends and I haven't visited it much to keep up.
Can't say for sure on the distance. First time at Big Sky and first time hiking it. Did it solo, so I focused more on the 'where am I going' than the 'how far is it' aspect. If I had to guess, I would say it was maybe 3/4 of a mile from the top of the Challenger Lift to where I dropped in? Coming from seal level, it might as well have been 10 miles. I def should have rested longer at the top before dropping in. My legs were en fuego even tho I was skiing very conservatively--quite obviously.
@@scvidjr4098 I agree. I did this hke today (also coming from TX/sea level) and I was GASSED every 50 meters or so during the steep parts. I'm talking "I'm about to collapse" level gassed, not just "I'm tired of hiking and want to rest".
However, I will say that this hike was nothing compared to the hike to "Six Senses" at Breckenridge. That hike is not only long, sustained steepness, but also 3500 feet higher elevation. I think I actually DID collapse like 5 times during that one. Not even close to as scary though.
next time stop side slipping and "sharks" wouldn't be an issue...
PF Animals! Nice!!
This is a really cool video
Thanks Charles! It would not exist if it wasn't for a rather remarkable Big Sky Patrol staff. I don't know a single one of them; however, I saw their work while I was there and they are a top notch crew.
@@scvidjr4098 they are. I hiked the ridge to fire hole not very far compared to three forks and it is insane how extreme it is and how cool it is that ski patrol is willing to work so hard to make it safe for the public to go up there and ski it. Tons of respect to them.
Holy shit man that hike looks kind of scary good job man
Thanks man. It's not quite the hike /climb that Fantasy Ridge is at Solitude, but it has some hairy spots, especially when I was just getting back into skiing and that was my first hike to ski in 25 years. I had hoped to do a vid of the Fantasy Ridge climb/hike--or at least Evergreen Peak/Ridge---and video skiing a chute down from the ridge last spring, but COVID shut things down. If we can get enough snow (fairly weak snow season so far) between now and early spring, I'll do one and post it on here.
10:15 lol
Yes. There must have been enough yellow snow up there at some point that they felt they needed to add a sign.
I understand now why he filmed the hike! Yet another Big Sky video with no powder conditions. That makes 5 out of 6 now that I have seen on youtube with shitty conditions.
We actually had somewhere between 50-60" of fresh powder that (last) week. Made fresh tracks in boot cuff deep powder 1st thing am on same day this was recorded. Also, either the day before or two days before I recorded this video, I made about 10 sets of fresh tracks in knee deep powder in the bowl served by the Powder Seeker lift--I just kept lapping it, taking Turkey Traverse and hitting lines between Blackrock Gulley and Exit-Chute. Paradise had shin deep powder as well.
I can't speak for others, but I tend not to do videos of powder days. (I don't do that many period.) For one, the push to get to the powder and enjoy it with no distractions before it gets tracked out makes me less inclined record the runs. Second, first person powder skiing vids often don't turn out that great. Maybe if you use a selfie stick or some other apparatus it captures the full effect better, but I don't do the selfie sticks and I don't like rigging myself up with camera extensions. IMHO, powder skiing looks best when seen from a second person perspective; that is, when it is recorded from another vantage point. You just can't get that when skiing solo.
That said, I have seen some nice 1st person vids of powder runs that are chocked full of nice powder pillows, which you get more of at resorts with lots of large boulder-type rocks like at Jackson Hole. If you like those types of vids, try searching for 'powder day' in Washakie Glade or Grizzly Glade or Alta Chutes, Casper Bowl, Expert Chutes, etc. @ Jackson Hole; or, any 'powder day' at Alta or Snowbird. Alta-Snowbird loyalists like posting the powder day vids. As I am sure you are aware, Alta, Snowbird and JHMR also average about 100+ more inches of snow than Big Sky per year.
@@scvidjr4098 You went to a lot of trouble to write about a sample size of videos that I am seeing that show wind scoured conditions. People want to film powder days. This leaves me to believe that Big Sky, being an isolated peak, loses a lot of it's powder due to wind displacement.
@@DoNortSleepIn2024 I just wasn't sure where you were coming from Tom. I didn't know if you hadn't been there and were watching vids on the way to making a decision whether or not to visit Big Sky, or if you generally don't like Big Sky, or if you were just searching for vids with powder skiing. If the first, I just wanted to point out that we did have some powder days. If the second, well...that's just a personal preference thing. If the latter, I wanted to point you in a direction to find some pretty cool powder vids. For sure every mountain has its pluses and minuses, from certain wind-loaded peaks and faces to powder that's sometimes good for 2-3 hours in the morning before it turns into Sierra cement or mashed potatoes to peak season temps or crowds that can make you say, 'No thanks.'
Neither am I knocking powder skiing vids in general. I'm just not the best at capturing them, especially on clear days with good viz. My luck has been such that it is still dumping when I can hit the mountain on those powder days, or, as this season has gone, it dumps every day and night before a day that I am working. Best of luck finding that powder! Maybe you can find some room for Japan on you bucket list and hit some major POW?!