After having the opportunity to see Big Sky during the summer, we HAD to see it in the winter!
We chose February due to a lot of March and April plans for our group of 8. Traveling with others can oftentimes be difficult, so be sure to pick the right people! We will happily do this adventure again with this crew.
Day 1
6 of us flew together from Florida and 2 from Maryland. We were able to coordinate flight times and land in Bozeman within 30 minutes of each other, so it worked out great. We rented 2 Toyota 4Runners with AWD to be sure we’d make it up the mountain to our rental house in Moonlight Basin. The rental car counter was PACKED so always have your rental car reserved in advance!
One car headed straight for Big Sky to pick up rental gear and the other went to the Albertson’s in Bozeman to grocery shop for the week. The drive from Bozeman to Big Sky is about an hour. It snowed the entire time so we were a little slow (typical Floridians). We cooked at the house for dinner and had a great time catching up.
It also snowed all night, which made for lots of powder in the morning!
Day 2
The varying skill levels amongst our friends were perfect so that we could break up into groups on the mountain. 3 of us took lessons, 1 group went straight to the top, and another hung out on the greens. Half of us called it a day at lunch time and made our way back to the house so we could lounge in the hot tub. The other half stayed out all day.
That night was Super Bowl and we made allllll the food and relaxed at the house.
Day 3
The next day, half of us went dog sledding! This was my first time and I was in heaven. The powdery snow, the gorgeous pines covered in it, and THE DOGS! It seriously looked like we were in Narnia. The guide that I had was the best. He was so laid back and funny – it made the excursion even more fun. Half way through, they stopped and gave us cookies and hot chocolate – something we weren’t expecting!
After our excursion, we went straight back to the hot tub! For dinner, we picked up Riverhouse BBQ.
Day 4
After being separated for a day, the entire group went snowmobiling together. We followed a trail for about 6 miles that brought us to a wide open meadow. The guides let us go free and we got to race around as fast as we wanted. For most of us, it was our first time and we all had a blast! A few flipped their sleds but the guides were there to help.
The guys decided that it was their turn to cook dinner that night. They made pesto gnocchi with broccoli & red peppers (fancy schmancy).
Day 5
Mountain day! The less skilled group hung out at Madison Base and rode the greens. The skilled group went all the way to Loan Peak!
That night, we ordered from Ousel & Spur Pizza and celebrated two birthdays in our group with cakes from Blue Moon Bakery.
Day 6
Last mountain day! And the coldest I’ve ever been…. it was -1o – my hair, goggles, and eyelashes froze.
We made tacos for dinner and enjoyed our last night in Big Sky together. It was an incredible week spent with an incredible group of friends.
I’ve now been to Big Sky in the summer and in the winter. I’m in love with both seasons and recommend you try to experience both too!
Snowboarding lessons https://bigskyresort.com/mountain-sports/group-lessons-lp
Dog Sledding booked through Spirit of the North http://www.huskypower.com/
Snowmobiling booked through Canyon Adventures http://www.canyonadventuresmontana.com/
Rental gear through Grizzly Outfitters https://www.grizzlyoutfitters.com/
Riverhouse BBQ https://riverhousebbq.com/
Ousel & Spur Pizza Co. http://www.ouselandspurpizza.com/
Blue Moon Bakery http://www.bigskybluemoonbakery.com/
out of the office today 