chadx Posted January 27, 2007 Report Share Posted January 27, 2007 Since we moved out here last summer, anytime anyone is in the Big Sky / Moonlight Basin area, let me know. I have super flexible work schedule, so should be able to head to the mountain almost any day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnstewart Posted February 10, 2007 Report Share Posted February 10, 2007 How's the snow doing at Big Sky? I'll be there tomorrow afternoon, and in my packing I need to take the bindings off of one of my boards (so I'll be committing to riding the other one). My Axis 177 I don't care about rocks as much... however I'd like to give my Prior ATV 171 a try on a real hill (but I'm going to be uber-paranoid about base damage). If I stick to the in-bounds stuff, is it all covered well? thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chadx Posted February 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2007 Hey John, I'm packing to head up the mountain right now. Last week, there were a few places that were skied off, but they've received about 8 inches in the last few days and it's still snowing, so coverage should be pretty good. Are you doing a half day Sunday? At Big Sky or Moonlight? I know you are pumped about your ATV, but you might want to hold off the first day to scope things out on the Axis. I'm sure coverage will be good after this snow, but better safe than sorry. I'll be on the mountain first thing tommorrow, so if you want to meet up Sunday rather than waiting until Monday, just give me a call. I gave you my cell number. Otherwise we'll get together Monday morning. I'll be on my Axis 182 this weekend with a silver topsheet. Burnt orange jacket, black pants and helmet. Camelback is either orange or blue depending on the day. I also printed you some coupons. You have to go to the ticket office with someone with a season pass (like me) or a frequency card, but if so, they give you the full day Big Sky ticket for the half day rate of $59. You might have other arrangements already, but I'll have them with just in case. I'm leaving in about 30 minutes to head up and will have limited email access while up there. See you this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjvircks Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 Hey Chad ! I'm going to be at Big Sky, available to ride Sun 4th thru Fri 9th. Our club has 4 days of tickets for each of us... if possible I'd like to score cheap tickets for the other 2 days, providing I don't wuss out or get hurt. What are present conditions like? Can we believe the website propaganda? Brad (Not packing any powered cutting tools) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chadx Posted February 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 Hi Brad, I'll make sure I'm around. Sunday will be the best bet for some of the other local carvers to be out on the mountain. I'll probably try and do Sunday and Monday. For deals, I have coupons where a person gets a full day for a half day price if they are with someone with a season pass or a frequency card. Saves $10. If you have a Costco membership, you can get 3-day Big Sky and 2-day Moonlight Basin tickets on the cheap. Just search the Costco.com website for Big sky lift tickets or Moonlight lift tickets. Believe the snow reports. The lack of snow is finally over. Besides a wind storm that blew off some of the steaps a week ago (they are now well covered again) it has been snowing anywhere from 2 - 10 inches a day for the last couple weeks. It's actually snowing so hard today, we are heading back down the mountain rather than going out (low/no visibility). See you next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjvircks Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 Thanks, Chad you miss Chicago?? Do locals use FRS radios? Channel(s)? Do you know anything about the Big Horn Condominiums? Thanks for the info about ticket options. What I plan on doing is using up the club tickets (I've already paid for 'em... may as well make certain I use 'em) then try to barter for any unused days within the membership. (I'm not Costco) Are there any rentable gear lockers at the base suitable for boards/skis? I was just out in Idaho (Silver Mtn), stayed 1/2 mile from base of gondola and walked to/from. I rented a locker at the lodge at the top of gondola and kept 2 boards, skis & other misc stuff there. Was ultra-convenient! I've got a trailmap (its at home right now, I'm at work)... what are good runs for a somewhat rookie carver? Best regards, Brad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chadx Posted February 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 Do I miss chicago? Nah, not really. 3 years there was plenty. We lived right downtown, which made it more convenient since we never had to bother with driving in the madness. I walked two blocks to work. Having grown up (18 years) in Minnesota then another 11 in the St. Louis, MO metro area, I knew the city thing was only going to be a few year thing. Fun while it lasted, but don't really miss anything about it except the friends. Luckily, our core friends have also always come to big sky and one couple decided to come out and spend the entire ski season out here. The Bighorn condos are nice. Most of them have a one car garage, too. We have friends with one of them. If you don't already have a map of the village center area, check out this link http://www.bigskyresort.com/aboutbs/bs_ch_abs_map_mou.asp Once there, you can open up a full size map that prints out pretty nice. I'm not sure if any of the local boarders (the few there are) use a specific channel. We usually just spot each other. Robert and Lynn are out most every weekend and mainly run Andesite mountain (Robert, if you are reading this, look for us Sunday). Andesite is has the best runs for carving, I think. Lone Mountain has fun runs, too, but often not quite as wide for the entire length of the runs. Still plenty of fun runs there, too. I've not rented the tall lockers in the locker room, but I think they will fit several boards and boots. In the 6 years we were coming out here on vacations, we sometimes rented the little box lockers just for our boots and would carry our boards/skis back and forth. Now our condo is so close we just walk. Those lockers are a good bet. Also, they also have the outdoor slopeside storage for skis and, I think, boards. It means your sticks sit outside, but still a pretty convenient option. As for good runs, as mentioned, many are on Andesite. From the village, that is Ramcharger lift that gets you up there. Then, depending on which runs you use, you'll use the Southern Comfort lift, Thunderwolf lift, or Ramchargerlift. My favorite runs over there are El Dorado (a wide consistant green that boards nicely), Elk Park Ridge (a long blue that offers plenty of places to drop off the side if you want some bumps), and then the south side blue runs of Ambush, Tippy's Tumber, and Silver Knife. All with nice pitch, fairly wide, and consistant. On Lone Mountain, you'll mainly use the Swifty lift. I like Calamity Jane and a few others. If you venture over to Moonlight Basin, I like Elkhorn, Meriwether and Lookout. If there is one day that you end up just wanting to run for only an afternoon, I suggest Moonlight. I think there afternoon half day passes are $35 and you can explore everything over there in about a half day pretty easily. It's a 5 minute drive from the Big Horn condos and I think they also have shuttles if you don't want to drive. You can also traverse back and forth pretty easy if you have tickets for both places. If not, and you shuttle over, you can traverse back over to Big Sky, from Moonlight, without having to ride any Big Sky lifts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnstewart Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 Agreed on the Andesite recommendation. More consistent pitch, plenty steep, and more than long enough for my midwest legs (Elk Run is actually really long, and I never made it down without multiple rests). The groomers off Lone Mountain were in spots nice, but with too many flats, IMHO, for decent carving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjvircks Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 Most excellent infomation ! Good on ya, Mate! (with my best attempt at an Aussie accent) The village map is much appreciated. From the looks of the layout... from our club condo I'll probably use the Bear Back Poma and then slide down to Ramcharger. What condition is the Poma track usually? Can a carving rig handle it? At Steibis in Germany I got good on T-bar with my softboot setup. Or maybe I should just plan on walking to the base of Ramcharger. You mentioned a locker room and outside storage. I'm guessing the locker room is in the 'Village Center' building and the outside storage (locked up at night?) nearby. True?? I've been looking at the trailmap and finding the runs you've mentioned. I'm getting slightly giddy with anticipation. I just got back from a week at Silver Mtn, Idaho. Somewhat of a bust. (Lifts down, closed early, no visibility, wet condtions, no company) I plan on Big Sky restoring my spirits. Best regards, Brad edit: Looks like El Dorado run is prime for showboating under the Southern Comfort lift! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjvircks Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 Hey John... sorry our trips missed each other. I'll try to make it a point next season to get to the regional hills the Wisc, Mn, Ill carvers use. What hill do you call home? Brad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnstewart Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 I ride at Tyrol Basin; it's not a great hill, but it's convenient (only a few minutes from Madison). Definitely give me a shout if you're in the area! johnS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chadx Posted February 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 Brad, I can't comment on the Poma lift. I've never used that, or any, poma lift before. Once you are at the top, you'd be good to go, but as for the lift path itself, I can't comment. Yes, the locker rooms are in the building labeled Village Center and the tall lockers for rent are your best bet. The outside storage I mention is a 10' by 20' exposed-to-the-elements cage that sits outside right by the main lift area. Many people leave their skis locked in there overnight so they don't have to carry them around. In the morning, just walk up to the cage and the attendant hands you your skis. I've never really paid attention to see if they have slots for boards, too. El Dorado is, indeed, a place to showboat. I'm not quite good enough to get much attention, but when I've been running with a particular husband and wife team, all I hear is "Dude! Check that out" or "Hey, can you do that again so my buddy can see!". Pretty fun to ride up the lift and look down at their 4 inch deep (or more) trenches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjvircks Posted February 28, 2007 Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 got good on T-bar with my softboot setup Using a T-bar duckfoot on softies is pretty easy when the tracks are fairly uniform. Must quickly learn about proper T placement or else pinch But I wonder about stability on a 20cm wide board with 60 deg stance.I don't plan on doing any showboating unless I have a quantum leap in abilities. I fully expect to be tugboating and occaisionally submarineing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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