Hello everyone, what a special treat this weekend, guests of the resort offered to submit their very own "The Way I Ski It". I hope their inspired words bring even more submissions from guests and visitors, after all, as much fun as it is to ski and write about it, I think we all deserve different perspectives of what this mountain means to them. We welcome all submissions so without further ado . . . enjoy! Dax
Today’s post is void of any industry big-wig names typical to Dax’s posts. This is a guest post submitted by an average everyday family visiting Big Sky for a holiday vacation. Meet the Warrner Family from Orlando, Florida…
Our family has been coming to Big Sky for 20+ years with many experiences and memories accumulating over that time. Our children, who started on the rope tow as toddlers, now easily out-ski their parents. This year we introduced the next generation of our clan to Big Sky Country and experienced our first Christmas on the slopes.
Our annual ski vacation is like meeting up with an old friend. Seeing the resort again is always a highly anticipated and welcomed occasion. Everything is familiar, yet just like catching up with an old friend, there are small changes to discover during the stay.
The first run of our first morning is always Mr. K. Immediately upon getting off the Swift Current lift we noticed the first change. During the off season the resort did some excavation work to increase the grade on the section that wraps around the mountain to get you to the run. Instead of laboring through a walk there is a nice gentle slope to speed you along. A big thumbs up on that improvement!
At the top of Mr. K our family split into two groups. The conservative stayed on the main run while the adventurous jumped directly into the natural half-pipe to test their reflexes. Both groups came away satisfied. The team in the pipe whooped and hollered as they cut their tracks through the curves and then proceeded to make their own trails through the woods back to the base area. Those back on the main trail enjoyed the entire run as it was perfectly groomed with an inch of fresh powder on top of the packed corduroy.
From there it was a succession of rapid fire loops as we all lobbied to visit our old favorites. Following Mr. K was Calamity Jane, Lobo, and a trio of runs over on the Southern Comfort lift. A dash over to the Iron Horse runs completed our morning efforts. Mother Nature had cooperated splendidly as she prepped for our arrival with well over three feet of base on the mountains, as well as a foot of fresh snow in the three days preceding our arrival.
As usual, the entire resort was devoid of lift lines which made it possible for us to explore all this territory and more before lunch. The top-notch condition of the slopes, the perfect temperature with lightly falling snow, and the festive holiday spirit of both fellow skiers and workers made for a remarkable first day back on the mountain.
Our final lap left us satisfied and tired, with additional memories to reflect upon. Our stories were recounted in the hot tub as we relaxed our spent muscles. No one could think of a better way to spend Christmas Day and we all looked forward to what tomorrow would bring.
The Warrners
