CHET HUNTLEY & BIG SKY, INC. CONCEPTUALIZE BIG SKY RESORT
Upon retiring from nearly 15 years of NBC’s nightly “Huntley‐Brinkley Report,” Chet Huntley returned to his Montana roots and began conceptualizing Big Sky Resort. On March 20, 1974, just three days before the dedication of Big Sky Resort, Chet Huntley passed away from lung cancer.
Read Chet Huntley’s Obituary
LIFTS OPEN FOR FIRST WINTER OF SKIING AT BIG SKY RESORT
Big Sky Resort opened for its first winter season in 1973. The Huntley Lodge and Mountain Mall served skiers looking to explore its four lifts: Andesite, Explorer, Lone Peak, and the first Gondola.
EVERETT KIRCHER PURCHASES BIG SKY RESORT
After Chet Huntley's passing, Everett Kircher purchased Big Sky Resort in 1976, adding to the Boyne Resorts family-owned properties. As a visionary entrepreneur, Everett had a profound influence on skiing across all of North America. Everett Kircher's legacy is immortalized in Big Sky's community and throughout the resort.
Read Everett Kircher’s tribute in the US Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame
MAD WOLF INSTALLED
In 1978, the Mad Wolf double chairlift was installed on Andesite Mountain. Mad Wolf substantially increased total skiable acres, as well as enhanced the intermediate and expert terrain offered at Big Sky Resort.
FIRST MAJOR SNOWMAKING SYSTEM INSTALLED
Boyne Resorts, a pioneer in the snowmaking industry, began installing what was at the time a state-of-the-art snowmaking system on key runs on Andesite and Lone Mountain.
GONDOLA II BUILT
Gondola II opened, providing additional access up Lone Mountain from Mountain Village.
CHALLENGER LIFT INSTALLED
The installation of the Challenger lift in 1988 put Big Sky Resort on the map for its expert terrain and challenging steeps.
YELLOWSTONE CONFERENCE CENTER & SHOSHONE CONDOMINIUM HOTEL OPEN
The Yellowstone Conference Center added over 15,000 square feet of meeting, group, and conference-focused space to the area. The connected Shoshone Condominium Hotel added over 90 rooms to the resort.
SOUTHERN COMFORT & RAMCHARGER LIFTS BUILT
The Southern Comfort lift created access to over 225 acres of terrain on Andesite Mountain. At the same time, the Ramcharger High Speed Quad replaced Rams Horn. Together with the Thunder Wolf lift, Andesite has 50 named runs and connects Lone Mountain to the Spanish Peaks and Lone Moose areas.
BIG SKY RESORT PURCHASES MOUNTAIN LODGE
Big Sky Resort purchased the Mountain Lodge facility, which transformed into seasonal workforce housing units with pedestrian access to the resort. The Mountain Lodge campus included 174 beds, Big Sky’s first major step in acquiring housing dedicated to employees.
IRON HORSE TERRAIN EXPANSION
The addition of the Iron Horse quad chairlift and terrain added four new runs and expanded the original terrain boundary of the mountain. Today Iron Horse serves around 100 acres of terrain and connects the North and East faces of Lone Mountain.
LONE PEAK TRAM & SHEDHORN LIFT BUILT
A feat of engineering, the Lone Peak Tram was built in 1995. The extreme terrain challenged the entire ski industry’s idea of what was considered resort skiing. The Shedhorn double was also installed, adding a huge expanse of terrain as the first chairlift on the south side of Lone Mountain.
Watch: Celebrating 25 Years of the Lone Peak Tram
SWIFT CURRENT REPLACES GONDOLA II
Further increasing the capacity out of Mountain Village, the Swift Current high-speed quad replaced Gondola II.
SNOWCREST LODGE OPENS
Snowcrest Lodge in Mountain Village opened, significantly improving village amenities such as ticket sales, retail, Snowsports School, and childcare facilities.
LONE MOOSE TERRAIN OPENS
The Lone Moose Triple chair was installed in 1999 and created over 100 acres of additional terrain on Flatiron Mountain, connected by Southern Comfort and Thunder Wolf.
MOONLIGHT BASIN OPENS
Moonlight Basin ski resort opened for the 2000 winter season. This ski area stretched 1,900 acres, including the northern side of Lone Mountain. Moonlight Basin featured several lifts, terrain parks, and included a variety of terrain.
SUMMIT HOTEL OPENS
The Summit Hotel finished construction and opened for the 2000 winter season. This 10 floor, 222 room hotel sits slopeside to both Ramcharger and Swift Current lifts in the Mountain Village.
SOUTHERN COMFORT HIGH-SPEED UPGRADE
The Southern Comfort lift was upgraded from a fixed-grip triple to a detachable, high-speed quad over the summer of 2004. The new lift halved the ride time from over 12 minutes to 6.
DAKOTA TERRITORY EXPANSION
In 2007, the Dakota Triple added new streamlined access to the Dakota Terrain on the south side of Lone Peak. Previously accessible by the Lone Peak Tram, the new lift created a self-contained area with some of the mountain’s best glades and powder fields. Over 200 acres of terrain are served by the Dakota lift.
VILLAGE CENTER SUITES OPEN
The Village Center Suites opened for the 2007 ski season. This beautiful slopeside complex added 59 new hotel units, a boardroom, pool, and several new retail outlets and restaurants to the Mountain Village.
BIG SKY RESORT ACQUIRES MOONLIGHT BASIN
In October, 2013, Boyne Resorts purchased the resort of Moonlight Basin. This acquisition also included the ski terrain of Spanish Peaks and brought the total acreage of Big Sky Resort to over 5,850 acres.
MOUNTAIN BIKING EXPANSION
The summer of 2014 marked a milestone for mountain biking at Big Sky Resort. Several trails were added and existing downhill trails revamped off both Explorer and Swift Current lifts. More efforts over the past several years have expanded mountain biking to over 40 miles of trails.
EVERETT'S 8800 OPENS
Located on top of Andesite Mountain at 8,800 feet, Everett's 8800 is an elegant, rustic restaurant serving American alpine fare. Everett's 8800 is the most iconic on-mountain dining spot at Big Sky, with incomparable views of Lone Peak, an expansive deck and dining area with indoor/outdoor fireplaces.
BIG SKY 2025: A VISION FOR THE FUTURE INTRODUCED
Big Sky Resort's vision for the next decade was announced, including the near, mid, and long term plans for the resort through 2025 and beyond.
