Welcome to Mike’s BigHorn 62 blog.

My first blog is about Big Sky the area. I have been coming to Big Sky since the late 1980’s. The thing that never leaves you about Big Sky is the specter of Lone Peak. As you leave the city of Bozeman and start that incredible 45 minute drive up the Gallatin River Valley your breath is literally taken away by the beauty. Your anticipation continues to grow as you wind thru each turn. Finally as you approach the Conoco gas station you know that Lone Peak is about to reveal herself to you. It is customary for all in our group to loudly greet her with a hearty hello each and every visit. As you wind your way up the 12 miles to our place you will pass by the meadow area that holds the golf course for fun in the summer and a lot of shops and restaurants as well. You will also see a lot of beautiful homes nestled in this vast mountain wilderness. Eventually you will make it past Lone Mountain Ranch, a cross country ski Mecca, and now that you are getting really close. There may be a few more fun curves in the road and if it is snow covered then get ready for some great skiing. As you make your way to the Mountain village you will turn left and drive past little lake Lavinsky. This tiny lake serves as the reservoir for all the spring melting as that water makes it down to the rapids of the Gallatin River. When you come the T in the road go left  and then continue to the right past the ? (our good friends beautiful home. Go to the third drive on the right just past the poma lift to 62 Running Bear Road. WELCOME!

There are many great places to stay in Big Sky and depending on your needs and budget you should be able to find a good match. I would never be so bold as to tell you that our place is the perfect place for you but it has been for us. The reason we wanted to be here is because it fits so many of our requirements. First it is ski-in/ski-out, now I know some people are loose with this term but I can honestly say that in my last 50 ski days you can count on 1 hand the number of times I did not ski in and out. But if you so choose you can also make the easy walk to the poma some 50 yards away. The poma wraps around the Summit Hotel and leaves you right at the base area between the Ram Charger and Swift Current chair lifts. You are also right where you can buy lift tickets; drop kids off for ski school get your own lesson, get lunch or meet for après’ ski. From here you can get to anywhere on the mountain you might want to explore (I will talk about skiing the mountain in a later blog).

All the restaurants and shops of the main mountain village are an easy 5-10 minute walk depending on where you want to visit. You also can drive to other areas be it up to Moonlight or back down to the meadow area for some pizza at Milkies or Mexican at La Lunas. For groceries we always recommend you buy at the Albertson’s in Belgrade for the best prices and selection but if you need or want a local spot we go the Country Market in the meadow. They will even have your groceries delivered to meet you on your arrival. The bottom line is that the further up the mountain you go the more expensive everything gets!

If you have never been to Big Sky it is important to understand the different areas. As I previously mentioned there is the meadow area some 9 miles down from the ski hill. There are some great places and generally they are less expensive. There are also many choices for shopping and eating. The only real downside is the drive up and down the mountain each and every day. Another area is the Lone Moose area that has some ski-in/ski-out places. This is the lowest lift served area and is the first to close in warmer conditions. It is not part of the main mountain village and can prove logistically problematic at the beginning or end of the day. Moonlight is another Ski-in/ski-out area with some wonderful views. It also is not part of the main mountain village and can cause some logistical issues in getting around the mountain. However it does house the incredible Moonlight Lodge with a great restaurant and deli which I frequent quite often.

Here are my recommendations for places to visit.
Breakfast = Mall Cafeteria
Lunch = Deli at Moonlight
Après ski = Whiskey Jacks for people watching and Mr. Hummer’s for fun!
Dinner = The Cabin, Mr. Hummer’s , and Andiamo’s
Non- skiing = Yellowstone, Dog sledding, Snowmobiling.