Central Idaho Times

Ultimate College Ski Trip

We were in Bozeman for New Year’s, so being in town was a big factor for us. We were able to find a cute house just off Main Street on the East side of town, an excellent location for 5 college students. On our first night, we decided to check out Bozeman Spirits Distillery, suggested to us by a local. They had knowledgeable bartenders, who suggested many amazing signature cocktails, some including Montana’s huckleberry vodka and whiskey.

Other spots off Main Street that we enjoyed during our time in Bozeman included The Cider House and Montana Ale Works; enjoying sharing the queso blanco dip, kale caesar salad, mac & cheese, chicken enchiladas rojo, classic & local burger, and smoke stack burger. All received five stars from us! We spent New Year’s Eve bar hopping between El Camino, The Crystal Bar, and Rocking R Bar… all with rockin’ dance floors and fun crowds, what a way to ring in 2023.

Big Sky has its name for a good reason, being the largest resort in the United States, it did not disappoint. Both days started with good vibes, fresh powder, low visibility, and some pump-up parking lot jams. We were blessed with sunshine in the afternoons, being able to see that big sky we had heard so much about. There were beautiful scenic views visible from all over the mountain. The days we skied, we brought along clementines, uncrustables, granola bars and trail mix. They kept us away from the high cafeteria prices, and still fueled to shred.

Getting to the mountain from Bozeman was very feasible; the drive to the resort averages about an hour. We used the free parking lots and took the shuttle over to the base of the mountain. We never waited more than 10 minutes for the shuttle. As a resort, Big Sky had a plethora of terrain spanning over 4 different mountains. We were fortunate to know friends that offered to guide us around the mountain one of the days, but even without a guide, this mountain is super accessible.

Over our two days on the mountain we were able to explore a lot. We started on the Swift Current lift which easily led us to the right side of the mountain and explored the Iron Horse and Six Shooter lift. There are also great spots off of the Shedhorn lift on the back side of the mountain. One of our favorite spots easily became the runs off of the Challenger Lift like Midnight and Moonlight. Definitely do not miss out on this mountain; it is safe to say that all of us will be back!

Original source can be found here.