Ski Big Sky & Jackson Hole

 

Had to take advantage of a 4 day weekend and do this trip missed last year. Added a staggering 96 miles to The Map.

  

Friday, December 31st, 2021 

Thanks to Southwest canceling my flight (yeah, I know, what a shock), got to Bozeman a half day late. Headed to Belgrade for The Mint, opened in 1904.

It's a hand cut steak kind of place, yet I went with their specialty of meatloaf.

   

After navigating 25 miles of windblown twisty Interstate, arrived in captivating Livingston.

         

Saturday, January 1st, 2022 

Of course I've been to Bozeman before.  It was -14.  

House made bison sausage, spinach, mushrooms, scallions, tomatoes & cheddar cheese. Hash browns made with Montana potatoes.

Drove south for an hour.

To Big Sky.  And yes, I ended up skiing that peak.

First checked out the Town Center.

And, surprise, a bakery.  Got an Energy Bar that ended up being lunch.

And then off to ski.

Big Sky, Montana 

My 33rd ski resort 

$241 lift tickets (for goodness sakes) 

323 trails 

4,350 vertical feet 

5,850 skiable acres 

39 lifts 

22% beginner, 25% intermediate, 35% advanced, 18% expert

 

The backside

 

It was negative 15.  Thankful for layers of technical wear from Patagonia, TNF, OR and Smartwool.

Looking at the runs on Andesite Mountain. 

 

Looking the other way at Lone Mountain.

 

On Lone Mountain.

Place is too crowded.

   

Yes, those are runs at the top of this picture.

   

 At the NW edge of Lone Mountain see all the mountains of this sprawling resort.  

This is a double black diamond run. It show how pictures do indeed flatten out steepness.

 

Looking back up at that same run.

 

On Andesite looking at Lone Mountain.

They have a lot of 6 passenger high speed lifts with heated seats and bubbles.

 

Warmed up to negative 5.  Do I stop to eat?  Nope, need to get my money's worth of runs!

 On Andesite looking at Spirit Mountain.

Over by Spirit seeing Lone Mountain.

Time to wrap the skiing up.  Long drive ahead.

 

Good bye.

  

  

Mountain Village.

   

 Stats for the day. 

The evening's drive to Jackson, Wyoming is supposed to take 3 hours. It took 5. 

 

Because of long stretches like this.

And most of it in the dark.

   

 Of course I've been to Ashton, Idaho before.

Steep grades at Teton Pass.

Jackson is one of my favorite towns.

It has a step in its western past.

It's touristy, without being kitschy.

 

Refined, yet inviting.  Like me.

 

2000, 2014 and 2022

   

 Sunday, January 2nd, 2022 

 Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.

Good morning Jackson.

 

Snow King Mountain Resort towering over the town square. But no, not skiing there.

Headed 16 miles NW to somewhere that has been on my list for 20+ years.

Welcome to Jackson Hole.

Been here in summer. Less snow.

Jackson Hole 

 My 34th ski resort 

 $209 lift tickets (egads) 

 131 trails 

 4,139 vertical feet 

 2,500 skiable acres 

 13 lifts 

 10% beginner, 40% intermediate, 50% expert

 

 

Waiting for the gondola to open.

 

On the way up.

Looking north to Apres Vous Mountain.

On Apres Vous.

Skiing above the clouds.

Yes, those are runs.

At Rendezvous Lodge looking at Headwall.

 

Rendezvous Mountain and the aerial tram.

Did all these runs. OK, except the ones with cliffs.

 

Laramie Bowl to the south on Rendezvous Mountain.

Tensleep Bowl.

 

Rendezvous Lodge from Rendezvous Mountain.

   

 

Too. Many. People.

   

 Late lunch in Teton Village.

   

 What would you pay for this bison burger. Twenty bucks.

 

Another look back.

So long JH.

 

The return to Bozeman took 6 hours. Teton Pass in daylight.

 

Stretch through remote Idaho.

Driggs.  Half of it.

Hours of this.

 

Good things the roads were clear...

 

  

Crossing through Ashton again, got cell service and a text from Southwest that my return flight was canceled. Rebook site wouldn't work, app kept crashing and the phone wait was 101 minutes. Southwest site worked showing all half dozen flights out of Bozeman were canceled, so booked the last seat on an American flight to Chicago. 

Monday, January 3rd, 2022

Flight wasn't until 12:45PM, but had to return the car at 6AM based on the CANCELED SOUTHWEST flight. Giving me 6 hours to explore the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport.

   

   

Which doesn't have overpriced food. Mixed greens (no lettuce, with spinach), house made pico, grass fed Montana beef for $12.  Was stuffed silly.

   

Was certain with the series of mishaps on this trip, the flight would be canceled and I'd be driving home to not miss work.

   

 

Somewhere over NE Iowa.

   

 

Greatest City In The World.

 

The ski tube has been all over without a scratch, until now.

 

 

 Standing in line for the baggage damage claim made me miss my bus back to MKE and home an hour later. But at least home.