Thread: Big Mountain Terrain??

I've been riding Big Sky, Bridger, and Red Lodge the past 17 years, but I have never made a winter trip to Big Mountain. A couple friends of mine went out there last winter and loved it, but they are mediocre skiers and like cruisers. I prefer the steeps. They want to go out there this January for a few days and I'm interested and checking it out since the price is pretty good, but I'm torn between exploring a new area or sticking with Big Sky/Bridger. I don't want to waste the money on a trip to Big Moutain if it is basically a Red Lodge of the North because I can ski and stay free at Red Lodge. Is Big Moutain's terrain worth the trip?

Einan, if you read this, I'll e-mail the info on the package deal we can get out there.

I'm not a great skier, but there seemed to be pretty good steeps at Big Mountain, especially steep stuff through the trees. Most of the steep sections are fairly short, though, then drop back onto groomers. There are also quite a few cliff areas that are beyond my abilities, but look fun if you have the skills.

mmmmmm, cliff's and tree skiing. i like

The steepest stuff is on the "front side" of the mountain. Look to the far right on the map for "Haskill Slide" and "East Rim." These are both steep with trees and cliffs.
http://www.bigmtn.com/assets/images/mainmap.jpg

Also Hellroaring Basin is all moderately steep to steep with variously spaced trees. Lots of fun stuff back there:
http://www.bigmtn.com/assets/images/hroarmap.jpg

Much of the North Side is flatter with the exception of some steeps dropping off the ridge at the top of Gray Wolf. Also note the area marked as "snowcat skiing." You can access this by skiing down Russ's Street, then hiking, or taking the t-bar and hiking, but the t-bar only runs on weekends.

http://www.bigmtn.com/assets/images/northside.jpg

I made these links since the images are fiarly big.

BIg mtn has great terrain all over the front...the trouble is you can hardly ever see it.

Yes, there tends to be some fog

BM is a decent place, but it has nothing like the Ridge or A-Z or the BS tram. If there's good snow, which is frequent, it's fun to ski all the glades and there's a lot of acreage.

If you've never been, you should go. But you should also hit Discovery's Limelight, Montana Snow Bowl and Castle, all within shot.

Thanks for the advice guys. Buster, we are actually going to be taking the train. This is a plus for me because every time we go on a trip anywhere I always get stuck driving since I have a Jeep and Thule, so the train would actually be a nice break. Sounds like I should probably check it out.

If the snow is decent, see if you can blast up to Castle for a day. You will be ahmahzed.

Einan is from Great Falls I believe. If he is home for the holidays we could maybe pull it off. Where is Castle? I've never heard of it.

Where is Castle? I've never heard of it.

There is no Castle, these guys are just yanking ya.
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Just Kidding, this is Castle:
http://www.ryantoyota.com/Move.html

http://www.castlemountainresort.com/ .
Cross the border W. of the park, like you'd go to Fernie, but then head east.

Wow, the Castle looks frickin' sweet.

There are a couple nice video clips from BM here:
http://www.bigmtn.com/index.cfm?acti...n=Winter_Video

ummm...yeah. you should go to the castle. how does the snow there compare to Whitewater/Red area?

Originally posted by Castro's
Thanks for the advice guys. Buster, we are actually going to be taking the train. This is a plus for me because every time we go on a trip anywhere I always get stuck driving since I have a Jeep and Thule, so the train would actually be a nice break. Sounds like I should probably check it out.

Which train Castro? How much from Bozeman?

Freak, there is no train out of Bozeman. The train runs through the northern part of the state. The closest place is Havre. Its actually a really cheap deal if you hop the train from Havre, but the problem is that you have to drive to Havre. The Amtrak runs from Minneapolis to Fargo, then north through Grand Forks and then west again to Minot, Glasgow, Havre, Shelby, Whitefish and on west.

ha, i didn't even know you could take a train through MT. how much are tickts usually?

The train is a pretty good option to get to Whitefish from Seattle, too. I think it leaves in the evening and gets into Whitefish just about when the lifts start running in the morning.

That said, I took the direct flight from Seattle to Kalispell on Horizon last year when I went. The one hour flight was more appealing than an overnight train trip

Originally posted by Castro's
Wow, the Castle looks frickin' sweet.

Yeah, that website looks damn fine... A buddy and I tacked a half-day at Castle onto the end of our week-long, cross B.C., ski road trip a few years back. Here's what I wrote at the time (note: this was mid-to-late February, 2000)...

...Silence remained for most of the drive as we continued on to Castle Mountain and a meeting with a guy named Spanky.

The road in was desolate but framed with peaks. Castle itself seemed to be at the very end and imposed itself quite nicely. We were there at around 11:30 so opted for a full day pass and damn the extra 5 bucks.

The french chick had arranged for us to yank Spanky out of the rental shop and show us around the mountain. This he tried to do, but with the summit chair temporarily closed, all he could show us was the lower mountain, which suffered from bulletproof conditions. A real shame cause it looked like the mountain had a lot to offer on a better day.

Things improved a few runs later, when the summit chair finally opened. Unfortunately Spanky had already gone back to work so it was up to T. and I to find our way around. This didn’t prove to be a problem as the mountain seemed very nicely laid out with everything (even the cat-track back) seeming to follow the fall line. From the top we basically just had to choose which chute we wanted to ski down. And with names like Desperado, Lone Star, Outlaw and Showdown, there was no mistaking what province we were in.

Here the Rockies live up to the postcard images we all have ingrained in our minds. Powerfully jagged rocks looming before, above and all around render us insignificant, and yet at the same time, seem to fill us with a feeling of importance simply for being there surrounded by this majesty. The very fact that we are there playing in a field of snow with blue sky and grey peaks as the background seems meaningful.

The terrain here is very susceptible to wind, which has it’s pros and cons. Pro: the snow is recycled so that up here we are still skiing in a couple inches of unmarked, wind-blown, powder. Con: the chairlift ride and traverse to the chutes can resemble an arctic hell.

Ultimately the pros outweigh the cons and we take a couple laps on the outer runs: Haavy’s Dream and Murphy’s Chute. We crank some tight jump turns on the upper sections of these runs and then let them glide down to the cat-track – laying down some big-ass powder eights on the run out.

We have a blast all day and marvel at the possibilities of this little known resort. The terrain and the scenery are very impressive, and we leave having skied a mere portion of it in and in less than ideal conditions. A couple days here with good snow would rival most any place in these parts and we vow to keep the name Castle Mountain in our heads.

Sick and ashamed and happy (and kinda lame, but it's what I wrote),
d.

Originally posted by Mountainman
ha, i didn't even know you could take a train through MT. how much are tickts usually?

Depends on where you leave from, but right now there are fairly inexpensive. Not much more than gas money if you drive a truck.

If anybody wants to get in on the trip we are gonna be skiing Jan. 6-9.

Originally posted by gincognito
Yeah, that website looks damn fine... A buddy and I tacked a half-day at Castle onto the end of our week-long, cross B.C., ski road trip a few years back. Here's what I wrote at the time (note: this was mid-to-late February, 2000)...

...Silence remained for most of the drive as we continued on to Castle Mountain and a meeting with a guy named Spanky.

The road in was desolate but framed with peaks. Castle itself seemed to be at the very end and imposed itself quite nicely. We were there at around 11:30 so opted for a full day pass and damn the extra 5 bucks.

The french chick had arranged for us to yank Spanky out of the rental shop and show us around the mountain. This he tried to do, but with the summit chair temporarily closed, all he could show us was the lower mountain, which suffered from bulletproof conditions. A real shame cause it looked like the mountain had a lot to offer on a better day.

Things improved a few runs later, when the summit chair finally opened. Unfortunately Spanky had already gone back to work so it was up to T. and I to find our way around. This didn’t prove to be a problem as the mountain seemed very nicely laid out with everything (even the cat-track back) seeming to follow the fall line. From the top we basically just had to choose which chute we wanted to ski down. And with names like Desperado, Lone Star, Outlaw and Showdown, there was no mistaking what province we were in.

Here the Rockies live up to the postcard images we all have ingrained in our minds. Powerfully jagged rocks looming before, above and all around render us insignificant, and yet at the same time, seem to fill us with a feeling of importance simply for being there surrounded by this majesty. The very fact that we are there playing in a field of snow with blue sky and grey peaks as the background seems meaningful.

The terrain here is very susceptible to wind, which has it’s pros and cons. Pro: the snow is recycled so that up here we are still skiing in a couple inches of unmarked, wind-blown, powder. Con: the chairlift ride and traverse to the chutes can resemble an arctic hell.

Ultimately the pros outweigh the cons and we take a couple laps on the outer runs: Haavy’s Dream and Murphy’s Chute. We crank some tight jump turns on the upper sections of these runs and then let them glide down to the cat-track – laying down some big-ass powder eights on the run out.

We have a blast all day and marvel at the possibilities of this little known resort. The terrain and the scenery are very impressive, and we leave having skied a mere portion of it in and in less than ideal conditions. A couple days here with good snow would rival most any place in these parts and we vow to keep the name Castle Mountain in our heads.

Sick and ashamed and happy (and kinda lame, but it's what I wrote),
d.

Damn Gin, I grew up skiing this mountain and still call it home. Reading your post took me out of this urban hell and put me back to where I am the happiest. This mountain has been overlooked by most and I hope it stays that way. A little bit of heaven for those who take the time to try it.

Let me know if you are around these parts again and I'll show you (or others) some of her secrets.

I've got an extended cab toyota pickup. Depending on how many people are going there could be a possibility of a side trip. I did make it to Vail with 4 guys crammed in her from Fargo.