Maybe we’d have enjoyed Big Sky more if we hadn’t visited Big Sky between Snowbowl, a low key no-frills ski area that’s great for ski bum powder hounds, and Jackson Hole which has soooo much more going for it than Big Sky. And maybe we’d have enjoyed it more without the resort’s arrogant and ridiculous mottos. Despite all the wank associated with their slogans such as “Biggest Skiing in America” (even though they’re not the biggest), “Best Chairlift in the World” (with its extra wide seats for fat bottoms), and “the most technologically advanced chairlift network” (despite various antique chairs and the resort being in the dark ages because they don’t even have RFID lift tickets - ha!), it is undeniably a great resort but perhaps just not as phenomenal as the marketing BS portrays.

Big Sky Resort has some amazing strengths and it’s easy to see why some people love the place, but it also has some marked cons, some of which are summarised on the Big Sky overview page.

It was really light on for snow, despite other ski resorts in the region having a substantial base, and some of the groomers had shaley pebbles on them that hadn’t been sifted out. Despite the lean snow, waits for the tram were one hour! I’d hate to see the queue on a powder day! Some amazing terrain, but you’d need the patience of a saint to ride much of it.

The poor service of the resort staff was also a stand out feature. Many of the resort staff were so laid back that they were nearly asleep. As examples, we’d ask for directions and get greeted with a dumb stare, and we went into the Base Camp activity centre (which had a sign regarding Yellowstone tours) to ask about tours to Yellowstone and the girl behind the counter was either stoned or really slow. She said she didn’t know of any Yellowstone tours and perhaps we should try googling it (so helpful!). On the flipside, we met a fantastic bar man in the Carabiner who excelled at service.

We went onto Jackson Hole a week later, and despite the crowds (it’s busy for a good reason), the superiority of Jackson Hole just blew Big Sky out of the sky.

Check out the USA ski resort ratings page to see how we score Big Sky against other western ski resorts.