Photos by Jeff Engrebetson/courtesy of Big Sky Resort.

Ski area sets record for skier visits

Big Sky — Big Sky Resort set an all-time record for skier visitations this season, surpassing the previous high mark set a year ago.

This year for the first time, Big Sky Resort offered an April season pass and changed its season pass lineup for the 2017-18 winter season. Strong early-season pass sales in addition to the popularity of the April pass, especially in the local and drive markets, has created strong momentum heading into the next season.

Big Sky Resort saw increased skier visits from key destination markets. That is due in part to the increasing number of non-stop flights into the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport. There are 15 non-stop flights to the area’s airport. In May, American Airlines added a non-stop flight from Dallas, Texas. The success of that flight led to a second non-stop flight by American Airlines between Bozeman and Chicago. Flights to both destinations will operate daily, year-round.  

Photos courtesy of Big Sky Resort.

“The skier experience continues to improve with Big Sky Resort’s commitment to on-mountain investments, a variety of season passes and more non-stop flights into Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport,” said Big Sky Resort General Manager Taylor Middleton. “These investments in the resort and the community continues to attract new guests from local and key destination markets. We see tremendous momentum going into the next winter season.”

Big Sky Resort attributes the year-over-year skier-visitation records to several key factors:

• Continued investments in on-mountain infrastructure as part of Big Sky 2025.
• New pass products offering greater variety.
• Increase in destination skiers attributable, in part, to enhanced regional airfare.

Big Sky 2025 is a 10-year, $150-million commitment to primarily on-mountain infrastructure improvements. Last summer, Big Sky Resort installed two brand new chairlifts. Powder Seeker, which replaced the Lone Peak Triple in the Bowl area, is a six-seat, high-speed chairlift with heated seats and blue bubble covers. It operates more than twice as fast than the previous chairlift. Powder Seeker is the highest bubble chairlift in North America with the top terminal sitting at 9,812 feet. Big Sky Resort also replaced the Challenger Chairlift, which accesses expert-only terrain. The new triple-seat chairlift is 25 percent faster than the old one.

The winter 2017-18 season begins Nov. 23, 2017 and concludes April 15, 2018.