With 5,800 skiable acres and a 4,350 foot vertical drop, Big Sky Resort is one of the biggest ski areas in North America. And while in recent years Big Sky has expanded by merging with Moonlight Basin, this powder oasis wasn't always quite so big. The lifts first started turning in 1973 and industry heavyweight Boyne Resorts acquired the Montana ski area in 1976. Since then, Boyne has consistently invested in the mountain, adding snowmaking, new lifts like Challenger (1988) and Thunderwolf (1993), and of course installing the iconic Lone Peak Team in 1995. Check out this ski trail map from 1976 and see how much things have changed.
Big Sky Resort in 1976 (click to expand):
Now watch the transformation. Here's a southern exposure map of Big Sky Resort in 1997 (click to expand):
And here's what the resort looks like today (click to expand):
Eastern Exposure:
Northern Exposure:
Southern Exposure:
· SkiMap.org [Official Site]
· Big Sky Resort History [Big Sky]
· The Ten Ski Towns You Absolutely Must Visit This Winter [Curbed Ski]
· Behold Vail Mountain's Ski Trail Map From 1980 [Curbed Ski]
· Which Ski Resort Has The Most Skiing in North America? [Curbed Ski]
· All Powder from the Past Coverage [Curbed Ski]