You know, it pays to have friends all over the country. Especially when they live in cool places like Big Sky, Montana. If we’re friends and you live somewhere cool, you best believe I’ll come visit you!
If you’ve ready my blog for a while or followed along on my Semester at Sea journey, you’ll probably recognize a couple faces from this trip, Caroline and Sara. To make a long story short, my college friends and I decided to meet Caroline and Sara in Big Sky for a few days to catch up. Don’t you love when all your friends from different places are friends?
Since the three of us from Minnesota grew up skiing/snowboarding and all had our own equipment, we decided driving made more sense. As we were packing, Finn really wanted to come, but unfortunately, we didn’t have room (although he would have LOVED it).
The drive was long as you could probably imagine, but we kept our sanity with two things: the Crime Junkie Podcast and the views… How one could not love the mountains is beyond me.
It took us all day, but WE MADE IT.
We grabbed some pizza at the cutest pizza place, Ousel & Spur Pizza, then I’m 99% sure I fell asleep before my head hit the pillow, but ya know, small details.
Day 1
We decided to spend two full days skiing and snowboarding so we set out to hit the slopes as soon as the chair lifts opened. I was the only skier, the superior choice clearly, and everyone else snowboarded.
The first thing we did was a couple runs on the bunny hill and dropping Caroline off at ski school. It had been a few years since the MN gals had been out and Sara was just learning so truth be told we all just wanted to make sure we wouldn’t die on our first run.
But I’m happy to report that it does come back to you like riding a bike!!!!!! Although, I think the views may have fueled me.
After a few stints on the bunny hills, we decided enough was enough and we’d do what we came to do. And boy, was it ever incredible.
I forgot how much I love to ski and was reminded on this trip. I mean doesn’t this just look amazing? I’m no pro and that’s okay, I love it and that’s enough for me!
So, eventually we grabbed lunch and picked Caroline up from ski school. Quite the story to learn how to ski in one of the best ski locations in the world… Go big or go home right?
Well that was the phrase we had been using until we decided to bring her on a normal run — which in my defense I asked her ski instructor and he was like she is absolutely ready for a green run. So we went.
We got up the chairlift and headed down a steep curve to the left that immediately opened up to the right to go down a run. That part she killed, it was great. However, as she followed me, the stopping part got harder and she headed straight down towards this chairlift house:
Her arms were flailing, she was screaming, and I was yelling “just fall over so you don’t crash” because at this point, all hope was lost. I quite literally remember going through the steps of what I’d have to do if she crashed into the chairlift house.
But luckily, she made it and we were able to get down another 100 yards smoothly. It was just her and me at this point so she could have more one-on-one instruction.
Just when I thought the chaos was through, I realized we were nowhere near done. The run we were on takes an average of 30 minutes to get down I’d say. It took us 30 minutes to get 100 yards so I knew this was a bad idea.
All of a sudden she wiped out and both skis popped off (which later I realized were because her bindings weren’t set at the right level). As she tried to get her skis on she, she got them on just to start going down hill.
She was only about five feet from a treeline on her left and was going down the mountain. Somehow she fell back to try and fall and ended up with her feet in line, her back on the ground, and her arms dragging behind her. I think she was sliding or sledding down the mountain for 10 minutes like this. When she finally stopped, this is how she looked:
I couldn’t stop laughing once I realized she was okay. Luckily, she said, “I think I need to walk down this mountain, it defeated me.” Before I could say I’d walk with her, the medic showed up offered to taxi her down.
So Carol was taken down the mountain (unharmed) and I skied down to fill everyone else in. She took a needed break after that.
We were on the mountain from 8am – 4pm with an hour lunch break. And after the wild ride Caroline had, we were all ready for a break. So we headed back to the hotel before grabbing dinner, which was the best fried chicken I’ve ever had. It was PERFECT after a day of skiing. If you’re in the area, definitely check out Riverhouse BBQ.
Day 2
We all woke up exhausted so we decided to head to the slopes around 10 instead, which was perfect. It was a sunny, warm (like 35 degrees), and a PERFECT day.
After lunch we took a little break and enjoyed the views…
We spent the whole day doing run after run, and truly, it was so incredible. I love to listen to music while I ski and let me tell you when you are having a good run, with the perfect song, and the sun is shining, and the view is amazing, it’s a little slice of heaven on earth.
On our last run, we stopped to take some pictures which ended up being one of the most fun parts of the day. You know, life is 10x more fun when you don’t care about the funky stares you get while taking pictures and you stop taking it so seriously!!!!
For the record we did get some normal picturs too
I’m happy to report that Caroline’s last run of the trip was her best run, with no wipeouts!
For dinner, we headed to Horn and Cantle which is THE place to go in Big Sky. And let me tell you, the food was incredible (particularly the steak tartare), the drinks were out of this world, AND we were being serenaded all dinner by cowboys. I mean, can life get better than this day?
Day 3
It wouldn’t be a trip without an attempt to see a sunrise, amirite? And what a gorgeous sunrise did we see! It was like a fire was lit throughout Big Sky and the glow just lingered…
We grabbed some breakfast at like 7am after we watched the sunrise and I’ve got to say, that was one of the earliest breakfasts I’d had in a LONG time. Thanks COVID.
Post breakfast, we went on a hike, or I guess I’d call it more of a walk by my standards. Nonetheless, it was beautiful! Plus can you really go to Montana without hiking?
But again, we can’t take serious pictures, but who wants those anyway.
To close out our last night, we just had dinner at the hotel and ended with a hot tub session. I mean swoon right.
The next morning we had to head home, which really was awful. I wanted to stay and become a mountain gal who worked only to ski. And I really did consider it, but I did in fact come home.
You heard it hear first, I WILL be back to both Big Sky and Montana!
I’ll see you in the next location,
Katelyn
❤️❤️❤️