Future MSU student, which season passes to buy?

Depends on what skiing you want to do. If you want to do any park skiing at all i sugest getting a big sky pass. If you are just a hard core BC skier/all mnt skier then go with your plan.
 
is it a hell of a drive down to Big sky and moonlight typically, or is it not to bad? I have a lifted grand cherokee with 4 wheel drive btw, that I am driving out in 3 weeks.
 
Its an easy drive, if its icey it usually just takes like an extra 30 mins or so because its all curves up the canyon so yeah curves + ice = slow driving. I drive up there alot in my honda accord so you should be fine. Its usually just a 45 min drive when its dry, or even shorter, it all depends how fast you can go through the canyon.
 
If you're a park skier you'll have to get one for Big Sky. Big Sky also has the really big fast terrain if the snow permits; if not, then the whole mountain sucks major ass all year and it's really depressing. Moonlight has no crowds, good snow, good hiking terrain and a really crappy layout for the lifts. Bridger has the most technical terrain, the biggest powder days, and the biggest crowds--generally. So it all depends on what you're into and how much money you want to spend.
 
by crowds at bridger, you mean 100s of hard core hippy skiers, then yes. Big sky is mad touristy, so if you dont like the resorty scene at all, id say away from bs.
 
Have any of you Montana residents heard a outlook snow wise for the upcoming season? I know its early but if it sounds like a great season that will probably determine which passes I will buy. If I am not mistaken last season was real good early and warmed up a lot later in the winter. I am currently thinking Bridger because it is so close to school and moon light because it is so cheap. The passes here in Michigan are ridiculous for the terrain, snow and crowds. About 600 for a Boyne pass, 500 vertical, 100 inches of snow a year, and super busy.
 
Haven't heard any sort of report for the upcoming winter yet. Those are useless anyway, I've never heard one that was even remotely close to being right.

As far as the pass choices go, I think you have the right idea. Definitely go for the Bridger pass because it's close and it's a super sweet mountain. With a Moonlight pass you can also hike A-Z chutes and drop in for free laps on the tram if the snow looks good over there, too. If you still have money left over a frequent skier card at Big Sky is also a good thing to have because that place is really fun when they have good coverage(like this year, for example). So you should have a good time and I'm sure I'll see you up at Bridger since I'm going to be there about 4 days a week all season.
 
You only gonna ski and bridger? Or will you be stoping by BS? Im def getin a pass to BS next year, not sure about BB tho.
 
If you got a good head on your shoulders you don't need a pass anywhere really. I just go with a pass to BS(im a parkrat), and on good snow days or days with less time i go to bridger, or the backcountry as often as i can get people. Or swap passes with someone else most people at BS wont say anything if they notice or they will just laugh in my experience.
 
I'll have a frequent skier card at Big Sky and I'm going to give Moonlight my grades from last semester and see if I can slip that by unnoticed. So it's going to be lots of Bridger and backcountry for me.
 
I'm also coming to MSU this fall, and I'm planning on getting a season pass to BS. Doesn't a pass to BS also get you into Moonlight?
 
Only if you get the Lone Peak Pass, which costs more I think. When I go to school in Bozeman, I might just buy passes to all three. And the tram alone at BS is worth the pass.
 
you're kidding right? you never hit line ups there except for from 10-1130 when all the gappers ski
 
There's usually a pretty good line at the tram and sometimes at challenger. Not quite like Bridger on a big day though, although I can't remember the last time Big Sky got more than 3 feet at once.
 
Lone peak for students is $799, Bridger is $520 if over 18. The drive to Big sky isnt bad but you can ski a lot more when you only drive 15 minutes. If you get a Big Sky pass you area fool to not go Lone peak, its like less than $200 more.
 
What the fuck? For MSU students, BS's passes are only $100 bucks more than Bridger's...thats pretty damn tempting.
 
that and big sky has the most terrain in the US if you get the moonlight, whihc i think would be worth it. then you have all mountian skiing, and park. your pretty covered right there
 
The thing about those numbers is that if you add up Moonlight, and Big Sky minus tram, you get nothing close the most in US. The tram accounts for over half of Big Sky's acerage, and some of the tram terrain shouod not count. You can get a Vail pass for like the same price and they actually have all 5,000 open all year.
 
i'm planning on going the year after this and was wondering how easy the rides to Big sky are, i dont wanna get out there and get stuck with no rides to the mtn ever...
 
Its just that I've skied bridger my whole life, and I also want to be able to head up easily for half days or between classes.
 
The only disadvantage to big sky is the drive. It will eat your gas faster than you would believe. I think that there is a ski bus to big sky from bozeman. I know there is one to bridger, I'm just not sure about big sky. I'm sure you will meet some people and work out a carpool.
 
i have gone through more gas in the past two weeks living in bozeman, than I do in a month, living in michigan. Driving up the galliton caynon to fish and paddle eats gas like crazy.
 
I agree, I guided @ Moonlight two seasons ago and this is the math that worked out for me and my 2003 Subaru Outback. I made $11/hr and it cost me about $9 for an up and back trip, about three gallons, so the more days I worked the more I lost. My cousin says his newer 4runner takes about $11 to get up and back. So if you think you are gona ski 50 days, think again, unless your rich.
 
Just be prepared with your ptex if you're going to do a lot of skiing at Big Sky when they don't have good coverage. It's pretty much a guarantee that you'll get a core shot every day or two up there until their base gets up over 60" or so.
 
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