Shredding Pow

Last Sunday, I drove out to Big Sky, Montana with Alex J and his family. We met my family and some friends at the condo we had rented for the week. We bought ski passes for the next five days and hit the slopes. No matter how long and monotonous the 16 hour drive can get, the mountains are always worth it. I have been skiing at Big Sky resort since I was six or seven. The snow and terrain

The view from the top of Big Sky

there put anything the Midwest can offer to shame (besides, perhaps, Mount Bohemia.) Alex and I have similar experience skiing so we enjoy skiing together when we come out here. If the skiing isn't enough to get you to make the drive, the views will. From the top of Lone Peak, the main mountain at Big Sky, you can see for miles in all directions. The mountain ranges and endless forests are enough to take your breath away, if the elevation or wind hasn't already. 
Big Sky was already a huge ski resort, but last summer they bought two ski resorts next to it, Spanish Peaks and Moonlight Basin, and

Another view of the surrounding mountains

became the largest continuous ski area in the US. Alex and I took full advantage of this and have spent the last three days exploring the new areas of Big Sky as well as visiting old, favorite ones. The weather has been windy, but fairly generous with new snow. Last night, for instance, we got around five inches of new powder. This new snow, coupled with the fact that almost all of the lifts were closed for several hours due to the wind, made for some excellent skiing conditions. Three consecutive days of hard skiing have made me sore and tired, but most importantly happy. And I still have two more to go! 

Lone Peak, as seen from the ridge