Yellowstone National Park in the Winter — Skiing Bridger Bowl, Montana
What a delight!
December 2013
I had two great days skiing at Bridger Bowl, Montana, located about 17 miles (ca. 27 km) north of Bozeman, Montana.
Bridger Bowl is one of those typically American 'small' ski areas. It wasn't small in terms of available skiing but small in terms of feel — it didn’t feel corporate but felt local and friendly. I initially thought it was a 'mom and pop' operation that had started small and had grown over the years, but it turned out the town of Bozeman owned the ski area.
The mountain had no high speed-detachable lifts. Instead had 'magic moving carpet’ lifts.
‘Magic moving carpet’ lifts have a moving conveyor belt just after the liftgate. As you go through the gate, the carpet moves you forward, increasing your speed, and the chair comes up behind you. This means that the lift can run faster than a standard lift, as you are already moving when you get on the chair. No sudden surprise or shock of being hit by a high-speed chair. It’s all about relative speeds.
For the size of the mountain, I have never come across a ski area with such a wide range of terrain. It had bowls, bumps, ‘off-piste’ (you had to carry an avalanche transponder), steeps and fast runs, tree, glade, and cruiser trails. A great mix in such a small space. Something for everyone.
Liftlines were short, which was astonishing considering my first day on the mountain was a public holiday. On the second day, the lift lines were non-existent as everyone was back at work. But, parking at Bridger was an issue as they didn’t make the best use of the space available.
Snow conditions were excellent, and the trails were well-groomed. The mountain also has three eating areas (one up the mountain and two at the base), all with free Wi-Fi. There are also two ski hire shops and a bar. Beer was also available in the eating areas.
Overall, it was two memorable days of skiing, and when I visited, lift passes were $51 per day and ski hire from $20. I couldn’t go wrong!
