Big Sky

I just got back from a week in Montana, but unfortunately, Jennifer had to work. She had insisted that I go without her, with the caveat that I had to take a lot of pictures and write about it on the blog. I’ve already taken the pictures, now for the writing…

I got up at 3:15 AM last Saturday to catch my flight (connecting through both Atlanta and Minneapolis). I finally arrived in Bozeman after noon and had lunch at the airport restaurant with Audra (my friend Gabe’s sister) to await everybody’s arrival. Gabe and Josh arrived next, but we quickly discovered that Frontier Airlines had lost Josh’s snowboard. We also learned that they don’t track checked bags in real-time, so they weren’t even sure where his snowboard was. Awesome. We had been planning to go grocery shopping before Ben arrived, but after the long discussion with Frontier, it was already time for Ben’s flight.

Gabe's excited about lost bags. And his beard.

We picked up our car (turned out to be a Nissan Armada), headed to the grocery store, and drove to Big Sky.

Our condo…

And the view outside…

Fortunately, they delivered Josh’s snowboard the next morning, and we hit the slopes.

Well, the bunny slopes for Ben and me…

The Ski School wasn’t free, but it was definitely worth it. It lasted a half day and was tailored to our skill levels. It was also decidedly uncrowded. There was only one other person in my group!

Brannon and Dana arrived that night, so Gabe and I picked them up at the airport. We basically spent the next 3 days doing nothing but skiing / snowboarding. And eating lunch out of the back of the Armada…

Gabe, Me, Ben, Audra, Brannon, and Dana

Gabe and Josh journeyed to the top of Lone Peak.

After 4 straight days of skiing, I was exhausted. Fortunately, I had noticed that Big Sky is really close to Yellowstone. It’s closed to cars in the winter…but not to tracked vehicles. We discovered that you can rent snowmobiles and tour the park!

Josh, Audra, and I all bundled up.

This bison headed straight for us.

These elk were hanging out on an island in the Madison River.

We finally made it to Old Faithful.

Ben had a hard time not standing in front of the geyser.

It did not disappoint, and we were able to watch it twice. In general, it erupts every 90 minutes for about 4 minutes and reaches 130 feet high.

We stopped at more of the thermal areas on our way back to West Yellowstone.

In the Fountain Paint Pots sulfuric acid dissolves the rock and turns the water to mud.

Clepsydra Geyser erupts for 20 hours out of every day.

After wrestling in 4 foot drifts, an impromptu snowball fight broke out.

Yellowstone was my favorite part of the trip. If we’d had more time, I would’ve liked to visit the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone as well. If you’re ever nearby (or even if you’re not), I would strongly recommend a visit. The snowmobiles were a lot of fun too. I was afraid they would be uncomfortable, but it was actually quite the opposite. They even came with heated seats and handlebar warmers!

The next day, it snowed heavily, and Josh and Gabe tell me that the fresh powder was excellent for snowboarding…

But after a busy 5 days, Ben and I took the last day off to rest by a warm fire…

We flew home yesterday. Or rather, Brannon, Dana, Audra, Ben, and I flew home. Frontier Airlines struck again for Josh and Gabe. We arrived at the airport to find out that their flight had been canceled (NOT due to weather). They were supposed to have been switched to a similar United flight, but the change had been voided for some unknown reason and the flight was full. After at least 2 hours on the phone, they finally accepted that they would have to wait until today to fly home. So needless to say, don’t fly Frontier.

All in all, it was a great trip. It’s the longest I’ve been able to see my brother (or any of my friends) in quite some time. I missed Jennifer though, so I’m glad to be home. I’m looking forward to the next trip with her!