One of Big Sky’s most exciting snow focused events comes in the midst of a snow crisis. Lack of new snow coupled with unseasonably warm temperatures presents unique issues for Big Sky Skijoring Association’s 3rd Annual Best in the West Showdown.
It’s the second day of “speed camp” and Jeremy Ueland is the designated “dye guy.” He skis off the Ramcharger lift with a plastic tank and a spray wand like the kind you use to zap daffodils and other weeds on your lawn.
In his 20 years of ski patrolling at Big Sky Resort and skiing in the backcountry, Tom Thorn has seen his fair share of avalanches. But one harrowing event remains fresh in his memory—when his partner was fully buried in a massive slide while doing avalanche control at Big Sky Resort in December 2003.