04/04/2026
This year's ski trip destination was Bozeman, Montana. Originally, we reserved a VRBO in Bozeman, and planned on skiing at Bridger Bowl. With the snow drought in the Western states, our plans changed about a week before the trip began when Bridger Bowl closed for the season. With an uncertain outcome, eight patrollers stayed the course, and went to Bozeman to create a new adventure!
Once we were settled in, we began brainstorming possibilities. The first day was intended to be a non-skiing day. We came up with plans to either go biking or fly fishing. A couple of patrollers brought bikes, and we found a local bike shop to rent one more. Those patrollers went exploring mountain bike trails on the east side of Bozeman. A couple other patrollers found fly-fishing equipment, and a place to fish in a local stream to try fly fishing. This was all a great way to spend the first day.
After dinner, we gathered and shared information from locals on possible ski hills to try on day #2. We ended up choosing 'Discovery' ski hill, which had a decent amount of snow and was about two hours away from Bozeman. It ended up being a good choice, which we acknowledged we would never have known about if we hadn't asked around.
For the third day, we were trying to decide between Big Sky, Red Lodge, and another smaller hill called 'Showdown', which we knew almost nothing about, other than the locals all recommended it. After considering all factors, we decided on Showdown, and that ended up being a great choice! The people at the hill were warm and friendly, and upon entering the chalet, we met the owner, the lift manager, and the patrol director, who were greeting the customers as they entered (see the picture). The morning skiing was good, the cafeteria had a good food selection for lunch, and the whole bar and cafeteria area allowed us to also bring in our packed lunch items without restriction. And when the temperature warmed in the afternoon and ended our skiing, we were again met by the owner (Katie) who took a couple of group pictures for us, and then joined us for the last pic.
At the end, we all agreed that the trip was a success! We were happy that we got to explore new ski areas, and felt fortunate to be with people who are able to adapt and find that fun in any adventure! Another year... another great ski patrol trip!! We already can't wait for next year!
