L&K Property Collection Winter 2022

PHOTO BY WHITNEY KAMMAN

S O U T H W E S T M O N TA N A PROPERT Y COLLECTION

Winter 2022

3735 Pinewood Dr, Big Sky, Montana

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Meet the

real estate team

Ryan Kulesza

Eric Ladd

Michael Pitcairn

Carrie Bryan

Founder / Broker

Founder

Broker

Sales Associate /Contract Manager

EJ Daws

Ethan Stokes

Blake Kaufman

Darren Streets

Sales Associate

Sales Associate

Sales Associate

Sales Associate

L&K Referral Sales Associates

Scott Hammond ∙ Markus Kirchmayr ∙ Sabah Jarvis

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All information given is considered reliable, but because it has been supplied by third parties, we cannot represent that it is accurate or complete, and should not be relied upon as such. These offerings are subject to errors, omissions, and changes including price or withdrawal without notice. Statistical information obtained through MLS, information considered reliable but we cannot guarantee its accuracy. All rights reserved.

Equal Housing Opportunity. If you currently have a listing agreement or buyer broker agreement with another agent, this is not a solicitation to change. ©2019 LK REAL ESTATE lkrealestate.com * Private Club membership by invitation or upon approval **Per MLS as of date of publishing

ABOUT L&K REAL ESTATE

Our team has over 70 years of combined experience and over $2 billion in sales.

Now is the time to make a move.

Let us work for you!

Work with Big Sky's most Knowledgeable team.

SELLER REPRESENTATION:

BUYER REPRESENTATION:

DEVELOPMENT CONSULTING:

Our strong marketing approach ensures our listings receive maximum exposure in a creative and professional manner. We strive to achieve the highest value for our sellers.

Using our market knowledge, we help clients navigate the buying process to find their ideal property, whether it is an undervalued property in a hot market or a one-of-a-kind legacy purchase.

L&K's extensive experience launching, selling, and consulting real estate developments including luxury resorts, condominiums, and neighborhoods provides our developers a unique advantage to achieve their goals and objectives.

At L&K Real Estate we represent clients purchasing and selling the finest luxury lifestyle properties in Montana.

We love this beautiful place and are passionate about helping others find their own connection to it.

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REAL ESTATE MEET OUR FAMILY OWNED COMPANIES THAT DELIVER UNRIVALED EXPOSURE AND RELATIONSHIPS TO DRIVE SUCCESS FOR YOU. MARKETING Outlaw Partners is a marketing, media, and events company based in Big Sky, Montana whose mission is to share stories and experiences that inspire.

Outlaw’s creative services include video production, graphic design, photography, website and email campaign development.

MEDIA Outlaw Partners owns and publishes four award-winning print and digital publications: Most widely distributed newspaper in Big Sky, Southwest Montana, and mailed to all 50 states.

MOUNTAIN

Most widely distributed magazine in the greater Yellowstone region including Bozeman, Big Sky, and Jackson Hole, WY, and mailed to all 50 states.

Only magazine distributed to all gateway towns surrounding Yellowstone National Park.

VIEWS.

Big Sky and Bozeman’s leading real estate publication, distributed across Southwest Montana.

Big Sky’s Real Estate Guide

EVENTS Outlaw Events create connection, community, and engagement. Outlaw signature events include:

COMBINED, OUTLAW’S PRINT AND DIGITAL PLATFORMS REACH OVER 1 MILLION PEOPLE EACH MONTH

lkrealestate.com | 406.995.2404 4

YOUR ADVANTAGE WITH SUPERIOR MARKETING & EXPOSURE

through us

EXPERIENCE L&K has 60 years combined experience helping buyers and sellers with $2B in sales.

DATABASE Collectively one of the largest databases including homeowners and visitors from over 20 years of doing business in Southwest Montana.

MARKET UPDATE VIDEOS L&K's expert advice on market trends and statistics.

PROFESSIONAL LISTING VIDEOS Cinema quality videos showing a comprehensive look into your property.

LIFESTYLE & COMMUNITY L&K is heavily networked and involved in our community.

NATIONAL EXPOSURE

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L&K WINTER MARKET UPDATE MARKET TRENDS October - December 2021 vs October - December 2020

Bozeman Median residential sales price: $651,000

Big Sky Median residential sales price: $1,357,500

Bozeman Median land sales price: $390,000

Big Sky Median land sales price: $2,840,000

+12.5%

+22.6%

+401.3%

+33.2%

RESIDENTIAL INVENTORY FOR SALE

139

Oct.

63

103

68

Nov.

Dec.

Oct.

52

56

Nov.

Dec.

BOZEMAN

BIG SKY

Median % of Last List Price

Median % of Last List Price

100% +0.0%

100% +1.8%

RESIDENTIAL & LAND DAYS ON THE MARKET Residential DOM:

Land DOM:

Residential DOM:

Land DOM:

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+37.5% -63.1%

-52.7% -54.8%

All information given is considered reliable, but because it has been supplied by third parties, we cannot represent that it is accurate or complete, and should not be relied upon as such. These offerings are subject to errors, omissions, and changes including price or withdrawal without notice. Statistical information obtained through MLS, information considered reliable but we cannot guarantee its accuracy. All rights reserved.

Equal Housing Opportunity. If you currently have a listing agreement or buyer broker agreement with another agent, this is not a solicitation to change. ©2019 LK REAL ESTATE lkrealestate.com * Private Club membership by invitation or upon approval **Per MLS as of date of publishing

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"THE IDEA OF WILDERNESS NEEDS NO DEFENSE, IT ONLY NEEDS DEFENDERS." -Edward Abbey with

,

,

406.995.2404 info@LKrealestate.com

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Life Well Lived

NEW LOFT RESIDENCES, COMING SOON.

WILDLANDSBOZEMAN.COM

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PRIVATE CLUB AMENITIES

AMENITIES OFFERED

Signature Membership includes a $25K non-refundable initiation fee if you purchase a resale without a Signature Membership attached.

GOLF/SKI

SOCIAL

SIGNATURE

SPORTS

Membership Deposit

$200,000

$100,000

$150,000

$100,000

Annual Dues

$16,300

$12,000

$14,500

$9,000

Private Dining

2

2

3

3

Private Lodge

X

X

X

X

Golf Amenities

X

X

Reciprocity**

X

X

Property ownership required

X

X

Water Amenity

X

X

X

X

Pool Amenity

X

X

X

X

Private Trails

X

X

X

X

Club Activities & Events

X

X

X

X

Kids Activity Area

X

X

X

X

Jack Creek Road Access

On site security

X

X

X

X

CALL L&K TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PRIVATE CLUB OPPORTUNITIES 406.995.2404. *See Club documents for additional information and benefits. All information given considered reliable, but provided by third part sources therefore we cannot guarantee accuracy. **Limited Spanish Peaks and Moonlight Basin reciprocity for signature and golf members.

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BIG SKY MOUNTAIN | MEADOW | CANYON

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330 STELLAR JAY WAY LOCATION Gallatin Gateway, Montana SIZE 3 Bedrooms, 3 Baths 3,569 ± SQ. FEET OFFERED AT $3,495,000 This inspiring property features expansive acreage and views for days. The focal point of the home is the full length, covered porch that adorns the front of the house and offers beautiful views of the North entrance to Big Sky. Inside the home, you’ll enjoy the open concept living areas with an amazing twostory wall of windows and doors exposing fantastic views of the Gallatin River and Gallatin Forest mountain range. The expansive back deck, a large fenced in yard with a small pond and hot tub make this the ultimate entertainer’s retreat.

The great room is anchored by a two-story river rock woodburning fireplace, vaulted wood ceilings throughout, a large chef’s kitchen with Viking range, double ovens, dining space and bar area complete your mountain home dream. The open concept continues to a large loft space overlooking the great room and kitchen, currently configured into a sleeping quarters, a gaming area and an office all of which frame the spectacular river views. On the main floor, two bedrooms, a full bath and a small office flank one side of the main living area. The master suite with en-suite bathroom, laundry room and guest quarters await you at the other end of the home.

This property is zoned with the option to build a coordinating guest house on site. Act now before it’s too late, this iconic property won’t last long.

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TRACT 1A - THE HIDEAWAY LOCATION Gallatin Gateway, Montana SIZE 80 ± ACRES OFFERED AT $4,995,000 This incredible acreage offers a variety of multiple world class homesites for the owner to make their own. The entry to the site features unique stone accents and beautiful topography.

This large parcel with minimal restrictions allows for creative use of the property and the option to build a home, a barn, a shop and more. You’ll enjoy plenty of wildlife viewing and close proximity to the Gallatin River for Blue Ribbon trout fishing and a seasonal creek runs through the property.

You’re only a 10 minute drive to Town Center. This parcel has recently been thinned and logged for forest health and fire management. Electric and fiber optic is available. New developed road to lot line is planned for 2022. This lot is bordered by other large parcels and will remain private without obstructed views of Lone Peak and the surrounding mountain ranges. This is the ultimate opportunity to own your own private piece of Big Sky. No HOA or Covenants.

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3735 PINEWOOD DRIVE LOCATION Big Sky Meadow SIZE Main House - 4,976 +/- SQ FT - 3 Bedrooms, 3 ½ Baths Guest House - 2,298 +/- SQ FT - 1 Bedroom, 1 Full bath 7,274 +/- Total SQ FT 5.67 +/- ACRES OFFERED AT $5,850,000

Big Sky Sanctuary Welcome to your private 5.5 +/- acre Big Sky estate nestled between beautiful trees and mature landscaping, yet only a 3-minute drive to Big Sky’s Town Center. This gorgeous property provides a peaceful, tranquil retreat to live within the natural beauty of Montana. There are multiple areas for relaxing and entertaining indoors and outdoors, whether enjoying conversations on the 1,000 plus square feet of outdoor decks, soaking in the brand-new hot tub sipping cocktails after an epic day of skiing, or enjoying a nice cozy fire by the gorgeous stone fireplace. The vast property includes a Locati designed main house consisting of 5,000 square feet +/- , a 2,300 square foot +/- private guest house, and a horse corral with run in barn. Other highlights include a built-in sauna, game room, garage parking for four vehicles, separate driveways for the main and guest house, gas and wood fireplaces, and much more.

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MOOSEWOOD LOT 4 LOCATION Big Sky Meadow LOT 4 5 +/- ACRES OFFERED AT $1,350,000

Lone Peak Views, gorgeous land minutes to Town Center RARE find, a 5 acre +/- lot with incredible Lone Mountain views, and only 3 minutes to Town Center!

This gorgeous parcel also has access to Lone Mountain Ranch’s extensive cross country ski trail network right out of your back door. Wildlife love the habitat afforded on this property, so get ready name some of your furry neighbors! Incredible opportunity to create a dream Montana compound with unrivaled convenient access to town services.

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80 ASPEN LEAF DR. UNIT 4 LOCATION Big Sky, MT SIZE 3 bed/2.5bath 1400 +/- sq feet OFFERED AT $995,000 This Aspen Court condo is conveniently located across from the West Fork Plaza and just two blocks from Big Sky Town Center and is steps from shopping, dining, events, and a shuttle stop to Big Sky Resort for skiing, hiking, mountain biking and more. New carpet downstairs and new paint throughout. Complete with a garage for all your recreational gear. Enjoy close proximity to all of the amenities Town Center has to offer and be the envy of your friends with a low maintenance condo. Located next to McBride park. This home is perfect for a primary residence or long-term rental.

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GREATER MONTANA BOZEMAN | YELLOWSTONE REGION | GREATER MONTANA

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420 E. WILLIAMS ROAD LOCATION Gallatin Gateway, Montana SIZE 1,700 +/- SQ FT - 2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths 24.37 +/- ACRES OFFERED AT $2,850,000 Authentic Montana horse ranch on 24.37 beautiful acres.

Location is ideal with a quick drive to HWY 191, with access South to Big Sky in 35 min.; or NE to downtown Bozeman in 20 min. and 5 min. to Gallatin River fishing access as well as multiple national forest trailheads. The property includes a main home and excellent detached improvements including a two-truck garage with bonus truss storage, a 1930’s guest cabin from Karst, MT., a hand built free standing wood steam sauna room, 35x30 hay and tack barn, round pen, multiple corrals, turn out sheds, plus several post and beam storage structures. Property has beautiful mature landscaping as well as an established garden. Excellent fencing with well maintained pastures including a 13-acre, weed free certified hay pasture. 360 degree views! Direct westerly views of the infamous Ted Turner Flying D Ranch. View spectacular sunsets on the Bridger Mountains. Wildlife activity abounds.

Endless possibilities with this wonderful property!

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102 W CLEVELAND STREET LOCATION Bozeman, Montana SIZE 4,258 +/- SQ FT - 4 Bedrooms, 3 ½ Baths .31 +/- ACRES OFFERED AT $2,375,000 This historic Bozeman home was built in 1916 and designed by locally renowned architect Fred Willson and is registered as a national historic place. Owners will enjoy historic charm throughout the home along with modern amenities. The home sits on the far SE edge of Bozemans famed Bon Ton district, featuring streets lined with century old trees and larger lots. A thoughtful layout and formal entertaining spaces make this home perfect for entertaining family and friends. All four bedrooms are located on the second floor, an additional room that could be an additional bedroom and the finished attic offers a loft style bedroom and an additional room space and a full bath. Enjoy the speakeasy feeling in the partially finished basement, with a pool table and bar. This is a rare, home with history, character and charm. Ideal for the buyer who is looking for something unique with history and stories to tell! Close to campus, downtown, shopping, restaurants.

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IMAGINE YOURSELF...

RELAXING, RIDING, FISHING, HUNTING

Whether you choose to hunt, hike, fish, horseback ride, ATV or just simply enjoy the privacy and take in the views, The Reserve at Willow Creek is exclusively the quintessential location to build your Montana dream.

157+/- acre ranches starting at $1.55M

Let us Make Your Dream a Reality.

Contact Us Today for Details Co-Listed By

E.J. Daws

ej@lkrealestate.com (406) 589-6247

Buzz Tatom

buzz.tatom@evrealestate.com (406) 580-4774

All information given is considered reliable, but because it has been supplied by third parties, we cannot represent that it is accurate or complete, and should not be relied upon as such.These offerings are subject to errors, omissions, and changes including price or withdrawal without notice. All rights reserved. Equal Housing Opportunity. If you currently have a listing agreement or buyer broker agreement with another agent, this is not a solicitation to change. ©2016 LK REAL ESTATE, llc. lkrealestate.com * Membership upon approval

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COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES BOZEMAN | BIG SKY

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LONE PEAK BREWERY, TAP HOUSE/RESTAURANT, AND BUILDING LOCATION Big Sky, MT SIZE 6,926 +/- square feet LOT 7,044 +/- square feet OFFERED AT $3,750,000 Unique opportunity to purchase two establish businesses and a building in a booming mountain town with nearby access to incredible Yellowstone National Park. Lone Peak Brewery and Restaurant have been in business since 2007 and have built a strong local and visitor following. In additional to the brick and mortar location, they have been premier vendors at the summertime Farmer’s Markets and Thursday night concert series providing an additional revenue stream for the company.

Business and building are sold turn key with all equipment and fixtures included, as well as award winning master brewer Steve Nordahl is available to train the new owner for a seamless transition process.

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AARON'S FURNITURE N 7TH LOCATION 654 N. 7th avenue Bozeman, MT SIZE 7,000 +/- SQ FT LOT .515 +/- ACRES OFFERED AT $3,250,000 Commercial retail or redevelopment opportunity in Bozeman's desirable and growing Midtown district. Only .6 miles from the I-90 interchange, and .5 miles from Main Street. Aaron's Furniture store sits in the heart of the fast-growing Midtown District. The 8,250 sf +/- building was built in 2011, and sits on .515 ac +/- zoned B2-M. Buyer's have many options on this lot including use of the existing building or potential redevelopment or a combination of both.

Nearby attractions include: The Elm live music venue, RSVP Hotel and Farmers Daughter Cafe and Freefall Brewery.

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A Lift to the Sky The chairlifts that built Big Sky Resort’s character make way for new era

BY MIRA BRODY

When Big Sky Resort opened in 1973, it had four lifts. What was once a prosaic community ski hill has grown into the Biggest Skiing in America. PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION BY OPEN ROAD SKI COMPANY LLC AND JAMES NIEHUES LLC. VISIT JAMESNIEHUES.COM

Lonnie Ball remembers his inaugural ride up the first Challenger lift at Big Sky Resort. The two-person fixed-grip chair provided access to the razor-edge of Headwaters Ridge and expert steeps of Lone Mountain without the hike, today a feat many take for granted. Ball doesn’t—he has made the trek hundreds of times without the help of machinery.

“In 1988 when Challenger lift went in is when Big Sky really stepped on the map,” recalls Ball, a Montana native, mountain guide, firefighter, ski patroller and photojournalist who spent five decades capturing the mountain and its guests.

“Challenger offered something that no other ski area in the U.S. offers—that hill that Challenger is on.”

Lonnie and his wife Mary are considered Big Sky legends—there’s probably no corner of the mountain that hasn’t been graced by their presence. Lonnie recalls the resort’s first opening day in 1973 when he was commuting the thendirt Lone Mountain Trail working as a forklift operator for base area construction. He watched it grow from a casual, prosaic ski hill to the Biggest Skiing in America.

Through the years: 1973 Big Sky Resort lifts

Big Sky Resort opens for its first season.

12 | Winter 2021/22 32

VIEWS.

LEFT: After their first ride up the new Challenger lift in 1988, Lonnie’s wife Mary commented it was “like riding up an elevator shaft.”

PHOTO BY LONNIE BALL RIGHT: By 1995, the Lone Peak Tram provided access to the mountain’s expert steeps without the hike, including the infamous Big Couloir.

PHOTO BY LONNIE BALL

Moving skiers into previously uncharted territory on the heft of the 11,166 Lone Mountain has always been at the forefront of the resort’s vision, starting on that opening day with four lifts: Gondola I and Rams Head along with the Lone Peak and Explorer chairs. Mad Wolf was the resort’s first major upgrade in 1978—at the time the longest triple chair in the world—and expanded the ski boundary to the east side of Andesite Mountain.

For the Kirchers, though—the family who founded and own Boyne Resorts, proprietor of Big Sky Resort— innovation is in their bloodline. And it all started with a used chairlift.

First chair

Everett Kircher, an avid skier who owned a Studebaker dealership in Detroit, Michigan, bought the land that became Boyne Mountain Resort in northern Michigan in 1947 for $1 and began building what would become the third largest mountain resort company in North America.

He purchased the resort’s first chairlift, Hemlock, used

1976

Everett Kircher purchases Big Sky Resort from Big Sky Inc. and the resort becomes a part of Boyne Resorts.

VIEWS.

1978

from Sun Valley Resort in Idaho. It was one of the first two chairlifts ever built in the world.

“What’s really unique about Boyne is that they believed from the very early days that lifts existed [to] be moved and can be reused,” said Dan Egan, a veteran skier of Big Sky’s slopes, ski instructor, writer and producer who worked closely with ski film pioneer Warren Miller.

Although Egan jokes that some of this philosophy was probably due to stubbornness, it also set the stage for the Kirchers’ success.

“What their lift system did for them is to grow at a very affordable rate,” Egan continued. “Big Sky can’t afford to not be state-of-the-art because we are the state-of-theart place to be.”

By the turn of the century, Kircher had turned his sights on the vast canvas that splayed out from under Lone Mountain’s summit and the vision that resort founder and news anchor Chet Huntley had conceptualized in 1968. In 1976, two years after Huntley passed away from lung cancer, Kircher purchased the resort from then-Big Sky Inc., and it has been a passion project of the family’s ever >>

Mad Wolf chairlift is installed on Andesite Mountain.

1981

Big Sky Resort’s first snowmaking system is installed.

Winter 2021/22 | 13 33

lift route, past and present, the alignment changes over the years and the scars left behind.

“I remember when I was really little—I was seven when Gondola I was taken out—I remember that lift was always my favorite,” recalls Kircher. “I just really liked the gondolas, it’s almost like Walt Disney—a futuristic but retro feel to them.”

Despite the imposing view around him when he hikes the mountain, Kircher’s focus is on the ground. He’s traced the Gondola I route thoroughly in the warmer months, excavating pieces of old chairs, slabs of concrete and items dropped from riders past—a rusted tin of Copenhagen, Budweiser can and disposable camera, to name a few.

Gondola I (1973-2008) and Gondola II (1983-1996) sat side by side, transporting riders from the base area to Rice Bowl. When the former had its cabins replaced in 2000, they were collected from all over the country and left unpainted, making for a bright strand of bulbous cabins, stark against the white backdrop. The latter was relocated from Squaw Valley, California, and now serves as a scenic lift in Wallowa Lake, Canada. The Swift Current quad, which was removed this year, followed its alignment during its 25-year reign.

Above the clouds

When the Gondola I cabins were replaced in 2000, they were collected from all over the country and not repainted, making for a colorful display up the mountain. PHOTO COURTESY OF EVERETT KIRCHER

since, from sons John and Stephen, as well as Stephen’s son, Everett, who also inherited his grandfather’s name. At just 20 years old, Everett is currently studying business management at Montana State University and already has a desk next to his father’s in Big Sky. When talking to Everett Kircher, one can tell that, when he looks at Lone Mountain, much like the men in his family before him, he views it as a sort of algorithm, visualizing each

1984

Gondola II opens, providing access right from Mountain Village.

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Colorful onesies make for some relaxing après in the Big Sky Resort base area. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GALLATIN HISTORY MUSEUM

1988

Challenger lift is installed, taking skiers higher on Lone Mountain.

One alignment that hasn’t changed since the resort opened is the Explorer lift. Riding Explorer is a bit like traveling in a time machine. After all, the fixed-grip double chair, manufactured by Heron-Poma, has been chugging along since the beginning.

Surrounded by state-of-the-art upgrades, Explorer offers a taste for what chairlift riding was not long ago—a slow and steady climb 622 feet in elevation, being gently tousled at each of the 14 towers, a view of Lone Mountain growing in front of you and the bite of winter

1991

Southern Comfort is installed, providing access along Andesite’s backside, and the high-speed Ramcharger lift replaces Rams Horn.

VIEWS.

“I knew that first time that I rode up there and stepped onto the Tram deck that this was going to be home.”

– Lonnie Ball softened by the gentle banter of a seatmate.

“What happens from the bottom to the top, there was an experience, there was an intimacy, there was a smile, someone confided in you and it was uninterrupted by a stranger, or many times it was enhanced by the stranger who joined the lift with you,” said Egan, recalling the intimacies of the older lifts. “What’s being lost is that experience. There was more depth to the conversation.”

As part of Big Sky Resort’s 2025 vision, Explorer will join past Big Sky lifts as a mere memory when it’s replaced with a two-stage Gondola from the base area parking lot. Replacing these lifts is a component of the resort’s tradition. Before that, in 2016, Powder Seeker took the place of the Lone Peak triple; in 1996 Swift Current replaced the Gondola II, originally from Squaw Valley; in 1993 Thunderwolf replaced Mad Wolf; and the Ramcharger quad, which would later become Shedhorn 4, replaced the original Rams Head.

Cascade is originally from Crystal Mountain, Washington; Dakota was once Southern Comfort; Headwaters came from Kirkwood Mountain Resort, California; Little Thunder was once in Brighton Resort, Colorado; Lone Moose is from Keystone Resort, Colorado; and White Otter was from now-retired Conquistador Ski Area, Colorado.

Back then, it was not uncommon for chairlifts to pirouette across the mountain and country, spending their newfound home in a fresh mountainscape and loyally pulling friends, family and athletes up peaks to experience the freedom of skiing, an industry that has shaped much of the culture of what it is to live in Big Sky. One lift that has yet to be replaced, and perhaps the

1993

The Thunderwolf high-speed lift replaces Mad Wolf, an upgrade from the double, fixed-grip lift.

VIEWS.

1995

The Lone Peak Tram was a passion project of Stephen and John Kircher, who ordered the parts before telling their father. Today, it takes skiers deep into the clouds on the 11,166-foot Lone Mountain. PHOTO COURTESY OF BIG SKY RESORT

most iconic of them all—is the Lone Peak Tram. To this day, it’s Ball’s favorite lift.

“I knew that first time that I rode up there and stepped onto the Tram deck that this was going to be home,” said Ball, who recalls fondly that he was able to ride the Tram before its public debut in December of 1995. Before its installation, a hike to the peak had been an annual tradition. “To be on the 11,000-foot peak—it has been incredible.”

There’s no story about Big Sky Resort’s devotion to world-class lifts without mention of the clothesline-esque, gravity-defying piece of machinery that takes riders deep into the clouds—and sometimes above them. >>

Lone Peak Tram is built, offering access to 300 degrees of Lone Mountain.

1996

The Swift Current high-speed quad replaces the Gondola II, increasing capacity up the mountain from the base area.

Winter 2021/22 | 15 35

To John Kircher, the concept of a Tram to the pinnacle of Lone Mountain was akin to Capt. Ahab’s White Whale—something he had been dreaming of even before he took over for his father in 1979. Kircher family friend Egan recalls John ordered all the parts before gaining approval from senior Everett.

“My grandpa was afraid of heights,” Everett Kircher said of his namesake.

“You’ll notice any lift that he designed, they’re not more than 15 feet off the ground, like all the lifts in Boyne, Michigan. When the idea of the Tram came up you can imagine he was not down with that kind of lift. And it was going to be expensive.”

Today, the Lone Peak Tram prevails as the resort’s crown jewel. There’s something about standing inside that cabin, the hushed quiet as you move toward the gaping headwall of Lone Mountain, taking in the timeless geographic details of its chutes and crags. That ride is just enough to remind you of your insignificance, a power that keeps people coming back.

Reaching the sky

The drone of a Black Hawk helicopter echoes off the surrounding mountaintops on a warm September day as it makes its way up and down Lone Mountain. With each trip, it returns to the Big Sky Resort base area parking lot to retrieve a massive, 7,000-pound steel lift tower dangling from a rope. In one of 200 or so trips, the pilot expertly maneuvers the piece of what will soon be the new Swift Current 6 chairlift—the fastest chairlift in North America—up to crews working to complete the resort’s newest amenity before opening day, Thanksgiving 2021.

“I know it’s a huge paradigm shift compared to what was around before,” said Everett Kircher. “We’re in an age where Big Sky is going to get a lot of people coming and we want to be able to maintain our lack of lift lines and the experience, and we don’t want the base area to be crowded. The idea is to build these lifts to have more capacity than we will need.”

Big Sky Resort has been turning a close eye on the future, to create the most technologically advanced lift network in North America. The construction of Swift Current 6, which will include ultrawide heated seats, a blue plastic bubble shield and the capability of whisking 3,000 skiers up the mountain each hour, represents both a piece of that vision and the path they’ve paved to get here.

In his Bridger Canyon studio outside of Bozeman, Lonnie Ball pores over hundreds of slides and photographs of Lone Mountain from various decades, a visual representation of that path. His windows overlook Bridger Bowl Ski Area, the metal lifts glistening through a patchwork of yellowing leaves.

Sitting on his back porch is one of the red Gondola II cabins, which Ball bought for a case of beer after they were removed from the resort.

2002

Southern Comfort lift gets an upgrade to a high-speed quad chair.

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2013

Big Sky Resort and Moonlight Basin join forces for The Biggest Skiing in America. The purchase included the ski terrain of Spanish Peaks, bringing the total acreage of the resort to over 5,750 acres.

2016

The Powder Seeker lift replaces the Lone Peak triple, marking the arrival of the resort’s first bubble chair. Challenger also gets a new carpet loading chairlift, increasing capacity into the mountain’s advanced terrain.

VIEWS.

LEFT: When Gondola II was removed from the resort, Ball purchased two cabins in exchange for a case of beer. One of them still lives in his backyard. PHOTO BY MIRA BRODY ABOVE LEFT: Ball in his studio, surrounded by 50 years of ski photojournalism. PHOTO

BY MIRA BRODY ABOVE MIDDLE: Ball captured the resort’s inner tube races down Tippy’s Tumble in the March 8, 1976 issue of the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. PHOTO BY LONNIE BALL ABOVE RIGHT: A group photo from 1995, including former Big Sky Resort ski patroller Erika Pankow (third from left). PHOTO BY LONNIE BALL

2017

The beginner area’s carpet lifts are upgraded and snowmaking increases by 50 percent mountain-wide.

VIEWS.

Photographing the mountain and the people on it has been the highlight of his life, he says. He points out a photo of Erika Pankow, a Big Sky Ski Patroller who passed away tragically in 1996. There she is, standing on the ridge, surrounded by friends, smiling.

Ball pulls at another memory, one that will light up the faces of many Big Sky greats: Oly Days; grown men flailing down Andesite Mountain in rubber tubes. Oly Days was a series of inner tube races, snow sculpting, live music and a Calcutta auction, all fueled by copious amounts of Olympia beer and the collective feeling of being alive in Big Sky. “Now a lot of people ask me how do I ski because I do have a walking disability, but when I put my skis on and I hear that ‘click, click’ of those boots, it’s like … a bird flying out of its cage,” says Ball, joking that he

2018

Boyne Resorts officially obtains Moonlight Basin and all associated lifts. The Ramcharger 8 high-speed, heated bubble lift opens on Andesite Mountain, bringing to Big Sky the most technologically advanced chairlift in the world. Upgrades to the Shedhorn 4 lift increases uphill skier capacity.

lived up to his nickname, “Launchy.”

“And I spent a lot of years in the air,” he adds.

Indeed, Ball was the first person to ever ski Jackson Hole’s infamous Corbet’s Couloir. He met Mary while patrolling at Alta Ski Area in Utah. His children and grandchildren grew up skiing the resort and he and Mary still ski more than 80 days a year. Egan, a close friend, recently nominated Ball into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame. Skiing has shaped most of this man’s life.

As the area grows and changes and new lifts replace the old, many may yearn for the nostalgia of those fixed-grip lifts, gravel road, quieter lines and flailing inner tubes.

“When you say the old days of Big Sky,” Ball says, “they all blend into one single thing.”

He’s referencing memories of the mountain, the people on it and lifts that help them reach the sky.

2021

The new Swift Current 6 highspeed chair replaces the old Swift Current. The lift includes heated bubble chairs and is the fastest chairlift in North America.

Winter 2021/22 | 17 37

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VIEWS.

Experience and engineering meet to bring building solutions to southwest Montana

BY BELLA BUTLER

Cold roofs are an up-and-coming defense against ice dams, which can cause damage to your home or injury to yourself as ice pools below. PHOTO COURTESY OF CORNERSTONE MANAGEMENT SERVICES

VIEWS.

When you embrace the treasures of living in southwest Montana’s winter wonderland, you also bear its burdens.

The freezing night temperatures that make the surface of the snow glitter in the morning also make for an icy commute; the late sunrise that keeps you cozy in bed for a little bit longer also closes you in early at night; and the big powder dumps that make you grin ear-to-ear on the slopes give you a headache when they melt and refreeze on your roof, creating ice dams that are costly and laborsome to remove.

This isn’t to say you ought to shrug and accept these downsides. In the case of your home, the solution can be as simple as making a science-informed adjustment. One such fix that’s gaining traction is the cold roof.

A cold roof is a defense against an ice dam, which forms when rising heat from an indoor space melts rooftop snow. The melting snow drips down the pitch above the soffit, where it freezes, forming a block of ice.

The ice dam then backs up additional snowmelt, which can then leak into the interior of the structure and do a lot of damage.

The cold roof is essentially a dual roof that uses a layer of insulation to separate the roof ’s external surface from the interior of a home, protecting against the snowmelt and ultimately, the ice dam. According to Andy Dreisbach, Big Sky contractor and owner of Cornerstone Management Services, this technique is at the forefront of modern-day, high-alpine building. Rather than reacting to problems, Dreisbach says, it’s about addressing them at their core.

“I’ve lived in a lot of alpine areas, but I’ve never seen the anomalies of ice damming and things that transpire here (in Big Sky) in other places,” Dreisbach explained one >>

Winter 2021/22 | 33 39

morning over a cup of coffee in his office. Dreisbach brought his business to Big Sky about 20 years ago and started building roofs when he couldn’t find anyone else in the area to do it.

Through decades of observation, and trial and error, Dreisbach started to develop the idea of a cold roof. In the last few years, he sought to refine the concept he knew worked from practice using empirical science and data. Last year, CMS partnered with a team of students from Montana State University’s College of Engineering to test the cold roof theory, produce data to demonstrate its efficacy and polish CMS’ design.

Now, one of those students, Teran Foster, works as a product development engineer for CMS, where he can test cold roof designs using computers and in-house experiments to bring the simplified technology to its full potential—and demonstrate it to clients.

After testing cold roofs in the Big Sky area for private homeowners, the concept really started to garner popularity seven years ago after Dreisbach collaborated with the Yellowstone Club on the added benefits of the cold roof system.

Although CMS has seen the demand for cold roofs grow exponentially each year, Dreisbach says the concept is actually not a very new technology, but rather a revitalized one.

Dreisbach invokes an image from the 1968 movie Heidi about an orphan girl who must go live in the rural Swiss Alps with her grandfather. Against the backdrop of the snow-capped European mountains, not entirely unlike the view from a Big Sky window, Heidi’s grandfather climbs onto the roof of his modest house.

“When he’s standing in that roof system basically it was a separation of church and state,” Dreisbach said. “It’s a separation of that interior space to the exterior space so they didn’t have that direct contact of interface … We didn’t invent this concept, we’re just trying to fine-tune it.”

Dreisbach observed that as building complexities increase, (building roofs with several pitch lines, for example) there are challenges to those systems.

“Basically we’re just trying to break it back down, back to the simple,” he said.

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TOP: Andy Dreisbach, Big Sky contractor and owner of Cornerstone Management Services, has fine-tuned the concept of the cold roof for residents in Big Sky. PHOTO COURTESY OF CORNERSTONE MANAGEMENT SERVICES

To date, CMS has had a hand in the completion of more than 400 cold roofs in Big Sky, both retrofitted and new, 74 of which have been completed in 2021. The first of those 400-plus was nearly 15 years ago, when Big Sky resident Todd Meredith trusted Dreisbach with what the contractor couldn’t yet explain with engineering or computer simulations, as Foster does now.

“We’ve had our house for 14 years, and we’ve never had a roof problem,” Meredith said. >>

VIEWS.

“I’ve lived in a lot of alpine areas, but I’ve never seen the anomalies of ice damming and things that transpire here (in Big Sky) in other places,” -Andy Dreisbach GRAPHIC: Traditional: Traditional roofs suffer from the thawing and refreezing of ice causing costly and damaging ice dams and dangerous icicles along your roofline eaves.

Cold roof: Cold roofs create a layer of insulation that separates its external surface from the interior of a home, protecting against snowmelt.

ILLUSTRATION BY ME BROWN

Traditional Roof

Cold Roof

VIEWS.

Winter 2021/22 | 35 41

Big Sky is no stranger to long, cold winters, which bring snow and ice. As the primary guard against the elements, your roof should be prepared to weather any storm. PHOTO

BY CHRIS KAMMAN

After hearing countless roof horror stories from friends over the years, the Beaver Creek homeowner knows his stable roof isn’t just good fortune—it’s because of the cold roof Dreisbach installed nearly a decade and a half ago.

Cold roofs do cost more up front, Dreisbach said, but by protecting against future water damage and replacing heat tape that spikes your energy bill in the winter, cold roofs have the potential to offer payback, similar to the investment of a solar panel system.

And Meredith’s advice to prospective homeowners looking to stake their piece of the winter wonderland: “Don’t save money on things that will end up costing you more later.”

While living in high-alpine paradise doesn’t come without sacrifice, your roof— the single barrier between your home and the harsh Montana elements—doesn’t have to be one of them.

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