Large Sky
Lifts Rating Change: 6 to 7; Problem Rating Change: 9 to 10 (with Tram), or 8 to 9 (with out Tram)
Large Sky is within the midst of an enormous, multi-year transformation, and this 12 months’s upgrades have already introduced some substantial enhancements to the general mountain expertise. The large change this 12 months was the brand new Madison 8 carry, which changed the Six Shooter six-pack as the only carry connecting the Madison facet of the mountain with the remainder of the resort.
On the floor, this may increasingly look like a nice, if not life-cycle-oriented improve. However for many who have skilled the outdated Six Shooter carry earlier than, they’ll know the way a lot aid it is going to be to have the brand new Madison 8 as a replacement as an alternative. The Madison 8 is already a contemporary carry in its personal proper, bringing eight-pack seating, bubbles for climate safety, and heated seats. However the chair additionally brings a 20% sooner journey time than the six-pack, which shaves a full minute off the prolonged journey, and has up to now operated fairly reliably in welcome distinction to the issue-prone Six Shooter. Lastly, the Madison 8 brings an enormous 50% capability enhance over the outdated carry, offering welcome crowd aid at considered one of Large Sky’s largest historic chokepoints. In our view, this improve warrants a bump up within the lifts class for Montana’s largest ski resort.
We’re additionally making an adjustment to Large Sky’s Problem rating for many who have entry to the Lone Peak Tram (which, as of 2025, consists of all carry ticket purchasers, choose season passholders, and different guests who select to buy a per-ride extra-cost add-on). Runs resembling Large Couloir and the Gullies have easily-accessible, extraordinarily high-consequence terrain that won’t all the time contain necessary straightlines, however requires technical prowess effectively above practically each different lift-served ski path in North America because of the sheer steepness—and consistency of mentioned steepness. We really feel this degree of excessive consequence was not adequately captured in our earlier rating, and accordingly, we’re transferring Large Sky’s Problem score, at the very least with the Lone Peak Tram, to our highest rating of 10. For individuals who don’t select to buy a tram add-on, equally steep, consistently-long, and high-consequence terrain is offered off the Headwaters Hike, and we’re transferring the non-tram Problem rating to a 9 accordingly.
