By Annie O’Neill EDITORIAL INTERN
First Tracks Tires, the four-year-old automotive shop known for keeping Big Sky’s fleet of trucks, SUVs and luxury vehicles road-ready, has added a new service to its lineup: a water-recycling hand car wash, the first of its kind in Big Sky.
Co-owner and lead technician Tanner Dunlap and co-owner, Chris Phillips, said the business officially opened the wash to the public Aug. 3 and is now marking its first month of operation. First Tracks Tire is located at 167-G Iron Loop Road in Big Sky.
A closed-loop system
At the center of the new service is a water-recycling unit built by ParrWash, a Tennessee-based company that manufactures oil-and-water separators. The system captures wash water, recycles roughly 70% of it and routes the remainder to disposal tanks. The wastewater is later collected and processed off-site, Dunlap said.
Dunlap, who recreates on the nearby Gallatin River, said water conservation was both a personal and business priority. The shop spent nearly a year researching wash systems before settling on the ParrWash unit, which it installed July 15.
“I know that the runoff water from town is affecting the river. I can see when it gets more algae,” Dunlap said. “The last thing I want is to contribute to the pollution problem in the state.”
Rather than build an automated tunnel, First Tracks Tires opted for hand-washing, a decision Dunlap attributed to both cost and the number of high-end vehicles in Big Sky.
“Luxury vehicles always prefer a hand wash,” he said. “It’s better for the paint, ceramic coat. Going through a machine can often cause swirl marks or damage.”
The shop currently offers exterior washes for vehicles ranging from full-size vans to compact sports cars for $45.
Eventually, Dunlap said, the business hopes to offer both a hand-wash option for delicate or high-value vehicles and a faster, tunnel-style wash for other customers. The wash can also accommodate boats, he said.
Filling a gap in the market
“We’re trying to fit the bill for people who just want their car refreshed,” Dunlap said. “As opposed to spending $400 or $500 for a full detail.”
“It’s a waste of time to have to drive the canyon,” Dunlap said. “It’s a very dangerous road, especially if you don’t have snow tires.”
Dunlap traces the idea for First Tracks Tires to his time working in property management at Alpine Property Management. There he met his future business partners, Chris and Austin, who were both also working at Bozeman car dealerships at the time. The three regularly dealt with the inconvenience of driving clients’ vehicles down the canyon for seasonal tire swaps, something all Big Sky residents previously had to do for both tire and car wash options.
First Tracks Tires opened in 2022. The business has since expanded to service vehicles for several of the area’s large property management operations, including those associated with Yellowstone Club, Spanish Peaks Mountain Club, Moonlight Basin and Two Pines Property Management.
Dunlap said it is in talks with a local vehicle storage and valet company to offer bundled pickup, maintenance, washing and airport drop-off services for part-time residents.
“If you think anything car, give us a call,” Dunlap said. “It’s problem solving to make sure your time is maximized in Big Sky.”
Discounts for teachers and first responders
First Tracks Tires offers a 10% discount to ski patrollers, teachers and first responders, a service inspired by Dunlap’s time working as a Big Sky Resort ski patroller–he’s on his eighth season as a part-time patroller.
The shop has partnered with the local school’s teacher fund for the past three years, allowing them to cover one annual service per teacher of any service he offers.
Dunlap said much of the shop’s hiring philosophy centers on giving young, underexperienced workers, several of them in their late teens and early 20s, a stable, full-time job and a path into skilled trade work.
“I myself was a wandering, lost 18-year-old kid at one point when I first moved here,” Dunlap said.
He said he intentionally provides employees with independent housing separate from the shop rather than tying housing to employment.
“I don’t want people to work here just because they’re housed here,” he said. “I want people to work here because they want to be here.”
The shop’s client base expanded further this year when organizers of the FAT International Ice Race in Big Sky asked First Tracks Tires to receive a shipment of high-end vehicles after delivery trucks became stuck attempting to climb Lone Mountain Trail in snowy conditions. They ended up hosting vehicles from manufacturers including Ferrari, Singer, RUF and Ford, some reportedly valued well into six figures.
First Tracks Tires plans to continue expanding its wash operation, Dunlap said, including a possible second recycling unit and additional automation, while maintaining its focus on tire, oil and general vehicle maintenance services.
