By Jen Clancey STAFF WRITER
Big Sky residents began reporting wait times at the United States Postal Service Big Sky Post Office ranging from two to five hours in late December 2025, continuing into the new year. At best, community members retrieved shipments and letters after shaving a few hours off of the work day. At its worst, some residents reported their mail, including Christmas gifts, medications and bills, had been lost entirely or sent back without the chance to pick up their deliveries.
In a Jan. 8 email statement, the representative for the Western Pacific Region including Montana, Janella Herron, noted that two vacant positions at the Big Sky Post Office during the holiday season have contributed to delays.
“We understand that some customers may experience longer wait times at the Big Sky Post Office during this period,” Herron stated. “Our dedicated employees are working diligently to serve every customer as efficiently as possible and additional resources have been assisting to reduce customer impact.”
The USPS is burdened by its unique position as a business and public service, requiring it to rely on sales but deliver to all U.S. communities six days a week. High operational costs, debt, reduced profits and coverage of workers’ salaries have resulted in the USPS losing money each fiscal year since 2007. At this point, the U.S. Government Accountability Office recommends substantial and difficult policy changes in Congress to begin solving the issue.
“The USPS has experienced a myriad of issues in recent years,” Sen. Tim Sheehy wrote in an email shared by Big Sky resident Shana Seelye, who wrote to Sen. Sheehy about the problems at the Big Sky Post Office. “Mail center closures, mistakenly or slowly delivered mail, and staffing shortages have contributed to an inability for Montanans to receive their mail in a timely manner.”
Sen. Sheehy explained that Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has worked to identify a successor to his position and that on July 15, David Steiner began his tenure as the Postmaster General after being confirmed by the USPS Board of Governors.
“I am hopeful that Postmaster General Steiner will lead the USPS with vigor and resolve the issues that have plagued the service these last five years, all while ensuring the service remains a public entity,” Sen. Sheehy stated in the email.
Herron stated that the Big Sky Post Office is currently hiring and interested candidates can directly access applications online. As of Jan. 21, a job posting is available online for the Big Sky area. Herron notes that jobs will be posted on cycles.
Seelye described confusion about how best to retrieve packages and described the post office’s guidance to wait for a yellow slip in her box. After five days of her package tracking showing it as delivered at the post office, she decided to join the line to ask about her package and was informed it had been returned. She said she never received a yellow slip indicating it was ready for pickup.
Seelye also described a friend who had brought a camp chair to the line to wait out the two- to three-hour queue, and a younger resident in front of her one day who waited two hours and learned that the package couldn’t be found despite tracking showing it delivered at the post office.
Another resident, Kate Ketschek, described having to visit the post office a few times each week at different times of day to try to pick up mail and packages. The line was outside the door each time she went, even after Christmas had passed. Ketschek is a small business owner, and noted that she couldn’t spend multiple hours in line each day to pick up gifts for her family and mail.
“Each time I stood in line, I felt bad for the two guys working the window—what a work day, to show up and already have a line out the door that doesn’t stop until you leave,” Ketschek told EBS in an email. “It appears our post office has been severely understaffed, and no one wants to work under conditions like that, especially during the already busy holiday season. I appreciate the two employees at the window who showed up everyday and didn’t quit.”
There are 10 months before a new cohort of seasonal workers arrive to the community for the first time in late fall, second homeowners spend their Thanksgiving and Christmas in Big Sky and families order gifts, and items they need that time of year. Locals hope that there’s enough time to plan for a better holiday season next year.
