By Carli Johnson SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
As sunlight crept over Lone Mountain on Saturday, Dec. 20, guests and visitors of Big Sky Resort were invited to the grand opening of the Explorer Gondola and subsequent Kircliff observation deck marking the finale of the resort’s 10-year strategic plan, Big Sky 2025.
“To our community, our guests and every team member who touched this project, this lift belongs to you,” Troy Nedved, president and COO of Big Sky Resort said at the gondola’s ribbon cutting that morning. “But today isn’t just about what we built. It’s about why we built it. And the story stretches back 52 years to Chet Huntley’s original vision.”
Stephen Kircher, president and CEO of Boyne Resorts, took to the podium to honor the original Explorer lift and the shared vision of establishing Big Sky as a world-class mountain destination. As part of a Big Sky Resort tradition, the new gondola was welcomed by the ringing of a Doppelmayr bell, followed by fireworks before the first riders loaded the cabins.
“For the first time in Big Sky’s history, anyone could travel from the parking lots to the Mountain Village, the top of America’s Matterhorn, skiers, non-skiers, and every generation,” Kircher said. “So with that, the Big Sky 2025 is now complete. The next chapter is about to unfold.”
The gondola replaces the resort’s last original 1973-built chairlift with new D-Line platform technology by Doppelmayr. According to the press release, Explorer is the fastest 10-person gondola in the world moving at 7.1 meters per second. The 83 cabins feature floor-to-ceiling windows, heated seats and has the capacity to move 2,850 skiers per hour.
“Experience here is extraordinary. The Explorer Gondola is the most advanced lift in the world, and the speed at which these cabins leave the terminal is unbelievable,” Nedved said just before the gondola loaded its first riders to experience it for themselves.
The gondola features a mid-mountain station—soon to be base camp for the resort’s ski school programming—which offers access to much of the beginner terrain, including green-rated trails like Mr. K and White Wing. The gondola continues to its upper terminal beside the base of the Lone Peak Tram. This connection allows for a 15-minute ride from the base of the resort to the summit of Lone Mountain for both skiers and pedestrians, creating an ADA-accessible experience in both winter and summer.
Kircliff brings Chamonix experience to Montana
Following the gondola ribbon cutting, the resort hosted the grand opening of the Kircliff, an alpine observatory that sits atop Lone Mountain designed by Salt Lake City-based architect Tang Yang. The two-story glass structure offers 360-degree views and a glass floor that extends over the edge of the mountain.
“For the first time in Big Sky’s history, anyone can reach the top of Lone Peak in the winter. No skis required,” Nedved said. “Just an incredible journey from where we stand here to the top of the most stunning summit experiences in the greater Yellowstone.”
Inside Kircliff is a custom art installation by sculpture artist Anthony James. The sculpture, titled “The Mountain,” features mirrors and illuminated geometric shapes creating the illusion of infinity.
Atop Lone Mountain, Kircher shared that his inspiration for the structure came from a family trip to Chamonix where there is a similar structure teetering over the edge of Aiguille du Midi mountain.
“I was scared to death to walk in it, but when we got out of there we’re thinking, ‘We’ve got to do this somewhere,’” Kircher said.
Nedved called the resort’s innovations—including the installation of 20 new lifts in the last 10 years, the “most significant transformation of North American skiing history.” With the completion of Big Sky 2025, Nedved and Kircher both expressed how the Explorer Gondola and Kircliff are laying the groundwork for what comes next. Plans include new on-mountain dining, future lift expansions and an enhanced beginner experience centered around the gondola’s mid-mountain station.
Kircher, accompanied by sons Finn and Everett, and wife Molly during the opening ceremonies, emphasized a legacy that goes beyond a few years—and instead looks to decades and lifetimes.
“I want to call out my son Everett, who’s been relentless about the Big Sky 2025 vision. His passion is indicative of the entire next generation as well as my wife’s passion for this place,” Kircher said in his opening remarks. “At Boyne, we think long-term. It’s one of our core values— not in quarters, not in years, but in decades. That’s how my father thought, and that’s how we’re raising the next generation to think.”
