By Sara Sipe EBS CONTRIBUTOR
Off-season. The phrase means a lot of different things to a lot of different people in Big Sky. For me, the meaning has evolved and changed just as Big Sky has evolved and changed.
I distinctly remember my first off-season in Big Sky. It was mid to late April 2010. Within two days of Big Sky Resort closing, it was like living in a ghost town. All the seasonal workers departed to chase snow in other countries, heading towards their summer jobs on rivers and lakes, or moving back home. But most of them left, and didn’t come back and if they did, it wasn’t until Thanksgiving when the resort opened again for the winter.
Of course, back then, there were summer businesses and jobs in Big Sky, but nothing like today. Big Sky has grown. We have purposefully (and I believe thoughtfully) expanded services that have successfully appealed to and encouraged growth in summer visitor numbers. That has done a few things. It created a more robust double-seasonal and year-round job market. But what it also did was drastically shorten the off-season. Every year I have been here, the off-season has become shorter and shorter; spring off-season is now only the month of May.
However, the most important thing the shorter off-season has done is to provide us with the opportunity to become closer as a community. The more year-round workers and residents we have, the stronger we become. The more time we spend together and the more familiar we become with our neighbors, the better we become. I think I will take advantage of the off-season by slowing down for a few weeks, supporting local businesses that are open, and meeting up with friends and neighbors it can otherwise be challenging to connect with during the busy winter.
As we pause for a few weeks during the off-season, I will leave you with a reminder of the neighbors we met this winter during the Community Spotlight series, and the work they are doing for Big Sky:
- 40+ year resident of and Big Sky’s best caretaker Mary Goodson continues to deliver made-from-scratch treats to friends and neighbors, seasonal workers, first responders and hospital staff.
- Liz Peabody found ways to train and participate in ultra marathons while caring for her toddlers, with the support of husband, Andrew and her friends and neighbors.
- Big Sky’s songbird Carmen Wooldridge can still be found outside with the grandkids or in church choir on Sundays with her fellow worshipers and neighbors.
- Lynda Barker continues to grow her business, Tumbleweed Delivery, moving packages and mail around Big Sky neighborhoods and helping part-time neighbors with forwarding services.
- The liftys at the Lone Moose chairlift at Big Sky Resort ended their season strong with great attitudes and full bellies thanks to their neighbors in Lone Moose Meadows.
- Our neighbors at Wellness In Action continue celebrating 20 years of serving the community, as they gear up for their summer campaign to end the stigma around discussing mental health and wellness.
- Big Sky couple CoCo Clemens and Austin Larsen continue to be grateful for their friends and neighbors that made their recent engagement atop the Lone Peak Tram such an unforgettable experience.
And last—but certainly not least—I have an update on my favorite neighbor, Ophir School 6th grader Sedona Kilgore-Karp, featured earlier this year in “Community Spotlight: Spring into 4-H.” Ms. Kilgore-Karp recently participated in her first animal showing competition with her rabbits Murray and Albert. This event was in preparation for the annual County Fair 4-H animal competition coming up this summer. I’m pleased to report that Kilgore-Karp brought home the blue ribbon with her rabbit Murray for his tremendous growth.
When asked how she felt about earning first place, Kilgore-Karp responded, “It was so nice to see all of my hard work pay off. And it was hard work. But so fun. My rabbits are awesome brothers.”
Congratulations to Sedona and Murray. Better luck next time, Albert!
I hope you have enjoyed getting to know some of your neighbors through the Community Spotlight column. The feedback has been positive and encouraging. If you have any neighbors or Big Sky businesses that you think I should shine a spotlight on this summer, please reach out to me at sara@theoutlawpatners.com.
Sara Sipe has lived in Big Sky since 2009. She is an accountant by trade, but her true passion is being of service to others in Big Sky through charitable work and community building. In her free time, she enjoys live music, creative writing, pottery, and painting.
Big Sky Community Spotlight is a short column that is meant to shine a light on those in Big Sky doing important work. Whether it be a profession, hobby or volunteer work, Big Sky is home to interesting people that do interesting things and as our community grows, it is important to stay connected to our neighbors and local businesses. This is more easily done if we know more about one another. We hope you enjoy getting to know your neighbors!
