Big Sky Resort announces auction to raise funds for Boyne Forever Foundation
By Jack Reaney SENIOR EDITOR
The Explorer Gondola project remains on schedule at Big Sky Resort, with plans to open on Saturday, Dec. 20 after three years of construction. The Doppelmayr D-Line Explorer Gondola will be the world’s fastest 10-person gondola, with an uphill capacity of 2,850 skiers per hour, according to the resort.
On Dec. 7, the resort announced an auction to raise money for the Boyne Forever Foundation, a philanthropic outlet of Big Sky Resort’s parent company, Boyne Resorts. The 25 winning bidders will earn a seat on the first five gondola cabins, with special mementos and experiences to celebrate their generosity as they ride the two-stage gondola during the resort’s grand opening ceremony.
The auction is open online until Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 6 p.m., with $300 as the minimum bid, ranging up to a $1,250 minimum for a seat in the first cabin.
“We’re honored to mark this milestone by investing back into the community,” Michelle Wein, executive director of Boyne Forever Foundation, stated in an email to EBS. “The Boyne Forever Foundation operates as a public charity with a mission to create lasting impact across three pillars: protecting our mountain environments, strengthening our communities, and supporting our team members.”
Wein noted that grant recipients will not be designated in advance, but the foundation has designed a “strategic grantmaking process” that allows nonprofits across its resort regions to apply for funding based on demonstrated need. The foundation’s first grant cycle will open in April 2026, and Wein encourages local nonprofits, school districts, municipalities and Tribal Nations to apply.
The new process deviates slightly from Big Sky Resort’s 2023 first-ride auction for the Lone Peak Tram, which ultimately raised $50,000 to be split between three pre-arranged local nonprofits: Morningstar Learning Center, Gallatin River Task Force and the Big Sky Community Organization. While the process differs, the common thread is the resort’s recent efforts to use exciting infrastructure as a platform to give back.
“This approach allows us to be responsive, equitable, and amplify our impact across all the communities we serve,” Wein stated. “Proceeds from the Explorer Gondola first rides will ensure that as Big Sky grows, our commitment to giving back grows with it.”
Auction winners will receive a lift ticket for Dec. 20, surprise mementos at the gondola’s mid-station, a private photographer capturing the journey, an early access ride on the Lone Peak Tram plus “exclusive entry” to the new Kircliff glass summit observatory before the Dec. 20 grand opening, according to an email from Big Sky Resort.
With the gondola complete, the summit of Lone Mountain will be open to pedestrians in both winter and summer, for the first time in Big Sky Resort’s history.
