By Nielsen Greiner EBS COLUMNIST
For my final column of the ski season, I was originally going to ask some locals to tell me about their winter. I quickly realized, however, that I wanted to ask a deeper, more all-encompassing question: “Why do you choose to live in a ski town?”
While there may be reasons to not live in a ski town—housing, cost of living, transient community, long and harsh winters—those who stick it out have their reasons to stay. Ask most any local who’s made it work, and they’ll say it’s worth it.
I sent that question via text to some Big Sky resident friends of mine. It would take many pages to sum up and quote the responses I received. The best I can do is share a summary.
There is, of course, an obvious reason to live in this particular ski town—the close proximity to world-class skiing.
“We love having access to an incredible resort that has endless terrain options, a mere 15 minutes away,” said Cherrie Chamberlain. “The ski-focused culture and community is a large part of our lives, making Big Sky a rather perfect fit.”
“I chose to live in a ski town because I love to snowboard,” said Andy Nagel, a Big Sky Resort employee. It’s a straightforward, lifestyle-based decision shared by many, including Nelson VanTassel, a ski patroller at Big Sky Resort.
“I choose to live here because I can’t see myself living anywhere but a mountain town,” VanTassel said. “I’ve built my life around the activities that make me come alive.”
As I kept asking around, it was soon apparent that, apart from the obvious reasons, living in a ski town is about much more than skiing. For many, especially families, it’s the strong local community that keeps them here.
Steph and Taylor Kissell’s story is reflective of a broader theme—home, roots, family, community. “We moved here for work and the gateway drugs of skiing and fishing. Twenty years later, we still find ourselves here. Our jobs and hobbies have shifted, we started a family, and made the transition from renters to homeowners. Now, our community is here. Every time we leave, we look forward to coming home.”
Chris and Vanessa Wilson’s story echoes the Kissells’. Vanessa moved to Big Sky in 1995 and Chris in 1997, looking for a year of fun before pursuing a serious job. “The rest is history,” he told me. “We never left. We made a lot of friends while working here and a lot of us have stuck around. We love our group that we grew up with, and have watched our kids grow up together. It’s a great local community.”
One friend, who asked to remain anonymous, addressed some of the real challenges. “It has not been without difficulties. Big Sky’s winters are long, cold, and a lot of work. Shoulder season can be depressing because it is hard to do things outside during mud season. Big Sky has a good crew of core locals, but it can be hard with frequent turnover of new residents, and kids’ friends moving away. It is an expensive place to live and you have to make financial sacrifices to make it work.”
Despite the challenges, he landed on a positive note. “We have flourished in this community despite the difficulties. We have a wonderful group of friends. We are part of a vibrant church. My wife is growing and loves her art options and connections.”
“I could never imagine living elsewhere,” Wes Hoecker—a family man, business owner, and nonprofit board member—told me. “Big Sky is the total package. Yes, it definitely has more than enough challenges, but I think we are better for it. It encourages people to get involved. There’s a lot that needs done in this town and it really does take everyone to achieve our goals. So it’s really rewarding to be part of such an active and involved community. I have never seen anything like it before. It’s a truly special place that is loved by so many, and I want to make sure we take care of it for generations to come.”
While many initially move here for the outdoor lifestyle, they often choose to stay for the town as much as the activities, as expressed by Jonathan Gans, a former teacher at Ophir School who now works for Lone Mountain Land Company. “I choose to stay here because I love being involved in creating and building a town.”
It’s beautiful when community members share a common passion for what they love to do—like making turns down a smooth white face of snow in a state of bliss. Despite the obstacles, living in a ski town brings us joy. Though personal, this joy is experienced not in isolation but within the whole. It’s like a troupe of dancers. While each dancer is solitary in their act, they perform in unison, creating something far more elegant than their individual roles.
A ski town has a soul—the people, the community. “Locals” are the brush strokes of color that brighten and bring depth to the wild canvas of a rugged landscape of mountains and snow and rivers, trees and birds and wildlife. And we, the community, are not merely passive bystanders, but stewards.
For myself, it’s not only the open space, riding powder off Lone Peak or Headwaters, the outdoor lifestyle, the special community. It’s also the inevitable sacrifices, the costs of choosing such a place. You don’t live in a ski town by accident; as many of us know, it’s not the easy choice, practically speaking. This reality makes it all the more meaningful.
“I’m pretty sure heaven is a ski resort,” my friend Casey Barnett—longtime local and eager snowboarder—recently told me. Certainly, in some ways Big Sky seems about as close to heaven as you can get. Not because everything is perfect. Rather, it’s the commitment each one of us makes, the roots we plant in the tough soil. Like whitebark pines in the alpine, we learn to weather the seasons and play our part in the physical and social ecosystem.
Pondering life as a Big Sky ski bum, Barnett said, “Was it worth it to be a ski bum? The answer is yes… There’s a lot of us up here giving it all we’ve got. You never get that turn back if you don’t make it.”
So this one’s for you, Big Sky dwellers, for doing whatever it takes to stay, for giving it all you’ve got to live the ski town dream.
Nielsen Greiner is an aspiring writer, outdoor enthusiast, and small business owner based in Big Sky. To read more, visit nielseninthewild.com.
