It's out in the serious boonies, west of the Continental Divide, closer to Canada and Idaho than anywhere else. The Big Mountain's size and variety of ski terrain, its very geography, are what set it apart from other ski areas. Distances are vast, the ambiance is pristine, the powder is everywhere and skiers from elsewhere forget what lift lines used to be.
Skiers come here to ski hard, and to party hard after the lifts close.
It's strictly western casual, and people wear cowboy hats and bandannas on the slopes. Fashion mavens are ignored. The Big Mountain's middle name, and a big day here means 3000 skiers, one per acre of lift-served terrain. Forty per cent of the acreage is trees, and much of it is adjacent to groomed runs. Family members with diverse skiing abilities have discovered they can ski within sight of each other even while skiing their terrain of choice.