Video: Explorer Gondola and Kircliff the new stars at Big Sky as resort has stellar season
This week (Jan 9), Big Sky Resort has experienced seven inches of snow over the past seven days, including six inches over the past 24 hours alone and that has helped produce a great base of 46 inches, making this Montana mountain one of the world’s top skiing and snowboarding destinations.
The additions of the Explorer Gondola and Kircliff are firmly adding to the fantastic appeal of Big Sky Resort and have been part of Big Sky 2025, a plan to cement the resort’s position as being home to North America’s most technologically advanced lift network.
“This marks the completion of a decade-long vision that has transformed this mountain and community,” said Big Sky Resort President and COO, Troy Nedved.
“In ten years, Big Sky has welcomed 20 new lifts thanks to a common vision amongst our partners to deliver the most significant transformation in North American skiing history.”
The Explorer Gondola replaces the resort’s last original chairlift, honouring Big Sky’s origins where resort founder Chet Huntley first built a lift in 1973.
Built on Doppelmayr’s next-generation D-Line platform, Explorer is the fastest 10-person gondola in the world, featuring 83 spacious Omega V cabins with heated seats and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Uphill capacity more than doubles to 2,850 skiers per hour, preserving the uncrowded conditions that have become synonymous with the Big Sky experience.
A mid-mountain station provides convenient access to premier beginner terrain, creating seamless connectivity for families and ski groups.
The gondola’s upper terminal connects directly to the lower terminal of the iconic 75-passenger Lone Peak Tram, enabling a seamless fifteen-minute journey from valley floor to summit.
Perched at 11,166 feet atop Lone Peak, Kircliff debuts as an alpine observatory unlike anything else in the American West.
The striking glass structure, cantilevered over the mountain’s edge, delivers sweeping 360-degree vistas across three states and two national parks, from Yellowstone to the Tetons.
A dramatic transparent floor creates the sensation of floating above Lone Peak’s legendary terrain, where the immensity of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem unfolds in breathtaking panorama.
Together, the new infrastructure enables scenic guest passage from base to summit for the first time in resort history.
“What makes this truly special is the accessibility it unlocks,” Nedved said. “For the first time in Big Sky’s history, anyone can reach the summit of Lone Peak in winter. No skis required.”
Inside, visitors encounter The Mountain, a custom installation by acclaimed artist Anthony James, whose illuminated geometric sculptures have appeared at Art Basel, the Saatchi Gallery, and in the film Glass Onion.
James, the first visual artist to exhibit on all seven continents, created the piece specifically for Kircliff, continuing his practice of placing transcendent works in extraordinary natural settings.
Big Sky 2025 has transformed more than just the mountain, Nedved said.
“Elevated dining experiences and landmark lodging investments throughout the Big Sky community are redefining what the American mountain experience can be.
“This winter, M by The Alinea Group, a four-month culinary residency led by acclaimed chef Grant Achatz, brings a bold new dimension to Big Sky’s culinary scene.”
The completion of Big Sky 2025 comes as the resort has earned major recognition from media outlets SKI Magazine and Condé Nast Traveler alongside the designation as the 2026 Expedia Destination of the Year.
“In December 1973, Chet Huntley opened this resort with a gondola and a vision,” said Boyne Resorts President and CEO, Stephen Kircher. “My father arrived three years later and our family has never stopped building on it.
“Today, 77 years into our company’s journey, we’ve completed Big Sky 2025, but we’re just getting started. This base-to-summit infrastructure unlocks new gathering places, new experiences, and transforms the Mountain Village itself. At Boyne, we think in decades, not quarters. The next chapter is already being written.”
Perched at 11,166 feet on Lone Peak, Kircliff is a stunning glass enclosure that offers sweeping 360-degree views across three states and two national parks, redefining what it means to experience Montana’s high country.
Kircliff is the latest achievement in a fifty-two-year journey of pioneering innovation led by the Kircher family, who transformed a bold wilderness vision into one of the country’s most innovative mountain destinations.
Cantilevered off the mountain’s edge, this architectural marvel creates a place where the immensity of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem can be experienced in jaw-dropping spectacle.
The culmination of the resort team’s multi-year efforts, it opens the summit of Lone Peak, one of the West’s most legendary views, to every guest for the first time — no skis or hiking boots required.
“This reimagined summit experience transforms Lone Peak into a year-round, must-visit destination,” Nedved said.
“Kircliff unlocks the opportunity for every guest to stand on one of the highest peaks in the region and witness a horizon that stretches from Yellowstone to the Tetons.”
Big Sky Resort will be open until April 12, 2026, with Friday-Sunday access April 17-26, conditions permitting.
United’s brilliant Polaris Business Class cabin
WAYFARER recommends flying to Bozeman, Montana on United Airlines, which offers daily flights to the city from across America (including Denver, Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco) and around the world.
Big Sky Resort is a 1.5-hour drive from Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport and private transfers and shuttles are available. For a seamless experience, book ahead with companies like Big Sky Country Transport for a seamless ride from the airport to Big Sky.
Book a ticket on the long-haul sector in United’s Polaris Business Class cabin, which features flatbed seats, pyjamas (on flights over 12 hours), Saks Fifth Avenue bedding, amenity kits, premium noise-reducing headphones and fantastic inflight hospitality.
It’s an exciting time for United, with the carrier dramatically increasing Asia-Pacific and European services and debuting new United Clubs across the network.