Big Sky Nordic Festival

Cross-country skiing aficionados of all types—lycra-clad skate-skiers, classic-track kick-and-gliders, and wool-bearing backcountry explorers alike—will converge on Lone Mountain Ranch for the annual Big Sky Nordic Ski Festival, a week-long celebration of all things Nordic. Honoring the sport’s storied past, eclectic present, and luminous future, the festival kicks off with the Glide and Gorge, a unique epicurean exercise where hungry participants ski or snowshoe from one gourmet grub station to the next—a welcome undertaking for competitors fresh off the Rendezvous Ski Race, held the previous day in West Yellowstone. After that palate-pleasing commencement, expect activities like canine ski-joring, a terrain park challenge, family relays, gear demos, the Gallatin Glissade race, and of course a host of clinics and workshops. Daredevils can vie for royal bragging rights at the King & Queen of the Mountain, an adrenaline-inducing skinny-ski race straight down the mountain. Got speed? Sprint races in the Town Center will separate the real speed demons from wind-sucking weekend warriors. The festival culminates with the Mad Wolf Classic, a no-holds-barred downhill race—on anything that slides, no less—from the top of Andesite Mountain to Lone Mountain Ranch. A paltry $99 lands you a full pass for the entire week, or pay ala carte at $10-$40 per event. The best part? All proceeds benefit the Big Sky Ski Education Foundation, which means more and better Nordic skiing for all. For more info, visit lmranch.com/theranch/bigskynordicskifest.