The Golden Age

There’s no time like the present.

"This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it." —Ralph Waldo Emerson

Looking back and reflecting on the quarter-century that Outside Bozeman has been in print can induce a roller-coaster of emotions. While the nostalgic allure of Montana’s Wild West that seduced so many of us 25-plus years ago has been largely tamed, and the Bozeman area has gone through an extraordinary transformation in the interim, this is still one of the best places in the country to live and recreate, period. No matter what type of activity suits your fancy, an endless variety of opportunities exist, within striking distance and in every direction—although one might have to drive a little farther to escape the swarms than he or she did at the turn of the millennium. And regardless of the low-hanging fruit becoming overcrowded, there’s always a new drainage to investigate or a new mountain to climb. Personally, I’ve spent thousands of days and tens of thousands of hours exploring southwest Montana’s open spaces, and I am often still humbled and delighted to find new spots where one interacts more with wildlife and flora than with other humans.

But don’t just take it from me. Take it from Bridger Bowl’s legendary local, Turk, who’s been here for a lot longer than a mere 2.5 decades. If you don’t know Turk or at least know of him, then you’re clearly not a local yet. He’s been at Bridger every day in powder and in hardpack, in long lift lines and short ones, for longer than most other skiers have been alive. His bright spirit and infectious smile elevate everyone around him, regardless of the conditions or the crowds. I suspect that out of the millions of turns Turk has taken at Bridger, he’d probably count the bad ones on one hand.

I moseyed toward the base area and came across Turk putting his boots on. With an ear-to-ear grin, he loudly proclaimed, “We are living in the golden age!”

A couple years ago, during a particularly good early-season storm cycle before Bridger Bowl opened, I showed up to the parking lot with a bunch of anxious backcountry skiers. We were all worried about finding fresh tracks, making grumpy comments about how there were more vehicles in the lot than on some days when the ski area is open. With elegant, delicate snowflakes falling from the sky, I moseyed toward the base area and came across Turk putting his boots on. With an ear-to-ear grin, he loudly proclaimed, “We are living in the golden age!” Turk was referencing how today’s more advanced technology and gear make skiing and recreating in general more fun than it’s ever been. On that point, it’s hard to argue with someone who’s been here through more change and progression than most of us will experience in a lifetime and has zero animosity about it all.

Now, I must admit that I haven’t always had Turk’s unflappable outlook and am often guilty of being a curmudgeon. When Bridger installed the Slushman’s lift in 2009, some of us who regularly skied backcountry laps out there were cantankerous and quick to dial whine-one-one for the wahmbulance, fearing the change would take away our precious untracked turns. Looking back now, I don’t know what we would do without said lift, which has helped Bridger provide even better access to the mountains and evolve into a premier resort with some of the best terrain in the country, all while continuing to nurture the next generation of really, really good skiers.

Fact is, despite the major remodeling, a strong core community and idyllic vibe still exist at Bridger, where skiers form relationships and bonds that last a lifetime and shape our souls. And, it must be acknowledged, despite is overbearing opulence, Big Sky, too, has evolved into perhaps the grandest ski resort in the nation. Cantankerousness aside, Big Sky does offer various access options so that locals can pick passes within their budgets and ski the endless terrain that has earned Lone Mountain the rightful moniker, “biggest skiing in America.”

While Outside Bozeman continues to celebrate its silver anniversary, I am in full, albeit belated, agreement that we are, indeed and indubitably, living in the best of times. So keep getting out there, and keep smiling like Turk whenever you do. For our part, we here at O/B will keep telling the stories of the people, places, and pastimes that make southwest Montana so great—a place of golden fields and forests, to match this golden age.