By John Allen GUEST COLUMNIST
My recovery journey began in February 1998. With my wife’s support, I realized that continuing to drink would mean losing my marriage and relationship with our children. I could no longer deny or justify my problem with alcohol.
It was a terrifying moment, knowing that if I kept drinking, I would lose the three most important people in my life forever. That same day, I broke down in my doctor’s office in Park City, Utah, admitting I couldn’t stop drinking. This marked the start of my long path to sobriety.
Shortly after, a therapist sent me to a 12-step recovery meeting, urging me to accept that I was an alcoholic. Though scared and desperate, I attended my first meeting, recognizing many faces but unsure of what to expect. I heard stories similar to mine from people who seemed happy and content without alcohol.
Despite not understanding much, I felt a strong connection and hope from others battling the same addiction.
That meeting was the beginning of my sobriety. For the past 27 years, I’ve consistently attended 12-step meetings and engaged in various activities to maintain my sobriety, including therapy, medication, exercise, journaling, meditation, helping newcomers, reading, eating well, staying hydrated and getting enough sleep. These combined efforts have helped me stay sober.
Sobriety hasn’t eliminated life’s challenges. I’ve faced depression, which I’ve managed through therapy, medication and understanding how early traumas contributed to my addiction. In return, I’ve enjoyed a 39-year marriage, raised two wonderful children, broken the cycle of generational addiction, regained self-respect, and built a substance-free life beyond my wildest dreams.
The battle cry, “first chair, last call!” was heard just as much in the early ‘80s, when I got my first ski area job in Utah along the Wasatch Front, as it is today. The culture of, “ski and ride hard but party harder” was the order of the day. It’s almost quaint to think back on those times with just alcohol and weed as being the predominant substances of choice. PBR and Mexican weed were the old standbys.
Living and working in a resort mountain town community was a place where I fit in with the ski, ride, hike, climb and raft outdoor lifestyle. The adventures were epic and so was the party that always followed. A job was really only a means to finance one’s lifestyle and nobody was too concerned about climbing the corporate ladder. I didn’t need conventional society, I found connection through a shared love of risk-taking and pushing my limits with friends just like me.
Contrary to my resort party days, today’s alcohol choices and huge array of super potent chemical compounds including ketamine, MDMA, opioids, cocaine, meth, fentanyl and nitazenes are all very powerful, highly addictive and deadly.
Today’s drinking and drug use culture comes with significant risk of overdose and death. The statistics are alarming: 48.5% of Big Sky residents report being personally impacted by substance abuse, compared to 35.8% of the U.S. population; 33.9% of Big Sky residents report engaging in excessive drinking behaviors, compared to 20% in Montana and 27% in the greater U.S.; Montana is also consistently in the top three states in the nation for suicide, with drug and alcohol use going hand in hand for people choosing to take their own life.
Ski resort towns are hard to resist. The fun vibes, endless outdoor adventure, stunning natural beauty, and the ease of landing a job—often with housing included—make them especially appealing to young people seeking a fresh start, seasonal escape or a dreamy lifestyle. The reality of living in a resort town often contrasts sharply with the dream. The party culture in resort towns across the West directly fuels the ongoing alcohol and drug problem, with Big Sky being no different. New staff arrive, and the cycle starts as the winter sets in. Many find that one job doesn’t seem to make ends meet. The short daylight hours and long nights, coupled with the cold environment that many are not used to, contribute to the problem. The employee housing and general living situation may not turn out to be so great. Isolation, loss of connection with others, remote small-town living, and lack of social opportunities—all these are contributing factors.
Soon, drinking and using is a nightly occurrence, with regular hangouts being established. Drugs also become part of the mix as the frequency and intensity of use ramp up as the season progresses. For some, drinking and using become the go-to coping mechanism to handle mountain town life. If people stay for multiple seasons, the behavior can become entrenched, and people may find themselves in active addiction to their substance of choice. Mountain town culture often supports this because so many are doing the same thing.
Drinking and drug use become normalized. Alcohol is the oldest known drug that people have used for thousands of years. In 2024, the United States spent $408.8 billion on alcohol. In Montana, from fiscal years 2020 to 2024, the state has seen an increase in overall gross liquor sales jump by nearly $50 million. Total sales in 2020 were $163.8 million, but in 2024, those numbers rose to $211.7 million. The Big Sky community is definitely impacted and included in these numbers. Drinking is a common part of the resort town experience for both residents and visitors, with little signs of that changing.
For most, drinking is an enjoyable part of the resort town experience that doesn’t have negative consequences. For others, alcohol and drug use can easily blossom into habituation and full-blown addiction.
One thing helping the community is awareness of mental health issues and the willingness to talk about and recognize that there are systemic problems that need to be addressed. The stigma of reaching out for help for our mental health is diminishing, and that is in part due to local resources such as Be Well Big Sky and Wellness in Action.
I hope that you come away after reading this knowing that it is okay to ask for help. Others have gone through this journey and can walk alongside you. That’s why sharing stories matters. I got help, and I’ve been sober for 27 years. If you’re struggling, you’re not alone. Help is here—and it could change your life, just like it changed mine.
There is no stigma or shame in seeking treatment for substance use or any other mental health issues. Help is available and waiting on you to make the decision to ask—it could be the most important choice you make for yourself.
John Allen worked in Big Sky in hospitality for the last 20 years. Now retired, he is a Wellness Navigator with Be Well Big Sky.
