Big Sky School District kids to name machine
By Emily Stifler Explorebigsky.com Managing Editor
BIG SKY – On Friday, Nov. 16, Lone Mountain Ranch head groomer Patrick McVey got his wish: a new PistenBully 100 groomer.
It may be hard to believe, but this new machine will make Big Sky’s nordic ski trails – already known for impeccable grooming – even nicer.
A top of the line machine built in Germany, the new groomer came to the ranch from a distributor in Logan, Utah. It replaces an identical – but much older – machine that was no longer working.
The difference, McVey said, is that the new groomer has more teeth on the tiller, which chews up the snow better, and makes the trails a little smoother.
The ranch will also still run its smaller groomer, a PistenBully 160, which was rebuilt this summer.
At the end of November, the ranch is working with students from the Big Sky School District to name the groomers, said PJ Wirchansky, Director of Sales and Marketing at the ranch.
McVey will trailer the new machine to the school after Thanksgiving and unload it for an afternoon. The kids will get to pitch ideas for names, and Lone Mountain will choose two – one for each groomer.
The students who pick the winning name will get a ride with McVey, receive a small replica of the PistenBully, and also get a day of skiing and lunch with their families at the ranch.
“We’re trying to get more involved in the community,” Wirchansky said.
The Lone Mountain Ranch trails are set to open Dec. 7, depending on conditions.
