Moonlight Basin uncorks public-access gondola to One&Only ski lodge
By Jack Reaney SENIOR EDITOR
On the second-shortest day of 2024, the world’s longest eight-seat chairlift carried its first public riders up Lone Mountain.
Big Sky Resort’s Madison 8 chairlift opened just after 10 a.m. on Dec. 20, 2024, less than one year after Big Sky Resort announced its plan to replace Six Shooter on Dec. 28, 2023.
“Building a lift of this magnitude in one summer is almost unheard of,” said resort President and COO Troy Nedved during the ribbon cutting ceremony. He offered words of recognition for “our old and beloved Six Shooter lift,” noting that it was possibly one of the coldest lifts in North America. The new lift includes heated seats and a “weather-proof” bubble to combat the chill on the dark side of Lone Mountain.
Madison 8 is Big Sky Resort’s 12th new chairlift—counting five carpets—since the resort announced its Big Sky 2025 vision nine years ago.
“So these ceremonies, although extremely special, I’m happy to say that we have a lot of them, and more to come,” Nedved said.
He added in a follow-up press conference that while that vision was “extremely bold,” the resort plans to announce “even more bold” plans in the coming year.
“There is a lot more ahead,” he said.
Matt Kidd, president of Lone Mountain Land Company, discussed the partnership between the resort and LMLC.
“This lift is a significant investment from Lone Mountain Land Company and Big Sky Resort, and we look forward to all of you being able to experience it,” Kidd said.
Nedved said LMLC “certainly had a hand in this lift, and being able to do it as fast as we did.”
The new lift adds luxury to the resort’s north side, just in time for the luxury One&Only Moonlight Basin resort, which will open in summer 2025. LMLC is the lead developer for One&Only.
Nedved said the resort has been planning for years to improve lift infrastructure on that side of the mountain, “but the timing… fits perfectly with the One&Only brand coming in.”
Kidd added gratitude for Big Sky Resort’s former President and COO, who announced his transition to a strategic advisory role in September after more than 40 years of leadership.
“Big Sky would not be what it is today if it wasn’t for Taylor Middleton,” Kidd said. “We would not be here opening this lift today if it wasn’t for Taylor Middleton.”
Nedved said Madison 8’s Dec. 20 opening was enabled by “unbelievable” teamwork in the past week. Chair installation was completed just two days before the Friday morning opening.
“Two weeks ago, it was touch-and-go whether we were going to make it not,” said Caleb Teigen, construction manager for the project. “And the teams came together and put forth their best effort… Hats off to all the team members that were involved with it.”
Teigen said his first chairlift project taught him that with the right team, anything is possible. He said lifts like Madison 8 typically aren’t done in one year.
“And unless you’ve got the right people with you, it’s not going to happen,” he said.
Chad Wilson, VP of construction and development, praised Teigen for staying on top of details.
“It’s great to have a guy on board who’s willing to do whatever it takes to make sure things get done on time,” Wilson said.
As for the comfort of the new lift, Teigen summed it up.
“It’s a smooth, fast, warm ride,” he said. “Just smiles from everybody.”
Gondola spins for One&Only
Although Big Sky Resort plans to complete the larger-scale Explorer Gondola next year, Friday’s opening of the One&Only Gondola marks the first gondola at Big Sky Resort since 2008.
“It is so unbelievable to be doing ribbon cuttings on both of these lifts on the same day,” Nedved said during the second ribbon cutting ceremony of the day. He said the new gondola represents the future of Moonlight Basin.
Kidd expects One&Only to be “North America’s finest mountain hotel and one of the finest hotels in the entire world.”
The new gondola connects Big Sky Resort’s Madison Base Area to One&Only’s Sky Lodge, which also opened Friday. Both the gondola and lodge will be open to the public, and dozens of locals and ceremony attendees were treated to a complimentary glass of rosé as they explored the large après ski deck, which faces south and west with expansive views of Lone Mountain, Fan Mountain and the Jack Creek Preserve down to the Madison Valley.
Kevin Germain, VP of Moonlight Basin, spoke with EBS about the joint opening of the Sky Lodge and gondola.
“So far, people—the stoke seems really high. What a beautiful facility that’s open to the public. And we’re so excited to welcome the public over here,” Germain said. He said it has taken seven years for One&Only to reach this point, and it’s rewarding to see the community celebrating both Madison 8 and the One&Only Gondola together.
“It’s pretty neat that people get to come in, have a sneak peek of what the hotel will have,” Germain said, pointing out that One&Only will have two more restaurants open to the public. “This is just another great community asset.”
Germain said originally, there was a two-chairlift solution to make the Sky Lodge ski-in, ski-out.
“We went with the gondola because—fast-forward when we do the Madison Village—we can run the gondola 365 days a year and run it into the evening hours so the public can go back and forth.”
Madison Village will be Moonlight’s future ski village in the current location of the Madison Base Area, Germain added.
“I’m just excited for southwest Montana,” Germain said. “This is a huge economic engine for our economy, and just excited to be a big part of the economic engine for the state of Montana.”
