I’ve been a Bozeman resident for 25 years. It’s been a few years since Bozeman has gotten as much snow as we’ve seen this winter.

Usually you get breaks in the snowfall. It snows; it melts, and snows again.

This year is has just snowed. Not too much melting.

As I write this I’m spending the weekend at the Huntley Lodge in Big Sky, Montana.

Out my hotel window, about 40 feet away, is a sky lift.

Looking up the hillside the view stops at the tip of Lone Mountain some 11,000 feet high.

Watching the skiers serpentine down the hill I wonder about the first person who decided that tying wood shafts to their feet would be a way to travel on snow?

Some Skiing History

If you believe some ancient paintings then people have been skiing for over 100 centuries.

Modern skiing is rooted in Scandinavia and the Old Norse word “ski” means spit piece of word or firewood.

Skis were bowed upward in the middle so the weight of the skier would not dig down into the snow.

Asymmetrical skis were first used in Finland and Sweden until the late 19^th century.

The first known use of two ski poles was in 1741.

While skies were originally used for transportation they eventually morphed into worldwide recreation.

Gallatin and Madison counties are fortunate enough to have some of best skiing around. So it’s a big industry for our area.

This time of year it’s not uncommon to see long black fabric cases at our local airport as travelers come to enjoy our many ski resorts.

Business people attending my seminar this morning brought their skies with them to hit the slope after the meeting.

The afternoon session will be later to allow for a full day of skiing.

Some Final Thoughts

While not a skier myself it is enjoyable to watch others enjoying the winter activity. And I can see where it could be addictive as so many sports can be.

So while I don’t like to drive in it, shovel it, or trudge through it. A good snowfall is pretty majestic when you think about it.

Skiing in Montana is a pretty good deal. What’s your favorite run? Comments below.