Bridger Bowl to reopen as corporate retreat space

DISCLAIMER: This is a satirical piece. It does not necessarily represent the views of the Exponent or its writers and should not be construed as truth.

Shocking all the granolas of Bozeman who thought their beloved Bridger Bowl closed on March 22, the mountain has recently announced its reopening as a corporate retreat space called Bigger Sky.

The rebrand comes after Big Sky Resort reportedly bought the local ski hill in a record-breaking federal auction on March 23, just one day after Bridger closed.

When Bridger initially announced it would be shutting down three weeks early, many passholders were left disappointed and curious if it was some sort of cover-up.

“I was just really stoked to get in some spring skiing, you know?” said business major Benny Chill. “Those mashed potato days are just so rad, so I’m disappointed to miss out. I have a feeling there’s something else going on that they’re not telling us.”

It was quickly revealed by disgruntled out-of-work ski patrollers that the sudden closure was actually due to Bridger's severe financial troubles. Usually, the hill generates additional revenue by selling authentic, Montanan, boutique-level snow to Californian ski hills, according to Bridger Bowl's Director of Snow Sales Elsa Francisco.

This stream of revenue ran dry this year due to a lack of snow on the mountain, according to Francisco. It was decided that the ski hill would not be able to afford operations in the coming season, which forced an emergency federal auction of the land.

“Without low temperatures, we can’t use our snow machines to generate enough snow to replace what we package and sell to our Californian associates,” Francisco said. “As a former Californian, it’s tough seeing ski hills close because they aren’t fortunate enough to purchase authentic snow like the resorts back home.”

The now dismantled U.S. Forest Service (USFS) — which owns the federal land Bridger occupies — made the difficult decision to auction off the hill in hopes of selling it to a developer for AI data centers, according to former USFS Public Land Sales Representative Donnie Stump.

“It was a difficult decision to come by. You know there will be some upset people when you propose the sale of beloved public land. They told me, ‘Donnie, this isn’t a good idea.’ But some say I have the best ideas — the best ideas anyone has ever had,” Stump said in an email to the Excrement on March 25. “The people of Montana need to prioritize providing the lands that could be so essential to the construction of these data centers.”

The USFS hosted a private auction featuring notable figures such as Sundar Pichai — the CEO of Google and cofounder of the AI service Gemini — Big Sky Resort representatives and Montana local Justin Timberlake, according to Stump. Attendees enjoyed dinner before the live auction, followed by an impromptu performance from Timberlake.

“A smooth sale and maximum revenue were our top priorities,” Stump said. “They said, ‘Donnie, you won’t be able to do business with these people. It’ll be too hard, Donnie.’ They doubted me. But some might say I’m the best — the very best — at doing business.”

Unfortunately for Bozeman locals, though, Bridger will not be replaced by an AI data center. The auction concluded with a record-low sale of federal land made to Big Sky Resort. The entirety of Bridger's land and operations was purchased by the resort for $67.

Though the transaction was made official only a week ago, the resort has already begun rebranding and revamping operations, according to Big Sky representative Benedict Templeton, who is spearheading the project to turn Bridger Bowl into the new-and-improved corporate retreat space.

”I was just really disheartened by the loss of such an accessible, local gem. But, the businessman in me was inspired,” Templeton said. “I had been watching that show Company Retreat and was struck with the idea: This area needs a corporate retreat space.”

The hill will now function as a summer extension of Big Sky, allowing corporations to send their staff for team bonding retreats. The area, to be called Bigger Sky, will feature paintball competitions, camel riding and motivational guest speakers, according to Templeton.

“While the hill will not be open to the public or during winters, we are proud to announce that we have found a way to preserve the area for the Bozeman community,” he said. “We expect construction to wrap up around mid-June and already have secured bookings for our first two weeks of operations.”

Contractors for Bigger Sky have already demolished all buildings and lifts associated with the former Bridger Bowl, according to Templeton. It has also been rumored that Bigger Sky will build a basket-weaving center and safari-themed laser tag course at the site of the former Jim Bridger Lodge.

Bigger Sky’s first booking is set to be a two-week retreat for the entire MSU faculty, valued at around $100 million, Templeton said. This price tag is roughly equivalent to the tuition of the entire fall 2024 freshman class.

Interim Vice President of University Communications Mick Gecker confirmed these details in an interview with the Excrement on March 27.

“As a small and humble land-grant university, we see the value and importance of a close community. We believe that through passion and teamwork — along with the great outdoors — we have the power to make a change,” Gecker said. “MSU brands itself as Mountains and Minds, so what better way to embrace that mantra than by sending our entire faculty to an outdoor retreat?”

Gecker declined to comment when asked about the future of snowsports classes offered through the University in conjunction with Bridger.

The Excrement conducted a tabling survey on campus to gauge students' attitudes towards the rebrand and the University’s actions. Responses were mixed.

“You know, man, I just came to MSU for Bridger and now I’ll have to ask my parents for a Big Sky pass,” said university studies major Muhammad Chad. “My allowance is fixed after I failed all my classes last year, so it’s really inconvenient that gas money to get to Big Sky will cut into my beer savings.”

Other students, such as mechanical engineering student Martin Martin, felt differently. He described feeling betrayed by the University, as he had high hopes for the installation of a new data center.

“It’s really tragic to see such an awesome local spot being bought out by a large resort, especially when there are so many better uses for the land,” he said.

“A data center could have revolutionized peak performance for many software platforms used throughout Montana, and generated more internship opportunities,” Martin said. “It’s just disappointing to see the University be so inconsiderate of its engineering students and show support for this kind of rebrand.”

Big Sky Resort doesn’t want skiers in the area to feel like they have lost the rest of their season, according to Templeton.

“I just hope that skiers who will miss Bridger don’t forget there is another larger, affordable option right down the road,” he said. “Big Sky still has operations running through this season and will open sales for next season’s passes this summer.”

While it might seem like the sale was the result of poor decisions by Bridger leadership, Stump assured Bozemanites it is best for the community.

“They say, ‘Donnie, public lands should be in public hands.’ That’s what they say. But this sale will be absolutely monumental in showing locals that the sale of public lands is a good thing. The best thing, some might say,” Stump said.