Crosscut closes deal to buy Trapper’s Cabin Ranch south of Big Sky

By Melissa Loveridge; Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Crosscut Mountain Sports Center last week closed on a deal to buy the historic 640-acre Trapper’s Cabin Ranch south of Big Sky, with plans to create year-round outdoor programs serving groups including veterans and at-risk youth while maintaining trails and facilities on the land.

“Our current offerings (in Bridger Canyon) make for these great after-work skis or Saturday morning family mountain biking,” said Jenn Adams, the communications director at Crosscut. “One of our visions with Trapper’s Canyon Ranch is to take the adventure between people and nature to the next level, to provide a little bit more of an immersive Montana experience.”

Crosscut, a nonprofit that owns and maintains a trail system and Nordic ski area in Bridger Canyon, closed on the deal with the longtime owners of the property, the Martin family, on April 30. The Martins have owned the property since purchasing it from Dr. Caroline McGill, a co-founder of the Museum of the Rockies, in the 1960s.

Give Big to Crosscut's Youth Programming

Give Big Gallatin Valley is coming up on May 6 - 7th. During this day long giving celebration, Crosscut is raising funds to help keep the cost of our youth programming accessible to community members.

Here are some ways you can get involved and invest in creating more smiles at Crosscut:

Donate. Please pitch in what you can. Each and every donation is greatly appreciated and put to good use!

Sponsor a Match Challenge: Join super cool humans like our Blue Coat Ambassadors, Alpenglow Family Dentistry and CLB Architects by sponsoring a donor matching ‘challenge’. Support Crosscut and motivate donors, whose donation is doubled during the challenge!

Share and share alike. Online days of giving are successful because of YOU. Help us grow our network by spreading the news with your network and ask your friends to do the same.

Be socially (media) active. Use your social media networks: post on Facebook, tweet about Give Big Gallatin Valley, and share your love for Crosscut and your other passions, whether it’s education, health care, the environment, or the arts. Ask others to do the same! Healthy peer pressure here.

Many hands make light(er) work. We couldn’t do this without you. Thank you.

Humbled to be Part of Our Community

Crosscut is a part of so many Bozemanites’ day-to-day routines. We are grateful to be your mountain recreation center, one that is welcoming to all ages, abilities, identities, and backgrounds. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we were in the midst of hosting the NCAA Championships which abruptly ended as we pondered “now what?” with so many of you. The Crosscut team knew that we had a unique opportunity to be there for the community that has been there for us, day after day.

Employment Opportunity - Assistant Coach

Crosscut is now welcoming applications for a full time assistant biathlon coach. The purpose of this position is to assist current coaching staff in the workload associated with running an Elite/Development Team. In 2020/21, Crosscut ran Nordic programming for over 60 local athletes and received 15 invitations for international competitions.

Spring News at Crosscut!

So much to be grateful for and so much to look forward to. Read about our winter season wrap up, summer program offerings and plans to expand into the Taylor Fork. Find the updates here. And, PS — remember Crosscut when it’s time to Give Big so we can continue developing our youth programming!

Employment Opportunity - Mountain Bike Instructor

Crosscut is hiring a Mountain Bike Instructor to teach private lessons and group clinics with up to 10 participants. Come join us on the trails!

Crosscut is hiring an Educator for Summer Programs!

Crosscut Mountain Sports Center is seeking to hire enthusiastic educators for our Summer Education Program team. Our program strives to provide an inclusive and accessible opportunity for children to explore and learn about the natural world. Additionally, we work to provide an educational experience, learning through exploration and hands-on activities. This job is very active and requires instructors to be comfortable hiking with a backpack and able to be outside with students for 6+ hours.

Mikayla Maier's IBU Cupdate!

In this crazy time that we currently live in, I felt extremely fortunate to get called up to represent the USA in IBU Cups 3 & 4 in Orsiblie, Slovakia. Luke (Crosscut Elite team member), Carsen (a new Team USA athlete), and I took to the friendly skies on February 1st to meet up with the rest of the team in Germany for a mini training camp before the next races. Fast forward many travel hours later and we arrived in Arber, Germany and reunited with the team, which included a couple of our fellow Team Crosscut athletes: “Slucy” Lucy and “Fully Engaged” Vincent! Our team worked hard this past off-season with great team chemistry and supportive coaches, and the results have shown it! 

First ski in rainy Arber, Germany!

Training in Arber

The first few days I spent some time settling in, COVID testing (the team is tested every 3–4 days), and getting in some real foggy, rainy skis. The following week was spent with some quality time on the range in Arber along with some intensity sessions to “wake” the body back up. After eight days in Arber it was off to Slovakia — an eight-hour drive away. After some “adventures” at the Austrian border, we all made it into Osrblie on a very snowy night. Our hotel was right at the venue and we arrived with the Swedes (STINA!) along with several other counties. With this being my first IBU Cup and international race debut, it was all a bit of a whirlwind the first few days (I can’t wear my Crosscut neck buff, but whhhhy!?!) but I got it all sorted and started things off with a Sprint Race. I shot well and actually skied decently so I made the Pursuit in my first international race. Can’t ask for much more than that! The following races didn’t go quite as well as my first race and I could slowly feel myself getting into a hole from the not-so-nutritious Slovakian food. I would have loved to have something else besides potatoes with my potatoes, but such is life in Slovakia!

First Pursuit race!

Maddie placed 3rd in the Short Individual!

After the final races in Osrblie we headed over to Vienna, Austria, where some teammates were heading home and some to World Juniors (Go Vincent and Ari!!). The rest of us piled — and I mean PILED — into a single van and headed to Antholz, Italy for a two-week training camp while we awaited word on what the final IBU Cup team would look like. I had high expectations for Antholz and let me tell you that it has lived up to them and then some! The skiing is seriously gorgeous and the Biathlon venue is literally world class. (And future Olympic site!) The first week some of the USA World Cup team was also training in Antholz after the World Championships so we all had some really good quality training sessions. I was pushed way beyond my comfort zone in both skiing and shooting, but what great training it was! This past week has consisted of some really great focused training and shooting along with plenty of stunning long skis.

Antholz Biathlon venue

Luke and I on a beautiful ski in Dolomiti di Sesto

The final IBU Cup races have been moved to Obertilliach, Austria, where I’m happy to say that I have been named to the USA team as well! It’s a full week of racing so I’m looking forward to ending the season on a high note before finally heading back home to Bozeman!