Fall in Big Sky, Oktoberfest, biking, Yellowstone and more! September 29, 2008

Greetings to the readers of the Buck’s T-4 Blog, I am pleased to say that fall has official begun in Big Sky. September and October may be Big Sky’s best kept secret. With warm but crisp days and cool nights, Big Sky has the perfect weather through these months. The beauty of Montana is truly unmatched in the fall. As I drove from Buck’s to West Yellowstone yesterday I was in awe of the spectacular hues that filled the canyon floor and crept around the streams alongside the road. What a spectacular sight against the backdrop of the mountain ranges of Yellowstone National Park in the distance. The canyon almost looked golden and on fire due to the wild fall colors.

Once I reached West Yellowstone I headed straight for the Rendezvous trail system that begins in town and trails through Lodge pole and Douglas fir forest. These are cross-country trails in the winter and mountain biking trails in the summer. These trails are my personal favorite as anybody can bike them. All the trails are rated using the ski rating system; green trails for beginners, blue for intermediate and black for advanced riders. The Rendezvous trail system is also fantastically marked with maps and directional signage around every corner. Perfect for out of town visitors, families or locals such as myself looking for a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

After speeding up and down hills and through the forest, I decided to explore West Yellowstone. I wandered through the town and weaved in and out of cute tourist shops. I ended up finding some irresistible items that I had to bring home with me. The store clerks were as friendly as ever and once again I was reminded of what a wonderfully hospitable area this is.

Fall is the perfect time to visit Yellowstone National Park. The summer crowds have exited the area and the park returns to desolate serene beauty. No more traffic or navigating through crowds on the boardwalks at popular attractions. In October, you can experience a far more private Yellowstone. The current on the rivers are much less strong this time of year, so it is an ideal time to jump into the boiling river and relax in the peaceful surroundings.

Oktoberfest took place at Buck’s T-4 on September 19 and was a huge success. We would like to thank everybody from the Big Sky community who came to enjoy our ‘Biergarten’ with three local breweries serving up beer and a representative from Matador wines introducing our guests to wines. Out kitchen team at Buck’s T-4 was serving up some delicious German cuisine. We were lucky to have an extremely lively band and the party went on into the dark hours and eventually moved inside to our bar. Everybody had a great time, and I am already looking forward to next year.

Have a fabulous fall; I hope I will be seeing some of you soon.

Keep on keepin’ on,

Erin

 

Beer and Golf… September 8, 2008

Labor day weekend has come and gone and our summer in Big Sky has begun to cool off. Although everybody loves our blue bird days without a cloud in the sky all summer long, there is something relieving about the sudden cool weather. Us skiers smell winter coming, hunters are gearing up for a fantastic elk, pheasant and deer season. The rivers are lower and there is a calmness lingering in the air. These next two months are my favorite time to visit Yellowstone Park because there are no crowds, it isn’t hot and the park has a serenity most people can only dream of.

But, summer isn’t over yet. Buck’s T-4 is throwing a bash this fall; Oktoberfest on Friday, September 19 will be the party of the fall. Bring in the change of the season and party at Oktoberfest. We will have the Lone Peak brewery, Madison brewery and Bozeman brewery on site serving up beer. Matador wines will be serving up some wine and we will be dishing up some classic German cuisine. Come to Buck’s September 19 for the biggest party of the season!

Friday September 5, the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce held their annual golf tournament. All the locals were out on the course trying their best to win first place in the tournament. In fact our own Dave Blackmore of Buck’s T-4 was on the winning team with an overall score of 58 for all 18 holes! Great job Dave and team, we’ll have to buy those guys a round of drinks at the Buck’s bar. The Chamber tournament proves to be a fun one each year. This year the Chamber offered a trophy to the best hole sponsorship. The competition was steep, but in the end Buck’s T-4 (yours truly) took the trophy!

We served complimentary oyster shooters, wild game pate and smoked trout cheesecake. We also had a fun little game at the tee which involved spinning around with one’s forehead on the end of a kiddie golf club and then shooting large foam golf balls at “Buck the bison” who was holding a target. If one could actually hit the target, they were entered in a drawing to be our Buck’s T-4 Player of the Season, whom receives a free drink at Buck’s all winter long each time they visit! And if that isn’t a good enough prize they also will get their picture behind our bar, and I.D. card and a very stylish t-shirt that reads; “Kiss me, I am the Buck’s T-4 Player of the Season”. All in all our shooters, great food and fun games won us the trophy for best hole sponsorship.

Salut!

Erin