At 4:30 on New Year's Eve, the party lights come on along one mile of Crosscut's 1.5 miles of lighted trail. Night skiing doesn't really start until dusk, which Crosscut lists at 5:27 p.m. that evening. The same date is the deadline Crosscut Mountain Sports Center has set for raising $1 million. If the community gets there by December 31, 2026, a second $1 million gift follows.
Those two things share a date. This winter is Crosscut's tenth. The nonprofit has tied that anniversary to a capital campaign, and nearly every event on its winter calendar ends inside the building the campaign is meant to outgrow.
The Bohart Building Moves to the Outdoor Education Area
Crosscut announced on October 26 that it plans a new community lodge at its Bridger Canyon base area, according to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Bozeman Magazine reported that the lodge would cover about 4,800 square feet. It would include a 2,000-square-foot community room, a fireplace area, larger rental and retail space, and four indoor bathrooms. Construction is planned for summer 2028, with completion in December 2028.
The current Nordic & Trail Center will be moved, not torn down. Bohart Cross Country Ski Ranch built it, and it will go to Crosscut's Outdoor Education Area as the long-term home of Montana Outdoor Science School. MOSS has run outdoor science programs for children since 1994 and counts more than 5,500 student visits a year.
Crosscut's case comes down to scale. It cites more than 70,000 annual visits on 53 miles of winter and summer trails, and it says its facilities "were built for a much smaller community." The center also says two heated 40-foot yurts, with nearly 2,500 square feet of indoor space between them, are already open for programs and gatherings.
"A decade ago, this community came together to protect a special place in Bridger Canyon," executive director Angie Weikert told Bozeman Magazine. "More people than ever now use Crosscut, and we want every one of them to have a warm, welcoming indoor space to gather."
That decade began with a 2016 purchase of the Bohart property and adjoining land. Founding board members Eric Love, Stuart Jennings, Cliff Montagne and Hal Stanley opened the first winter season in 2017-2018. Count from there and 2026-27 is the tenth winter. Count forward and the old building should host this season and the next before the new lodge is completed.
How the Match Adds Up
Crosscut calls this its 10th Anniversary Capital Campaign. The goal is $5 million, and the numbers fall in order:
- Longtime supporters Mike Simmonds and Terry Thompson committed $2 million in matching gifts.
- Early donors unlocked the first $1 million match, so the campaign stands at $2 million, or 40% of the goal.
- If the community raises another $1 million by December 31, 2026, the second $1 million gift follows.
- That would bring the campaign to $4 million, or 80% of the goal.
Bozeman Magazine reported that every gift through December 31 is matched dollar for dollar up to $1 million. Gifts of $500 or more will be recognized inside the new lodge, and larger gifts carry naming opportunities. Thompson described the project to the magazine as "a welcoming lodge where people can prepare for adventures, share stories from the trails, and gather as friends."
The match runs through December 31, and the weeks before it include the first three dated events of Crosscut's winter.
A Winter Calendar That Keeps Ending at the Nordic & Trail Center
Crosscut's events calendar for 2026-27 runs from mid-December into March.
| Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Sat., Dec. 19 | 10th Winter Celebration | 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., marks the start of the tenth season |
| Sat., Dec. 19 | Biathlon clinics | Adult and youth beginner clinics 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; adult intermediate 1 to 3:30 p.m.; rifles and ammunition provided |
| Fri., Dec. 25 | Christmas at Crosscut | Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for skiing, snowshoeing, fatbiking |
| Thu., Dec. 31 | Cosmic Night, New Year's Eve | 4 to 8 p.m., glow sticks and glitter in the Nordic & Trail Center |
| Jan. 10, Feb. 10, Mar. 10 | 10th Winter Discount Days | Day passes $10 |
| Jan. 16, Jan. 25, Feb. 4, Feb. 20 | Cosmic Nights | The remaining four of five this winter |
| Sat., Jan. 30 | The Traverse | Culinary ski and snowshoe tour |
| Feb. 6 to 7 | Bangtail Biathlon | Racing on Crosscut's range |
| Feb. 13 to 14 | Skyloppet | Skate and classic races |
| Feb. 27 to 28 | IMD Youth Championships | Hosted by Bridger Ski Foundation |
The December events are casual ones. The Christmas Day listing invites "procrastinators" to pick up last-minute gifts in the Nordic & Trail Center. The Bangtail Biathlon takes place at what Crosscut calls its "race-ready range," with categories for experienced racers and for people new to the sport. The December 19 clinics open that range to adults with no experience required.
The Traverse Is a Fundraiser for the Same Lodge
The newest event on the calendar is The Traverse, which Crosscut calls "a new Crosscut winter tradition." It's a self-paced tasting tour on skis or snowshoes on Saturday, January 30, 2027, and the money it raises goes to Crosscut. The route follows the trail system's own buildings:
- Nordic + Trail Center, for check-in and a Traverse Passport
- Mid-Mountain Yurt, for an appetizer from a local food partner
- Warming Shelter, for soup and bread
- Stadium Yurt, for the main course
- MSU Yurt, for dessert
- Nordic + Trail Center again, for a fireside gathering, drinks, a raffle and a silent auction
Registration costs $75 for adults and $45 for ages 10 and younger. A $20 alcohol add-on covers three drinks, two on the trail and one back at the center. Participants without a season pass add a $10 day pass. The tour runs from noon to 4 p.m. with staggered starts between noon and 1:40, and it's capped at 150 people. Registration closes a week before the event or when the spots are gone, whichever comes first, and there's no day-of sign-up. Snowshoers should pick one of the earlier start times.
Both ends of the route, check-in and the fireside finish, are in the Bohart building that the campaign plans to move.
What $10 Buys Against the Usual $30
The pricing this winter also follows the anniversary. A regular adult day pass at Crosscut is $30. Youth passes are $20, and military, college and senior passes are $25. Children six and under ride free. Night skiing is $20. On January 10, February 10 and March 10, day passes drop to $10, with the discount applied automatically at checkout.
For a regular visitor, the season pass is the better comparison. Since October 26 an adult season pass has cost $330, up from the $310 early-bird price. A family pass is $675. At $30 a visit, the adult pass pays for itself on the eleventh day. Night Ski runs Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays from opening through the end of February. Dog Days usually open later in the season and run Monday, Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, because dog traffic wears on the trails more than skis do.
One Night Earlier at Bridger Bowl
New Year's week in the canyon starts at Bridger Bowl. On Wednesday, December 30, the ski area marks 2027 with a spaghetti dinner. Bridger Bowl Snowsports instructors carry torches down the hill, and fireworks follow in the base area.
Bridger Bowl's free ski bus is scheduled from December 11, 2026, through April 11, 2027. The Bozeman pickup has moved to a new Park N Ride midway through the Gallatin County Fairgrounds, across from the Gallatin County Extension Office. At the mountain, Lot A is reserved for vehicles with three or more people, youth ski school participants and skiers with disabilities.
That puts torchlight on Bridger's slopes on the 30th and Cosmic lights on Crosscut's trail the next evening. December 31 is also the date Crosscut's match either reaches $4 million or falls short. The new lodge isn't scheduled for completion until December 2028, so the Cosmic Nights this winter and next will finish at the Bohart building, with glow sticks and glitter handed out from its counter.
For buyers who want to live near Bridger Canyon's trails and lodges, and for owners curious how amenities like a 2028 community lodge shape what their land means to the next buyer, Valerie Johnson with Mike Schlauch Platinum Properties can walk through the canyon with you. Schedule a private consultation.
