Crosscut’s History
A rich skiing legacy
Our story begins in the 1800s, when a logging camp was established here in the Bridger Range. Loggers used long, two-man “crosscut” saws to harvest lumber for the growing town of Bozeman. Then, over half a century ago, skiers using long, wooden skis started exploring the forested trails and open slopes of the national forest land and historic Bohart, Pryor, and Forsythe family ranches, around the base of what is now the Bridger Bowl Ski Area.
In 1968, the Bridger Ski Club hosted the Junior Nationals on the land adjacent to Bridger Bowl. That land then became the “Flaming Arrow Ski Touring Center,” which operated 25km of ski trails in the late ’70s and early ‘80s. In the 1980s, Bohart Ranch officially established cross-country skiing in Bridger Canyon. Just south of Bohart, the trails were used for the 1981 AIAW’s and US Biathlon Championships. Bohart Ranch hosted the 1983 and 1985 NCAAs, the 1985 USA Master’s Championships, the 1996 and 1998 NCAA Championships, and in 2002, the the U.S. Senior National Championships and Olympic Tryout Finals. Bohart Ranch hosted NCAA Championships again in 2008 and 2012 and Crosscut hosted the events in 2020.
In 2016, the philanthropic support of the Bozeman community facilitated the purchase of Bohart in an effort to preserve and expand it, along with adjoining land slated for second-home condo development. Crosscut Mountain Sports Center — our beloved 533-acre outdoor recreation hub — was born.
What’s in a name?
The “Whiskey Gulch” trail is the former site of 100s of bottle of Seth Bohart’s favorite beverage.
“Bloody Gulch” was the site of a near-miss chainsaw accident, during a ski club work day building the trails.
And the intersection called “Jane’s Gate” is named for Jane, a Belgian draft horse who considered this to be the favorite part of her pasture.
