BOZEMAN — As many people know, the first of April is a day for fooling people. And at Bridger Bowl, they got in on the festivities with a social media post that might’ve actually tricked quite a few people.
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“I've fallen for a lot of things before. I’m really gullible,” says one local skier.
Whether you might’ve believed the post?
“Possibly. I’d say high percentage. 80 percent I’d fall for it,” says another skier.
Or you caught on to the joke.
“Nah. I think I was prepared for it. I saw last year's post and that one kind of got me,” says another Bridger skier.
It seems Bridger Bowl has outdone themselves with their annual April Fools' Day post.
If you haven't seen it yet, the post states that as a part of Bridger Bowl's master development plan, they will not be introducing a lift to the Bradely Meadows area but instead, Bradley Meadows Cat Skiing—which would launch next winter at $100 per ride, with pickup and drop-off at Alpine Cabin.
“Yeah, people definitely believed it. People were like, ‘Ah, I didn’t know it was April Fools'. You guys got me.' Lotta people added to it. You know, added more and more in-depth ridiculousness to it,” says Erin O’Connor.
O’Connor is the marketing and communication director at Bridger Bowl. She tells me the inspiration for this year's post?
“We try to do something that is almost believable, right? Last year, we talked about how it was going to be epic up here, which was in reference to the Epic pass,” Erin explains.
This year, they played on their new Master Development Plan, which was announced around a month ago. This plan initially proposed major terrain expansion, including six new lifts, 70 acres of new developed runs, increased parking, expanded snowmaking, night skiing, one new on-mountain food and beverage area, as well as other improvements to existing structures.
But before anything is set in stone?
“We have never involved the public in our master development plan in the past; it is not a requirement. It’s just that we decided to be more transparent and give the community an idea of what we’re thinking of doing because it’s not just our hill, it’s the community's hill,” says Erin.
Bridger held a number of open houses for the community to share feedback, with a staggering crowd of around 100 folks at each. Erin tells me the biggest talking point at most of these open houses?
“Well, one of them was Bradly Meadows. Which is why we played on that for April Fools' Day,” she says.
Bradley Meadows is a part of Bridger’s special use permit, where people can exit ski area boundaries and head to the backcountry for some laps. This new master development plan proposed installing a chairlift in that area.
WATCH RELATED: Skiers weigh in on Bridger Bowl's proposed Master Development Plan
“Has feedback been positive for the lift there?” I asked Erin. “For some people yes, and others, no. I mean everybody has an opinion, right? So there are some people who are really passionate about not having a lift there, and others think it would be fantastic."
As for the rest of the plan? Erin tells me overall, feedback has been positive, and most folks are excited for expansion. Bridger is aiming to release an update on the plan before the end of the season, which is Sunday, April 13. But if you’re looking for more information before that, visit the Bridger Bowl website.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article misstated Bridger Bowl's closing date as April 12.
