Outgoing Idaho Ski Areas Association board president Brad Wilson, GM of Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area, welcomes incoming board president Jeff Colburn, GM of Silver Mountain Resort, at Ski Idaho's 42nd annual meeting hosted this year by Sun Valley Resort. (Photo by Tony Harrison for Ski Idaho)

Silver Mountain GM Jeff Colburn elected Ski Idaho president

SUN VALLEY, Idaho (June 10, 2024) — The Idaho Ski Areas Association board of directors elected Silver Mountain Resort GM Jeff Colburn as its new president during its annual meeting June 4 hosted by Sun Valley Resort this year. Also known as Ski Idaho, the organization represents the interests of the Gem State’s 19 alpine skiing destinations.

Colburn has worked for more than three decades in the resort industry. He grew up in Cusick and Newport, Wash., and earned a bachelor’s in marketing at Eastern Washington University. After graduation, he worked in tourism, taught skiing, and built houses before joining Eagle Crest Resort in Redmond, Ore., in 1991. He transferred to Silver Mountain in 2005 — both resorts were owned by Oregon-based Jeld-Wen Corp. at the time — and was named general manager the following year.

During Colburn’s tenure, the resort has added an array of amenities, including Idaho’s largest indoor waterpark, Silver Rapids; the summit magic carpet and winter tubing park; the scenic nine-hole golf course, Galena Ridge; Silver Mountain Sports Shop and other new shops in the Gondola Village; and new ski runs, an additional terrain park, a second food-and-beverage venue on the mountain, the Jackass Snack Shack, and other substantial capital improvements.

Plus, in 2013 the resort transformed its mountain bike park into what’s considered by many to be the best in the Northwest, helping reestablish Silver Mountain as a year-round destination. And in 2020, the resort expanded its lodging offerings by purchasing and remodeling the nearby Silver Inn.

During his four-year term as Ski Idaho president, Colburn hopes to help nurture sustainable and targeted growth that increases the Gem State’s share of western U.S. skier and snowboarder visits.

“Ski Idaho’s focus should remain on continuing to position Idaho as a ski destination with uncrowded slopes and a fantastic mix of big and small resorts,” he said. “Idaho has a lot to offer the in-state and out-of-state skiing populations. There are also many challenges facing the ski business that we as an association need to continue seeking viable long-term solutions for so all can continue to enjoy the pristine mountains of Idaho.” 

Colburn succeeds outgoing Ski Idaho board president Brad Wilson, general manager of Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area, who took on the role as ski areas throughout the state were adding and expanding year-round operations.

Wilson will remain on the ISAA board as past president. He also represents Northern Rockies region ski areas on the board of directors for the National Ski Areas Association.

Former Bogus Basin Director of Finance Ron Welton, who recently retired, will continue to serve as ISAA’s board treasurer, and Bogus Basin Customer and Community Relations Director Susan Saad will remain as secretary. A vice president will be elected by the board at a later date.

Grand Targhee photo courtesy of Gary Peterson for Ski Idaho

Idaho 2023-24 ski and snowboard season begins

ALTA, Wyo. (Nov. 17, 2023) — Ski and snowboard season officially begins in Idaho today. Well, technically in “Wydaho.”

Grand Targhee Resort, which opens today with very limited terrain, is the first Ski Idaho destination to open this winter. The resort lies four miles beyond the Gem State’s border and affiliates with Ski Idaho because the only way to reach it is through Driggs, Idaho.

Only the Shoshone Chairlift and the new Huckleberry Conveyor Lift will be open. There will be one groomed run off of each lift and some other ungroomed terrain off of Shoshone.

According to Mark Neff, Grand Targhee’s director of mountain operations, the resort has had a slow start to the winter with warm temps and limited precipitation. He said it has very limited snowmaking and relies on Mother Nature to provide enough for opening day.

“The start to every season is a little bit different,” Neff said. “This year we have had limited snowfall and warm weather leading up to opening day. We decided to only open the Shoshone and Huckleberry lifts for the time being, so there will only be a few runs open. We need quite a bit more snow until we can safely open Dreamcatcher and the south side of the resort.”

He said the resort will keep people up to date on additional lift and trail openings via its smartphone app.

Photo courtesy of Bogus Basin 

In addition, Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area will open The Explorer Terrain Park this Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 18-19, as planned from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is free on Saturday, and $10 (plus tax) on Sunday.

However, the likely scenario next week is that Bogus Basin will only operate The Explorer Terrain Park Nov. 24-26 instead of starting to spin the chairlifts as originally planned.

“If temperatures drop as forecasted, we can launch snowmaking and hopefully operate the Coach Chairlift,” Susan Saad, the mountain’s community relations director, said. “We will not be opening on Thanksgiving. Hours that weekend will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A limited number of tickets will be available online for purchase beginning Wednesday Nov. 22.”

Kelly Canyon photo courtesy of Gary Peterson with Ski Idaho 

Meanwhile, Kelly Canyon Resort and Sun Valley Resort will open Thanksgiving Day. Kelly Canyon’s new snow-tubing hill at Ryder Park in Idaho Falls, Gateway to Kelly Canyon, is slated to open Nov. 23, too.

Sun Valley photo courtesy of Gary Peterson with Ski Idaho

Three more Idaho ski areas plan to open Thanksgiving weekend. Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area, Silver Mountain Resort, and Schweitzer intend to open Nov. 24. Lookout Pass and Schweitzer both need help from the weather, and the former may push its opening back to Dec. 1 if Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate.

Photo courtesy of Schweitzer

Beyond that, four other Ski Idaho destinations have announced tentative opening dates. Soldier Mountain is targeting Dec. 8, Tamarack Resort plans to open Dec. 9 or earlier if Mother Nature permits, and the Little Ski Hill and Snowhaven Ski Area and Tubing Hill are eyeballing Dec. 22 and Dec. 23, respectively.

Opening dates for Ski Idaho’s remaining eight destinations — Bald Mountain Ski Area near Pierce, Brundage Mountain Resort, Cottonwood Butte Ski Area, Lost Trail Ski Area, Magic Mountain Ski Resort, Pebble Creek Ski Area, Pomerelle Mountain Resort, and Rotarun Ski Area — are to be determined based on weather. Check the mountains’ websites and social media feeds for updates.

Photo courtesy of Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area

Miracle in March.

Best snow conditions at Idaho’s ski areas are happening now!

By Steve Stuebner

Ullr the Snow God has truly delivered the powder goods to Idaho’s ski areas recently, boosting base levels by multiple feet.

Maybe Ullr was snoozing early in the ski/ride season, but my oh my, he’s fully awake now, and he’s on a tear!   

A whole series of cold, powder storms keep rolling through Idaho, and it’s frankly been hard to keep up if you’re trying to hit the slopes every single powder day. Just to drop a few examples, Schweitzer near Sandpoint has gotten more than 2 feet in the last 72 hours and 5 feet in the last week. In Southeast Idaho, Pebble Creek Ski Area has had more than 50 inches in the last week. Brundage Mountain Resort has received measurable snow every day since February 25 — a total of 44 inches in the last 10 days. Put another way, Brundage received more snow in the last 10 days than they received in the whole month of December 2023. As of March 5, they have surpassed the snow base levels they had last year.

Even though we had a slow start to the season, things have changed dramatically statewide.

Gotta grab your snorkel at Pebble Creek! Photo courtesy of Steve Stuebner. 

“Oh man, my legs are hurting today after skiing so much powder on Sunday,” said John O’Connell, a Pocatello skier who skied multiple feet of light *pow* at Pebble Creek.  

“I am so happy, I just skied the best light powder at Bogus Basin on Sunday,” said Norman Nelson, an avid Boise skier. “We skied a whole bunch of top-to-bottom runs and notched 20,000 vertical feet. Man, that felt good.”

“It’s truly a March miracle,” said Brad Wilson, general manager of Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area. “I lived through quite a few El Nino years, and a lot of times, we have a strong comeback in March. This year is no exception. We are now 121 percent of average at Bogus, and we just surpassed 200 inches of snow this year.”

Matt Sawyer, director of marketing for Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area, said they have received 92 inches of snow since mid-February. Last weekend, Lookout Pass was so busy their parking lots filled to the brim.

“Yes, no doubt, we’ve got the best snow conditions of the winter with the frequent storms and cold temperatures that are helping to keep our snowpack in great shape,” Sawyer said. “All of this new snow is certainly keeping us on track to ski thru April 14th.” 

At Tamarack Resort near Donnelly,  “Mother Nature came in with a vengeance in January where we saw record snowfalls and the snowiest month in recent history — 162 percent more snow at summit and 290 percent more snow at our base than we saw last year,” said Wolfe Ashcraft, a spokesman for the resort. “March is historically our snowiest month of the season, and we are geared up for a great spring season. We could hit our 300 inches annual snowfall if these storms keep coming.”  

Suffice to say, the snow is piling up nicely everywhere. All of Idaho’s major ski areas are 100 percent open. All lifts, terrain parks and Nordic trails are in operation. We are seeing the best conditions of the year right now everywhere. Sun Valley, voted the No. 1 ski resort in North America, has received 29” of snow in the first 6 days of March.

Skiing Brundage. Image courtesy of Steve Stuebner. 

“There is no doubt that these are the best snow conditions of the season,” says April Whitney, Brundage Mountain spokesperson, who also used the term “March Miracle.”

“This has been a nice, cold storm cycle with low temperatures and dry, fluffy snow, and all of the off-trail areas people love to explore have great coverage right now. It’s definitely prime time on the Best Snow in Idaho!”

Pomerelle and Magic Mountain have enjoyed deep snow much of the ski season, since a number of our storms hit the mountains south of the Snake River early on. Pomerelle has received 341 inches of snow this ski season, the most statewide by far. Soldier Mountain near Fairfield also has been getting its share of powder since February. You can still book a seat on their coveted snowcat trips. They’ve gotten 7 inches of new snow this week, which means fresh pow when they reopen Thursday.

Spring season pass sales — with the best discounted pricing available for the 2024-25 season — are happening right now in many locations. Don’t miss out on those deals! Check ski area websites and social media for the latest information. If you buy a pass in the spring sales, it’s typically good for the rest of this season and all of next season.

Bogus Basin just had its second-best season pass sale in history, just behind last year, between Feb. 23 and March 3, Wilson said. A special deal of $119 to ski/ride the rest of this season until mid-April is still available for sale.

Tamarack reduced their season pass prices to 2004 levels in their 20th anniversary year, Ashcraft noted. If people haven’t visited and experienced Tamarack’s newly completed base area, with multiple restaurants and food options, as well as retail shops and lodging, you need to go there.

“Tamarack has changed so much in the last few years that it is like visiting again for the first time,” Ashcraft said.  

Taylor Prather, Schweitzer marketing and communications manager, agreed that “conditions are prime, the best of the season without question.” At Schweitzer, season passes go on sale March 15, with an option to buy a 2024/25 season pass or ski/ride from March 18 to Closing Day with a Spring Fling pass for $169.

Views from Schweitzer. Image courtesy of Steve Stuebner.

Now, as we move into March. when valley temperatures start warming up, people start thinking about golf, tennis, biking, paddling and gardening. That’s all good. But don’t overlook the spring skiing/riding experience at Idaho’s ski areas, knowing that we have the best conditions of the year.

All of the new snow in the last 10 days was attributable to a series of major low pressure troughs that stalled out over the top of the Mountain West and the Sierras in California. The weather system has been dumping copious amounts of precipitation everywhere. Perhaps you’ve read about the 16 feet of snow that fell in the Sierra-Nevada range.

In Idaho, sunshine and fair-weather skiing/riding conditions are forecast for the rest of this week with slightly warmer temperatures each day. Another storm system is moving into Idaho by Saturday night/Sunday, March 9-10. OpenSnow.com is predicting another 23 inches at Schweitzer through next Wednesday, March 13, 23 inches at Brundage, 20 inches at Tamarack, 15 inches at Lookout Pass, 14 inches at Silver Mountain, 14 inches at Bogus Basin and 8 inches in Sun Valley.

Get out and enjoy these amazing conditions while you can! Most ski areas will be open through mid-April. The time is now!

Steve Stuebner is the Idaho forecaster for OpenSnow.com and a longtime ski writer in the West.

Matt Lorelli, trending news editor at POWDER and BIKE magazines, skis terrain that Kelly Canyon Resort's new summit rope tow will serve. Photo by Aaron Theisen.

Idaho ski areas feeling the stoke as 2023-24 season looms

BOISE, Idaho (Nov. 9, 2023) — Winter 2023-24 promises to deliver another great ski and

snowboard season in Idaho, with ski areas throughout the state making plenty of upgrades.

Brundage Mountain Resort, Kelly Canyon Resort, Schweitzer, and Sun Valley Resort installed new chairlifts over the summer, including Ski Idaho’s third six-pack at the latter destination. Plus, Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area shaved significant time off ascending the Eagle Peak Express, which debuted last winter, by reworking the gearing. And Grand Targhee Resort replaced its magic carpet with a covered Sunkid moving carpet.

Two of the eight Idaho ski areas offering night skiing — Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area and the Little Ski Hill — added new lights. Bogus Basin replaced night lighting on two trails and the Little Ski Hill finished lighting its terrain park, ensuring the entire mountain is lit from top to bottom.

Lookout Pass and Lost Trail Ski Area, both of which straddle the Idaho-Montana border, opened up new tree lines for this winter, and Kelly Canyon cleared out upwards of 30,000 square feet of terrain near Chair 4. Bogus Basin conducted extensive brush-cutting efforts on more than 50 acres of popular runs throughout the ski area. Sun Valley created a new black-diamond trail and 54 acres of new gladed tree skiing. And Tamarack Resort cleared 63 acres and added 50 in-bounds acres along its southern boundary.

Grand Targhee created a new, improved beginner area. And Tamarack added a new interactive family friendly zone called Lumberjack Land, as well as a 5.5-acre, sculpted-terrain learning area by the Discovery Lift.

Magic Mountain Resort added Sno-Go trikes to its rental fleet, with 11 Ski Idaho destinations allowing skibobbing, a.k.a. ski biking, and eight offering fat biking.

More Idaho ski areas are getting into the snow-tubing business, with Kelly Canyon unveiling a brand new tube park in Idaho Falls this winter that will also offer free ski and snowboard lessons. Plus, Magic Mountain has expanded its tube park, and Soldier Mountain plans to enhance its tubing hill.

Several Idaho ski areas made significant snowmaking improvements since last winter. Bogus Basin installed four new snowmaking towers on the Morning Star trail. Kelly Canyon invested more than $1 million to ensure the resort opens by Thanksgiving every winter. Rotarun completed its snowmaking system with the purchase of another snow gun.

Soldier Mountain now boasts a fully functional snowmaking system from its base area to the top of Chair 1, allowing the resort to open Chair 2 earlier. And Tamarack boosted its snowmaking capacity by 30 percent with the addition of six new snow guns and increased water capacity.

A half-dozen destinations completed noteworthy upgrades to their lodges and food-and-beverage offerings. Bogus Basin remodeled restrooms at both lodges and installed a new HVAC system at the Pioneer Lodge. Grand Targhee will complete the second half of its slopeside Teewinot Lodge makeover by December.

Kelly Canyon’s lodge sports new carpet, new windows, remodeled restrooms, and improved ventilation. Plus, the resort signed on renowned Blackhawk BBQ Pit to run the restaurant and operate grab-and-go food trailers at the ski resort and its new tube park in Idaho Falls.

Lookout’s new Sprung Structure adjacent to the lodge adds more indoor seating. Pebble Creek Ski Area added a new public, ADA-compatible restroom. Pomerelle Mountain Resort is staging a mobile food cart and restrooms at its ski-in, ski-out upper parking lot. And Silver Mountain Resort added a sundeck to its new Jackass Snack Shack at midway Chair 4.

Meanwhile, construction on Brundage’s new base area lodge and Tamarack’s mid-mountain lodge continues, with both slated to open during winter 2024-25.

Bogus Basin’s weekend and holiday public bus service will resume and add stops in Nampa, and Brundage is working to expand the free shuttle service between McCall and the resort to daily operations during winter.

Visit Southern Idaho, an important Ski Idaho partner, engaged Local Freshies to create a digital backcountry skiing and snowboarding guide for the region that just went live.

And despite the emergence of El Niño, the jury’s still out on how that will impact winter

weather here in Idaho, according to OpenSnow. Its Idaho forecaster, Steve Stuebner, recently conducted an analysis of seven strong El Niño winters over the last four decades, with only two of them being genuinely crummy and one being among the Gem State’s biggest snow years.

NORTH IDAHO

Near the historic town of Wallace and straddling the Idaho-Montana border and the Mountain and Pacific time zones, Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area finished reworking the gearing of the Eagle Peak Express Lift, shaving off two and a half minutes of ride time.

With a summit elevation of 6,150 feet, Eagle Peak, which debuted last winter, offers 1,650 feet of total vertical — 500 feet more than the original Lookout Pass summit. It is served by the new Chair 5, a 400-hp fixed-grip quad that stretches just under a mile at 5,640 feet and can move at least 1,500 people uphill per hour. Eagle Peak delivers more and drier snow than Lookout’s already snowy reputation thanks to the 500 feet in elevation gain.

Other improvements include a brand-new 50- by 96-foot Sprung Structure adjacent to its historic lodge to provide more indoor seating and comforts. The addition will offer an extra 150 seats, representing a 43 percent increase in seating at the mountain. The resort also purchased a new Prinoth Bison X groomer, added new skis and snowboards to its demo fleet, and installed a White Peaks point-of-sale ticketing system.

Idaho’s northernmost ski resort, Schweitzer, near Sandpoint, will enjoy its first season under new ownership since the Alterra sale was finalized in August. The addition of Schweitzer will bring Alterra to 17 year-round mountain destinations in North America.

The Cambium Spa features a sound lounge to calm the nervous system and stimulate mind and body, as well as reflexology stations and HaloIR saunas. Photo courtesy of Schweitzer.

The Cambium spa will also have its first full year of operations this season. The 3,600-square-foot retreat features five treatment rooms, a community gathering space, and relaxation and recovery areas with outstanding views of the mountain. Cambium’s treatments are designed to help guests shorten recovery time and get back on the mountain faster and more comfortably with help from reflexology stations, sound loungers, and HaloIR saunas.

Schweitzer is also debuting a high-speed detachable quad lift this winter called the Creekside Express that replaces the Musical Chairs fixed-grip double. The new lift’s detachable design will make it easier for beginner skiers and riders to load and unload. It promises quicker access and an increase in capacity to 2,400 riders per hour. The Creekside Express sets the stage for the upcoming Schweitzer Creek Village, a multiyear project to develop a brand-new arrival zone for day visitors.

Schweitzer's new Creekside Express high-speed detachable quad replaces the Musical Chairs fixed-grip double. Photo courtesy of Schweitzer.

Silver Mountain Resort in the historic mining town of Kellogg added a deck to the Jackass Snack Shack for guests to soak up the sun while refueling this winter. The Midway Chair 4 food-and-beverage outlet debuted late in the season last winter. It is located on the site of the original ski lodge back when the mountain was named Jackass Ski Bowl in honor of Bill the $12 Million Burro, who accidentally assisted in founding the Bunker Hill Mine underneath Silver Mountain. The snack shack is open Fridays-Sundays and holidays, stocks snacks and beverages, and has restrooms.

The resort continues to make improvements to its existing infrastructure with new carpet in the Mountain House. It has been maintaining runs with mulching and a D6 dozer to cut brush, which will let the resort open more terrain earlier in the season.

It will be offering big savings this winter with huge discounts for midweek lodging and skiing packages, which are available to book now. Between its Morning Star Lodge at the base of the gondola (North America’s longest) and the nearby Silver Inn, Silver Mountain offers guests 250 rooms with multiple floorplans and options available to accommodate families and groups of any size and on any budget.

NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO

Bald Mountain Ski Area was recently nominated for Best Place for Snowboarding in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice 2023 awards. Photo by Gary Peterson for Ski Idaho.

The three destinations encircling the Camas Prairie — Bald Mountain Ski Area near Pierce, Cottonwood Butte Ski Area near Cottonwood, and Snowhaven Ski & Tubing Area near Grangeville — have not announced any upgrades for the 2023-24 ski season beyond usual maintenance and upkeep. These mountains, the former two nonprofits and the latter municipally owned, serve as living proof that volunteerism lives on, offering throwback experiences where it’s all about snow riding, family, and happy vibes with adult lift tickets costing only $20-25.

CENTRAL IDAHO

Renowned for its glade skiing, Lost Trail Ski Area on the Idaho-Montana border between Salmon and Missoula is stoked for new tree lines on Chair 2 in the Moose Creek area and between the runs Southern Comfort and Far Out. Lost Trail is also bringing back Epic Mondays — adding six more days of skiing this season by opening every Monday in January and February.

Photo courtesy of Lost Trail Ski Area.

Three miles west of Hailey, Rotarun Ski Area has completed its snowmaking project by adding another SMI PoleCat tower snow gun. The nonprofit ski area also added a Prinoth Bison snow cat to its fleet.

As the 2023-24 season gets underway, Rotarun continues to focus on its support of youth and families through affordable and inclusive learn-to-ski programming. It also celebrates winter sports and mountain-town culture with free public skiing under the lights on Wednesday evenings, “Friday Night Lights” skiing with local Mexican cuisine in the base area, an annual New Year’s Eve Party, and special community classes and events throughout the season.

World-famous Sun Valley Resort has given some of its most renowned terrain serious upgrades that debut this winter.

Photo by Ray Gadd for Sun Valley Resort.

Its Warm Springs Enhancement Project replaces the old Warm Springs Lift with two successors, Challenger and Flying Squirrel, and adds 54 acres of new gladed tree skiing in Little Scorpion. The effort will not only boost lift quality, efficiency, and sustainability, but it will also improve circulation on the mountain and provide multiple options for accessing the mountain from the Warm Springs area.

Looking down towards the Warm Springs base area from the top of one of the new Challenger Lift's tower. Photo courtesy of Sun Valley Resort.

The initiative also adds a new run — Lower Flying Squirrel. Boasting a black-diamond rating, a steep pitch with a 38-percent slope (21.8 degrees), 1,500 feet of vertical, and 14 snowmaking towers, POWDER Magazine’s Ian Greenwood opines, “Sun Valley’s new trail looks like an instant-classic.”

The original Flying Squirrel Lift was lost to fire in 2014, and its replacement this year brings back lift access to the Frenchman’s terrain network from the Warm Springs base. Challenger replaces its namesake, too, but the new lift is a six-pack — Idaho’s second after Schweitzer’s Stella Lift, and Ski Idaho’s third after Targhee’s Colter Lift. It features a convenient mid-lift unload, which replaces the old Greyhawk Lift and streamlines access to the Greyhawk terrain and popular race venues.

Map courtesy of Sun Valley Resort.

The birthplace of the chairlift and American’s first destination resort, Sun Valley was designated North America’s no. 1 ski resort by SKI Magazine’s reader’s poll three years in a row for the 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23 seasons.

More details regarding development progress and updates are available at FutureOfSunValley.com.

SOUTHWEST IDAHO

Visitors to Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area near Boise, Idaho’s capital city, will enjoy slope enhancements, fleet and technology upgrades, lodge renovations, and improved night skiing this winter.

Cyrus Corbet enjoys night riding at Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area. Photo by Gary Peterson for Ski Idaho.

As part of the ongoing forest restoration project in partnership with the Idaho Department of Lands’ and the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Health Initiative, Bogus Basin improved several runs. The project removed overgrown vegetation and underbrush to ensure a clear surface for winter. One of the nation’s largest nonprofit ski areas, Bogus Basin also added four new snowmaking towers on the Morning Star trail.

It added a new PistenBully 600 winch cat to its fleet, too, which will allow for better grooming on steep terrain. It is equipped with a SNOWsat measuring system to determine exact snow depth, yielding for more efficient snow management and grooming.

The mountain also renovated its lodges and other buildings. It completely remodeled the rental shop to offer a fresh, updated feel and purchased new equipment to provide guests more options. Plus, Bogus Basin remodeled Pioneer Lodge’s first-floor restrooms and installed a new HVAC system, and it remodeled the Simplot Lodge’s men’s restrooms.

Bogus Basin replaced night lighting on Alpine and Showcase to improve visibility on both runs. It offers a total of 200 lit acres — the largest night operations in the state — with night-riding terrain for beginners to experts.

The ski area will also resume its public transportation service and add a new stop in Nampa to the route. Bogus Basin will continue to subsidize the cost, bringing a one-way or round-trip ticket down to $10, including tax.

Brundage Mountain Resort between McCall and New Meadows installed a new high-speed quad chairlift, conducted trail maintenance, deployed a new point-of-sale system, and improved transportation options.

Robert Hoskinson descends terrain served by Brundage Mountain Resort's new Centennial Express. Photo courtesy of Burndage Mountain Resort. 

The new Centennial Express high-speed detachable quad takes a 16-minute lift ride down to a swift 6 minutes. With the new lift, Brundage offers riders two high-speed quads on the front side of the mountain, minimizing any potential congestion over the resort’s 1,920 acres.

Brundage Mountain Resort's new Centennial Express. Photo courtesy of Brundage Mountain Resort.

It is also expanding its free shuttle service between McCall and the resort. Brundage and its partner, Mountain Community Transit, plan to offer a seven-days-a-week schedule instead of operating five days a week during peak periods and three days a week during off-peak times.

The resort also purchased a new RFID point-of-sale system to streamline ticketing and provide a more efficient way to make reservations for the resort’s signature guided snowcat adventures, showing real-time availability to its 18,000 acres of pristine backcountry terrain. Plus, the mountain’s trail-maintenance efforts included removing hazardous trees around the Centennial Lift on top of annual brush cutting to facilitate an earlier opening.

Just outside McCall, the Little Ski Hill finished lighting its terrain park over the summer, meaning the entire ski area, including its terrain park, is now lit top to bottom.

The Little Ski Hill. Photo by Jon Conti for the McCall Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau

Tamarack Resort near Donnelly is getting a boost this winter with a new interactive family friendly zone located off Waltz called Lumberjack Land. The resort also added 5.5 acres of sculpted terrain to its learning area near the Discovery Lift and expanded its beginner terrain park.

Two snowboarders descend Upper Serenity at Tamarack Resort. Photo by Sherri Harkin for Tamarack Resort.

The Buttercup chair will operate on weekends and holidays to offer more ski-in, ski-out access.

Snowmaking improvements include the addition of six new TechnoAlpin TT10 snow guns and one mile of new snowmaking pipeline, increasing the resort’s snowmaking capabilities by 30 percent and covering 150 acres of named runs. Modernized and improved snowmaking capabilities across the mountain will support a longer and more consistent ski season.

Riders can now skip the ticket line and go straight to the lift with the new automated ticket kiosk in the Village Plaza. More pass products are available, too, including Tamarack’s multi-day consecutive-day tickets.

Upgrades also include a brand-new Nordic Center located in The Lodge at Osprey Meadows that offers rentals, retail, and lessons. Tamarack’s 20K+ trail system is family friendly and perfect for cross-country skiing, skate skiing, snowshoeing, and fat biking.

Visitors traveling with recreational vehicles will be interested to learn Tamarack recently began offering paid overnight RV camping in the lower Aspen Parking Lot.

SOUTHERN IDAHO

Magic Mountain Ski Resort near Kimberly is expanding its tubing area this winter, adding more lanes and tubes for guests. The lodge, mountain, and tubing area are now available to rent privately by businesses and other groups. Weekday group tubing is also available on a reservation basis.

Alex Silgalis from Local Freshies descends one of the many chutes and cliffs found at Magic Mountain. Photo courtesy of Local Freshies.

The resort has also added new Sno-Go trikes to its rental and retail shop, allowing more folks to experience the thrill of sliding on snow.

Magic Mountain added a third snowcat to its grooming fleet and initiated aggressive brush-cutting efforts to allow the resort to open terrain in most areas earlier in the season.

Pomerelle Mountain Resort near Albion will expand its services in the upper lot to encourage visitors to park there since parking can be a bottleneck when the resort is busy. It will operate a new mobile food cart in the upper lot and provide bathroom facilities that, coupled with the convenience of ski-in, ski-out access, will hopefully compel more visitors to park there.

Over the last two summers staff at Soldier Mountain near Fairfield has restored its snowmaking system, which was first installed in 1976 but laid dormant for decades and was damaged by the Phillips Fire that swept through the area in August 2020. This year the mountain will have a fully functioning snowmaking system from the base to the top of Chair 1 for the first time since the late 1970s, allowing Soldier Mountain to start spinning Chair 2 earlier, too.

Soldier Mountain also expanded its brush cutting, adding two more trails to the existing list of trails it mows to open more terrain earlier in the season and let it stay open longer. In addition, the resort replaced one of its three snowcats with a top-of-the-line Piston Bully PB600.

The resort also plans to redesign its tubing park this winter to make it more enjoyable and user friendly.

Soldier Mountain is already booking seats on the snowcat for its renowned backcountry experiences, and staff are gearing up for a busy season. They are also taking reservations for the resort’s “My Mountain” package. For $6,000 this package allows you to privately book the mountain during nonoperational days (Mondays-Wednesdays) for corporate retreats or personal events.

EASTERN IDAHO

Grand Targhee Resort — which lies four miles across the border in “Wydaho” and affiliates with Ski Idaho because the only way to reach it is through Driggs, Idaho — anticipates its longest season ever. A great spring-skiing candidate with a base elevation of 7,400 feet above sea level, The Ghee holds the snow well late into the season and plans to remain open until April 21, adding an extra week of ride time.

The Colter Lift, a high-speed six-pack that debuted last winter, transports up to 2,000 people per hour and gains 1,815 vertical feet in 5 minutes. The addition of Peaked Mountain, formerly only accessible via snowcat, provides 30 percent more skiing and riding. The extra 600 acres gives guests the ability to spread out on the mountain even more and access varying types of terrain, including awesome tree skiing and steep pitches.

Over the summer the resort created a brand-new beginner area by the Shoshone Lift that is wider and regraded to create a safe and easy place to learn. It also replaced the Papoose magic carpet with a covered Sunkid moving carpet and renamed it Huckleberry, allowing riders to catch a break from the outside elements while learning.

This winter the resort will unveil its brand new characters in its kid’s zone by the Shoshone Lift that it has dubbed Targaritaville. The characters are full of Targhee personality and will bring more fun and adventure to the area.

Grand Targhee will complete the remainder of the Teewinot Lodge remodel by December, so the entire lodge — just steps from the lift — will boast updated rooms and amenities. The lodge used to only offer queen beds, but the resort now offers king rooms, too.

Kelly Canyon Resort near Ririe has been busy since last winter making numerous improvements to virtually every aspect of the mountain.

Photo by Aaron Theisen

It replaced every mechanical element on Chair 4, and like its predecessor, the new Gunpowder Lift is a fixed-grip double. Plus, it removed more brush and trees in that area, clearing another 20,000-30,000 square feet of skiable terrain.

The resort also installed a new bull wheel and new seats on Chair 3, the Lost Treasure Lift on Beginner’s Mountain.

In addition, Kelly Canyon installed a rope tow at the top of Chair 2, the Gold Rush Lift, that will pull riders all the way to Chair 4 or let them jump off anywhere in between. The new summit surface lift will improve flow on the mountain and ease access to terrain that was previously only accessible via bootpacking.

The owners also invested more than $1 million over the summer to significantly expand its snowmaking efforts to ensure it consistently opens between mid-November and Thanksgiving every year moving forward. The resort dug a new well, installed a network of underground pipes, built a million-gallon retention pound, and placed new snow guns practically everywhere on the mountain.

Kelly Canyon is also getting into the snow-tubing business. It is partnering with Gateway Parks — which also operates tube parks in Eagle, Idaho, and Spanish Fork, Utah — on a huge snow tube park in Idaho Falls that will debut this Thanksgiving. Dubbed Gateway to Kelly Canyon, the park will be a great place to get kids on skis and snowboards, offering a free rope tow on the south side of the hill for free snowboard and ski lessons. The park will operate seven days a week through Easter with seven 1.5-hour tubing sessions daily.

Back at the ski resort, Kelly Canyon completed upgrades to the lodge following damage from an ice dam during its record snow year last winter. The lodge sports new carpet and windows, fully renovated bathrooms, and an improved HVAC system. Plus, the resort signed a long-term agreement with Blackhawk BBQ Pit, a popular fleet of food trucks in the region, to run the lodge’s restaurant and serve up its authentic “low- and-slow-cooked” brisket, pulled pork, smoked sausages, and other specialties.

The vendor will also operate a grab-and-go food trailer by Chair 2, as well as a food truck at the snow-tube park with hot drinks, waffles, pretzels, candy, and other easy-to-grab snacks.

Last but not least, Kelly Canyon rebuilt its lower parking lot over the summer and will employ full-time parking attendants all winter to ease transportation matters.

Pebble Creek Ski Area near Inkom will stage a torchlight parade and other gatherings throughout the season to celebrate its 75th anniversary.

The resort spent the summer focused on maintenance and upkeep to prepare its trails for the winter. It also installed a new ADA-compatible restroom with easy access from the parking lot and beginner’s hill.

Plus, Pebble Creek added new gear to its rental fleet and purchased a Prinoth snowcat to improve its grooming capabilities.

Noteworthy milestones

In addition to Pebble Creek observing its 75th birthday, Lost Trail is entering its 85th ski season and Bald Mountain near Pierce will turn 65 this winter. Plus, Pomerelle and Schweitzer are celebrating their 60th anniversaries and Grand Targhee will turn 55.

Multi-resort passes

Sun Valley and Schweitzer are partners with the Ikon Pass. Idaho has seven Indy Pass partners, including Brundage, Kelly Canyon, Lost Trail, Pomerelle, Silver Mountain, Soldier Mountain, and Tamarack. Grand Targhee and Sun Valley are members of the Mountain Collective. Bogus Basin, Lost Trail, and Silver Mountain are part of the Powder Alliance. And Sun Valley offers a Sun & Snow Pass with its sister resort, Snowbasin in Huntsville, Utah, that allows up to three days at each destination.

EL Niño is here

Despite an appearance by El Niño, there is still hope for a wet and snow-filled winter. Steve Stuebner, a freelance journalist and author focused on the outdoors who serves as OpenSnow’s Idaho forecaster, remains optimistic about the upcoming ski season.

Comparing seven prior strong El Niño winters over the last four decades, Stuebner said this weather event where unusually warm ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific affect weather around the globe is not always universally bad in Idaho. The first strong El Niño winter, in 1982-83, was one of the biggest snow years ever in Idaho, with Bogus Basin getting a record 493 inches. Two other El Niño winters, 1997-98 and 2009-10, were about average in terms of snowfall, and 2002-03 was just a little below average.

He said only two El Niños in the last 41 years — 1986-87 and 1991-92 — led to somewhat crummy winters, and pretty much everywhere in Idaho was short on snow those years.

Furthermore, Stuebner said the state is entering winter with a very moist soil base from rain in August, September, and October, and when the ground freezes it should allow the snow to rest on top of the ground better. He said Idaho’s wet fall should also benefit runoff next spring, with the wet soil profile preventing snowmelt from sinking into the ground as much as it would if the soils were dry.

Southern Idaho backcountry skiing guide

Visit Southern Idaho just posted a digital backcountry skiing and snowboarding guide for the region curated by Alex Silgalis and Jaime Pirozzi from Local Freshies. Local Freshies is a website that provides the local scoop on where to eat, drink, and play in mountain towns throughout North America.

The new guide provides advice, photos, maps, and other important details for exploring backcountry and sidecountry at three ski areas — Magic Mountain, Pomerelle, Soldier Mountain — and other Southern Idaho destinations. Check it out at:

visitsouthidaho.com/get-away-from-everyone-backcountry-skiing-in-southern-idaho

USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice 2023 nominees

Idaho ski areas, communities, and restaurants were recently nominated in all nine categories of USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice 2023 awards:

• Best apres-ski bar — Apple’s Bar & Grill in Ketchum and The Trap Bar & Grill at Grand Targhee Resort
• Best cross-country ski resort — Bogus Basin
• Best place for snow tubing — Bogus Basin and Silver Mountain
• Best place for snowboarding — Bald Mountain near Pierce, Idaho
• Best ski hotel — Best Western Plus Kentwood Lodge in Ketchum, Knob Hill Inn in Ketchum, Morning Star Lodge at Silver Mountain, and Sun Valley Lodge
• Best ski resort — Grand Targhee and Sun Valley
• Best ski restaurant — The Reserve at Tamarack and The Roundhouse at Sun Valley
• Best ski school — Ski + Ride School at Brundage and the Sun Valley Snowsports School
• Best ski town — Ketchum

You can vote once per day in each category between now and noon EST Nov. 20. Winners will be announced Dec. 1. Visit 10best.usatoday.com/interests/outdoor-adventures to vote for your favorites.

Image courtesy of Pomerelle Mountain Resort 

Ski Idaho passport program sports new perk: AirFlare

BOISE, Idaho (Jan. 17, 2024) — The Idaho Peak Season Passport lets 5th-graders ski or ride three days for free at each of the 17 participating Gem State ski areas and offers 6th-graders two days free at those mountains for only $29. This winter it also comes with a complimentary family subscription to AirFlare, the app that turns your smartphone into an outdoors rescue locator, offering families an extra layer of safety and peace of mind.

“The family friendly reputation of Idaho ski resorts is well deserved,” Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area General Manager and Idaho Ski Areas Association Board Chair Brad Wilson said. “Our incredible, uncrowded terrain offers some of the most spectacular skiing and snowboarding on the planet regardless of your age and ability, and our Idaho Peak Season Passport makes it a lot easier for families to take advantage of our good wintertime fortune. And Ski Idaho’s new partnership with AirFlare makes it an even better value by helping your family members stay connected on the mountain and giving Patrol the ability to locate them quickly in emergencies.”

Image courtesy of Airflare

He said the Idaho Peak Season Passport offers families a tremendous value. For 5th-graders, the overall value is upwards of $2,373.99 counting the complimentary AirFlare subscription and up to $1,628.99 for 6th-graders.

AirFlare is currently in use by patrol teams at seven Idaho ski areas, including Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area, Brundage Mountain Resort, Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area, Schweitzer, Silver Mountain Resort, Soldier Mountain, and Tamarack Resort. However, the location-sharing features can be used to check-in with loved ones at any resort — or anywhere with the slightest chance of connectivity.

Image courtesy of Silver Mt. Resort.

Last winter AirFlare even helped save the life of an Idaho skier who got lost in the fog at Soldier Mountain in Southern Idaho and wound up out of bounds. She phoned the resort’s front office to report herself lost and a staff member sent her a text message with a hyperlink to the AirFlare app, which she was able to download. With the help of AirFlare, patrollers pinpointed her on the map and broke trail through at least 2 feet of fresh, wet snow for nearly two hours to get her out.

Visit airflare.com/life-save for more details about the rescue.

“Mishaps can happen to anyone at any time — sometimes it’s weather, lack of preparedness, or just bad luck,” Eliot Gillum, inventor and CEO of AirFlare, said. “But AirFlare is serious protection that everyone can have on them all the time. Research shows more than 90 percent of people bring their phone on outdoor activities.”

Image courtesy of Airflare. 

Friends and family can also use the app to check in via the same Internet-based technology as rescuers.

Meanwhile, new AirFlare Family Packs make it easier for heads of households or superfans to share the app with loved ones. Now, one person can keep friends and family safe with a single purchase or low-cost yearly subscription like the complimentary one issued with the Idaho Peak Season Passport from Ski Idaho.

Image courtesy of Brundage Mountain Resort. 

The applications go far beyond ski areas. Gillum said virtually anyone who adventures in the outdoors can benefit from using AirFlare. He said you can even use it to find your family and friends at theme parks and music festivals. In all those environments, cellular service is often less than perfect and AirFlare’s unique technology shines.

Gillum said the core functionality of AirFlare’s smartphone app, which is designed for strong, spotty, or zero connectivity, makes the phone instantly locatable by rescuers via even a fleeting Internet connection. In addition, the company offers rescuers their proprietary detector hardware that uses WiFi and Bluetooth to find a phone from up to 1km away.

To order an Idaho Peak Season Passport for your child, complete the online application at skiidaho.us/passports and pay a $29 processing fee. Ski Idaho will email you a passport you can print out prior to hitting the slopes or pull up on your smartphone when you walk up to the ticket window. Your child must have a parent or guardian present to use the passport, and it must be shown at the resort in order to receive the lift ticket.

Image courtesy of Silver Mt. Resort.

Ski Idaho will also email Idaho Peak Season Passport holders with instructions and a link to redeem their complimentary AirFlare Family Pack subscription. Those who’ve already signed up for a passport with receive a similar email soon. The email bears the signatures of the patrol directors at all seven Idaho ski areas that partner with AirFlare.

The program is open to any child from any state or country — NOT just Idaho kids.

Ski areas participating in the Idaho Peak Season Passport program include:

• Bald Mountain Ski Area — skibaldmountain.com
• Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area — bogusbasin.org
• Brundage Mountain Resort — brundage.com
• Cottonwood Butte Ski Area — cottonwoodbutte.org
• Grand Targhee Resort — grandtarghee.com
• Little Ski Hill — payettelakesskiclub.org/little-ski-hill
• Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area — skilookout.com
• Lost Trail Ski Area — losttrail.com
• Magic Mountain Ski Resort — magicmountainresort.com
• Pebble Creek Ski Area — pebblecreekskiarea.com
• Pomerelle Mountain Resort — pomerelle.com
• Schweitzer — schweitzer.com
• Silver Mountain Resort — silvermt.com
• Snowhaven Ski & Tubing Area — grangeville.us/snowhaven-facebook2
• Soldier Mountain — soldiermountain.com
• Sun Valley Resort — sunvalley.com
• Tamarack Resort — tamarackidaho.com

Although Kelly Canyon Resort near Ririe does not participate in the Idaho Peak Season Passport program, this will be the second season it hosts Kids Ski Free Days on Jan. 27 and Feb. 3. Visit kellycanyonresort.com for more details.

Participating ski hills reserve the right to limit passport use for ski racers, on race days, and on any scheduled blackout dates that may apply. Visit skiidaho.us/passport-blackout for a list of scheduled blackout dates, and check with your ski hill for full details.

Why 5th- and 6th-graders?

According to Wilson, the Idaho Peak Season Passport  targets 5th- and 6th-graders because a lot of them don’t know how to ski or snowboard yet. In addition, he said nationwide ski resorts have found that kids in those grades are at an age where they can learn quickly and enjoy the sports of skiing and snowboarding.

Image courtesy of Lookout Pass. 

Wilson also said keeping children active in winter can be challenging. Plus, he said 5th- and 6th-graders are at a crucial age in their development where they are choosing healthy lifestyle activities — including lifelong sports like skiing and snowboarding — over more sedentary activities.

On top of that, Wilson said a lot of middle schools and high schools offer after-school ski and snowboard programs or have ski and snowboard teams or clubs, so 5th and 6th grade is a great time to prepare kids for that.

He said it’s also a good time to reengage former skiers and snowboarders, because their kids are old enough the whole family can enjoy riding together.

Photo courtesy of courtesy of Gary Peterson for Ski Idaho 

Ski Idaho this summer

Idaho ski areas offer fair-weather adventures like lift-served mountain biking

BOISE, Idaho (May 24, 2023) — Eleven Idaho ski areas offer summertime mountain biking, eight of the operations are lift-served all season, many are debuting new trails this season, and three destinations — the Route of the Hiawatha, Silver Mountain Resort, and Soldier Mountain — are opening their bike trails Memorial Day weekend.

The lifts will start turning at Brundage Mountain Resort, Grand Targhee Resort, Tamarack Resort, and Schweitzer June 16. Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area will kick off its summer season June 23, the same date the lifts start turning at Sun Valley resort for hiking and Roundhouse dining. Lift-served mountain biking at Sun Valley begins July 1, which is also when Pomerelle Mountain Resort opens to mountain biking, although riders must earn their turns at the later destination and pedal uphill under their own power except for two weekends. Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area has not announced an opening date, but it will not offer lift-served mountain biking this summer. And Kelly Canyon Resort, which typically offers lift-served mountain biking and other activities, will be closed this summer to focus on a series of repairs and upgrades.

Highlights this summer include a new three-story Aerial Adventure Course at Bogus Basin, a new mountain-biking school at Brundage Mountain Resort and a new trail connecting its network to Bear Basin, an additional 5 miles of trails and more self-loading chairlift bike trays at Tamarack, a weeklong Fourth of July celebration at Sun Valley, an MTB skills clinic at Pomerelle this fall, and Grand Targhee’s new Wildflower Race 10K and half-marathon trail runs July 8.

Although Pebble Creek does not offer mountain biking, it will host the 60th anniversary of its wildflower and music festivals towards the end of June.

NORTH IDAHO

The Route of the Hiawatha, which Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area operates under a special-use permit from the U.S. Forest Service, opens May 26. Considered the crown jewel of the nation’s rails-to-trails initiative, the family friendly bike trail celebrated its 25th anniversary last summer and will operate seven days a week through Sept. 17.

Image courtesy of Gary Peterson for Ski Idaho

Close to the historic town of Wallace, the 15-mile Route of the Hiawatha’s gentle 1.6-percent to 2-percent, all-downhill ride straddles the Idaho-Montana state line, delves 10 tunnels, crosses seven sky-high train trestles, and has a shuttle service back to the top. Attracting just under 70,000 riders each summer, the Route of the Hiawatha is by far the most popular ski area bike trail in the country.

Full-moon night rides are planned for June 3, July 3, Aug. 1, and Aug. 30 by reservation only. In fact, the Route of the Hiawatha strongly encourages guests to make reservations for the day they want to ride — especially when renting equipment.

Meanwhile, Lookout Pass will offer scenic chairlift rides up and down the mountain, but the ski area will not offer lift-served mountain biking this summer. Its five family friendly woodland hiking trails and the mountain summit nine-hole frisbee golf course will remain open, and guests can pick huckleberries later in the season.

Lookout Pass will operate Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays through Labor Day, Sept. 4, but the ski area has not announced an opening date yet.

Visit SkiLookout.com and RideTheHiawatha.com for more details.

In nearby Kellogg, Silver Mountain Resort will begin summer weekend operations — which include mountain biking and scenic rides on North America’s longest gondola — May 27-29. Daily operations commence June 16 and run through Labor Day, Sept. 4. At that point weekend operations will continue through Oct. 1.

Image courtesy of Gary Peterson for Ski Idaho

Voted Best in the Northwest for four consecutive years in the MTBparks.com Riders’ Choice Awards, Silver Mountain Bike Park sports nearly 40 singletrack trails that span 3,300 vertical feet. Readers of The Pacific Northwest Inlander just voted Silver Mountain the no. 1 place to mountain bike in its Best Of 2023 poll.

Silver Mountain has made some major improvements to its newest jump trail, “Ghost Pepper,” which debuted last summer. The black diamond jump trail has a variety of machine-built and hand-groomed jumps that cater to more-experienced riders. The bike trail maintenance team is constantly making small improvements to trails, including reroutes and new berms.

The resort also operates the state’s largest indoor waterpark, Silver Rapids, which opens for weekends over the Memorial Day holiday and begins daily operations June 17. Access to the waterpark is included in every lodging stay, plus a limited number of day tickets are available on the Silver Mountain website for those looking to enjoy the park for the day.

Activities at Silver Mountain include trail hiking and running, and the resort’s exquisite nine-hole Galena Ridge Golf Course is tucked away in the mountains of the Silver Valley. Plus, its e-bike rental fleet allows guests to more easily explore sections of the nearby Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes.

As usual, Silver Mountain’s calendar is jam-packed with events this summer, including the North American Enduro Cup June 16-18 boasting a pro prize purse of $12,000, and the Silver Kings Hard Enduro, one of the premier hard enduro motorcycle races in the country, June 23-24. New this summer at the latter race: The resort will close Bunker Ave. in Kellogg for a straight rhythm race on Friday night similar to downtown Nashville’s Tennessee Knockout Race.

The resort will stage its Ride & Dine Series, a weekly BBQ and live music event at the top of the mountain presented by Spokane Teachers Credit Union, every Friday night from June 30-Sept. 1. The Shootout at Silver Mountain, a 3D archery shoot, returns July 8-9. Other events include Fourth of July fireworks, the Northwest Cup downhill mountain bike race Aug. 4-6, and its annual Brewsfest Aug. 12 featuring more than 20 breweries, two live bands, and food trucks atop the mountain.

Visit SilverMt.com for more details.

Summer at Schweitzer near Sandpoint runs June 16-Sept. 4 this year, with details about daily operations and highlights yet to be announced.

Image courtesy of Gary Peterson for Ski Idaho 

The resort maintains more than 40 miles of mountain bike trails and offers a 2-hour hosted e-bike tour daily.

Schweitzer’s summer visitors also can play disc golf on its nine-hole summit course and enjoy scenic chairlift rides on the Great Escape Quad to the summit. Both serve up breathtaking views of Lake Pend Oreille and the Selkirk and Cabinet mountain ranges.

Other summer activities include hiking and trail running, geocaching, bungee trampolines, a 25-foot climbing wall, gold panning, huckleberry picking, and horseback riding.

Community Day is scheduled for June 18, with $10 lift tickets and 100 percent of the proceeds going to Bonner County Human Rights Task Force. Race the Wolf returns June 24-25 with four different trail races all over the mountain.

The Northwest Winefest at Schweitzer is slated for July 15-16. Guests can sample upwards of 80 wines from 20 different Pacific Northwest wineries. And Fall Fest returns Sept. 1-4. The annual event offers four days of beer tasting, 10 bands, and more than 80 different beers, ciders, seltzers, and even a handful of wines over Labor Day weekend.

Visit Schweitzer.com for more details.

SOUTHWEST IDAHO

Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area near Boise intends to open for summer June 23. Daily operations will continue through Aug. 20, with the ski area open Fridays-Sundays Aug. 25-Sept. 1 and Saturdays-Sundays Sept. 9-Oct. 1.

Image courtesy of Bogus Basin 

The 20-plus miles of trails at The Basin Gravity Park and Bogus Basin have become a regionally renowned mountain bike destination and include “Around the Mountain,” Idaho’s top mountain bike trail as ranked by MTBprojects.com. The nation’s largest nonprofit ski area, Bogus Basin will unveil several miles of new trails this summer.

Standing 42 ft. tall , the new three-story Aerial Adventure Course at Bogus Basin serves up a variety of obstacles and challenges, as well as three ziplines.

Other summertime activities at Bogus Basin include scenic chairlift rides, the Glade Runner mountain coaster, a climbing wall, a bungee trampoline, a tubing hill, and food and beverage services. It is also staging a free Music on the Mountain concert series every other Saturday June 24-Sept. 2 and hosting free Yoga on the Mountain and free music on the patio every weekend all summer long. The ski area will also host guided weekend nature hikes throughout the summer and a six-week-long Community Race Series of fun and friendly competitions for trail runners and cross-country and downhill mountain bikers.

The Boise Mountain Bike Festival is partnering with Bogus Basin and Eagle Bike Park on June 30 and July 1. Activities include group rides (cross country, trail, downhill, and gravel), skill demonstrations and a big air jam by pro riders, a slalom challenge, small group coaching sessions, a raffle, swag giveaways, and more.

Visit BogusBasin.org for more details.

Early in the season, Brundage Mountain Resort, in the West Central Mountains near the resort town of McCall, will open Fridays-Sundays June 16-18 and June 23-25. It will open Wednesdays-Sundays during the regular season, June 28-Sept. 3, with bonus days on Monday July 3, Tuesday July 4, and closing day Monday Sept. 4.

Image courtesy of Dave Bingaman

Its 30-mile trail system offers plenty of variety, appeals to all types of mountain bikers, and includes a 360-degree loop around the mountain. New this summer is an 8.4-mile trail the U.S. Forest Services calls “BMR2BB” (for “Brundage Mountain Resort to Bear Basin”) that, while not technically *in* Brundage Bike Park, connects its network of trails to the popular Bear Basin trail system.

The new trail — the result of public-private-nonprofit partnerships spearheaded by CIMBA, the Central Idaho Mountain Bike Association, and assisted by Brundage and the One Track Mind Foundation — has been in the works since 2009. Crews completed construction last fall, so the trail had the opportunity to winter under the snow. The trail’s grand opening will likely take place in early July after the snow melts and crews can clear brush and debris from the singletrack trail.

Also new at Brundage this summer are mountain bike lessons through the Mountain Sports School. Brundage Bike School’s team of certified mountain bike instructors offer private lessons, learn-to-ride group lessons, and social group rides. Visit brundage.com/mtb-lessons for more details.

Meanwhile, the resort’s scenic chairlift rides afford a 360-view at the summit that includes silhouettes of Idaho’s Seven Devils Wilderness, Oregon’s Eagle Cap Wilderness, and sweeping vistas of the Payette Lakes. Hikers can take the chairlift to the top and explore short, scenic trails from the summit or choose longer multi-use routes to soak in more of the mountain’s beauty.

In addition, Brundage offers outdoor dining at Smoky’s Bar & Grill and maintains a 2,500-foot-long, nine-hole disc golf course in the base area and a grassy amphitheater that provides a charming, spacious, fresh-air environment for dog-friendly summer concerts. Its free, weekly TGIF Summer Concert Series runs Fridays July 7-Sept. 1 with the exception of Aug. 18 when Brundage hosts its National Interscholastic Cycling Association youth mountain bike race.

Other events on the calendar include the Fourth of July Music Festival & Cat Track 10K/5K foot races on Tuesday July 4, as well as some additional bike races in July.

Visit Brundage.com for more details.

At Tamarack Resort near Donnelly, summer operations will begin May 27, with daily lift service starting June 16 and continuing through Sept. 10. Zipline, waterfront, and whitewater activities will commence Memorial Day weekend depending on weather.

Image courtesy of Sherri Harkin for Tamarack Resort

This summer the resort is opening additional mountain biking trails, adding a sweets shop to its food and beverage offerings, and introducing new amenities like a summer camp and Adventure Pack lodging add-ons.

Tamarack will debut nearly 5 miles of new mountain biking trails this summer, expanding its International Mountain Bicycling Association-created network to nearly 33 total miles of lift-served downhill and cross-country trails. Plus, the resort is adding more self-loading bike trays on the Tamarack Express lift to easily accommodate both downhill bikes and e-bikes.

Summer amenities include scenic chairlift rides, an outdoor axe-throwing facility in The Village and a nine-hole disc golf course just steps away at the base of West Mountain. Plus, The Waterfront on Lake Cascade offers kayak, paddleboard, pontoon boat, surf boat, and jet ski rentals. Work to restore and reopen the award-winning Osprey Meadows championship golf course continues, with the driving range completed last summer and opening Memorial Day weekend.

The resort’s zipline canopy tours explore 3,500 feet of terrain, including eight different ziplines, two suspension bridges, and a 105-foot-high treehouse. Plus, Tamarack conducts guided whitewater rafting trips on the Cabarton stretch of the North Fork of the Payette River and guided fishing excursions on Lake Cascade.

The new Camp Tam summer camp will offer kids various mountain, meadow, and lake activities. And its new Adventure Pack lodging add-on will provide guests with discounts on activities such as biking, kayaking, paddleboarding, pickleball, disc golf, and axe throwing via an RFID wristband.

Sugarloaf Creamery has joined the array of establishments in The Village, which includes the Rendezvous Food Hall, a fine-dining establishment called The Reserve, a market, and the new Seven Devils Taphouse, which opened this winter. The new sweets shop offers 18 ice cream flavors plus milkshakes, bulk candy, and a signature sweet of the day.

Seven Devils will stage concerts on the patio every Saturday from 5-8 p.m. beginning June 3. And the Northwest Cup Downhill Race, the premier downhill single-stage mountain bike series in the West, returns to Tamarack June 23-25, with hundreds of riders showing up to show off their skills and speed. The annual Bikes, Brews & Bluegrass Festival is slated for Sept. 30.

Fireworks will be visible from The Village on May 27 and July 1.

Visit TamarackIdaho.com for more details.

SOUTH CENTRAL IDAHO

Seven-days-a-week lift access to hiking trails and the Roundhouse restaurant at world-famous Sun Valley Resort begins June 23 via the Roundhouse Express gondola and the Christmas Chair, and lift-served mountain biking begins July 1. Meanwhile, golf season at the resort has begun with the opening of White Clouds and the back nine holes of the 7,214-yard-long Elkhorn Golf Course. The front nine of Elkhorn and the 6,986-yard-long Trail Creek championship course will open later this spring.

Image courtesy of Gary Peterson for Ski Idaho

America’s first destination resort and birthplace of the chairlift, Sun Valley sports a dozen biking and hiking trails, including the longest purpose-built downhill mountain-bike trail in the U.S., dropping 3,350 vertical feet. Plus, riders can access more than 30 miles of paved, car-free bike paths and over 400 miles of singletrack throughout the Wood River Valley.

In addition, the resort offers an array of activities, including scenic gondola rides, horseback trail rides and horse-drawn wagon rides, bike rentals for bike path or trail riding, and a full menu of pampering options at the Sun Valley Spa. The resort also boasts numerous indoor and outdoor dining options, including The Ram, Gretchen’s, Konditorei, Sun Valley Club, Village Station, and The Roundhouse (which opens June 23).

Sun Valley is staging a weeklong Independence Day celebration July 1-7. In addition to kicking off the mountain biking and hiking season July 1, the resort will host a free one-hour yoga class at River Run Plaza. The Dutch National Ballet will perform at the Sun Valley Pavilion July 1-2. And the resort will host its official summer kickoff party July 2 at River Run Plaza with live music, yard games, and food and beverages.

On July 3, the first Sun Valley On Ice show features U.S. Olympic team member and gold medalist Mariah Bell. Shows featuring medal-winning headline skaters alongside a talented cast are planned for every Saturday between July 22-Sept. 2.

The Marcus King Band will headline a concert at the Sun Valley Pavilion July 4 with Tylor & The Train Robbers followed by fireworks.

The River Run Summer Series featuring live music, family fun, and extended lift hours begins in late July.

Other events include the Sun Valley Wellness Festival June 10-13, Ballet Sun Valley June 24-25, Sun Valley Writer’s Conference July 22-24, Sun Valley Music Festival July 30-Aug. 24, Yoga on the Mountain, and free Yoga at River Run Plaza and on the Pavilion lawn.

Visit SunValley.com for more details.

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SOUTHERN IDAHO

The mountain bike park at Soldier Mountain will open for the season May 27. However, the lifts will only turn this summer on holiday weekends, so riders must pedal under their own power uphill most days. Holiday weekends include May 27-28, July 1-2, and Sept. 2-3. In addition, the resort will host a National Interscholastic Cycling Association youth mountain bike race Sept. 15-16 and will spin the lifts Sept. 17 for participants and the public.

Image courtesy of Gary Peterson for Ski Idaho

Mountain biking will not be allowed during special events like weddings, a 3D archery shoot June 10-11, and disc golf tournaments, so the resort recommends checking the events page on its website when making plans.

Lift tickets will cost $25 on the days they turn. Otherwise, Soldier Mountain is charging riders $10 per day, although it is free for 2023-2024 ski season passholders. Riders must purchase their tickets on its website.

Soldier Mountain’s network of five trails spans 9 miles. One of the trails is designated as an uphill route that riders ascend to access the other trails, which include easy, intermediate, and advanced hand-cut trails and an extreme machine-cut jump trail. The resort also maintains a skills park.

Staff will inspect and maintain the trails and skills park on a weekly basis. The resort points out riders must understand there is no emergency personnel on the mountain.

Beverage service will be available Saturdays and Sundays at the bar’s pass-through window, but otherwise the lodge will be closed. However, the resort’s outdoor bathrooms will be open 24/7 to accommodate riders and campers, who are welcome to dry camp in the parking lot at no cost.

Visit SoldierMountain.com for more details.

Pomerelle Mountain Resort near Albion is booked for many private events this summer and fall and only plans to open to the public for lift-served mountain biking and hiking two weekends this summer and fall.

Image courtesy of Gary Peterson for Ski Idaho

The first weekend is July 28-30 during the Pomerelle Pounder, one of the oldest mountain bike races in the Gem State. The 2023 Utah Gravity Mountain Bike Series will stage the races that Saturday and Sunday, with racers practicing there Friday. Pomerelle will open the Slopeside Grill and its lodge and cafeteria that weekend, as well.

The lifts will turn a second weekend Oct. 7-8 during Pomerelle’s two-day co-ed skills clinic for mountain bikers. Certified instructors from A Singletrack Mind, which offers fundamental workshops for all abilities, will conduct the event, with registration and other information available at https://asingletrackmind.com/events.

During both events, the rest of the mountain will be open to the public for mountain biking, hiking, scenic trail rides, and hamburger eating.

Otherwise, riders can bike uphill under their own power and ride the trails beginning July 1, but they must understand there is no emergency personnel on the mountain, according to the resort.

Pomerelle also maintains an 18-hole disc golf course.

Visit Pomerelle.com for more details.

EASTERN IDAHO

Despite incredible challenges brought by an unprecedented snow season, Kelly Canyon Resort in Eastern Idaho near Ririe and Idaho Falls is gearing up for a promising summer. With 3-4 ft. of snow still gracing Old Man Flats, the resort has decided to focus on a series of upgrades and repairs to ensure an unforgettable experience for all visitors.

The resort owners have announced a range of significant construction projects that will take center stage this summer. Kelly Canyon is replacing Lift 4, along with its communication line, to enhance efficiency and guarantee a smooth ride for skiers and snowboarders. As an added bonus, the resort is installing a new surface lift between the top of Lift 2 and Lift 4, granting visitors even more accessibility for exploring the east side of the mountain.

Kelly Canyon is also designing snowmaking ponds to ensure ideal snow conditions throughout winter and guarantee an early opening. And infrastructure development for idyllic glamping sites and charming treehouses is well underway, promising a one-of-a-kind stay amidst nature’s beauty.

While this means the resort won’t open for the summer (the Half Cab Grill will be closed, too), the resort’s owners said it’s clear the upcoming winter season will be nothing short of extraordinary. And with all the upgrades and repairs on the horizon, they said the stage is set for creating unforgettable adventures in a four-season playground.

Visit KellyCanyonResort.com for more details and updates.

Just across the border in Alta, Wyo., Grand Targhee Resort affiliates with the Idaho Ski Areas Association because the resort is only accessible via Driggs, Idaho. It will open for downhill mountain biking June 16 — weather and conditions permitting — with the Shoshone and Dreamcatcher lifts running daily through Sept. 17.

Image courtesy of Gary Peterson for Ski Idaho

Grand Targhee offers 2,200 vertical feet of lift-serviced downhill, 17 miles of downhill trails, more than 70 miles of multi-use trails for biking and hiking and running, and a mountain bike school. MTBparks.com Riders’ Choice Best Bike Parks Awards ranked its bike park among the Northwest’s top five for six consecutive years.

It will host the GTR Downhill Mountain Bike Race July 22. The Pierre’s Hole 50K/100K Mountain Bike Race returns Aug. 5. And Ladies All Ride two-day mountain bike camps for women of all ability levels are slated for July 19-20 and July 22-23.

Summertime activities at Grand Targhee also include scenic chairlift rides, hiking and trail running, a nature center, horseback riding, swimming in the outdoor pool, a bungee trampoline, a summer kids camp, the GTR Mining Co., and an 8,000-foot-long, 18-hole disc golf course.

The resort will introduce the Wildflower Race, its first trail run with 10K and half-marathon options, July 8. The Wrun for Wray, a 3-mile uphill run that starts at the base of the Dreamcatcher chairlift and climbs 1,840 ft. to the top of Fred’s Mountain, returns June 24 and benefits the Wray Landon Legacy Fund.

Targhee Music Camp will celebrate its 15th anniversary Aug. 7-10. And the Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival returns for its 33rd year Aug. 11-13 after a three-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Family Fridays events are slated for June 30, July 28, Aug. 25, and Sept. 1 with the Shoshone Lift open until 7 p.m. and music and fun for the whole family.

In addition to slopeside lodging, Grand Targhee Resort boasts a parking lot camping area that can accommodate pull-behind trailers, sprinters, and camper vans.

Visit GrandTarghee.com for more details.

Pebble Creek Ski Area in Inkom is staging the 60th annual Pebble Creek Wildflower & Music Festival June 24 when the blooms are expected to be at their peak. A fundraiser for the National Ski Patrol, the event features live music by regional and local touring artists, scenic chairlift rides from 4-7 p.m., and tasty BBQ served by Pebble Creek Ski Patrol members.

The resort is booked most weekends for private events, and the lodge is available to rent as a venue for weddings, corporate events, family gatherings, and other functions.

Visit PebbleCreekSkiArea.com for more details.

Photo courtesy of Tamarack Resort

14 Idaho ski areas open during the holidays

BOISE, Idaho (Dec. 21, 2023) — Despite Mother Nature being pretty stingy so far this winter, at least 14 of the Gem State’s 19 ski areas will be open during the holiday season.

All three ski areas in North Idaho — Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area near Mullan, Schweitzer near Sandpoint, and Silver Mountain Resort in Kellogg — are open daily. Skiers and snowboarders dressed from head to toe as Santa can purchase a lift ticket at Lookout Pass for only $20 on Saturday Dec. 23.

Photo courtesy of Lookout Pass

All three North Central Idaho ski areas — Bald Mountain near Pierce, Snowhaven Ski & Tubing Area in Grangeville, and Cottonwood Butte Ski Area near Cottonwood — have been forced to delay opening.

Three of the four ski areas in Southwest Idaho — Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area near Boise, Brundage Mountain Resort near McCall, and Tamarack Resort near Donnelly — are open daily. Although the Little Ski Hill in McCall cannot spin its lift yet, it will open a hike-to rail park and sell food and beverages in the lodge on Dec. 26 from 2-7 p.m. Visit Tamarack dressed up in your best Santa or holiday costume on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, and receive a free lift ticket while enjoying the VIP Santa Soiree at mid-mountain from 9 a.m. to noon sponsored by Monster Energy.

Sun Valley Resort in Central Idaho has been open since Thanksgiving, and Lost Trail Ski Area on the Idaho-Montana border near Conner, Mont., is open daily throughout the holidays from Dec. 21-Jan. 1. However, Rotarun Ski Area in Hailey has been forced to delay its opening.

Photo courtesy of Tamarack Resort

In Southern Idaho, Magic Mountain Ski Resort near Hansen is open daily Dec. 22-Jan. 2 and Pomerelle Mountain Resort near Albion is open daily for the season, although both are closed Christmas Day. Soldier Mountain near Fairfield will spin both chairs Saturday Dec. 23 with lift tickets at half price. The resort will open four trails — North Ridge on Chair 1, a.k.a. the High Trail Express, and Atomic, Bruno, and Coaster on Chair 2, Bird’s Eye. North Ridge is in decent shape from top to bottom thanks to the resort’s recently restored snowmaking system. Although the trails on the Bird’s Eye lift will get prettier they are definitely skiable and there’s some nice powder to be found if you’re willing to explore a bit. Soldier Mountain has not announced any other dates beyond that.

The two ski areas in Eastern Idaho — Kelly Canyon Ski Resort in Ririe and Grand Targhee Resort in “Wydaho,” a.k.a. Alta, Wyo. — are open daily. So is Gateway to Kelly Canyon, a brand-new snow-tubing park in Idaho Falls that Kelly Canyon operates in partnership with Eagle-based Gateway Parks.

Southeastern Idaho’s sole ski area — Pebble Creek Ski Area near Inkom — is open daily, although it is closed Christmas Day.

Check the ski areas’ websites for more details and operating hours.

Early season conditions exist at many of these destinations, so skiers and riders should use caution.

Eagle Peak Expansion. Courtesy of Lookout Pass.

New Eagle Peak doubles the fun at Lookout Pass Ski Area

By: Steve Stuebner

On a March visit to Lookout Pass Ski Area, 10-14 inches of fresh *pow* greeted us on a Saturday morning. And my, it was amazing to see how the North Idaho powder hounds turned out in force to shred the fresh snow!

We arrived at 8:30 a.m., and early bird skiers were already on the main lift heading up the hill. We hadn’t even found a place to park! I looked at my partner Wendy, “Whoops, we’re late!”

But our friends from Coeur d’Alene saved us a spot in the lift line. We loaded the quad lift at the base of Lookout and headed directly for the new Eagle Peak area pronto. Fresh *pow* was waiting to be shredded! And that’s always a big deal!

In minutes, we rode the nearly mile-long Eagle Peak quad lift to the 6,160-foot summit of Lookout’s new mountain, which opened for the 2022-23 ski season. Light snowflakes fell from the sky, but we could see clearly enough that all kinds of virgin snow awaited our tracks. Let’s go!

Dave and Carol Lindsay and Randy Bell of Coeur d’Alene led the way down Thunderbird, a black-diamond face under the lift, and we had it all to ourselves. The knee-deep, light creamy snow felt like a dream. Once you get into a rhythm in snow like that, you don’t want to stop!

Image courtesy of Lookout Pass

We crossed over Eagle’s Flight, a big boulevard open slope, and dropped into Ironheart, a black diamond north slope, and shredded virgin powder pillows on a nice fall line to the bottom of the Eagle Peak lift. We got back on the quad chair within minutes, and squirmed with anticipation of another powder run. On days like this, the lifts can’t run fast enough. On the new fixed-grip quad chair, it’s a 13-minute ride so you might as well enjoy it!

Eagle Peak nearly doubled the skiable terrain at Lookout Pass to a new total of 1,023 acres. Eagle Peak itself offers 1,650 vertical feet of continuous drop from the summit, an increase of 500 verts that’s provided by Lookout’s other lifts. The lengthy vertical drop from Eagle Peak is very similar to many of the medium-sized ski areas in Idaho, such as Bogus Basin and Brundage Mountain. There are 14 new named runs on Eagle Peak.

You pause for a moment on the Eagle Peak summit, look below, and it seems like it’s a LONG way to the bottom. It’s a similar feeling you get on Warm Springs at Sun Valley, where the ski slope drops more than 3,000 vertical feet and you feel your quads on fire if you try to zip down nonstop. 

I asked my CDA friends about their take on Eagle Peak.

“I really like it there,” Dave Lindsay says. “It’s a long chair, it’s a mile long, so it’s a long way back down. It took us a while to figure it out — it’s a little more complicated than we thought, but we’ve really, really enjoyed it. It has a whole different feel, it’s significantly higher, further back in the mountains, and it adds to the powder skiing at Lookout quite a bit!”

“Going up the chair is beautiful!” adds Randy Bell “Look at all the mountains everywhere!”

Matthew Sawyer, director of marketing for Lookout Pass, puts it this way: “The Eagle Peak expansion has transformed the area. It’s been 10 years in the making, so people have been waiting for it.

“It’s added terrain that we didn’t have before — longer trails, more vertical, because it’s higher. We’ve already had a reputation for quality snow, and abundant snow (400 inches/year), but Eagle Peak gets more than we had before because it’s 500 feet higher. When there’s a big storm, that’s significant.”

Image courtesy of Lookout Pass

Another fun and unique aspect of Lookout Pass is that it’s located on the Idaho-Montana border.

“You can ski in two states, ski through two time zones (Pacific and Mountain), and it’s one of the few places where you can go back to the future, literally,” Sawyer quips.

Overall, Lindsay says, “I love the general vibe at Lookout. I like how the mountain is maintained. I like the people who work here, the lifties are great.”

“It’s a great little mountain,” Bell adds. “There’s no lift lines (mid-week), lots of nice powder stashes, and they usually have the most snow.”

Affordability is another significant consideration at Lookout, Sawyer says. Lift fees cost $55 per day mid-week for adults, $66 on weekends and $73 on holidays. Those prices are below the average price in Idaho, and WAY below what they charge at destination resorts. Season passes cost $399 for adults, also a bargain. Lookout spring season pass sales are currently under way, BTW. A new season pass provides access this spring but also all of next ski season.   

Lookout also looks to the future by providing free ski lessons to kids on Saturdays. Over the last 80 years, Lookout has introduced about 75,000 kids to skiing and snowboarding.

On this particular trip, my partner Wendy and I skied Lookout on a partly sunny day on Thursday to experience many of the groomers at Lookout and on Eagle Peak. It snowed like bonkers that night, creating a foot of new light snow to enjoy at Silver Mountain on Friday. And then we went back to ski Lookout on a powder day.

Wendy and I stayed in the condominiums at the base of Silver Mountain, so it was an easy 20-minute commute to Lookout from there. And on the day we skied Silver, we walked from our condo unit to the gondola terminal to ski for the day.

I really like both Silver and Lookout. They both have their own unique personalities, but they’re basically long-time Idaho home-grown ski mountains with a great variety of slopes and tree skiing.

Lookout’s history goes back to the 1930s when they had a small rope tow operating at the base. They have the second-oldest ski lodge in the Pacific Northwest, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The oldest is at Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood in Oregon.

The Lookout base lodge complex features a basement area with ski lockers for locals, a self-serve food service area on the second floor (lunch for $10 or less), and a spacious bar on the third floor with food items available and several big screen TVs. Large picture windows allow you to watch skiers and riders come down the mountain while you’re sipping a beverage après ski.

We capped off our powder day at Lookout by hitting some secret tree glades that require some hiking to return to the ski lifts. I’m sworn to secrecy about the location.

Image courtesy of Lookout Pass

The mystery glades were a stellar way to complete the ski day. We started out on a moderate slope, winding slowly through nicely spaced lodgepole pines, and then the fall line got steeper to finish out the run. All virgin *pow* for 1,000 verts of pure bliss! We all landed on a cat track below the slope, grinning ear to ear. Woo-hoo!

Lodging options when visiting Lookout Pass: Lookout has no overnight accommodations, so the best options nearby are in Wallace and Kellogg. I recommend the Silver Mountain condos at the base of Silver Mountain (our studio condo cost $85/night on VRBO.com), the Wallace Inn or the Ryan Hotel in Wallace. The Silver Mountain condos have big hot tubs that are open 24/7, and the Silver Rapids indoor water park (great for kids).

Local favorite eateries include: Sam’s in Kellogg for breakfast, Radio Brewing Co. in Kellogg for lunch, dinner, or drinks, Blackboard Cafe in Wallace for breakfast or dinner, City Limits Brew Pub in Wallace for lunch, dinner, or drinks, and Noah’s Canteen at the base of Silver Mountain for drinks, lunch or dinner. 

Steve Stuebner has been skiing Idaho for 35 years. He writes the Idaho Daily Snow for opensnow.com, and he’s a contributor to Ski Idaho.