4 minute read
BEYOND THE SLOPES
Bogus Basin offers multifaceted adventure
BY CHRIS LANGRILL
When most people think of Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area, they think of downhill skiing.
And for good reason. Bogus Basin features ten lifts, four high-speed quads, 2,600 acres of skiable terrain, and 90 runs. But it is no one-trick pony.
Over the past several years, Bogus Basin has delivered on its mission of becoming a year-round recreation destination. In the summer months, people can enjoy a ropes course, a mountain coaster, hiking, mountain biking, and more.
“We see about 100,000 people up there each summer now,” said Susan Saad, director of customer and community relations.
And when summer turns to winter, the focus might be on downhill skiing, but there are still any number of activities that will lure people up to Bogus Basin.
“It’s wonderful to see how much we’ve grown, and people have recognized that,” Saad said. “We’re excited to continue to expand the o erings we have up there.”
Here’s a look at a few of those o erings that Bogus Basin has available during the winter months—in addition to downhill skiing, of course.
Tubing Hill
Tubing down a snowy slope is perhaps the most iconic family outing in the winter months. Who doesn’t enjoy the thrill of sliding down a hill on an inner tube? At the same time, who really enjoys the slog of climbing back up that hill for another run?
Well, Bogus Basin’s tubing hill allows families to enjoy the slide without the slog.
“It’s an 800-foot tubing hill and you slide down and then you have a conveyor lift to pull you back up to the top,” Saad said. “If you’ve ever climbed up a steep hill after a long tube ride then you know that conveyer belt is worth the price of admission, for sure.”
Snowshoeing & Cross-Country Skiing
If you already own your own snowshoes, then you can head up to Bogus Basin and enjoy the trails. Never snowshoed, or don’t have your own pair? They have you covered.
“We do snowshoe rentals out of the Frontier Point Nordic Lodge, and our snowshoe trails are right out of the Nordic Center there,” Saad said. “You can come up and rent snowshoes and take off from there, or you can go on one of our guided tours and learn a little bit about the environment.”
“We have a resident ecologist, Ray Vizgirdas, who offers snowshoe tours that are guided on the weekends…he offers a four-part winter survival series, talking about things like snowpack ecology and plant and animal adaptation.”
The program was started for youths, but it has become so popular that Bogus Basin is expanding it for adults also.
In addition to snowshoeing, cross-country (Nordic) skiers typically take off from the Frontier Point Nordic Lodge. If you’re new to Nordic skiing, Bogus Basin offers both skate and classic rental packages.
“And we have wonderful instructors that can take you out for a lesson,” Saad said.
Food and Fun and Games
Destination restaurants have become popular with travelers and tourists. What better destination than Bogus Basin? Head up the mountain for a variety of cuisines.
Try a pizza at Front Side Pies in the J.R. Simplot Lodge or indulge in street tacos from La Cumbre Taqueria, which is adjacent to the High Peak Hangout, a lounge and gathering space in the Pioneer Lodge. Perhaps you’ll start your culinary journey with a coffee from JoJo Beans and finish it off with a cold beer from J.R.’s T-Bar.
Speaking of J.R.’s T-Bar, if you’re a trivia nut, you might want to brush up on your Bogus Basin history (among other topics) and get ready for the Trivia Nights that will start in January on Thursday evenings.
“It was a big hit last year,” Saad said.
Inversion Therapy
Finally, Bogus Basin offers residents some relief when the Treasure Valley is socked in with one of those nasty seasonal inversions. The views of the blue skies are free, but they are also priceless.
“There’s a lot of reasons that we’re lucky and thankful to have Bogus up there,” Saad said. “One big one is to be able to get away from the inversions when they happen. To know that we have this amazing resource 16 miles away from downtown Boise is pretty incredible.”
