4 minute read
Skiers and Snowboarders Rejoice: WINTER IS BACK!
PHOTO COURTESY OF BOGUS BASIN
BY DREW DODSON
Winter is once again upon Idaho, and if you’re a ski bum like me, you’ve been counting down the days since the moment that chairlifts stopped spinning last spring.
Luckily, ski resorts across the Gem State have been hard at work to make it even easier to enjoy this season’s white and fluffy spoils—which could be abundant amidst the La Niña weather pattern currently projected for the Pacific Northwest.
Brundage Mountain resort
At Brundage Mountain Resort, near McCall, a new 18,000 square foot lodge greets guests upon arrival at the mountain’s base area. Known as the Mountain Adventure Center, the lodge was designed with the goal of getting guests onto the mountain as quickly and efficiently as possible.
“We started with the new Centennial Express Chairlift last year, and then we went to the things that are going to affect people the most, which is your guest experience, your arrival experience, and your departure from the lodge out onto the mountain,” said Brundage General Manager Ken Rider. “We wanted to make that as efficient and enjoyable as possible.”
Toward that goal, the Mountain Adventure Center features a more efficient pick-up and drop-off zone, additional lift ticket kiosks, a coffee shop, and a convenient “one stop shop” for equipment rentals, ski school, day lockers, real estate inquiries, retail, public restrooms, and check-ins for guided snowcat skiing expeditions.
Upon exiting the new lodge onto what the resort has dubbed “The Snowfront,” guests find themselves on a paver patio at the doorstep of the Bluebird Express Chairlift. In other words, the “Best Snow in Idaho,” per the resort’s longtime slogan, is now mere feet from guests the moment that they are outfitted to hit the slopes.
Brundage Mountain Resort’s new Mountain Adventure Center brings key services to a single location, including ticketing, guest services, locker rooms, and more. This year, the resort celebrated a Halloween snowfall.
Bogus Basin
Meanwhile, Boise’s beloved Bogus Basin boasts two upgraded chairlifts for the coming season, most notably a new four-person Bitterroot Chairlift. The lift replaces a 1973 two-seater and more than doubles the uphill capacity in Bitterroot Basin, located behind Pioneer Lodge.
The upgrade means the Bitterroot Chairlift will operate seven days per week instead of only on weekends and holidays. The chairlift upgrade also dovetails with additional lighting, significant brush clearing, and a new blue run called “Wake Up Jim” in Bitterroot Basin. The result is an abundance of new intermediate off-piste skiing and improved access to family-friendly terrain all season long.
A second chairlift upgrade at Bogus doubles the vertical rise and passenger capacity on the Coach Chairlift, which serves the resort’s beginner slope, known as Coach’s Corner. The expansion also created Ida Belle, a new run from the top of the relocated chairlift.
“Our premier teaching area has tripled in length,” said Cissy Madigan, resource development manager for Bogus. “The new lift alignment now provides families with three distinct routes down, allowing all skill levels to enjoy the beginner lift together.”
Sun Valley Resort
Finally, Sun Valley Resort is welcoming in a new six-person chairlift that improves skier and rider access on Bald Mountain. The new Seattle Ridge Chairlift increases uphill access by 20%, or about 600 people per hour, compared to the 28-year-old four-person chairlift it replaces.
Pete Sonntag, vice president and general manager at Sun Valley, said the upgrade comes at the “perfect time” with the resort set to host the International Ski and Snowboard Federation World Cup from March 22-27. The event draws the sport’s top athletes from around the world, including the likes of American superstar Mikaela Shiffrin, to compete in various disciplines, including slalom, giant slalom, and downhill skiing.
“We have so much to be excited about this season, from expanded terrain to hosting the first-ever Stifel Sun Valley World Cup Finals this spring,” said Sonntag.
