27 minute read
On The Mountain
WHAT'S NEW FOR THE SEASON
WITH COVID-19 THROWN into the mix of what could be one of the snowiest and coldest winters in years, local resorts are stepping up to create a safe, fun, and convenient ski and snowboard experience like never before. Here’s a glimpse into what you can expect for this upcoming season from our local Ski the NW Rockies Resorts.
BUY YOUR LIFT TICKETS IN ADVANCE THIS YEAR Some regional resorts are planning to limit the number of skiers and snowboarders on their mountains on peak days, which means no more early-birding it to the ticket window on a powder day expecting to score a lift ticket. Most resorts this year will require advanced online ticket purchasing, and tickets may be limited and potentially not available during weekends and holidays. Priority, on the other hand, will be given to season pass holders, so the point here is to buy your lift tickets in advance online if you don’t plan to purchase a season pass.
Rick Brown, the director of skier & rider services at 49 Degrees North, illustrates how ticket purchasing will work at 49 and potentially at other resorts this season. 49 is totally upgrading its point-of-sale system to make it easier and safer for guests to get up to the mountain, he says. “We will have online ticketing so that people will be able to purchase tickets anywhere then walk up to the ticket window to get their lift ticket.”
A BETTER RIDE FOR BEGINNERS AT SILVER
Silver Mountain Resort is installing a new, double-wide, covered magic carpet lift to service their beginner run as well as their tubing hill. “Upgrading from our old single-wide to this double-wide will minimize the amount of time in the lift line and allow for more time spent on the snow,” says Silver Mountain Resort General Manager Jeff Colburn. “This new covered ride will provide protection from the elements and make for a more comfortable experience for tubers and beginners just learning how to slide on the snow.”
49 DEGREES NORTH. // BOB LEGASA
NEW SNOWMAKING TO EXTEND THE SEASON AT 49
The big news at 49 Degrees North this season is the extensive addition to the resort’s snowmaking. “The snowmaking expansions will essentially give us the ability to make snow from the base area all the way up to Midway at Silver King and on up to Silver Ridge,” says 49’s director of skier and rider services Rick Brown. “It’s a pretty large swath that will allow us to open earlier most years and have better conditions later in the season.” The work involved putting in two pump houses and a reservoir on silver ridge, which positions 49 to move snow making even further up the mountain in the future. 49’s egalitarian snow-making capacity will also spread the cold, white love to the lower reaches of the mountain near Chair 3 that accesses beginner terrain as well as the resort’s magic carpet conveyor lift, greatly improving conditions for those just learning to ski and snowboard. MAKE TURNS @ MT. SPOKANE 7 DAYS A WEEK Mt. Spokane is making its family-friendly mountain more readily available this season. In January and February, the ski area will be operating all week long, including Mondays and Tuesdays. The move should help spread skiers and riders out over more days and lead to shorter lift lines and a safer, less crowded experience throughout the resort.
SILVER ADDS NEW AFFORDABLE LODGING OPTION Silver Mountain Resort purchased and remodeled the Silverhorn Motor Inn and rebranded it the Silver Inn, located about a half mile from the gondola base. This 40-room hotel-style accommodation has a rich history in Kellogg and will be an affordable quality lodging option for skiers and riders looking to spend more time on the snow and less time driving back and forth to the mountain.
BREATHE EASIER WITH EXTENDED LODGE HOURS New this year, Mt. Spokane’s Lodge 1 and Lodge 2 will be operating seven days per week. The mountain is extending indoor operations to allow for more physical distancing for a safer experience during the ongoing pandemic.
BETTER, FASTER FOOD
Our local resorts will have some welcome culinary innovations this season that will make dining on the mountain faster and more enjoyable. We are excited to hear that Mt. Spokane has brought on celebrity regional chef, Chad White, to make big kitchen changes at Spokane’s closest resort this year. “He’s bringing to life a new food and beverage menu focused on mountain flavors and local brews,” reports Mt. Spokane’s new assistant general manager and marketing director Jodi Kayler. “We can’t wait to roll out new flavors, more efficient service, and short wait times.”
Lookout Pass is also working to refine its food menu with the primary goal of offering a faster meal purchasing experience. “Guests will find more grab-and-go options in our food court/deli and more food and drink options at our Summit Shack at the top of the mountain near the unloading point for our Peak One Quad,” says Lookout’s Matt Sawyer.
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MORE OUTDOOR HANGOUT SPACES
Look for more options for purchasing food and drinks and hanging out in a protected outdoor area at all area ski resorts this season. “This year, we are focused on the outdoors and are adding two outdoor bars, outdoor eating areas, outdoor tents and group spaces, as well as outdoor lockers,” says Mt. Spokane’s Jodi Kayler. 49 Degrees North also has two massive shelters in the works out front of the lodge to give people some outdoor hangout spaces that will have picnic tables, heat, lighting, and ventilation thanks to an open corridor between the tents.
BETTER GLADES Powder hounds always rejoice at the mention of pre-season work in the woods, and this year Lookout locals have a lot to look forward to in that regard. “We had crews enhancing the glade skiing experience, thinning out dead wood, etc., in the Lucky Friday Glades and also on the sides of the Niagra Trail,” says Lookout’s Matt Sawyer.
SEASON PASS PERKS
This year, when some resorts may limit ticket sales on peak days (think Saturdays and holidays) to keep the number of people on the mountain down to a reasonably safe number, securing your season pass is smarter than ever. Even if you miss the fall season pass sale deadline for your preferred resort, consider shelling out the extra cash for a full-priced pass while they’re still available. That may be your only insurance plan for being able to ski or ride whichever day you want.
In addition to the priceless benefit of being able to get on a lift whenever you want, there are more perks than ever for season pass holders. Silver Mountain announced that they have joined the Powder Alliance for the 2020/21 season, which gives Silver Mountain passholders access to three free lift tickets at 17 resorts in four countries. “We’re excited to add this benefit for our season passholders,” says Silver’s Jeff Colburn, who also noted that each season passholder also gets four day passes to the Silver Rapids Indoor Waterpark. 49 Degrees North passholders can now take advantage of the Indy Pass, which for $199 gives powder-chasing passholders access to free lift tickets at 57 independent resorts across North America. 49 and Silver are also still promoting their 2nd year of offering a combo pass good at both resorts while they last.
While the fall season pass sale deadline likely won’t be your last chance to secure a pass, don’t wait and end up paying more if you can help it. Here are the looming deadlines for fall season pass savings: Lookout Pass, November 15 ($99-$319); Mt. Spokane, November 10 ($329-$499) Silver Mountain, November 10 ($239-$469); 49 Degrees North, November 9 ($299-$519).
LOOKOUT POW. // COURTESY OF SKI THE NW ROCKIES
MOUNTAIN EVENTS MAY LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT THIS YEAR Several of our local resorts are still hoping to hold many of their most popular events, but they may look a little different given public health precautions. Check resort calendar listings for your personal favorite events and check back for updates as the season progresses. One of the first events of the season on the calendar is 49’s 4th annual Thanksjibbing, scheduled this year for November 21. The community-oriented rail jam event happens every year even if the resort isn’t open yet, says 49’s Rick Brown. “We have a few events and some races on the calendar and are working to find a way to hold many of our same events in a safe way.”
NEW TERRAIN IN THE WORKS Progress continues on the ongoing ski area expansion at Lookout Pass. All trails for the 458-acre Eagle Peak expansion have been marked down the centerline and edge to edge helping to define the perimeter for the 14 planned new trails, says Lookout’s Matt Sawyer. “All the new runs have been cruised and approved by the Forest Service and will be cut top-to-bottom next summer,
SILVER MOUNTAIN // FREERIDE MEDIA
WINTER IS BETTER OUTSIDE // FREERIDE MEDIA
including the two new lift lines.” The lifts are scheduled for installation the summer after next, he says. “We should be enjoying lift served skiing and snowboarding access to the Eagle Peak expansion terrain starting in the winter of 2022/23.”
SNOWLEDGE: NEW APP TO KEEP CONNECTED ON THE MOUNTAIN
The four Ski the NW Rockies association resorts—49, Mt. Spokane, Lookout, and Silver—have partnered with Snowledge, the only complete, resort-connected GPS tracking app for skiers and snowboarders. Snowledge works across every resort and in the backcountry and it’s free. Designed by and for skiers and riders, the app uses GPS to get real-time info from resorts, track your day on the slopes, and easily find and locate your friends and family. Some of the coolest features of the app include access to current snow conditions, offers, and contests. Users can also track individual ski days and view detailed activity summaries of the entire season’s ski days. Download the app at Snowledge.co and start tracking and connecting when the snow flies.
SOCIAL DISTANCING UNDER THE LIGHTS. // PHOTO: SHALLAN KNOWLES
SKIING IN THE COVID ERA
BY AMY MCCAFFREE & DERRICK KNOWLES
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC is picking up steam this fall like a deep-winter storm cycle, yet our regional ski and snowboard resorts are feeling positive about being able to provide a safe experience this season. From adding online, limited contact ticket sales to expanded outdoor hangout areas, mask requirements and social distancing for indoor spaces, and group size limits for lessons, this season that could see a return of La Nina is shaping up to be one we will never forget.
SCHWEITZER
“At this point, we are looking forward to opening for the winter season on Friday, Nov 27,” says Schweitzer marketing manager Dig Chrismer. “The long-term forecast is calling for a “La Nina” weather event this winter which could mean significant snowfall in our part of the world. The last time we had a strong La Nina was in 2010/11 when we ended the season with 171” of snow still on the summit!”
In response to COVID, Schweitzer will require all guests to use masks while indoors and to practice social distancing like all of our regional resorts. “We really hope that all of our visitors will take the pandemic seriously and make the right decisions about travelling [to Schweitzer from outside the Inland Northwest] if there is a larger spread this winter,” says Chrismer. “We hope that everyone will work together to mitigate the spread of COVID…all do our part to keep each other, our staff, and our guests healthy.”
Ticket sales will also look different this year, says Chrismer. Schweitzer will not be offering day-of lift ticket purchases at the ticket window and will be calculating an approximate number of visitors for any given day of the season (based on historical data and season pass sale numbers) to then offer limited, date-specific lift tickets for sale. “Those tickets will be on sale starting November 9 and once a day is sold out, it’s sold out. Our goal with this approach is to accommodate all of our season passholders and Schweitzer lodging guests as a priority.” Check for program and COVID updates at Schweitzer.com.
MT. SPOKANE
Spokane’s closest ski area has been working throughout the year to create protocols to ensure the health and safety of the community. “We’ve had to rethink every process on the mountain—from concessions to lift lines. Following state regulations, face coverings will be required, as well as distancing protocols. There may be a few changes mountain-wide that we all will need to adhere to—but the experience will make it all worth it,” says assistant general manager and marketing director Jodi Kayler. Mt. Spokane’s mission is more important than ever, adds Kayler. “With less options for entertainment for families and individuals, we are dedicated to providing a safe place for people to recreate. This is the year to hit the slopes and create a lifetime of memories.”
SILVER MOUNTAIN
Since Silver shut down on March 16 due to COVID-19, the mountain has done extensive planning to reopen safely for the coming season. Like other resorts, face coverings will be required in all indoor spaces (except when seated to eat or drink), as well as when guests are outdoors when 6 feet of physical distance isn’t possible. Masks will also be required while riding and waiting in line for the gondola, and guests will self group with
PHOTO COURTESY OF SCHWEITZER MOUNTAIN RESORT
their own travelling party (singles will be placed with other singles in numbers that allow for distancing). Gondola cabins will also receive extra cleaning after every ride. Physical distancing will also be encouraged in the lift line, and lift attendants will not require guests to ride with people who are not in their group.
Lift tickets will be limited on weekends and holidays at Silver as well and must be purchased online for these busier periods. However, the resort reports, midweek nonholiday tickets sales “will be business as usual” with ticket window and online purchase options. Plenty of precautions are also planned to make the lodging experience as safe as possible, and temperature testing of all guests will occur at Silver Rapids Indoor Water Park, where capacity will also be limited and ticket sales will all be online. Season passholders can expect unlimited access on the mountain. Check out the entire COVID plan at Silvermt.com.
49 DEGREES NORTH
“We are pretty lucky that we have so much terrain that even on busy days we never seem to be crowded,” notes Rick Brown, the director of skier and rider services at 49. He says the ski area isn’t planning on limited ticket sales, but that limited availability because of COVID could happen on some holiday weekends. A new online sales system will also launch this season that will improve the guest experience by streamlining ticket and lesson purchase transactions. Tickets purchased online will be available for pick up at the ticket window. 49 will also be following the Washington State Safe Start guidelines, with social distancing encouraged, face coverings required in indoor spaces except while dining and in more crowded outdoors spaces. Check online for updates throughout the season at Ski49n.com.
LOOKOUT PASS
“We are certainly encouraging guests who can, to visit midweek to avoid any congestion on the weekends and over typically busy holiday periods,” says Lookout’s director of marketing & sales Matt Sawyer. Social distancing and mask wearing indoors and in crowded outdoor locations will be required. “No brown bagging will be available inside,” adds Sawyer. “Please use your vehicle to eat lunches you brought from home.” Lookout will sell day passes at the area on a first-come, first-serve basis. “We hope that we don’t have to limit the number of people using the area, but…there may be a few days when we either reach an imposed capacity limit or we feel we’ll reach a limit that we are uncomfortable exceeding and could stop selling lift tickets.” Lookout is also exploring the options of remote ticket booths in the parking lot and the addition of Porta Potties in strategic locations. More info at SkiLookout.com/Covid-19.
WHITEFISH MOUNTAIN RESORT
Given that the U.S./Canadian border doesn’t look likely to open anytime soon, nearby Whitefish Mountain Resort in Montana will probably see even more powder-chasing Spokane and North Idaho skiers and snowboarders paying them a visit this season. If you’re thinking about a trip to Whitefish, rest assured that the resort will be following CDC guidelines during the pandemic. Increased sanitation will be in the works and masks will be required indoors and in lift lines. The resort doesn’t, however, plan to limit ticket sales or require a reservation to ski. More info at Skiwhitefish.com/covid-faq.
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THOSE WERE THE DAYS
BY BRADLEY BLECK
THE FIRST TIME I SAW my first pair of downhill skis, I was at my aunt and uncle's house in Tacoma, probably on Thanksgiving of 1967 or 1968. There were several pairs of skis laying upside down on a wooden sawhorse, each of which was intended for me and my siblings. One of my older cousins was painting the bases with pine tar or something similar, sealing the wood and providing a base for the wax.
I was destined for the Gresvig Jets. They were the sort of skis that us experienced skiers remember fondly, at least when our memory is dulled by nostalgia or creeping senility. I would never want to ski on them again, except to show the “kids these days,” kids like my son who didn’t have the fortune to share our trail blazing experiences, just how tough we were.
Manufactured in Yugoslavia, the tops were black with gold lettering, not quite so reminiscent of their Norwegian heritage as are the accompanying pictures. Absent the red and white trim and badging, there was just the brand and model name, Gresvig Jet, plus scratches and splintering gouges along the upper edges. Each tip and tail had a steel end piece to prevent delamination.
Back then, longer skis were better skis, even when they weren’t. During my elementary years I was always the second tallest in class, which destined me for the longest pair, the Gresvigs. My cousin held them on end as I reached my wrist to the tip, confirming my destiny. I likely came up short, but like almost everything, it was expected I would grow into them. They measured 185 centimeters, one centimeter longer than the boards I ski on today.
The spring-loaded cable bindings worked something like a ski boot buckle. The cable, once set, pushed the boot into a toe piece designed to release as a so-called “safety binding.” They were anything but. I don’t know if DIN standards for bindings existed then. If they did, when it came to body parts, lower legs in particular, it likely stood for Destroy It Now. Rather than brakes, a leather strap wrapped around each cable and ankle.
Along with painted-on bases, the edges were thin strips of steel screwed into the base, often rusty after a day on the slopes. They provided something of an edging capability. Not that I, not being Stein Ericson, could carve a turn with such a ski. I was happy enough to skid a stem christie. (For younger readers, the “stem christie” is what you learned as going from pizza slice to French fry.)
I’d thought of these skis over the years and then, while rummaging through a consignment shop in Sandpoint, I came across a pair. Finding them rekindled a nostalgic sense of my childhood skiing. I remembered not so much the rope tow flinging me earthward as I tried to get a grip, but instead, a perfect turn I made, euphorically sweeping both tails downhill together toward my aunt Dorothy, a perfect parallel christie, coming to a snow spraying stop just feet from her. I knew that’s how skiing was supposed to be and feel, and while those skis were so often a struggle, that one turn on those Jets hooked me for life. //
Bradley Bleck shared his memories of Priest Lake for the July/August Out There. When not teaching English classes at Spokane Falls, he’s enjoying life in Spokane with his family, riding his bike indoors and out, and hoping to be ski fit by the time the snow flies.
COURTESY OF FARMERS ALMANAC
POWDER PROGNOSTICATIONS
BY BRAD NORTHRUP
I AWOKE TO WHAT many skiers and riders would classify as the perfect Saturday: nearly half a foot of fresh snow, clear skies, and single digit temps. The snow was so cold it made that distinctive squeaky sound as I took the dog for a short walk in early dawn light, reveling in the sight of tall pine trees drenched in white magic. These are the days we live for in winter. Except it was late October.
Yep, Old Man Winter decided to give us a swift kick in the backside this fall and provided what is hopefully a sneak peek to the upcoming ski season in terms of weather. I pray to Ullr this is just the beginning. Here is what the weather gurus have to say about what we can expect this year.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) summary for winter says all we need to know: La Niña conditions are present. “With La Niña well established and expected to persist through the upcoming 2020 winter season, we anticipate the typical, cooler, wetter weather in the North,” said Mike Halpert, deputy director of NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.
Forecast models for the months of December through February point to below average temperatures with above average precipitation here in the PNW. We all know what this means. And the good news continues for January through March, with more of the same cold temps and heavy snowfall to close out the season. If you don’t own powder skis, methinks you should start looking for some.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac spins a similar narrative for our area as well. Their forecast graphic for the PNW states “Snow pelting, then melting.” Not sure about the melting part, but snow pelting sure sounds like a good time to me.
Conversely, the Farmer’s Almanac’s prediction is less than ideal. “The Pacific Northwest could see some of the most pleasant weather of the winter in the US, with mild and dry conditions expected there.” Not sure what tea leaves these folks were looking at or smoking, but any discussion of winter weather should be void of the term “pleasant.” Just saying….
Brad Northrup spent over a decade as a ski industry professional. He has been a contributing writer for Out There Outdoors since 2011.
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THE UPSIDE OF SOCIALLY-DISTANCED SKIING
BY BRAD NORTHRUP
I’M NOT GONNA LIE—the walls really started closing in this fall, with all the social distancing and stuff. With summer over and nothing fun to do, my mind easily wandered to winter, impatient for its arrival.
I know, I probably need a hobby to occupy myself in these weird times. One member of my household learned to play the piano (which sounds amazing), and a friend of mine makes hatchets (cool, but kinda creepy). Good for them, I say. I’m not crafty, nor do I have an ear for music, so creating something or learning to play an instrument are out. Guess I’ll just wax skis and burn stuff. In any event, there sure looks to be a ski season, and I really don’t care what it looks like so long as there is snow on the ground and the chairs are spinning. Heck, I think there might even be some advantages to a socially-distanced ski season.
First off, I’m sure we will be encouraged to ride the lift with whoever we rode up to the hill with, or wear a mask if pairing up with another single. This will force me to spend more quality time with my better half discussing the finer points of hardwood floors and other domestic treats, so everyone’s a winner. That, and I don’t like to wear a face covering when I ski, so methinks I will be riding single if skiing alone. Oh, and I detest idle chitchat with strangers, so again, everyone wins here.
Chances are good we will be required to wear a mask when entering the lodge to use the facilities or warm up, and I am totally down with that. As noted above, I don’t like to cover my face while skiing, and prefer to feel and smell the fresh mountain air. This usually results in massive icicles forming on my oft-hated mountain man facial hair, which then drip down my face the second I enter the lodge. Now I can just hide the mess behind a mask and wring it out. It should also cover up my breath on those days when I forget to brush my teeth prior to heading to the mountain, which happens more often than you’d think.
If the mountain operators can keep folks spaced out in the lift line as well, man will I be happy as a pig in excrement. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t like people. It’s that I don’t like people crowding me in line when I’m just trying to enjoy the day. I mean, come on bro, do you think trampling on my top sheets is really gonna get you to the summit faster? In case you’re wondering, the answer is no.
My favorite is hearing someone say, “Hurry up”, and then scoot themselves closer to my backside like that will somehow speed the chair up. They usually back off after catching a whiff of the biscuits and gravy I had for breakfast, if you know what I mean. Keeping everyone spaced out in the lift line will definitely help keep the peace this year. If it doesn’t, I guess I will have to double down on the biscuits and gravy. //
Brad Northrup is a former ski racer, coach, and ski industry professional. We are all hoping we are distanced as far as possible from him this season.
GEARING UP ON A BUDGET
BY AMY MCCAFFREE
RAMBLE RAVEN GEAR TRADER. // PHOTO COURTESY OF RAMBLE RAVEN
IF YOU’RE LIKE MY FAMILY, once you learned that regional ski swaps were canceled because of COVID-19, you felt a twinge of panic. How to find a set of bigger used skis and boots for a growing kid? What to do with old gear that you were hoping to sell at the swap?
Thankfully, three local small businesses that specialize in used gear have a mountain of snow sports gear available. These shops are like mini de facto ski-swaps—but that depends, of course, on people bringing in their used gear.
RAMBLERAVEN GEAR TRADER
Located on Spokane’s Division Street hill, Rambleraven Gear Trader (formerly known as NW Outdoors) has options for consigning, selling, and trading in used gear, as long as items are clean and functional. Consignment value is assessed right away. For trade-in gear, Rambleraven owner Mark Schneider determines an item’s value based on quality, condition, age, and product demand. All used footwear is disinfected before being placed on display.
Now available is a “full line of new and used alpine and cross-country skis, snowboards, and snowshoes,” says Schneider, as well as new winter accessories like hats, gloves, socks, and buffs. There are also used accessories, except socks. “Youth winter clothing and gear is always in high demand,” he says. (Bring in your gear, families!) The shop’s website, Rambleraven.com, has a full catalog of current inventory that’s updated in real time.
SPORTS CREEL
With a large following of loyal customers, Sports Creel, located next to The Bike Hub in Spokane Valley, is known as the place to go for downhill ski gear—the shop’s sole winter focus.
Busy since August, store manager Micah Genteman says, “What’s happening right with the snow skis sales industry is a carry over from what happened with spring and summer gear. We have a busier shop right now than we’ve had in past seasons during November. The lack of ski swaps has people coming in earlier with a purpose in mind.”
Don’t wait until ski season starts to dial-in your gear needs, he advises. Sports Creel’s all-ages trade-in/trade-up program is popular, especially for youth gear. Anyone can bring in their clean, functional old skis, for example, and the trade-in value is applied to the purchase of brand-new or used skis. That trade-in credit can only be applied to the same gear type—boots for boots or skis for skis.
Sports Creel’s COVID-19 safety protocols include “disinfection systems for used boots and helmets, for trade-in, and after being tried on,” says Genteman. “We have invested in an automated, robot ski tuning-system— no technicians have to touch it.” And the shop’s 3D scanner ski boot-fitting system is mostly a “non-touch system,” he says.
In anticipation for busy days when Sports Creel is at indoor capacity, staff is devising a system so people don’t have to wait outside in the cold. “Since it’s a fluid situation, we’re doing our best to keep ourselves and customers safe,” Genteman says.
PLAY IT AGAIN SPORTS
Located in the Five Mile Shopping Center off West Francis Avenue in north Spokane, Play It Again Sports sells new and used ski and snowboard gear and buys used gear from customers. “We pay cash on the spot, or trade in for store credit,” says store owner Jared Fields. Ski and snowboard gear rentals for all ages are available on a daily or seasonal basis, while supplies last. “In anticipation of La Niña we have ordered double our normal inventory in skis and snowboards,” says Fields. //
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