SNOWLANDER

TIME FLIES

Gerry FitzGerald is a legend in the Inland Northwest ski-racing community BY BOB LEGASA

“Iwas in the Navy and we were on a destroyer, we were out at sea, so I was talking to these guys. This one guy — I’ll never forget his hometown: He was from Fitzgerald, Georgia. I gave them a ski lesson on the fantail of a destroyer,” Gerry “Fitz” FitzGerald says, laughing while we sit drinking coffee one cold morning at Lookout Pass.

He demonstrated the lesson: “OK, hold your feet here. And now walk forward. OK. Keep your hands out here. It was hysterical, but they were into it.”

A longtime Spokane resident, Fitz has been coaching ski racing for over 50 years and during that time he’s coached well over 500 kids. He’s greatly respected and admired throughout the Pacific Northwest ski racing community.

Fitz was born and raised in the rough and tumble mining town of Wallace, Idaho, where his father was one of the town’s physicians. “My dad started practicing in Wallace in 1933. The mines were going strong. Lead and zinc and silver was the name of the game. Lots of things going on in Wallace — some things you wouldn’t want to talk about in mixed company.”

Fitz’s father was instrumental in getting the Lookout Pass ski area open. “My dad had a group of guys that thought a local ski area would be nice to have,” he says. “That was probably in the mid-1930s that they put this together. There was one rope tow.

“They thought a free ski school was necessary because there were so many kids in the valley that couldn’t afford to ski,” he continues. “So not only was it a free ski school, but these guys would supply the equipment for a lot of kids, and they even had a free bus ride for the kids to get up the mountain. Over the years, it expanded as you can see from all the pictures on the wall of those kids lined up halfway up the hill.”

Fitz’s first days on skis date to 1946 at Lookout Pass. “I don’t think I liked it initially because it was cold,” he says. “My dad drug me up to the ski hill, kicking and screaming, and he would put me out on the hill and tell me to go ski. In those days it was a lot different. Of course, we were riding rope tows. You’d wrap your arms around the rope, and it literally dragged you up the hill. You let go, you fall off. So, I don’t think we really enjoyed skiing for the first couple of years until we ran into some friends that were also doing it, then you had fun when you’d come up with your buddies, and we learned skiing’s not so bad.”

Fitz ski raced while he was in high school, and he says he was just OK. After high school, he went on to Gonzaga University and then Yakima Valley College, where he played basketball. He didn’t ski as much as he’d have liked in college, but by chance he met the Yakima Valley College ski coach.

“I ended up skiing with the coach a few different times, and we got along real well. I thought to myself, ‘Ski coaching is something I’d really like to do,’” Fitz says.

After college he went into the Navy and was on active duty for two years. He got out in the spring of 1964, and one of the first things he did when he returned to Spokane was go skiing at Mt. Spokane.

“When I got out of the Navy, skiing was still in the forefront of my mind,” Fitz says. “I ran into a fella that wanted me to help him with his ski racing program, that was in the fall of 64. Don Gasaway had a ski team on Mount Spokane called Snowflake. He had a ski school, and he had some racers. He asked me if I would handle the racers.”

Fitz ran the Snowflakes Ski Racing program for two years. Then in 1966, “the Spokane Ski Racing Association (SSRA) came to me and asked if I would consolidate with them,” he says. “I thought it was an awesome idea because I had virtually no race equipment, and we had no real place to train. Because there were two teams on the mountain, we were relegated to a little spot off to the side. So, I put it up for a vote with my racers. I said, ‘What would you like to do?’ The greater percentage voted to join SSRA. I was tickled to death.” ...continued on page 20

CONTENTS

BETTER TOGETHER 24 WINTER EVENTS 26 SIGN OF THE TIMES 27 LAST RUN 28

Gerry and coach LouLou Kneubuhler.

“TIME FLIES,” CONTINUED...

SSRA was serious about their racing program. They had hired a new head coach, LouLou Kneubuhler, who came from France. “Lou and I were the coaches; LouLou was the head coach. That was my beginning with Spokane Ski Racing Association. ’66 would be my first season coaching on Mount Spokane, and my last season would be 2016. So over 52 years of coaching, and the main reason I did that, was because of the pension that was attached to it,” he says with a sarcastic smile.

Fitz has coached well over 500 hundred kids and is greatly respected by his mentors and athletes. Brandon “Moondog” Moon from Schweitzer Alpine Racing School says, “When I first started coaching ski racing, I learned a lot of my coaching skills by observing others. The best takeaway I ever got was from Gerry FitzGerald: To coach kids you have to act like a kid. And Gerry is just a big kid at heart.”

Fitz’s oldest daughter, Jennifer, says, “Dad has been a coach to many racers. He was my first coach; he’s so talented. He always makes it fun for them. He still carries a bag of Tootsie Rolls to hand out to the kids. He asks them if they’ve been good. If they say yes, he says, ‘Wrong answer!’ The naughty stories the kids come up with to get the Tootsie Rolls are hilarious!”

“To coach kids you have to act like a kid. And Gerry is just a big kid at heart.”

...continued on page 22

“TIME FLIES,” CONTINUED...

His enthusiasm and his ability to make people laugh kept his young ski racers excited to train. His sense of humor even turned into a tradition among his kids.

Back in his early coaching days, one of his young racers thought it would be funny if they named their ski team Fitz’s Alpine Racing Team. “So this kid had a windbreaker, and he put F.A.R.T. in white adhesive tape on the front of it. That’s all it was,” he says. “I remember his mother told me she went for a walk one morning and threw his coat on; she ran into some of her friends also out walking. They had some questions about this ‘FART’ on the front of the coat. She had no idea what it was all about, so it became kind of a joke. I had some shirts made up, and I’d give it to kids that did well. They had to earn it one way or the other,” Fitz says.

Over the 52 years of coaching kids, Fitz has coached some of his kids’ kids. “It’s really a scary thought, when you think about it, because some of those first kids I coached are obviously in their mid-60s now,” he says.

For over five decades Fitz has stood alongside a racecourse for hours on end with cold feet, in negative temps, and through blizzards and rain. He wouldn’t take any of it back. I asked him what he takes away from all those years of coaching.

“Sometimes someone will say, ‘Oh, so and so made the U.S. Ski Team.’ You know, that’s nice, but for me the long-term thing is the kids you’ve met — who you still talk to. You look back at the letters they’ve sent you and the relationships you’ve built with the families. It becomes very personal, and they become part of your ski family. You get Christmas cards, text messages from them, and they ask how you’re doing. I think that’s the biggest thing I take away from coaching. I miss those text messages.”

His biggest accomplishment as a ski coach?

“I think in a nutshell it would be the skiing itself — all these kids hopefully you’ve helped them learn to ski a little bit better, Gerry and his daughter Jennifer at Lookout Pass. BOB LEGASA PHOTO

Come Stay & Play With Us!

PRIEST LAKE ROCK n RIDE

At Cavanaugh’s February 12-14 Poker Run Kids Rides Live Music Bonfi re

EVENTS

HILL’S RESORT WINTERFEST

February 27

SELKIRK SNO-CROSS

INN AT PRIEST LAKE March 6

in all conditions of snow. If you’re in a racing program, you learn to ski. You can ski in the crud, you can ski in the powder, you can ski on the ice, you can ski anywhere, anytime, and you can take care of your own equipment. What did I get out of this, when I stop and really think about it? The kid probably knows how to handle himself, and I hope I was part of that.”

Jeff Pickering, who went on to coach the Women’s U.S. Ski Team, had this to say about his days being coached by FitzGerald: “The meaning of life through a young SSRA athletes’ eyes was receiving a F.A.R.T. ‘Fitz’s Alpine Race Team’ shirt. Finally got mine. Gerry, what you need to know is the impact you made on me as a person and as a coach. Individual sports thrive from a team environment. I learned that from you.”

Christi Gregorak chuckles when she describes the days when FitzGerald coached her and her friends. “We tortured Fitz with our teenage angst, but those days are among the most formative and favorite days of my life. It’s where I learned that all it takes is all you’ve got. What I’ve got now, I learned from skiing on FitzGerald’s Alpine Racing Team.”

Fitz’s skiing days have gone full circle now as he spends about 30 days a season skiing back where it all began, Lookout Pass. He can be found most every weekend skiing with his daughter Jennifer, and they can be seen cruising down Huckleberry Ridge or what was originally named Fitzgerald Ridge. Jennifer had put her skis away a few years back but now has a renewed love affair with the sport.

“My daughter Jennifer, who hadn’t skied for 20 years, now has a season pass to Lookout. Oh my God. It’s a blast. It’s so much fun. I have a little trouble keeping up with her,” he says with a happy face.

It’s refreshing to see this strong family bond and to see the fire that has been reignited through skiing. “Skiing with my dad this winter has been such a gift,” Jennifer explains happily. “We both feel like teenagers.” n

Powder days are best when shared. JOHN GROLLMUS PHOTOS

BETTER TOGETHER

Is skiing really a solitary sport? Answer: No! BY JOHN GROLLMUS

Every skier or snowboarder on any mountain in the land has heard it said way too many times: “No friends on a powder day.” On the surface, the statement seems basic enough and its meaning fairly straightforward. Quite simply it means you can get more fresh turns of a higher quality if you don’t bother waiting around for any fellow riders who might slow you down. It’s true enough that taking the solitary route can often lead to more face shots, more time spent in the white room and probably even less time spent waiting in the dreaded powder day lift line.

However, there’s a deeper question hiding just under a fresh dusting of crystalline snowflakes. Is skiing really a solitary sport?

Let’s start with chairlifts. Currently, there exist only two single-person chairlifts in the United States: Chair 1 at Mad River Glen in Vermont and the Single Chair at Mount Eyak in Alaska. Personally, I have never ridden on a single chairlift, but it sure sounds like a lonely ride to me. I’ve always been a fan of having at least one person on the chair with me to swap stories of past powder days, compare ski graphics with and share a laugh while heckling anyone engaging in a complete yard sale below the lift. Obviously, chairlifts have gotten bigger and bigger through the years, growing from holding two riders to four, then six and now even eight in an effort to increase uphill capacity. However, no matter how much focus ski resorts may place on uphill capacity, the chairlift ride has always been and will always remain a social experience. After all, the more the merrier.

Well, what about the on-slope portion of the perfect powder day then? Is it really better by oneself?

Every dedicated mountain rider knows about the concept of powder eights, and it’s a self-evident truth that a powder eight cannot be created by one skier alone. In fact, the powder eights competition is the driving force behind one of the greatest and cheesiest ski movies of all time, Aspen Extreme. Beyond the fact that it takes two people to create a perfect powder eight, there are other reasons not to be alone on a powder day, and perhaps none is more important than safety. The fact that we’re talking about powder days means a healthy amount of fresh fluffy snow is involved, and that creates two life-threatening hazards: avalanches and terrain traps such as tree wells. Both of those dangers can be at least partially reduced by skiing with a partner. After all, one

of the most effective pieces of ski safety equipment, a transceiver, only works if at least two users are involved.

Finally, let’s look at the celebratory aspect of a powder day.

I can still vividly remember a particular run from one of the best powder days of my life. As I floated up and down between turns, my head would only surface from within the white room of powder long enough to take a breath and grab a quick look downhill to be sure no trees were in my immediate path. With every glorious moment, my heart pounded harder and faster almost as though it would burst through my chest at any moment. My excitement was so intense as to be almost overpowering, and when I finally reached the bottom of what had surely been one of the best runs of my life, I subconsciously yelled out with joy and looked around desperately for someone to share a high-five with— but alas I was alone.

While the joyous memory of that run will always be inside me, I can’t help feeling it would have been better to have someone to celebrate that moment with. We’ve all hollered out at the top of our lungs with joy midslope on a particularly delicious powder run at some point, and while it may be some simple animalistic tendency within us causing us to do it, one also has to wonder if there isn’t some communal purpose in it. Perhaps that joyous and primal scream will be heard by those on the chairlift, thus amping up their stoke for the run they will too soon be experiencing.

At the end of the day, do we not all want to celebrate the day’s victories with someone?

I mean if a powder day is a truly solitary experience, who are you going to share a beer with at the end of the day? Who are you going to laugh and maybe even cry with about the one run where for three, or was it four turns, you never saw anything but cold white smoke in your face? Who are you going to formulate the plan with for a road trip to follow the next big storm to the magical land of powder miracles? Didn’t we learn in kindergarten that sharing is simply the right thing to do?

It might just be my opinion, but it shouldn’t be — we should all just agree to powder days with friends from this day forward. All right, now let’s all say it aloud together. Join me in this moment, this movement. Say it loud and proud, so that every other powder slayer near you will know you’re part of their tribe: “Friends on a powder day!” n

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WINTER EVENTS

FEBRUARY

GALENTINE’S DAY SNOWSHOE HIKE Grab your gal pals and head to the Activity Center for a hosted snowshoe hike through majestic old-growth forests on the way to Picnic Point for a charcuterie snack and wine, followed by a moonlight hike back to the Village. Fri, Feb. 12 at 3 pm. $45 all inclusive. Schweitzer Mountain Resort, 10000 Schweitzer Mountain Rd., Sandpoint, Idaho. schweitzer.com (208-263-9555) DATE NIGHT ON THE SLOPES Love is in the air during Valentine’s weekend at Mt. Spokane, with special ticket packages available that include two night skiing lift tickets for $49; add two equipment rental packages for $49. Tickets must purchase in advance online. Thu, Feb. 11 from 3-9 pm. Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park, 29500 N. Mt. Spokane Park Dr., Mead. mtspokane.com (238-2220) $28 MONDAYS & TUESDAYS All-day lift tickets are discounted to $28 on Mondays and Tuesdays throughout February with rentals for an additional $28. (Discount doesn’t apply over President’s Day, Feb. 15). Tickets also must be purchased in advance online. Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park, 29500 N. Mt. Spokane Park Dr., Mead. mtspokane. com (238-2220) LADIES-ONLY CLINIC With three different days to choose from this season, women can enjoy a fun-filled day on the mountain led by Mt. Spokane’s best women instructors. Open to all skill levels, with groups divided by ability to allow all participants to learn and have fun at their pace. Lunch is provided, and the day ends with door prizes and drinks. Offered Fri, Feb. 12 and Fri, March 12 from 8:30 am-2 pm. $79-$140/session. Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park, 29500 N. Mt. Spokane Park Dr., Mead. mtspokane.com (238-2220) PRESIDENT’S DAY WEEKEND AT SCHWEITZER Spend the long Presidents Day weekend at the mountain and enjoy a Sunday night (Feb. 14 at 6 pm) fireworks show in the village. The 10 Barrel Brewing Co. Beercat will also be cruising the slopes throughout the weekend. Feb. 12-15. (Event subject to change due to health and safety precautions.) Schweitzer Mountain Resort, 10000 Schweitzer Mountain Rd., Sandpoint, Idaho. schweitzer.com (208-263-9555) PRESIDENT’S WEEKEND AT SILVER Plan ahead to book your lift tickets, lessons and rentals in advance for

26 INLANDER FEBRUARY 11, 2021

this busy three-day weekend on the mountain. Tubing sessions are also available. Sat, Feb. 13-Mon, Feb. 15. Silver Mountain Resort, 610 Bunker Ave., Kellogg, Idaho, silvermt.com (208-783-1111) 10 BARREL BEERCAT AT SILVER The mobile brewery on treads heads around the mountain this weekend. Make sure to reserve lift tickets in advance. Feb. 19-21. Silver Mountain Resort, 610 Bunker Ave., Kellogg, Idaho, silvermt.com (208-783-1111) SNOWSHOE TOUR OF 49 DEGREES NORTH Tour the trails of Chewelah Peak, and learn tips for better control and more fun on your snowshoes. Lunch is included after this trek, and your registration fee includes equipment rentals, trail pass and lunch. Pre-trip information to be emailed after registration. Transportation is participants’ responsibility for this event. Ages 15+. Offered Feb. 20, March 6 and March 20 from 10 am-4 pm. $43/session. Register at spokanerec.org, and see other winter recreation activities. (625-6200) CROSS-COUNTRY SKI LESSONS (49 DEGREES NORTH) Learn to cross-country ski and tour the trails of the 49 Degrees North Nordic Area with the mountain’s certified ski instructors. Ticket includes equipment, trail pass and instruction (students must provide their own transportation to the mountain this year). Additional information to be emailed after registration. Ages 13+. Offered Feb. 21 and March 7 from 10 am-2 pm. $53. Register at spokanerec.org, and see other winter recreation activities. (625-6200) SNOWSHOE INTERPRETIVE TOUR Learn about the mountain from Friends of Mt. Spokane member and local expert Chris Currie, who has published two books on the park and the history of skiing in the region. This guided interpretive tour is not a lesson, and is thus for experienced hikers. Tickets include equipment rental. Ages 13+. Sun, Feb. 21 from 10 am-3 pm. $35. Register at spokanerec.org, and see other winter recreation activities. (625-6200) FAT TUESDAY ON A SUNDAY A celebration full of party beads, gumbo, an outdoor barbecue and specialty drinks in the Loft Pub. Beads are being given out with the first few hundred lift tickets purchased at the start of the day. Masks and social distancing requested. Sun, Feb. 21. Lookout Pass, I-90 Exit 0 at Mullan, Idaho. skilookout.com (208-744-1301) Catch the 10 Barrel Brewing Co. Beercat at Schweitzer (Feb. 14-16) and Silver Mountain (Feb. 22). SCHWEITZER MOUNTAIN RESORT PHOTO

TOYOTA SKI FREE FRIDAY Drive any Toyota (or Scion or Lexus) vehicle to 49 Degrees North and receive a free lift ticket, courtesy of Toyota. Lift tickets (driver only) will be passed out in the parking lot as you arrive. Fri, Feb. 26. 49 Degrees North Mountain Resort, 3311 Flowery Trail Rd., Chewelah. Ski49n.com (9356649) MOONLIGHT SNOWSHOE HIKE Quietly explore the meadows and woods around Mount Spokane. Guides, transportation (departs from Mead Yoke’s Fresh Market, 14202 N. Market St.), headlamps, walking poles and snowshoes are all provided. Additional information to be emailed after registration. Ages 16+. Offered Feb. 26 and March 26 from 6-9 pm. $29. Register at spokanerec.org, and see other winter recreation activities. (625-6200) MT. SPOKANE SNOWSHOE TOURS Learn the basics of snowshoeing during a guided hike on the trails at Mt. Spokane. Pre-trip info emailed after registration; admission includes shoes, instruction, poles, trail fees and transportation from Yoke’s Fresh Market in Mead. $25-$29. Offered Feb. 14 and 28, March 13 from 9 am-1 pm. Register at spokanerec.org, and see other winter recreation activities.

MARCH

DOUG E FRESH BANKED SLALOM Race your snowboard through a banked slalom course in the terrain park. All proceeds go to the Doug E. Fresh Foundation, and a beer garden at the bottom of the course is once again sponsored by Grand Teton Brewing. Sat, March 6. Silver Mountain Resort, 610 Bunker Ave., Kellogg, Idaho, silvermt.com (208-783-1111) MEGA DEMO DAY Join Schweitzer as it raises money for the Panhandle Alliance for Education (PAFE) while offering a chance to sample 2022’s newest skis and boards. More details to come. (Event subject to change due to current COVID-19 regulations). Sat, March 6. Schweitzer Mountain Resort, 10000 Schweitzer Mountain Rd., Sandpoint, Idaho. schweitzer.com (208-263-9555) 7TH ANNUAL BOYD HILL SNOWSKATE SORTANATURAL BANKED SLALOM This event takes place in the Rolling Thunder - Natural Terrain Park, and the course layout is a natural banked

slalom. Runs will be timed on a technical banked course, challenging riders to carry speed from top to bottom. Snowskates are binding-free skateboards for the snow. This annual event is co-hosted by Boyd Hill, which uses equipment made by local master ski builder TJ Sneva. March 6 at 8 am. $67. Lookout Pass, I-90 Exit 0 at Mullan, Idaho. skilookout.com (208-744-1301) TOYOTA SKI FREE FRIDAY Head to Silver in your Toyota vehicle for a free lift ticket (only driver eligible). Representatives from Parker Toyota will be in the parking lot passing out the free lift tickets, no reservations required. Fri, March 5. Silver Mountain Resort, 610 Bunker Ave., Kellogg, Idaho, silvermt.com (208-783-1111) FIFTH-GRADE FAMILY PASSPORT DAY Area fifth-graders and their families can receive half-off lift tickets for a day on the slopes. Sun, March 7. 49 Degrees North Mountain Resort, 3311 Flowery Trail Rd., Chewelah. Ski49n. com (935-6649) TOYOTA SKI FREE FRIDAY Drive any Toyota vehicle to Mt. Spokane and receive a free lift ticket, courtesy of Toyota. As you pull into the parking lot, you’ll be handed one free adult direct-to-lift ticket. All other passenger lift tickets ($29-$67) must be purchased online in advance. Fri, March 12 from 9 am-9 pm. Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park, 29500 N. Mt. Spokane Park Dr., Mead. mtspokane.com (238-2220) SHEIMO CUP The annual all-ages race, sponsored by Hale’s Ales, benefits 49’s FAST racing program. Details TBA. Sat, March 13. 49 Degrees North Mountain Resort, 3311 Flowery Trail Rd., Chewelah. Ski49n.com (935-6649) ST. PATRICK’S DAY KIDS TREASURE HUNT Make sure to wear green when you head up to the mountain, and raise a pint in the pub. Kids (ages 12 and under), meanwhile, can enjoy a special treasure hunt on the mountain for a chance to win prizes. Wed, March 17. Lookout Pass, I-90 Exit 0 at Mullan, Idaho. skilookout.com (208-744-1301) 2,400 FEET OF SCHWEITZER Dubbed the longest giant slalom in the U.S., this event offers categories for alpine, snowboard and telemark, along with prizes for each, and a barbecue lunch. More details TBA. Sat, March 27 from 7 am-1 pm. Schweitzer Mountain Resort, 10000 Schweitzer Mountain Rd., Sandpoint, Idaho. schweitzer.com (208-263-9555) n The 290 employees on the payroll are the most Mt. Spokane has ever had. BOB LEGASA PHOTO

SIGN OF THE TIMES

Despite industrywide challenges, resorts note high skier enthusiasm and potential long-term opportunities in the pandemic BY ALEX SAKARIASSEN

The ski season kicked off at maximum stoke for Mt. Spokane General Manager Jim van Löben Sels. Day One on the slopes arrived complete with sun, blaring music and all seven of the mountain’s lifts spinning. Even limited skier numbers and a late-hour declaration from Gov. Jay Inslee that shuttered the resort’s indoor dining spaces couldn’t detract from the vibe that winter was finally, officially here.

“There was so much energy, and people were so excited that we were open,” Löben Sels says. “I think that will stick with me.”

As idyllic as that opening was, it didn’t take long for the challenges to arise. Over the Christmas holiday, both of Mt. Spokane’s base lifts broke down on the same day, cutting off summit access for any riders not lucky enough to already be shredding the backside. Moisture fried the circuitry in a set of new outdoor lockers installed in direct response to the pandemic, rendering the lockers useless. And Löben Sels found himself having to address the complaints of several skiers who claimed they couldn’t comply with the mountain’s face mask protocol due to medical conditions.

After all that, Löben Sels’ enthusiasm at the midpoint of the season is still downright contagious. Riders got the hang of the online reservation system quickly, he says, and the 290 employees on the payroll are the most Mt. Spokane has ever had. The resort has set records for rental and lesson numbers, and would likely be having a banner year in terms of skier volume too if not for its limit on ticket sales. Most notably, Löben Sels estimates that 99 percent of the skiing public has happily complied with the resort’s COVID-19 rules.

“We’ve survived half the season,” he says. “I don’t think COVID’s going to shut us down. We’ve been really fortunate; we haven’t had a COVID outbreak from our site, from our team members or anything.”

The high demand for skiing and snowboarding opportunities in 2021 has certainly been on display, at least anecdotally, throughout the region. Parking lots at western Montana’s Discovery Ski Area and Lost Trail Powder Mountain — neither of which have capped ticket sales — were filled to the brim at times in late January. Traffic jams and illegal parking reportedly became a major headache in the Cascades last month as unprecedented crowds flocked to elevation for outdoor relief.

But the challenges resorts continue to face in the pandemic are very real. Data cited by Ski Area Management magazine in December indicated a 34.9 percent drop in preseason bookings at more than a dozen resorts in the western United States. A surge in COVID-19 cases has generated frustration among locals in Whistler about out-of-town visitors, and ski resorts in Ontario have been shuttered throughout the first half of the season due to a provincewide lockdown. British Columbia’s Big White scrambled to contain a coronavirus cluster in mid-December, terminating seven employees for breaching their social responsibility contracts.

It’s easy to imagine that kind of news harshing the skiing public’s mellow. Yet at Lookout Pass, marketing and sales director Matt Sawyer notes that riders have been excited, even relieved, to be back on the slopes. Weekend business has run at a brisk pace, he says, with some days actually selling out, and midweek popularity has experienced a slight uptick, too. For the most part, visitors have complied with Lookout’s mask policy. Those who do put a foot down over it, Sawyer says, have been asked not to come. Regardless of how the health crisis plays out the next few months, Lookout does not plan to revisit any of its COVID-19 protocols.

“There’s obviously a lot of talk about things changing, but we’re staying the course, and most of the ski areas that we’ve talked to in both Idaho and Montana have chosen to go that same direction,” Sawyer says.

In fact, some of what the pandemic has brought about may stick around long term. Lookout’s installation of port-apotties is one new amenity Sawyer says the public seems to greatly appreciate. And he anticipates the rapid cultural shift toward parking lot tailgating has some serious staying power. As much as he dreads the impact on the mountain’s food-service revenue, Sawyer can’t deny that the portable fire pits, propane grills and pop-up tents have had a marked effect on skier morale.

“In some ways … we don’t want to see that because it’s taking money out of our pocket,” he says. “But in other ways, the vibe and the stoke is high, and they’re having a great time.”

At Mt. Spokane, Löben Sels says that smaller caps on group lessons have led to a better experience for riders and might be worth considering for future seasons. He’s also realized, after half a season managing a resort with no indoor-seating capacity, that there’s real public appeal in covered, heated outdoor spaces. That too, he says, is a lesson that will likely stick with Mt. Spokane.

More than anything, though, the chairlift breakdowns that punctuated the holidays highlighted a priority for Löben Sels. He’s actively examining options for replacements in the near future, likening the two lifts to a car with 200,000 miles on it.

“They still run, they still do a great job, but that reliability factor — you just don’t know when it’s going to break down,” Löben Sels says. “You can’t have that and have guests have a great experience. I don’t want them to have air time. I want them to have ski time.” n

LAST RUN IN BETWEEN HERE AND THERE

Strange as it sounds, I found that schism. I slipped through into a time and place that was. At Lost Trail, in that gladed cathedral, the past year became for a moment nothing more than a dream. But as I hockey-stop above a long line of masked riders waiting for the lift, I know the trip is over, and honestly I’m relieved. Tough as the last year has been at times, it’s also had brighter spots than the years that came before.

Slipping through the pines and into the past BY ALEX SAKARIASSEN

When Mike texted this morning to say we’d be shredding 10 inches of fresh powder, I’d rolled my eyes. A few hours later I’m perched above a line that’s become as familiar to me as the pinched squeak of ski boots, dining on my own skepticism. There’s enough here in the trees along Lost Trail Powder Mountain’s boundary to banish the weeks of rock-dodging. More than enough.

The wall of squat pines swallow Mike and our buddy Dale. With a whoop, I follow. My tips punch through a breaker of soft snow then ease to the left, turning to avoid a fallen tree I know from experience is lurking just below the surface. I weave between several low-hanging boughs, skis slicing through rich butter, and charge another roller that sends me a good five feet into the air. For a moment I forget what month it is, what year, what state of emergency or stage of vaccine distribution. Everything else falls away as I drift through this winter cathedral.

I’m sure many of us have been in a bit of a funk, what with the pandemic approaching the one-year mark. Which is why it’s been more important than ever to get out and explore new places. On the few weekends I’ve managed to ski, parking lots and ticket lines have been jampacked. Trailheads are bursting with hikers, sledders, snowshoers and alpine tourists. With movie theaters, music venues, restaurants and the like still shuttered or at reduced capacities, I’d say it’s a safe bet most of those folks are fairly new to the snowsports world. It’s hard to imagine a more memorable first winter to spend on the mountains and in the woods.

We vets will likely look back on this season a bit differently. Nothing felt quite right from day one. Not the rides to the hill, not the wait for a Tough as the year has been, it’s also had brighter spots than the years that came before. LOST TRAIL SKI AREA PHOTO chair, not the après scene. We weren’t so much dropped into Oz as we were nudged I wish I could relocate that rift for others, the ones into a parallel reality, one so like the world we knew that who have truly suffered and lost. Unfortunately, charging we found ourselves in a dilemma. Do we accept this place down that same line again, I find only the usual stashes and adapt to it? Or do we hold out and hope that the rift of powder and the gentle rustle of needles against my will reopen so we can step back through? coat. n

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