Bogus Basin, which officially closed for the season last Sunday, will open for a “bonus weekend” this Saturday and Sunday, operating the No. 3 Superior chairlift on the backside of the mountain and the upper Pioneer Lodge. “We are excited to make this happen as a special thank-you to our season pass holders and the community for a great season,” said Brad Wilson, general manager of the non-profit ski resort. “The coverage and spring skiing conditions remain very good on the backside of the mountain.”

No beginner or low-intermediate terrain will be open; the backside of the mountain offers only intermediate and advanced skiing terrain.

Preliminary work already has started for construction of new summer amenities near the front-side base area, which will include installation of a mountain coaster, a new outdoor seating plaza, climbing wall, summer tubing, and other attractions. Many of those are scheduled to open in July, as Bogus celebrates its 75^th anniversary.

Operating hours Saturday and Sunday will be 9-4:30 p.m.; midweek passes will be accepted, and daily lift tickets, available at the Pioneer Lodge and also at the rental shop at the Simplot base area, will be $25 for adults and $10 for children.

With plentiful snowfall, Bogus has had a near-record year, with 340,000 skier and snowboarder visits and a regular season that ran 128 days. The resort had record revenue in December, January and February, and despite a warmup had its 3^rd-best March ever and its second-best April. The second straight strong year, after years of struggle, has helped positioned the community-owned resort to invest in improvements that it hopes will position it for a sustainable financial future.