Look out for this underrated ski resort

I have a confession to make. I never skied Lookout until last Friday. With credibility at stake, I called Phil Edholm, president/CEO of Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area, and invited myself over as his guest.

Edholm discovered Lookout Pass about eight years ago and liked it so much he bought the resort. Under his stewardship the ski area has doubled in size and customers. He’s added a chair lift, expanded the lodge by 6,000 square feet and added a full-service sports bar and lounge. Another lift will be built on the north aspect of the hill next summer.

Recipe for snow

The amenities at Lookout are growing, but when I asked Edholm why skiers and boarders go there, he said, “It’s all about the snow.”

Edholm credits Lookout’s annual average snowfall of 400 inches to a pair of weather phenomena called “orographic lift” and “continental effect.” The effects combine to deliver generous dumps of high quality snow.

Edholm said the snow is a benefit of the resort’s location: farther east than other area hills, on the saddle of the Bitterroot Range. Higher peaks stand immediately to the southwest. A microclimate exists here, on the western edge of a colder, dryer continental air mass.

Orographic lift occurs when moist Pacific air moves east over the steadily rising terrain. The air mass gains altitude, expanding as it cools. Less dense, cooler air can’t hold moisture like warm air. When Pacific air spills over the mountains above Lookout, it’s ready to unload. The cold, dry continental air triggers lots of fresh powder.

Closer by far

I once considered Lookout a remote outpost on the Idaho/Montana border. From Spokane, driving to Lookout takes about the same amount of time as driving to 49 Degrees North. Drive time past Kellogg is about the same as riding the gondola up to Silver Mountain. I clocked the trip at 1 hour, 25 minutes in good conditions.

On the summit of the pass sits a compact, impeccably maintained ski area just off I-90, owned and operated by a skier with a lifetime commitment to his sport.

“I have a passion for the ski business,” Edholm said. “My folks started me on skis when I was 3 years old. I started working at ski resorts as a kid and worked my way up from the ground floor. I’ve run nine different ski resorts and enjoy everything about it.”

Sneak preview

I asked Edholm if it was possible to ski new runs cut into the north aspect of the mountain. Next season the terrain will be serviced by Lookout’s third chair.

“Those runs are just fantastic,” Edholm said. “If you’re willing to hike on the railroad grade back to the base area, go for it. But it’s out of bounds now. You’re on your own back there.”

Skiing with my ageless uncle, Roy Jennings, we warmed up on the Idaho side, carving perfect corduroy on Golden Eagle, Gold and Silver. On the Montana side, Whitetail offered steeper, ungroomed fall lines. Back on the Idaho side we found nice bumps on Niagara. Tight tree skiing in Lucky Friday Glades kept us on our toes.

Lookout’s next expansion drops from skier/boarder’s left off Huckleberry Ridge. Five runs add 400 feet to the current vertical of 1,150 feet. Here we found deep, untouched snow on a steep, sustained fall line. We floated down an exhilarating run that ended far too soon. If it weren’t for the 1 1/4-mile boot pack through ankle deep snow to the base area, we would have gone back for more.

I can’t wait until next year. The good news is you don’t have to.