Hitting The Slopes Where To Go If We Ever Get Any Snow

Hey, all you skiing and snowboarding fans, have you been wishing for snow? Staring longingly out the window during that first week of Christmas vacation wondering where the white stuff is?

Well, I’ve been spending my time wishing for snow and doing some research on our five local ski resorts to see just what they have to offer all of us snow-loving teens.

All of the resorts are pretty close and convenient to get to, and each has something special to offer. To make it easier for you to choose, I’ve put together a quick review of each of the resorts.

Since there’s been little time on the slopes so far this winter, my reviews are of what I know of the resorts from past seasons, rating each on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the best).

I’ve consulted avid snowboarder David Neu from Post Falls High School since I have yet to try the sport and included his comments regarding the snowboarding facilities he’s tried.

So here’s the list. I suggest you try them all - I plan to!

Lookout Pass

I like the Lookout Pass ski area for its smaller, friendlier atmosphere. I learned to ski through Lookout’s ski school; the instructors were great. I started on the Bunny Hill with the rope tow, but was skiing on all 12 of their runs in no time.

Lookout is also very affordable, a real help if you must rent equipment. The staff is knowledgeable and helpful.

Although it usually isn’t as crowded as other ski areas, the downside is there is only one chairlift, so the wait in line can be long. The lodge is pretty small and can get a bit too crowded around lunch time.

On snowboarding facilities, Neu says, “I like Lookout Pass because they get good snow. By midwinter, they usually have a great snowboard park. Even though the mountain is small, there are good jumps all over.”

Overall, I think Lookout Pass deserves a 7. Schweitzer

None of the local resorts can equal the 55 runs that Schweitzer offers, which include some of my favorites like The Face, Whiplash and Quicksilver. Two attractions, especially for teens, are the north and south bowls, which don’t have as much traffic as the downhill runs and are more adventurous.

I also love the quad chairlift because it moves fast and you don’t have to spend so much time waiting in line.

I stayed a weekend at the Schweitzer Chapel with my youth group last year and it was great! It was perfect to be able to just get dressed and walk right out the door and ski, rather than pile into the car or bus for a drive to the resort.

Although I really like Schweitzer, I was a bit disappointed with the advanced ski lessons I took there a couple of years ago. Even though the

instructor was nice and we had fun skiing the advanced runs, I really didn’t learn any tips or new techniques to advance my skiing skills., I would probably ski at Schweitzer more often if it was closer and the road up the mountain was better. David, our snowboarder, has never been to Schweitzer, but word is it’s great for boarders.

Overall, it gets a 9.

Silver Mountain

I have skied more at Silver Mountain than any of the other areas. Because it is the most convenient resort for me to get to and the price is reasonable, I’ve purchased a season pass the past two years.

The people are really friendly and helpful, the food is great and it has 50 fun-filled runs. I’ve skied almost every run on the mountain, and some of my favorites include the Half Pipe, Jackass, The North Face and 16 to 1.

I love to tree ski, and there is a lot of room for it and lots of adventurous people to ski with!

Because it’s so popular, and particularly on special days such as Zoo Day and holidays, the wait for the gondola to get up to the resort can be quite long.

Even though the lodge is pretty big, you can barely move through the crowds of people at lunch time.

David says Silver Mountain doesn’t have many jumps for boarders. “I love the back side and the North Face, but there are no walls on the Half Pipe.

Although there’s no snowboard park, it’s a nice resort.”

Overall, it’s a 9.

Mount Spokane

I’ve only skied at Mount Spokane a couple of times, but it was fun. There are lots of fun runs and good places to tree ski.

The staff is very nice and always willing to help in any way they can.

It’s been a couple of years since I was there, but at that time the facilities were not in the best condition.

I plan to revisit the resort and I’ll report on that later if they’ve been updated.

Once again, I take away points for the road up the mountain; it’s too long and scary for me!

I give Mount Spokane a 5.

49 Degrees North

I’ve never been to this ski resort, so Betsy Querna from Lewis and Clark pitches in:

49 Degrees North has long been underrated as a good place for teens because of its reputation as a family ski area.

Though, in some respects, it is a kinder, gentler resort (it provides a microwave in the cafeteria for free use, for example), 49 retains its adventure though challenging advanced runs off Chair 4 and the often untracked East Bowl.

The area also has its share of cruisers and intermediate runs, including the three-mile-long Silver Ridge.

Those who are just learning to ski or looking to improve their skills, take note: 49 offers arguably the best ski school program in the area.

Beginners will appreciate the free lessons offered to first-time downhillers, showboarders and telemarkers.

For the price, the quality of terrain at 49 Degrees North Can’t be beat.

It rates a 7.

Graphic: Local places to ski