The Stuff Ski Dreams Are Made Of
These are the days ski operators dream about, and only after eating spicy, exotic foods.
The dreams begin this way: Early in the ski season, about 60 inches of snow falls instead of the usual 20. Skiers from far and wide hear about this bountiful powder and book weeklong vacations for the holidays.
In the following month, 60 more inches fall on the mountain. Now even the local skiers are excited. The resort has more snow than nearly all ski areas in Colorado and Utah.
In the two-week period around Christmas and New Years Eve, conditions are cold and the powder stays dry and fluffy. In these two weeks ski resorts can make more than a third of all the profit for the ski season.
The dream is reality. Inland Northwest ski resorts have, in some cases, more snow than they’ve EVER had. If skiers can reach the hills over the bad roads, snow nirvana awaits.
“This is a legendary year,” proclaims David Kilmer, marketing director for Silver Mountain Ski and Summer Resort in Kellogg. “This is the one skiers will be talking about for years to come.”
Silver Mountain’s business has doubled compared with last year, which featured crummy snow throughout the region. Silver Mountain cut its midweek pass prices sharply, and the move has paid off, Kilmer said.
With another snow barrage on the way, Silver boasts nearly 10 feet of snow at its summit. That’s more than it has ever recorded, Kilmer said. “It’s just incredible.’
The only downside: there’s too much to groom. Even with a new fancy Italian groomer, Silver’s crews can’t keep up with the powder. “But if that’s the only problem you’re going to have, we’ll take it,” he said.
For Schweitzer Mountain Resort in Sandpoint, the snow has been a blessing and a curse. The resort reached 100 inches at the summit faster than it ever has, which has provided a boost for business.
But tons of snow doesn’t help the major reconstruction of the Great Escape quad chair lift. The lifeline of the big resort, the quad can move 2,400 skiers to the top each hour.
Without the quad in service, Schweitzer’s lift lines lengthen. That the quad is down during the “money season” around the holidays hurts, but the good news is that it could be running today.
Dreamy conditions exist at the other Inland Northwest resorts, too. 49 Degrees North boasts the most snow of any ski area with 127 inches at the top. Lookout Pass Ski Area and Mount Spokane both have good powder conditions and will be open through the New Years Eve holiday.
, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: BYLINE = Eric Torbenson Staff writer Staff writer Craig Buck contributed to this report.