Idaho offers skiing abundance from Boise to Sandpoint

They’re feeling pretty jolly in Idaho.

New runs! Expanded lodges! Fabulous packages!

It’s ski season and my, oh my, that’s an exciting thing.

Here’s the rundown. Catch the fever.

Lookout Pass

Lookout Pass Ski Area opened its lodge on Dec. 7, 1941.

A little something called Pearl Harbor happened the same day.

Let’s hope the expanded version of the lodge doesn’t have to similarly share the spotlight when it debuts this December.

The 6,000-square-foot expansion includes a new bar/lounge, a bigger seating area and more lockers.

It’s part of a five-year plan to upgrade the entire operation, starting last year with a new lift on the Montana side of the mountain along with five runs.

“That pretty much doubled our skiers,” says Jim Schreiber, Lookout’s marketing director. “A lot of people wanted to come and see the new lift. The last new one was in 1982. It’s been a long, long time.”

Next on the docket: an expanded lodge kitchen and work on new runs on the Idaho side of the mountain. In 2006, they’ll put in a lift to serve the new runs and wrap up the bigger-and-better program in 2007 with a 14,000-square-foot guest services building for group functions, meetings, day care and a few guest rooms.

The flurry of activity took some doing to get off the ground, but the hill’s owners were determined.

“There were many hoops and hurdles with the Forest Service,” Schreiber says. “I’ve gone through a couple of owners. These guys are really on the ball.”

For more information, call (208) 744-1301 or see www.skilookout.com.

Schweitzer

Grant’s Nosedive makes its debut this year at Schweitzer Mountain Resort.

Named in honor of Grant Groesbeck, the architect of the original Schweitzer day lodge, it’s a single black diamond along the bottom section of the existing Headwall run.

Patrick Sande, Schweitzer¹s marketing coordinator, says some other runs have gotten the once-over since last season.

“Summer slopes crews have busily been working, thinning the forest to add more ski-able and ride-able lines throughout the densely wooded area in the North Bowl,” Sande says. “The North Bowl is very popular with locals for hosting many hidden powder stashes.”

Schweitzer¹s lodging packages are focusing on the family this year. Three-night Stay and Play deals start at $226 per person based on double occupancy. Kids 12 and under get to freeload the whole experience.

Call (800) 831-8810 or visit www.schweitzer.com to learn more.

Silver Mountain

This is better than it sounds.

At Silver Mountain, up the gondola from Kellogg, they’ve replaced the electronic drives on three of the lifts.

Why in the world, you ask, should I care?

New drives equals faster lifts equals more runs in the same amount of time.

Now you get it.

And at the end of your day of improved productivity on the slopes, you’ll soon have the option of staying put at the new Morning Star Lodge in the Gondola Village.

Scheduled for completion this spring, Morning Star includes 64 units.

“We sold out in four days,” says Stephen Lane, director of sales and marketing. “It’s high-end lodging – condominiums and hotel rooms.”

The Morning Star owners put everything in a rental pool and that’s how you can get your hands on it.

One more project should generate some excitement, Lane says: “The biggest on-hill improvement that people will be stoked about is the glading we’re doing adjacent to our double black diamond, Terrible Edith.”

Glading involves thinning trees to make room for those adventurous types who like to take it off the groomed runs.

For more information call (800) 204-6428 or see www.silvermt.com.

Brundage

At Brundage, near McCall, Idaho, they’re exercising their manifest destiny to prepare for the installation of a new lift this summer.

“This opens up a side of the mountain that hasn’t been open before,” says Mary Naylor, marketing director. “Now you can see a couple of runs from town.”

See them, you may. Ski them, you may not – yet.

Or perhaps …

“We’re thinking we may be able to treat a few people to the runs on the Sno-Cat,” Naylor says. “It’ll just be for those who are lucky enough to be here when it happens.”

Cat skiing continues to be a winner at Brundage. Guides will accompany you into the backcountry of Payette National Forest where more than 19,000 acres of powder await.

“It’s an incredible experience. The powder is deep and wonderful and steep,” Naylor says.

If you happen to find yourself in Boise, $20 will buy you a round-trip ticket on the bus to Brundage for the day. If you want to spend the weekend, you can ride up on Friday and back on Sunday, and the bus will take you into McCall for the night. That’s $30.

Find out more about lodging and ski packages at (800) 844-3246 or www.inidaho.com.

Bogus Basin

Bogus Basin Mountain Resort, one of the few successful nonprofit ski resorts on the continent, plows every dollar generated in operations back into the mountain.

And last year, that money turned into a new 800-foot tube hill with a tow. You can buy tickets in one- or two-hour increments, starting at $9. The hill offers group discounts for birthdays, company parties, church groups, etc.

Add in the terrain park, 37 kilometers of Nordic trails and 52 runs over 900 groomed acres, and you’ve got more than a day’s worth of fun.

If you’d like to stay longer, look into Bogus Basin’s “Stay and Play” packages.

“A lot of people participate,” says Eric Stiegemeier, vice president of skier services. “It is a big deal.”

The program tosses in one alpine lift ticket for each one you purchase when you stay at a participating hotel. There are about 30 places in Boise for you to choose from. You’ll find a list at www.bogusbasin.com. Or you can reach the resort at (800) 367-4397.

Sun Valley

There’s more construction under way at Sun Valley.

The new 26,000-square-foot day lodge at the foot of Dollar Mountain includes video games, day care, a restaurant with a wood-burning pizza oven, a children’s ski and snowboard center, and a rental and repair shop.

“We started last year. We’ve had 100 people working on it six days a week, 12 hours a day,” says Jack Sibbach, director of sales, marketing and PR. “Construction was estimated to take two years. We did it in seven months.”

Dollar Mountain, one of two at the resort, focuses on family activities.

“It’s a teaching mountain,” Sibbach says. “It’s more of a family-friendly place to be. I anticipate 20 percent more business because of the new lodge facility.”

Sun Valley also is introducing a lift ticket exchange program. Buy a multi-day ticket and you can swap out a day for something other than skiing: snowshoe rental and lunch at Trail Creek Cabin, a half-hour massage, movie passes and dinner for two at Bald Mountain Pizza and Pasta, and a whole bunch more.

Your options are laid out at www.sunvalley.com, or call (800) 786-8259.