Nearly spring skiing brings sun, fun and views from Mount Spokane

Within two minutes of leaving the car, I was sweating. And not only from the exertion of skinning up Mount Spokane. The sun was to blame, too.

On March 3, Carolyn Cartwright, myself and Carolyn’s friend Sara Dunbar skinned up Mount Spokane via the Mt. Spokane resort Chair 1 route.

And although it was nearly three weeks before the official start of spring (March 20) it sure felt like spring skiing.

With not a cloud in the sky the sun shone clear. Plus, new snow had fallen the night before.

Having grown accustomed to foggy Mount Spokane it felt like a brand new mountain with views of Washington, Idaho and even Montana stretched out below.

As fun as the skin up was, skiing down was even better. First tracks on fresh powder, plus sun. Can’t be beat.

All present agreed it was the best day of the season.

If you choose to skin up in the Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park boundary be sure to follow all rules and regulations. For more information visit mtspokane.com/uphill-travel-policy.

A summary is below:

“B29 Route-Ascent: This designated route begins at the base of Lodge One and travels uphill, on the far left side (looking uphill) to the junction with B-29 and follows the outside edge of the groomed trail to the uphill junction with Tea Kettle. Uphill Traffic follows the outside edge of Tea Kettle adjacent to the ski area boundary to the summit of the mountain. Uphill travelers must stay on the trail edge closest to the ski area boundary (left when traveling uphill).”

The route is open to uphill travel from 6:30-9:10 a.m. on days the resort is open (normal Wednesday-Sunday). At 9:10 a.m., up hill skiers must start skiing down, regardless of where they are.

“Prior to 9:10 a.m., the descent route is limited to Tea Kettle/B29 only. After 9:10 a.m., any open run can be skied,” according to Mt. Spokane’s website.