Bogus Basin

My tour of Idaho came to a close at Bogus Basin on an especially busy Saturday. I grabbed my ticket at the ticket office in town to avoid any lines on the hill, and found the drive a little slow, but not unbearable. I suited up and headed to the slopes, and started with a tour of the hill, taking a series of runs clockwise around the hill until I returned to the base area for lunch.

After a bite to eat, I continued to explore the backside of the hill, and found every run very inviting, and nothing particularly steep or problematic. I had a blast seeking out powder in the trees, and the groomers held up quite nicely through the day. The layout of the hill, and heavy crowds, meant that the base area lifts had lines most of the day - but the lifts on the other slopes were moving very smoothly, and the lines all were very orderly.

I could hardly hope to see all of Bogus Basin in one day, but from the exploration I did accomplish, I found the hill an enjoyable cruise, with some great sections to interest most any rider. Aside from the large crowds due to Boise's proximity, there is little to complain about at Bogus - despite the name.

As a tribute to my final day in Idaho, I thought it fitting to visit the run at Bogus known as "Last Chance" - a fine back diamond that held wonderful powder, and proved once again that Idaho has some of the finest snow around.

Magic Mountain

It was a dream-like experience driving the snow-covered roads to Magic Mountain, where I found myself comforted by a family friendly hill, with days of fresh snow accumulation awaiting me. The hill was open the previous day, but there were few tracks, and it snowed overnight and through the morning filling most of them (and some of mine).

A fixed double is the workhorse at Magic, and reaches to just below the ridgeline of the hill, protected from the wind. Two easy runs frame the valley between, where powder accumulates in soft pillows. There is a nice pitch to the face below the chair, and the liftline provides a powder-hound's paradise, while those in search of more open runs head out along the ridge to any of a series of chutes down from the ridgeline.

Farther down, there are cliffs to beware of below, and rails set up for jibbing along the ridge. I found so much powder and wonderful cruising here, I continued to ride until the lift operators had to turn me away. This is a fine hill for exploring, and holds enough stashes to last for days after powder stops falling.

Pomerelle

I had heard before I arrived that Pomerelle was very friendly for beginner skiers and riders. The day before my arrival, the area was closed - 26 inches of snow had closed the road, and it took all day and night to clear the blockage. Anticipating ample fresh powder, and plenty of pristine groomers, my father and I set out for the base area, at an elevation around 8,000 feet.

We arrived early, and located the critical service areas for food and rentals. I set out for a lap in the powder while dad checked out some gear to begin his day on the slopes. He elected to add a private lesson along with his rental, so I spent the morning exploring the gentle rolling slopes, and charting trails through the powder-rich trees.

Once the lesson was done, we grabbed a bite to eat before heading out to try a run together on the lower chair. We made our way down the slope, and all the way down successfully, but after three hours on the board, dad was done - I took off for a few more hours of turns, fresh powder for the whole day, and plenty of fun cruising. Nothing at Pomerelle was steep enough to cause me any worry, so I roamed the mountain from one end to the other.

Pebble Creek

Fortune was smiling on me today, as I found myself in a powder playground at Pebble Creek. This little treasure is located just south of Pocatello, barely a thirty minute drive from town, and is well-loved by locals for the quality of terrain and easy access. I was concerned about the report of an 11 inch base, but I found that the coverage on the hill was actually not too bad, and the fresh powder was fantastic.

The folks at Pebble Creek were also kind enough to provide me with a personal tour of the slopes, and I discovered that with a little traversing, there were quite a few runs , and most were reasonably steep. I enjoyed a few runs beyond the ropes as well, which I have learned is standard practice in Idaho. Unlike Oregon ski areas, Idaho areas have very liberal open boundary policies, allowing unparalleled backcountry access.

The pitches at Pebble Creek are very consistent, and steep enough to satisfy my need for speed, but what really made this a great day was the abundant powder - and locals who were more than happy to show off the goods. I never lacked for company, and always had a chance to chat on the lift, as well as a point in the right direction.

With the amount of backcountry terrain around Pebble Creek, there is certainly something for everyone, and as the coverage improves, the steeper pitches will only become more and more enjoyable. In bounds or out, Pebble offers slopes for all skill levels, and the locals couldn't be more friendly.

Kelly Canyon

Kelly Canyon is a relatively small hill, served by a set of fixed double chairs. Their weekday operations begin at 12:30pm, and shortly thereafter they have a lesson session for local youngsters, who crowd the slope by the rope tow, and do laps on the shorter chair run above the tow. The big kids were riding the summit lift, which was the main lift serving the hill today. There is also another lift that reaches a little farther up the hill to access the back bowl, but today this lift was not turning.

I had another very nice powder day, and wasted no time ripping fresh tracks all over the hill, from the terrain park to the face, and all the way around the powder-filled areas to skier's right. It was a windy and low visibility day, but the turns were very nice, and although there were plenty of people on the hill, most were occupied in lessons at the base area, leaving abundant fresh tracks for those heading to the top of the hill.

Although the cruising on the lower mountain was great, and there were even some well-placed jumps which I greatly enjoyed, I had an urge to see what I was missing on the powder chair runs. I nabbed an off-duty employee, and we hiked to the top for a run of fresh tracks around the backside of the hill. It was a perfect finale for a fine day of cruising.

Sun Valley

There is little I could say about Sun Valley that has not been said before, and probably more eloquently. This is a posh resort if ever I have seen one, and everything is done well. Despite less than perfect weather, and equipment malfunction, I found Sun Valley a very nice place for riding - there is a very good range of terrain, the grooming is generally very good, and there are ample runs to keep a person busy for days.

Unfortunately for me, Sun Valley still caters primarily to the skiing public, and when I found myself with a broken binding strap two hours into my day, the repair shop at the base area directed me to a snowboard shop in Ketchum. Apparently Sun Valley does not carry any Burton equipment or parts. After a detour into town, I resumed my day on the hill, doing laps in the lesser-used corners of the ski area, seeking and destroying powder pockets and smooth corduroy.

I grabbed lunch on Seattle Ridge, did some laps on the wonderfully long Warm Springs chair, and eventually wore myself out with moguls and called it a day.

Soldier Mountain

It was a serious powder day at Soldier Mountain today, and I was lucky enough to get first tracks down the liftline. Visibility was very poor for the first hour or so, but then the clouds burned off to reveal pristine white runs all over the hill. Many of the best powder stashes required either a little hike, or a long runout, and this preserved the best snow for those willing to do a little work. It was nice to see folks being courteous enough to farm their turns a little as well.

I got a little greedy, and ended up chasing some fine powder out of bounds, followed by a healthy bootpack to get back to the ridge. Some of the best runs required some climbing, but I found a lot of untracked powder on the back side of the ridge (Dare Ya'), as well as through the trees on the front (Drop In). Overall, there was a light crowd for a weekend, which made for very nice conditions for the whole day.

One thing Soldier cannot offer is significant steeps - most of the ski area is very gradual in slope, very good for cruising, but nothing here is heart-stopping. However, on a powder day, the open slopes provide plenty of room for turns, and the dual-ridge access spreads the skiers well across the terrain.

Tamarack

Tamarack provided an example of a mixed blessing. It was snowing hard, with a load of fresh powder - but the wind and visibility prevented summit access, and stopped all backcountry riding as well. Instead of a scheduled cat ski trip, I joined a first tracks group - which turned out to be possibly the best snowboarding experience I have had to date. In spite of the weather, I followed our guide to powder stashed all over the lower mountain.

The blanket of white was deep and soft, and we cut lines through it all as part of a photo session - it was a blast to be on the hill before the crowds, farming turns with a crew of experienced guides and guests. I was having such a good time, and the conditions were so good, that I found myself nearly overtaking the guide at times.

By the end of the guided riding, I was familiar with the main runs on the hill, and started to branch out to areas farther afield as the day progressed. Later I ran into a gentleman from the morning's group, and we did some laps on the Wildwood chair, racing from powder stash to powder stash on our way back to lunch.

After lunch, it was time for trees, and I made my way along the boundaries where the trees were well-spaced for cruising. Once I had worn myself out, I walked back to the lodge for a massage. After a week on the slopes, it was wonderful to have some tension released, and I gathered myself for the drive ahead.

Brundage

I arrived early at Brundage, in time to survey the lodge, and learn my way around the facilities. News of my arrival preceded me, and I was greeted by the snow reporter for Brundage, who sent me off to take a run on my own in Hidden Valley, and then met me at the lift for my second run, and proceeded to give me a fresh tracks tour of the mountain. I had a great time with the fresh powder on top of groomed, about three inches of very light and dry snow which was ideal for turning with speed.

It was a beautiful morning, just a little windy, and once I knew my way around the lift system, I started mining for powder. At Brundage, I found it to be a very easy task - and as the day went on, heavy snow developed, and the whole mountain quickly became a powder playground. I especially enjoyed the new Lakeview area, which has some wonderful glades and also some splendid groomers. The area known as Mexico also was very nice - it held shocking amounts of powder, with nary a track to be found.

As the morning went on, the snow continued to pile up, and I started to run laps through the terrain park in between powder runs just to give myself a little rest. The hint of snow provided by the Little Ski Hill the previous night became a raucous assault of powder at Brundage, and made this one great powder day to remember. The layout at Brundage is very nice, and most of the runs require very little runout, which is especially appreciated on a powder day.

One of Brundage's landmarks can be seen below. In case you are having trouble discerning - this is a tree with festive ornamentation consisting of undergarments.

Little Ski Hill

Just north of McCall, there is a small hill with a T-bar, run by the McCall ski club. The area has very limited hours, operating mostly in the evenings - today it was from about 3:30 to 8:30, but they open earlier on the weekend. Opening so late preserves territory not under lights, which apparently sees very light traffic.

My only complaint would be the lack of a discernible boundary (maybe I just missed it?) on the far side of the T-bar - on my second off-piste run, I ended up boarding all the way to the road below the ski area, and hiked back along a snowmobile track (it looked as if others had done the same). That said, it was nice to have a backcountry style experience on a small hill, and I cruised powder until the rope went up, announcing "night ski".

The grooming was very well done, and there was a race training course set up in the early afternoon, with lines of little skiers waiting turns and racing back to the base of the T-bar. I enjoyed the wide-open slopes, and found the quality grooming and gentle slope made for the perfect opportunity to practice riding switch, so I spent a few runs just riding switch and spinning, throwing in a few little jumps. I even landed my first 180 - yeah, not much, but it's a start.

Presaging another epic day to come, snow began to fall around 6pm. I decided to save some strength for the powder in the morning, and packed up around 7 o'clock. Three and half hours is usually a good time for a rest break anyway, and I needed to get into town to situate myself for the evening - the snow was still great, and I was having a good time up to the last moment.

After my last run, I spent another twenty minutes reviewing the historical photos in the lodge, with classic skiing newspapers and pictures of the founders of Idaho's ski hills. This Little Ski Hill has been around for seventy years, and shows no signs of slowing down. Apparently it has produced a few Olympians and National Champions over the years - and from what I saw, there are at least a few runs that could get you to near-Olympic speeds - some snowboarders had made a very nice jump at the bottom of one, but I wasn't feeling so adventurous, given the hike out.

Silver Mountain

Silver Mountain is accessible only by gondola, which runs from the base area in Kellogg about three miles up the hill to the lodge on the mountain. The ride is, like any lift ride, weather dependent. Today it was a very windy day, so the ride was slightly slower than usual, and it was about 30 minutes from load to unload. It still got me to the top before the chairs were open, so I checked out the lodge, and planned a cinnamon roll break for later.

I made my way down to the chair, and took a ride to the top of Kellogg Peak - and after a run on the groomers, I took the plunge into the North Face glades. I was amazed at the great snow conditions in the trees, and surprised to find so much powder untracked after a night without snow and a holiday weekend. Other parts of the hill did show some wear, but in the trees, and where the bushes were exposed, plenty of goods were on display.

I gazed longingly at the stashes below Wardner Peak, but the traverse and climb were more than I could handle on my sore knee, so I stuck with the trees below the ridge, zigzagging my way to powder stashes throughout.

Lookout Pass

Another bluebird day in northern Idaho, and I find myself at the edge of the state, parked at the base of the Idaho side of Lookout Pass, planning my first turns in Montana territory too. Lookout has the most convenient access to the freeway I know of in Idaho, basically a private exit with a lot right next to the ramp, and a lift from just above the lot straight to the top.

Only a week before I arrived, Lookout opened their third chairlift, adding a significant amount of intermediate and expert terrain - this terrain is still developing, and the trees do not appear to have been thinned this season. However, there are five or six new cleared trails, and they are excellent.

Apparently this was the first good weather day at Lookout in about two weeks - just my luck. As advertised, Lookout had great snow, and plenty of it, with only a few areas of thin cover in this relatively early part of the season. In the trees, there was ample untouched powder, which kept me busy most of the afternoon. I think Lookout has the most skiable trees I have seen anywhere - most of the woods are very friendly to riding, with your choice of slopes from very flat to moderately steep.

Lookout lacks any extreme terrain that I could see, but has enough to keep most folks content for a day. You will probably ride until the last chair, or nearly so, because the slopes are all just right for cruising. The only thing that might wear a person out would be the terrain park - it is a wacky one, unlike any I had seen before (video at youtube shortly).

Schweitzer

Folks in the northern Idaho and eastern Washington area seem mesmerized by Schweitzer. The quality of the snow, the facilities, and the sheer size of the mountain (2900 acres) make it the number one destination for skiers and snowboarders from all around the region. Recent improvements to the lift system have brought Schweitzer to the forefront of modern tech, providing efficient access to most of the mountain (with the notable exception of the over-burdened double serving the lower parking areas), with a new six-pack on the outback side, and a quad and triple combination replacing an aging double on the front. The snow today was day-old powder, but with plenty of groomers, and such dry powder, the chop was minimal.

I began my day with a quick ride up the Basin Express, where I shared the chair with a friendly local who gave some helpful advice on where to point my board, pointing out some groomed chutes on the left of the Lakeview Triple. I did a quick warm-up lap on the Basin chair, and then up to the top. There was just a wisp of cloud at the top, and the day was otherwise bluebird, with beautiful skies and only enough cloud to keep things comfortable. I traversed down to a single-diamond chute called "K-Mac's", where I found dry powder off to the sides, and a very nicely groomed central section. I split my time between the two, and then buzzed through the "Stomping Grounds" terrain park to hit a few small jumps on my way back down.

My next run from the top of Lakeview I cut through some trees below the ridge, and then crossed over to the other side for more trees on my way to the "Great Escape" quad. This lift provided access to some wonderful tree runs on the front side, but I left those until later in the day, intent on becoming familiar with the outback bowl. With no hesitation, other than to snap some photos, I dove into Whiplash, a double-black thigh-burner, and then made the run-out to the Snow Ghost chair.

From there, I caught the ridge and rode the T-bar to the far corner of the Outback, cutting through the trees all the way down along the school-themed side of the bowl, and to a lunch stop at the Outback Inn. After lunch, I rode Stella for a few laps, enjoying the blue cruisers and trees to both sides of the six-pack, before crossing back to the front side to do laps on the Great Escape quad, and then making my way back to the South Bowl chutes, dropping in at letter "F" and cutting across through the trees to untouched stashes below the ridge line.

I finished up the day with a few more tree runs off the Great Escape, and then made my way back to the lodge, where I grabbed a mocha and my powerbook to make some blogging happen for my devoted readers. I hope all who are reading the blog enjoy - and please be patient as I am working hard to get the photos up here very soon. Probably will have more time for that in the next two to three days, so keep your eyes peeled for updates. Sorry, but no video so far in Idaho - technical difficulties involving a frozen camera being the culprit. I'll keep working on it.

Also.... Happy New Year! Keep watching Ski Idaho, Ski Oregon and Ski Washington for 2008 - the trifecta is still in progress, and the revolution will not be televised - it will be broadcast via the web.

Bald Mountain

Bald Mountain is another small T-bar served area, out at the remote end of the Gold Rush Scenic Byway, north of Pierce, ID. This gem of a family ski area is nestled on a peak, with a mid-mountain lodge and beginner tow, and situated with ridge access at the top providing a very wide swath of terrain. Again, it was destined to be a powder day, with about a foot or two loose on top with another two feet or more of base. Steeper than the previous two, Bald Mountain provided plenty of challenge, with great powder, tight trees, and an excellent face below the upper lift house with fresh turns all day.

I followed some friendly locals to find the powder stashes, and even watched some backwoods cliff jumpers brave a 20 foot leap over rocks and into powder. It was clear in the morning, and snowed lightly in the afternoon, making for a very nice snow day. By the end, I was getting a bit tired, and finally had my first unscheduled dismount from the T-bar - so I decided to call it a day. After three more runs in deep powder, I fell again, and really did call it a day. On to bigger things...

Snowhaven

I arrived at Snowhaven around 2:30pm, in time to see the hill in daylight, and I went straight to business. I opted for the combo-marathon ticket, a $20 special allowing unlimited lift access for skiing and tubing. Seeking to rest a little after the drive, I suited up and headed for a few runs on the tubing hill. I was suitably impressed with the size and speed of the hill, but also surprised at the freedom and fun I found.

Unlike many tubing operations, Snowhaven fully appreciates that a waiver of liability means it is okay to let folks have a little fun. Running starts were no problem, and multi-tube flotillas were common as well. I had never seen a mass of eight tubes descend at speed in unison before - it was quite a sight. Satisfied that I would be back for more tubing (open until 9pm), I strapped in and slid over to the T-bar. Unlike the rope-retracted type at Cottonwood, Snowhaven has the traditional hard-bodied hydraulic T-bar - but the skills of riding are largely transferrable. I had no trouble riding the lift to the top, and found myself surprised at the amount of untouched powder remaining so late in the afternoon.

I cruised all the dimensions of the small hill, and satisfied that I had made the most of the boarding possibilities, made my way back to the tubing hill. It was a great relaxation after a long day of T-bar riding to simply sit back and slide up on my back, and then slide down on my front. I had a quick dinner of sausage and fries, did laps until I was ready to hit the road, and finally packed it in around 6:30. 90 minutes later I found a small roadside hotel on the way to my next destination, and checked in for the night.

Cottonwood

It turned out that I arrived on opening day at Cottonwood Butte, and the conditions were basically perfect. Three to four feet of untouched powder everywhere, except for the prisitine groomers freshly pressed at dawn. I had never used a T-bar style lift before, but I was so eager to get started, I actually made the mistake of driving down the access road before it had been plowed. I did quite well, and made it to the ski area - but I got stuck when I had to stop for the snow plow, and had to put on chains for about 100 yards of driving. It turns out that on a powder-covered road, the Civic can actually float.

Once I got parked properly, I went in to see how the operation was set up. It was before 9am, and opening was scheduled for 10am, so I crawled back into the car and changed into my gear, watching as the locals began to arrive for the morning. After a sufficient mass had gathered, I made my way back to the ticket counter to begin the challenge proper.

I took a moment to watch and observe at the base of the lift, watching others load before taking the plunge. A single called for a partner, and I hopped up and volunteered - and amazingly, I managed to ride the T-bar to the top with no trouble. From there, I followed the crowd to the right, and followed the groomer down the face of the hill, observing the banks of powder to each side of the trail. I tried another groomer for my second run, taking a left at the top of the lift, and found myself stuck on a skate-out traverse. Comfortable that the conditions were awesome, and eager to hit the powder, my third run I went right at the top, and then cut straight down the face of the hill, following some fresh tracks through the three feet of fluff.

I continued to chase the powder from all angles, until I eventually found a spot too flat, and had to hike out. Lunch time. A quick burger at the lodge had me refueled for another 90 minutes of T-bar and powder punishment, at which point I made the call to head to my next stop. The after-lunch rush was a deciding factor, and I simply felt I had see the hill, and should be on my way in time to see the next hill in daylight.

Idaho snowboarding starting next weekend!

So far this season I have been splitting my time between Ski Washington and Ski Oregon sites - by Christmas, I expect to have boarded at 6 areas in Washington, and 8 areas in Oregon so far this season. I plan to eclipse both with a string of (up to) 16 areas in Idaho (conditions permitting) from next weekend through January 13th. Stay tuned for regular updates as I post the details of my progress.

Ski Idaho Challenge

First, you should know about the N.W.S.C.C. Northwest Ski Challenge. This program, initiated by Steve Coxen, began with a Ski Oregon Challenge in the 2005-2006 season. This program challenged snowriders to ski/board at least 9 areas in Oregon during a single season. There were a total of 11 areas on the list, and to my surprise, I was the first snowrider to reach them all, and the only snowboarder to do so. You can read more about my experience snowboarding Oregon at my Ski Oregon blog.

In the 2006-2007 season, the N.W.S.C.C. added a Ski Washington Challenge, while retaining the Ski Oregon Challenge. Having visited all of Oregon's resorts the previous season, and enjoying the experience, I decided I would make the effort to visit all the areas in Washington. I did so with fervor, and rode many of them on their opening weekends. It was a great early season, and I managed to visit all 12 lift-served areas on the Ski Washington Challenge before the end of 2006. Take a look at my Ski Washington blog for details. I started 2007 by breaking my leg during some post-midnight snowboarding, and had to sit out the season until April 21st.

During the 2007-2008 season, a third challenge has been added to the previous two, completing the trifecta which is the Northwest Ski Challenge. The third challenge is, of course, the Ski Idaho Challenge. This season should be a very good one for Idaho, with early snows already blanketing upper slopes at some ski areas. I will record my progress in snowboarding all 16 Idaho resorts this season using this blog, where you will find narrative, photos, and possibly even the occasional video from my adventures.

You'll still want to keep an eye on the Ski Oregon and Ski Washington blogs as well, as I am planning to update those with more adventures this season as well.