THE GEMS OF IDAHO
by George W. Schissler
On a ski vacation to the State of
Idaho it is a must to visit the famous resort of Sun Valley. It is of
course, the state’s premier ski attraction, and justifiably so, but
resorts such as Tamarack, the nation's newest year round destination
resort and lovely tree-covered Schweitzer Mountain also draw visitors
year round to the state.
But even though these resorts boast the
most verticals: Sun Valley 3,400 feet, Tamarack 2,800, Schweitzer
2,400 and several of the state's smaller areas should not be
overlooked when winter calls.
Pebble Creek and Silver Mountain have
verticals of 2,200 feet; Brundage Mountain lists a vertical of 1,800
feet; Soldier Mountain has a drop off of 1,400 feet and Pomerelle
Resort lets you slide down on 1,000 feet. Also, way up in the
"chimney" of the state in Wallace, Idaho Lookout Pass Ski Area was a
pleasant surprise with its 1,150 foot vertical when visited in March
2005.
If you in the Coeur d’Alene area take a
ride up I-90 and get off at Exit 0—look to your right and you are at
Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area. There is a lot more than meets
the eye from the road. You are only seeing the wide, gentle front
side. Much more awaits you once you ride the Timber Wolf chair to the
other side of the mountain in Montana.
Lookout Pass may just be the
original Idaho ski area having documented skiing on a homemade rope
tow in 1935 and it’s operated every winter since. The Lookout Pass
site was chosen because of the abundant annual snowfall (387 inches)
and excellent snow quality. The 444 skiable acres with 23 named runs
breaks down with something for everyone with terrain classed as 25%
easiest, 50% intermediate and 25% for advanced skier.
The “Affordable Family Ski Area” has
recently received a major expansion approval and has initiated the
first two phases which opened added terrain on the Montana side of the
mountain in December 2003. The new Timber Wolf double chair and five
new runs increased the vertical drop to the present 1,150 feet and
making the longest run 1.2 miles in length.
This past summer five new runs on the
north aspect of the mountain have been marked for timber clearing and
another chairlift is planned for the summer of 2006 and a new 6,000
square foot lodge addition is currently under construction and
scheduled to be completed by this fall. The seating areas and
bar/lounge will take advantage of front side ski runs and mountain
views.
Lookout’s summer bike trails lure
visitors from as far as Spokane and Missoula. If you are not a skier
or winter person Lookout Pass, home of the “Route of the Hiawatha” is
a major attraction to summer mountain bikers and hikers. The 15 mile
“rail-to-trail” mountain bike or hiking trail utilizes the abandoned
Milwaukee Railroad grade between the old town of Taft, Montana and the
North Fork of the St. Joe River near Avery, Idaho. The Hiawatha trail
includes 10 tunnels, the longest of which is the St. Paul Pass
measuring 1.7 miles in length and treats bikers to one of the most
scenic stretches of railroad in the country. The gentle grade of 1.6%
drops 1,000 feet over the 15 mile trail and meets shuttle buses which
are available to transport weary bikers back to the top. Trail passes,
shuttle tickets and mountain bike rentals are available at Lookout
Pass Ski Area and the Trail operates from late May to early October
seven days a week.
Another of Idaho’s ski gems is Brundage
Mountain located up a curvy mountain road eight miles outside of
McCall, ID. There is no lodging at the area, but the quaint town of
McCall can handle that need. Even if it’s for a day trip while in the
area you will be pleasantly pleased with the variety of terrain,
lifts, good grooming and other amenities that you may require for a
memorable day of winter fun.
Brundage offers a 1,800 ft vertical,
wide, consistent pitched slopes and narrower New England type trails
for variety. The Temptation trail is this type of run at over 2 miles
in length and the 45th parallel trail is a favorite of all
skiers. In the Hidden Valley section of the mountain there are acres
of untracked powder and steeps for the more advanced and adventurous
skier . An expansion to open up more of this type terrain is being
planned.
Even though there are no overnight
accommodations at the mountain, the delightful town of McCall on the
shores of Lake Payette has several motels and in the town center is
the Hotel McCall. You might even try your skills at ice curling
or skating at the Ice Area in town. A bit further of a drive
from the mountain is the lovely Ashley Inn in Cascade. It is not
what a traveler would expect in rural Idaho so be prepared for a
pleasant surprise.
Perhaps the biggest news coming out of
Idaho of interest to skiers who might be planning a
winter vacation on snow is the all new and now
fully operational Tamarack Resort, the first major ski, golf
and lake resort developed in this country in more than 23 years—and
that’s resort
and not just another ski area.
It is located approximately 90 miles north
of Boise in Donnelly, ID on the National Forest land near the Frank
Church River of No Return Wilderness and smack in the middle of some
of the most scenic portion of the state.
From the
7,700 foot summit skiers are treated to views in all directions
including Lake Cascade (21 miles long and 4 ½ miles wide) at its base
which is at 4,900 feet. If you do the math that gives riders 2,800
feet of skiable terrain on which to cavort and 25 runs to get back to
the base. There presently are seven lifts including three high speed
detachable quads, a SuperPipe and a Terrain Park. When fully developed
the resort will have 11 lifts and 2,100 acres of ski terrain, and 30
kilometers of machine-made groomed snow for cross country skiing.
The terrain is diversified to guarantee
skiers of all skills an enjoyable day on the 18% beginner slopes; a
55% intermediate play land and 27% advanced riding, (When we visited
in March 2005 you also had an option of climbing even higher). With an
average snowfall of 300 plus inches the resort entertains skiers from
November until April.
But the completion of Tamarack is an
ongoing project. The approved Master Plan when completed will
accommodate 2,043 dwelling units (single family homes, condos, etc.)
Discovery Square provides everything required to operate the luxury
mountain resort including three restaurants, après-ski activities,
market, deli, ski school nursery, rentals, and emergency medical
facilities.
Summer visitors can look forward to
swimming, sailing, fishing, boating and of course golf. The Robert
Trent Jones II Signature 18-hole championship par 72 course is
situated near the base of the mountain bordering Lake
Cascade. The first nine holes were in play last fall and the other
nine are slated to open in May 2006.
So pack your skis or your clubs and treat
yourself to an Idaho ski and golf vacation.
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