Area ski resorts set opening dates
With more than 2 feet of snow in recent weeks, Schweitzer has set an opening date of Nov. 22.
Photo courtesy IDAHO SKI AREAS ASSOCIATION
SANDPOINT — Snow up in the mountains? Check.
Eager skiers and snowboarders? Definitely.
Area ski resorts set to open? Most assuredly.
While Lookout Pass became the first to open Friday near Mullan, the other Idaho resorts are soon to follow, according to Idaho Ski Areas Association officials. Only 10 other resorts in the country have opened for the season to date.
At least eight others, including Schweitzer, are expected to open by the end of the month with the Sandpoint area resort targeting a Nov. 22 opening date. Also set to open Nov. 22 is Grand Targhee Resort.
Schweitzer officials reported on its social media accounts that the resort had received more than 25 inches of new snow in five days, giving it a jumpstart on winter.
Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area and Silver Mountain Resort will follow suit Nov. 23, the latter opening for weekends only until Dec. 13. Kelly Canyon Resort, its Idaho Falls snow-tubing hill Gateway to Kelly Canyon, and Sun Valley Resort will celebrate their first day of the season Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28. Brundage Mountain Resort's target opening day is Friday, Nov. 29, conditions permitting. And thanks to its upgraded snowmaking system, Soldier Mountain aims to open on Black Friday, too.
Three more Idaho ski areas will begin operations the first week of December. Lost Trail Ski Area intends to open Dec. 5 unless Mother Nature has other plans. Tamarack Resort's lifts will begin turning Dec. 6, although a Black Friday opening Nov. 29 is a possibility if conditions allow. Magic Mountain Ski Resort, which relies solely on Mother Nature, is targeting Dec. 7 as its first day of the ski season.
Fast forward another week and Pebble Creek Ski Area will come online Dec. 13.
Rotarun Ski Area will open Dec. 21 for Saturdays and Sundays only until January, when it offers night skiing Wednesdays and Fridays. Snowhaven Ski Area and Tubing Hill is also eyeballing Dec. 21 as its opening date.
Per tradition, Bald Mountain Ski Area near Pierce is targeting Dec. 26 as the first day of its ski season.
Pomerelle Mountain Resort has not announced a projected opening date yet, but the resort reported it opens more than 75% of the time between Thanksgiving and the first full week of December.
Cottonwood Butte Ski Area and the Little Ski Hill have not yet announced projected opening dates.