Kaniksu Land Trust: 'This is your sled hill'

Just before the last band hit the Sledfest stage, Kaniksu Land Trust officials stopped the music. Then, KLT staff and board members got on the stage, circled by the community, and announced they'd done it. They'd saved the Sled Hill. The community had raised the $2.1 million needed to buy and begin infrastructure work at the site. "We have saved the Sled Hill together," Katie Cox, KLT executive director, said. "This is your Sled Hill."

A community campaign

KLT campaign to buy sled hill nears $1.4M

Described by land trust officials as the “front door” to the Pine Street Woods, the sledding hill was purchased by angel donors to give KLT time to raise the funds needed. Kaniksu Land Trust previously bought a 160-acre section of the Weisz property, and in the fall of 2019, opened Pine Street Woods to the public. The family retained the 48-acre homestead with the historic ski and sled hill until Joe Weisz’s death in 2021. When the parcel was put up for sale, the community looked to KLT to preserve the beloved iconic property. Set along Pine Street Loop, the 48-acre parcel includes forest, meadows, a large pond, and structures associated with a historic homestead. The most notable feature is the large hill that has served as a community recreation site for a half-century.

Pine Street Hill: Memories and magic

KLT working to preserve historic propoerty

For more than half a century, the steep hill on West Pine Street has attracted winter sports enthusiasts with a penchant for adrenaline. Known by locals as the Pine Street Hill in the 1940s, it was the destination for Sandpoint area skiers before Schweitzer Mountain Resort opened in 1963. A casual operation set on privately-owned land, skiers volunteered their time to install and maintain the towrope operated by a portable ski lift motor. Calling themselves the Sandpoint Ski Club, they earned money to buy the motor and pay for gas to run it by raising and selling pigs, procuring donations from local businesses, and asking their parents for money.