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Ski tales from the snowy Northwest
A lift named Stella, record precipitation and much, much more
 | With plenty of lodging, upscale shops and its own expensive expansion plans, Schweitzer is the go-to hill for the area's well-to-do. It draws skiers from throughout the Northwest. |
Schweitzer Mountain / AP |
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SANDPOINT, Idaho - You just can't help it. Ride up the six-person ski lift at Schweitzer Mountain in northern Idaho, and you can't help but shriek the lift's name.
"STELLA!!!!!!"
Marlon Brando, eat your heart out.
There's plenty to shriek about in Inland Northwest skiing this season. (And yes, the ski lift is actually named Stella.) The five resorts scattered around Spokane, Wash., are covered in thick blankets of snow and enjoying record business.
There have been some lean years up here in recent times, when the ski season was measured in weeks instead of months. But this year, many of the ski areas opened before Thanksgiving and have been pounded with new snow since. In stark contrast, skiing and other snow-dependent activities in the Northeast and parts of the Midwest have been severely curtailed this winter by lack of snow and warm temperatures.
Schweitzer, located above the lakeside resort community of Sandpoint, is the biggest and most posh of the five hills in the Inland Northwest Ski Association. It has a mountain village with hotels, shops and hundreds of rental condominiums and other amenities.
As of Jan. 10, Schweitzer had reported an astonishing 211 inches of snow this season, more than double last year's total. The 114 inches of snow at the summit Jan. 2 was more than at any ski area in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and Utah, Schweitzer officials said.
The result is that Christmas week business broke the resort's existing record by 15 percent.
The five Inland Northwest hills are located midway between Sun Valley, Idaho, and Whistler/Blackcomb in British Columbia as the crow flies, but they are a world apart in costs and amenities. Sun Valley, one of the country's most exclusive resorts, for example, charges $74 during peak season for a lift ticket.
In contrast, Schweitzer's daily lift ticket price is $52 for adults, and that is the most expensive of the five. Mostly they are day hills, and mostly they are doing well. Here's a roundup:
- Silver Mountain, located a gondola ride above Kellogg, Idaho, has a summit depth of 95 inches this year. Once known as Jackass, this hill is in the midst of an aggressive upgrade that is adding lodging and restaurants at its base and new runs up top. Silver Mountain is reached by what is billed as the world's longest gondola. Skiers turn off Interstate 90 and park in the lot and ride to the top, avoiding treacherous mountain driving.
- Lookout Pass, located off I-90 on the Montana-Idaho border, is the smallest and cheapest. But it just added a new chair and five new runs, and typically has the longest season. It reported 133 inches of snow at the summit this week, and lift tickets are just $28 on weekends.
- 49 Degrees North, located 40 miles north of Spokane, has dramatically expanded its size this year with a new quad lift and 14 new runs. This hill, which offers easy terrain and is family friendly, has a 132-inch summit depth.
- Mount Spokane, located within the borders of Mount Spokane State Park and only 30 miles northeast of Spokane, is a community-owned hill, and thus offers fewer fancy amenities. But its peak can be seen from town, eliminating any guesswork on whether the runs are foggy or not.
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