MULLAN, Idaho (Nov. 11, 2022) — Ski and snowboard season officially begins in Idaho tomorrow.
Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area near Mullan, Idaho, will be the first Idaho ski area to open this winter for Saturday-Sunday Nov. 12-13. Only nine Western U.S. ski areas have opened this season, with the lifts at six more starting to spin today. Lookout Pass and California’s China Peak will raise the total to 17 ski areas on Saturday.
Chair 1 and Chair 4 will operate from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the limited early season opening at Lookout Pass. Opening weekend rates are only $35 for adults, active military and veterans, and college students, and $25 for youths ages 7-17 and seniors ages 62-79.
Matt Sawyer, marketing and sales director at Lookout Pass, said early season conditions exist and visitors may encounter potential obstacles and areas with thin coverage.
“You should bring equipment you feel matches early season conditions,” Sawyer said. “If all you have is new gear, you may want to wait for more snow.”
Unofficial Networks’ Founder Tim Konrad Skiing Lookout Pass
Groomed trails will include Black Bear, Huckleberry, Gold, Grub Steak, Golden Eagle, and Success. Lookout Pass might open some ungroomed trails, too. It will open The Loft Pub, foodservice, and its snowsports school, too.
Lookout Pass will be closed Monday-Thursday and will reopen Friday Nov. 18 through at least Sunday Nov. 20.
Four more Ski Idaho destinations will open next week, too:
• Grand Targhee Resort in “Wydaho” opens Nov. 18, with its slopeside lodging opening Nov. 17.
• Pomerelle Mountain Resort will begin weekend operations Nov. 18 and daily operations Dec. 16, with night skiing commencing Dec. 27.
• Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area will open its hike park Nov. 19, and the lifts will begin turning Nov. 24.
• Schweitzer will offer skiers and boarders a sneak peek Nov. 19-20, with daily operations starting Nov. 25.
Another four Idaho ski areas will open for Thanksgiving weekend:
• Sun Valley Resort will open for Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24, with the lifts on Dollar Mountain beginning to turn Dec. 9.
• Brundage Mountain Resort will open Nov. 25. It is currently taking reservations for its backcountry snowcat operations.
• Kelly Canyon Resort hopes to open Nov. 25 for its first Thanksgiving weekend ever thanks to new, state-of-the-art snowmaking capabilities.
• Silver Mountain Resort will open Nov. 25.
A half-dozen more Ski Idaho destinations have announced projected opening dates:
• Tamarack Resort plans to open Dec. 9.
• Soldier Mountain will open Dec. 15, but its magic carpet area will open Nov. 25. It is currently taking reservations for its backcountry snowcat operations.
• Pebble Creek Ski Area hopes to open Dec. 16.
• Little Ski Hill plans to open Dec. 17. The Payette Lakes Ski Club, which operates the Little Ski Hill, has already groomed and opened half of the cross-country trail system at Bear Basin Nordic Center.
• Rotarun Ski Area will open Dec. 17.
• Cottonwood Butte anticipates opening Dec.26.
The four remaining Ski Idaho destinations — Bald Mountain Ski Area near Pierce, Lost Trail Ski Area, Magic Mountain Ski Resort, and Snowhaven Ski Area and Tubing Hill — have not announced anticipated opening dates yet.
ABOUT SKI IDAHO
Founded in 1982, the Idaho Ski Areas Association, a.k.a. Ski Idaho, is a nonprofit association funded in part by the Idaho Travel Council via the state’s 2 percent lodging tax paid by travelers and collected by hotel, motel, private campground, and vacation rentals owners. Boasting 29,000 feet of vertical spanning more than 21,000 acres, Idaho is home to America’s first destination ski resort, the birthplace of the chairlift, and often considered the soul of skiing. Its 19 family friendly alpine ski areas offer trails and backcountry for skiers and snowboarders of all ages and skill levels, breathtaking views, hundreds of inches of fresh powder, affordable passes, and short lift lines. Many Ski Idaho destinations open for the summer season, as well, to provide lift-served mountain biking, scenic chairlift rides, hiking and trail running, disc golf, horseback riding, and more. Visit skiidaho.us for more details.