CASSIA COUNTY, Idaho — Renown for its great snow and laidback family vibes, Pomerelle Mountain Resort located in the Albion Mountains of south central Idaho is truly a diamond in the rough. Pomerelle is not only one of the oldest ski areas in the western U.S (established in 1940) but with 500 inches of average annual snowfall, it’s also one of the snowiest resorts in the Gem State.
The two triple chairlifts provide the perfect amount of uphill capacity to party lap Pomerelle’s 1000ft vertical. The trails have a great flow and if you bop into the glades there’s ample fresh snow for days after storms, one of the many virtues of skiing a smaller resort that is a bit off the beaten path. To say its not a crowded resort is an understatement, it’s seems like lift lines are non-existent even on the weekends. If you seek mellow unhurried vibes in your ski experience, this is the place for you (they also have night skiing which is sweet for the full-timers looking to shred on weekdays).
Hot tip alert: if you dig nordic, there’s USFS cross country non-groomed/non-patrolled trails/loops located just adjacent to the resort and they are free.
The lodge experience is just what you might imagine from a mom and pop style historic Idaho ski resort. Quant and classic alpine architecture that will make you grin with nostalgia. Been a lot of fancy places but nothing beats good old wooden siding and that vintage undulating white fascia that invokes the bumps on the hill. Freaking mint! Once inside you’ll find tons of happy families chatting up a storm while eating reasonably priced food (the fries are great and come in heaping servings) and possibly someone taking a little nappy under that table (don’t mind this little fella↓ ↓ ↓ shredding Pomerelle can tuckered a grom out)
If you don’t live in the area and will need lodging, check out accommodations in Burley. Its a sleepy little town about a 30 minute drive to Pomerelle Mountain and rooms are reasonable. Another thing thats reasonable is the price for adult full-day lift ticket ($50 pre-purchase/$65 at the booth). Its also included on the Indy Pass so keep that in mind if you got one of those.
Overall we give Pomerelle two thumbs up. If you wanna step away from the hectic experience of a corporate ski resort and have a relaxing, refreshing and fully satisfying day on the slopes you should point your wagon towards the Albion Mountains. MORE INFO HERE.
p.s. its a sweet place to ride mountain bikes and play disc golf in the summer so don’t sleep on Pomerelle once the snow melts.
Images from pomerellemountain fb