Grangeville, Idaho — A lodge expansion is planned for Snowhaven Ski Area, but some last-minute changes could be made to its layout.
The Idaho County Free Press reports that the City of Grandgeville and Snowhaven Ski & Tubing Area are working on a plan to grow its base lodge.
The current plan is to begin the lodge expansion project in May. However, the ski area believes the current plan is insufficient and fails to address any of the lodge’s issues. The current lodge can accommodate around 88 people, but the demand surpasses that during peak periods. Other current issues include a torn-up rug, a severely damaged porch, non-ADA-accessible bathrooms, and a temporary sewage system.
Because of this, the General Manager of Snowhaven presented the Grangeville City Council on January 20th with revisions to the lodge expansion plan. The revised lodge proposal would include more space for guest seating, improved circulation, and an expanded rental shop.
Local officials stated that they will look into this proposal to see if it’s cost-effective and a better overall plan. The plan is to meet with a contractor and architect to see if the revised proposal would work. The potential challenge is with the budget. Federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act have to be spent by December 31, 2026, so decisions need to be made soon.
About Snowhaven
Located in Grangeville, Snowhaven offers both lift-served skiing and snow tubing. Lift tickets are affordable, costing only $26 a day for downhill skiing.
Last winter, they needed to find a General Manager, or else it wouldn’t have opened. A lift operator there ended up being the head honcho. This winter has been tough, with the ski area being closed since January 23rd due to a lack of snowfall.
Image/Video Credits: Ski Idaho, Skimap.org
