Idaho — It hasn’t been a good season for Idaho ski areas. Below-average snowfall has made operations difficult for all ski resorts in the state. For ski areas without snowmaking, it’s made operations this winter impossible. Three ski areas have yet to operate during this winter. Additionally, one ski area operated briefly and has now decided its season is over.
Here’s a rundown of the ski areas that have called it quits, and another that has yet to make a decision on this winter.
Bald Mountain
On February 21st, Bald Mountain announced that it would not operate this season. However, they did host a fundraiser that raised $10k, which will likely be used toward their insurance payment. Opened back in 1959, “Idaho’s greatest little ski hill” features 21 trails, 2 lifts, and a 684-foot vertical drop.
Cottonwood Butte
After operating last season, there haven’t really been updates from the ski area so far this winter. Social media updates on its status are minimal, so it appears that the Butte won’t operate this winter. Cottonwood Butte features 6 trails, 2 lifts, and a vertical drop of 845 feet.
Snowhaven
This Idaho ski area operated for a weekend in January. However, it’s been closed for a while now. The snowpack has slowly diminished since then, prompting them to announce that their season is over.
“It was down to dirt and grass. We would have to reset the base and have to redo all the runs for the tubing hill,” said Scott Wasem, Snowhaven’s Manager, to the Spokesman Review. “It would be a lot more work. On top of that, looking at the weather forecast, maybe we get a week or two out of it then it’s going to get nice again. For the amount of work of starting back up when we lost our entire base, it just isn’t feasible.”
Snowhaven features 9 trails, 2 lifts, and a vertical drop of 400 feet. Work is ongoing with the local community on a lodge renovation, which you can read about here.
Magic Mountain
Hopes were high for this winter at Magic Mountain (not to be confused with the Vermont ski resort or California amusement park), as they installed a magic carpet. Unfortunately, the lack of snow has kept the ski area closed. The ownership group has been hoping for a few February storms to open up. Magic Mountain features 22 trails, 3 lifts, and a vertical drop of 700 feet.
Unfortunately, warm weather appears to have further diminished the snowpack, so it’s unlikely that Magic will operate this winter.
Image/Video Credits: Magic Mountain, Bald Mountain, Tony Harrison, Ski Idaho
