Tons of Fresh, but...

Schweitzer has recieved tons of new snow, but the only lift currently open is Musical Chairs. In fact, at the snow stake webcam, it shows A FOOT (12") of new snow. All lifts except the Musical Carpet and Musical Chairs are on wind hold, and lift tickets are only $20. This is something Schweitzer officials are trying to avoid happening with the Basin Express. You see, even when the lift to the top closes, the Basin Express can continue to haul skiers to runs like Sam's Alley, Midway, the Terrain Park, Crystal, and the favorite for kids: the Face of Chair One. So, even if today has minimal operations, it would still be a good day to ski because of the price.

It Is Extreme!

I was up at Schweitzer earlier, and let me tell you: it was EXTREME!! The snow had just started, and by about 12, it was snowing so hard, you could go on a run, and come back for your next run, and you couldn't tell where you skied the first time. The snow was powder: it was NOT slush!!! It was cold: NOT balmy. Today was likely one of the best days to ski! I also got a peek at where the new lifts are going to be placed. If you know, the Express will go to about where the current midway loading point is. The Lakeview will start at right before the current midway unloading point. I have one more thing to say: YES!!! NEW POWDERRR!!

Schweitzer Officially Going to the Extreme!

This summer, Schweitzer is going to the extreme with two new lifts to replace the aging Chair One, which was installed for the resort's opening in 1963. The two new lifts will have a total hourly capacity of 3,200 pph, with the design capacity of 4,200 pph total. The two lifts, a high-speed detatchable quad and a fixed-grip triple, will be manufactured by Doppelmayr CTEC in Salt Lake City. The existing chair will be torn down in April, right after the lifts close, and the new lifts will begin installation in the same month for a scheduled opening on opening day for the ski season. The Basin Express High-Speed Quad will have 67 chairs and 12 riblets, while the Lakeview Triple will have 60 chairs and 10 riblets. The Basin Express will take approximately 3.7 minutes and the Lakeview Triple will take 4.5 minutes. The combined ride time to get the top should be about 8.5 minutes. The vertical rise on the Basin Express will be 1,063 ft., and the vertical rise on the Lakeview Triple
will be about 775 ft. The design line speed, or simply speed, for the Basin Express will be 1,000 feet per minute, and the design line speed for the Lakeview Triple will be about 500 feet per minute. Schweitzer Extreme will continue to follow this breaking story, and will give you new information as soon as it becomes available.

HUGE NEWS!!

We have some AMAZING, HUGE NEWS!! Schweitzer has ERUPTED! Chair One is going to be replaced, with a high-speed quad (for the Village to Midway), and a triple (for Midway to the summit. The news was announced yesterday as part of a press conference. Also included is a Lakeview Lodge remodel, new snowmaking and grooming, for a total of $10,000,000 in total expenditures. The lifts will cost $6,000,000. For More info, go to schweitzer.com

Too Long...

Okay, so it's been too long since I last posted anything, but I've been very busy!! Anyway, I'll try to post more often. So, Schweitzer got an inch or two today - not much more than in the valley locations. Most lifts were open, besides the Idyl-Our, which was closed for unscheduled maintenance. No word on what that was.... Anyway, GET OUT THERE AND SKI!! The crust is probably G.O.N.E. Gone!!

Crusty!

I just discovered firsthand that Schweitzer is right: quite a bit of their ungroomed terrain is crusty and even icy. Going off the groomed arount the White Lightning/Pend Orielle area is not a great plan - it is quite icy and crusty. However, on a trip down the face of Sunnyside, the conditions weren't ideal, but they weren't bad either. So today, I'd recommend staying on the groomed - or any day, until they get an inch or two of snow. Upper Kaniksu was absolutely incredible, and so was Have Fun and Snow Ghost. Actually, a bunch of treed runs were closed today. Glade-iator and Kathy's Yard Sale, I mean. I would not enjoy going on those runs today!! Enjoy your day!!

Breakable Crust?!

The latest snow report from Schweitzer suggests that today might not be the best day to go off-piste at Schweitzer - or any day, until they get a couple inches of snow. "Off piste is variable with breakable crust - we recommend caution off the groomed terrain. There is the potential for approximately 15% of our terrain to be closed due to difficult conditions off piste." Hmm.... 15%?
Anyway, here are a few pics of the current situation...

Schweitzer Lights Up the Night

Hey, everyone! Today at Schweitzer is the annual Winter Carnival, and Schweitzer Lights Up The Night. For those who don't know that includes a fireworks show and a torchlight parade.
All lifts are scheduled to open today, and that includes Hermit's Hollow Tubing. Also, the groomers have groomed a total of 53 runs. That's 30 miles of trails - longer than a marathon! With a current temperature at the top of the mountain at -4 degrees, there's no reason not to go skiing today! Get out there and ski. Think Snow, as always!

Hard Pack

Today at Schweitzer, there were 9 lifts open, including the Hermit's Hollow Tubing Center. The high temperature was a frigid 9 degrees (Brr!). Also, forgive me for saying there are still powder stashes out there. Apparently the conditions are mainly hard pack and, you guessed it, ice. Night Skiing is open until Sunday, so there's no excuse for not getting out there to ski!

Sweet Pow!!

I have just learned that there are still powder stashes ALL OVER Schweitzer!
No wonder: Musical Chairs was all that was open on Sunday AND Tuesday!!

Check out R1 Chute! I heard it rocks!

Also, today, only 4 lifts were open: Stella, the Quad, Chair One, and Musical Chairs/Carpet.
Get out there and SKI!!