A Truckload of New Photos and a WEBCAM!

We have three new photos and the first webcam! The webcam is the old snow stake 'cam and it looks exactly where the bullwheel (the huge wheel attached to a motor that turns the lift and makes it move) for the Basin Express is to be located. The first picture shows a lift tower on a trailer. The first arrived today. The second photo shows those towers (riblets) being unloaded from the trailer. Finally, the third picture shows the components for the riblets in the staging area (We have yet to locate that area) Hopefully we'll be able to set up a map so people know where to look if they are up on the mountain. Anyway, gotta go! I'll update you all later!

1 New Photo

Schweitzer has given us just one new photo of construction, and it doesn't even show any new earthwork or lifts; just a bulldozer. Also, following up on an old post, Schweitzer could get 3 to 6 more inches of fluffy white snow! An upper level low pressure system has produced unseasonable cool temperatures, and the result: snow. We think Schweitzer looks better in white, and that they should seriously considering opening - snow in JUNE! This could be their earliest snow in recorded history! I hope you enjoy our little jokes, but hey, it's only about 5 months till we seriously start thinking about snow. Enjoy your week, from Schweitzer Extreme!

Snow?!

Whoa! There's snow... on MEMORIAL DAY!! Yes, Schweitzer did receive snow on Memorial Day, but just guess how much... 3 inches of the fluffy white stuff. We'll keep you posted if they choose to reopen... just kidding! Also, no new construction photos, but we'll keep you posted!

Construction is UNDERWAY!!

As you can see by the above images, construction for the 2007-08 ski season is UNDERWAY! Crews have begun by demolishing the deck and ski check/corral area (Did you know there were windows behind it?). Workers have also taken out the lower Chair One station. The bottom bullwheel is gone, and surveying is underway for the Basin Express. Soon workers will take out the top station and later, the Express and Lakeview will start arriving! We'll keep you posted.

Winding Down.....

The season is quickly winding down. Sunday will be the Downhill Dummy Derby and the final chair on Chair One. Jack Fowler, the main "discoverer who did something," and Sam Wormington, the first General Manager, will get the last ride. Also, be warned: there are only about 37 inches of snow at the village. Conditions may be choppy, and warm weather will prevail. Enjoy the rest of the season and so you know: Schweitzer Mountain Resort and its owners, manages, and employees do NOT endorse this site.

Fog.............

Here's what Schweitzer has to say about today at Schweitzer.

5 am: KM says: Baby it's cold outside. This means that the snow set up perfectly for the
groomers to work their magic. And with the new snow expected today it could turn out to be another outstanding day up here. Get here early to sample what we have to offer. If you missed yesterday don't make the same mistake today--you'll be sorry!!

7 am: KM says: Geez. I was walking across the village and the wind was blowing snow out of the trees. Then I realized that there is no wind to speak of and definately no trees around. Could it be? Yep. A little snow flurry blowing through. Maybe it's the start of another day in the mountains with excellent turns being covered up with fresh snow. The National Weather Service is calling for an inch or so today and more than a few inches to fall overnight and into tomorrow. Stay tuned...this may just be the beginning of great things to come our way this weekend.

8 am: Here's what the NWS has to say about our upcoming weather: THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SPOKANE HAS ISSUED A SNOW ADVISORY FOR THE NORTHERN IDAHO PANHANDLE...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM PST SUNDAY. SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE EXPECTED IN THE SANDPOINT AREA BY SUNDAY MORNING. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND PERSIST INTO SUNDAY MORNING WITH THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS OCCURING AFTER SUNSET.

9:30 am: KM says: Weeelll...we haven't been lucky enough to get rid of the fog. Especially at the top of the mountain. But the pillowy soft snow more than makes up for the lack of visibility. The skiing in the trees is still very good although just a bit cut up right now. Venture off a bit further into the depths for the best of the remaining freshies and you won't be disappointed. You might also try the trees around No Joke and Revenge. Not too shabby.

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