The Road to Opening Day, Part 3 - Snowmaking

Snowmaking has begun at Schweitzer Mountain Resort. The recent snow "drought" has many managers anxious to open, and what better way to cure that anxiety than making snow. Schweitzer employees flipped the switch for the guns Tuesday morning, at a frigid 19 degrees. Snow is currently being made on the most (obviously) accessible run, Happy Trails. Let's all hope for success and think snow!

Ski the Northwest Rockies Snow Show

Don't forget that this weekend is the Spokane Snow Show, now back at the Convention Center, instead of the puny Big Easy Concert House. New this year is Spokane's first indoor rail jam and a showing of Yeah Dude! featuring world-class skiers ripping it up at Schweitzer. Admission is free to season pass holders and the Show will take place from 9-6 on Saturday. Get ready, because the ski season is coming. Think Snow! :-)

Weather Forecast - 11/16

Well, everything is going as forecasted (unfortunately). It rained in the village earlier today, and reports from the top are scattered, as the Selkirk Powder Company webcam image is down. Darn. Oh, well, here's a fresh forecast for the summit, at 6,396 feet.

We start off, again, right away, with snow in the forecast for Tonight. Expect 1-2 inches of the white stuff before dawn, with temps favorable for accumulation, obviously. On Saturday, A high near 31 will favor an accumulation of 1-3 inches of snow. Saturday Night, temperatures will dip well below freezing - near 22, for an accumulation of 3-5 inches. On Sunday and Sunday Night, the chance of snow is 40%, with temperatures cold enough to sustain the snowpack. On Monday, expect a 50% chance of snow, with possibly up to 4 inches if it does snow. The high will be a frigid 19 degrees. We'll keep you up-to-date, and be back later when and if the conditions change.

Bye, for now, and Think Snow! ;-)

Weather Forecast - 11/15

Okay, because of the great variations in the recent forecasts, I am going to clear up the rumors. This forecast will be based solely off of the NWS forecast for the Village at Schweitzer. I like to use the village because it gives an idea of what it would be like for anyone staying on mountain right now. Let's get started.

Bam! We get started with a bang! 2-4 inches are expected tonight in the the village at Schweitzer. That means temperatures will be favorable for accumulation - on top of the four inches we have already. Tomorrow, expect rain or snow. The temperatures - in the mid/upper 30s, are too close right now to call, so for now, expect snow and then rain. Friday Night, though, almost certainly, will see rain. Lows will be at 31, not low enough to put snow in the forecast. Bummer!! Saturday will be much like Friday, except it may snow all day. Chance of accumulation is 65%, and highs will be in the mid-30s. Saturday Night will be similar, with lows around 26. Expect an ongoing chance of snow on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Expect a break on Wednesday, at least - but it will not be warm enough for snow melt. For Thanksgiving, forecasts vary greatly, with some, like the NWS, saying dry, but others, like folks over on the forums at almanac.com, quoting the European Model - a large snowstorm. We'll just have to wait and see for now!

That's all for now, but remember: Think Snow!!

Weather Forecast - 11/11

The latest National Weather Service forecast has skiers abuzz. The forecast calls for snow, SNOW, and MORE SNOW! Let's see... for Schweitzer, on Monday and Monday Night, the forecast calls for highs pegged at 35 degrees, but winds will be blustering to 45 MPH, so wind chills could be -10-10 degrees. Lows will be at 15 degrees, with wind chills likewise. The snow accumulation will be between 4 and 9 inches! Tuesday will be rather uneventful but by Wednesday the snow returns, and we can expect another full-blown storm! Snow is even expected for the rest of the week, so stay posted as we keep you up to date!

The Road to Opening Day - Part 2

Okay, I know I've been absent for a bit, but now I'm getting back into this: snow is in the forecast! So today is part two of The Road to Opening Day. We'll look at the fundamental change going on at Schweitzer: 2 New Lifts.

The two new lifts are named The Basin Express and The Lakeview Triple. The Basin Express is a high-speed quad that starts in the heart of Schweitzer Village near the Mill Building. That lift follows the old chair 7 line and will take you to a point just above the old MidWay Unload/Load station. It will only take a blazing fast 3.7 minutes. Then, you will have the option to ski down to the Stomping Grounds Terrain Park or other intermediate terrain or get on the Lakeview Triple and ride to the top. The Lakeview is Schweitzer's first triple, and it will actually take 4.5 minutes to reach the top via the same line as Chair One.

Here are some pictures of the lifts under construction.

This is a shot of the Basin Express with a wonderful snowy Ridge Run in the Background.Here is a shot of crews assembling the lower station for the Basin Express.Ah, the bliss of the summit of Schweitzer Mountain. Wait - why is that patrol station so high?!

Hello, down there! A shot of the Top of the Lakeview Triple

The weirdest looking unloading station ever! A shot of the Basin Express.

All this happens over the summer. It's so amazing. The lifts were manufactured by Doppelmayr CTEC in Salt Lake City, Utah. To visit their website and fantasize about a backyard T-Bar, go HERE.

What are YOU Looking Forward to Most?

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The Road to Opening Day - Part 1

The snow is piling up in the mountains. The leaves are beginning to fall. The ski swaps are taking place. All these signs point to only one thing: skiing. Today we begin a new series - The Road to the Ski Season. Many things come together as we near Thanksgiving, Schweitzer's hoped-for opening day. Join us as we evaluate everything it takes to open a ski resort for the winter.

Schweitzer is getting many improvements ready for prime time. Here's a list of everything they've done over the summer, in one capacity or another.

• Two new chairlifts: the Basin Express High Speed Quad and the Lakeview Fixed Grip Triple.
• A remodel of the Lakeview Lodge, including a ground level patio and more seating space inside.
• New chairs on the Great Escape Quad.
• Trail improvements, including better on-mountain signage, better access and better runouts.
• The removal and replacement of Ski Check.
• A completely new logo and attitude.
• A roundabout as you begin to see the mountain on Schweitzer Mountain Road.
• Trappers' Creek, and exclusive ski-in/ski-out home opportunity, to be completed for 2008-09.
  

We'll break down each and every improvement that went on over the summer in subsequent postings, but for now, that is all.

UPDATE: Arapahoe Basin Ski Area in Colorado opened on Wednesday, their earliest opening ever. The race to be the first to open has finished, and A-Basin is the winner.

Down, Down, Down to 4,700 Feet

Today Schweitzer was blessed with more snow, this time down to the village level, at 4,700 feet. By the looks of that table, they got anywhere from 1-3 inches. The snow accumulated on the grass, roofs, and non-heated pavement or patio. This is just another sign that they'd better hurry up with construction!

Let it Snow, Snow, Snow!

Shot of the mountain as a whole with the village in the foreground.
Shot of J.R. with snow near the top of the mountain.
Shot of the Great Escape Quad with snow in the foreground...
Shot of the new Basin Express High-Speed Quad with snow on Stiles, Pend Orielle, and White Lightning.
Shot of the snow on Ridge Run with the Basin Express in the foreground.

Let it SNOW, SNOW, SNOW! Schweitzer has been blessed with many, many, recent snowfalls, and here are a bunch of pictures of those events. All can be found at schweitzer.com, which, as you remember, is unaffiliated with this blog.