Dig Deep into Schweitzer's History

Yes, Looking Back on Schweitzer provides a great piece of Schweitzer history in a nice, condensed, easy to read form factor. But it may be missing a key element: trail maps. Not much can illustrate the evolution of a ski resort like trail maps from the past and present. That's why there's skimap.org and skilifts.org: to provide information from the past and present of past and present ski resorts, worldwide. Sure, SkiLifts.org isn't updated every day (it still lists Chair One as a current lift and the old logo is used), but it is a great resource for pictures and technical info for chairlifts nationwide. SkiMap.org fills the gap where SkiMaps.com left off, providing resort trail maps from the past and present.

The great flood of information comes when you look up Schweitzer. Below is an old trail map, circa 1980. Note the flagship Chair One and the four parallel chairlifts . Also interesting is the bunny hill, the site of a t-bar and the "Enchanted Forest Terrain Garden," which was probably referring to the jumps and skier-cross like features that go through the trees. Chair Seven is the lift on the far right of the parallel lifts. It is located on the same line as the Basin Express is now. In addition, Chair Six in the Colburn Basin was located IN the basin, instead of OUT of the basin, and Chair Five was Timber Cruiser, the double chair that was fifteen minutes long.
Below is the trail map from ten years later, 1990. Note the new Great Escape Quad that services that portion of terrain that was previously inaccessible. The three parallel lifts to Chair One have been taken out, including Chairs Seven, Two, and Three. Chair Two was moved to the bunny hill, and that t-bar was removed. A new day lodge has been constructed, and is now the Lakeview Lodge. The Selkirk Lodge, then the Green Gables Lodge, is constructed. On the backside, Chair Six has been moved to its current location, cutting a few runs off the trail map.
Not many changes for 1991, below. The main difference? Chair One is now seldom used. Even expert skiers will take the quad to the Midway load and take laps on The Face. Then, if they decide to go into South Bowl, they can ride Chair One up, thus avoiding the hike.
We'll update this post later, with the rest of the resort's history.

The Huckleberries are Ripe at Schweitzer

(photo: Schweitzer Mountain Resort)

The huckleberries are ripe for the picking at Schweitzer! But have you ever noticed that no one tells you where they are? This time around, we're going to tell you where they are.

There are a few options for the intermediate hikers and bikers. Those who are intermediate hikers/bikers will want to look on the Overland Trail. Other areas include Upper GRR, and, for a long hike, try Coyote Canyon or Cloudwalker.

For the advanced hiker/biker, opportunities are abound. For a short hike, try looking in the Rolling Thunder and Hermit's Hollow areas. Others would try taking Boomerang to Howling Rock near the top of Stella. Obviously Huckleberry Hill will provide, but so might the expert trail BSR.

Remember to bring a used and washed out milk jug for the huckleberries. Cut off the top of the jug to make it easier to place the berries in the jug. Bring plenty of water, and make sure to get a trail map at the Village Activity Center or the Mill Building. If you forget these essential items, they can also be found at the Summit Activity Center at the top of the Great Escape Quad.

Schweitzer from Google Earth - Part I

We're back with a new regular series: Schweitzer, From Google Earth. In this series, we'll look at a new area of the mountain every time, sharing bits and pieces about Schweitzer's past and present, from through the snow.

Today, we look at a portion of the mountain below Siberia which used to be the top station of a chairlift: Chair Six/Snow Ghost. You see, the lift was moved in 198x in order to access new terrain, including Kaniksu and the chutes, but also every run now serviced by the quad. At that time there wasn't a lift there, just a t-bar that was seldom even used due to snow depth. Before Chair Six was moved to its present location, this was where it terminated. It serviced minimal runs and was thus moved in 198x. It was the only lift that wasn't SBNO (standing but not operational) that serviced all of these runs for three to five years, until the Great Escape Quad was installed in 1990. It became Schweitzer's flagship chairlift, serving roughly three quarters of the terrain on the mountain.

That's why it would be interesting to go to this point on the mountain, and look for evidence that there was a chairlift here. If you go, send me pictures: "agillrules@yahoo.com".

Trip Report - 3/29

Epic. Simply Epic. Pardon the absence please, I've been very, very busy; just let me tell you about my trip up to the mountain.

Spokane had gotten 3 or 4 inches of snow overnight, and the roads were treacherous. No one was prepared for the storm, it seemed, as we packed up the car and drove off. I-90 from Freya to Trent was a mess. beyond Trent to about State Line, the road was a tad bit better. From State Line to JCT-41, the road was again pretty bad. State Route 41 was the worst. Visibility and Conditions were absolutely pathetic. Farther along, Schweitzer Mountain Road was bad in most spots. They seriously should've had someone at the mountain telling people the road was too bad for compact cars, because there were 6 or 7 stalled vehicles on the roadway. Up along, the Fall Line Parking Lot was nearly empty; they were only beginning to fill up the bottom part.  Hiking up to Musical Chairs was entertaining: the 13 inches of new snow was not typical Late March-Early April snow. It was full-on champagne powder. Hitting Chair 4 Sunnyside first, we decided to head down Tree Farm. Incredible. It was more than 13 inches, it had to be. It was knee-deep all the time. We went over Debbie Sue (also exceptional) and the backside. After a few runs on Stella, we headed to check out South Bowl. It was bad. Whether windblown or blasted, it was not the place to be. We headed up the Quad and dropped in at Sundance. Insanely good. We went into lunch. Back outside, a few backside runs were in order. Every run we took was largely untracked, but the best of all was Shoot the Moon (sssssssssshhhhh!). Heading back, the roads were clear and bare! 

ONE FOR THE BOOKS, for SURE!

Winter Storm Warning - 2/6

From the National Weather Service:

YET ANOTHER WINTER STORM WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA TONIGHT AND
CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO 10
INCHES IN THE VALLEYS AND ONE TO TWO FEET OF NEW SNOW IN THE
MOUNTAINS CAN BE EXPECTED.

IN ADDITION SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 35 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS
WILL RESULT IN BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW OVER EXPOSED RIDGES AND
PEAKS.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE.  THIS WILL
MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

THIS WARNING INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...SANDPOINT..
RATHDRUM...BONNERS FERRY...PRIEST RIVER...KELLOGG...ST MARIES..
PINEHURST...OSBURN...WALLACE...MULLAN.
I can only imagine the wind and drifts that will be associated with this thing. Let's hope for minimal lift disruption and lots of pow-pow! Otherwise, look for a slight warm-up later in the week - nothing significant, just a few degrees.

Stolen Content Notice

I just want to inform all of you that someone is stealing my content. Someone (pretending to be me?) at agillskis.blogspot.com has taken 3 of my articles from before the switch over to skiSchweitzer. If Blogger sees this page, please contact the administrator at this site and peacefully ask him to take off the articles. Thanks!

Burton's "Sabotage Stupidity" Campaign - Part II

Okay, after reviewing my stance on Burton's "Sabotage Stupidity"/"Power to the Poachers" campaign and the video at burton.com, I have decided to come back with a (sorta) new position on the topic. This week's topic is THE POACHING TEN COMMANDMENTS.
Starting out, I just want to say that much of this information comes from this great article over at Freeskier. Now, I am going to begin by saying that #1, I oppose the ski-only resorts from opening up to snowboarders. Now, lets get started.
#1. Burton's video shows snowboarders breaking the "Poaching Ten Commandments" shown on their site. Scroll back a bit now. Here are the "Poaching Ten Commandments."
I. Whatever you do, don't break the law.
II. Always buy a lift ticket.
III. Hit 'em where and when they least expect it; but make sure to keep it safe, stay inbounds, and always where safety equipment.
IV. Bro down with the enemy (?!)
V. Keep it peaceful, maaaaan.
VI. Always respect ski patrol; even if they tackle you.
VII. Scout the forbidden fruits, study trail maps and satellite images online.
VIII. Remember; a** out, knees bent in the moguls.
IX. Splitboarding is your friend.
X. Keep it "brofessional."
Right away you can tell this was written by Jake Burton or a Burton rep. It reeks of #1.) snowboarderness, and #2.) a corporate conglomerate trying to play it safe. More on that later though. Right now, lets look at these rules.
Okay, #1 seems reasonable, as does #4, #5, #6, and #10. But what about the others? BREAKING THE LAW. Hmmm. It doesn't seem like the boarders in the video were following the law, does it? Not if you count the Skiers' and Snowboarders' Responsibility Code as law, which, if you don't, you should - BECAUSE it is the law of the land on the mountains. Passing over that, #8. That's just rude. And that's all for now.

Fantastic Snow and Fun Events

With such wonderful snowfall (over 160 inches so far) and even more on the way, right now seemed like a perfect time to focus on the great events that the mountain has to offer for its skiers.
Tuesday, January 8th: Music on the Mountain, a hands-on experience to create some great music to enjoy on the mountain.
Wednesday, January 9th: Ski Movie Night - a ski movie is shown every Wednesday night in the village. Check at the Activity Center for this week's offerings.
Thursday, January 10th: Open Mic Night - Karaoke in the Taps Lounge for the few of us that are good - or confident - enough to try.
Friday, January 11th: Junior Race Series - Part 2 of the junior's race series hosted by the the Independence Ski Team.
Saturday, January 12th: National Trail Day - enjoy free Cross Country trail access and complimentary rentals for the day.

Also lots of snow is in the forecast. A Heavy Snow Warning is currently in effect for the Idaho Panhandle. Expect 6-12 new inches of light and fluffy powder by Wednesday - but at this rate it may be wise to expect even more. A new storm comes through Thursday with more heavy snow, and snow and snow showers continuing until Saturday - at least. The mountain makes a point in pointing out that we are on

The Road to Opening Day - Part 4

Well, Schweitzer, as you can no doubt tell, is open, and flourishing. Here's a recap of the past few weeks.

Dec. 1-3 - Schweitzer receives a huge dumping, I believe it was 70 inches in total. Resort officials announce a Wednesday opening.

Dec. 4 - A Pineapple Express rain event pushes back the day to Thursday - the rain melted very little of the snow, however.

Dec. 5 - Schweitzer announces that only Chair 2 - Musical Chairs - would be open on Thursday, with Happy Trails and minimal foodservice and other operations

Dec. 6-7 - Schweitzer open with just Musical Chairs.

Dec. 8 - The Basin Express, Lakeview Triple, and Musical Carpet open today for the first time.

Dec. 15 - Schweitzer opens with the following lifts: Basin Express, Lakeview Triple, Musical Chairs, Musical Carpet, Never Ever Tow, Great Escape, Snow Ghost, and Stella. Excluded run areas include entire North Bowl area and entire South Bowl area.

Dec. 22 - Mountain now 100% open with remarkable conditions and knee-deep powder. Open Lifts include Chairs 1A (Basin Quad), 1B (Lakeview), 2 (Musical Chairs), 3 (the Quad), 4 (Sunnyside), 5 (Stella), 6 (Snow Ghost), 7 (Idyle-Our), Musical Carpet/Never Ever Tow. Hermit's Hollow Tubing Opens with two lanes. Terrain park has 6 features.

Burton's "Sabotage Stupidity" Campaign - Part I

Okay, so this is a tad off-topic. I found this campaign by Burton. The objective: repeal the ban on snowboarding at the four United States ski resorts that ban it through a combination of guerrilla warfare and downright poor attitude. The prize: $5,000 from Burton and $5,000 from evogear. Quote Jake Burton: "We have demonstrated our sport to be for real, and of no threat to society." I'm sorry, but I can't make head or tails of this. For example, you can view poaching videos at burton.com/poaching. The videos clearly show numerous boarders doing the following, usually considered violations of the Skiers' and Snowboarders' Responsibility Code:

1. Obviously, purposely cutting skiers off - mere feet from the skiers.
2. Weaving in and out of young skiers.
3. Not bothering to look up as they merge into a trail.
4. Ignoring the shouts of annoyed skiers who paid premium prices for the experience.

In ski country - the mountains - the Skiers' and Snowboarders' Responsibility Code is generally considered the "law of the land," along with various codes set forth by the Board of Directors. So tell me how, in the process of shooting the poaching video, they did not break any laws or endanger society? You could argue that the Responsibility Code is the law on the mountains.

More next week...