It's not the highest mountain in our region, but Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area is prominent nonetheless. On the crest of the Bitterroot Mountains, straddling the border between Idaho and Montana, Lookout is located atop a geographic and climatological gold mine for winter sports.
Just as the Cascades wring the rain out of passing air masses, making the west side of Washington considerably wetter than the east, the Bitterroots do the same with snow. As a mountain on their crest, Lookout Pass is positioned to get socked in with snow every single winter.
"We average about 450 inches on [Eagle Peak] and about 400 on the front of the mountain over the past 15, 20 years," says Matt Sawyer, director of marketing at Lookout Pass.
The orographic lift created by the wall of the Bitterroot Range, interacting with the prevailing westerly winds bringing moisture from the Pacific, combine to give Lookout Pass the highest average snowfall of any ski area in our region.
That means more snow, and more powder days, than you'll find within a day's drive. It also typically means an earlier opening, and later closing date, than other regional resorts can provide. In fact, they opened Friday, Nov. 8 — well before the standard target of before Thanksgiving.
"That's the reason that we mow the front of the mountain in the back of Chair Two," says Sawyer, "because those would be the first two areas we open. And by mowing it, we can get open with about 6 inches less snow than in years past."
The mowing Sawyer references is part of a large off-season makeover that will go unseen, if only because it will be covered by snow.
Over the summer, crews at Lookout Pass worked to trim down the vegetation on main runs and open up some glades, removing dead and fallen trees, which will allow for smoother runs and easier cruising this winter.
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
Ask the oldest ski bum you know, and even they can't tell you the origin story of Lookout Pass. That's because Lookout is celebrating 90 years this season, and it is older than any place around. The historic lodge remains, but steady growth is occurring around it.Long hemmed in by Forest Service land, Lookout Pass has been growing in recent years. A couple of seasons back it expanded onto the adjacent Eagle Peak. In the years since, including this one, it's grown into its new and larger footprint.
Last year saw growth at the historic lodge. This year brings modernization elsewhere around the mountain. Most notable are the changes in front of the lodge, where the parking lot has been expanded to help accommodate a growing group of both riders and skiers.
"There has been about five to six days each winter when we've parked-out in the past," Sawyer says.
That will not be a problem now, as the mountain has expanded its parking lot, which is accessible directly off of I-90 at the 0 exit on the Idaho/Montana border.
For those who choose another mountain to call home, check out Lookout's Golden Ticket pass, which allows season ticket holders at any mountain in the world, not just Idaho or the Inland Northwest, a half-off discount on most weekdays during the season.
Lookout is comfortable serving the dedicated locals who know it best, but it does want to share its splendor with anyone who is curious to know about what's happening along the Idaho/Montana state line. ♦
Q&A WITH MATT SAWYER
What's your favorite run on the mountain?Taking Chair Five and coming down either Rubicon or El Dorado. They're on the top right as you're looking toward the top of the mountain as you're going up.
Those two are on the relatively new Eagle Peak section, is there something about that area you like most?
Eagle Peak does get better snow, more snow, and that side has the tendency to get the wind drift. So as the snow blows across as you're going up the lift, it blows from your left to your right, and those are the trails that seem to get the deepest snow at the top of the mountain.
Aside from the Eagle Peak expansion, what has been the most impactful change you've seen in your time at the mountain?
When I first started, we were open five days a week, and that's a hard one for people to understand because we always had people pulling into the parking lot on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when we were closed. Astutely, the GM said, "We need to be in this every day, seven days a week." So typically, a week before Christmas until the first week in April, it's seven days a week.
As someone in marketing, what aspect of Lookout Pass do you think is most overlooked?
How big we are. We're 1,023 acres. We're a good-sized, medium mountain and you have a lot of diversity of terrain. There's magic to be had for the more advanced skiers, but our terrain is soft enough that it really shouldn't scare anybody if they're skiing something that's appropriate.
Matt Sawyer is director of marketing at Lookout Pass. He's been in the ski business since he was 17 years old and spent the last eight seasons atop the Silver Valley.
