As the mountain that's basically right next door to town, it makes sense that Mt. Spokane prides itself on having a laid-back, friendly atmosphere.
"Being a nonprofit organization is kind of like that X factor that is different, especially in the modern day of corporate skiing with all these big mega passes and mega resorts," Terrain Park Manager AJ Ricci says. "It's nice to take a step back and focus on some of the stuff that we got into skiing and riding for, which is the community and hanging out with our buddies up on the mountain."
That's not to say the mountain hasn't changed with the times. Recent years have seen a major expansion in the number of lifts and runs, upgrades to grooming equipment and modernization of old lifts, and additions to the mountain's event and food offerings. They're aiming to open on Dec. 7.
One new lift will greet skiers and riders this season. The Half Hitch Tow Lift will serve the terrain park, allowing users to scoot right back to the top after a run through the jumps and rails. Previously, skiers and riders had to descend almost to the lodge to catch a ride back up.
"We're the only terrain park in the region that has invested in a lift just for the terrain park," says Mt. Spokane's Assistant General Manager Jodi Kayler. "So basically terrain park enthusiasts can just stay in the park all day and lap it. But it also helps out all the other skiers because those terrain park people are staying up there instead of lapping on the lifts."
That means shorter wait times for the Parkway Express and Hidden Treasure lifts, freeing up space for those skiers and riders who prefer to carve on the slopes rather than catch some air.
FOR ALL AGES
Don't let the trail map fool you. Yes, Mt. Spokane is dominated by black diamond and blue square runs. It may look like there are only a handful of slopes suitable for beginners, but that doesn't mean Mt. Spokane is for experts only. It's the opposite, in fact. There is something for everyone and every skill level at Mt. Spokane. Once again this year, that even includes nonskiers."The tubing hill has been shut down since COVID, and now there's just a huge demand for it. So reopening the tubing hill will be very exciting for the public," Kayler says.
For those looking to graduate from the tube and take to the real slopes, Mt. Spokane's is again offering a wide variety of lessons. Beyond the traditional individual sessions and multi-week group courses that teach beginners the basics, there are a number of programs focusing on advanced skills, like emergency survival situations, or specific areas of the mountain, like glades or the terrain park.
"We have regular lessons just for kids or people who are learning how to ski. But then once you kind of get that intermediate ski level and want to branch into the freestyle terrain, we also offer Park Club. Every week you'll learn a new trick or learn a new skill, and hopefully by the end of the program you have a few new tricks in your trick bag," Ricci says.
For the working parents who are confident on the slopes but with kids who aren't quite there yet, the popular Club Shred program returns once again this season on Friday nights starting in January. Parents can take to the illuminated slopes for night skiing while the kids are given a lesson, activities and dinner. ♦
Q&A WITH AJ RICCI
What makes Mt. Spokane's terrain park so popular?It's definitely the biggest park in the area when you count how many features we have at a time. And not only that, just the quality that we build with. Then that combined with just the overall atmosphere at Mount Spokane makes it pretty friendly to the freestyle type rider. We have a pretty chill vibe from our local riders to our staff to just the whole community up here. It's a combination of a bunch of different things, but the main thing I think is just the emphasis that we put on the terrain park.
Do you have a personal favorite feature or section of the terrain park?
My personal riding style tailors me a little bit more to jumps, so if I were to pick out one single feature, it'd just be kind of like a nice, floaty 30-to-35-foot step-down jump. If I were to pick a rail or a box to choose as my favorite, it would probably be something fairly easy, but with a couple kinks in the rail.
What advice would you give to a novicewho wants to get into freestyle skiing or riding?
The best thing that I can recommend for people getting into it is to find a buddy to ride with. Having another person to kind of stoke you up and walk you through certain tricks and just having somebody to progress with is a really big thing.
Outside of the terrain park, what is your favorite thing about Mt. Spokane?
I always like to say, if it's not a power day, it's a park day. So if I'm not ripping through the terrain park, I'm searching in the trees somewhere for some leftover powder or whatnot. I'd say my favorite run outside of the park has got to be Lou's Lane down on the backside of chair four.
AJ Ricci is Mt. Spokane's terrain park manager. The Wisconsin native made his way to the Inland Northwest after stops at mountains from Tahoe to Timberline.
