With a mountain range or lake dominating the horizon in nearly every direction, the view from Schweitzer Mountain is enough to lodge a rider's heart in their throat. Throw in the resort's 2,900 skiable acres and an average annual snowfall of 300 inches and nobody could be blamed for a little lightheadedness. Schweitzer has been beckoning the snowsports crowd to its slopes season after season since 1963, and today offers a host of options for even the most timid adventurer. Miles of Nordic skiing and snowshoe trails, three separate terrain parks and a village complete with artist studio, movie theater and morning yoga sessions make it easy to keep the entire family occupied from sunrise until well after sunset.
What's new: As marketing manager Dig Chrismer puts it, 2019 has been a "busy, busy summer" at Schweitzer. The mountain removed the old Snow Ghost double chair in the Outback Bowl, replacing it with a high-speed quad and a triple. The project included brush clearing and the cutting of seven new runs, which Chrismer feels will give skiers and snowboarders a lot of exploring to do. "It's going to be awesome," she says. Visitors will also notice more protected outdoor seating at a couple base area restaurants, faster internet service and a newly paved road leading to the resort.
Making the most of it: Chrismer notes, anecdotally, that the region around Schweitzer has seen an influx of retirees in recent years. For those who feel their days of skiing are behind them, she encourages taking advantage of the resort's Nice Turns clinic, a four- to six-week lesson focused on adult ski skills. Schweitzer also has a Prime Timers group for older skiers looking to make social connections on the slopes. "Winter is the longest season we have around here," Chrismer says. "Fall was gone in a day, and winter will be here until April, so get out and enjoy it."
