49° NORTH
Nestled inside the Colville National Forest, you'll find 49° North Mountain Resort, Eastern Washington's largest ski resort at more than 2,300 acres.
"Our mountains are divided into three basins and two summits," says Rick Brown, director of skier and rider services. "But no matter what basin you're in or which summit you're skiing or riding from, there's a variety of terrain available."
Instead of resting on their laurels, 49° North continues to build on the guest experience, with new and expanded runs, upgraded snowmaking capabilities and new facilities. The Experience Center is the new 7,000-square-foot headquarters equipped with a streamlined system to set up rentals, lessons and any repairs you may need. It's a one-stop shop designed to get guests out on the slopes as quickly as possible — and to make the experience great for new skiers as well. The resort has also added Austrian custom-made lockers with features that dry and warm your gear; they've also expanded locker availability by over 50%.
On some beginner and children's trails, you'll see a new collaboration between 49° North, the Kalispel Tribe of Indians, the Spokane Tribe and Eastern Washington University. Signage in both English and Salish identifies the woodland creatures of the area, sharing tribal culture and language with skiers and riders.
Whether you're an experienced world-class skier, a first-timer or a glade skiing enthusiast, there's an adventure waiting for everyone. (VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ)
LOOKOUT PASS
Fans of tree skiing will be well served to visit Lookout Pass this season as the mountain has added a trio of new glades to the trail map. Expect to see a refreshed look in the five existing glades as well."We put people out there on the mountain to take down some of the dead timber to thin out the glades to make the experience more enjoyable and a little more open for those that may be less experienced in some of the glades," says Matt Sawyer, Lookout's director of marketing. "It really makes it a lot more fun for people to be able to chase their friends through the glades this winter."
Other new additions add convenience to this growing mountain. New permanent restrooms have been added at the base of Chair 5, serving the Eagle Peak section, which opened two seasons ago. Additional parking has been added as well, allowing for even more people to experience the mountain that straddles the Idaho-Montana state line.
Another effort to help bring the Lookout experience to the masses is the return of the Golden Ticket program, which allows season pass holders at any mountain in the world to purchase a half-price lift ticket Monday through Thursday, outside of designated holiday periods. (WILL MAUPIN)
MT. SPOKANE
Winner of Best Place to Snowboard in the Inlander Readers Poll for 10 years running, Mt. Spokane has long taken pride in its immense and ever-growing terrain park. The mountain looks to strengthen its hold on that award this season with the addition of the Half Hitch Tow Lift, which serves the terrain park and only the terrain park."We're the only terrain park in the region that has invested in a lift just for the terrain park," Assistant General Manager Jodi Kayler says. "So basically terrain park enthusiasts can just stay in the park all day and lap it."
The new tow lift will not only serve those looking to max out their time on the jumps and rails, but also free up space on the other lifts for those skiers and boarders looking to carve up the rest of the mountain's 53 runs.
If you're less of a high-flying terrain park person and prefer to stay closer to the snow, Mt. Spokane has not forgotten about you. Closed since the coronavirus pandemic, snow tubing makes its return this season, bringing fun for all ages to the mountain's lower slopes. Unlike the rest of the mountain, the tubing hill requires reservations. Kayler recommends reserving early, especially for the busy holiday season, as pent up demand after the past four years could make it a hot ticket this winter. (WILL MAUPIN)
SCHWEITZER
For powder fiends who love venturing off the beaten track, Schweitzer has something special in store. The resort is officially launching Schweitzer Backcountry Adventures, which opens up access to over 4,300 acres and 10,000 vertical feet of off-piste terrain."There's a good 75 runs back there" through open fields and steep glades, says Tom Chasse, Schweitzer's president and chief operating officer. He describes the new Schweitzer-led offering as "a backcountry, snowcat-assisted ski experience off of the West Bowl, coupled with guided snowmobile tours."
The availability of both snowmobiles and snowcats means that individuals and groups of all skill levels will be able to explore the area. Conditions permitting, the cats will operate seven days a week, bringing a maximum of 24 daily passengers out to ski or snowboard the pristine slopes.
Snowcats are also a key feature of a Schweitzer dining experience that's making its long-awaited return in February and March of 2025. These events will offer a limited number of guests the opportunity to take the Great Escape Quad to Sky House, the dining facility that commands stunning 360-degree views of the surrounding area from atop Schweitzer's 6,400-foot peak. Once there they'll be served a gourmet, multi-course meal augmented by chef-inspired wine or cocktail pairings. To wrap up the evening in style, guests will then descend the mountain in a snowcat.
"We put a lot of effort and focus into our guest experience through our staff and services," says Taylor Prather, Schweitzer's marketing manager, "and that will really come through in our Sky House snowcat dinners." (E.J. IANNELLI)
SILVER MOUNTAIN
At Silver Mountain Resort, the fun begins with a scenic gondola ride up the mountain where you can embark on your winter sporting adventures with 83 runs to choose from.
"On the gondola, you get like 30 minutes of quality family time heading up the mountain," says Gus Colburn, Silver Mountain's marketing coordinator. "Once you get out there, it's just a huge playground with no lift lines and great snow to be found all over the place to make lifelong happy memories."
Silver Mountain always has a lot to offer — from the waterpark at the base of the mountain in Kellogg to the number of eateries and bars in the Gondola Village and Mountain House, and this season there are some updates that new and returning visitors can look forward to when hitting the slopes.
During the months leading up to this season, Silver's crew has been hard at work thinning some trees between their Rendezvous and Saddleback runs to create some great terrain for tree skiing.
"There's going to be some really great tree skiing in there and some good powder stashes to find," Colburn says.
Silver Mountain will also be adding an arcade to the Gondola Village with a variety of games along with food and drinks. It's set to open in December, and visitors can stay up to date on progress by checking Silver Mountain's social media.
"It's going to feature a lot of family friendly games like miniature bowling — a lot of video arcade games and a lot of interactive games for people to play," says Colburn. "It'll be fun for the whole family." (SUMMER SANDSTROM)♦
