February 7, 2010 E-MAIL PRINT

Go to Idaho for snow

by Heather Burke/

At Soldier Mountain, you'll find uncrowded slopes, the gorgeous Sawtooth Mountains and perhaps a brush with owner Bruce Willis. (photo: Greg Burke)

At Soldier Mountain, you'll find uncrowded slopes, the gorgeous Sawtooth Mountains and perhaps a brush with owner Bruce Willis. (photo: Greg Burke)

MORE IMAGES     previous   next    start over

Families planning a western ski trip should check out Idaho resorts, which often cost less money and have less people on the slopes.

You probably have skied Colorado and Utah. Their resorts can be convenient, clustered even, with reliable snow. But have you ever considered Idaho, the frontier known more for potatoes than snow?
Idaho has 18 ski areas, from humble, unheard-of Soldier Mountain — owned by movie star Bruce Willis — to world famous Sun Valley, where the first chairlift in the country debuted.

Our family ski week last February was more of an Idaho Iditarod, skiing five central Idaho resorts. We quickly discovered that Idaho is not just the origin of skiing; it is skiing in its essence. We skied miles of uncrowded slopes, surrounded by incredible mountain scenery that goes on for miles — from Oregon to Wyoming. And the Idahoans are as genuine and grounded as the huge potatoes grown there.

Landing in Boise, you are just 16 miles from Bogus Basin, a community-owned ski area. The twisty-turny access road warrants black diamond status. But once you are at Bogus, you can ski almost 360 degrees from two summits that encompass 2,600 acres and drop 1,800 feet vertical.

Bogus Basin ski area has two rustic base lodges, but the skiing there is anything but “bogus,” with 67 runs and seven lifts (two are high-speed quads). We scored a powder day at Bogus and found a plethora of steep and deep double black runs off 7,590-foot Shafer Butte in the Pine Creek and Superior Backside, while the Frontside offered more tame groomed cruisers.

With its proximity to Boise, Bogus Basin is a good day (and night) area to hit when your flights in and out of Boise allow.

Our next stop was the lakefront frontier town of McCall, 98 miles north snaking along the incredibly scenic Payette River. This Idaho town celebrates the snow season with ice carvings, snowmobiling and skiing at Brundage Mountain Resort.

Never heard of Brundage? It’s Idaho’s best-kept secret with “the best snow in Idaho” but very few skiers. The 1,800-foot vertical ski area is a family-owned gem, blessed with bountiful natural snow and beautiful views of Payette Lake and the Salmon River Mountains into Oregon.

We were among six skiers at Brundage for opening bell, at the relaxed hour of 9:30 a.m. We lapped seven-minute rides on the Blue Bird Express quad, skiing one great groomed cruiser after another. I loved 45th Parallel and Engen — named after Cory Engen, the Olympic jumper who introduced Winter Carnival in McCall in 1924.

On the backside of Brundage’s 7,640-foot summit is Lakeview Bowl, featuring well spaced glades and short (800 feet vertical) but sweet cruisers with lake views below. Our Brundage day was snowy, often the case in Idaho, so our views were restricted, but our runs were silent and silky amid the 1,500 acres. Brundage’s backcountry tree skiing and snowy chutes are a tasty teaser for their cat skiing operation which accesses 19,000 powder soaked acres of Payette National Forest. Brundage’s cat ski operation is the cat’s meow at $250 for an unforgettable Idaho snow day.

We stayed at the elegant Shore Lodge in McCall (circa 1948). Our lovely lakeview room was steps to the outdoor Jacuzzi and a stride to the luxurious, log-framed fireplace lobby, the mahogany lounge (very popular for après ski), an in-house movie theater, a game room, a library and the Blue Water Spa. The Shore Lodge sure is nice; skiing is a mere amenity when you have this great lodging and the fun western town of McCall to explore.

Thirty minutes from McCall is North America’s newest ski resort, Tamarack. We had the pleasure of skiing Tamarack’s 2,100 acres of slopes served by seven lifts, but the brand-new resort closed days after our visit, foreclosed upon despite the magnificent master plan, shiny new lifts and unfinished lodges. The ski area went in fast and first class in 2004 but couldn’t meet a $300 million debt. When and if this resort reopens, it’s worth visiting for its 2,800-foot vertical drop of fun, undulating terrain. Stay tuned to see if tennis stars Andre Agassi and Stefi Graf, who own a huge home here, might buy the bust resort.

Our Idaho snow show continued as we arrived at the ski mecca of Sun Valley — the most famous, historic ski resort in the country. Sun Valley is the “original,” home of the world’s first chairlift in the country, on Dollar Mountain in 1936. Sun Valley is as celebrated among skiers as it is frequented by celebrities — from Marilyn Monroe to Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Luxurious timber lodges at the base and summit of Bald Mountain cater to the Sun Valley set with fine cuisine, leather couches by roaring fireplaces, and magnificent marble bathrooms. The skiing at Sun Valley is surprisingly steep, dropping an unrelenting 3,400 feet vertical, with a brand-new Roundhouse Gondola and seven high-speed quads. Sun Valley has extensive bowl skiing, a break from the consistently pitched groomed boulevards such as Picabo, Gretchen’s Gold and Hemingway (name-dropping is big here).

Bogner and Prada ski suits are the Sun Valley standard, no Carhartts in sight. Earl Holding, of Sinclair Oil fortunes, purchased the resort in 1974 (he also bought Utah’s Snowbasin, which he considered calling Sun Valley Utah). Holding has a philosophy: “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing.” For evidence of his extravagance, check out the palatial Nordic and Golf Center, the Performing Arts Pavilion, and this year’s swift new gondola that delivers skiers and diners to the original 1939 Round House — the first on-mountain lodge that still serves Alpen fare with a fireplace and an accordion player.

We stayed at the 1936 Sun Valley Lodge, which oozes history in the memorabilia-filled hallways. Skaters on the outdoor rink conjure Sonja Henie’s scene from the famous flick, “Sun Valley Serenade.” The Sun Valley village is dotted with swank ski boutiques, while downtown Ketchum has more diverse dining, designer shops and a few western saloons to boot. Sun Valley is an intriguing place, laden with history and the latest luxuries, upscale with serious downhill skiing.

Bringing our Idaho Iditarod to a finale, we skied Soldier Mountain, circa 1948. Actor Bruce Willis bought this vintage ski area in 1996, but it remains humble and unhurried with wide-open skiing on 1,150 under-appreciated acres (1,425 feet total vertical) served by two double chairs — a complete contradiction to nearby sophisticated Sun Valley. Three dozen runs from the 7,177-foot Soldier Peak range from unexpectedly well-groomed cruisers to spacious untouched bowls and glades. Soldier’s master plan calls for four new lifts, but there seems no rush. A new lodge graces the base this season, due to a fire in the previous vintage lodge. If you want to reach awesome acreage on 10,095-foot Smoky Dome, then Soldier’s Snow Cat skiing at $275 a day promises private powder. Word is Willis bought the place for this cat ski amenity.

Soldier is Idaho skiing in its essence, like Brundage and Bogus; these areas offer unique ski terrain, and genuine Idaho friendly spirit. Scenery and soft snow are featured, nothing fancy. If you want more glitz and white carpet treatment — then Sun Valley (and Tamarack when it resumes operation) provide a more sophisticated ski experience.

We loved Idaho. You have had the famous potatoes, you should try the skiing.

E-MAIL PRINT