What’s New
Last season Schweitzer Mountain Resort celebrated a record-breaking winter. With its deepest summit snowpack yet and the earliest opening in more than 20 years, it seems breaking records and getting national attention are an ongoing trend for the resort.
Schweitzer has been busy this summer improving facilities that will be most noticeable to beginner skiers and boarders. The Mill Building, which is home to the Source retail store and the Ski & Ride Center, has seen more than just a facelift this summer.
“It has been completely gutted and remodeled,” says Sean Briggs, marketing coordinator for Schweitzer. “It has been designed so that it is a more intuitive process for those signing up for lessons and renting equipment.”
The improvements don’t stop there. Musical Chairs, the beginner lift, has been improved as well, with a new variable speed drive and outside bales (no more center bar) which will make loading the chair easier for beginners as well as families with children. All the chairs also come equipped with a restraining bar — another added safety measure that will make riding a chairlift that much more comfortable. From the moment of entering the Ski & Ride Center for a lesson, through their time on the slopes, all beginners will enjoy the improved new process of getting on the snow, as well as the easier loading of the chairlift.
Gourmandie, Schwetizer’s gourmet mountaintop market, has also experienced an expansion and facelift. The store is located in the heart of the Schweitzer Village, inside the White Pine Lodge, and offers retail food and wine items for sale to take back to your condo. Or, if you prefer, stay in their warmly decorated store to enjoy a glass of wine or craft beer with a cheese platter.
Gourmandie has doubled in size, allowing for more seating, and will still offer the same delicious gourmet paninis, après-inspired meats and cheeses and weekly wine tastings.
In other news, Powder Magazine has put together a Ski Town Throwdown, and Sandpoint is honored to have made the list among an elite grouping of other classic mountain/ski towns.
Every day there is a new single elimination showdown between two different resorts. In the first round, Sandpoint is paired up against Ketchum, Idaho, home to Sun Valley Resort. It is a classic battle of northern versus southern Idaho, and you can vote for Sandpoint in its round against their cross-state rivals on Nov. 19-20.
How to vote? Visit Powder Magazine’s Facebook fan page (facebook.com/powdermag) and click on the link to the contest — there is a new one every day, as there are 16 different first round battles. Show the world that the Inland Northwest is home to one of the best ski towns around.
Making the Most of It
Schweitzer Mountain is the only resort in the Spokane area that offers true ski-in accommodations. Planning an overnight trip to Schweitzer Mountain Resort will give you a local’s perspective on the mountain lifestyle. Briggs knows that from firsthand experience.
“You can get a better feeling of the mountain and village culture, and experience so much more when you stay on the mountain,” he says.
Not only do you experience the convenience of not having to drive home after a long day on the mountain, but you can head back to your condo, relax a little in the outdoor hot tub, then freshen up before heading back out to one of the village restaurants for a little après ski festivities — all without getting back in your vehicle. The other bonus is being able to wake up five minutes before the lifts open and make it to First Chair on one of their many powder days.
Special Deals
Sunday Solution is one of the best values Schweitzer Mountain Resort offers. With the exception of Sundays that fall on holiday weekends — or during the winter holiday break — Schweitzer offers a $25 Sunday afternoon lift ticket to be used from 12:30 pm to close. To get the best deal you must purchase the ticket online. It’s more expensive if you wait to pick one up at the ticket window, where a Sunday Solution pass costs $35. So buy online for the best deal.
