October/November 2014 75 opposite page & this page: Courtesy of Schweitzer Mountain Resort (4) Cool Digs Two lodges and clusters of condominiums stand at the base of the mountain. Selkirk Lodge, with its alpine appearance, has 82 slopeside rooms ranging from hotel-style floor plans to elegant suites. Amenities include complimentary breakfast, underground parking and the use of three hot tubs. The White Pine Lodge features contemporary mountain architecture with a Northwest flavor. Amenities include complimentary breakfast, outdoor hot tubs and the onsite Gourmandie, a specialty food market that carries products from around the world, as well as distinctive items from the Northwest. For extended family stays, fully furnished condos on the mountain make guests feel at home while offering a range of floor plans and a shuttle service for rides to town. Extreme Eats Organic, high-end pub fare is on the menu at Pucci’s Pub, which also pours a selection of microbrews and fine wines. For après ski fun, Taps is the hot spot. The restaurant has a full bar, 24 beers on tap, big screen televisions, pool tables, dance floor and a stage featuring live music and DJs during the winter season. There’s also a deck for outdoor dining when the weather permits. More casually, Chimney Rock Grill serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with a southwestern flair. Fireplaces and comfortable lodge furnishings I f you find that the glamour of Sun Valley pales against a vision of sprawling, wide open and pristine terrain, follow your heart to gigantic Schweitzer Mountain Resort. Located in the northwest corner of the state, this up-and-coming destination resort offers a vast landscape, short lift lines, few tracked-out days and glorious powder snow. For skiers and boarders who live and breathe their sports, Schweitzer Resort is a dream come true. The site encompasses a whopping 2,900 acres with a top elevation of 6,400 feet—a height that helps skiers schuss all day long without getting elevation sickness—and a vertical drop of 2,400 feet. First timers can’t believe how large and unpopulated the area is. Wait time for a lift? One minute! Schweitzer’s 92 designated runs also give skiers and boarders plenty of choices, with the longest descent being 2 miles (Little Blue Ridge Run). Experts soon discover that the face and the Outback Bowl offer extra thrills. Ten percent of the slopes are beginner, 40 percent intermediate, 35 percent advanced and 15 percent expert. The Selkirk Powder company offers cat skiing adventures with mountain guides taking small groups in search of skiing untracked powder snow. You can also go night skiing at Schweitzer, and the mountain offers more than 1,200 acres for tree skiing— off the groomed slopes and into the forest. Schweitzer backs up to limitless side country and backcountry terrain. Rather than prohibiting out-of-bounds skiing, the resort maintains an open gate policy for backcountry enthusiasts. Of course, snowboarders discover their own thrills as well, heading for the Stomping Grounds Terrain Park, which offers unique custom-park features. Experts show off their skills on a variety of rails, boxes and jumps, while beginners practice their maneuvers in the Terrain Garden and the new Southside Progression Park. The Snowsports School offers standard learn-to-ski and learnto snowboard programs. It also has a Funatics camp for children ages 7 to 14, grouping youth of similar ability together and spending eight weeks exploring with a coach what the mountain has to offer. Mountain Explorers is for little skiers, ages 5 to 9, and is a flexible, multiweek program that allows parents to choose from a range of dates and lesson lengths. create an appealing ambience. And on the mountain, the Outback Inn located in the Outback Bowl, wins high praise from hungry skiers. Off the Slopes Besides die-hard skiers and snowboarders, Schweitzer caters to other winter visitors as well. You can go snowmobile touring to the backcountry, snowshoeing on quiet trails, tubing with or without the kids at Hermit’s Hollow Tubing Center and, when weather permits, zip-lining down 700 feet while enjoying breathtaking views of Lake Pend Oreille. It’s also worth driving to the town of Sandpoint, 11 miles from the mountain. Rand McNally voted this charming spot the “Most Beautiful Small Town in America” for its friendly people, gorgeous scenery and terrific food. Visitors enjoy browsing through the shops and taking in a show at the historic Panida Theater, a former vaudeville and movie house from the 1920s. Find the Way Daily flights from SJC connect to the airport in Spokane (GRE). From there, you can rent a car and drive two hours to Schweitzer Mountain, in Idaho’s panhandle region. Selkirk Lodge Tree skiing on Schweitzer Mountain Fireworks at night
South Bay Accent - Oct/Nov 2014
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