Winter Travel: Skiing in IDAHO

Although the Rocky Mountains offer some of the best skiing in the world, the overlooked state of Idaho can offer excellent deals with short lift lines and great value. 

Not only does Idaho have eighteen ski areas, offering some world class skiing and snow boarding options — powder, terrain parks, cat-skiing, heli-skiing — it’s also a big empty state with blue skies and fresh tracks. Crowds are few in this part of the Rockies.  Come and take advantage: Ski Idaho.

Shred With Olympians:

Dollar Mountain at Sun Valley Resort has just installed a 22-foot super pipe. The pipe is Olympic standard and more than a few prospective Olympianshave already decided that Sun Valley is where they will train.  To get the kids up to that Olympian level, Dollar has also expanded its Family Cross Course featuring S-Turns, Rollers and Table Tops.  Kids: Challenge your parents.  Parents: it’s on.  http://www.sunvalley.com/

Big Kids Ski Free:

To demonstrate its commitment to cultivating lifelong skiers, Idaho offers free skiing to 5th and 6th Graders.  You don’t have to be an Idaho resident to take advantage of the Ski Idaho Fifth and Sixth Grade Passport Program.  Fifth graders can ski or ride free three times and sixth graders can ski or ride free twice at participating areas.  http://www.skiidaho.us/

Snow Cat Adventures:

Brundage Mountain is known for some of the best powder in southern Idaho. Only a two hour drive from the Boise airport, skiers and snowboarders should not miss the full day Snow Cat Adventure. For $249/pp, expert guides will take you and your buddies in the snow cat to the Payette National Forest for a powder experience of a lifetime: steep, tree lined glades with miles of untouched powder.  An alpine lunch, powder skis and plenty of snacks are included. http://www.brundage.com/

Great News For Beginners:

At Lookout Mountain, known for gnarly terrain parks and a yearly average of 400” of light, dry powder, they have installed a new chair lift… on the beginners’ slope.  Success (the name of the new triple chair) is where you learn to ski.  They are continuing with their 76th season of the Famous Free Ski School for kids, January through March. Season opening is planned for November 23. https://skilookout.com/

Bring Your Kids For Free:

 

Grand Targhee makes a concerted effort to be the uber resort for families.  In addition to the after-ski activities of tubing, arcade games and sleigh-ride dinners, kids twelve and under stay, ski and eat free when lodging at Grand Targhee Resort with each accompanying paying parent. http://www.grandtarghee.com/

Schweitzer:

Idaho’s version of Squaw Valley Resort just got super rad.  Aside from the bone-dry powder over the 2900-acre, never-crowded resort, Schweitzer will offer Surly Pugsley Snowbikes to rent for use on the cross-country terrain. And like just about everyone else in Idaho, they are improving conditions for the beginner skier, putting in variable speed drives onto the beginners’ lift, Musical Chairs, in addition to new chairs with restraining bars. Learning to ski just got a lot more comfortable.  http://www.schweitzer.com/

More information about skiing in Idaho can be found at http://skiidaho.us/