March 26, 2017 Schweitzer

This is the beginning of our 3rd ski trip this season. The idea is to head east and then go to Canada. The Schweitzer area received 7” in the past 24 hours, so some of it should be packed powder. We used our Powder Alliance passes which worked because it is a Sunday (can't use on Saturdays). It is 9 miles from Sandpoint, ID, so our parking place was relatively warm and we could see the ski area. The top half of the ski resort was in the clouds, BUT it would clear. That is what the workers “SAID”. Jill spoke with a ski instructor from Crystal, and he (along with ski instructors from all over the NW) was there for PSIA instructor testing. The Basin Express terrain was 80% cloud-free, and crowded with kids' lessons and part of the ski instructors’ classes/testing. The next lift we rode was the Great Escape n the ridge to the Stella 6 pack. Two ski Ambassadors at the top of the lift pointed into the cloud band and said it should be clear there, i.e. at Stella. The top half of that was in the clouds, so we skied down . After 400vf, it cleared and we began the “fun trails” – numerous groomers with packed powder except for the last 100 feet which was yesterday's corn that froze overnight. After 2 hours the lower half became creamy spring powder. We rode the Snow Ghost double for our last ride to the ridge. We have not been here in 5 years and I had forgotten all the great terrain of steep slopes, meandering trails through the trees, and treed areas that are everywhere. We like this place. The location is very similar to Big White in British Columbia. These 2 areas are both located close to a major lake with Lake Pend Oreille near Schweitzer and Okanagan Lake near Big White, which is why they both can have a lot fog &/or clouds. Fun fact to know.