tell me about idaho, specifically indy resorts

[KustyTheKlown]

considering checking out idaho in feb.

flights to boise are $300. suv rental for 10 days is $1000.

would do boise > tamarack > brundage > silver > lost trail MT > soldier > boise

i'd maybe add a day or two a la carte at sun valley

seems like a pretty cool loop

anyone with experience?

 

[thetrailboss]

As you can see, they are further apart than you would think. Tamarack and Brundage are easy to do together. They are about an hour apart. McCall is a neat town. Brundage gets great snow and reminds me of Grand Targhee in a sense. Tamarack is the new kid on the block and when you visit it you will notice that, like the old Canyons, parts of it are not complete. High speed lifts, nice views of the Lake (reservoir), not as much snow as Brundage.

Silver is a neat area and in a completely different part of Idaho culturally and in all other aspects (different time zone I believe). Silver is interesting in that you have to take the gondola up to the ski area base. The skiable vert is not that great and the lifts are all pretty dated, but the terrain looked interesting and fun. The snow is wet from what I have heard. Certainly respect it--several people died in avalanche there two seasons ago. I'd say try to do Schweitzer in that trip if you can. It still is 90 minutes north of Silver!

My friends in MT skied Lost Trail last year. It is REMOTE. It is old school. No crowds and great snow is what I have heard.

That's the limited recon I have. Honestly, I'd do two separate trips--one in McCall and one in CDA where you ski Silver, Schweitzer, Lookout Pass, and maybe the Spokane areas. I'd do a third trip to Missoula to ski Lost Trail, Montana Ski Bowl, and Ski Discovery. The drive between the two pods is long, slow, remote, and on roads that are in the middle of nowhere. You can certainly do them all in one trip, but it would take several days and the driving is pretty tiring. I'd rather focus on one or two areas and enjoy them instead of constantly being on the move. Just depends upon your preference.

Sun Valley is worth the drive. Nice town, great fall line skiing on Bald Mountain, but not much natural (it is SUN Valley, not SNOW Valley after all ).

 

[KustyTheKlown]

thanks, yea, i am not wary of long drives, but I am a bit wary of remote drives in sketchy locations with limited cell service.

my goal is to do one big western trip with at least 10 days of skiing this season, instead of multiple western trips. or maybe one big trip, and then smaller easier colorado long weekend type trip for a-basin

similar pricing using spokane as the airport, which also allows me to stock up and not fly with pot

also looking at the indy utah options (powmow + beaver), and other Montana options that can be combined with big sky on ikon, and also looking at squaw/mammoth options. was considering a repeat of my banff-revelstoke jaunt a few years back, but wary of Canada right now and covid policy

 

[thetrailboss]

thanks, yea, i am not wary of long drives, but I am a bit wary of remote drives in sketchy locations with limited cell service.

what is CDA?

my goal is to do one big western trip with at least 10 days of skiing this season, instead of multiple western trips. or maybe one big trip, and then smaller easier colorado long weekend type trip for a-basin

similar pricing using spokane as the airport, which also allows me to stock up and not fly with pot

also looking at the indy utah options (powmow + beaver), and other Montana options that can be combined with big sky on ikon, and also looking at squaw/mammoth options. was considering a repeat of my banff-revelstoke jaunt a few years back, but wary of Canada right now and covid policy

CDA = Couer d'Alene

Your proposed trip certainly has a lot of diversity in it. Solid mid-sized areas, a couple tiny areas, and Sun Valley.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

i figured it out as you posted that and deleted the ? from my post. thanks.

 

[thetrailboss]

i figured it out as you posted that and deleted the ? from my post. thanks.

Been there. Done that.

As to Utah, Pow Mow and Beaver are worth it. Maybe a side trip to Cherry Peak (dirt cheap but small) may be interesting. You could go to Pebble Creek if they have snow. All are fairly close to each other.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

this is very standard late august stuff, to start planning and daydreaming about the winter. but today is particularly bad. its one of my in office days, its a very slow day at work and on top of that i am one of 4 people currently in an office built for 75. tomorrow has meetings and more people in office, but today i am basically planning ski trips and extended afternoon lunch adventure

 

[thetrailboss]

this is very standard late august stuff, to start planning and daydreaming about the winter. but today is particularly bad. its one of my in office days, its a very slow day at work and on top of that i am one of 4 people currently in an office built for 75. tomorrow has meetings and more people in office, but today i am basically planning ski trips and extended afternoon lunch adventure

Nothing wrong with that!

 

[p_levert]

CDA = Couer d'Alene

Your proposed trip certainly has a lot of diversity in it. Solid mid-sized areas, a couple tiny areas, and Sun Valley.

CDA = Coeur d'Alene (spelled wrong in your post)

 

[thetrailboss]

CDA = Coeur d'Alene (spelled wrong in your post)

I figured I had spelled it wrong.....

 

[jaytrem]

Just got back out the to Spokane/CDA areas last spring. Kept saying it was my #1 region to get back to, it did not disappoint. Not sure I would do the big circle trip, would rather spend the gas money hitting Mt. Spokane and Schweitzer. Would then go as far as either Lost Trail or Tamarack/Brundage, but not both. Brundage is my favorite of those 3, so would probably head that way. The other way get you Lookout Pass and Snowbowl, those are worth a visit too. Bogus is also great, don't skip that if you do fly into Boise. Screw it, take month off and hit them all!!!!!! So many fun places out there and NO crowds.

 

[thetrailboss]

Screw it, take month off and hit them all!!!!!! So many fun places out there and NO crowds.

Exactly!

 

[KustyTheKlown]

nice. this looks pretty chill. less stressful drives it seems. how much does a schweitzer day ticket typically go for?

 

[flakeydog]

I second the motion to hit up Pebble Creek. Super fun mountain and very accessible a few miles off of I15 near Pocatello. You wont regret it!

 

[KustyTheKlown]

i just pulled all kinds of reserve now/pay later or fully refundable triggers

fri feb 11 - tues feb 22 - car rental out of Spokane, suv, $728 pay later
sat feb 12 - weds feb 16 - airbnb in mccall for brundage and tamarack - $186 deposit, $186 due in feb, fully refundable
weds feb 16 fri feb 18 - hotel room in couer d'alene for silver mtn - $195 pay later
fri feb 18 - mon feb 21 - hotel near schweitzer, $480 pay later

need flights (~$350), and hotel rooms in Spokane on first and last nights (~$200), plus schweitzer lift tix (~$250?).

looking like a $2500ish venture plus incidentals for 9-10 ski days and all travel and accomodation

 

[jaytrem]

Anyway to squeeze in 49 North? It's on the Indy and real nice. I'd do one less day at Tamarack if it meant getting a day at 49N.

 

[jaytrem]

But don't skip Silver, if you do that you're a...

 

[KustyTheKlown]

i didnt realize 49N was eastern washington. awesome. yea, i'll work it in, its on indy

will probably bump the arrival a day earlier to 2/10, ski 49n on 11 and 12. drive down to tamarack/brundage for 13, 14, 15, 16. up to silver 17, 18. up to schweitzer 19, 20, 21. fly home 22

nice.

 

[jaytrem]

Schweitzer can get a little crowded though...

 

[SKI-3PO]

Schweitzer is on Ikon.