What’s New in 2019-2020 at your Pacific Northwest Ski Resorts
/Press release from Northwest Ski Areas Association, Friday, October 11, 2019
Contact: Jordan Elliott, President, 877-533-5520
Bend, OR – No longer in an El Nino phase for water temperatures in the Pacific, the upcoming neutral pattern bodes well for 2019-2020 snow in the NW. Terrain expansion, new and tuned up ski lifts, new and remodeled lodges, summer brush cutting/grooming of runs, new rental equipment and a compelling array of learning programs have snow enthusiast excited for the winter ahead. Following are highlights of what’s new at the region’s resorts.
OREGON
Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort: Anthony Lakes Backside Cat Trip reservations are now done through a “Reservation Request Form” found on the Cat Trips page at AnthonyLakes.com. Reservation Requests will be open to submit beginning on October 15, 2019. Visit https://anthonylakes.com
Mt. Ashland: Mt. Ashland has added to their rental fleet. The historic lodge received a facelift with new riding and a fresh paint job which completes renovations started in 2017. More than a million dollars have been spent upgrading the lodge over the past few years. New snow fences, loading ramps at the lift requiring less snow to open, along with mountain-wide trail trimming will help Mt. Ashland to shoot for earlier openings. The third phase of a forest health initiative will be completed in the fall which not only benefits tree health but also has a side benefit of creating some of the finest tree skiing in the Northwest. Powder days will now last longer with dozens of new lines opened up in the acres of steep Mt. Ashland trees. Lift upgrades include a new haul rope and drive on Comer, and comfort bars added to the Sonnet beginner lift.
Mt. Hood Meadows: Made room for an additional 250 vehicles in a new two acre paved overflow parking lot this summer, located adjacent to the Hood River Meadows base area. The interchange was improved to add turn lanes at that entrance as part of a major highway improvement. Meadows is improving its snow harvesting capabilities by building two new dump beds and mounting them on snowcats. Phase one of Sahale – a 23,000 square foot event and activities center and restaurant was completed this summer, keeping it on pace for a December 2020 opening.
Mt. Bachelor: Mt. Bachelor and its parent company, POWDR, are reimagining the mountain experience with Woodward and Woodward Mountain Park, a network of terrain zone features that will make for fun, new and engaging ways to ski and ride. Learning, experiential and performance venues, including the new Woodward Start Park (free for all guests), Woodward Progression Parks and Woodward Peace Park will highlight the experience for guests of all ability levels. In support of Woodward Mountain Park, Mt. Bachelor is transforming its Sunrise base area with a remodel of Sunrise Lodge, an additional 300-car parking lot, a new fixed-quip quad chairlift and two new covered conveyor carpet lifts.
Ski Summit: Following the R.L.K. and Company’s, (Operator of Timberline Lodge and Ski Area), 2018 purchase of the Summit Ski Area in Government Camp, the ski area has submitted a Master Development plan to the USFS. The plan includes a proposed gondola to connect with the Timberline Lodge. Although the gondola is not in place for the 2019-2020 season, the MDP can be found here.
Timberline Lodge and Ski Area: An Official U.S. Ski & Snowboard training site through 2023, Timberline launches the ORIGINS campaign, highlighting their unique history in relation to sustainability, stewardship and mountain culture. Initiatives surrounding energy conservation, waste reduction, transportation and procurement of local goods are outlined in the campaign. In addition, a new 10 year master development plan has been developed in collaboration with the USFS and serves as a blue print for the ski area’s future. Details here
WASHINGTON
Crystal Mountain: After the 2018 acquisition of Crystal Mountain Resort, Alterra Mountain Company spends $4.6M in improvements this year. 12 new gondola cabins, peaking the Mt. Rainier Gondola to 900 people per hour. A new 200 foot conveyor lift has been installed next to the Discovery lift. The terrain park moves to Quicksilver, allowing for night skiing terrain park access. A terrain based learning area will use shaped snow to aid in learning basics. Two new snow grooming machines have been added to the fleet, including a new winch cat. Guests will find new touch screen kiosks in the rental shop, tickets kiosks in parking lots B and C, and a new base area shuttle vehicle. Seating areas in the Campbell Basin Lodge have also expanded.
Mission Ridge Ski & Board Resort: Snowmaking equipment has continued to be upgraded included 3 new SMI Super Polecat Tower Guns and 4,000 feet of piping. Initial preparations have been made for the summer 2020 installation of new lift to replace The Liberator. The operating schedule has also been adjusted for the first time in 19 seasons to now include 7 day-a-week operations from mid-December through April. An all new fleet of rental equipment has arrived on the mountain, and new midweek pass products are also available.
Stevens Pass Mountain Resort: As part of a two-year, $35 million investment into ski areas acquired by Vail Resorts in fall 2018, the Brooks and Daisy chairlifts at Stevens Pass were replaced and upgraded this summer. The replacements of Daisy and Brooks will reduce lift line wait times, double the capacity on Brooks, increase capacity on Daisy by 33%, and serve under-utilized terrain for beginner and intermediate guests. The upgraded lifts will also enhance the Ski and Snowboard School experience, with new pogramming to take advantage of improved access to the terrain. Part of this investment also includes improvements to food and beverage offerings in the Granite Peaks Lodge as well as the relocation of the Skyline Express base terminal, ultimately improving the guest flow around these lifts and base area.
Mt Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park: Bus service is returning to Mt. Spokane, Saturday’s, December 28th through March 7th, , a 55 passenger bus with equipment storage will pick up from 2-3 locations in Spokane. Expansion area brush cutting has also occurred for improved grooming and access to the 279 acres made available after last winters opening of the new triple chair. The interior of the new Mountain Sports School Learning Center is complete and will serve as the HQ for over 100 ski/board instructors and students. KANtasy Tubing offers tubing under the stars on select dates. See website for details.
49 Degrees North: Following the April 2019 sale of the Chewelah, WA mountain resort, new energy has brought lodge renovations to food preparation areas, water saving fixtures and new furnishing for the Boomtown Bar and Grill. The old rope tow has been replaced with a new covered conveyor lift, snowmaking capacity has increased, 2 new snow cats are added to the grooming fleet, and new snowmobile groomer will serve 10 miles of cross country trails. The new partnership with Silver Mountain (ID) has introduced the Combo Season Pass, giving guests the ability to ski/ride both Silver Mountain and 49 Degrees North. See www.ski49n.com.
IDAHO
Schweitzer Mountain Resort: Major construction projects at the Northern Idaho resort this summer. Two new chairlifts, a detachable quad and a fixed grip triple will move skiers uphill this winter, with 7 new named runs. A new winching snow cat and expanded snowmaking equipment are now on the mountain, as well as a new fleet of rental equipment and expanding seating for some dining areas. The access road saw 6.5 miles of new pavement alongside new fiber optic cables that will improve all internet access at the resort. Summer 2019 also saw construction commence on a new 30-unit boutique hotel, to include a new restaurant, slated for completion and grand opening Fall 2020. For full detail on this summer’s projects click here.
ALASKA
Skeetawk: The Hatcher Pass Alpine Experience, an Alaskan nonprofit, is building a triple chairlift to become one of the newest lift served ski areas in the United States; Skeetawk. The existing parking lot sits at about 1,450 feet above sea level outside of Palmer. The new beginner chair will be 1,250′ long and have a vertical gain of about 300 feet. Future plans include a high speed quad to access more advanced terrain. For more information click here.
Alyeska: The Girdwood, AK resort installed an Electric Vehicle Charging station for the coming season. Along with encouraging EV’s to visit Alyeska, they are also offering hotel guests a $5/day food and beverage voucher or a donation to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center as part of their Green Stay Initiative, for guests who waive housekeeping on multi-day stay overs. These programs aim to help the resort reduce carbon footprint as well as water and chemical usage.
Eaglecrest: Eaglecrest has prioritized snowmaking and other offseason projects to overcome challenging weather conditions and deliver a reliable winter experience. Trail crews have cut brush and mowed the tall grasses all over the mountain, combined with drainage work and some soil filling projects, increases are expected for the efficiency of the mountains 20 snow guns. On the tech side, a new online store is implemented alongside new RFID gates and scanners for chair lifts. More information here.
For additional information on these exciting developments in the mountains, please visit your favorite mountain’s website or call the resort directly.
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The Pacific Northwest Ski Areas Association is a non-profit trade association, which represents the interests of ski and snowboard facilities located in Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Northern California. The Association’s 35 member ski areas – most of which operate on public land – collectively host an average of 5.6 million visits annually. For additional information on Pacific Northwest skiing and snowboarding, contact the PNSAA office at (877) 533-5520, or visit http://www.pnsaa.org to link to the website of your favorite mountain.