Skiing is really prominent among University of Idaho students, but budget and distance constraints can make it difficult for a student. Freshman Anja Gudmundsen is on the university ski team, and she thinks “skiing is popular at UI because it’s an easy way to meet new people while having a good time.”
Here is a breakdown of some mountains that are a day trip away from campus and the costs associated with each location.
Silver Mountain
Just a little more than two hours away, Silver Mountain is in Kellogg, Idaho. It offers more than 1,600 acres and a 2,200 feet vertical drop. The resort opened on Friday, Dec. 5, with two lifts. As the season goes on, the other two will open. Gus Colburn is head of marketing at Silver. He said the gondola that goes to the top of the mountain is “the longest in the USA.” The resort averages 340 inches of snow annually. Colburn said “the community at Silver Mountain is the best thing about the mountain.
An adult season pass is $879, but a student discount brings it down to $519. Season passes must be purchased by Dec. 20. To get the college student discount, one must present a valid picture ID and a current class schedule. Student day lift tickets are $59 midweek, $69 on weekends and $75 on holidays (Dec. 20-Jan.4, Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend and Valentine’s Day weekend). Student tickets for two hours of tubing are $30.
Lookout Pass
Lookout Pass is a two and a half hours’ drive to Mullen, Idaho, right on the border with Montana. There are five lifts and 59 named trails on the 1,023-acre skiable area. They claim a 1,650 feet vertical drop as the oldest ski area in Idaho. Its season opened Dec. 5 with 15 trails. The resort averages 450 inches of snow annually. Matt Sawyer, the director of marketing at Lookout said the snow is “heavenly sent, all natural.” Sawyer also said how, as it lies on the border of two different states and two different time zones, one can ski “into the future and back to the future in succession.”
A college student’s season pass is $167 compared to the adult season pass for $599. Day lift tickets are cheaper with a reservation. Prices are $55 for midweek, $62 for a weekend and $69 during holidays. To qualify for a college season pass, one must be a full-time student taking at least nine credits per semester for undergraduate students or six credits a semester for graduate students. To get a college discount, one must bring a current schedule and a current valid college ID and be between the ages of 17-35.
Schweitzer
Three hours north takes one to Schweitzer Mountain in Bonner County, just north of Sandpoint, Idaho. Schweitzer advertises 2,900 acres of tree skiing, a 2,400 feet vertical drop and 10 lifts. The resort averages 300 inches of lake-effect snow per year as it overlooks Lake Pend Orielle — the fifth deepest lake in the U.S. The mountain’s backside “Outback Bowl” offers Idaho’s only cat ski access while its frontside “Schweitzer Bowl” offers wide open groomers best for intermediates.
Prices fluctuate daily, so check out its website for specific days. A day college lift pass can be between $55 to $138. A young adult (18-25) unlimited season pass is $779 and an adult (26-79) unlimited season pass is $1,449.
Mt. Spokane
Mt. Spokane, a nonprofit mountain, is two and a half hours north of Moscow in Mead, Washington. The resort anticipates opening on Dec. 13. There are seven lifts and 53 runs on the resort’s more than 1,770 skiable acres and 2,071 feet vertical drop. Lindsey Bangsburg, the digital media manager at Mt. Spokane, says “students choose Mt. Spokane because we offer terrain for all ability levels, a strong Terrain Park, and a community-focused experience that’s different from other mountains in the region.”
A college season pass is $749 compared to the adult $899. A student ID and proof of enrollment is required at the time of pass pickup. Lift tickets will not be on sale until the projected opening of the resort on Saturday, Dec. 13.
Miriam Moore can be reached at [email protected]