Ski season is almost among us! Two local ski staples, Brundage and Tamarack, now have regional and national reputations and have had to make accommodations for new faces. But while this brings in many out-of-towners, don't think that the resorts have lost their commitment to the local community.
Currently, Brundage is working on a ten-year Mountain Improvement plan which begins with caring for their employees and regulars. A new lodge, ski patrol building, and providing employee housing to combat rising living costs are just the start for the McCall snowsport destination. Additionally, Tamarack provides bus rides to Boise clientele so they don't have to make the long drive themselves.
Then there's the actual skiing. Both resorts have to ensure that structural growth doesn't harm the quality of ski slopes. “This year we invested in our [snow] grooming," says Wolfe Ashcraft, Tamarack's Vice President of Resort Operations. He also adds that the park is doing what he calls "a large scale snow making improvement.” The resort is a local pioneer for artificial snow, and Wolfe's team is debuting 5,000 feet of snowmaking pipe on their Serenity Run.
April Whitney, a representative for Brundage, tells us that their grooming technology is also being upgraded. “We’re replacing one of our existing snowcats with a brand new PistenBully 400, which features clean exhaust technology," she says. However, the most notable change for Brundage is the retirement of the Centennial Chairlift. While the machine takes almost a quarter of an hour to get from bottom to top, it is a staple of the facility. “There’s nostalgia around Centennial," Whitney acknowledges, before adding, "this is the season to get nostalgic. Get your last ride on the fourteen-minute triple chair!" While residents will miss the familiar lift, they can take heart in knowing that its replacement will get the job done in only six minutes.
You can experience all of this yourself by visiting Brundage, Tamarack, and all of Idaho's ski resorts. Explore your options at skiidaho.us.
Article by Rob Lanterman
Photography by Brundage
Originally published in Meridian Lifestyle