SCHWEITZER MOUNTAIN RESORT
SCHWEITZER MOUNTAIN RESORT SANDPOINT, ID.
SCHWEITZER.COM
PHONE: 208.263.9555
ACRES: 2900
AVERAGE SNOW FALL: 300"
SUMMIT ELEVATION: 6400'
BASE ELEVATION: 4000'
VERTS: 2400'
# OF NAMED RUNS: 92
# OF LIFTS: 10
MILES FROM SPOKANE: 85 MILES
OTHER AMENITIES: XC, NS, TUBE
PHONE: 208.263.9555
ACRES: 2900
AVERAGE SNOW FALL: 300"
SUMMIT ELEVATION: 6400'
BASE ELEVATION: 4000'
VERTS: 2400'
# OF NAMED RUNS: 92
# OF LIFTS: 10
MILES FROM SPOKANE: 85 MILES
OTHER AMENITIES: XC, NS, TUBE
DESCRIPTION:
Schweitzer Mountain ResortJust the FactsConsidered by many as the best skiing in Idaho and the best family-friendly resort in the Pacific Northwest, Schweitzer Mountain Resort is independently owned and proud of it. Schweitzer ranks as one of the nation’s top winter destinations with 2900 acres of amazing terrain thanks to its two massive bowls and renowned tree skiing. Located in the Selkirk Mountains of the northern Idaho panhandle, and only 80 miles from Spokane, WA , Schweitzer overlooks the town of Sandpoint, ID and offers breathtaking views of three states, Canada and the impressive Lake Pend Oreille. This inland Northwest ski resort is also home to Stella - Idaho's only six-person, high-speed lift.
The Details:
Hours of Operation
Winter Season - Early December to early April (conditions permitting) from 9am to 3:30pm, daily Summer Season - Late June to Labor Day from 11am to 5pm, daily AcreageWinter - 2900 skiable acres, 92 trails plus open bowl skiing
Summer - Over 40 miles of mountain bike trails on both downhill and cross-country terrain
Ski Specific Stats
Terrain - 10% Beginner, 40% Intermediate, 35% Advanced, 15% Expert
Longest Continuous Groomed Run - Little Blue Ridge Run, 2 miles in length
Vertical Drop - 2,400 feet
Top Elevation - 6,400 feet
Average Annual Snowfall - 300 inches
Nordic Skiing trails - 32 kilometers maintained daily
Terrain Parks - Stomping Grounds, Southside Progression Park and the Terrain Garden
Lifts - 10 including one high-speed six-pack named Stella, three high-speed quads, two triple chairlifts, two double chairlifts, 1 T-Bar, and 1 conveyor lift.
Total Uphill Capacity - 15,900 riders per hour
Twilight Skiing - The Basin Express and Musical Chairs from 3 to 7 pm. For twilight skiing dates, visit the Twilight Skiing page.
Tubing - Hermit's Hollow tubing center offers two lanes with single and double tubes.
History
Schweitzer first opened in 1963 and has remained independently owned, operating on 100% private land.
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THEN HISTORY OF SCHWEITZER MOUNTAIN RESORT
A Little History Considered by many as the best skiing in Idaho and the best family-friendly resort in the Pacific Northwest, Schweitzer Mountain Resort is independently owned and proud of it. Schweitzer ranks as one of the nation’s top winter destinations with 2900 acres of amazing terrain thanks to its two massive bowls and renowned tree skiing. Located in the Selkirk Mountains of the northern Idaho panhandle, and only 80 miles from Spokane, WA, Schweitzer overlooks the town of Sandpoint, ID and offers breathtaking views of three states, Canada and the impressive Lake Pend Oreille. The resort also offers 32 kilometers of Nordic trails for cross-country, snowshoeing and snow biking during the winter season. Other activities for non-skiers like an on-site spa, dining, and shopping are all located in the intimate village.
In summer, the resort offers a variety of activities for families including hiking, mountain biking, a side-by-side zip line, climbing wall, trampoline jumper, and scenic chairlift rides. Schweitzer offers year-round accommodation on the mountain with lodging options from classic hotel style rooms to full ski-in/ski-out condominiums in winter.
Steep hills good people and a lake. This is who and what we are.
Schweitzer's HistoryThe BeginningThe history of Schweitzer Mountain Resort dates back over a century ago when, as legend has it, a Swiss hermit took shelter at the bottom of a mountain not far from the town of Sandpoint. Little was known about the man, but locals began to refer to the mountain after him as "Schweitzer," which in German, means “Swiss man.”
Our Founding FatherOne winter, while traveling back to Spokane from a ski vacation in Kimberley, BC , Jack Fowler, was inspired. Struck by the beauty of Schweitzer Mountain’s snowy basin, mountaintop and open bowls, he felt the area could be developed into a premier ski destination. Fowler found like minded key investors, including Jim Brown, who worked together to combine their resources and sell "shares" to local residents. The dream became a reality when Schweitzer’s first chairlift was opened to the public on December 4, 1963. In 2002, Jack Fowler celebrated his 80th birthday at Schweitzer Mountain. As a tribute to Schweitzer’s founding father, a new run, “Jack’s Dream,” was built close to where the first chairlift was built over 40 years ago.
The Brown YearsA few years after Schweitzer’s modest beginnings, Jim Brown bought out his partners and began to expand the resort with the addition of a day lodge in the base area and construction of nearby mountain condos. During his ownership, he was credited for offering summer lifts for mountain bikers and outdoor enthusiasts and hosting the first Festival at Sandpoint, an annual music festival showcasing international and local performing artists.
Harbor Resorts On December 31, 1999, Harbor Resorts, a Seattle-based real estate company and then owner of Stevens Pass Resort, purchased Schweitzer and brought more than a quarter century of experience in ski-resort development and management. Through their partnership with the McCaw family, who owned Mission Ridge in the Cascade Mountain Range, Schweitzer was able to climb out of bankruptcy, expand and renovate existing services.
1999: Green Gables village hotel was renovated and re-named The Selkirk Lodge. The Terrain Park was rebuilt and lit for night operations. Harbor installed two new handle lifts, improved local roads, and expanded the beginner ski area. One year later, Stella, Idaho’s only high-speed 6-passenger chairlift, opened on the mountain.
2001: construction began on White Pine Lodge. The 75,000-square-foot guest lodge, which opened in August 2002, features 50 condominium units which command spectacular views with shop and restaurant space at ground level.
2002: The Chimney Rock Grill, a full-service restaurant in the heart of Schweitzer Village, was completely renovated and in 2003, the Schweitzer Activity Center was added, which offers year-round mountain activities.
2005: The Idyle Our T-bar was installed, expanding the area’s skiable terrain by 400 acres into the Little Blue area and making Schweitzer the largest ski resort in Idaho with 2900 acres.
When the partnership between Harbor Properties and the McCaw family dissolved, Misson Ridge was sold and the McCaw family became the sole owner of Schweitzer and remains so to this day.
Today's SchweitzerIn 2006, Schweitzer's board of directors hired Tom Chasse as President and CEO of Schweitzer Mountain Resort. Chasse has been instrumental in the continued development of Schweitzer's ski terrain and infrastructure.
2007: Two new chairlifts, the Lakeview Triple and the Basin Express Quad, were added to the resort's lift system
2008: A cutting edge snowmaking system was installed and completed in 2009.
2015: Construction began on the 9,000 sq ft summit lodge, Sky House. The building was opened to the public in December of 2016 and is home to The Nest restaurant and bar, The Red Hawk cafeteria, ski patrol dispatch, and on-mountain restrooms.
2019: Schweitzer installed of two new lifts in The Outback. The high-speed detachable quad, Cedar Park Express, and the fixed grip triple, Colburn Triple, began service during the 2019/20 winter season. The resort also added an additional 7 new runs and increased gladed terrain accessed by those lifts.
2019: Construction began on a 30-unit boutique hotel in Schweitzer's village. The hotel is expected to be completed in the winter of 2021/22.
The resort is committed to being the best ski destination in the Pacific Northwest and is working diligently to improve the experience both on and off mountain for their guests, passholders, and employees. Schweitzer crafted a strategic master plan in 2017, outlining future expansion and development for the next 5 - 10 years. For more details, please visit our master plan page on the website.
Master plan – a comprehensive or far-reaching plan of action.”Schweitzer Mountain Resort is a special place. One of the last great undiscovered resorts in North America, it provides access to a beautiful wilderness, marvelous views, family adventure and a magnificent lake.
Looking Back - October 2017
In October 2017, an engaged group of stakeholders met at Sky House to discuss the future of Schweitzer and what it would take to transform the resort from a regional ski resort to the top 4-season resort in the Northwest. Among the stakeholders at Sky House in 2017 were some of the country’s most experienced real estate analysts, investors, marketers and developers, branding and creative experts, landscape architects, relationship architects and storytellers as well as Schweitzer’s own senior management. The group identified six areas of the Schweitzer experience that held high promise for achieving Schweitzer’s goals. The 2017 group believed that focusing on these six things would begin the measured and sustained process of enhancing the existing customer experience and drawing new customers to the mountain:
This question isn’t new. Since the resort first began in 1963, there have been plans to upgrade and improve the overall experience both on and off the slopes. “The resort, from its inception, has always been looking forward, searching for ways to improve and grow,” explains Schweitzer CEO Tom Chasse.
The newest master plan for Schweitzer was developed thanks to that October 2017 meeting and culminated with the Board of Directors engaging with SE Group, a company whose focus is on strategy, permitting, planning and design for communities, ski resorts, educational institutions, real estate development and public land management groups. Throughout the process, it was SE Group’s role to analyze and look into every aspect of the overall guest experience at Schweitzer. They took into account details like the exact number of hotel beds, parking spaces and lift capacity numbers, how many tables are in the restaurants, and even the number of toilets available on the mountain. They worked closely with the director team to understand how Schweitzer functions during day to day operations and what areas were facing new challenges. With no stone left unturned and studied, the latest master plan for Schweitzer was finalized, laying out three phases of growth over the next 15 years.
Phase One of the Master Plan
The first part of Schweitzer’s master plan was launched quickly in the spring of 2019 with the replacement of the Snow Ghost double chair serving the Outback and North bowls on the mountain. “Something we need to remember when it comes to acting on our master plan is Schweitzer’s unique situation as a private land owner,” adds Chasse. “We own all the land therefore it makes the whole process much faster. From a regulatory stand point, we don’t need to request permission from the Forest Service to move forward with projects. That's why we were able to install the new lifts as quickly as we did.”
Snow Ghost was replaced with two new lifts – the Cedar Park Express and the Colburn Triple. The Cedar Park Express quad chair starts just above the Cedar Park run and terminates at approximately the same location of the former mid-unload of Snow Ghost. This new lift provides more access to several underutilized runs like Have Fun and Snow Ghost. “The two lift configuration helps us split up our skier user groups,” explains Mountain Operations Director Rob Batchelder. “The new quad offers easier access to blue, intermediate terrain and the Colburn Triple gets us right back to the steep stuff in Lakeside Chutes. During the lift construction process, we logged approximately 300 acres and created new runs for our guests to enjoy in the North Bowl and we are pretty proud of that.”
Press Release (Oct 24, 2018) - Schweitzer Contracts Installation of Two New Lifts for 2019/20
In summer, the resort offers a variety of activities for families including hiking, mountain biking, a side-by-side zip line, climbing wall, trampoline jumper, and scenic chairlift rides. Schweitzer offers year-round accommodation on the mountain with lodging options from classic hotel style rooms to full ski-in/ski-out condominiums in winter.
Steep hills good people and a lake. This is who and what we are.
Schweitzer's HistoryThe BeginningThe history of Schweitzer Mountain Resort dates back over a century ago when, as legend has it, a Swiss hermit took shelter at the bottom of a mountain not far from the town of Sandpoint. Little was known about the man, but locals began to refer to the mountain after him as "Schweitzer," which in German, means “Swiss man.”
Our Founding FatherOne winter, while traveling back to Spokane from a ski vacation in Kimberley, BC , Jack Fowler, was inspired. Struck by the beauty of Schweitzer Mountain’s snowy basin, mountaintop and open bowls, he felt the area could be developed into a premier ski destination. Fowler found like minded key investors, including Jim Brown, who worked together to combine their resources and sell "shares" to local residents. The dream became a reality when Schweitzer’s first chairlift was opened to the public on December 4, 1963. In 2002, Jack Fowler celebrated his 80th birthday at Schweitzer Mountain. As a tribute to Schweitzer’s founding father, a new run, “Jack’s Dream,” was built close to where the first chairlift was built over 40 years ago.
The Brown YearsA few years after Schweitzer’s modest beginnings, Jim Brown bought out his partners and began to expand the resort with the addition of a day lodge in the base area and construction of nearby mountain condos. During his ownership, he was credited for offering summer lifts for mountain bikers and outdoor enthusiasts and hosting the first Festival at Sandpoint, an annual music festival showcasing international and local performing artists.
Harbor Resorts On December 31, 1999, Harbor Resorts, a Seattle-based real estate company and then owner of Stevens Pass Resort, purchased Schweitzer and brought more than a quarter century of experience in ski-resort development and management. Through their partnership with the McCaw family, who owned Mission Ridge in the Cascade Mountain Range, Schweitzer was able to climb out of bankruptcy, expand and renovate existing services.
1999: Green Gables village hotel was renovated and re-named The Selkirk Lodge. The Terrain Park was rebuilt and lit for night operations. Harbor installed two new handle lifts, improved local roads, and expanded the beginner ski area. One year later, Stella, Idaho’s only high-speed 6-passenger chairlift, opened on the mountain.
2001: construction began on White Pine Lodge. The 75,000-square-foot guest lodge, which opened in August 2002, features 50 condominium units which command spectacular views with shop and restaurant space at ground level.
2002: The Chimney Rock Grill, a full-service restaurant in the heart of Schweitzer Village, was completely renovated and in 2003, the Schweitzer Activity Center was added, which offers year-round mountain activities.
2005: The Idyle Our T-bar was installed, expanding the area’s skiable terrain by 400 acres into the Little Blue area and making Schweitzer the largest ski resort in Idaho with 2900 acres.
When the partnership between Harbor Properties and the McCaw family dissolved, Misson Ridge was sold and the McCaw family became the sole owner of Schweitzer and remains so to this day.
Today's SchweitzerIn 2006, Schweitzer's board of directors hired Tom Chasse as President and CEO of Schweitzer Mountain Resort. Chasse has been instrumental in the continued development of Schweitzer's ski terrain and infrastructure.
2007: Two new chairlifts, the Lakeview Triple and the Basin Express Quad, were added to the resort's lift system
2008: A cutting edge snowmaking system was installed and completed in 2009.
2015: Construction began on the 9,000 sq ft summit lodge, Sky House. The building was opened to the public in December of 2016 and is home to The Nest restaurant and bar, The Red Hawk cafeteria, ski patrol dispatch, and on-mountain restrooms.
2019: Schweitzer installed of two new lifts in The Outback. The high-speed detachable quad, Cedar Park Express, and the fixed grip triple, Colburn Triple, began service during the 2019/20 winter season. The resort also added an additional 7 new runs and increased gladed terrain accessed by those lifts.
2019: Construction began on a 30-unit boutique hotel in Schweitzer's village. The hotel is expected to be completed in the winter of 2021/22.
The resort is committed to being the best ski destination in the Pacific Northwest and is working diligently to improve the experience both on and off mountain for their guests, passholders, and employees. Schweitzer crafted a strategic master plan in 2017, outlining future expansion and development for the next 5 - 10 years. For more details, please visit our master plan page on the website.
Master plan – a comprehensive or far-reaching plan of action.”Schweitzer Mountain Resort is a special place. One of the last great undiscovered resorts in North America, it provides access to a beautiful wilderness, marvelous views, family adventure and a magnificent lake.
Looking Back - October 2017
In October 2017, an engaged group of stakeholders met at Sky House to discuss the future of Schweitzer and what it would take to transform the resort from a regional ski resort to the top 4-season resort in the Northwest. Among the stakeholders at Sky House in 2017 were some of the country’s most experienced real estate analysts, investors, marketers and developers, branding and creative experts, landscape architects, relationship architects and storytellers as well as Schweitzer’s own senior management. The group identified six areas of the Schweitzer experience that held high promise for achieving Schweitzer’s goals. The 2017 group believed that focusing on these six things would begin the measured and sustained process of enhancing the existing customer experience and drawing new customers to the mountain:
- Family
‘Adventurers’ may lead the charge in discovering a destination like Schweitzer, but its families who will populate most of the Resort. - Live/Work
At Schweitzer, work-life balance takes on special meaning. The resort itself is a symbol of how people can achieve more balance in their lives. But for many visitors, because Schweitzer is more a three-or-four-day weekend than a two-day weekend, Schweitzer Mountain Resort needs to get much tech-savvier and fast. - Food and Beverage
Americans have become foodies. Not just in the cities, but everywhere. Schweitzer needs to capitalize on this interest and support the growth of a culture that embraces great local foods and cooking. - Health/Wellness/Sustainability
These topics need to become core values and at the heart of all decisions made on the mountain. - Summer
It’s been said that “summer drives winter” in creating successful all-season mountain resorts. The more immersive those summer experiences can be, and the more they connect the mountain with the town and the lake, the more Schweitzer, and the community of Sandpoint, benefits. - Skiing
Mountain improvements with upgraded lifts, new terrain and expanded services need to develop in parallel with business growth.
This question isn’t new. Since the resort first began in 1963, there have been plans to upgrade and improve the overall experience both on and off the slopes. “The resort, from its inception, has always been looking forward, searching for ways to improve and grow,” explains Schweitzer CEO Tom Chasse.
The newest master plan for Schweitzer was developed thanks to that October 2017 meeting and culminated with the Board of Directors engaging with SE Group, a company whose focus is on strategy, permitting, planning and design for communities, ski resorts, educational institutions, real estate development and public land management groups. Throughout the process, it was SE Group’s role to analyze and look into every aspect of the overall guest experience at Schweitzer. They took into account details like the exact number of hotel beds, parking spaces and lift capacity numbers, how many tables are in the restaurants, and even the number of toilets available on the mountain. They worked closely with the director team to understand how Schweitzer functions during day to day operations and what areas were facing new challenges. With no stone left unturned and studied, the latest master plan for Schweitzer was finalized, laying out three phases of growth over the next 15 years.
Phase One of the Master Plan
The first part of Schweitzer’s master plan was launched quickly in the spring of 2019 with the replacement of the Snow Ghost double chair serving the Outback and North bowls on the mountain. “Something we need to remember when it comes to acting on our master plan is Schweitzer’s unique situation as a private land owner,” adds Chasse. “We own all the land therefore it makes the whole process much faster. From a regulatory stand point, we don’t need to request permission from the Forest Service to move forward with projects. That's why we were able to install the new lifts as quickly as we did.”
Snow Ghost was replaced with two new lifts – the Cedar Park Express and the Colburn Triple. The Cedar Park Express quad chair starts just above the Cedar Park run and terminates at approximately the same location of the former mid-unload of Snow Ghost. This new lift provides more access to several underutilized runs like Have Fun and Snow Ghost. “The two lift configuration helps us split up our skier user groups,” explains Mountain Operations Director Rob Batchelder. “The new quad offers easier access to blue, intermediate terrain and the Colburn Triple gets us right back to the steep stuff in Lakeside Chutes. During the lift construction process, we logged approximately 300 acres and created new runs for our guests to enjoy in the North Bowl and we are pretty proud of that.”
Press Release (Oct 24, 2018) - Schweitzer Contracts Installation of Two New Lifts for 2019/20
Phase Two of the Master Plan
Schweitzer finalized plans and broke ground on an additional 30 unit boutique hotel in the village. “The Board of Directors is motivated to find a solution for our lack of accommodations on the mountain,” says Chasse. “It’s challenging at best to find a room over weekends and holidays so the additional units will help ease that lodging crunch.” Schweitzer started the surveying process, relocation of utilities, and excavation of the underground parking in June of 2019 with a planned delivery during the 20/21 season. “Again, thanks to owning our own land, we can move forward with this project as quickly as permitting and financing allow.”The as yet unnamed hotel is designed by the Portland based firm Skylab Architecture. “Drawing on the heritage of Schweitzer Basin, yet contemporary in its design, it will provide a perfect venue for guests to relax, play and revel in the natural beauty surrounding them,” says Jeff Kovel, Principal/Design Director at Skylab. “Guests will enjoy spaces that heighten their connection to the outdoors and the rich local history. The building will be a state of the art facility and feature heavy timber construction (CLT) but also reuse materials (like chairlift cables) from around the Resort.”
In concert with the development of the hotel, Schweitzer and Skylab have partnered with Dunn + Kiley, a master planning and landscape architecture firm that is internationally recognized for its expertise in the planning and design of mountain resorts. Dunn + Kiley will be instrumental in improving the landscape architecture surrounding the hotel and within the existing village.
Press Release (July 9, 2019) - Schweitzer Announces Construction of New 30 Unit Boutique Hotel
Schweitzer finalized plans and broke ground on an additional 30 unit boutique hotel in the village. “The Board of Directors is motivated to find a solution for our lack of accommodations on the mountain,” says Chasse. “It’s challenging at best to find a room over weekends and holidays so the additional units will help ease that lodging crunch.” Schweitzer started the surveying process, relocation of utilities, and excavation of the underground parking in June of 2019 with a planned delivery during the 20/21 season. “Again, thanks to owning our own land, we can move forward with this project as quickly as permitting and financing allow.”The as yet unnamed hotel is designed by the Portland based firm Skylab Architecture. “Drawing on the heritage of Schweitzer Basin, yet contemporary in its design, it will provide a perfect venue for guests to relax, play and revel in the natural beauty surrounding them,” says Jeff Kovel, Principal/Design Director at Skylab. “Guests will enjoy spaces that heighten their connection to the outdoors and the rich local history. The building will be a state of the art facility and feature heavy timber construction (CLT) but also reuse materials (like chairlift cables) from around the Resort.”
In concert with the development of the hotel, Schweitzer and Skylab have partnered with Dunn + Kiley, a master planning and landscape architecture firm that is internationally recognized for its expertise in the planning and design of mountain resorts. Dunn + Kiley will be instrumental in improving the landscape architecture surrounding the hotel and within the existing village.
Press Release (July 9, 2019) - Schweitzer Announces Construction of New 30 Unit Boutique Hotel
Phase Three of the Master Plan
The third phase of Schweitzer’s master plan is arguably the most unique from any other plan put forward for the resort. “Growth has been huge the last few years and we need to find solutions for our parking issues and ease the burden on our existing village,” Batchelder comments. “Honestly, I’m very excited about solving those problems with this third phase of development in the Mid-Mountain area.”
Mid-Mountain would be a dedicated day-skier area, perfect for beginner and intermediate skiers and riders, with ample parking for day visitors and additional rental and ski school facilities. “Right now, we have a gap in offering enough beginner and intermediate terrain,” continues Batchelder. “Mid-Mountain will create approximately 8 new runs with new lifts and an additional carpet which will cater directly to those new skiers.” Batchelder also points out that one of the proposed lifts from the Mid-Mountain area would connect to the saddle area between Down the Hatch and the Stella off-load making it possible to head straight to the backside of the mountain without needing to pass through the main village or ride the Great Escape quad. “Physically, we need room to grow and Mid-Mountain does that for us.”
The resort also has another lift expansion project in this phase with the addition of a lift from the Cedar Park area to the summit of Little Blue. “Our skiers and riders enjoy skiing the far northern boundary of the resort and a lift serving that location will make access so much easier,” explains Chasse.
As with any development or planning on this scale, there are several factors that can play into the timeline in which the plan will be completed. “We have a pretty conservative approach,” notes Chasse. “Our business is growing but we want to make sure that we are financially sound and don’t get ahead of ourselves. We also want to maintain a razor sharp focus on improving the overall customer experience with everything that we do.”
Schweitzer expects this master plan to reach full completion in 7 to 15 years as long as business levels continue to grow as predicted. “During my tenure at Schweitzer, we’ve replaced Chair 1 by adding 2 new lifts, enhanced our snowmaking capacities, built Sky House and added 2 new lifts in the North Bowl,” reminisces Chasse. “I really feel we have achieved everything we can to be competitive. The goal is to make Schweitzer a true destination ski resort with some national recognition and that’s happening. We think this master plan will help us achieve our goal to provide the best skiing and snowboarding experience around.”
Mid-Mountain would be a dedicated day-skier area, perfect for beginner and intermediate skiers and riders, with ample parking for day visitors and additional rental and ski school facilities. “Right now, we have a gap in offering enough beginner and intermediate terrain,” continues Batchelder. “Mid-Mountain will create approximately 8 new runs with new lifts and an additional carpet which will cater directly to those new skiers.” Batchelder also points out that one of the proposed lifts from the Mid-Mountain area would connect to the saddle area between Down the Hatch and the Stella off-load making it possible to head straight to the backside of the mountain without needing to pass through the main village or ride the Great Escape quad. “Physically, we need room to grow and Mid-Mountain does that for us.”
The resort also has another lift expansion project in this phase with the addition of a lift from the Cedar Park area to the summit of Little Blue. “Our skiers and riders enjoy skiing the far northern boundary of the resort and a lift serving that location will make access so much easier,” explains Chasse.
As with any development or planning on this scale, there are several factors that can play into the timeline in which the plan will be completed. “We have a pretty conservative approach,” notes Chasse. “Our business is growing but we want to make sure that we are financially sound and don’t get ahead of ourselves. We also want to maintain a razor sharp focus on improving the overall customer experience with everything that we do.”
Schweitzer expects this master plan to reach full completion in 7 to 15 years as long as business levels continue to grow as predicted. “During my tenure at Schweitzer, we’ve replaced Chair 1 by adding 2 new lifts, enhanced our snowmaking capacities, built Sky House and added 2 new lifts in the North Bowl,” reminisces Chasse. “I really feel we have achieved everything we can to be competitive. The goal is to make Schweitzer a true destination ski resort with some national recognition and that’s happening. We think this master plan will help us achieve our goal to provide the best skiing and snowboarding experience around.”