sprocket Posted February 21, 2012 Posted February 21, 2012 Curious if anyone has been there and what you think of the place, snow quality and the type of terrain. Also does it get crowded on weekends? Thanks. Quote
pindude Posted February 21, 2012 Posted February 21, 2012 Easiest answers first: - Yes, I've been there. - Crowds: Even with main park lot full, plus both overflow lots full, the mountain is big enough and there's enough terrain it spreads people out and generally lift lines are minimal. Best ski lines can still get skied out fast on a powder day though. - Snow quality: Generally good with much of the mountain being north-facing, the general northerly latitude, and the elevation between about 4000 and 5800'. Many glades, both in the West Basin/Chair 4 area, also in the East Basin/Chair 5 area. - Think of the place: Well enough that I've been a pass holder for about 15 years. I'm from the north Spokane area and also ski at the other 4 regional resorts in the NE Washington-north Idaho area, plus BC, plus other resorts through the greater NW. 49 does not have the steeps that are in the Cascades with Stevens, Baker, Crystal, Alpental, but does have excellent gladed skiing, a good vibe, and is family-friendly. Do I win anything? Quote
kevino Posted February 21, 2012 Posted February 21, 2012 Hey Pindude, i'll be moving to spokane in september. I've been able to find some info on the rock climbing in the area and know where the resorts are, but how about backcountry skiing? How long does the season generally run? Whats good thats close and not so close? Thanks. Quote
curtveld Posted February 21, 2012 Posted February 21, 2012 Spent a season at 49 and pindude has pretty much got you covered. That being said, the terrain is really quite good, in the blue to black steepness range. I'd take it over Baker in a heartbeat in terms of more sustained slopes. The other thing that was a bit of a surprise for a Cascadian is it's actually pretty gray - not much sunshine in the winter. Definitely more consistently decent quality snow though. Quote
sprocket Posted February 21, 2012 Author Posted February 21, 2012 Thanks for the feedback guys. We're blue/black (condition dependent) boarders looking for something new from the west side resorts. We rarely go on weekends here, usually go to Mission Ridge for the weekend and were just looking for another option. It would be a haul for 2 days on the slopes. The trail map does look like a lot of black and double black runs. Is there enough to keep us busy since double blacks and bumpy blacks are probably out of our ability? Do they groom some of the black runs on groomer days? Lodging recommendations? Seems like a couple modest hotels are there. Thanks again. Quote
AlpineK Posted February 21, 2012 Posted February 21, 2012 The other thing that was a bit of a surprise for a Cascadian is it's actually pretty gray - not much sunshine in the winter. Definitely more consistently decent quality snow though. Long periods of the winter with high grey overcast skies in, "Far," Eastern Washington/North Idaho should not be surprising Quote
pindude Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 The other thing that was a bit of a surprise for a Cascadian is it's actually pretty gray - not much sunshine in the winter. Definitely more consistently decent quality snow though. Long periods of the winter with high grey overcast skies in, "Far," Eastern Washington/North Idaho should not be surprising haha, good one Feck. Quote
sobo Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 Do I win anything? Always lookin' fer a handout, eh Steve? Quote
sobo Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 The other thing that was a bit of a surprise for a Cascadian is it's actually pretty gray - not much sunshine in the winter. Definitely more consistently decent quality snow though. Long periods of the winter with high grey overcast skies in, "Far," Eastern Washington/North Idaho should not be surprising haha, good one Feck. I don't get it... Quote
pindude Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 Thanks for the feedback guys. We're blue/black (condition dependent) boarders looking for something new from the west side resorts. We rarely go on weekends here, usually go to Mission Ridge for the weekend and were just looking for another option. It would be a haul for 2 days on the slopes. The trail map does look like a lot of black and double black runs. Is there enough to keep us busy since double blacks and bumpy blacks are probably out of our ability? Do they groom some of the black runs on groomer days? Lodging recommendations? Seems like a couple modest hotels are there. Thanks again. You'll be fine and do well, sprocket. Don't let the trail map fool you. Resort difficulty ratings are highly variable, a little like climbing ratings. A double-black here in the states, for instance, is a single black north of the border. I think the ratings of runs here in the INW resorts are a little softer than what's in the Cascades. "Blacks" at 49DN that are groomed regularly include Klondike, Dream Line, and if it's a groomer day, part of Sluice Box. Our snow pack further inland is a little less than average, so be careful for wood and some rock in the glades where it's not groomed, especially below the 4800' road in the West Basin: Three weeks ago, I caught with my beefy ski boot a tree stob that was buried just under the surface. Caused me to instantly flip but all I had was soft snow below me, so no harm other than fresh snow in my helmet and goggles. Chewelah has cheap lodgings, but I don't know the motels at all and can't recommend one place over the other. If you have a Toyota this Friday at 49, one of ya gets to ski free. Have fun on your trip. Quote
pindude Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 (edited) The other thing that was a bit of a surprise for a Cascadian is it's actually pretty gray - not much sunshine in the winter. Definitely more consistently decent quality snow though. Long periods of the winter with high grey overcast skies in, "Far," Eastern Washington/North Idaho should not be surprising haha, good one Feck. I don't get it... Really, not much more gray here than it is in Yakima or the T-Cities! Edit to add: Lots of folks think Spokane is a suburb of Seattle, and we get lots of rain. Yes, we can have *some* gray days in the winter (not nearly as many as west of the Cascades), but those generally are the same days that bring moisture, most of which falls from late fall through spring. Just as common are inversion days with fog or low clouds, and sunshine in the mountains. I don't mind people thinking we have shitty weather in the INW. Keeps more of the the riff raff away. We have enough meth heads as it is! Edited February 22, 2012 by pindude Quote
pindude Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 Hey Pindude, i'll be moving to spokane in september. I've been able to find some info on the rock climbing in the area and know where the resorts are, but how about backcountry skiing? How long does the season generally run? Whats good thats close and not so close? Thanks. kevino, welcome to Spokane. We don't have all the great stuff that exists in the Cascades, but best areas include the Stevens Peak backcountry area near Lookout Pass (in particular the Boulder Creek, Lone Lake, and Copper Lake basins, as well as Tiger Peak), Sherman Pass, Kootenay Pass just north of the border toward Whitewater and Nelson, and the north Idaho Selkirks. The first 3 can be done as day trips (a longer day for Canada). The latter, in the Selkirks, has longer access, typically up to 10 miles or more from main roads to get up near the crest, so snomo access or overnights there are the norm. Season runs at least through April, and not uncommonly into June and even July. As BC skiers, we're just getting organized over here, but here's our new web page: http://ibackcountry.org/ Quote
sobo Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 Long periods of the winter with high grey overcast skies in, "Far," Eastern Washington/North Idaho should not be surprising haha, good one Feck. I don't get it... Really, not much more gray here than it is in Yakima or the T-Cities! I still don' get it. I'm a dolt... Quote
pindude Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 (edited) Sorry, sobo, I just edited my post upwind there. edited to add: Also, Feck with his wink was obviously questioning Curt. Too bad, I think Curt might have had one of our grayer winters up there. I should also mention that most of the mountain at 49 is north-facing, so in the middle of winter the low sun is not very visible as it would be on other aspects. A new chair, the Chair 5 quad, was installed in the East Basin about 5 years ago--especially in the mornings now, most people flock to that side of the mountain. Edited February 22, 2012 by pindude Quote
sobo Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 Ah! Got it now. Your edit was crucial to my getting the funny. And no one has ever accused me of being a rocket scientist, ya know... Quote
pindude Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 Ah, sobo, I know that with you as an engineer it's not much of a stretch that you *could* be a rocket scientist, and you certainly do know shit! Quote
sobo Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 Well, not by any royal proclamation do I... Gawd, I really do love this new autosig. I may never go back to my old one... Quote
kevino Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 pindude, Thanks for the info. Always exciting to check out new aeras...are there any books that are worthwhile to pick up that talk about the aforementioned areas? The website you linked is interesting...seems like there are lots land use issues going on, but sadly the trip report area seems quite empty. thanks again. maybe we can get out skiing next winter Quote
AlpineK Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 Ah! Got it now. Your edit was crucial to my getting the funny. And no one has ever accused me of being a rocket scientist, ya know... Sorry to cause a disruption. I've never skied at 49, but it looks like a fun ski area. Quality (Closest to Moscow) skiing south of Spokane North South Ski Bowl, St. Maries • 80 skiable acres on 600' vertical Specs: Summit elevation: 4200'; Base elevation: 3600'. 2 Lifts: 1 double, 1 surface. Uphill capacity: 500/hr. Season: usually late November to early April. Annual Snowfall: 175". The SKInny: Small, locally-oriented operation. Good family atmosphere; not a destination for wanderers or hotshots. Quote
sprocket Posted February 22, 2012 Author Posted February 22, 2012 Thanks Pindude for all the info. Sounds like what we are looking for in terms of vibe. Need to call and see if there is a room to be had and decide if we want to make the drive. Thanks for the tip about the low coverage off the groomers, already had an experience with that at Mission earlier this year. Quote
curtveld Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 Long periods of the winter with high grey overcast skies in, "Far," Eastern Washington/North Idaho should not be surprising At that point, my 'east-side' experience was mostly central Oregon which gets lots of sun in winter. If you're looking for a good road-trip option in that area, another good choice is Red Mountain near Rossland BC, another hour or so north of 49. A huge mountain with lots of moderate glade skiing - with lift access! Quote
sprocket Posted February 23, 2012 Author Posted February 23, 2012 We just got back from Revelstoke and are hitting Bachelor later in March so something quick and cheap is all we can swing right now. We're heading over on a Friday after work and will head back after a 1/2 day or so on Sunday. Room price I was quoted ends up at $63 a night for 3 people and lift tickets are only $30 if you buy them through the hotel. That's a pretty good deal IMO. I would really like to hit Red at some point, along with Schweitzer for that matter. Quote
sobo Posted February 23, 2012 Posted February 23, 2012 I would really like to hit Red at some point, along with Schweitzer for that matter. No shit, man! You gotta hit Schweitzer! The place Quote
pindude Posted February 23, 2012 Posted February 23, 2012 pindude, Thanks for the info. Always exciting to check out new aeras...are there any books that are worthwhile to pick up that talk about the aforementioned areas? The website you linked is interesting...seems like there are lots land use issues going on, but sadly the trip report area seems quite empty. thanks again. maybe we can get out skiing next winter Time for a new book. The only book written for Inland NW and greater area backcountry skiing is the long out-of-print "Ski Trails of the Inland Empire" from 1983. Many of the tours have changed but it's still a good resource for not only what is still popular for locals, but also some forgotten classics. Website is brand new, thus the dearth of TR's. You're welcome to add any in the future! Several issues, but main stuff going on now are (1) establishment of the Stevens Peak Non-Motorized Winter Recreation Area (presented to and discussed with the USFS since before 2003), (2) saving the west side of Mt. Spokane from unecessary lift-assisted ski concession expansion into a natural area and old growth, and (3) input for the proposed Kootenai and Idaho Panhandle National Forest Plan. Hit me up: will be glad to show you what we have. Quote
pindude Posted February 23, 2012 Posted February 23, 2012 Right on Sprocket. Schweitzer is excellent, as is Red. If you do spend a weekend to go up to Red Mtn and Rossland, while you're over the border it would be very worth your while to also hit up Whitewater out of Nelson. WH20 is smaller, has the great vibe of the Nelson area locals, and gets more powder as Ymir Mountain wrings more moisture out of the prevailing westerly systems than what Red receives. And if the powder gets skied out at WH20 or Red, there's countless BC opportunity elsewhere in the West Kootenay backcountry including at Salmo-Creston Pass just south of Nelson and WH2O. Quote
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