Schweitzer, Idaho ~ January 29th - February 5, 2022

Week 2 of this season’s 4 consecutive ski weeks brought the club to Schweitzer Mountain Resort in Idaho. With folks transferring from the FSC Heavenly ski trip, driving in, making their own arrangements, or using our group travel, and given the current state of airline travel, for some it was a bit of an adventure just getting here. But all arrived safely ready to enjoy a great vacation. You know it is going to be a good week when you see snow all the way from the airport to the resort. While we did not have the all-day sunshine that those from Heavenly said they had, our daily mix of sun with snow showers kept the slopes looking good. We soon learned our daily grooming report of zero new snow actually meant at least 2 to 3 inches to refresh the 40+ daily groomed runs and offered daily opportunities of making fresh tracks while glade skiing. It also helped being able to make fresh tracks in that our club made the resort crowded. After the weekend crowd left Sunday, it was fairly easy to find our 27 wearing the club bandanas as there were not that many more on the slopes. Even on Sunday and Friday with the weekend crowds in play, lift lines were nearly non-existent.

While the ski area is large, it is true this resort is small but I think that is perfect for a club trip. It increases the opportunities to see and hang out with fellow club members and get to know them. We got the week started with a welcome reception that included drinks, super fudgy brownies and of course a delicious Idaho potato bar with all the fixings you can think of. Mid-week was a group Italian dinner night again with great food. And we finished off with an après ski where we nearly closed down the bar. In between we shared wonderful meals at the Chimney Rock restaurant and other eateries. Taking a day off and getting down to the town was easy with the free public shuttles running every half hour. The downtown area of Sandpoint offers a nice shopping district with some excellent pubs and breweries.

Our last day was a snow day. When they actually say they are going to get snow, you get a white out. But Friday is also their evening skiing day and with the sky clearing at 3:30p, we again were making fresh tracks until 7. What a beautiful way to end the week. You know it is a great ski week when you have zero injuries, everyone has smiles, and members are asking when the next trip back to Schweitzer is going to happen. We will be back soon.