Industry News
This week, Idaho will add another mountain to its list of ski resorts. Brundage Mountain plans to operate seven days a week, conditions permitting. According to a press release, the independent resort expects to run the Bluebird Express, Bear Chair, and Easy Street Triple Chairs on opening day, with additional lifts and more terrain opening as soon as conditions permit. Uphill travel is now closed in preparation for opening the mountain. Brundage will join Lookout Pass Ski Area as the only two open ski resorts in Idaho.
Brundage Mountain Resort, Idaho, plans to kick off the 2024-25 Winter Season with full-time operations starting Friday, November 22. Winter storms have dropped 23 inches on the resort’s base area in the past week, providing the snow coverage needed for Brundage Mountain’s earliest opening in nearly two decades. This will be Brundage Mountain’s earliest opening since 2005.
“The excitement on the mountain has been building all month, and this weekend, our entire team got the chance to spring into action,” Ken Rider, Brundage Mountain General Manager, said. “We’ve got crews clearing snow from the parking lots and walkways, lifties prepping the lift mazes and ramps, patrollers heading up the mountain to install rope lines and signage, and of course, our grooming team packing and smoothing the slopes. They are getting after it and getting it done.”
Guests will be treated to an entirely new arrival experience at Brundage Mountain. The new 18,000-square-foot MTN Adventure Center features a paved drop-off loop and one-stop access to all key resort services. Ticketing, guest services, the MTN Sports School, daycare, a rental and demo gear shop, a retail shop, a coffee shop, and restrooms are all found on one level with a state-of-the-art tune shop, day lockers, and a private seasonal locker room on the lower level. “We designed the MAC to be easy to navigate, with all the essential services found in one convenient location,” Rider said.
Mountain Stats
- Total Lift-Accessed Terrain
1920 Acres (420 acres of lift-accessed, un-patrolled, without avalanche mitigation, backcountry terrain) - Backcountry Terrain
18,000 Acres (Guided backcountry via snowcat) - Summit Elevation
7,803 feet - Base Elevation
5,882 feet - Vertical drop
1,921 feet - Lifts
6 (two high-speed quad chairs, three triple chairs, one magic carpet) - Natural Snowfall
320″ (base area average) - Season
Mid-November through Mid-April - Named Trails
70 — Easiest: 21%, More Difficult: 33%, Most Difficult: 46% - Popular Scenic Trails
Temptation, Dropline, Kickback, North - Terrain Parks
2 – Bear Park & Jammer Park - Lift Capacity
Up to 9,000 people per hour
A state-certified daycare facility will care for children as young as six weeks old, seven days a week. Brundage is introducing new affordable beginner programs for families this season. The $30 Beartopia lift ticket provides full-day access to more than 100 acres of mostly beginner and novice terrain, including all of Brundage Mountain’s terrain parks. Kids six and under are always free at Brundage, and adults riding with those young children can purchase their own Beartopia ticket for $20.
Brundage Mountain’s new Starter PAK, aimed at beginners, includes three 90-minute lessons, three days of lift access, season-long rentals, and an unlimited season pass upon completion of the third lesson. The package costs $499 for youth (17 and under) and $999 for adults. Early season lift ticket pricing will be in effect to start the season, with adult tickets available online for just $48. Seniors and teens can purchase tickets online for $33, while junior tickets cost $23. Kids six and under always ski for free at Brundage.
