Conditions Report
Report from February 23-26, 2024
Schweitzer Ski Resort in Sandpoint, Idaho, is a tree skier’s paradise. A group of us ventured to Idaho’s panhandle to see what all the Schweitzer hype was about. The mountain lived up to its reputation for tree skiing. I have never seen so many cleverly gladed runs interspersed with natural tree skiing. The availability of trees for all levels is clever from a design perspective and incredibly enjoyable for a group trip.
We arrived expecting a few clear days before a storm. But our clear days certainly featured some clouds. But that was not a problem; it kept the snow cold, which was necessary given the low snow base. Like most resorts in the interior, Schweitzer has not had the best snow year.
Every day, Schweitzer felt like a different mountain at different altitudes. At the summit, the whipping wind kept things feeling wintery. The trees were iced over, and the light was low.
The mountain’s front side is a bit higher than the back side, which you could feel at every turn. On the backside of the mountain, there was some soft blower snow each day for the first third, a little fresh but a somewhat soft base for the middle, and a hard base for the bottom third. On the front side, the first half of a descent was solid—surprisingly, given that some snow was sun-kissed. The latter half of the frontside was a bit choppy and glazed.
It was really fun to ski with a big crew. The trip was inspiring for a few of our contingent— they started skiing with poles, and by the final day, they left them in the car. The newly pole-less skiers are looking forward to more consistent form and better balance while they float with their hands-free.
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