49 Degrees North Mountain Resort
Cover photo courtesy of 49 Degrees North Mountain Resort
If you’re a ski hill in the Inland Northwest, you’ve had to adapt over the last 20 years. With less predictable winters, climate change and a fluctuating economy, many have had to get creative to meet the challenges.
49 Degrees North, located in Chewelah, Wash., has made some incredible updates to ride with the times. They’ve grown into 2,325 skiable acres, making them the largest ski resort in Eastern Washington and in the top 25 largest ski areas in the United States. They offer 90 runs: the most in the state. They’ve made significant updates to the mountain’s food, retail, rental, and demo offerings, as well as its grooming quality, lifts, and snowmaking. There are plans in the works for a world-class bike park. But what’s most impressive amid the changes is how 49° North has kept its spirit.
“Mega-resorts tend to be overcrowded, with long lines, overpriced food, and a touristy vibe. That’s why places like 49° North are so special—they’re like hidden gems,” says marketing coordinator Sarah Walker. “Every day we celebrate the stoke. It is easy to make friends on the slopes or in the lodge, and there are live bands and themed events on the deck to enjoy nearly every weekend. Even non-skiers and snowboarders come to enjoy the great food, music, and spectator events.”
The rate at which 49° North has been able to make improvements and enhancements over the past few years “is pretty mind-blowing,” says Rick Brown, director of skier and rider services. “The most notable piece to that story is the way the ski area has been able to maintain the family-friendly, down-to-earth, unpretentious local ski hill vibe that it’s always had.”
Known for incredible glade skiing, 49° North added significant terrain when they installed the Sunrise Quad Chair in the east basin of Chewelah Peak, which tacked on 700 acres of lift-accessed terrain and 18 runs from easy greens to double black diamonds. They added Angel Peak Chair to the west basin, which offered 11 new trails and more gladed skiing, upgraded Chair 2 with an extension, and added the Northern Spirit Express in 2021, a high-speed quad that cut ride time from 15 minutes to 7 minutes. Not that 49° North was ever known for having long lift lines, says Brown.
To expand into summer terrain, 49° North recently partnered with the world leader in bike park design and development, Gravity Logic out of Whistler, B.C., to do a feasibility study and create a conceptual design for a bike park on the mountain. While the plan has been submitted to the Forest Service, developing a new bike park on National Forest land in a responsible and sustainable way takes time. There are a few more steps, but Brown says they hope to have “tools in the dirt” within the next 12-18 months.
Upgrades like these—in addition to snowmaking, which allows 49° North to give skiers and riders one of the longest riding seasons in the region—are all in service of offering great terrain for any experience level. The Gold Fever conveyer in their learning area gives even the youngest skiers a low-stress environment to build confidence and skills. A gladed tree run on the beginner’s slopes gives kids a chance to experience the thrill of gliding through a forest on a blanket of snow.
“Whether it’s your first time or your 949th time at the resort, it feels like your home mountain, someplace you belong,” says Brown. “Families can ski or ride almost every zone of the mountain together regardless of difference in abilities or terrain preferences.”
With so much terrain, visitors regularly comment that it feels like they have entire runs to themselves, no matter the number of cars at the trailhead. “There’s almost always some fresh corduroy to carve or untouched powder to be found around the mountain by the end of the day,” says Brown. “Powder stashes can usually be found for several days after a big storm cycle. That just doesn’t happen at most ski areas.”
Snag a 2024-25 season pass on summer sale, or get in on the fall pass sale starting mid-September, and enjoy 49° North’s varied terrain, high-speed lift, and welcoming mountain culture. 49° North is farther north than other regional mountains, so it often sees larger snow accumulations from different storm systems and faces primarily north, giving it great snow quality and longevity. From stunning views of the Pend Oreille Valley via long cruiser trails to challenging off-piste with gorgeous views into Canada, 49° North is waiting. www.ski49n.com.
