Cover photo courtesy of Mt. Spokane
Winter is coming, and the region’s four Ski the NW Rockies Association resorts aren’t waiting around. Lift upgrades, remodeled lodges, terrain improvements, new lesson programs and events—these Inland Northwest ski areas have been busy all summer with it all, getting ready for opening day.
49° North Mountain Resort
49° North Mountain Resort spent this past summer getting ready for winter, and the biggest change waiting on the hill is the new Dreamer lift. The resort also expanded snowmaking and upgraded terrain across much of the 2,325 acres and 90 trails spread over three basins. The mountain now boasts seven lifts and 1,871 feet of vertical with the same family-friendly vibe.
New Dreamer Lift Improves the Experience for Beginners and Families
The big news at 49° North Mountain Resort is the addition of a new chairlift that will be ready for its 2026-27 season. The brand-new Doppelmayr fixed-grip quad named Dreamer will take over for the resort’s retired Payday lift, making a dramatically improved experience for skiers and riders looking to access the mountain’s beginner runs and other terrain, including the Angel Peak area.
Resort staff note that summit lifts and high-speed chairs usually draw the spotlight, but the lifts that introduce new skiers and riders to the sport carry just as much weight, if not more. That thinking is why so much time and energy went into this particular project. Dreamer came together over the summer of 2026 through a joint effort between 49° North’s own staff and a crew from lift manufacturer Doppelmayr, and resort officials say the collaboration paid off, calling the finished lift a beautiful result of that partnership.
The build reflects several goals the resort has for improving the overall mountain experience. Dreamer sits in a new location, making getting to the lift and unloading slightly higher up the mountain more convenient to access nearby runs. Its loading and unloading setup was also designed to be easier to navigate, especially for beginners and families with young skiers and riders. The lift will also provide smoother access to popular runs like Gold Chute, known locally as the Animal Trail. Each of Dreamer’s chairs seats four passengers and comes equipped with restraint bars.
Choosing a name for the lift that will likely be the very first chairlift many newcomers ever ride, staff wanted a name with meaning that captures the moment many first-time riders experience: stepping onto a lift without quite knowing what doors are about to open, or what adventure, independence, exploration and fun await on the other side.
Snowmaking Expansion Extended from Top to Bottom
Staff at 49 have also been hard at work this past summer expanding the mountain’s snowmaking capacity from two-thirds the way up the mountain to all the way to the summit, says assistant general manager Rick Brown. Increased snowmaking capacity will provide the best conditions possible despite the weather, he says, adding that plans are in the works to further expand snowmaking in the coming years.
Terrain Maintenance Work to Make Safe, Early Operations Possible
“A lot of people don’t realize how busy a ski resort is during the summer to make things happen for the coming season,” says Brown. “Things like brush cutting, stump grinding and tree work are a major focus with the goal of opening as much terrain as possible with minimal snow.” Combined with 49’s snowmaking expansion, the mountain is in a better position than ever to manage whatever winter brings. More mountain info at Ski49n.com.
Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area
There’s a reason Lookout Pass dubs itself the “#1 Powder Place.” Situated just off I-90 on the Idaho/Montana state line in the Bitterroot Mountains—an area that receives plenty of colder air and winter storms—Lookout receives an average of 450 inches of snowfall each winter, delivering more powder days each season. With well-maintained interstate access, Lookout offers one of the easiest drives to a ski area in the country to reach the mountain’s five lifts, 52 trails and eight glades with 1,650 feet of vertical.
Season Predictions: “There Will Be Snow at Lookout Pass”
“Understandably some guests are concerned with the 800-pound gorilla trying to steal the headlines for this winter’s weather forecast,” says Lookout Pass director of marketing Matt Sawyer, referring to Super El Nino predictions. “At Lookout Pass we can’t worry too much about things we can’t control, and Gorillas are NOT naturally controllable, or found in North Idaho. While we all know Sasquatches and Yetis are,” he jokes. “We’re staying positive and focused on what we know will happen. At Lookout Pass, there will be snow!” he says, noting that most weather forecasts are laughably less than 50% accurate 3 days out, let alone 3 or more months out.
“We had a pretty healthy amount of snow last winter at 374 inches when many other areas were struggling,” Sawyer says, advising that the time is now to prepare to enjoy the snow when it comes this season whether that’s locking in a lower-rate season pass, signing up for lessons or just getting your gear dialed for another season at the region’s “#1 Powder Place.”
Ski School and Lesson Programs
Lookout’s Free Ski School, running since 1942, remains the oldest and longest-running free ski program in the nation, offering a limited number of free ski and snowboard lessons for kids each year. Most parents with kids enrolled in this popular program wind up purchasing season passes and season rentals as the free lessons run for 8 weeks, says Sawyer. Lookout’s Ski & Ride School also offers special group or private lesson programs for adults and children starting at age 4. Sign up early, especially for a Free Ski School spot, at SkiLookout.com/Lessons-Programs.
New Deck, Open Trails: Lookout Pass Refreshes for Winter
Lookout Pass added a new back deck this summer, giving guests a better spot to sip a drink, take in the surrounding slopes and watch events. The historic lodge is getting some enhancements too. Meanwhile, cleanup continues under Chair 2, where tornado-like winds toppled thousands of trees and forced trail closures. A contractor is clearing the damage to reopen routes this winter that should be considerably more thinned out than before.
More Fun on Tap with Events Lineup
Guests raved about Lookout Pass’s slate of events last winter, and the resort plans to broaden its offerings again this season. Longtime traditions like the annual Torchlight Parade on Dec. 31 will continue, alongside a wider variety of events that will be announced soon.
Lift Ticket Deals & Discounts
Lookout Pass also offers several deals throughout the season, including lift ticket three-packs, Advantage Cards, discounted gift cards and savings for making a lift ticket reservation. The resort also runs discounted special days, such as Bring a Friend Thursdays, when two lift tickets go for $75.
Jobs at Lookout Including Terrain Park Revamp Lead
Lookout Pass is in the process of revitalizing its terrain parks for this winter, and the resort is looking for the right talented and visionary staff to design and build something special. Along with those roles, Lookout is filling a range of other job openings, including year-round positions, with details on the resort’s jobs page. More mountain info at SkiLookout.com.
Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park
“This season is really all about learning, community and giving people more ways to enjoy the mountain. And then, of course, winter is coming! We’re really excited to get everyone back on the mountain,” says Mt. Spokane assistant general manager Jodi Kayler.
As the region’s only nonprofit ski area, Mt. Spokane channels that community focus into a mountain built for accessibility: 1,700-plus acres with 53 runs around the mountain served by six chairlifts, a handle-tow terrain park lift, a beginner-friendly magic-carpet conveyor, the best night skiing around and a 400-foot tubing hill.
Ways to Learn: Multiweeks, Clinics and EZ Ski 1·2·3
Mt. Spokane’s multiweek programs, camps and clinics went on sale Sept. 4, with a range of options for kids and adults throughout the season. The resort’s EZ Ski 1·2·3 program remains one of the mountain’s favorite ways to get someone started, built around three lessons that Kayler calls the magic formula for getting comfortable on skis or a snowboard. New this year, EZ Ski 1·2·3 is adding Friday and Saturday evening sessions from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., giving busy families more scheduling options.
Club Shred, College Night and More After-Dark Fun
Club Shred, the resort’s popular Friday night program, is adding Saturday nights this year as well. Wednesday nights bring $5 youth skiing with a paying adult, and College Night starts Jan. 7 and runs every Thursday, with tickets set at $29 for anyone with a valid college or active military ID.
Ladies Day Returns Feb. 12
Ladies Day is back Friday, Feb. 12, with registration opening Sept. 4. It’s long been a popular day on the mountain and doubles as a good holiday gift idea for the skier in your life.
Season Pass Deadlines and New Flex Option
Last Chance season pass pricing runs through Nov. 10, making it a good option to flag for anyone still considering a pass for the season. New this year is the Flex Season Pass, built for skiers who want to hit the mountain on weekdays plus nights; it includes Monday-through-Friday skiing and night skiing Wednesday through Saturday.
Pre-season Party and the Annual Ski Swap
Mt. Spokane’s pre-season Elevation Celebration mountain party is set for Nov. 8, from noon to 4 p.m. at Lodge 2. The event is a chance for pass holders to pick up their passes, listen to music, catch up with friends, win prizes and get ready for winter. It’s the perfect excuse to trade your pumpkin spice lattes for some winter cheer. Enjoy delicious food specials, activities and pick up some fresh Mt. Spokane merch. It’s a family affair, so all are welcome. And mark your calendar for the Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol’s annual ski swap set for Oct. 31-Nov. 1 with the region’s largest selection of new and used ski and snowboard equipment and gear. More mountain info at Mtspokane.com.
Silver Mountain Resort
Silver Mountain Resort sets itself apart by offering skiing or tubing with a soak in North Idaho’s largest indoor water park for guests booking a room at resort lodging, which comes with Silver Rapids access. The four-lane tubing hill with a magic carpet lift provides winter fun for all. And the resort backs it all up with fixed and mobile snowmaking guns, helping keep its 1,600-plus acres and 2,200 feet of vertical snow covered off its seven lifts including the gondola. Altogether Silver has built a resort experience meant to keep skiers, riders and families stoked on and off a chairlift. Season passholders can lock in the lowest rate of the year by purchasing before Sept. 15, with prices increasing Sept. 16 and again Nov. 16.
Making Snow, Making It Better
Silver Mountain’s snowmaking operation runs on two fixed snow guns, four mobile guns and 19 hydrant locations spread across the mountain, giving the mountain operations crew the flexibility to target specific zones as conditions demand and to keep coverage building in the areas that need it most.
Snowmaking is highly dependent on the weather, so output shifts from day to day. But whenever temperatures cooperate, the crew takes advantage of the window and gets to work supplementing natural snowfall, laying down a dependable base for the season ahead. That system helps the resort maintain stronger, more even coverage across its runs all winter long, and it’s also the reason Silver can keep its tubing park open and running seven days a week, no matter what the sky is doing on any given day.
Ski, Tube, Stay and Splash at Silver
Booking a room at Silver Mountain Resort’s Morning Star Lodge is the easiest way to pair a ski or tubing trip with time in the water park. The lodge sits in the resort’s Gondola Village, and a stay booked directly through Silver includes access to Silver Rapids, North Idaho’s largest indoor waterpark, covering both check-in and departure days. Because walk-up tickets aren’t sold at the water park, and non-lodging guests have to reserve tickets ahead of time, booking a room is also the simplest way to guarantee entry.
The lodge’s location puts the tubing hill, restaurants and other Gondola Village services within a short walk, so a day on the mountain can end with a soak rather than a drive. Inside Silver Rapids, guests can float the lazy river, test their balance on the FlowRider surf simulator, take a turn on the water slides or relax in the hot tubs at Trestle’s Surfside Bar. Waterpark hours vary through the season, so check online before booking. Skiing, tubing and a stay at Morning Star Lodge can be booked together through Silver Mountain’s Stay & Play package, giving families one reservation that covers the mountain, the lodging and the water park.
Tubing Hill Runs Daily
Silver Mountain’s tubing hill delivers run after run without the walk back up, thanks to a magic carpet lift that hauls tubers and their tubes straight to the top. Four lanes, each 640 feet long, keep things moving for groups of any size. Tubers can link together for a shared ride, and smaller tubes can be tethered to a parent. Riders must be at least 2 years old and 36 inches tall, and young kids can ride tethered to an adult in a child-sized tube. Reservations are recommended since sessions often sell out.
Sessions run 2 hours and happen daily all winter, with a booking that includes both a gondola ride and tube rental—riders just need to show up dressed for the weather, in boots, insulated pants and a winter jacket. Monday through Thursday, sessions start at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m. Fridays and Sundays add a 2 p.m. session on top of that lineup, with holiday periods tacking on a 3 p.m. run as well. Between runs, the Mountain House is there for a warm-up and hot chocolate before heading back out. More mountain info and lodging bookings at Silvermt.com.
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