Skiers Still Having A Hot Time On Slopes Silver Mountain Still Drawing Saturday Skiers

Managers at Silver Mountain really didn’t expect skiers to keep showing up for long after the ski season officially closed April 6.

But Saturday - as May temperatures hover near 70 degrees - the gondola and lifts will still be running.

“This is a record, as far as Silver Mountain is concerned,” said mountain manager Terry Turnbow. “We really didn’t think it would have this popularity.”

Blessed with a record snowpack of 508 inches last winter, Silver Mountain put out a challenge to skiers: As long as 1,000 customers showed up each Saturday, the ski hill would stay open.

Other ski areas in the region closed in early April, although Schweitzer Mountain Resort extended its season one weekend.

Now the closest ski areas still operating are Big Sky in Montana, Blackcomb in British Columbia, and Mt. Bachelor and Mt. Hood in Oregon.

“We’re the only game in town in Washington and Idaho,” Turnbow said.

The extended season has resulted in spillover business for area retailers, too. Vertical Earth in Coeur d’Alene is still renting snowboards and tuning some skis.

“The telemarkers are still very adamant about being out there,” said owner Mark Beattie. “Especially with the possibility of good weather this weekend, it’s been very, very well-received and people are pretty stoked about it.”

On a couple Saturdays, the mountain drew close to 1,400 skiers. Last weekend, however, only 900 showed up. Turnbow figured that was because of Bloomsday and the weather. , DataTimes