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Urban skiers hit Spokane’s in-city slopes

Mercedes Zepeda skis down Tubbs Hill in Coeur d'Alene on Feb. 19, 2019. (Chris Celentano / COURTESY)
By Eli Francovich elif@spokesman.com(509) 459-5508

While the continued snow might bother some, it’s cause for celebration among many Spokane skiers looking for an easy line.

On Tuesday morning, under a cloudless sky, Landon Crecelius, Drew O’Brien and Anthony Calabro strapped into their skis and snowboards and headed up a hill above Holmberg Community Park. The trio did a lap up and down the small hill, finishing well before they had to go to work.

Mike Brede skis down Steptoe Butte on Feb. 26, 2019. The hill is about 1000 vertical feet from the day use area to the summit. (COURTESY / COURTESY)
Mike Brede skis down Steptoe Butte on Feb. 26, 2019. The hill is about 1000 vertical feet from the day use area to the summit. (COURTESY / COURTESY)

On the way down, they found pockets of powder and even a stump to jump off.

Crecilius has skied Holmberg before.

“There are these little chutes in Holmberg that make it pretty fun,” he said.

He’s also seen people skiing from the water tower behind Whitworth University down to Waikiki Road.

In Coeur d’Alene, shredders headed to Tubbs Hill to poach untracked powder, weave through glades and drop off cliffs. Chris Celentano and four others skied and boarded down the urban park at night on Feb. 19.

“The skiing/boarding was fantastic. Way better than it was two years ago,” Celentano said in a message. “The coverage was fantastic and there was a nice base to keep from hitting rocks. The top 6 to 8 inches was blower powder. Tubbs is filled with awesome pillow lines, open glades and cliff drops. There is something for everyone out there.”

There is still plenty of untracked terrain to be had, he said.

Mike Brede normally skis the South Hill bluff (when it’s skiable). But he broke from his favored spot and headed to the Palouse, where the skiing off Steptoe Butte was fantastic, he said.

But he’ll be back to the bluff later this week. He’s aiming to ski 10,000 vertical feet on the bluff, or about 1,400 more feet.

“Bluff should be good skiing again on Thursday/Friday,” he said. “It was very crusty over the weekend but coverage is solid.”

Spokane rarely gets enough snow for these kind of urban lines. A good in-town snow year in 2017 brought skiers to the South Hill bluff. In a Spokesman-Review story from that time, many fondly remembered 2008 and 1998.

With more snow on the way, the urban skiing may only get better.