Skiers take to the slopes as winter weather dumps snow on mountains

The ski and snowboarding season was delayed after an unexpectedly snowless late November, but operations around Spokane are heading into a busy winter season as cold and snow flurries continue to coat nearby mountaintops.

Mount Spokane was set to open the first week of December but had to postpone for two weeks because of lack of snow, said general manager Jim van Loben Sells.

“As of today we have everything open, which is exciting,” van Loben Sells said Thursday.

With Spokane experiencing single-digit cold temperatures and bursts of snow storms expected to continue into next week, van Loben Sells said they are back to “business as usual.”

“The snow is amazing this year,” said beginner snowboarder Sabre Jarvey, who traveled from Kirkland to 49 Degrees North as part of a holiday trip with her partner. “It’s nice and soft. The scenery is amazing.”

Garrett Shadwick, marketing director with 49 Degrees North, said the Chewelah-based mountain resort also delayed its season opening because snow levels were low.

Now, though, the mountain is covered in the soft, white powder that is managed regularly by ski patrollers and snow “groomers” who work around the clock to tame the resort’s 75 opened trails and seven open lifts, Shadwick said.

“Overall we’re excited we were able to open so many trails. Mother Nature, even though she started late, she gave us some beautiful weather,” Shadwick said.

The resort also opened the state’s longest and most vertical high-speed chair lift for the season, which Shadwick said has helped skiers get to the top of the mountain in seven minutes, compared to the 25 it used to take.

Van Loben Sells said Mount Spokane has seen a popular holiday season thus far. They brought out their 24-hour seven-days-a-week snow grooming team as they expected a busy New Year’s Eve day on the mountain.

Manicuring the trails takes about three days to perfect after a snowstorm brings 5 to 8 inches to the mountain, van Loben Sells said.

“That grooming team is critical for us … You try to make it perfect,” van Loben Sells said.

Near subzero temperatures this week did cause Mount Spokane to delay its night-skiing program by another week, with it set to open Wednesday when the frigid cold has loosened its grip, van Loben Sells said.

“You have cold, but when you add wind to it, that’s dangerous,” van Loben Sells said.

Those coming to the mountains should make sure to dress in at least three layers, and ensure they are drinking lots of water and eating, Shadwick said.

“It sounds super obvious, but exposed skin in the cold is obviously a no-go. Really, you need to make sure you’re layering up,” Shadwick said.

Van Loben Sells said he encouraged drivers to go slow on icy roads and especially on the roads winding up to the mountain.

Jarvey’s next destination was the Silver Mountain Lodge in Kellogg and then back home to Kirkland. She said she hoped doing the trip to 49 Degrees North would turn into a winter tradition for her and her partner.

“I love being outside, I love the snow,” Jarvey said. “We are definitely coming back.”