Hot tips on where to play in the snow this weekend in SW Idaho

Grand Targhee will be celebrating Global Fat Bike Day on Saturday with free 1-hour rentals. (Courtesy Grand Targhee)

Free demo day at Galena Lodge on Saturday. (Courtesy Galena Lodge)

Hi all,

My, it has been a DREARY week for those of us stuck in the valley! Wake up to freezing ground fog, and hope things burn off for a little sunshine in the afternoon. Pretty grim.

Hopefully, all of you have been doing your snow dancing, sending good vibes to the Snow God Ullr.

A solid storm system is headed our way Friday night-Sunday, which is expected to dump 4-6 inches in the mountains, hopefully even more! Here's my OpenSnow post with the details on weekend weather and ski area openings and re-openings this weekend.

It's note-worthy to mention that Sun Valley will be opening the Warm Springs side of Bald Mountain on Saturday with the Challenger lift, providing more than 3,000 thigh-burning verts top to bottom. Ditto with the River Run side of the mountain, Upper College and Lower College. Sun Valley is offering reduced lift ticket and lodging prices prior to the Christmas season. Be sure to take advantage of that!

Photo for #BarrelyanEvent snowboard event this year. (courtesy Bogus Basin) _

It's also pretty cool that Bogus Basin is providing top-to-bottom skiing with man-made snow on Chair #1 Deer Point, plus you have the Terrain Park, some Nordic ski trails are open and the tubing hill is open. There's a snowboard event happening on Saturday. Be sure to make advance reservations to go tubing. More terrain will open as we get more snow.

Tamarack and Brundage will be operating their beginner lifts this weekend, but that's all until we get more snow. Did I say we need more snow~!!!! Skiing/riding is free at Brundage BTW.

Cross-country skiers might want to travel to the Wood River Valley this weekend to ski some groomed trails around Galena Lodge and in the Wood River Trail System. Galena Lodge is hosting a demo day on Saturday to give you a chance to try out new skis, boots and pools for Free!


The Blaine County Winter Trailink provides a quick glimpse of what xc and snowshoeing trails are open so far. The Harriman Trail is apparently skiing really well, north of the Sawtooth NRA trailhead, and there are a number of trails open around Galena Lodge.

There isn't enough snow in McCall for xc ski grooming yet, so stay tuned on that.

Closer to Boise, watch the Ridge to Rivers Facebook page for the latest conditions. It's touch-and-go on most trails right now except on the all-weather trails, and if it rains this weekend in the valley (snow up high), the lower foothills trails will be muddy and gummy. Please stay off muddy trails.

Boot hiking? Family crew hiking Freddy's Stack Rock Trail over to Sweet Connie.

Book hiking is another possibility this weekend on the service road to Deer Point or perhaps the Eastside Trail or the new Freddy's Stack Rock trail above the snowline. We boot-hiked Freddy's on Thanksgiving Day. It had several inches of snow on a frozen surface ... perfect!

Road trip? In case you haven't heard, the skiing/riding in Utah is pretty darn good already! Wasatch Resorts are reporting summit bases in the 50-60 inch range. More snow is expected this weekend! The skiing/riding is decent at Grand Targhee, too, right now ... they're celebrating Global Snow Bike Day on Saturday, with 1-hour free rentals.  


Have fun!
- SS

Fresh snow in the forecast every day this weekend - perfect for McCall Winter Carnival!

One of the highlights of the McCall Winter Carnival is the professional snow sculptures.
Experts travel from throughout the region to win the contest! 

I thought this snow sculpture was phemonenal ... built at the Hunt Lodge several years ago. 

Marti Gras Parade! 

Hi all,

It should be a fabulous weekend to head up the McCall Winter Carnival. Brundage Mountain has received more than 2 feet of snow in the last week, 6 inches last night, and more than 15 inches are forecast through the weekend. It'll be great conditions for downhill skiing, xc skiing, snowshoeing, snow-biking, sleigh rides and tubing at the Activity Barn, among other things!

On Friday, Jan. 26, the McCall Winter Carnival comes to life for 10 days, and the options for fun expands multifold with fireworks, snowshoe golf, ice skating, checking out the snow sculptures, the Marti Gras parade on Saturday, beer garden, monster dog pull, beard and hairy legs contest, snow tubing, a snow bike race and so much more. See the event schedule for details. This year's theme is "Snow Place Like Home."

Here's an Outdoor Idaho program on the Winter Carnival from Idaho Public TV.

If you don't have a place to stay in McCall, yet, try the McCall Chamber, InIdaho.com, or vrbo.com for lodging options. Things fill up pretty fast for winter carnival, so get on that quickly if you haven't already. The area hotels may have rooms available, too.

While you're in the hood, you can escape the crowds in McCall and ski or ride Tamarack Resort. You'll get more of a private Idaho experience at Tamarack, and that means more powder for you! Tamarack also may have lodging available.

Closer to home, downhill skiing, xc skiing or snowshoeing at Bogus Basin should be great this weekend. They've been getting a little bit of new snow practically every day this week. They had 5 inches over the last 24 hours. I skied there last Saturday, and they had solid coverage in most places. With more fresh snow during the week, the conditions should be great this weekend as more storms pass through.

Skiing or snowshoeing in the backcountry should be fab this weekend, too. Try starting from Mores Creek Summit above Idaho City and scale Pilot Peak, Freeman Peak or Sunset Mountain. I bet it'll be fantastic conditions up there.

The Idaho City Park n' Ski Areas should be getting in decent shape as well. I tried the grooming hotline, 208-514-2419, but I couldn't get through ... but due to all the storms we've been having lately, I would bet that the Gold Fork, Skyline, Banner Ridge and Stargaze trails are all in good shape for xc skiing or snowshoeing.

Hope you have a fun wintry weekend in the mountains!
- SS