SHOSHONE COUNTY, Idaho — It’s time to grab your ski boots because Lookout Pass is now open for the season!
“Snow was better today than most opening days,” said Alex Weider, a student at the University of Montana who was there on opening day.
Early snowfall allowed for Friday’s opening day, the earliest one in years.
Some areas of the mountain saw 36 inches of snowfall last weekend with more snow still on the way.
“The fact that they’re already counting numerous storms to roll through the area, it should be a really good, fun ski season,” said Matt Sawyer, the director of marketing for Lookout Pass.
Many skiers and snowboarders are excited to make up for last year’s lackluster snowfall.
“The skiers are going to get a longer season, and we’re known for having the longest season in the region, but it also means that we’re going to have a longer stream of revenue and hopefully, a nice, healthy revenue stream for the season to keep things kicking,” Sawyer said.
This year, Lookout Pass has 150 new parking spaces which were filled with eager snowboarders and skiers.
Weider was more than satisfied with the first few runs of the season.
“A lot more coverage,” Weider said. “Not clipping as many trees which is a good part, no scraping rocks.”
The improvement in conditions was attributed to a promising La Nina winter.
“That typically brings more moisture and more cold. Just slightly colder temps,” Sawyer said. “That correlates into more snow instead of rain or frozen muck on the roads.”
Lookout Pass is one of the few mountains in the country currently open for skiers and snowboarders, but that’s not the only thing that makes it special.
“It’s just so cool to see as parents that there’s a sport that we love so much and now she loves it, so we get to share that with her,” said Jarrett Toomey, who was visiting Lookout Pass with his family.
Young or old, the snowy season is just beginning on the mountain.
“She’s only a year old so we’re hoping she takes to this and wants to come up every year for her birthday,” said Toni Toomey.
“We’re coming back tomorrow,” Weider said.
For more information on the Lookout Pass ski season, click here.
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