Pebble Creek, Idaho

Pebble Creek is located just a little south of Pocatello, Idaho. It offers 2,200 vertical feet, topping at 8,560 feet, and 53% of the terrain is advanced.  In addition to the groomed and ungroomed trails, there is also quite a lot of tree skiing here.

Pebble Creek is not one of the 12 Powder Alliance areas, but that is exactly why I visited here today, Saturday, March 29, 2014.  Saturday is the one day of the week when the Powder Alliance season passes are not valid at ski areas other than your home area. On a week-long road trip, one is bound to hit at least one Saturday, so I looked for a ski area that is exciting to ski, close to my route, and hopefully not too expensive. 

Pebble Creek fits the bill perfectly. It's right on my route, it offers lots of terrain, and lift tickets are regularly priced at $40.  But, I was in luck today.  An all day ticket was just $25.  I am not sure why.  Maybe because of Spring Break, or because it's the last full weekend of the season, or because the snow is getting a bit thin in places. 

We who live near a ski mountain that is close to a large urban area and gets lots of snow, as
Mt. Hood does, are so lucky and spoiled in that we can ski all of April and May, and even June and July.  For me, it's still the middle of the season.  But for Pebble Creek, this is the last full weekend.  They will just open next Saturday (April 5) for one last day. 

I love how this ski area marks its trails. I always felt that a scale of just 3 or 4  steps (Green, Blue, Black and Double-black) is not enough to describe ski terrain well.  In Europe they use Red to designate trails between Blue and Black.  At Pebble Creek, they use intermediate designations such as:
a) Blue-Green  (a harder greeen or easier blue)
b) Blue-Black (a more challenging blue).

Pebble Creek ski area towers over a dry valley through which the I-15 freeway runs from Pocatello, Idaho to Salt Lake City, Utah.  In some way, it reminds me of Mt. Bachelor, which towers over the dry plains of eastern Oregon, or Mt. Rose (Nevada) which overlooks the dry Nevada scenery just south of Reno.  I assume this means they often get light, dry snow here.

Even today, on a Spring like day, the snow was pretty good.  You could almost read its history just by looking at it.  There was some fresh white snow that must have fallen recently, covering up the slightly brownish snow underneath, which was probably the result of wind-deposited dust whipped up from the surrounding dry valley.

The day did not begin well for me.  My stomach hurt a bit, probably because of something I ate the day before.  But, things got better with every run. I started off easy, then progressed to some steep trails, and finally skied some trees as well.  By the end of the day, I felt great!  Ski area magic!!!

Bridger Bowl (Montana)

Bridger Bowl is quite a large ski area, with 2,600 vertical feet and 2,000 skiable acres. Its layout  reminds me somewhat of Mt. Hood Skibowl, in that the lower mountain is great for beginners and the upper mountain offers some of the steepest terrain anywhere! It is located just 16 miles from the town of Bozeman, MT.

My first impressions were not all that great. Even though it was a work day (Friday), 6 of the 11 parking lots were full.  I thought it would be crowded, but the mountain is big enough to absorb the crowds and in many places I felt almost alone.  But, the parking lots are all arranged in horizontal strips in such a way that each successive strip is lower and lower on the mountain. The farther out you have to park, the more you will have to climb.  There were no shuttles in sight. 

So, hufffing and puffing up the hill, I finally arrive at the ticket counter. They couldn't process my

Powder Alliance pass directly.  They sent me into the building to the Season Pass counter. There, the lady made me take off my ski jacket. Why? Well, my season pass was attached to the jacket with a cord, so I wouldn't lose it.   I handed her the season pass card, but the lady said she would rather that I detach it from the jacket. This wasn't easy to do, since it was attached not by some sort of quick clip, but by a ring similar to a key ring.  I couldn't detach it withone hand, so I had to take my jacket off.  I thought she w2ould have to scan it or somehing. B ut, no, she just read a number (or my name) o9ff of it.  Hey, she3 could have done that without me having to detach it! 

Then she gave me a separate little card, essentially just her approval of my season pass.  I had to take this back to the ticket window2, where I finally got my Bridger Bowl lift ticket.  I was lucky it was mid-week and the end of the season.  On a busier day, I would have had to wait in 3 separate lines.

So, I finally have my ticket. Now let's go ski. Butt not before you climb another set of stairs. And even then, the climbing is not yet over.  You still have to carry your skis a bit higher onto the snow to reach the lowest level of the ski lifts.  Phew!  I was out of breath!  

Ready to ski, I noticed that Bridger Bowl had received at least 4 inches of new snow just the night before I arrived. 

And then came the big surprise!  Instead of the regular lift loading we are all used to, Bridger Bowl has installed an infernal contraption that I have so far only seen in Val d'Isere, France. It consists of a gate and a moving "carpet" made of some sort of hard plastic.. The gate doesn't open at all unless you are standing right next to it.  I missed a couple of chairlifts because I was standing a few inches too far from the gate.

When the gate finally opens, you push off witth your ski poles, and your skis move from the snow onto the hard plastic moving carpet, whcih is not slippery.  Stepping onto it, it feels like your feet are suddenly encased in cement.  You cannot move your skis. You are stuck. Better not lose your balance while the carpet moves you forward about 6 or 7 feet, to position you in the ideal spot for the oncoming empty chair.   It doesn't save the lift operator anything, because he/she still needs to slow down the chair a bit f.or you.  I just hate the contraption.  It's not part of the natural environment..  It's not snow. Stepping onto it is an unsettling, unpleasant experience.  And it requires you to be very careful about your balance when you step onto it, at least until the chair then sweeps you off your feet. 

Bridger Bowl did not install this on just one chair, to see how people liked it.  They installed it on ALL their lifts, so there is no getting away from these moving carpets. 

Would there have been a better use for all the money spent installing these contraptions?  Yes, of course!  They could have paved their very muddy and pot-holed parking lots, to make their guests feel more welcome.

But, let's get to the good stuff.  This mountain has at least 2 different "faces".  Except for the fact that everyone gets tripped by those moving carpets, this mountain is ideal to learn how to ski. The lowest two lifts and the Alpine chairlift above and the the right of them, offer acres and acres of gentle, rolling terrain that will be a delight to any novice or lower intermediate skier.  Even the ungroomed snow is easy to ski there. The Powder Park lift also has some easy cruisers, but the terrain there is a bit steeper, a bit more upper intermediate.

The more advanced skiers will tend to head to the left side of the ski area (looking up at the mountain).  The Bridger, Pierre's, and Schlasman's lifts offer amazing amounts of super-steep double-black diamond terrain that is never groomed.  Schlasman's is pretty much all ungroomed and all very steep.  The other two lifts do offer alternatives for intermediate skiers. 

In other words, just like Mt. Hood Skibowl, Bridger Bowl offers lots of options for both beginners and experts.  The upper intermediate skier or the advanced skier who doesn't like to ventrue into the ungroomed snow has somewhat fewer choices.

Overall, I had a great time exploring the mountain, and I would come back to Bridger Bowl at any time.  A regular adult lift ticket here costs $51, which is the second lowest price among the 12  Powder Alliance  ski areas.  Only Mt. Hood Skibowl is about $2 less expensive. 

I even found a trail at Bridger Bowl called "Emil's Mile".  That's how it is marked on the trail map.  The only sign I saw on the trail itself simply said "Emil's".  So, naturally, I had to ski it!

 
I was surprised to hear that Bridger Bowl was supposed to close for the season just a week from now (around April 7th or so).  However, due to the exscellent snow that keeps falling, they have decided to extend the season by an extra week, thus closing around April 15th. 

We Oregonians are really lucky (and spoiled) that we can ski on Mt. Hood all through April and May, and sometimes even into June.  And if that is not enough, we can always come back for some summer skiing in July and August. .

Drive to Montana

I started my road trip to visit the 8 other Powder Alliance ski areas that I have not skied yet by driving to Bozeman, Montana, ... a total drive of a little over 12 hours of driving (not counting the stops). This is the longest leg of the journey, and the only where I didn't ski at all.  Just drove all day.

Man, I drove past several ski areas without stopping!  I drove within 45 minutes of Mt. Spokane. Then I drove within a mile of the Silver Mountain gondola, and then within 200 yards of the Lookout Pass ski area. This is very unusual for me. Normally, on my road trips, I like to break a long drive by skiing at least one of the ski areas along the way.  Thankfully, I have already visited all of the above 3 ski areas on earlier occasions.

This time, I am focused on just the Powder Alliance ski areas, where the skiing is free for me, thanks to the Fusion Pass.  So, tomorrow morning, I'll be skiing at Bridger Bowl, Montana, less than half an hour from Bozeman.  I've heard a lot of good things about it.

Mt. Hood Skibowl

Mt. Hood Skibowl has some of the steepest terrain among Mt. Hood ski areas.  The Outback terrain is never groomed and is a delight for powder skiers.  At the same time, Skibowl has some great beginner and intermediate terrain, perfect for families.

Skibowl also offers a lot of interesting surprises for the skier who reads the trail map carefully and goes in search of hidden little corners.  Last year, 2013, during one of the "Show Me Something New" days organized by the Mountain High Snowsport Club, we were able to find more new surprises there than at any of the other local ski areas.  Skibowl has a lot of hidden gems, offering them only to the determined seeker.

How many times have I raced on the Dog Leg trail!!!  And yet, how few times did I venture into the trees above the starting gate!!!  The Powder Keg glades.  It's all well marked, both on the trail map and on the slopes, but few people seem to discover these delights.

Too many people simply point their skis down the hill at the earliest opportunity and thus miss out on the hidden corners that require a bit of planning to reach them.  The Outback area is full of such hidden gems, but even within the boundaries of what is normally perceived as the easier side of the mountain, there are hidden gems, such as Upper Surprise and Stumpgarden (for advanced skiers), or Fire Hydrant, Wildfire and the Roundhouse for the more moderate crowd.

And then there is the "Daddy Killer" trail, which isn't even shown on the map, but many a curious kid has discovered it.  As for me, I never even knew this trail existed until my friend Sally told me about it.  How about that?  A trail than kids can enjoy but that will "kill" their daddies!!!  If you are curious, go search for it off of the Roundhouse trail.  It's a shortcut between the Roundhouse and Broadway trails. But chances are you will ski right past it without even noticing it.

When at Skibowl, stop for a warmup and a refreshment at the historic Warming Hut mid-mountain, and let yourself thaw near the fireplace.

Mt. Hood Skibowl also happens to be the largest night-ski area in the United States. It is open for skiing till 10 or 11 pm.

Timberline ski area and side-country adventures

I have a long connection with Timberline (Oregon).  I have skied and raced there for more than a quarter of a century. In the late 1980s, I volunteered as a ski host there several years in a row. In the mid- 1990s, I actually worked as a ski instructor there for just one season.
  
But, in recent years, I have developed a taste for back-country skiing, and in the case of Timberline: side-country skiing.  The scenery west of Timberline changes quite dramatically soon after you leave the ski area's boundary.  It is highly advisable to register as a climber in the climber's room in the day lodge, to let people know where you are headed, and it is best to go with someone who knows the terrain.

Skiing Timberline's side country is fun.  You can dip into Zig Zag canyon, Little Zig Zag, and Sand canyon.  Do it on a sunny Spring day when the snow is good. When the snow is right, any intermediate skier can do it. You can choose your own level of challenge, because the terrain is wide open, so it is easy to avoid and ski around places that might be too steep for you.  Those who think that there is nothing steep at Timberline should see the top of Zig Zag canyon! 

But skiers and snowboarders often get lost in the forest when they ski too far down. Then they are faced with hours of hiking through deep snow. Fortunately, all you need to do is to keep walking down the hill and you will eventually get to Kiwanis Camp Road (aka. Road 39).  But, you might not be able to get there before it gets dark.

Since there are no safety signs anywhere, other than Timberline's warning that you are on your own once you leave the ski area's boundary, I have spent lots of time in the last 3 years marking two safety boundaries in the area roughly between Little Zig Zag canyon and the Kruser ski trail (at the edge of the ski area).  The boundaries are marked with ribbons hung on trees.

YELLOW ribbons mark the boundary where you need to turn left and traverse bak to the lifts.  Last chance to get back to the lifts.

RED and/or PINK ribbons mark the boundary where you need to turn left and traverse back to the Glade Trail, which will then take you safely to Govenrment Camp. Beyond the red ribbon boundary, you will not be able to easily return to Government Camp and will most likely have to do the long hike and will have to cross a large stream (a small river) several times before finally reaching Kiwanis Camp Road.

During the Spring months, I like to take people just slightly out of bounds, to let them see the natural beauty of the terrain and also to give them safety pointers and alert them to where the dangers are and how to ski it safely.  These tours will begin in late March or early April.  For now, I am still busy refreshing and improving the safety markers.

Powder Alliance

How would you like to ski at 12 ski areas for the price of one? This is now possible, thanks to the alliace forged between 12 ski areas in the western USA. The deal is that anyone with a season pass from any of these ski areas receives not only
unlimited skiing at their home ski area but also 3 free lift tickets at each of the other ski areas.

The Powder Alliance consists of the following 12 ski areas: Timberline (OR), Mt. Hood Skibowl (OR), Schweitzer Mt. (ID), Bridger Bowl (MT), Stevens Pass (WA), Sierra-at-Tahoe (CA), China Peak (CA), Mountain High (CA), Snowbasin (UT), Snowbowl (AZ), Crested Butte (CO), and Angel Fire (NM).

In effect, you get 12 resorts, 123 lifts, 806 trails, and 26,782 vertical feet. All for the price of one season pass!  There is no additional charge for the Powder Alliance deal. Just get a season pass (a Fusion Pass for Oregonians).

What this means for Oregonians. 
For Oregonians to make use of the Powder Alliance deal they have to purchase the Fusion Pass, which by itself gives you unlimited skiing at both Timberline and Skibowl.  In addition, we will now also get 30 free lift tickets to the other 10 ski areas (3 lift tickets to each one of them). The only restriction to the other ski areas is that you cannot use this deal on Saturdays or holidays. Those are the only blackout days.
The Fusion Pass price for adults under 65 is $475.
Adults over 65 can purchase the pass for just $255.
Those over 71 get free skiing at Timberline, but not necessarily at all the other ski areas. I  think those over 71 can get the Fusion Pass for $50.

I normally never buy season passes, simply because I don’t want to be tied
down to just one single ski area all winter. But with 12 ski areas on a single pass,
variety is built into the Powder Alliance deal and the whole equation changes.

In addition to skiing at Timberline and Mt. Hood Skibowl, this year, our Mountain High club organized trips to Schweitzer Mt. (ID) and Stevens Pass (WA), where about 20 of us put the Fusion Pass / Powder Alliance to good use.

But, Sierra-at-Tahoe (CA) and Snowbasin (UT) are all within easy reach too. Also, once in California, why not drive a bit farther south and visit China Peak in Central California and Mountain High ski area in Southern California!  And once there, why not complete the whole circle and visit all the Powder Alliance ski areas?!

That's how my plan was born.  Let's do them all!  It's a long road trip, a little over 4,000 miles.  But the skiing is all free!

The Game = Best Time to Ski

People often complain about big weekend crowds at Mt. Hood Meadows. But, this Saturday, there were no crowds at all. Instead, yesterday, Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, was a very crowded day with long lines everywhere. Both days were equally good weather-wise. So, why were there no crowds on a Saturday?

I met about a dozen club members on the slopes today. Those in the picture are only some of them. At first, several people theorized that maybe there were no crowds because the weather forecast had said there would be a 30% chance of rain. Well that's also a 70% chance of good weather (which it turned out to be). So, that couldn't be the complete explanation. And then the real reason appeared.

There was some kind of game on, starting around 12:30 pm. It was referred to as "the game". Everybody talked about it, but nobody mentioned the location or the teams involved. It was simple "the game". So I checked it out.

It was about some grown men fighting over an odd-shaped ball. They ran left, they ran right, for what seemed like hours. They crouched low to the ground sticking their asses up in the air. They piled up on top of each other, like they really enjoyed it. They hugged and clung to each others waists like there's no tomorrow. It was so gay.

On second thoughts, maybe they were not fighting over the ball at all. Maybe it was really over a quarter. At the start of the game, they tossed a quarter in the air. One team won it. For the rest of the game it was all about getting the quarterback.

And it went on for hours. By the time I got home, unpacked my ski gear, had dinner, and turned the TV on, "the game" was still on at 7:45 pm. Maybe it wasn't the same game. Maybe there was more than one "game". But, it's all the same: more squatting, more sticking their behinds in the air, more grown up men running after a ball, pumped up shoulders, looking very "macho". Nothing ever happened, except that the ball kept getting shoved left and right across the field.

Why would people prefer to watch this instead of enjoying the pleasure of flying over mountain slopes with almost total freedom? Beats me! But, I did learn one important lesson today:

I should pay more attention to "the game". When the game is on, that's the best time to go skiing!