Ski areas increase snowmaking, change terrain, add attractions

Ski resorts in the Pacific Northwest are crossing their fingers that this year the white stuff will keep up the season's early promise. Last year's mild winter left many in the dust, literally, as resorts closed early, or hardly opened at all due to lack of snow.

Just in case the season was a repeat of last year, managers at Mission Ridge ski area, southwest of Wenatchee, increased snowmaking capabilities to add 30 more acres of coverage over last year. They also added an additional quad lift that runs from halfway up the mountain to the top, creating 50 more vertical feet of skiing.

At White Pass, about 50 miles west of Yakima, snowmaking for Nordic skiing will also increase. Last year the ski area had only one snow gun to fill in empty spots; the added equipment can fill in an entire trail with man-made snow.

Other resorts are adding new draws such as tubing.

The Leavenworth Winter Sports Club is opening a tubing hill and the Mount Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park in Spokane is also working on one.

"We're a family mountain so it will be a nice addition to drop kids off for parties," said Brad McQuarrie, general manager of the park.

New at other ski areas around the Northwest:

Washington

The Summit at Snoqualmie made $880,000 in improvements, including better hill signage, enhanced snowmaking and earthwork, and a new footbridge across Denny Creek at Alpental. The bridge connects the main parking lot and the lodge side of the slope.

Stevens Pass has added $980,000 in improvements, including a remodeled and renamed Soft Landing Bar; two 100-foot conveyor lifts on the Beacon Hill section of the Daisy run; two new snowcats and two transit buses.

On Mount Baker, preparations have begun for a $1.8 million replacement of an existing lift with a quad. There are upgrades to the terrain park and the rail garden. The main ski runs have been modified so they can be used earlier in the season, and the top 15 miles of the Mount Baker Highway have been repaved.

Echo Ridge Nordic Trails, on the north side of Lake Chelan, feature an extensively revamped and widened trail system to allow for significantly more skate skiing, with many more trails for beginners, said Ken Dull, wilderness coordinator for the Chelan Ranger District.

There are now more than 20 miles of trails, including widened trails for both classic and skate skiing as well as an additional 2.3 miles of snowshoe trails.

Roads have been widened and new parking lots created.

49 Degrees North, near Chewelah in Stevens County, has begun adding more Nordic trails in the first phase of additions that will include two miles of interwoven loops with beginner and intermediate terrain.

An additional 300 acres has opened in the East Basin where 12 trails, from novice to expert, will allows skiers to explore a new part of the mountain.

The Chewelah Peak Environmental Learning Center has opened a mile from the ski area, offering lodge and dormitory housing and dining.

Sun Peaks, near Kamloops, opens phase one of the new Nancy Greene International Race Center, which serves as a training facility available for rent to ski groups. The center offers snowmaking, safety netting and electronic timing. The resort also offers expanded snowmaking and grooming, a new and expanded children's learning center, and an expanded ski school. The flight schedule of nonstop service from Seattle to Kamloops on Horizon Air has been improved for better connections.

Whistler Blackcomb ski resort has made several terrain changes and expanded the Family Zone. A new tube park is set to open in December, complete with concession stands and fire pits. The resort purchased 10 new snow guns and has doubled the size of its snowmaking water reservoir.

Red Resort in Rossland has improved its terrain park with new features for riders of all levels. The resort has also installed a "Red Carpet" lift for beginners and plans a new 300-acre ski area for beginners to open next year. The Paradise Lodge has been expanded and construction has begun on new luxury condos that will be finished by fall of 2006.

The Red Express shuttle offers free round-trip transportation between Red Resort and Spokane International Airport and this year expands to airports in Kelowna, Castlegar and Trail, B.C. The resort will also begin offering round-trip service in the winter between Trail Regional Airport and Vancouver International and Vernon Regional Airports.

Oregon

Mount Bachelor will see $3.5 million in improvements this year, including a full-interior remodel of the West Village Lodge, a more comprehensive ticketing system and new grooming equipment. The lodge makeover includes a new upscale deli and additional seating.

The new iPark terrain park also now includes a midlevel area with smaller hits and jumps off the Skyliner chairlift.

Idaho

Schweitzer Mountain, near Sandpoint, has installed a T-bar that opens up 400 acres of new terrain near Little Blue Mountain for advanced skiers and snowboarders. The resort has also installed a new magic carpet lift for beginners and a new tubing area. The lodges have also been improved.

(Schweitzer will also host the International Ski Federation for the 2006 World Cup Telemark Finals in March. It's the first time in three years that the event has been held in North America.)

Silver Mountain in Kellogg is adding high-speed chairlifts, new trails and a state-of-the-art snowmaking system. This month it is opening its new Gondola Village, which will include a sports retail and ski rental shop, a day spa, a tapas bar and jewelry store. Last month it broke ground on a 55,000-square-foot indoor water park in Gondola Village, set to open in early 2007.