Skiing bounces back; Idaho resorts upgrade

BOISE (AP) - Not long after the recession put the skids on skiing like an unwaxed board in heavy crud, Sun Valley, Brundage and Tamarack resorts are applying a fresh coat and hoping to slide into a smoother future.

All three are upgrading facilities and slopes in response to an improved economy and renewed excitement about skiing, snowboarding and other winter sports.

The resorts are hoping that with a little help from Mother Nature, they will boost their bottom line this season.

Signs are everywhere - at big and small ski areas, locally and nationally - that skiing is bouncing back.

Sun Valley is spending millions on its slopes and renovating its signature lodge.

Brundage is expanding its lodge and giving it a face-lift, as well as building a terrain park in its own style.

Tamarack is finally out of a financial fog and is investing in its ski operations.

And there are new faces in an industry that rarely sees newcomers.

Boise snowboarder, terrain park designer and entrepreneur Ryan Neptune has opened a new micro-resort at the Eagle Sports Complex after a short-but-successful launch last winter at Eagle Island State Park.

Just across the state line, a new resort is opening north of Logan, Utah. Cherry Peak hopes to cater to both adults and families with affordable lift tickets. It will offer three lifts for skiers and snowboarders, a three-lane tubing hill and an ice rink.

"The industry is doing well and it can afford to upgrade," said Michael Berry, president of the National Ski Area Association. "It's almost across the board. Whether it's big resorts or mom and pop, everyone is doing pretty well right now."

That might buck conventional wisdom of some who claim skiing is an ailing industry that's chasing Baby Boomers to their graves.

Berry disagrees.

Skier visits, which is a head count each time a person buys a day pass (or season pass) and visits a ski area, were 56.5 million nationally last winter. That's just under the 10-year average of 57 million, Berry said, despite a disastrous year in California.

That state saw a 30 percent drop in visits because of drought, and ski areas throughout the Northwest got a late start last winter. One ski area, Mt. Ashland in Southern Oregon, remained closed for the first time in its history from lack of snow.

National skier visits peaked at around 60 million in 2007-08 and reached that again in 2010-11, which coincided with good snow years despite a down economy.

Skier visits bottomed out at 51 million in the 2011-12 season, which was the lowest in more than a decade.

Berry said that with a snowy winter, this ski season could match or top the national records.

Alan Moore, president of Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area, said there's a lot of "pent-up demand" in the Boise area, and Bogus could have a big season if there is actually some good winter weather.

Bogus Basin would like to replace its Morningstar Chairlift and expand its lodge within the next five years, he said.

But being a nonprofit, Bogus would probably do it differently than other ski areas.

"At some point in time, we'd have to ask the community to open up its wallet," he said.

If Bogus had a big year, or several, and had excess revenues, it would reinvest that back into the mountain.

Idaho's resorts have different motivations and reasons for spending money now, but they share a common enthusiasm for what lies ahead.

"There's no doubt the industry is confident about the future," Berry said.

Brundage

With its short lift lines and uncrowded slopes, you might think Brundage Mountain Resort near McCall has some growing room for skier visits, but that's not how Brundage's managers see it.

The resort is known for its quality snow, affordability, family-friendly atmosphere and uncrowded vibe. Brundage wants to preserve those things.

"People come here because they get the powder days, and it's low-density skiing," Brundage president Bob Looper said. "If that erodes, we will lose them."

The resort plays to its strengths by renovating its existing lodge and improving it, while maintaining the traditional atmosphere.

Looper said a goal of its expansion is to create a well-rounded experience for visitors on the slopes and in the lodge, whether buying a lift ticket, renting equipment, or having a meal and drinks after skiing.

"We want to give them a complete ski experience," he said.

Brundage is improving the slopes by adding the Deadwood Shred Park, which brings a terrain park back to the front side of the mountain beneath the Bluebird Chairlift.

Brundage is using the natural materials on the mountain, which is why it's called Deadwood.

Brundage is also working on adding limited snowmaking. That might seem ironic, if not sacrilegious, for Brundage fans, but in recent years it had to delay its opening when the summit had plenty of snow, but the base was lacking.

"It would be nice to provide a little more certainty when we can open," Looper said.

Brundage is also working on expanding its terrain by adding a lift, or lifts, to the adjacent Sargents Mountain area, which has long been part of its master development plan.

That's still likely a few years out, but "we will pursue it diligently," Looper said.

The new lifts would be the first major expansion of the terrain since 2007, when it added the Lakeview Chairlift, which opened up 150 acres of new terrain at the resort.

Sun Valley

Idaho's biggest and most famous resort can't rest on its reputation when competing with the biggest ski companies in the world, as well as entire ski towns (looking at you, Park City).

Even during the downturn, Sun Valley remained aggressive, adding or improving everything from halfpipes to golf courses.

This year, Sun Valley marketing director Jack Sibbach said he sees a renewed enthusiasm from skiers he visited with at trade shows.

"We see some optimism with the public," he said. "Not just with us, but throughout the whole ski industry."

Sun Valley gets about 26 percent of its visitors from Idaho, and Sibbach said they are valued customers.

But that means the resort has to attract nearly three out of four guests from out of state.

Sun Valley is getting direct flights from Seattle and San Francisco this year, and everyone who visits will see changes.

The resort is completely renovating its lodge, which won't be completed until June and is unavailable this winter, although Sun Valley will still have plenty of places to stay.

"There's never a good time to do it," Sibbach said.

Sibbach described it as a "rebirth" of the lodge. It will go from 148 rooms to 94 rooms, but rooms will be more luxurious.

On the slopes, Sun Valley has improved glade skiing on 25 acres of the mountain by thinning trees and removing dead ones. It's designed to improve forest health, and also improve skiing.

While 25 acres may be a small fraction of the 2,000 on site, more acres will be thinned in the future under a long-term plan with the Forest Service.

One of Sun Valley's biggest advantages over other resorts is it operates North America's largest automated snowmaking system, which ensures its Thanksgiving opener and lets skiers carve turns when Mother Nature is stingy with natural snow.

Sun Valley replaced 47 snowguns with "state-of-the-art Rubis Evo snowguns" that create twice as much snow as the old devices, with less energy. And they are more productive at warmer temperatures.

The guns will operate on Lower River Run, Mid River Run, Roundhouse Slope, and Upper College, which are early season runs.

It's the first phase of Sun Valley's snowmaking replacement program.

Sun Valley will continue its expanded and improved terrain parks, which are among the best in the U.S.

Dollar Mountain features two high-speed quads, a tubing hill, a full-featured terrain park with 76 rails, and one of North America's largest super-pipes.