Driving up to the mountain today, I was struck by how green it is almost all the way up to the lodge!  Spring is here in force, but there’s still enough snow gracing the runs to squeeze in some last minute winter activities.

Last Saturday, I decided to try something new and borrowed a pair of snowshoes from one of my co-workers.  Standing at Lodge 1 looking up, I proclaimed it “not that far” of a hike up to the Vista House.  I threw on some snowboard boots, strapped on my snowshoes, and set out on my trek.  It was a gorgeous day out, but I will be the first to tell you I gained a new appreciation for the view from the top of Mt. Spokane!

After plotting the best approach, I finally decided to head straight up No Alibi.  While I have ridden up Chair 1 countless times, I savored that first glimpse of the Vista House like never before after snowshoeing over an hour to the top.  Upon my arrival at the peak, I was of course obliged to get out my camera and document my feat.  After my long journey up, it was a quick jaunt down (while I attempted the ’slide-on-your-rear’ technique, I found it predominantly unsuccessful and just walked down…it took less than 20 minutes!).

There’s no better time than the Spring and Summer months to get out and explore Mt. Spokane!  Everything looks new again when you’re hiking or biking rather than skiing.  There’s old CCC cabins all over the mountain, a fire lookout on top of Quartz Peak, and the remains of the grand, historic original lodge that burnt down in 1952.  Once we hit June/July, there’s even a road all the way up to the Vista House, so if you get a chance, venture up here, it’s well worth it!

The Vista House

My hard earned view from the top!

Wow! This has been a tough season!  Although we received enough snow to get the mountain open early, we just haven’t seen the visits we are accustomed to.  Maybe 50+ degrees downtown has something to do with it?!  Needless to say, we have been learning to do more with less (as you can tell from our lack of blog updates!).  Regardless, we have been consistent in our operating hours and our grooming and terrain park staffs have been doing wonders with what Ma Nature has given them.  All-in-all, it has been a great season… lotsa sunny days, easy travel, etc.  We sure appreciate all of you guys and gals who came up to support the Mountain this year!

Here is some really good news for you: Season Passes for 2010-2011 are on sale now!  You will save some serious CA$H…if you act very soon!  These are the deepest discounts we have offered in years.

Here is the Deal:
Existing 2009-2010 passholders get 15% OFF our best price for next season’s pass if they purchase before May 31st.  You can pass that savings along to friends as well.  For every friend you refer that buys a pass, that friend gets 15% off, and you will receive an additional 10% off!  Recommend 9 friends and you get a free season pass!

New passholders can ski or ride for FREE for the remainder of this 09-10 season and all of next season on a Pass Plus.  And, since we let the cat out of the bag above, find a current passholder and use their referral code to get 15% off too!

Next year’s climate predictions are favorable for an excellent ski season, so we will be working hard this summer to do many improvements to the mountain in anticipation of a great season.

The New Lodge:
We are continuing to look for funding for the new lodge and we sincerely appreciate all the letters of support you sent to our legislators.  Right now, the State is in a bit of a budget crunch (to say the least), so the grand new lodge plan is still a few years off.  But we are continuing to work with legislators to get funding for an upgrade to the current facilities, to get us through.  As far as the ongoing terrain expansion project, we have completed terrain mapping and will be developing survey protocols very soon… stay tuned!

Freestyle Terrain:
We are currently seeking passionate freestyle & terrain park enthusiasts (ski or snowboard) that can serve on a dedicated Freestyle Advisory Committee several times a year and offer ideas and advice on our freestyle terrain.  Please contact us at ticketsales@mtspokane.com if you are interested.
The sun is out in force today and everyone is working on their goggle tans!  Coverage is still excellent, the groomers are wall-to-wall, and you just can’t beat spring skiing in the sunshine - we’ll see you up here!

5:00am alarm.

Hurried, excited rush to get dressed in the dark and out the door.

Hoping to be the first in line.

No, this wasn’t for Black Friday, the most popular shopping day of the year, when hoards of people line up in the dark to score deals on, well, pretty much everything (I heard there were tons of amazing deals on toasters??).

Hoards of people lined up, not for TVs and toys for the kids, but to snag the first chairlift ride of the 2009/2010 winter season, first tracks, and all of the bragging rights that go along with it.

This was White Friday, opening day of ski season, 2009/2010.  And, a White Friday it was indeed.  A blanket of fresh white that continued falling into the wee hours of the morning greeted guests all over the mountain.

The white addiction that we all know and love so well brought over a thousand stoked skiers and riders up to the mountain on opening day.

Several people also took the first opportunity the season offered to become brand-new converts to the sports of skiing and snowboarding.  I think they’ve already become addicted!

A sincere thanks to everybody - employees and guests alike - who made opening day fly without a hitch!  Welcome to the 2009/2010 winter season at Mount Spokane!

Although it wasn’t actually the first snowfall of the season on Mt. Spokane, we received a healthy 2.5″ of snow yesterday and through the night, blanketing the mountain in a beautiful coat of white.  Everything is looking just as it should on the mountain again - white, that is.

Read the rest of this entry »

Ever since the chairs stopped turning at the end of last season, the boys have been hard at work getting the lifts ready for another great season.  It’s a little-known fact that summer maintenance of the lifts takes many thousands of man-hours and over a million dollars each season to ensure optimum safety and prime operation during the coming season.

We got to have some fun yesterday splicing the Chair 3 haul rope!  “Haul rope” is the name of the main cable structure that the chairs are attached to.  It’s a 1 1/4″ thick steel cable wrapped around a nylon core.  The haul rope was installed brand new three summers ago, and now, after two full seasons of use, has stretched out and is hanging low.  This is all perfectly normal and part of the process.  To remove some of the slack, the rope is spliced and a section is removed to shorten the rope.

A typical haul rope. Image courtesy skilifts.org

Splicing cable is really a fascinating process.  Instead of cutting the rope off clean, as in the image above, single strands at a time are cut and unraveled at different distances from the center of the splice.  This eventually unravels the rope itself and it comes apart at the center.  It is then weaved back together, at a closer distance than before.  A total of 18″ feet of rope was removed from Chair 3, all before lunchtime!

Easier said than done, right?  Well, I’ll let the pictures tell the story.

Big Steve making the first cut

And another cut. You can see one strand has already been unraveled

Unraveling

More unraveling

Coming apart at the center. You can see the nylon cord in the middle

A jumble of cords. RJ, in the middle, knows exactly where each one goes.

You can see how the ends will be spliced back together

Butt ends spliced together, and RJ is marking the center.

Raveling the strands back in.

Pounding the strands back in for a secure, snug fit

Jason straightening out the pigtails to slide back inside the core.

The pigtails are wrapped in string for a better fit inside the core.

Opening up the cable to slide the pigtail inside

Once he got the pigtail inside the core, RJ rotated these spikes down the length of the rope to hide it inside.

As you probably know, Mt. Spokane State Park road is under construction at the State Park entrance.  The road is closed to the public Mondays through Thursdays until mid-October.

The Park is still open for non-motorized public access.  Free parking is available in a designated area for park visitors at Bear Creek Lodge.

Mt. Spokane State Park is still open on Fridays and weekends, all the way up to the summit.  The bike trails are hot and the huckleberries are ripe, so avoid that scorching heat this weekend and come on up to the mountain.  If you haven’t been before, you MUST see the Vista House in summer.  And with a road all the way to the top, you have no excuse!

The best places to work in Washington State have been announced, and we are very proud to be affiliated with three of the winners!

Congratulations to our Adopt-A-Run sponsors Coffman Engineers, Foster Pepper PLLC, and Washington Trust Bank!

For more information about Washington’s Best Workplaces, visit www.wabestworkplaces.com/

Summer is finally here, as the first of June brings hot weather and beautiful sunny skies to Mt. Spokane.  Although there are still a few patches of snow up high on the mountain (and I’m sure dedicated hardcores can still get a turn or two in), summer is here in force!

There was a moose about halfway up Two-Face this morning, no doubt enjoying the fresh greenery popping up all over the mountain.  It’s really beautiful up here in the spring and early summer, as the bright green new growth contrasts with the dark green alpine firs and rocky ground.

There are so many hiking trails available up here, and fun day hikes for all ability levels, which you will see more posts about as we get further into the summer.  Not only can you hike the mountain trails and ski area terrain, there are tons of trails within Mt. Spokane State Park accessible from several easy locations.  There’s old CCC cabins all over the mountain, a fire lookout on top of Quartz Peak, and the remains of the grand, historic original lodge that burnt down in 1952.  And of course, don’t forget the historic Vista House at the top of the mountain - did you know that you can drive to the top of the mountain in the summer?  Although the road doesn’t usually open until the end of June or July - parts of it are still covered in snow.

Local mountain bikers know that Mt. Spokane is somewhat of a mecca for biking trails.  Don’t forget the views!  I’m not much of a biker myself so I can’t report on that scene much, but I see bikers up here all the time, blowin past me on the numerous single track trails all over the mountain.

Stay tuned throughout the summer for more posts about day hikes, trail routes, wildlife, and the summer happenings at Mt. Spokane.  There will be road construction just inside the State Park entrance, starting later in June, so access will be somewhat limited for a period of the summer, but recreational trails will still be accessible from the Park entrance.  Also, if you do come up to the mountain during the week and the gate to Lodge 2 is open, be aware that it can close any time, and usually is done so by 4pm.

Are you one of those people that wait around until the fall to purchase your season pass at the “cheaper rate”?  Or forget to buy now and end up buying in the fall, possibly losing hundreds of dollars?  We hear those stories all the time.  Those in the know, know that spring is the time to buy, because pass prices are the lowest they go.

So, save some bucks by purchasing today.  Passes jump up to the next price point over the summer, and a final sale in the fall, before jumping to full price in November.  Today, your adult season pass is only $269, vs $469 in the fall.  That’s a savings of $200 bucks!

Here’s your reminder that TODAY, Sunday, is the absolute last day to purchase your Mt. Spokane season pass for next year.  Prices right now are the lowest they will be all season.  You can call (509) 238-2220 x204 and talk to Myris or Rachel today, or, since you’re already online, click here to purchase online.

We’ve added even more value to your season pass for 2009/2010.  Besides already being so close to Spokane (just 28 miles from downtown), having the most night skiing, and offering the best family atmosphere, we’ve added bonus days and times to our operating schedule for next season.  Check the previous blog posting for more details!

Thanks in part to all of you here in our online community, and all the feedback we have received up on the mountain, we’ve added multiple bonus days and hours to our operating schedule for next season!  Check it out -

- EXTENDED NIGHT SKIING
You all know that nights are the time to be up at the mountain - great snow, no crowds, and skiing or riding under the lights until late.  It’s so easy to run up after school or work to get your snow fix, grab a burger for dinner & catch a few more runs before heading back home.  Freestylers know that the park is always hoppin at night.

So, we added 8 nights of bonus night skiing for next season!  That’s right, night skiing will extend into March.  March 13th, to be exact.  So every Wed, Thur, Fri, & Saturday night from December 18 thru March 13 (except for Christmas Eve & Christmas) we’ll have the lights on and lifts turning!  48 nights total.

- DAYLIGHT SAVINGS HOURS
After our bonus night skiing schedule ends, we added even more skiable hours!  Now on Fri/Sat/Sun the last two weeks in March you can ski or ride until 6pm, instead of the usual 4pm.  I don’t know how many times I’ve been enjoying a beautiful bluebird day up here and, before you know it, it’s closing time.  Now you’ve got a couple extra hours to enjoy the spring snow.

And if that’s not enough…

- OPEN FOR SPRING BREAK
Yep!  We listened!  We’ll be open for Spring Break 2010, as long as we still have the snow!  Not gonna release any details yet, but we’ve got a bunch of fun activities in store.  Stay tuned for more info on that… and any ideas feel free to throw at us.

There ya go!  Don’t forget the season pass sales ends this Sunday, May 31. Cheapest prices of the season that you won’t be able to get again after May 31.  Made even more valuable by the addition of our BONUS schedule!

Hope you guys dig it.  Comments always welcome!