What's New at Schweitzer - Fall 2016

Schweitzer Mountain Resort is looking forward to completion of the new lodge at the summit of the mountain. Construction began in July 2015 and the structure will offer unforgettable views of Lake Pend Oreille, 3 states and Canada.  The 9,000 sq. ft., lodge will offer an amazing venue for on-mountain dining and relaxation with a full service restaurant & bar, cafeteria, space for group functions and a new home for ski patrol dispatch. Completion is anticipated for December of 2016.

The Schweitzer Snowsports School is pleased to announce the appointment of Nikol Hampton as the new Snowsports School Director. Nicol has an established career in the ski industry starting in 1990 at Durango Mountain Resort in CO. She has held various roles throughout the years including a stint as Director of Silver Mountain’s Snowsports School in 2002/2003. In 2009, Nikol joined Schweitzer as Assistant Snowsports School Director and has severed in that role until her promotion this fall.

This past spring, Bret Wieman also joined the company as Schweitzer’s Food & Beverage Director. Bret oversees nine food outlets, the resort’s banquet & catering operations, and will be launching food and beverage service in the new summit lodge. He has also been busy facilitating a $125K transition to Squirrel Systems as our new food & beverage technology system.

Schweitzer’s Property Management group administered a $75K upgrade to the 70 units being managed by Schweitzer. With the participation from the owners, each unit will upgrade mattresses or mattress toppers, mattress shields, sheeting, fitted bed skirts, shams, pillows, duvets, and an upgrade to washable wool Pendleton blankets. The upgrades have ushered in a new “rustic modern” look and feel for both the Selkirk and White Pine Lodges.

A new look and feel is also apparent on Schweitzer’s website thanks to a redesign from Dirigo Design and Development. The new site was launched on Sept 5, 2016 and offers a more user friendly navigation and enhanced visuals and graphics.

In addition to the new summit lodge, the resort has spent over $900K in capital improvements which include the new food and beverage technology system, upgrading the entire ski rental fleet, and the purchase of a Prinoth winch cat to continue providing our incomparable high angle grooming.

With the continued growth of mountain biking at ski resorts during their summer seasons, Schweitzer was pleased to be able to work in partnership with the City of Sandpoint, The Selkirk Recreation District and private land owners to connect the recently developed Highpoint Trail with existing trails already in the Schweitzer Basin. This new 2.8 mile long trail departs from the top of Schweitzer and meanders southwest around the ridgeline, ultimately providing 13 miles of inspiring single track to the valley floor. This is part of a larger multi-year plan for the Watershed Crest Trail, a 30 mile loop which is expected to become one of the top mountain biking trails in the Pacific Northwest when completed.

The real estate market is continuing to grow at Schweitzer with projects by Copper Basin and Idagon Design Build. Twenty new homes were built in the last 3 years with 3 currently under construction on the mountain. Lot sales have also seen significant growth with 12 lots being sold in the last 12 months. Schweitzer still has 23 lots available in highly desirable locations on the mountain. More details about our real estate developments can be found at /explore/mountainside/.

Schweitzer is also pleased to announce that The Powder Alliance has gone “JaPow” with the addition of Kiroro Resort in Japan, rounding out an already impressive resort roster. Schweitzer unlimited pass holders will receive 3 FREE days at Kiroro as well as 13 other resorts located around the western US and Canada.  Learn more at www.powderalliance.com.