For our sixth and final ski day here in the Inland Northwest, we hit paydirt with a mountain that has entered my "Top 5 U.S. Locals Areas" list: 49 Degrees North. A quick one-hour drive directly north of Spokane, 49 has impressive terrain spread across two peaks, including one, Angel Peak on the far looker's right, that recently got a dedicated lift.
While the utilitarian base lodge and lack of resort amenities say "day area," its stats -- 1,850 vertical feet, 300 inches of annual snowfall, 2,300 patrolled acres (not sure how much of that is lift-served, but a decent amount) -- feel closer to "big mountain."
Moreover, less than 12 hours before a Pineapple Express rolled into the region (excellent timing as we're flying home today), we got picture-perfect weather: cloudless skies and temps in the mid-30s:
Like the other day areas in this region (Mount Spokane, Lookout Pass), 49 has lots of big-league tree skiing, including Cy's Glades:
Angel Heart peak:
And similar to those mountains, 49 Degrees North is making terrain and infrastructure additions. The new lift and terrain are already completed and mid-mountain lodge is allegedly coming soon:
While the utilitarian base lodge and lack of resort amenities say "day area," its stats -- 1,850 vertical feet, 300 inches of annual snowfall, 2,300 patrolled acres (not sure how much of that is lift-served, but a decent amount) -- feel closer to "big mountain."
Moreover, less than 12 hours before a Pineapple Express rolled into the region (excellent timing as we're flying home today), we got picture-perfect weather: cloudless skies and temps in the mid-30s:
Like the other day areas in this region (Mount Spokane, Lookout Pass), 49 has lots of big-league tree skiing, including Cy's Glades:
Angel Heart peak:
And similar to those mountains, 49 Degrees North is making terrain and infrastructure additions. The new lift and terrain are already completed and mid-mountain lodge is allegedly coming soon:
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