I left a car in SLC after my Iron Blosam week, returned 3/19 for a week of NASJA events in Idaho. The NASJA trip started in McCall, 2+ hours north of Boise, so I had an 8 hour total drive that I decided to break up with a few hours at Pomerelle. Pomerelle is 25 miles off I-84 near Twin Falls. It's a modest learning-oriented area of about 1,000 vertical, but has the highest base elevation in the state at 8,000 feet and this year the deepest snowpack at 85-95 inches with mostly NE exposure.
I had a quick tour from ski school director (a very important position here) Barry:
I presumed he was likely busiest on Saturday, but he said no. They have lots of midweek programs with local kids. Their business is up this year because they are getting some school programs from Pocatello that might have gone to more convenient but less snow reliable Kelly Canyon.
Barry showed me the view beyond the boundary, anticipating the likely "why aren't we skiing up there" questions from an out-of-town visitor:
In addition to the cost of a new lift, ongoing patrol and avy control costs would increase. "So we wouldn't have $35 lift tickets any more," Barry said, "and that would detract from our instruction-oriented business." Recent developments in the ski industry have no doubt influenced areas like Pomerelle that have a successful niche to stick to it.
Weather was clear, but slightly breezy and in the low 30's. The marked runs were mostly nicely groomed packed powder, with only a few small sections near the base getting enough sun to turn to corn midday. Upper mountain viewed halfway up the lift:
The trees are adequately spaced for powder but off-trail was all hardpacked after warmer days midweek, as admin had experienced the day before in Utah. The steepest area is Punch Bowl, also still firm at 2PM:
For some entertainment Pomerelle has groomed rollers into one run, Stampede:
I had a quick tour from ski school director (a very important position here) Barry:
I presumed he was likely busiest on Saturday, but he said no. They have lots of midweek programs with local kids. Their business is up this year because they are getting some school programs from Pocatello that might have gone to more convenient but less snow reliable Kelly Canyon.
Barry showed me the view beyond the boundary, anticipating the likely "why aren't we skiing up there" questions from an out-of-town visitor:
In addition to the cost of a new lift, ongoing patrol and avy control costs would increase. "So we wouldn't have $35 lift tickets any more," Barry said, "and that would detract from our instruction-oriented business." Recent developments in the ski industry have no doubt influenced areas like Pomerelle that have a successful niche to stick to it.
Weather was clear, but slightly breezy and in the low 30's. The marked runs were mostly nicely groomed packed powder, with only a few small sections near the base getting enough sun to turn to corn midday. Upper mountain viewed halfway up the lift:
The trees are adequately spaced for powder but off-trail was all hardpacked after warmer days midweek, as admin had experienced the day before in Utah. The steepest area is Punch Bowl, also still firm at 2PM:
For some entertainment Pomerelle has groomed rollers into one run, Stampede: