The University of Idaho’s Adventure Learning program brought an expedition of high school students to McCall and Brundage Mountain for a full week at the end of March. The goal was to learn about snow science by combining active minds with active outdoor pursuits like skiing and snowboarding.

The students combined classroom studies with hands-on experience at Ponderosa State Park and here at Brundage Mountain Resort.

Check out the McCall Outdoor Science School blog to hear what the student adventurers had to say about the experience.

You can also check out this page for more information about how your school can turn learning into an adventure through the al@ui program or contact garyt@uidaho.edu.

- April

We’ll be kicking off our summer season by offering ONE day of free chairlift rides.

Local sports shops and other members of the active community will be on hand as we celebrate the start of our summer chairlift service.

Bike rentals and tasty barbecue fare will be available for purchase.

More details on our Summer 2012 schedule and programs are available here.

We will also be open for Bonus Days on Wednesday, July 4, Thursday, July 5 and Monday, September 3.

We’ll have more details on pricing and other special events soon.

We plan to operate the Blue Bird High-Speed quad for Scenic Chairlift Rides and Lift-Served Mountain Biking from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from June 29th, 2012 through Labor Day.

We will also be open for Bonus Days on Wednesday, July 4, Thursday, July 5 and Monday, September 3.

We received 3-6 inches of fresh snow across the mountain early this week and we’re proud to offer the longest spring season in Southern Idaho.

The snow base currently ranges from approximately 60” to 100”, thanks in part to the 69” of snow that fell during the month of March.

“Our slopes still look terrific and coverage is impressive,” said resort spokesperson, April Russell. “We’re proud to offer the longest spring season in Southern Idaho.”

Brundage Mountain plans to run 3 of 5 chairlifts, from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. 1,340 of the mountain’s 1,500 acres will be open Saturday.

Partly sunny skies are forecast for Saturday. Unseasonably warm temperatures are expected Saturday night and there’s a chance of rain on Sunday, so we are no longer planning to operate on Sunday, April 22.

Food and Beverage service will be available in the Main Lodge and in Smoky’s Bar & Grill. The mid-mountain Bear’s Den will be closed.

The Brundage Mountain Snowsports school will offer lessons. Reservations are highly recommended for the Brundage Bears Childrens program and Brundage Mountain Day Care services.

Keeping with tradition, visitors are invited to meet at the main lodge at 1:00 pm Saturday, April 21 to be part of the resort’s commemorative “Closing Day” group photograph.

The end of the ski season also marks the final weeks of Brundage Mountain’s Early Season Pass Sale. Visitors can save up to $150 if they purchase their 2012/13 Winter Season Pass by April 30^th. Purchase on-line here.

In classic spring form, the slopes started out fairly firm and fast, then transitioned into that beloved soft-creamy corn under the sunshine. The slopes held up well into the afternoon hours, to many visitor’s surprise.

That meant plenty of rippin’ turns for those who turned out for this bonus batch of spring ski days.

Sunshine and comfortable temperatures made it easy to share good times with good company.

But time is running out for those looking to soak in the gorgeous views of our snow-capped mountain scenery.

We do have one more Bonus Weekend planned for April 21-22, conditions permitting. There’s also a slight chance we could add more weekends beyond that, but it all depends on the unpredictable spring weather.
So as you make your plans for next weekend, be sure to carve out some time for a final trip to Brundage Mountain.

Because the corn snow has been fabulous, but this weekend bonus won’t stick around for much longer.

- April

The 4th Annual Idaho-Down Music Festival is a two-day event featuring top regional & local musical artists. The festival is centered in a large natural amphitheater located high up in the beautiful mountains of Idaho, here at Brundage Mountain Resort and features free on-site camping.

You can read about the musical lineup, purchase tickets and find full details here.

We didn’t get much in the way of fresh snow this week, but the slopes and weather are shaping up for the next best thing…corn snow and sunshine!

The forecast looks a little bit deceiving; it’s displaying clouds and snowflakes through the weekend. But if you take a closer look at the percentages, you’ll see a different picture.

Friday Update: The NWS changed Saturday’s Chance of snow to 20%….and MOSTLY SUNNY skies. Latest forecast.

Just for comparison, this is what today looked like. The prediction was cloudy skies and a 60% chance of snow.

And here’s what that looks like:

I don’t mean to pick on the forecasters. The weather in the mountains is unpredictable, especially in the spring time. I just don’t want our visitors to be deterred by the snowflake icon on the forecast bar.

If this is what ‘cloudy’ and ’60% chance of snow’ looks like, I can only imagine how much sunshine we might see with ’30% chance of snow’ and ‘partly sunny’.

Of course the weather is only one factor. Slope conditions are key. We had some REALLY warm temperatures early this week, but now we’re back in that desirable freeze/thaw cycle.

The forecast is calling for overnight temperatures of 19-23 tonight, with highs of 31-41 tomorrow, then 20-24 degrees Friday night, 32-43 degrees Saturday, 25-28 degrees Saturday night and 38-48 Sunday. That’s just the kind of cycle that could produce some really sweet corn snow.And it’s just the kind of forecast that gets me daydreaming about some of my favorite spring days past…

The joy of an untouched corn field.

The sensation of swooping down a sun-kissed slope.

And the camaraderie of sharing the long spring days with good friends.

I’ve been accused of having a positive outlook when it comes to slope conditions. But as a person who follows the slope conditions and forecasts religiously, I’m pretty excited about the prospects for this weekend. And unlike the weather forecasters based 100+ miles away, I will be testing my predictions right along with our other visitors to see how they compare to those of the ‘pros’.

- April

Here’s a quick look at our Bonus Weekend pricing:

Kids 11 & Under – FREE
Juniors (12-17) and Seniors (70+) – $27
Adults (18 – 69) – $45

Individuals who hold a current season pass at any other ski area will get an additional $5 off the prices listed above.

2011/12 Mid-Week Club Card Members can purchase day tickets for just $20 on Bonus Weekends.

The first two “Bonus Weekends” of the season, are set for Saturday, April 14 – Sunday, April 15 and Saturday April 21 – Sunday April 22, conditions permitting.

Snow conditions at Brundage Mountain are excellent. The snow base is holding up beautifully as the spring season progresses.

The base area has a compacted base depth of 70” and the summit base measures 112”, nearly the deepest it’s been all season.

March was the snowiest month so far during the 11/12 season, with 69 inches of recorded snowfall. Another six inches fell the first week of April.

“We are extremely pleased with the slope conditions so far this spring,” said resort spokesperson, April Russell, “we’re confident we can provide a great experience at least through April 22, and if the weather cooperates, we could extend even further.”

The resort will be assessing snow conditions and visitor interest in the coming weeks in hopes of adding even more bonus weekends. In recent years, Brundage has continued to operate on weekends well into the month of May.

Bonus Weekend pricing is as follows:

Kids 11 & Under – FREE
Juniors (12-17) and Seniors (70+) – $27
Adults (18 – 69) – $45

Individuals who hold a current season pass at any other ski area will get an additional $5 off the prices listed above.

2011/12 Mid-Week Club Card Members can purchase day tickets for just $20 on Bonus Weekends.

If you were anywhere near Easy Street this morning, you’d have a good idea.

Dozens of little Easter Bunnies hopped their way toward a bounty of hidden eggs under the sunshine this morning.

The annual egg hunt is designed so that little skiers can participate, and so kids of all sizes can also take part on foot.

There were more than 800 colorful little treasures planted on and around the runs of Easy Street today.

The event began at 11:00 am sharp as egg hunters fanned out across the slope.

It took less than a half hour for this crew to gather up nearly ALL the hidden treasures.

There were lots of little bunnies here today.

And a not-so-little Bruno Bear.

Some of the bigger kids gathered the largest collections.

It helps when you can spot the ones hidden up high!

For many, it was their first time on an alpine egg hunt.

Granite is just 14-months-old, but he’s picking up these important life skills pretty quickly.

Big sister Iris is nearly a pro by now.

The weather was perfect for loading up on colorful treasures…

Enjoying your very first day on skis…

Sharing your good fortune with those around you…

Or just trying to see things from a different angle.

But mostly, it was a great time to share some smiles with family and friends.

And to enjoy the Easter sunshine!

Happy Easter from Brundage Mountain!

- April