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11-15-2019, 01:54 PM #1Registered User
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How's the ski mountaineering/summer skiing in Northern Idaho?
I was looking at Sandpoint ID as a possible place to live, though I've never been. For summer skiing/big descents, it seems pretty mellow in that region, I only see a few 3000ft descents on my google maps analysis. Do you drive 90min up to BC for that stuff? Over to the Cabinet Range in MT? Does the snow stick around pretty well into the summer in the ID Selkirks?
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11-15-2019, 03:26 PM #2Registered User
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Spend some time reading on panhandlebackcountry.com. This will answer your questions. 3000’ descents are limited, but there are a few (which makes it that much more special). There is a mag who pulls off TAY locally, I’ll let him chime in with details.
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11-15-2019, 03:32 PM #3
Not a lot of big descents or summer skiing real close to Sandpoint. Going north into BC or heading to the Cascades/volcanoes is a much better bet for bigger descents and summer snow. There's some stuff in the Cabinets but we're relatively low elevation with nothing over about 7,000' in the area. That definitely limits summer skiing.
Bourbon makes a good suggestion the panhandlebackcountry.com website (provided BC.com doesn't make them change their name). Lots of good information there.
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11-16-2019, 09:20 AM #4
Sandpoint is cute, but there is limited backcountry skiing in general in northern Idaho, much less summer skiing.
The Cabinets have a small glacier that is difficult to access. If you live in Sandpoint and are intent on summer turns your best bet is Logan Pass.
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11-16-2019, 09:41 AM #5
lived in sandpoint for a short bit, town is meh. roll up the sidewalks at 5pm, might be your thing tho...
schweitzer is decent resort skiing, higher moisture snow overall but definitely get some good pow days. not a lot of backcountry stuff, mostly side/slack country from the resort
summer skiing? no, not really at all around there. canada is best bet, easy access to border. if yer serious about summer turns in the US regionally you'd be better off closer to glacier park
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11-17-2019, 01:11 AM #6Registered User
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11-17-2019, 06:12 AM #7
That hot take happens to be true. There are a couple of backcountry options without driving tooo far from town, but judging from the number of trips we take to Canada, "pretty limited" is pretty accurate. Summer skiing is zero within about a 4 hour radius.
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11-17-2019, 10:00 AM #8Registered User
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How's the ski mountaineering/summer skiing in Northern Idaho?
No I get it, the options are limited close to town. My response was to the generalization that there isn’t much bc skiing in the panhandle. I guess my tolerance for driving to find good skiing is a bit higher. Totally agree on the “summer” skiing bit, but there is plenty of great skiing to be had well into June most years.
Access to backcountry skiing in the panhandle isn’t easy like in some other parts of the west, but the options are nearly endless. And you’ll never see another soul out there
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11-17-2019, 10:50 AM #9Registered User
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Get a boat or bike for summer.
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11-18-2019, 07:14 PM #10Registered User
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- Nov 2019
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from my experience the only summer skiing would be in Glacier NP but that's not exactly in your backyard...
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11-18-2019, 11:43 PM #11Registered User
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the place sucks in general, you should stay away
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11-19-2019, 09:39 AM #12Registered User
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11-19-2019, 10:40 AM #13
With all the rain we're getting I'm wondering about winter skiing as well.
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11-19-2019, 12:15 PM #14
Eh, this is reasonably typical. November tends to be a wet, rainy month but will turn soon enough. Not sure we'll be skiing by Thanksgiving weekend but it should be soon. Lots of years where the week before Christmas is still pretty thin but then we get a series of storms through that dump and set the areas up for the holiday week. I'm not worried about it at this point.
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11-19-2019, 01:09 PM #15
May be able to find something down around McCall, but that's a bit of a cruise.
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11-19-2019, 04:22 PM #16
FWIW, Schweitzer has picked up 4" today so far. It's coming...
https://wcc.sc.egov.usda.gov/reportG...ue,TOBS::value
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11-19-2019, 04:24 PM #17
Yeah I can see a snow line to about 3500’ from my office window up at Schweitzer
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11-20-2019, 06:37 AM #18Registered User
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Pick up a beater trail sled and your options for backcountry skiing around Sandpoint will greatly expand..
I wouldn't move here for the summer skiing. Just a couple of snowfields that linger into August. I've been able to ski pow into June the last few years though?
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