Winter Wonderland: Skiers savor Idaho’s après-ski scene — Focus

Idaho skiing.

Two words that go together like Maine lobster: the best of the best, where each opportunity to partake of it is something to be savored and remembered for its excellence.

Nothing caps off a good taste of Idaho’s winter sports offerings better than the fun and camaraderie of the nearest après-ski scene. Whether it’s a local, full-service bar or a family-friendly pub serving specialty dinners and microbrews, a chance to settle in with friends, winter sportsters of every ilk welcome food, friends and beverages after a day of skiing or boarding.

Bogus Basin Mountain Ski Area
In Boise, Bogus Basin’s après-ski crowd has several choices for bottom-of-the-mountain refreshment and camaraderie, including Highlands Hollow Brewpub and its neighbor, O’Michael’s Pub and Grill.
“O’Michael’s is too handy not to stop by for most Bogus skiers,” said Jesse Murphy, spokesman for Ski Idaho, whose Web site, www.skiidaho.us, monitors ski conditions and events and provides mountain updates.

O’Michael’s, which specializes in steaks and spirits, offers late night happy hours and late dining options, and the kitchen is open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays during the winter. The pub and grill also caters, both on-site for up to 150 or off-site for up to 500, with full food, beer and liquor service.

Virtually next door, Highlands Hollow “is definitely known for its comfort food,” said Dana Brenchley, Highlands Hollow chef.

Customer favorites include halibut fish and chips, hand-cut fries, Mess o’ Chops and fresh steamed clams. Everything is made fresh daily, and HH’s steamers are so popular that guests often call ahead to make sure they’re available, Brenchley said.

“I’d put ours up against anybody’s in town,” said Jerie Fishwild, who runs HH with husband Jim.

Nanette Meyers, a supervisor at HH, is an avid bogus skier. Her husband, Brady, has been a member of Bogus’ ski patrol since 1995.

Nanette relishes Ski Mondays, when she joins HH crew and friends for “a nice lunch in the lot, sometimes with the Dutch oven, (and) a side trip to the Pioneer Lodge.”

Crowds are minimal on Bogus most Mondays, so the group has the run and fun of the mountain.

But the fun was interrupted one Monday when Nanette injured her knee.

“(Brady) actually had to give me a toboggan ride down Lower Nugget,” she said. “I was then transferred to a snowmobile ride the rest of the way around to the Patrol Building. Everyone was professional and took excellent care of me.”

Brady said one of his favorite patrol events was working the Special Olympics World Winter Games in February 2009.

“It was a great experience to see all the teams, countries, fans, and the excitement that surrounded the event,” said Brady, who was “deeply moved by the athletes and their enthusiasm.”

Brundage Mountain Resort
Brundage Mountain Resort, which also hosted Games participants, has boosted the skiing experience both on the mountain and in nearby McCall. Crews extended a popular run and cleared areas to improve powder runs.

“On the mountain, the run Engen now connects with the 45th Parallel directly, eliminating traversing on any Cat tracks,” Murphy said.

The bottom of that run has been extended down to the bottom of the Centennial and Bear Chairs.

Brundage workers undertook extensive brush cutting over the summer, he said, and more than 15 acres of brush has been cleared in areas around Meadow Bowl, Ranger Trail, and between the Blue Bird Quad and Alpine, making those powder lines longer and wider.

New and remodeled gathering spots are also boosting after-ski crowds on the mountain and in neighboring McCall.

“For a long time, there was no après-ski up on the mountain,” said April Russell, spokeswoman for Brundage. The resort is updating and remodeling its popular Smokey’s Pub, and planned to have it reopen this month.

“That’s a more afternoon/early evening après-ski spot where people will hang out, and it’s a great place because of the camaraderie,” said Russell. “Everyone’s talking about how their ski day was, what powder runs they found. For the true skiers, that’s a really cool thing to do.”

For those who want to linger over their experiences, McCall – about eight miles from the mountain – offers a later-evening experience.

“Lardo’s has always been popular because it has such a wide-ranging menu, liquor, beer and wine and pool tables,” Russell said. “It’s got something for everyone, and it’s one of the first places down off the hill.”

The new Salmon River Brewery is rapidly becoming one of the hot spots in town for the après-ski crowd. They do a happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m., “and that’s the perfect after-Brundage stop. These guys are making really great beers, and they’ve got a really nice, cozy atmosphere in there,” she said.

Forester’s, which was shuttered for many years, has made a comeback. The historic, non-smoking, completely remodeled pub features a full-service bar and its own microbrews.

“It’s very casual, and they’re starting to do more food there,” she said. “They have reasonable prices and great people.”

For those with a more elegant experience in mind, The Mill, the Narrows Restaurant at Shore Lodge and Steamers Steak and Seafood offer fine dining in McCall. Murphy said Si Bueno Southside Grill and Cantina is the place to “meet up with the true skiing locals on a Friday.”

Sun Valley Resort
When it comes to additional elegance, first-class skiing and Sun Valley are virtually synonymous, especially when it comes to top-notch amenities and right-now technology.

The ski resort, which also played host to Special Olympics events, has big plans for winter 2009-2010. These include a brand-new gondola that’s sure to get a rise out of Bald Mountain aficionados, and the launch of a weeklong cross-country skiing event.

Visitors can get immersed in cross-country (Nordic) skiing during the inaugural Sun Valley Nordic Festival, Jan. 30-Feb. 7, 2010.

The resort, along with the Blaine County Recreation District and the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, will host clinics, demonstrations, seminars and races. The event culminates in the 35th Annual Boulder Mountain Tour on Feb. 6.

The weeklong program kicks off with a family-friendly, self-paced tour along 12 miles of groomed Nordic trails running between Ketchum and Hailey. On Sunday, those wishing to get a glimpse and a trial run of the Boulder Mountain Tour route can get tips and training at Galena Lodge.

On Feb. 2, Nordic instructors and other ski experts will offer two sessions of training and suggestions for skate skiing the BMT.

“The Boulder Mountain Tour is considered one of the premier cross-country ski events in the United States,” said Ramona Duke, spokeswoman for the Sun Valley/Ketchum Chamber and Visitors Bureau. “Drawing a field from across the country, and across the spectrum of abilities, the BMT is open to all skiers.”

The 32-kilometer run, which begins about 25 miles north of Sun Valley near Galena Lodge, “follows the Wood River as it winds its way down the valley over the historic Harriman Trail system of the BCRD and the North Valley Trails,” she said. It ends at the Sawtooth National Recreation Area headquarters in Ketchum.

Those not quite ready to run its full distance can try out the 15-kilometer Half Boulder event during the BMT. A complete events schedule can be found at www.svnordicfestival.com.

Sun Valley opened its 2009-10 season with its new Roundhouse Gondola, which will carry more than 1,800 people an hour in its 56, eight-passenger cabins, according to Jack Sibbach, Sun Valley spokesman. The gondola will ascend 2,000 vertical feet in eight minutes.

Originating at the River Run base and ending at the Top Terminal Plaza at the Roundhouse Restaurant, “the gondola gives easier and quicker access to Seattle Ridge and some of the other mountain terrain,” said Sibbach.

The Roundhouse, midway up Bald Mountain on the River Run side, features sit-down service around a four-sided fireplace and is open during ski season for breakfast and lunch. It features Averell’s Bar, serving beer and wine.

Non-skiers are welcomed, and they can buy a foot traffic pass to meet their friends for a meal or choose from an excellent wine list. The lunch menu includes grilled filet of salmon, pan-seared elk, Wienerschnitzel or quail, among other favorites. The restaurant, wh
ich normally closed at the end of the ski day at 4 p.m., now stays open until 5 p.m. for non-skiers, allowing them to ride the gondola down.

“So far it’s been very successful,” said Sibbach.

Other après-ski sites at the resort include the Sun Valley Club Barn and Grill and River Run Lodge, and Apple’s Bar and Grill at the base of Warm Springs. Nearby Ketchum offers a host of après-ski hot spots, including Papa Hemi’s Hideaway and the Roosevelt Grille.

“The Basement is also a good place to catch post-slope folk,” said Murphy.