At Bogus Basin, summer work promises uplifting ski season

Idaho ski resorts are reporting improved infrastructure for the 2019-2020 ski season. These improvements range from terrain expansions to greater lift capacity to facelifts of day lodges and other structures.

Last season was a banger for Bogus Basin with record snowfall and copious numbers of happy skiers and riders. Attendance was up 10%, which means that extra revenue can be plowed back into the mountain operation.

Officials are hoping for more of the same in the upcoming season, and summer has seen work crews busily installing and upgrading equipment and facilities, said General Manager Brad Wilson.

The upgrades are part of a $20 million master plan to keep the 77-year-old resort, located about 16 miles north of downtown Boise, in peak shape from top to bottom throughout the year.

The elements are not kind at elevations of 6,000 feet or more, which means structures can take a beating over time. Because of the weather, the building has seen a number of remodels and upgrades since the Pioneer Lodge opened in 1973.

It’s not an epic building blitz, but a phased-in process before skiers head for the slopes, said Wilson.

“This summer we did a facelift to Pioneer,” said Wilson. “We replaced all the windows on the second and third floors to enhance views. There’s also a new outside deck and new siding installed on one of the four exterior walls.

“We also added a food outlet on the third floor, a deli kind of situation with hot and cold sandwiches.”

Simplot Lodge, also built in the 1970s, has remodeled bathrooms and a new heated deck. Interior wise, things are clean and comfortable, but it’s “the 1970s revisited” in terms of décor.

“It is dated and definitely needs some attention,” Wilson  said of future investment on the interiors.

Bogus Basin is essentially “a small city up on the mountain,” said Wilson, listing a range of facilities, systems and processes specific to a resort.

“We have all kinds of vehicle and equipment repair and maintenance going on all the time,” he said. “We have a $350,000 snow cat that can last up to five years and then needs to be replaced.”

Lifts, he said, have a very long life — roughly 40 to 50 years with proper maintenance, he said. But to be competitive, the lift technology, infrastructure and capacity definitely needed a lift.

Out on the slopes, Bogus recently realized a construction milestone: 11 towers for the new Morning Star high-speed quad chairlift were flown into position by helicopter.

This is the first new chairlift for Bogus since 2011, bringing the total number of high-speed detachable quads to four. The Doppelmayr cost approximately $5 million, according Wilson, and will offer a faster and more convenient route for skiers of all abilities.

To hedge its bets if Old Man Winter doesn’t bring stellar snow, Bogus’s management and board have looked to summer fun as an important part of the revenue stream to help fund the infrastructure improvements, said Wilson. That includes expanding mountain bike and hiking programs at Bogus.

The biggest change in the ski industry over the last 10 years has been in looking at the summer as an alternative. Skiing is not a growth sport; it’s been relatively flat for decades, Wilson observed.

The largest summer project has been construction of the Wiegand Alpine Coaster, dubbed “Glade Runner,” that takes riders 4,100 feet through the woods from Simplot Lodge, negotiating two 360-degree loops, several banked turns and a number of dips. The $2.6 million investment just saw its 100,000^th passenger.

Bogus Basin is one of only about 20 nonprofit ski areas that are members of the National Ski Areas Association, which has 313 ski area members.

Wilson said Bogus’ season pass holders and other visitors like knowing that the money they spend will be put back into supporting operations, not going to private shareholders.

“We want to show our gratitude by making these improvements,” he said.