Did you know Schweitzer has already seen its first snow of the season? The resort's own daily message reports the first official snow sighting on Saturday, October 10, with snow falling on and off through that weekend, and an Ikon Pass roundup released October 14 noted first flakes on Schweitzer with more snow on the way this week. Winter is officially on the radar, and the countdown is on: opening day is set for Friday, November 27, just 43 days from today.
Here is this morning's mountain conditions report, straight from the resort's Mountain Report. The village woke to 37 degrees and clear skies with a light west wind at 4 miles per hour, while the summit sat at 35 degrees and clear with an east-northeast wind at 7 miles per hour. The resort's village forecast calls for a high of 49 degrees today, warming to 53 on Friday under partly cloudy skies, then turning windy on Saturday with a high of 49, a low of 37, and winds of 24 miles per hour. The snow report fields still show dashes for base depth and recent snowfall, and the board reads 0 of 10 lifts and 0 of 92 trails open. The mountain is closed for the season, exactly as an honest mid-October report should read.
Cold mornings make this the perfect week to get your gear house in order, and the calendar offers a date worth circling. The SARS Annual Ski Swap returns Saturday, November 14 at the Bonner County Fairgrounds, running 8 in the morning to 2 in the afternoon, with thousands of new and used skis, snowboards, boots and winter clothing at discount prices to benefit the Schweitzer Alpine Racing School. Selling something? Gear check-in is Friday, November 13 from noon to 7. Meanwhile up in the village, the resort notes that Cambium Spa, Mojo Coyote Cafe, Crow's Bench and Pucci's stay open year-round, along with lodging, so a quiet fall visit still comes with a warm meal at the top of the drive.
Down in Sandpoint, the weekend is stacked. The Sandpoint Idaho Film Fest opens Saturday, October 17 and runs through October 24, starting with a free Film Crawl and continuing with a Local Idaho Filmmaker Showcase on Sunday. Saturday also brings Harvest Fest at the Sandpoint Farmers' Market in Farmin Park and the Fall Shoreline Cleanup at City Beach Park, while the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint holds its Weekend Celebration on Friday and Saturday. It is the last big golden weekend before the valley settles into full winter mode.
From The Village Overlook, perched on the hill above the ski village, mornings like this are the whole story: coffee in hand, clear cold air, and a summit already dusted once and waiting for more. If a fall escape or an opening-day ski trip is calling, we would love to welcome you to stay with us and watch the season arrive day by day. The flakes have started. The countdown has too.