Sunday, October 18, 2026
Did you know the clock is now the most important ski gear at Schweitzer? The resort's own homepage is carrying the message plainly this morning: the Schweitzer Pass Sale ends November 15, 2026, and savings end that day before prices go up. That deadline lands less than two weeks before tentative opening day on Friday, November 27, which is now just 40 days away. Schweitzer is offering its Unlimited Pass for a full season on Idaho's largest ski area, a Sunday-Friday Pass for skiers who like to dodge the Saturday crowds, and 3-Packs starting at 249 dollars while limited quantities last. If a season of laps on 2,900 acres, 92 trails and open bowls is in your winter plans, November 15 is the date to circle.
On the mountain itself, it is a clear, cold, quiet Sunday. Schweitzer's own Mountain Report, updated just minutes ago, shows the village at 37 degrees and clear with calm air, wind 0 miles per hour from the west-northwest, and the summit at 33 degrees and clear with a light south wind at 3 miles per hour. The snow report fields still show dashes across the board, with no base depth posted yet, and the mountain stands at 0 of 10 lifts spinning and 0 of 92 trails open, with lifts and trails listed as closed for the season. The resort's village forecast looks settled and cool: sunny and cloudy today with a high of 43 and a low of 42, cloudy Monday with a high of 46, and partly cloudy Tuesday with a high of 49. The resort's daily message is still savoring October 10, its first official snow sighting of the season, and reminds visitors that the village does not go dark in the fall: Cambium Spa, Crow's Bench, Pucci's and the resort's lodging stay open year-round.
There is more winter to look forward to once those lifts do turn. This season marks the 10th anniversary of Sky House, Schweitzer's summit lodge at the top of the Great Escape Quad, home to the Red Hawk Cafe and The Nest restaurant and panoramic views over Lake Pend Oreille that, on clear days, stretch across Idaho, Washington and Montana and into Canada. Down the mountain, work continues on Schweitzer Creek Village, the long-term project building a second base area, where construction on a new day-use parking area continued over the summer alongside the Creekside Quad and skier bridge already in place, with dining and ticketing planned in future phases. Add the new Learn to Ski in 3 program and Women's Wednesdays announced for this winter, and the mountain under those clear skies has a busy season ahead.
Down in Sandpoint, community life turns civic tomorrow. Early voting for the November 3 general election opens Monday, October 19, at the Bonner County Elections Office, 1500 Highway 2 in Sandpoint, and runs weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through October 30. Voters who would rather vote by mail have until October 23 to request an absentee ballot, and that same date is the pre-registration deadline. On Tuesday evening, October 20, candidates for Idaho Legislative District 1 and the Bonner County Board of Commissioners meet at an election forum from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Sandpoint High School auditorium, with audience questions and a live broadcast on 88.5 KRFY. Show up, listen, and vote.
The community calendar stays musical later in the week, too. The SPIRITSONG and BOUNDLESS choirs are bringing A Journey in Song to three towns, sharing songs, stories and slides from their recent tour to London and Scotland. The Sandpoint performance is at 7 p.m. Friday, October 23, at First Lutheran Church, 526 South Olive Avenue, and it benefits the Bonner Community Food Bank. The tour continues Saturday, October 24, in Bonners Ferry and Sunday, October 25, in Creston, British Columbia, The program pairs Dan Forrest works the choirs performed at London's Barbican with Scottish favorites including Wild Mountain Thyme, Loch Lomond and Auld Lang Syne.
Today's main event is at the movies. The inaugural Sandpoint Idaho Film Fest, running October 17 through 24 at venues all over town, puts Idaho filmmakers in the spotlight this afternoon: the Local Idaho Filmmaker Showcase runs from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Little Panida, with tickets at 5 dollars, celebrating independent films produced right here in the Gem State. If live music is more your Sunday speed, Fiddlin' Red plays from 1 to 4 p.m. at Barrel 33, 100 North First Avenue. The festival rolls on all week, with feature films at Sandpoint Cinema in Ponderay on Monday, R-Night at Idaho Pour Authority on Tuesday, and Premiere Night and Closing Night at the Panida Theater on Friday and Saturday.
Sundays like this are exactly why we love hosting at The Village Overlook. Start with a clear, cold morning and a quiet village walk while the mountain counts down to opening day, spend the afternoon with Idaho-made films in a historic theater, and finish knowing your pass decision has a friendly deadline of November 15. Whether you are here for the film fest this week, the first turns in 40 days, or a Sky House lunch with that three-state view this winter, we would love to welcome you to our studio on the hill above the village. Come stay, and make Schweitzer your home mountain this winter.