There’s still snow on Idaho slopes, but all local ski areas have closed due to COVID-19
Four local ski areas have closed all mountain operations as the number of coronavirus cases in Idaho continues to grow.
On Tuesday, McCall-area Brundage Mountain announced it would halt operations “indefinitely” at the end of the day. Later in the day, Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area made the same announcement. Shortly before 4 p.m., Tamarack Resort did the same.
“Suspending our operations is a necessary step in support of our national and community efforts to limit the spread and reduce the risks associated with COVID-19,” Brundage General Manager Ken Rider said in a news release. “This is an unprecedented situation. At our core, the Brundage Mountain family is devoted to providing a healthy outdoor experience for our skiing and riding community.”
Bogus said in a news release that “sledding, toboggans and other snowplay will be prohibited on Bogus Basin’s private property (Simplot and Pioneer Lodges).”
Tamarack president Jon Reveal said in a news release that the Donnelly-area resort “will now turn its focus to providing as much support to its employees and Valley County as possible during this time.”
Their announcements come the day after Sun Valley Resort ceased its mountain operations and limited its dining and hotel offerings. Both ski areas offered refunds to those affected by the closures.
In his statement, Rider said he didn’t want Brundage to become a hotbed for activity as restaurants, businesses and events across the state shut down.
“… Keeping Brundage Mountain open at this time would undoubtedly result in an influx of travelers to our community,” Rider said. “… We continue to believe outdoor recreation provides a meaningful escape to nature, which made this a difficult decision. At this critical time, we feel this is the right decision to help flatten the curve in support of our local health care system.”
Over the weekend, Tamarack Resort canceled its events and said it would ramp up sanitization efforts and remove self-serve dining options. Bogus Basin had taken a similar approach, canceling night skiing and Nordic operations, as well as closing its lodges with the exception of locker room and restroom services.
Despite a mild winter, Bogus Basin General Manager Brad Wilson told the Statesman last week (prior to the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the state) that the mountain had enough snow to stay open through mid-April.
Brundage spokeswoman April Whitney said Brundage would’ve stayed open through April 12 “with plenty of snow to do so” were it not for the pandemic. Tamarack would have remained open through April 5.
This story was originally published March 17, 2020 at 11:44 AM.
