Boise / SW Idaho - ‘sgo!

[chaka]

We're bringing our multi-family annual ski trip to McCall this season. Any local tips to share for Tamarack, Brundage, food, beer, lift ticket deals, etc? I'm excited to check the area out, I've only been to ID (Schweitzer) once and that was 10+ years ago. Looks like about an 8 hr drive from Seattle Eastside, does that sound anywhere close to reasonable in the winter? thanks!

[byates1]

Little family burger place in McCall super good.

[Fishskisurf]

Indy Pass would get you 2 days at each which is about all you’d need and I think would pay for itself on one trip. Might not be on sale anymore though.

Good lil Idaho ski bumps, nothing particularly steep or technical but should make for a great family trip, less crowds and nicer snow than Cascadia.
Add about an hour on the drive, the canyon section from McCall north thru to nearly Lewiston is shaded and a tough drive if snowing or icy (albeit beautiful windshield time, great stretch of road)
Sushi spot in town is popular and worth a visit.
Hit the skating rink in town and a local hot springs for some non ski activities with the fam

[mtnjam]

Re: Brundage, get there early like anywhere. Shred Hidden Valley, after shredding said short and steeps, hike over to Sargents and ski back to the snowmo road which will return you to the ski area. I haven't skied Brundage in years, but on weekends, be prepared to stand in line with every douchebag that has a second home in McCall that can't keep their kids in control. McCall's, Salmon River brewing is a great little place with great service and good beer, typical pub food. The Foglifter for breakfasts, Bistro 45 wine bar isn't there anymore (unfortunately), but Crusty's Pizza is pretty decent. If you can get in at Shore Lodge for dinner, I'd suggest that. Papa Doug's skating rink is pretty nice and they might even have a hockey game going. Go to the Forester Bar and tell everyone that you're a tree hugger and see if you can get into a fight with the loggers (most of who don't even exist anymore in McCall)

Re: Tamarack, that place has the weirdest laid out lifts and fall lines that don't really return you to where you think you might be without having to skate uphill to get back to a lift. Ski groomers there for a little while and then go hike north out the gates across the ridge and drop in where safe, you can't get lost too badly there, every east aspect will drop you down to a road.

[chicken feathers]

Brundage was chill when I lived there. Sounds like it’s changed a little since then.

The Intersection in New Meadows can have a nice atmosphere after a day at Brundage. Decent BBQ. Pueblo Lindo decent Mexican. Both those places are probably still there. The most consistently good food I recall in McCall was EveningRise for killer deli sandwiches. They had sporadic hours though. There was a decent breakfast spot on the south side of the lake rd, in between pueblo lindo and the foresters bar. Rosie’s maybe? Could be hit or miss, when it was good it was really good. I have nice memories of laid back breakfasts there on pow days before the hill would open.

I remember an obsession w/ salad bars in McCall.

Or go to New Meadows and order a steak at the Kalahari. You can smoke ciggys inside while you wait for your steak.

[Thesystemsplit]

Little family burger place in McCall super good.

Our fathers place


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[mtnjam]

Brundage was chill when I lived there. Sounds like it’s changed a little since then.

The Intersection in New Meadows can have a nice atmosphere after a day at Brundage. Decent BBQ. Pueblo Lindo decent Mexican. Both those places are probably still there. The most consistently good food I recall in McCall was EveningRise for killer deli sandwiches. They had sporadic hours though. There was a decent breakfast spot on the south side of the lake rd, in between pueblo lindo and the foresters bar. Rosie’s maybe? Could be hit or miss, when it was good it was really good. I have nice memories of laid back breakfasts there on pow days before the hill would open.

I remember an obsession w/ salad bars in McCall.

Or go to New Meadows and order a steak at the Kalahari. You can smoke ciggys inside while you wait for your steak.

There used to be the place that served up great breakfasts for a while there, Bev's Cafe with Sherri working the front of the house. Always had amazing breakfast burritos and cinnamon rolls. The place was razed at least 15 years ago and is still a parking lot.

If you go to New Meadows, go down the hill to support the new owners at the Hartland Inn and drink a beer at SRB for Rory and Sara.

[shank]

Haven’t been up to Brundage since they upgraded the centennial chair to a detachable but back when it was a fixed grip it was sloooooow and laps on skiers left of the hill were best accomplished via a combination of bluebird and bear chair. No longer necessary after the upgrade but I imagine it still makes for a fun loop if skiing with a posse of varying abilities.

Tam is a weird setup as others have said, and when the snow level isn’t cooperating the lower mountain can get drenched. If you’re skiing inbounds wildwood can be fun if it hasn’t been rained on recently, otherwise keep to summit (or ski out the north gate).

Sushi place in McCall is good by Idaho standards but only acceptable by Seattle standards. They can get busy, probably need to call ahead with a big group.

[chaka]

excellent input everyone, thanks I appreciate it. We're looking forward to bringing the family ski trip shit show somewhere new. Keep the suggestions coming! thanks.

[byates1]

110 mi Frank Church ski traverse

Impressive

[mtnjam]

110 mi Frank Church ski traverse

Impressive

Yeah, that's a pretty cool adventure he put together but IMHO he missed some great ski terrain in areas of the Frank that were not on his route. Especially the southern part of the Frank and areas near Yellow Pine.

[romeo tango]

that video made me want to start a fire ....

[chaka]

If you had three days to ski between Brundage and Tamarack, how would you spread them. Also, does one stand out compared to the other for crowding on holiday weekends (for example Sat or Sunday of Presidents Day). thanks!

[mtnjam]

There's the little ski hill between Brundage and Tamarack and plenty of touring terrain between Brundage and Tamarack on West Mountain. If you have time or a sled, cruising up to No Business L.O. or Snowbank L.O. and Council Mountain are great options and some great wide open terrrain.

Brundage can get pretty packed anymore on holiday weekends and for that matter any weekends anymore. Tamarack seems to have a good people moving capacity, Brundage, before they replaced the Centennial chair got all backed up and long lift lines on that and their Bluebird HSQ seems to have mechanical issues at times. No chair to the north up Sargents...yet.
Both places are really fun and you can't go wrong. If you get an itch, try to get a hold of someone at Payette Powder Guides and see if they'd take you out touring with them to Jughandle or somewhere up Lick Creek road east of McCall, if you're bringing your touring gear. There's also the idea of snowmobiling into Burgdorf hot springs (developed) on one of those days or just a fun snowmobile ride up to Warren through some pretty country. The XC skiing at Ponderosa SP and at Bear Basin are also real fun.

[Fishskisurf]

Ski them each a day & go back to whatever you liked more. Won't go wrong either way you ski em 2:1

Also for as close as they are, I've at times seen substantial variances in overnight totals out of same storm (i.e. one gets 3" the other 8" and then it flip flops the next night) which is a play it by conditions vote.

Tamarack is lower by about 1,000ft so seems to get a touch less on average, but orientation is different
Less crowded at Tamarack.

[Fishskisurf]

also think @ both you'll have no issues buying lift tix @ window, day of (no reservations or limiting ticket sales that I can recall) allowing the play it by ear / conditions strategy.

[byates1]

Sawtooths. 12 feet on the high end. JFC


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[skivan]

lol. Show me the exact point forecast for that computation mistake

[byates1]

Not a mistake son. It gets real out there

[byates1]

My mistake. Dude sent me Mt Adams Wash. We were talking Idaho. 2-5 feet for sawtooths.

But hey

[mtnjam]

lol. Show me the exact point forecast for that computation mistake

usually that zone gets more than you think, especially up higher, check out the resources page that Sawtooth Avalanche center uses for their forecast discussions, they do a pretty good job and usually get close to what is forecasted for snowfall even if it is on the high end.

Tell me you're new to touring that area without telling me.

[skivan]

Oh I know it can get sporty up in the sawtooths but ^ that’s just laughable. For example here’s a west facing point forecast for Williams peak/thompson peak from weather.gov. It paints a more likely forecast. But I’d love to be proved wrong, which is why I asked for your forecast location.

[skivan]

usually that zone gets more than you think, especially up higher, check out the resources page that Sawtooth Avalanche center uses for their forecast discussions, they do a pretty good job and usually get close to what is forecasted for snowfall even if it is on the high end.

Tell me you're new to touring that area without telling me.

Ha ha thanks for playing.

[skivan]

My mistake. Dude sent me Mt Adams Wash. We were talking Idaho. 2-5 feet for sawtooths.

But hey

Fair enough. And don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see that, but yeah no.

[byates1]

We met back east. Dude moved to Boise 15 plus yrs ago. Runs a lab at University. Dude is a beast 10k mores Creek summit off the couch. His kids are borderline phenoms on the Nordic skis. Mores Creek is super tits. Skied it a ton. Safe.

Visiting him a few times a year in Boise, watching Boise explode over the last decade. Bozeman is too hot for me in the summer, Boise is next level. Rad place though

Sweet blog bro/