USA Today readers have voted independently-owned Brundage Mountain Resort on to a list ofNorth America’s Top 10 Best Ski Resortsfor the third year in a row. Brundage Mountain placed in the #4 spot in the 2022 reader’s choice competition.
Ski and travel industry experts nominated 20 ski resorts for the contest and the public had four full weeks to register votes for their favorites.
Other top finishers include iconic resorts like Sun Valley (#10) and Deer Valley (#6). Sunshine Village – located near Banff, Alberta, Canada -- took top honors in this year’s contest with Winter Park, CO and Mount Bohemia, MI rounding out the top three.
View all Top 10 Finishers Here
“Brundage Mountain has a different vibe and a different focus than the resorts that normally top these ‘Best Ski Resort’ lists,” says Brundage General Manager, Ken Rider. “The fact that our loyal supporters keep voting us to the top tells us that our focus on providing a consistent, family-friendly experience is resonating with today’s skiers and riders.”
As the ski industry trend continues toward mega-pass consolidation, Brundage Mountain remains independently owned and prides itself on its homegrown vision for how to operate and improve the resort.
“Brundage Mountain continues to limit season pass and day ticket sales to make sure that guests can enjoy the Best Snow in IdahoTMwithout the hassle of excessively large crowds,” says Rider. “Our plans for future improvements include a focus on the on-mountain experience and on a hassle-free base area experience.”
View the resort’s 10-year improvement plan here
Brundage Mountain’s 2022/23 Opening Day is today, Friday, December 2. A series of storms dumped nearly three feet of snow on the McCall, Idaho ski resort this week. Brundage is now open seven days a week.
Background: Brundage Mountain Resort is steeped in Idaho history and offers a charming, accessible local vibe. Brundage has been providing a high-value, family-friendly skiing experience for more than 60 years.
Brundage Mountain Resort opened for full-time, seven day-a-week operations starting Friday, December 2. A series of snowstorms has dropped more than two feet of fresh snow on the independently owned ski area since Monday.
The resort kicked off the season with the Bluebird Express, Centennial Triple and Easy Street Triple chairlifts in operation. Lifts will run daily from 9 am – 4 pm. The Brundage Mountain Ops Team is working hard across the mountain and will continue to groom more runs, open additional terrain and expand lift service as soon as conditions allow.
As of noon on Thursday, December 1, Brundage Mountain had received 26”-30” inches of fresh snow since Monday and the resort will open the season with snow depths ranging from 32” to 49”. Forecasters say another couple of inches of fresh snow is possible overnight, with skies expected to clear out by Friday morning.
Opening Day grooming operations are planned for several top to bottom runs along with the Easy Street beginner area. Friday’s visitors are encouraged to check the grooming report Friday morning for the latest updates on the grooming crew’s efforts to pack and groom the slopes coming out of this active storm cycle. Even with all this fresh snow, early season conditions exist.
A December 2 opening will go down as one of the earliest in recent memory. Over the last 16 seasons, Brundage Mountain has opened by December 2 only one other time, which was in 2020.
“The storms that hit us over and over this week have transformed the mountain,” says Brundage Mountain General Manager, Ken Rider. “The Brundage team is excited for the chance to offer some high-quality skiing and riding so early in the season and this kind of base sets us up really nicely for the holidays.”
A wide range of mountain services will be available starting Friday, with the Guest Services office and Fall Line Rental and Tune shop open daily. The Brundage Snowsports School is taking reservations for lessons and food service will be available at the all-ages Smoky’s Bar & Grill.
Known for the “Best Snow in Idaho”, Brundage Mountain is blessed with more than 320 inches of base area snow annually, which creates a consistently satisfying mix of bluebird and powder days throughout the winter season.
Future improvements at the independently owned resort will expand the on-site recreational experience and complement the endless adventure-based experiences on the vast Payette National Forest in Brundage Mountain’s backyard, all while preserving and enhancing the attributes that make Brundage a true Idaho original.
