Brundage Mountain facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brundage Mountain
Brundage Mountain Location in Idaho Show map of Idaho Brundage Mountain Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Payette National Forest Adams & Valley counties, Idaho, U.S.
Nearest city	McCall - 8 mi (13 km) Boise - 115 mi (185 km) Lewiston - 160 mi (255 km)
Coordinates	45°00′18″N 116°09′18″W / 45.005°N 116.155°W / 45.005; -116.155
Vertical	1,800 ft (550 m)
Top elevation	7,640 ft (2,330 m)
Base elevation	5,840 ft (1,780 m) Centennial 6,000 ft (1,830 m) main base area
Skiable area	1,500 acres (610 ha)
Runs	46 - 20% easiest - 50% more difficult - 30% most difficult
Longest run	Temptation 2.0 mi (3.2 km)
Lift system	5 chairlifts - 1 hi-speed quad - 4 fixed-grip triples
Lift capacity	7,900 / hour
Terrain parks	2
Snowfall	300–350 in (760–890 cm)
Snowmaking	none
Night skiing	none
Website	Brundage.com

Brundage Mountain Resort is a fun ski area in Idaho, located in the Payette National Forest. It's a great place for alpine skiing and snowboarding. Brundage first opened in November 1961. It is about 8 miles (13 km) northwest of McCall, which is usually a quick twenty-minute drive in winter.

The highest point at Brundage is 7,640 feet (2,329 m) above sea level. Skiers and snowboarders can enjoy a vertical drop of 1,800 feet (549 m). Five chairlifts take you up the mountain. They serve 1,500 acres (607 ha) of terrain. Most of the slopes face west, offering views of New Meadows and even into eastern Oregon.

Brundage Mountain gets a lot of snow every year. It typically receives between 300 and 350 inches (760 to 890 cm) of snowfall. The summit of Brundage Mountain sits right on the border between Adams County and Valley County. McCall is located in Valley County.

Beyond the main ski slopes, Brundage also offers exciting backcountry powder skiing. This is done on 190 square kilometers (73 sq mi) of land north of the ski area. Special snow cats take people to these untouched areas. You can go on half-day, full-day, or even two-day trips. Some trips visit high peaks like Granite Mountain (8,478 ft / 2,584 m) and Slab Mountain (8,225 ft / 2,507 m). The two-day trip even includes spending a night in a mountain yurt. These areas are known for having some of the most snow in Idaho.

You can reach Brundage by taking State Highway 55. Then, you turn onto Goose Lake Road, which is about 4 miles (6 km) west of McCall. Goose Lake Road climbs over 1,000 feet (300 m) in 4 miles (6 km) to reach the ski area's parking lot. The parking lot is located at an elevation of just over 6,000 feet (1,829 m).

During the summer, Brundage Mountain is still a place for adventure. You can ride the chairlifts up the mountain for mountain biking. There are over 20 miles (32 km) of special trails built just for bikes.

The Story of Brundage Mountain

In the late 1950s, people who loved to ski in the McCall area didn't have many options. There was only the Little Ski Hill, which had a small vertical drop of 405 feet (123 m). Bigger ski resorts like Bogus Basin near Boise were a long drive away. Sun Valley was even farther. One of these McCall skiers was a rich businessman named J.R. Simplot. He had a vacation home on Payette Lake.

Simplot decided to help fund a new ski area at Brundage Mountain. He worked with Warren Brown, a longtime McCall resident, and ski legend Corey Engen. Engen was a former Olympian and ski instructor. He designed the trails on the mountain in the summer of 1961. Thanks to good snowfall, Brundage opened early on Thanksgiving, November 23, 1961. It had a double chairlift, a T-bar, and a rope tow. Lift tickets cost five dollars, which was a lot back then, similar to Sun Valley's prices. Engen managed the resort until 1970. The main lodge was expanded in 1971.

More chairlifts were added over the years to make skiing even better. In 1976, a second double chairlift called Brundage Creek was installed. The Centennial triple chairlift was added in 1990. This new lift made the ski area 30% bigger and added more vertical drop by going to a lower base. The Easy Street chairlift was put in for beginners in 1994. Then, in 1997, the two older double chairlifts were replaced by a single, fast Blue Bird Express quad chairlift. This new lift could take skiers to the summit in just seven minutes!

In 2006, the Simplot family sold their share of Brundage Mountain to the DeBoer family. The DeBoer family had been co-owners for a long time. This change meant that Brundage Mountain now owned more land around its base. This allows for future plans to build more facilities at the resort.

In 2007, Brundage invested a lot of money to add two more new triple chairlifts: Lakeview and The Bear. The Lakeview lift opened up 160 acres (65 ha) of new slopes. These slopes face south and offer amazing views of Payette Lake and McCall. The Bear lift connects the Centennial base area to a ridge above the main base. A small lodge called The Bear Den was also added at the top of The Bear lift. These new lifts greatly increased how many people could ride up the mountain each hour.

What's Next for Brundage Mountain?

Brundage Mountain has exciting plans for the future! They want to add a new chairlift to the north. This lift would go to the 7,803-foot (2,378 m) summit of Sargent's Mountain. This new chairlift will open up even more challenging terrain for expert skiers. It will also reach 163 feet (50 m) higher than the current summit.

The owners of Brundage Mountain also have plans for the land at the base of the mountain. They have approval to build new ski-in/ski-out lodging. This means you could stay right at the base and ski directly to and from your room! They also plan to expand other facilities in the base area.

Chairlift Facts

Here are some interesting facts about the main chairlifts at Brundage Mountain:

• The mountain bluebird is the state bird of Idaho.
• Idaho celebrated its 100th birthday as a state in 1990. This is why the Centennial lift was named that year.

Famous Skiers

• Patty Boydstun-Hovdey is a famous alpine ski racer from the U.S. Ski Team.
  • She was the U.S. slalom champion in 1970.
  • She finished 8th in the slalom event at the 1972 Winter Olympics.