Schweitzer, Idaho Ends Land Lease with Selkirk Powder

Schweitzer, Idaho's largest ski resort by skiable acres, recently put out a press release titled " Schweitzer Purchases Selkirk Powder’s Resort-Based Operation ."

According to Ken Barrett, the President and Co-Founder of Selkirk Powder, this write-up is misleading to readers.

On July 12, Schweitzer wrote, "Schweitzer has announced the purchase of Selkirk Powder’s guided backcountry snowmobile and cat ski operation, an experience that invites guests to explore an additional 4,350 acres of skiable terrain from the backside of the resort."

Barrett explained that the terrain Selkirk Powder utilized for operations was leased from Schweitzer, and Schweitzer simply took the land back to go into backcountry ski operations for themselves.

Barrett told POWDER, "when people quickly read that email and [Schweitzer] uses the words 'acquire in operations,' acquire is a tough word. It usually connotes full takeover." "The result is we were non-renewed on the 20th year of operations."

Luckily, things are on the mend and looking up for Selkirk Powder. The business, with a history of success, saw no changes to their own get-up-and-get-it-done attitude. While Selkirk Powder may not have been the one to advocate for this land transfer, they did not let this setback define them.

Barrett explained "[We] came to terms to transfer our operating terrain to Schweitzer. We were in the midst of the 30 months that it took this process, but we were successful in gaining a new operating permit. We are geared up to go in early January ."

Selkirk Powder will now run their snowcat-assisted backcountry ski & splitboard tours in a new zone of the Selkirk Mountains: Atlasta–Casey. See below.

Things will look different for Selkirk Powder, but Barrett says the company plans to "reduce the price because the model is going to change. We were doing hot laps before. Very quick, very efficient. We don't yet have the roads through the entire terrain."

"We'll ski about a quarter of [our new terrain] out of the cat and three quarters of it will be accessed by skin to be picked up by the snowcat."

"The snowcat offers access to 6,250 acres of skiing. Plus, we still have a helicopter permit. We have the snowmobile permit. We tried to lock up everything we could."

"They don't carte-blanche the forest with your permit. They gave us four quadrangles, and we were able to take one of those quadrangles, which is in the same drainage as the cat terrain. We had skied it for years under the helicopter permit. So, it's not unfamiliar terrain. And it's set up just like our current terrain."

"The perimeter roads are there, and the access to the high country is there. It's just not as developed. It took me 15 years of heavy sawing and getting bit by bees, , ."

"It's just like building a ski area. You know, we built 75 runs [at the old property]."

Tom Chasse, president and COO of Schweitzer, acknowledged this hard work in Schweitzer's press release, writing that “since the early 2000s, Selkirk Powder has laid the groundwork in crafting unique backcountry experiences just beyond the resort’s boundary. We can’t wait to build upon what’s already been established and take the operation to the next level for the upcoming winter season.”

Terrain expansion is part of the plan at Selkirk Powder, too.

Barrett said, "it's gonna be cool in three to five years. We do have a plan that says first year we thin lightly. Second year we start thinning commercially. And then we begin developing logging scale programs. And then we'll have high accommodations up on the ridge overlooking Priest Lake in the Schweitzer basin."

Barrett has big dreams for Selkirk Powder. Change is a challenge for anyone, but he is taking it head-on. He told POWDER candidly, "my program is really to put five to ten years into this. I just turned 59 the other day."

Nature provides challenges, daily. Man has nothing on that. You have to roll with the punches, and Selkirk Powder is doing just that.

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