Greetings Schweitzer Family, 

It’s been a challenging time for us as we’ve seen an increase in the number of Covid cases regionally and Idaho's Governor, Brad Little, has moved the state back to Stage 3 of the state’s Covid recovery plan. Flexibility has been key this whole year and we are adapting as best as we can. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we continue to navigate this Covid experience together. 

As we get closer to our opening day, we have had many inquiries about Snowsports School programs, day care and lessons. Here’s where we currently stand with regards to those programs:

KinderKamp Day Care: 
Like the school system, we’ve embraced a 4-stage approach to address Covid concerns as they arise this winter. We will require temperature checks upon arrival/check-in and facial coverings are mandatory during lessons for all lesson participants. 

Our 4 stages are as follows: 

• Green = All lessons available 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 – normal operations
• Yellow = Limited lessons available, limited group size based on availability, times will vary throughout the day
• Orange = Private lessons only
• Red = No lessons available & day care only w/limited capacity and advanced reservations

If the season were to start today, we would be in YELLOW but we ask everyone to keep an eye on the website as things may change. If you have any questions, please reach out to kids@schweitzer.com.

Funatics/Mountain Explorers: 
All participants are required to wear facial coverings during lesson times and our group sizes will be limited to a 1 coach / 10 student ratio. All participants must be able to load and unload lifts independently and we have decided that we will not be offering a supervised lunch or scheduled indoor time due to the Covid restrictions on social distancing. Funatics will run from 9:30am to 12:00pm and then resume in the afternoon from 1:00pm to 3:30pm. We highly recommend that our families look at creative ways to help avoid overcrowding including using their vehicles as locker/lunch spots, returning to your condo, taking advantage of our food trucks in the Gateway lot, and just having a spirit of adventure as we approach this unusual winter. If you have any questions about the Funatics program, please reach out to snowsports@schweitzer.com.

Private Lessons:
We will be able to offer private lessons for all levels and all disciplines (ski, snowboard, terrain park, Nordic, and Telemark) as long as they are booked in advance. We are also recommending that groups or families learn together in a private lesson, creating a great opportunity to really share the learning experience on the mountain. A benefit of this approach is that parents can learn tips and pointers from our coaches which the whole family can share, reinforcing the good habits and techniques that they learned. Reservations for lessons will be available starting November 15, 2020. 

Adult Group Lessons: 
For first timers and lower lift only lessons, we will limit group sizes to 10 people and, once again, all participants will be required to wear facial coverings during the lesson. There will still be an option to bundle the lesson with lift tickets and rentals as well as the ability to book lessons on the day(s) you are visiting Schweitzer. Reservations recommended. 

Rentals:
If you are considering renting equipment for your ski experience, please make sure that you have a valid lift ticket for the day in question as there will not be an option to buy lift tickets with your rental package.

It is important to remember that facial coverings are required for entry to the Ski & Ride Center (retail, rentals, lessons and repair shop) and depending on what stage of Covid Idaho is in, we may limit capacity and you may be required to wait outside. Again, flexibility is key and we appreciate everyone doing their part. 

Day lift tickets will go on sale starting Monday, November 9, 2020. Plan ahead for your season and we look forward to seeing you on the mountain this winter. 

As always - Be kind. Be compassionate. Have patience. 

Thank you,

Tom Chasse
CEO Schweitzer Mountain Resort 

** This is an additional statement released this fall with regards to Winter 2020/21 and Covid. Please feel free to read Tom's previous statements on our blog page. **