Day 74
Location: Kellogg, Idaho
Resorts: 35 out of 50
It’s Day 3 of the Idaho Leg and 100DOW is up in the panhandle. This seventy mile sliver near the Canadian border has three ski areas. The first stop was Silver Mountain located in the former mining town of Kellogg. With a parking lot only a quarter mile from Interstate 90, we were ready to go in minutes.
I boarded the “longest gondola in the world.” Back in the day, when Silver was known as Jackass Ski Bowl (or later as Silverhorn), the road up to Wardner Peak was your typical twisty, dangerous seven miles of ski mountain road. Then in 1990, a gondola was constructed that ran from Kellogg right up to the mountain. It’s a twenty minute scenic ride with plenty of opportunity to prepare for the day.
Up top is everything I love about riding in the Northwest. Uncrowded slopes, old school chairlifts, and plenty of terrain. There’s some hiking and traversing under Wardner Peak. The North Face Glades holds ton of secrets and the Silver staff aren’t shy about sharing recommendations about where to ride.
The cheapest place to crash is at the Trail Motel on the other side of the freeway. Or treat yourself and stay a stone’s throw from the gondola in the Morning Star Lodge. It comes with a swanky room and full-on indoor waterpark.
The Cheat Sheet:
Silver Mountain
610 Bunker Ave.
Kellogg, ID 83737
Mountain Stats
| Snowfall | 300 in (762 cm) |
| Top Elevation | 6,300 ft (1,920 m) |
| Bottom Elevation | 4,100 ft (1,250 m) |
| Vertical Drop | 2,200 ft (671 m) |
| Area Size | 7 lifts | 67 trails | 1,600 acres (648 ha) acres |
| Night Skiing | Yes |
| Terrain Park | Yes |
| Halfpipe | Yes |
