BOISE, Idaho — A combination of year-old ideas, a commitment to reinvesting profits back into customer experience, and a proposed collaboration from Garden City Brewery Western Collective all led to a new 21+ lounge at Bogus Basin.
The 'High Peak Hangout' is placed on the third floor of the Pioneer Lodge.
"It was always probably the best spot to be on the mountain and also the least known spot on the mountain," Bogus Basin Director of Marketing and Innovation Austin Smith said. "I thought that it could be more than it [used to be]. This was maybe 3-4 years ago."
Smith pitched a few ideas to repurpose the space; but nothing materialized before COVID put these plans on hold. Smith envisioned an area where people would socialize with others and break the mold of their preestablished riding groups.
"How can we make things better? What can we do that's different? What can we do that will surprise and delight the guests next season?" Smith said. "[High Peak] sets and atmosphere and creates a social space that people feel like there is a reason to stop by and have a pit stop while they're here on the mountain."
Western Collective approached Bogus with the proposal of a year-round sponsorship of music-related events. Music on the Mountain is a popular summertime pull; however, Bogus didn't have a sufficient event for a sponsorship opportunity through the winter season.
High Peak Hangout fills that gap. The space will now host three-hour DJ sessions every Saturday between Jan. 28 and March 25.
"It's all DJ sets. No live performances with instruments. But going for kind of music as secondary to atmosphere," Smith said.
That atmosphere is already drawing interest. Bobbi Barnes and Trisha Goldman spent their Wednesday evening at High Peak.
"My husband and I came in here at 9:30. We were the first ones in here. I feel like I've been here all day, and it's been awesome," Goldman said.
The pair ski Bogus regularly with their families. They instantly noticed the new space. They described High Peak as 'welcoming' and 'inviting.'
"It's kind of a gem up here," Barnes said. "It just continues to get better and better at attracting everybody."
Bogus Basin will celebrate their 80th anniversary Jan. 1 with a firework show and torchlight parade, according to Bogus Basin Director of Community & Customer Relations Susan Saad. The event starts at 6:15 p.m. on the Simplot Base Area.
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