McCall, Idaho -- Brundage Mountain plans to open for the season on Friday. Three lifts will be running and skiers and snowboarders will also be able to take advantage of an updated lodge at the ski resort.
"This is a 3200 square foot addition," said Communication Director April Whitney. "At this plaza level down here, we'll have ticket windows, guest services. You can make snow cat reservations, make your ski school reservations. The best part? It's just a few steps from the lower parking lot."
There are also new sun decks on the second and third floors of the lodge, plus a bigger and easier way to navigate retail and the rental shop.
"The flow is going to be a lot better for people coming through, getting their boots on, getting their skis," she added.
Whitney says six inches of snow this week and a drop in temperatures helped create the base needed to safely open the Blue Bird Quad, Lakeview and Easy Street lifts on Friday.
"What we're not going to have open is the Bear Chair. That's our mid-mountain lift," said Whitney.
However, 36 inches of snow at the top of the mountain will make for great skiing on the Lakeview Bowl.
"People should be able to lap that all day," said Whitney.
Brundage Mountain's opening announcement is heating things up at Home Town Sports in McCall. Employees were busy all day waxing and tuning skis.
"The vibes start increasing and people start getting excited," said Skyler Nokes, a retail manager at the shop.
People are so excited to hit the slopes, there's a backlog of skis and snowboards waiting to be worked on before this weekend.
Employees at Brundage Mountain understand how important open ski runs are to the local economy in winter. They're hoping the weather cooperates, bringing more snow and more tourists soon.
"We're going to do everything we can to open more terrain just as soon as we can," said Whitney.
Brundage Mountain will be open seven days a week starting Friday, conditions permitting. Lift tickets will be discounted for opening weekend.
