By Brian Baxter
Our beloved local ski area, staffed by over fifty hard working ever smiling volunteers, will be opening on winter solstice day, Dec. 21.
Known for decades as steep, deep, and cheap, Turner Mountain Ski Area offers over 400 skiable acres, with a two-person chair lift that is over a mile long. This surely gives the good hearted volunteers plenty to do, as the crew puts in approximately 10,000 hours of work each year. And with over 200 inches of snowfall each season, which is over 16 feet, there is always plenty to do. But even though they work hard, judging by their smiles, the volunteers enjoy the mountain as much or more as the other skiers and snowboarders on the hill.
The history of the mountain is intriguing. The Kootenai Tribe of Native American Peoples, or deer robe people as they were called, would venture from the Kootenai River upstream along a major creek which contained clay based soils that made excellent smoking pipes. During the time period of the eighteen nineties through the nineteen twenties, hardcore trapper Frank Turner trapped valuable fur bearing species in this area. He made sets along the river, adjoining creeks, and on up the major creek about 22 miles to a mountain that sits at 5,952 feet in elevation. The major creek is now called Pipe Creek, and the mountain is named Turner Mountain.
Heading over the river and up the pipe as it is called, approximately eight miles to where Blue Mountain road comes in, the first Pipe Creek Ranger Station was established in 1907. Further up the pipe, at about 19 miles, near the Loon Lake road cutoff was where the original Turner Ranger Station was built, and later was home to the first local Civilian Conservation Corps Camp. Up on top of Turner Mountain, one of the first official fire lookouts was constructed. The old tower was taken down in the early nineteen sixties.
The view from the top of Turner Mountain Ski Area is phenomenal. On a bluebird day, this reporter was treated to a ride on the chair lift that not only transported my warmly dressed body, but indeed couldn’t help but lift my spirits.
Surrounded by mountain vistas, the sub-alpine fir trees appear like mini cathedral spires. In the deep, clean snow were tracks of long-tailed weasels, blue grouse, coyote, bobcat, and snowshoe hare. While enjoying one of the many beautiful runs down Turner, beware of moose. As general manager, Bruce Zwang related, years ago he and his son Jeff had a moose encounter where Jeff jumped it and Bruce dang near ran into it.
New additions to this unique ski area for the 2018 – 2019 season are to include a fresh Facebook page, layout of a new website, and the building of a novel weather station. But, similar to many things in life, these improvements will take funds and more work. To donate and for more information, visit www.skiturner.com.
The official season opens Dec. 21on winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. The mountain will be open daily from Dec. 21until Jan. 1 except for Christmas day. Then, for the schedule will be Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays throughout the season.
So folks, don’t hesitate to put some fun into your winter adventures and support our local ski area and it’s hard working volunteers. Whether a family outing, a group of friends, or a solo run, Turner will not disappoint. You’ll enjoy awesome skiing, uncrowded slopes, and putting a smile on the faces of your family and friends, as well as your own.
Photos of of Turner Mountain courtesy of Bruce Zwang.