In ideal snowy circumstances, this evaluation is founded on a single excursion. We ascended from Salmon, Idaho on the southern side, but the majority of skiers ascend from the Bitterroot valley to the north of the mountain pass. It is situated atop Lost Trail Pass, spanning the border between Idaho and Montana. Lost Trail Powder Mountain has an esteemed standing for untouched powdery snow because of its remote location, abundant snowfall, and the fact that it only functions for 4-5 days per week.
Stats
The resort known as Lost Trail has a size of 1,800 acres, ranking 47th in terms of size. It boasts a vertical drop of 1,800 feet, which ranks 82nd in the industry. The actual snowfall recorded at the resort is 300 inches, ranking 47th out of 325 inches claimed. With an annual snowfall of 91 inches, Lost Trail is ranked 3rd for its distinct trails. The resort has a total of 74 lift pods and 60 trails. In January 2022, our website visited Lost Trail and gave it a ★★★ rating.
Review of Lost Trail Powder Mountain
We had one of the most fun powder skiing days ever at Lost Trail. The amount of fresh snow on the smooth surface of the top trick doesn’t form big bumps, so the little traffic that the place gets doesn’t sound like enough. Our previous day’s tracks completely erase overnight, allowing you to zip down the mellow terrain at a high speed for a total of 24 hours. Just be careful not to get stuck in the deep powder, as there is typically 4-12 inches of snow on a typical day.
About 30 miles away is the nearest accommodation to the north, which highlights the isolated nature of the resort. Despite the lengthy journey, there were hardly any other vehicles on the snow-covered roads during our morning drive. The last available lodging before reaching the resort is in Salmon, Idaho, as we were traveling from south to north, starting our trip in Utah.
Just prior to the elevator opening, we arrived and discovered that there were only approximately 20 individuals waiting in line to be the first ones to ski down the slopes. In order to access the other two old-fashioned double chairlifts, you must utilize the first ancient double chairlift, and there is only a single lodge building (which is truly in need of renovation!) The summit of Lost Trail Pass is situated precisely on the border between Idaho and Montana, with the base area spanning across.
Seat 4
Long ago, the region was evidently cleared by fire, giving the impression that the trees were intentionally cleared or planted in that manner. It was an enjoyable day for skiing with well-spaced trees and large areas, particularly noteworthy for the predominantly moderate slope, offering consistent skiing opportunities. The chairlift, which was constructed in 1969 and installed in the resort in 2001, was relocated from Grand Targhee, making it a relatively recent addition. The Saddle Mountain chair #4 brought Lost Trail to our attention.
We didn’t really want to groom anything, so instead we took many runs in the trees next to the groomed blue runs in that zone. It looks like we ran out of time to ski in that zone, but The White House also gives you access to the double-black terrain, which is the steepest.
Seat 2
Afternoon approached, the Moose Creek glades, which we also tried out, had fewer skiers. We also explored another collection of fantastic blue slopes, as well as Thunder and Corkscrew, which are classic black runs. We continued to ride Chair 2 on the Idaho side after lunch.
Seat 1
If you are seeking that, it appears that South Face develops some undulations by the conclusion of the day. Chair 1 predominantly caters to advanced and expert-level slopes and possesses significantly less elevation compared to the other two, thus Chairs 2 and 4 are the primary attraction at Lost Trail.
Chairs 3 and 5
It is peculiar that in the appropriate locations, they were not even constructed to appear necessary, and it is not necessary for them to appear there. On Friday, when we were running, they were not running, but if they ever run, why am I not certain of their existence?
The resort’s main advantages include the generously spread-out trees that enable skiing across most of it. It would realistically require an entire season to fully explore the area due to the numerous intriguing corners and crevices within the 1800 acres that we did not investigate at all.
Grooming
The grooming of the old groom is still going well, and it doesn’t really need much traffic because of the low skier experience. Anyway, you don’t really need to go to Lost for that type of experience because the amount of grooming seemed just right. It was surprising that the operation, which is a family bare-bones operation, had pretty good quality and amount of grooming for the few major groomed runs that each chair had done.
Lodge and Dining Options
The food at the cafeteria area is not actually bad, but it definitely won’t be the highlight. Even though we encountered a sparse crowd midweek, the fare at the traditional ski lodge base was not great. The lodge itself is truly a run-down relic.
