Loulou Kneubuhler was born in St. Jean De Maurienne in the French Alps in 1943. Where he grew up, there were 80 ski resorts within 100 miles and many more outside that 100-mile radius.

A quarter century later and one hemisphere over, Loulou started the Mighty Mite program and coached at White Pass Ski Area. He also coached for the Spokane Ski Racing Association. As good weather fortune would have it, Loulou happened to come to Spokane during the 1968-69 winter, which was the best snow season on record. “I thought I’d died and gone to the heaven with the big snow flakes,” Loulou says.

Loulou opened Loulou’s Sports Shop in 1973, and in 1978 he installed “Magic Mountain,” a moving carpet that allowed indoor instruction. Skiing greats like Phil and Steve Mahre, Tamara McKinney, and Craig Kelly honed skills on Magic Mountain. Allison Cowles (of the family that owns The Spokesman Review) spent time on Magic Mountain, and it was there that Mt. Spokane 2000 was conceived to revive a fledgling ski hill. Loulou became a board member for the Mt. Spokane 2000 project. In 1996, Loulou sold the business to Mike King, who operated the ski shop for several years.

Now the building houses a tennis pro shop and Loulou’s Ski Museum. I was blown away with the selection of equipment from long ago. He starts his tour with the “Evolution of Skis” from the old days. I mean really old days. The oldest ski was found in Glacier (before it was a national park). Loulou believes that one of his ski artifacts was used by a trapper. Other skis in a place of honor are a 1960 first steel edge ski that won a race at Squaw Valley, a red Head ski designed by racing great Jean Claude Killy, and a white Kniesl ski designed by Karl Schranz from the early 60s.

In the 1970s, Loulou teamed up with the Crescent Department Store and hosted ski clothing style shows at the Ridpath Hotel. But the museum houses far more than skis. The ski boots, both leather and plastic, cover a wide variety of types and styles, and the ski bindings will amaze you that they were ever used. This collection shows the evolution from crude straps to early state of the art. It surprises me that us old timers on skis survived. The vintage clothing takes you back not only to the old days, but also through the evolution of winter wear. A lady gave Loulou a fancy wool ski jacket and pants set that would now be the star attraction at a retro day on the mountain.

Loulou’s Ski Museum is a non-profit operation. Donations from people all over the region, nation and beyond contribute to the museum collection. If you own an ancient piece of alpine (downhill) ski gear, Loulou would gladly accept it for his collection.

Loulou’s Ski Museum is located at 428 E. Pacific Avenue in Spokane. Admission is free, but visits are by appointment only, so call ahead: 509-599-0625 or email loulou@skionline.com for other inquiries.

Written by Chic Burge.

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“I love being outside, being in the cold, the solitude, the sounds of the mountains.” Lars Johansson

It’s rare to find Lars Johansson without a grin radiating through his bushy beard. It is obvious he enjoys people and the great outdoors. He spends a lot of time with both, welcoming life head on, living without reservation.

Johansson hails originally from central Wisconsin, “in the middle of nowheres,” as he puts it. There weren’t any mountains, but he certainly experienced cold and snow. When he was 10-years-old, his dad got him and his brother their first snowmobile. “My dad said, ‘You guys can ride it whenever you want…after you can start it.’ Well, we started it, and as long as there was gas, we kept going,” Johansson recalls.

During college in southern Wisconsin, a friend introduced Johansson to snowboarding. Within two years, he was a snowboard instructor at Cascade Mountain, eventually becoming the snowboard school director. After college, he took a mechanic job with Empire Airlines in Mosinee, Wisconsin. He still rode five days a week at Granite Peak in Wausau, but he craved bigger mountains and better snow. So he spent time each month traveling to and from the Colorado Rockies, where he had friends in the Breckenridge/Vail area.

“Snowboarding was all I did,” he says. “I bought a season pass in Colorado for a couple of years, and I was there so often, people who were friends of my friends thought I lived there.” His routine seemed insane, but it let him have the best of everything he enjoyed – small town living with big mountain recreation. Then in 2006, two things happened that forced him in a different direction.

First, a wakeboarding back injury forced him to give up snowboarding and switch to telemark skiing. “Tele skiing turned my back around and made [the pain] tolerable,” he remarks. “It works your core so hard and keeps everything in line.” The change was very therapeutic, and eventually he switched to alpine and cross-country skiing. Occasionally he jumps back onto a snowboard.

Second, Empire Airlines closed its branch in Mosinee. They gave him a couple choices: a mechanic position in Anchorage, Seattle or Portland, or a management position in Coeur d’Alene. Not interested in big city life, Johansson decided on a two-month trial in Idaho and set out from Wisconsin in February 2007. “All I had was ski gear, a sleeping bag and a bag of clothes. That was it. Driving out, the mountains were huge! Coming over the passes, I thought, this might be pretty awesome!”

The second day after Johansson arrived in North Idaho, it snowed. “I did some research,” he says, “and, hey, look at that. Silver Mountain was close by.” At the time, Silver’s main chair lift was broken, so they were offering deeply discounted lift tickets. Lars was on the slopes before the weekend. “There was nobody there,” he remembers. “It was a waist deep powder day, and I’m skiing and freaking out!”

Today, eight years later, Johansson is the supervisor of Empire Airlines’ local maintenance department, a Liberty Skis rep, and, while he has skied every mountain in the Inland Northwest, Silver is still his favorite. He and his wife Melissa even got married in the gondola village. “The people here are unpretentious,” he says. “There’s no fashion show.” As a consistent weekday skier, Kellogg is easily accessible from his home in Coeur d’Alene. “I work at nights, 2 p.m. to either 10 or midnight. I can get up to Silver quick, go skiing in the morning for two hours or so, get back in my car, get back down here, take a shower and go to work. It’s really convenient.”

He also appreciates the diversity in terrain and weather at Silver. “You can have certain runs on some days where you can’t see very well, but if you go to a different side of the mountain, you can get into some good viz.” It’s tough, though, to pinpoint his favorite Silver run, but he admits to a fondness for skiing the trees, “even though they put me in the hurt locker big time last year.”

Last season was pretty tough on Johansson. After smashing head first into a tree, losing a close friend to an avalanche, and facing some difficult personal challenges, he struggled to return to the slopes. “These things really put me down,” he says, “but I finished the ski season strong.” Despite the setbacks, he is already anticipating a new season. “I love being outside, being in the cold, the solitude, the sounds of the mountains,” he beams. “Some people have asked if the avalanche changed my view on being out there and skiing. To me, these guys died doing what they loved. If anything, it’s almost a reason to double down on skiing. I love it so much – I don’t know if there’s anything that could replace it.” (S. Michal Bennett).

I’d Rather Be Skiing: OTM Winter Obsession Confessions

Skiing may not necessarily be the outdoor sport that defines you, but it’s certainly a critical piece of the local outdoor scene and the personality and passion puzzle that drives many of us here in the Inland Northwest outside into the cold, white mountains each winter. We are hikers, mountain bikers, river surfers, runners, cyclocross racers, snowshoers, triathletes, disc golfers, Nordic skiers, anglers, travelers, whitewater rafters, and, yes, especially when the snow flies, skiers and snowboarders. Why do we stand in line at ski swaps, start saving in June for that season pass or new skis, obsess over snow reports, wax and tune our boards to perfection, and drive icy roads, only to finally hop on a chair or head up the mountain on touring gear to spend a day sliding down snow-covered slopes? The easy answer is that it’s damn fun! Of course, like with all outdoor pursuits, there are often more complex and personal motivations behind our obsessions with skiing and riding. These confessions from OTM writers dig a little deeper into that seemingly simple question: Why do we ski? (Derrick Knowles, Editor)

 “Skiing is an addiction. One that runs deep in our souls.” Chic Burge

I ski because I’m addicted. Addicted to the outdoors, addicted to controlled falling, addicted to fun. Addicted to the endless adrenaline rush that sometimes lasts for hours afterwards. I can’t stop, but my body yells at me to do so. As I leave the ski resort after a hard day’s ski, I’m already planning my next visit. Hoping my body recovers in time for the next powder day.

Why do people ski? They strap on slippery boards and catapult themselves down slopes so steep they can’t walk up them in the summer. We withstand brutal temperatures, blowing snow, cold toes and noses, and all the time, grinning from ear to ear with the pleasure of controlled falling. Non skiers think we’re crazy. Who’d go out into the cold on purpose?

Yet every winter day the resorts are open, there are huge numbers of people playing in the cold. And loving it I might add. Skiing is an addiction. One that runs deep in our souls. We skiers don’t expect non skiers to understand. So when your relatives ask you to spend a powder day doing something else, be aware. For some of us, skiing controls our lives all winter long.

Why do I ski? What a silly question to ask a skier. It’s simple. We ski for the thrill of shushing, for the feeling of snow billowing up in our faces. The rush of controlled falling is a sensation we can’t resist.

Our muscles burn with effort, while our minds float down thru the powder. Even lunch is often skipped, when the snow is like champagne.

By the end of the day, we are exhausted. But we don’t stop until the lifties inform us of the last run. We outwardly grimace at the thought, but internally we are happy to have survived yet another day of glorious powder.

We ski for many reasons. Fresh air. Exercise. Camaraderie. Thrills. Addiction to the white stuff. The need for speed. Beauty. But it all comes down to making that choice to have fun rather than complain about the snow. It has been said many times and it’s true: A bad day of skiing beats any day at work. (Chic Burge)

“Now I ski with my family, and I appreciate the time we have together on the mountain. It almost seems like everything has come full circle – I ski for the fun of it.” Brad Northrup

Looking back over the past three-plus decades of my skiing career, the reasons for why I do this crazy sport have changed, much like I have. I can blather on and on about how my perception of the sport has changed with time, but the reality of why I ski has more to do with my memories associated with skiing; memories that put a smile on my face and make me look forward to going again.

I grew up skiing at Mission Ridge, an area notorious for rock-hard groomers, technical steeps, and the rare day of true champagne powder. During the 1980’s, I raced for Mission Ridge Ski Team, and it was during these years that I developed friendships with people that would last until the present. Funny thing is, I was a second-tier racer at best, but it was the fun we had during this time that makes me laugh whenever I think about it. Maybe skiing is how I try and hang on to my youth….

In 1987, I blew out my left ACL and swore I would never again partake in the sport that ruined my athletic career. I did take some time off, but my thoughts kept wandering back to winter. Eventually, I did return to the slopes, thanks in large part to my best friend Corey, who encouraged me to get back on the horse. I’m thankful I did, because he and I ended up going skiing nearly every weekend for several years, almost always at Mission Ridge. We had a favorite run that we would ski over and over again, whooping and hollering our way down every time. Sadly, Corey was killed in an avalanche not long after I moved to Spokane, but I still  try and make a pilgrimage to Mission Ridge every year to ski our favorite run. I like to think that I ski to honor his memory.

I moved to Spokane in 2001 to complete my college education, and somehow managed to get hired at both Lou-Lou’s Ski Chalet and 49 Degrees North. Working at a ski shop and coaching at a local resort was my real skiing education, and both played a crucial role in my development as a skier. As a coach for many years, I can say that nothing compares to the moment when the proverbial light bulb goes off for a kid, and they finally get it. I will admit that I got a little misty-eyed a few times when I saw this happen. I retired from coaching some years ago, but I keep skiing because that’s what those kids would want me to do.

For the past three seasons, I have been just another skier on the hill, and a return to anonymity has been good for me. I don’t ski as hard or as fast as I used to, but it really doesn’t seem to matter, because the feeling I get from skiing hasn’t changed a bit. Now I ski with my family, and I appreciate the time we have together on the mountain. It almost seems like everything has come full circle – I ski for the fun of it. (Brad Northrup)

“There are few, if any feelings in the world of physical expression, that compare to the ‘flow state’ of dancing through a foot of fresh snow, deep in the trees, in complete solitude.” Brad Naccarato

Skiing for me is one of the highest forms of physical expression. Like an artist working with a blank canvas of snow, my skis are an extension of my body, carving beautiful lines and squiggles through an untracked glade, in perfect synchronicity with the movements of my body. There are few, if any feelings in the world of physical expression, that compare to the “flow state” of dancing through a foot of fresh snow, deep in the trees, in complete solitude.

Pushing, pulling, gliding, carving, and reacting to the pitch of the slope and the varied terrain, I imagine that I’m moving down the mountain as though I’m water flowing through the varied paths of least resistance – always moving fast, yet calmly and deliberate, and never with hesitation. As a true Pisces, I am forever drawn to the water and the seasonal cycles that govern it. I play all winter long in the soft blankets of frozen water that cover my beloved mountains until it transforms into the brilliant blue water of my favorite lakes where I play all summer long. In autumn, when the cold northern air returns the “white water” to the hills above town, I strap on my skis in eager anticipation of starting the cycle all over again. (Brad Naccarato)

“Through the years, skiing has made me a tougher, braver Inland Northwest woman, and has taught me to anticipate and celebrate all of winter’s possibilities.” Amy Silbernagel McCaffree

I ski because I love mountains – they always stir my emotions, a mixture of solace and anticipation for adventure. And the fastest way to summit a mountain during winter is to ride to the top.

Riding a chairlift can be a poetic experience – the tranquil silence while passing over slopes and by trees with branches thick and heavy with snow. Now that I’m a mom, I appreciate solo chairlift rides even more for the blissful minutes where I don’t have to be responsible for anyone or anything. It’s just me sitting on a chair, riding up a mountain. Clear days are my favorite, when I can pause to gaze at peaks, forested wilderness and lakes in the distance before skiing down. I’m always wooed by these breathtaking views. Night skiing and foggy conditions don’t quicken my heart the same way.

On the practical side, I ski because I am married to a man who is a devoted, expert skier – he’s also a ski patroller. I was a fair-weather, few-times-a-year skier before meeting him. It’s only because of him that I transitioned to shaped skis eleven winters ago. If I didn’t ski with the love of my life, I would miss out. But I’m also happy to stay on the groomers while he seeks powder.

This season will be our third one skiing with our children – an experience that both challenges and bonds us as a family, as we overcome both real and metaphorical parenthood mountains. Through the years, skiing has made me a tougher, braver Inland Northwest woman, and has taught me to anticipate and celebrate all of winter’s possibilities. (Amy Silbernagel McCaffree) //

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Winter Rights of Passage. Many of us are drawn to the mountains for the solitude and satisfaction of grappling one-on-one with nature. Yet there is something about the great, frozen outdoors-the vast open space and sky, the high, indifferent peaks and dark forest wildness perhaps-that moves us to seek community shared with like-minded companions. Such gatherings may be secretive, strange, even a bit clique-y. Others are a simple mouse click or page turn away in your favorite outdoor rag or web site. Assuredly, wherever people and mountains collide, a wild, creative spirit is lurking near the surface.

We Don’t Need No Stinking Lifts. What do you do when you can’t wait for the official resort opening date? Or the season ends before the snow stops calling? You break out the rock skis and hoof your way up the hill, that’s what. Most serious skiers own a pair or two of old skis, known as rock skis, for hitting the first and last few precious inches of snow. Ron King, an avid pre- and post-season skier had already skied up at Mt. Spokane three times by the middle of November this year. “I just love skiing so much,” King explains, “and if you’re not too lazy, the first snow can be pretty decent.” This lift-less tradition includes a few potential hazards: hidden rocks, stumps, holes and other obstructions. But a shot at a few happy turns while most people are at home raking or mowing their lawns is something to think about.

Two Chances to Puke Your Guts Out at 49 Degrees North. The annual Epic Adventures sponsored Hill Climb race, which is in its sixteenth year, was once known as the “Puke Your Guts Out” race. The rules are simple. Participants gear up with the tools of their choice-skis and skins or board and snowshoes-for a race to the top and back down to a mob of thirsty spectators. Several classes for men and women keep it competitive. “It’s an excellent time, a real communal event,” said Epic’s Jon Wilmot, who’s been coordinating the climb for the past four years. “The beauty is that somebody usually pushes it so hard that they crash at the finish. We’ve had some great photo finishes like that,” adds Wilmot. Beer, awards, and cash prizes await winnersand participants of this 2,000 foot climb set for Saturday, March 3. Visit http://www.ski49n.com for more information.

Another 49 Degrees North tradition is the Bavarian Race, which got its start as an unofficial, ski hill drinking game. The toned down version of the original event begins with teams of four drawn at random from the pool of racers. “They start at the lodge deck where everyone is given a glass of beer, and each team can’t leave the table until fellow members have finished their drinks,” explains Rick Brown with 49 Degrees North. Next, racers have to put on all of their gear and ski clothes, ride up the lift, and race back down through a slalom course before waiting until every team member is back at the table. Then it’s one more round of beer, which tops off the race. “It’s a really fun event that people come from all over the state to be a part of,” adds Brown.

Sacrifices to the Ski Gods, Naked Racing and Other Ways to Hurt Yourself. Just about anywhere snow meets the mountains, anxious skiers and boarders gather each year to give thanks to whatever god or gods grace the Earth with snow. Several regional ski hills host such events, which typically include a large bonfire fit for sacrificing old ski gear. Jon Wilmot, a past participant of Big Mountain’s locals-only version, describes the sacrifice scene near Whitefish, MT: “There’s a stage with live music, bonfire, kegs, people jumping bikes, packs of dogs running around-it’s a good time.”

Up north of the border, there are several traditions worth a look-see, that is if you don’t mind some blood, guts and a little nakedness. You’ll find the potential for broken bones, blood and a lot of guts at the Jeldness Cup Luge race the Rossland Radicals Luge Club puts on. The race, which is on snow rather than ice, is part of the Rossland, B.C. Winter Carnival held each January. “It’s quite psycho,” admits Mitchell Scott, co-Editor and Publisher of Kootenay Mountain Culture. The event does include luge lessons for beginners, however. For more information visit http://www.rossland.com/Events/Carnival.html.

Whitewater Resort out of Nelson is where you’ll see some skin if you’re up on the mountain for “First Chair,” an unspoken tradition where the first person up the lift each year must ride back down beneath the lift with nothing on. According to Mitchell Scott, who has witnessed a First Chair run or two, Nelson area free skier Moss Patterson got the honors a couple of years ago and made quite a spectacle of himself. “When he came down he was wearing nothing but a sombrero. He got some big air and did a spread eagle ball grab right under the chair.”

An Off-Piste Tradition. Preferring the out-of-bounds ski life to what some perceive as an over-groomed family feel at the locallodge and lift lines, backcountry skiers and boarders aren’t exactly known for overly social behavior. As one anonymous backcountry junkie put it, “backcountry skiers are notoriouslyindividualistic, so they don’t lend themselves well to clubs. They are, perhaps, a bit like Iraqi insurgents-shifting alliances of shadowy figures with illdefined loyalties.” Occasionally though, they band together for a few days of fun and festivities at events like the Kootenay Cold SmokePowder Festival set for the Nelson, B.C areaFebruary 23-25. The festival bills itself as “a grass-roots gathering of skiers and snowboarderscelebrating the deep, untouched snow onlyfound in the backcountry.” Heavyhitters Mountain Gear and Arc’teryx are working with backcountry skier Nils Larsen to make it anational affair, including clinics, demos, exhibitors, competitions, and socialsall weekend. For more informationvisit http://www.mountaingear.com/coldsmoke.

Hidden Huts and Outlaw Hideouts. Outlaw huts-these quirky, rustic shacks often resemble homeless encampments more than alpine chalets. In true outlaw spirit, these highly secretive, typically illegal shelters are excellent places for those in-the-know to escape the winter elements, toss back a cold one, or warm up the lungs next to the oft-included wood stove. They come in all shapes and sizes, from sauna-sized hovels to 30 – 40 foot cabin structures hacked out of the woods. And while they’re free and unofficially open to the public-at least to anyone who can find them and make friends with the locals-you shouldn’t expect a Best Illegal Huts of the Inland Northwest to be published anytime soon, thank god.

One such shelter in the Colville National Forest was known to some throughout its brief life as the “Visquane Villa.” The popular gathering place was cobbled together by backcountry skiers way back in the lawless 90s, before such secret places began appearing in the pages of major ski magazines. One anonymous Villa frequenter recalled its construction fondly: “It was a simple A-frame with 3-4″ poles, tarps and plastic sheeting. Eventually, canvas was added along with a wooden floor consisting of pallets with plywood laid over top and two bunks that slept four, although three was better.” Unfortunately, like many of the hidden huts that never met the approval of various land management agencies, commercial resorts, and their insurance providers, the Villa was recently dismantled at the public’s expense.

Other outlaw huts reportedly pop up from time to time anywhere skiers and snowboarders congregate, and, apparently, are burned down or hauled off by the local authorities as soon as the impact becomes too obvious or the word reaches the resort cafeteria lunch line. So, if you’re one of the few who cherishes the rustic splendor of your own hidden hut, a word of advice: Shhhhhh.

Disclaimer: While some of us at OTM might think the DIY, outlaw hut thing is a really neat idea (in theory), we do not endorse, condone, or encourage such illegal activity-especially when the construction includes green-tree logging and other sketchy environmental consequences and/or we can’t find the damn things  for our own personal use and enjoyment.

Public Huts and Yurts: For those that prefer to play by the rules, there are a number of legal winter warming options scattered about the Inland Northwest. Close to home, several day-use, on-mountain shelters are open to the public at local resorts-check web sites or call your favorite resort for details on how to find them. Honorable mentions go to Mt. Spokane for the Vista House at the top of Chair 1 (http://www.mtspokane.com) and 49 Degrees North’s new warming yurt at the Nordic trail system parking area (http://www.ski49n.com/nordic.asp).

Overnight backcountry hut and yurt rentals within a days drive are too numerous to cover here, so we included a few web sites with all the info you’ll need to plan a trip this winter:

Alpine Club of Canada’s British Columbia Huts & Lodges: http://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/facility/info.html

Oregon’s Wallowa Mountains Yurts & Shelters: http://www.wallowahuts.com and http://www.wingski.com

North Cascades Rendezvous Huts: http://www.methow.com or 1-800-257-2452.

Mountain Mags

If you want the scoop on local mountain culture you’ll need to look further than the national glossy mags such as Outside, Backcountry, and Powder. These rags are great but they fall short on the local scene. Here are five pubs guaranteed to jumpstart your season.

Kootenay Mountain Culture is a beautifully put together bi-annual pub from Nelson, BC that focuses like a laser on mountain lifestyle. “Mountain culture didn’t have a voice,” says editor Mitchell Scott describing the impetus for launching the magazine five years ago. Along with lush printing, great photos, and extended recreation features in KMC you’ll find content on mountain history and the environment.

“I’m very interested in the relationship between people and mountains,” says Scott. “We want to look at what’s happening in the transition from resource economy to tourism economy.” Did he mention getting major freestyle-air? They cover that too. You can pick KMC up from time to time at local gear shops, or subscribe and order back issues online at http://www.kmcmag.com.

If you don’t know what the term Off-Piste means you ought to pick up a copy and see why the magazine of the same names describes itself as “The Backcountry Adventure Journal.” Founder David Waag started the magazine eight years ago because “I couldn’t find what I wanted in other backcountry magazines.”

Off-Piste is a great read for anyone interesting in backcountry skiing, telemark and touring. “You are not going to see people hucking themselves off cliffs,” says Waag of the publication that comes out four times a season between October and March. While Off-Piste covers the world in its goal to “capture the spirit of backcountry skiing” there’s often great info about the Inland Northwest. Like KMC, you can pick up Off-Piste from time to time at local gear shops, or subscribe and order back issues online at

http://www.offpistemag.com.

Sandpoint Magazine is published twice a year by Keokee Co. Publishing and is a great resource for mountain culture in the Lake Pend Oreille area. The latest issue has articles on Schweitzer Ski Patrol and Selkirk Snowcatting. “It’s a lifestyle and recreation magazine about Sandpoint,” say publisher Chris Bessler. “We are trying to make it for both tourists and locals.” If the Winter 2007 issue is any indication they’re doing a good job. You can pick up a free copy at the visitor information centers in Spokane, Post Falls and Coeur d’ Alene or go to http://www.sandpointonline.com. Keokee also publishes books including local recreation guides.

Even though it’s very Colorado-centric we would be lame if we didn’t mention the venerable Mountain Gazette in a mountain culture pub round up. The mags motto is “When in doubt, go higher.” The Mountain Gazette is literary with a capital “L”, but without a hint of stuffiness. Think Edward Abbey and Hunter S. Thompson. The Gazette features writers like Charles Bowden and last year’s OTM Outdoor Writing contest winner Ana Maria Spagna-as well as poetry in every issue. Always entertaining, the Mountain Gazette can be found at Mountain Goat Outfitters and Mountain Gear or at

http://www.mountaingazette.com.

North Columbia Monthly may not have the wider regional reach of the some of the previously mentioned titles, but it’s a must for anyone out and about in the Chewelah, Colville, and Kettle Falls area. Covering Northern Washington arts, entertainment and recreation NCM also has an excellent monthly calendar that includes some events from Southern BC. Readers are treated to regular offerings from local historian Jack Nisbet, too. You can find North Columbia Monthly free at locations in Spokane, or at

http://www.ncmonthly.com.

Mountain Music Scene

If you’re the kind of mountain freak who gets to the mountain early, eats three solid meals in the lodge, and has a few drinks in the bar before heading back down to reality, you know that live music forms the backbone of apres-ski socializing. After all, what could be better than jiving to a local band without paying cover and without having to get dressed up?

The area mountains aren’t planning on letting you down this year, Mr. I’m-So-Hot-Dancing-In-My-Snowtights.

According to Jim Schreiber, Lookout’s Marketing Manager, there won’t be much dancing in Lookout Pass’s lodge this winter, but there will be plenty of music and fun. “Most of the music starts in January,” Schreiber says, “we’re just geared toward putting them in the day lodge and letting them play the music.”

Ole Oleson, a Coeur d’Alene band, is the one confirmed act at Lookout; they’ll be playing in conjunction with the brew fest, February 3, but Schreiber says to expect music on the mountain throughout the season.

At Silver Mountain, the main stage is under the snow, but “once the season gets cranking we like to have live music at Terrible Edith’s,” says Stephen Lane, Marketing Manager. Silver also hosts local bands from Spokane and Coeur d’Alene in the Moguls Lounge throughout the season. No specific bands have been booked to play yet, but “we like to offer a mix of good bar bands,” says Lane, and (like the other mountains, as well) the roster will be posted on the website as soon as bands and dates are confirmed.

According to Patrick Sande of Schweitzer, “there are two main venues: Taps in the lodge, and we also play music in the Chimney Rock restaurant.” Most of the live music happens in Taps, the lodge bar. This year, “we’re starting a monthly music series,” says Sande, that would include at least one headliner each month, such as the Clumsy Lovers, who will play on New Year’s Eve.

Schweitzer also has an open mic night every Thursday, starting in December, and various local bands in Taps throughout the season.

At Mt. Spokane this year, you can expect about six nights of music throughout the season in the Foggy Bottom Lounge, says Gabe Lawson, Marketing Manager. Lawson also mentioned the prospect of Wired Wednesdays, a “kind of club night” with like-named sponsors. If partying it up in your downhill attire interests you, keep an eye on the website for more information.

49 Degrees is still putting the finishing touches on their music calendar for the season, but no details were available when this article went to press. Please visit their website on up-to-date information.

Most of the music at Mt. Spokane will be “a very wide mix-everything from acoustic folk rock to local alternative bands,” says Lawson.

So, if you’re one of those people who likes to spend a lot of time on the mountain, take a hat so your helmet hair doesn’t obstruct the view of people behind you in the bar, don’t forget a little change for local bands’ tip jars, and check out the mountain music scene.

Information on events will be posted on the websites of each mountain, at http://www.mtspokane.com, http://www.skilookout.com, http://www.ski49n.com, http://www.schweitzer.com, and http://www.silvermt.com.

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