Mt. Spokane adds new uphill skiing routes

Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park has added new uphill skiing routes.

One route allows skiers to go from Lodge 2 to Lodge 1.

A longer route allows skiers to go from Trail 140 merging onto Jim’s Gem. From there, skiers must stay right along Yellowbrick road until reaching the summit of Mount Spokane, Jim van Löben Sels said.

“I would like to see other routes,” he said.

The resort is still working out how to safely account for high-speed downhill traffic. Van Löben Sels said there has been some talk about adding an uphill route on the run Hidden Treasure, although that is still under discussion.

In December 2020, Mt. Spokane announced plans to charge $50 for uphill travel. That annoyed many uphill skiers who had been skiing there for years without paying. At the time, van Löben Sels said the plan was to expand access.

Since then, he said, interest has grown. This year, the resort has sold 173 uphill passes. Last season, they sold just under 100, he said.

At the same time, a grant from the Fairwood Farmer’s Market will allow the resort to improve its signage on the main uphill route

Uphill skiers use specialized nylon material – known as skins – that grip the snow to ski up. Once they reach the top, they take the skins off and go down. Unlike backcountry skiing, uphill skiing is done in a resort or in an otherwise controlled and relatively safe environment.

For more information and to purchase the $50 pass visit mtspokane.com/uphill-travel-policy/.