Sandpoint and the Schweitzer Crust
The Road to the Panhandle
We left the Gallatin Canyon behind and watched the landscape shift from the golden, mountain-ringed plains of Bozeman to the rugged river valleys of Western Montana. By the time we hit the Clark Fork River, the scenery had changed flavor entirely. The trees were different, the valleys wider, and the cliffs dropped straight into the massive river: we were entering the “north”. We crossed into Idaho and skirted the edges of Lake Pend Oreille, the largest in the state, arriving in Sandpoint. It was a charming spot with a maritime feel, a lake town tucked right into the mountains.
Surreal and Slushy Schweitzer
We headed up to Schweitzer, which is a rare gem for van dwellers that allows free overnight camping in the lot. We’d rushed there to beat a storm, but instead of the powder we were hoping for, we were greeted by a steady rain that followed us all the way up the mountain. The resort looked ghostly, shrouded in a thick fog, and with the parking lot quickly turning into a bog we hunkered down in the vans to wait for morning.
The Weirdest Skiing Ever
The morning didn’t bring the “reset” we hoped for. We found the mountain buried under a heavy fog and an “exciting” layer of breakable crust over soft snow. It was brutal… the kind of snow that grabs your board or skis mid-turn and refuses to let go. On the bright side, through the fog we were able to see down to Sandpount and the lake from different parts if the mountain, which made for some unique scenes.
Eventually, we found some manageable tree runs off the backside ridge. It wasn’t exactly “good” skiing, but we made the most of it until our legs and patience were spent. We retreated to the vans by early afternoon, ready for a change of pace.
Super Bowl Sunday
Being Super Bowl Sunday (with the Olympics on too), we headed back into Sandpoint to a cool brewery housed in an old government building. It was the perfect spot to warm up, grab some dinner, and catch the game with Josh and Monika.
After a final, short session the next morning to say we did it, we packed up the vans. Next stop: crossing the border into Canada to see if the “Great White North” has some better snow waiting for us.
