On a hot, smoky afternoon at Schweitzer, lift operator Taylor Oliveira loaded a bike onto the resort’s Great Escape Chairlift. He waited for seven normal chairs to pass. Then he rolled the bike onto a custom chariot.
Schweitzer was one of the first resorts in the country to offer lift-served mountain biking. Lifties like Oliveira have been loading bikes onto chairs since 1991.
Dan Nylund oversees the resort’s summer bike trail crew.
“The first year they loaded bikes on the lift, they basically just laid them on the seats and put the safety bar down,” he said.
Nylund grew up riding the same trails he now works on. At first, those trails were limited — exclusively rocky and challenging. But over the years, Schweitzer has expanded its offerings.
“We’ve been working a lot on building trails that are more flowy and more suitable for a wider variety of riders,” Nylund said.
Some of those new riders are kids. Marty Andrews is a ski and bike instructor at Schweitzer. This summer, he’s teaching kids’ camps at the mountain.
“The previous year we ran a pilot and just ran one week,” Andrews said. “Sold out in two hours. So we said, ‘Let’s do it again next year.’ And we were able to fill four weeks worth of camps.”
Andrews has worked at Schweitzer for 20 years. During that time, he’s watched the demand for lift-served mountain biking grow. And that growth is state-wide. Seven of Idaho’s 19 ski resorts now offer regular summer lift service, including Kellogg’s Silver Mountain. Two more operate bike-equipped lifts sporadically. Most also have some kind of summer programming — like hikes, spa visits or disc golf.
Andrews thinks he knows why.
“I think we’re starting to see winters getting shallower, and so biking can be done a little bit longer,” he said. “There are a few areas around the US where they’ve stopped doing winter lift service and they’ve transferred over to mountain biking only.”
Schweitzer, of course, still offers winter lift service. Taylor Prather is Schweitzer’s marketing and communications manager.
“Winter is our bread and butter, right?” she said. “That’s the reason people come here, and people want to ski and snowboard. But I think there is this desire for accessible adventure, and that’s also a business opportunity for Schweitzer.”
Back in the Schweitzer village, the smoky air made for a relatively quiet day. Eleven-year-old Aaron Groenke had just gotten back from the trails.
“I get, like, a tingle,” he said. “But for good feelings. And I’m just ready for the next berm. Always preparing myself.”
Aaron’s friend, 11-year-old Zach Singh, said he loves the moment right before he points his bike downhill.
“Honestly, it feels like I’m about to do something awesome,” he said. “That’s what it feels like.”
Even for Idaho’s grown-up bike enthusiasts, it’s clear that that feeling never really goes away.