If you are looking for an inexpensive, hassle-free experience, spend a few hours at a rural ski hill.  Community-based areas add wholesome options to Idaho’s winter sports scene.
        Many Idaho children start their lifelong participation in snowsports at small local areas. Amee Hardy, of Boise, grew up near Grangeville.  She started skiing at the Snowhaven Ski Area when she was five years old.  Last year, her two-year-old son Connor experienced his first time on skis at Snowhaven during a trip to visit family members in Grangeville.
        “As a kid it wasn’t a daunting hill, you could see the top,” says Amy.  From a parent’s perspective, she says there is no fear of losing the child on the hill. “It is one lift up with ski runs on both sides of the lift, and the people are friendly and keep an eye out for everybody.”
        Here are a few of the uncrowded Idaho areas that are reminiscent of the earlier days of alpine skiing, when local ski hills were run by families, clubs, universities, or local governments.  Each provides a down-home atmosphere, accessible parking, low fees, and a relaxed atmosphere.

Chipmunk Ski Hill in Challis
(208) 879-5280
Skiable Terrain: 30 acres
Lifts: One rope tow
Daily Lift Tickets: $5 adults and children
Open: Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 4pm
Extras: Warming hut
Getting there: Head west out of Challis on Main Street, which turns into Custer Motorway. Go about four miles to where the road forks. Take the left branch and go one mile, take the next left, go 100 yards to ski hill.

        Located in the Challis National Forest on the edge of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, this ski hill has been around since the 1960s.  First, it was privately owned. In the early 1970s, the Challis Ski Club bought the land.  The club now owns 20 acres and leases a few more.

        Mining history is associated with the ski hill.  The rope tow used to be powered by an old mining truck built in the 1930s.  In its prior life, the truck was used to haul copper ore out of Copper Basin to the rails in Mackay.  Donated to the ski club in about 1969, the truck was put into service as a ski tow until a new engine replaced it a few seasons ago. 

        The inexpensive lift fee provides as many tows up the hill as your gloved hands can tolerate.  If you have never used a rope tow, consider wearing thick leather ski gloves for protection, because the thick rope slides through your hands at the start of the ride.

Rotarun Ski Area in Hailey  
(208) 788-6204
Vertical Drop: 441 feet
Skiable Terrain: 25 acres
Lifts:  One Poma tow
Daily Lift Tickets: $18 for adults, $12 for ages 11–17 years, $8 for ages 5–10 years, $5 for ages 4 or younger 
Open: Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 4pm, night skiing Wednesdays and Fridays from 6–9pm.
Extras: Snack bar, warming hut
Getting there:  Head north out of Bellevue on Highway 93. Turn west on Croy Canyon Drive. Drive west a little over 2½ miles, then turn right on Rodeo Drive. The ski hill is on the left.

        Community involvement is important for the existence of the small areas.

Located in the Sun Valley region outside of Hailey, this ski hill is on county-owned land and is managed by Rotarun Ski Club, Inc., a not-for-profit organization. The local Rotary Club got the ski area going in 1947, thus the name Rotarun. Volunteers keep the place running by operating the lifts, serving food, and selling tickets. Annual winter events are the Arkoosh Cup Race, the Slush Cup Race, and the Snow Box Derby.

        Smaller ski areas often rely on used equipment from larger resorts.  In the early 2000s, Rotarun purchased a Poma lift from a resort in Austria to replace its aging J-bar lift.  Sun Valley Resort donated a snow cat that enables improved grooming at Rotarun, and the old Sun Valley heli-ski building moved to the ski hill.  In turn, Rotarun donated their rope tow to Chipmunk Hill in 2008.

Snowhaven Ski Area near Grangeville
(208) 983-3866
Vertical Drop: 400 feet
Skiable Terrain: 60 acres 
Lifts: T-bar and rope tow
Daily Lift Tickets: $17 full day, $11 half-day
Open: Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 10am to 4pm
Extras: Rentals, lessons, and food service
Getting there: Take U.S. Highway 95 to Grangeville. Go East on Idaho State Highway 13.  Turn right at the Nez Perce National Forest Headquarters and onto Road # 221. Watch for the large signs.

http://www.grangeville.us/parks-and-recreation/snowhaven-ski-area.html

        Snowhaven originated in the 1940s as a ski club.  The ski area is located on property donated for use as a ski hill.  The city of Grangeville now owns the area and a Board of Directors manages it. 

        From the top of Snowhaven is a broad view of the Gospel-Hump Wilderness area, the Nez Perce National Forest, and the South Fork of the Clearwater Basin.  A snowboarding halfpipe area and lift-assisted tubing are available on-site. Nearby snowmobiling, crosscountry skiing, snowshoeing, and sledding complement the downhill activities.   

Cottonwood Butte Ski Area    in Cottonwood
(208) 962-3624
Vertical: 845 feet
Skiable Terrain: Six different runs
Lifts: Rope tow and a T-bar 
Lift Ticket: $15 full day for adults and kids
Open: Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays
Extras: Lessons, rentals, and snack bar
Getting there: Highway 95 through Cottonwood, and 8 miles beyond town. 

        With mountain views of the Seven Devils, the Gospels, and Buffalo Hump, the area is popular for folks from Lewiston, Moscow, and Pullman. Formed in 1967 by a group of individuals interested in having a ski area close by, it is still managed locally.  The first lifts had wooden ski lift towers brought over from the Bogus Basin Ski Resort. Cottonwood volunteers later replaced the wooden towers with metal ones.

LITTLE SKI HILL in McCall
(208) 634-5691
Vertical Drop: 405 feet
Skiable Terrain: Includes 30 kilometers of groomed cross-country ski trails at the new facility, Little Bear Basin
Lifts:  T-bar
Daily Lift Tickets:  $9 for kids ages 17 and younger, $11 for adults (season passes available through the Payette Lakes Ski Club)
Open:  Tuesday-Thursday, 3:30-8:30pm, Friday 3:30-9:30pm and Saturday 12-9:30pm
Extras:  Ski instruction offered, call ahead to make reservations (price does not include lift ticket). Hang out at the Little Ski Hill Lodge.
Getting there:  Heading north on Highway 55, proceed two miles north of McCall. Little Ski Hill is located on the west side of the highway.

        The Little Ski Hill outside McCall is probably one of the better-known little ski hills in the area, offering winter activities for kids and adults of all ages. 

        What you may not have known is that that Little Ski Hill was built in 1937 and was initially a winter diversion for local forest workers.  Since then, with the help of dedicated volunteers and the community, the Hill has continued to promote skiing as a lifetime sport for all ages. Something else you might be surprised to know: it’s the only lighted ski and snowboard hill in the McCall area!

        Consider exploring the many small and medium-sized ski and snowboard areas in Idaho. For ideas, see the book Winter Tales and Trails by Idahoan Ron Watters.  It is a comprehensive guide to skiing, snowshoeing, and snowboarding opportunities in Idaho and the western border of Wyoming.

Natalie Bartley is a Boise-based writer and author of two Falcon Guide books: Best Rail Trails Pacific Northwest and the upcoming Best Easy Day Hikes-Boise.