Summertime is short and sweet in the mountains of Idaho--alpine meadows full of wildflowers, a rich crop of huckleberries, brilliant starry nights. The Fall chill brings down the curtain on a brief but exciting season when the slopes have shown an entirely different face. The schools open, the lifts close. The crowds disappear, but the quiet is deceptive.

Fall may be the air, but winter is right on its heels. Idaho ski areas are racing to get ready. Mountain staffs are hard at work to make the transition. Its not all work and no play, however. Fall is spectacular at the higher elevations. The air is crisp, the foliage is electric. You don't need a reason to check it out.

Biking, brewfests and special events continue at several hills through October. By then temperatures at altitude will plunge well below freezing and the snowmaking will begin at places like Sun Valley and Schweitzer, which will be firing up a brand new $1.4 million dollar installation for the first time.

The Pacific storms will follow, helping to create the unique Idaho experience of fulfillment, joy and adventure we call "The Soul of Skiing." That's a bold statement, but its true. Out here on the frontier, away from the big crowds and commercial buzz, its still all about the skiing. Great snow and awesome terrain are still more important than luxury hotels, fancy restaurants and flashy gear. Not that there's anything wrong with that-there's something for everybody here. But where it counts, on the slopes, skiing is still the way it should be in Idaho.

There's more inspiration about the Soul of Skiing in this issue, plus, as usual, the latest mountain news and a rundown of upcoming events as the countdown to opening day begins. It won't be long
~ Bill Jennings

Summing up the essence of the Idaho winter experience is no easy task. But when you contemplate all the reasons why the mountains here are special, they all lead to the amplified awareness of being that defines every moment on the slopes-and that stays with you forever. We've identified this feeling as the Soul of Skiing. Pare skiing down to its essence and that's what you get--Timeless and authentic, what skiing is supposed to be all about

I'm friendly. Real friendly.

Down to earth, unpretentious, informal, and genuine. But with a
wild streak, too.

I surprise people. In a good way. They can't believe the skiing
you can get around here. The diversity of slopes. The lack of crowds. And the interaction with nature.

I remind them of a different time when skiing was about the
skiing and not all the manufactured trappings.

In a word: authentic.

Give me a slope with big cruising groomers. A terrain park.
Powder. Or bumps. I'll schuss. Carve. Glide. Float. I love the
ability to have it all. It's true - I've been known to get lost in the trees and hiked out of a gully. And, just between us friends, I've ducked the rope a time or two.

Don't get me wrong: I enjoy sitting in the lodge with a hot
chocolate and sharing stories with family and friends, but I don't sit in the lodge waiting for the weather to turn. I actually find something to love in every weather condition, in every snow condition.

What I lack in ability, I make up for in can-do spirit. And I'll
take a day outdoors in the open space over indoors any day.

I'll spend some extra time at the bottom of a fantastic run to
share a few "wahoos" with friends. I'll pick myself up after a spill,
shake the snow out of the nooks and crannies, rearrange my goggles, and point 'em downhill.

I am active. Youthful - a state of mind. Vibrant. Healthy.
Independent minded. Full of life. Or as Jean Claude might say, I've
got joi de vivre.

I love family, and at the same time I won't hesitate to ski all by
my lonesome and sing out "single" in the lift line.

I just love how beautiful smiles become on a ski hill. Don't you?
They're just brighter and bigger somehow.

Sure, people say I'm an incredible value, and I am - you'll get
an incredibly fun experience at a reasonable cost and customer service that isn't fabricated, but genuine.

I'm neighborly in lift lines, when there are any. And I love
making new friends in the course of a 5-minute chair ride.
I love adventure. And by that, I mean new experiences.
When people leave my slopes, they take me with them, and
every time they think of me (and they do, quite often) they get a
warm glow.

I am the soul of skiing.

GRAND TARGHEE committed to green growth. From Planet Jackson Hole Online article "Greening of the Ghee" by Ben Cannon:
the resort will begin to look and feel dramatically different in the coming decade, as it begins to phase through major expansion as early as next summer. In February, Teton County commissioners approved a plan to expand the village to 450 units, with greatly expanded, mixed-use commercial space.

Change is in the air at Grand Targhee, and part of the shift includes an operations model currently transitioning from not-exactly-progressive to one a resort official said could eventually be the vanguard of resort industry greening.

In early 2007, Grand Targhee management hired the resort's first full-time director of sustainable operations. Since that time, Christina Thomure, has helped change the day-to-day operating culture of the resort to a workplace of environmental awareness.

Grand Targhee announced last week that it would be an early participant in The Climate Registry, a watershed new initiative to verify, record and publish annual greenhouse gas emissions from participating organizations.

Grand Targhee will be the first ski resort in the country to voluntarily monitor and make public the size of its greenhouse gas footprint, according to Dave Hudacsko, a resort spokesman.

SCHWEITZER hedges its bets
$1.4 million dollar snowmaking system under construction.

Instead of praying for snow, the operators of Schweitzer Mountain Resort are taking matters into their own hands--a $1.4 million dollar fully automated snowmaking installation-the first of its kind in the Northwest Rockies.

Up on the saddle of the ridge, a holding pond is being built to hold 10 million gallons of water. West of the Basin Express quad installed last year, a system is being installed to cover the Midway run from the top of the Basin Express down to the village in a 300-foot wide swath.

It's not a lot of terrain. But if we can hit the slopes in November-we'll take it!

"There's a lot of pent up energy in the fall," said Jennifer Ekstrom, Schweitzer's communications manager. "People are ready to ski. If we can provide a more predictable opening its one way we can stand out in the regional marketplace."

Schweitzer operations manager Bill Williamson launched the snowmaking installation in June. To start digging, crews had to push aside up to six feet of snow left over from last winter's epic season.

The state of the art gear is manufactured by TechnoAlpin of North America, a company based in Park City, Utah.

Schweitzer's installation will include nine mobile fan guns, which will circulate among 23 gravity-fed, retractable hydrants. Sensors activate the guns automatically when temperature and humidity conditions are right. Temperatures in the teens are ideal.

According to the National Resources Conservation Service, last year the average temperature at about 6,000 feet at Schweitzer dropped to 14 degrees on Halloween. Through November the average was below freezing for 24 days. But it was dry.

"Clear skies usually mean cold conditions," Williamson said. "If its not stormy, that creates opportunities for making snow. If we're ready to go we could be using the system in October. But having it operating at full capacity isn't for sure. This year is a shakedown to get ready for future seasons."

As for what to expect, it's anybody's guess. The National Weather Service forecast for October, November and December gives equal chances to warm and wet, cold and dry, or somewhere in between.

..more about the science of snowmaking in our next issue.

BRUNDAGE MOUNTAIN MSN ranks McCall, Idaho, as #3 on its list of America's Best Outdoor Towns
Glance inside the garage of a McCall local, and you'll start to get an idea of the head-spinning selection of adventure sports here. Those fly rods are for fishing the Payette River, the Horse Thief Reservoir, and dozens of alpine lakes that speckle the next-door wilderness (Fly Fish McCall, 208-634-1324). Those chalk bags are for the rock climbing routes and bouldering problems surrounding town while the hiking boots and mountain bikes help tack the 2.3 million-acre Payette National Forest (Gravity Sports, 208-634-8530). That quiver of cross-country, alpine and backcountry skis is for gliding, carving and climbing in the terrain of nearby Brundage Mountain Resort (800-888-7544), Tamarack Resort (866-649-6903) or Jughandle Mountain (Winter Carnival is a premier event here). And that snow shovel helps clear the yearly 300 inches of snow for a path to a craft beer at the McCall Brewing Company (208-634-1010).

SUN VALLEY Free fuel at Sun Valley

Stay at the Sun Valley Resort, between 9/1/2008 and 10/14/2008 and receive a free $25 Sinclair gas card for every night of your stay.

Fuel Cards will be issued upon arrival at check in.

This offer may not be combined with other current Sun Valley offers. One gas card per room/reservation. Good only for individual based reservations (non group related).

Silver Mountain - October 4: Fall Colors Scenic Gondola Rides

October 11: OctoberFest and Fall Colors Scenic Gondola Rides

Bogus Basin - September 12, 7 pm - Bogus Basin Championship Trail Run, presented by SHU's Idaho Running Company

September 14, 2 PM - Bogus to Boise BANZAI Super D, presented by Idaho Mountain Touring

September 20-21 - Bogus Basin Kamikaze Downhill, Hari-Kari ShortTrack XC and Samurai Long Course

Lookout Pass - Route of the Hiawatha Trail open daily until Oct. 5

Sun Valley - Festivals of Fall: For complete Festivals of Fall events and lodging deals starting at $94 per person, as well as information on online booking, visit www.visitsunvalley.com/webspecials
Spiritual Film Festival explores different spiritual traditions and is a celebration of the human spirit through film. The festival features over 25 films from around the world, complemented by the presence of many of the film-makers, as well as thought provoking panel presentations and engaging speakers. September 19th-21st.

Ernest Hemingway Festival will explore Hemingway's relationship with Cuba and will feature keynote speakers Hilary Hemingway and Jeff Lindsay. The legendary author hunted and wrote on and off in the Sun Valley/Ketchum area for twenty-two years, and he is laid to rest in the Ketchum Cemetery. The festival will be a well-rounded celebration of Hemingway's life in Cuba and the Wood River Valley, include: lectures and panel discussions by national scholars and family members, a tour of Hemingway sites, museum displays, and an 'Evening in Cuba', filled with music, mojitos and salsa dancing. September 25th-28th.

Jack and the Beanstalk presented by Company of Fools, is the enchanted musical telling of the children's story. Company of Fools is a professional theatre company based in Hailey, Idaho. October 8th-26th.

Trailing of the Sheep celebrates the history of sheep ranching in the Sun Valley/Ketchum area. This year focuses on "Songs and Stories of Sheepherding" and highlights the unique contributions made by the western sheepherders who worked and settled in the Wood River Valley of Idaho. The highlight of this festival is watching as 2,000 woolies move through downtown Ketchum to their winter grazing spots, all led by musicians and dancers. Trailing of the Sheep was recognized as one of the Top 10 Fall Festivals in the World by msnb.com in 2007. October 10th-12th.

Swing 'n' Dixie Jazz Jamboree fills Sun Valley/Ketchum with the toe-tappin' sounds of jazz. Enjoy over 30 bands, talented singers, and dance lessons. October 15th-19th.

The Sustainability Conference concentrates on the themes of green building, renewable energy and smart growth. Michael Shellenberger and Ted Nordhaus authors of The Death of Environmentalism will headline the event. October 23rd-25th.

Nightmare on Main Street is Sun Valley/Ketchum's scariest street party of the year with live music, a spectacular costume contest, and fun festival atmosphere. October 25th.
Swing into Fall with the New White Clouds 9

White Clouds Golf Course, designed by long-time Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Chief Architect Donald Knott, is an alpine links course rising up 300 feet from Sun Valley Resort's base elevation. In celebration of the opening of the new golf course and the accompanying 58,000 square foot clubhouse, Sun Valley Resort is offering 1 night lodging and 18 holes of golf starting at $137 per person (based on double occupancy).

Tamarack -

October 4: 2nd Annual Bikes and Brews Festival

The mud...the jumps...the bikes....the beer!

Be sure to block your calendar for this second annual event featuring great beer, a huge cyclocross race, beer, oktoberfest music, beer, good times and beer!

Come watch the races on Saturday and Sunday and while you're at it, come taste some of the land's finest beer! Sample local pale ales, lagers, hefs, dark ales, porter, darks...it's award winning brew and you owe it to yourself to make sure it passes the taste test!

Tamarack is proud to welcome Snake River Brewing company amongst other who proudly present their nationally recognized beers, including the debut of the award-winning TamBrew. Be the first to taste Tamarack's signature beer...full of hops, barley, powder turns and snowflakes.Tasting begins at noon, continuing through to 5 o'clock.

IDAHO SKI AREAS ASSOCIATION MEMBERS:

Bald Mountain - Bogus Basin - Brundage - Cottonwood Butte - Grand Targhee - Kelly Canyon - Little Ski Hill - Lookout Pass - Lost Trail - Magic Mountain - Pebble Creek - Pomerelle - Schweitzer Mountain - Silver Mountain - Snow Haven - Soldier Mountain - Sun Valley - Tamarack