The Day Schweitzer Opened

It was December 4th, 1963, and Sandpoint was buzzing. The community had pooled its money, its sweat, and its hopes into one dream: Schweitzer Basin. A real ski resort. It wasn’t fancy — just one chairlift, a modest lodge, and a warming hut that smelled like woodsmoke and wet wool. But it was theirs. That first day, the snow was powdery, the air sharp with cold, and the mountain felt wide open and wild. Locals skied all day and celebrated all night, knowing they’d built something that would last. What started as a hometown hill became a destination — but it never lost that small-town heart. Ask any old-timer, and they’ll tell you: Schweitzer’s first run felt like freedom.