On Sept. 28, Bogus Basin Ski Resort announced their first snowfall of the season on Instagram. With the winter season approaching and the anticipation of the slopes opening up, there is a lot to look forward to during this year’s ski season.
“Our goal is to open on Thanksgiving or the day following,” said Austin Smith, Bogus Basin’s director of innovation and marketing. “Obviously that is weather dependent, and truly if we are going by technically opening and operating some sort of uphill lift service, we could see an earlier date.”
Bogus Basin has been serving the community along with Boise State students as the go-to ski destination since 1942.
Bogus Basin has full-day lift tickets which are valid from open to close. They also offer half-day tickets, which are valid from 1 p.m. to close, and night lift tickets, which are valid from 3 p.m. to close. Night skiing begins on Dec. 12.
“I know me and my friends are counting down the days until we can hit the slopes again,” said freshman Nate Dedrickson. “Living and being on campus, it can get kind of repetitive so to be able to hit your friends up and ask them to go to Bogus with you is super exciting. The prices are great up there compared to where I would ski in California, and it’s super nice that it’s so close to Boise State.”
To get up to the mountain at Bogus Basin from the Boise State’s campus is a 50 minute drive. According to Smith, they don’t have a plan to run public transportation up to Bogus Basin due to a local shortage of drivers.
For students who still have yet to get their season passes, it’s not too late.
“We have our young adult and college pass. They are one in the same. Young adult age bracket is 18 to 24. If you are outside of that age bracket but currently enrolled in 12 undergrad or 9 graduate credits, you can still get that pricing,” Smith said. “You can buy your season pass online, over the phone or in person.”
For individuals needing to rent ski or snowboarding equipment, the Bogus Basin rental shop located on the mountain next to the ski patrol building has got it covered.
Students can also rent equipment and gear from Boise State’s Campus Recreation Center (the Rec).
“We do offer downhill ski rentals for students, and we also offer snowboard rentals as well. We are open every day from 12 to 6 o’clock,” said the Rec’s outdoor program coordinator, Jordan Pascal.
You can call the rental center anytime during operating hours from noon to 6 p.m. to schedule a reservation to ensure you’re getting the right rental equipment to fit your needs.
According to Smith, Bogus Basin Ski Resort is really excited for the winter season. They paved one of their lots to increase parking this year to help mitigate and improve the overall guest experience this ski season.
“We are really excited for another winter recreation as we continue to expand and fulfill the mission of being affordable, accessible and the largest nonprofit recreation area in the U.S.,” Smith said.
