| 49 Degrees North Mountain Resort | |
|---|---|
| Location | Stevens County, Washington, USA |
| Nearest city | Chewelah, WA |
| Vertical | 1,851 ft (564 m) |
| Top elevation | 5,774 ft (1,760 m) |
| Base elevation | 3,923 ft (1,196 m) |
| Skiable area | 2,325 acres (9.41 km2) |
| Runs | 75 - 30% Beginner - 40% Intermediate - 25% Advanced - 5% Expert |
| Longest run | 2.75 miles (4.43 km) |
| Lift system | 5 chairs, 1 surface lift |
| Lift capacity | 6600 p/hr |
| Terrain parks | 1 |
| Snowfall | 25 ft (7.6 m) |
| Snowmaking | no |
| Night skiing | yes |
| Web site | 49 Degrees North Ski Area |
49 Degrees North Mountain Resort is a ski resort located in Washington, United States, in the Northwest Rockies. The base elevation is 3,923 feet (1,196 m) with the peak at 5,774 feet (1,760 m). The mountain is served by five chairlifts in an area of 2,350 acres (9.5 km2).
Contents |
The Alpine terrain at 49 Degrees North is serviced by five chair lifts and one surface lift:
The Hobbit Handle Tow assists with access to the Bonanza chair at the base area.
The 49 Degrees North Nordic Center provides access to 25 km of groomed cross-country trails for skiing and snow shoeing.
The Calispell Creek Lodge contains a restaurant, bar, ski shop, rental center, and day care center.
49° North Mountain Resort has long maintained a place in Northwest skiing lore. The use of Chewelah Peak as a winter playground began in 1935, when the Forest Service issued a permit for the development of a site approximately two miles west of the present site of today's lodge. The completion of Cy's Hut in 1936 and a rope tow in 1939 firmly established winter recreation on Chewelah Peak. After the completion of the two story Chewelah Mountain Lodge in 1950 and installation of a double chairlift in 1951, the area experienced a dramatic increase in the volume of recreational users and tourists. By 1968, however, the area was forced to close due to the obsolescence of the chairlift and a lack of revenue created by the gradual decline of the condition of the facilities. On May 6, 1970, the Chewelah Basin Ski Corporation was formed and submitted a bid to develop and operate a ski resort in a basin approximately two miles east of the old area. Development commenced in late 1970 and continued during the summers of 1971 and 1972. Construction of three lifts, runs, and a day lodge was completed and the area first opened for public use in late 1972. In 1976, the U.S. Forest Service approved a master plan allowing for continued upgrading and expansion within the existing Special Use Permit. A fourth lift was added in 1980 and new runs to support the lift continued to attract a number of visitors. In June 1996, the Chewelah Basin Ski Corporation was sold and 100% of the stock was transferred to the Eminger Family. 49° North embarked on its largest expansion in 2006 with the development of the Sunrise Basin area. 500 acres of terrain and 20 new runs were created in the project area, with a quad chairlift added during the summer of 2006. The first concrete footings were poured in early August of that year, and the new chair passed its load test on December 1. The entire operation went online on December 8, 2006. In July 2009, 49° North began a major resort improvement project on Angel Peak, located northwest of the summit of Chewelah Mountain. 60 acres of the Angel Peak project area were transformed into seven new, wide-open runs, and 170 acres were selectively thinned to create more of the legendary gladed terrain that the resort is known for. The Angel Peak project was completed in August 2009.
A proposed full-service mountain village located on 320 acres (1.3 km2) of private land in the Sunrise Basin called Sunrise Village calls for up to 2,700 ski-in/ski-out condominium units, a concert amphitheater, a fitness center, and numerous mountain biking trails. The Master Plan also calls for two additional chairlifts to service the village. Construction was scheduled to begin in the spring of 2008, then delayed until 2009, then again until 2010. The project is now on hold indefinitely in order to allow more time for infrastructure and other planning requirements and due to the current economic crisis.
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