Schweitzer Mountain
Snow ghosts stood sentry on the mountain ridges above Lake Pend Oreille as I drove the two miles across Long Bridge into Sandpoint. In the Idaho panhandle, wintry storms are wet enough to cover the evergreens in a lasting crystal white coating that shimmers in the brilliant blue sunshine. Up close, the trees are sturdy enough to scale with ice climbing equipment, but from the valley, they look like the snow queen’s palace guard. I wanted to get away for a long weekend, and an invitation to Schweitzer last January promised solitude. It’s a ski resort, and I don’t ski. I planned to veg out in front of the fireplace in my accommodations in White Pine Lodge overlooking the slopes. [Click here to read more]