Windstorm Closes Ski Lift for Weeks at Idaho Resort

A damaged chairlift at Idaho’s Tamarack Resort needs repairs and could be closed for as long as five weeks as summer operations get underway. 

Last week, on Monday evening, a windstorm hit the mountain, buffeting the Tamarack Express, which climbs to the mid-mountain and, during the warmer months, is used for scenic rides and the bike park.

Days later, local news outlets reported intense winds in Boise, Idaho—south of Tamarack—with gusts reaching above 70 miles per hour, downing trees and causing power outages. 

Following the storm, Tamarack worked with the Express’ manufacturer and determined that one of the lift towers needed to be replaced. See below for the announcement.

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“We won’t pretend this one doesn’t sting. This team pulled off something remarkable – opening the entire resort by Memorial Day weekend, the marina, the mountain, the golf course, all of it,” the resort wrote in a social media post. “The energy you all brought to that opening weekend reminded us exactly why we do this. To have this happen days later is a gut punch, and we’re not going to pretend otherwise.”

According to Tamarack, repairs were slated to begin on Monday, June 1. The installation is set to take three to five weeks, with a reopening of the Express planned between mid-June and early July. When the lift comes online again, it’ll spin seven days a week.

“To our team: thank you. To everyone who showed up opening weekend and has been patient since—thank you too. This mountain is better because of all of you,” Tamarack wrote.

Other summer activities, such as hiking, remain open. Tamarack also debuted a new marina on Lake Cascade with boat rentals and 100 slips. 

“This is the type of addition that continues to shape Tamarack into the kind of resort experience we’ve always envisioned,” said Scott Turlington, president of Tamarack Resort, in a release. “Creating more ways for our guests and homeowners to connect with the outdoors, whether on the mountain, the golf course, or now the lake, is what this place is all about.”

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