“A lot of locals — people you never thought would take up skiing — took up skiing. It was a fun area. I think Schweitzer is probably the best thing that’s ever happened to the town from an economic standpoint.”
Jim Parsons, Jr., interviewed by Nancy Renk in 1996.
Schweitzer ski area open on Thanksgiving weekend in 1963 with a chair lift, T-bar, and two rope tows. Skiers could warm themselves in the new $100,000 day lodge.
More than thirty years of growth have brought changes to Schweitzer. The original day lodge is gone, replaced with a new building as well as a large overnight lodge. Condos and cabins dot the mountainside, and skiers now zip to the top of the runs on a high-speed quad lift. Some things will never change, however. The view from the top and the thrill of skiing down remains as exciting as when first experienced in 1963.
