While natural snowfall’s arrival is a bit later this year than last season, Bogus Basin welcomed winter 2023/24 on Saturday, November 18th, 2023! Your mountain operations crews pulled off this incredible feat by working tirelessly around the clock to make snow, build The Explorer Terrain Park, service equipment, and prepare the J.R. Simplot Lodge for our guests. With the help of cooler temperatures, snowmaking, and the 15 inches of cumulative snowfall from dispersed storms, Bogus Basin has officially welcomed Winter 2023/24!
For you, The Community
- Visitsto the Mountain
- 1,800+
- Acre Feet of SnowMade
- 30
- Hours of RecreationProvided
- 24
All mountains in the region are experiencing drier-than-usual weather as we head into winter – which limits or halts their mountain operations efforts. Bogus Basin crews didn’t let the weather – or lack thereof- stop us! We are proud to welcome guests to ski or snowboard on snow made from our own snowmaking pond until Mother Nature decides to deliver.
This season, Bogus Basin opened on 100% machine-made snow for the first time in our 80-year history. Our Mountain Operations and Snowmaking crews worked around the clock to make this incredible accomplishment possible.
In order to open Coach’s Corner and The Explorer Terrain Park, snowmaking crews pumped over 6,000,000 gallons of water from the Bogus Basin snowmaking pond. When the temperatures warm in the spring and this snow melts, that runoff flows back into our pond, allowing us to make more snow with the same water next year!
With community at our core, it was so exciting to see all of our winter friends and families back on the mountain, taking advantage of what we could offer in the face of a dry and warm November. In our first two weekends of operations, 1,800+ smiling faces gathered in the fresh mountain air to scan passes & tickets, enjoy our valley-famous chicken tendies & fries, share a drink with their crew, and welcome winter 2023/24 the Bogus Basin way!
How we did it: Confessions of a Snowmaker
We understand the critical impact that Bogus Basin has within the Treasure Valley community. That’s why we open as soon as we can and invest in a broad range of events that hit different subsections of the community. During opening weekend, Bogus Basin hosted over 600 guests, many of whom were enjoying free access, during Lowtide 2023. Then, on Sunday, we keep the vibes pumping during a snowstorm, giving away $600 cash in The Explorer Terrain Park at The Gathering – Party In The Park.
While we love being the magicians of the Treasure Valley, giving you a peak behind the curtain is just as fun! How does our team ensure that we open for winter as soon as possible, even when nature is delayed?
SnowMaking It Happen at Bogus Basin
Did you know Bogus Basin has a snowmaking pond below the main parking lot, which contains approximately 42 acre feet of water or about 14 million gallons? So far this season, snowmaking crews have pulled over 10,000,000 gallons from the pond, with a little more than 4,000,000 gallons remaining. As crews pump water from the pond up to the mountain, water is tracked gallon for gallon. Bogus Basin has a water right for which allows us to fill our pond approximately two times during the season, supplying the Treasure Valley with a great insurance policy in case of a lackluster winter.
While conditions allow, snowmaking crews are operating over 25 fan guns on four runs. When temperatures drop below 20 degrees, our team is able to produce close to double the amount of snow. Warmer temperatures (mid-20s) limit the amount of water we can put in the air and have it freeze before hitting the ground.
Snowmaking crews were able to blow enough snow to open Coach’s Corner and The Explorer Terrain Park last weekend while simultaneously working on other mountain areas. In the middle of last week, our crews shifted their attention to Showcase and Bogus Creek runs off of Deer Point so we can expand our terrain offerings to those areas this coming weekend – December 2nd and 3rd.
Our crews are extending their snowmaking efforts towards the Morning Star side of the mountain, and we will be sure to monitor snow accumulation throughout the week with the incoming storm. As always, snowmaking conditions are prone to change and are determined by temperatures.
A Look Back at Bogus Basin’s welcome to winter 2023/24
Opening Weekend: Lowtide and The Gathering
Bogus Basin officially welcomed winter 2023/24 on Saturday, 11/18 with the Explorer Terrain Park Conveyor turning, serving the Explorer Terrain Park and free Lowtide Bogus Basin public event. DJ Rahkeem joined the party on Saturday, elevating the slope-side vibe. We did it all again on Sunday, 11/19 with The Gathering: Party In The Park. A $10 ticket included unlimited access to The Explorer Terrain Park from 10 am to 4 pm.
Weekend 2: Coach Chairlift Runs!
The Coach Chairlift began turning at 10 am on Saturday 11/25, serving 1,200+ visitors over the weekend. In addition to Coach, The Explorer Terrain Park Conveyor and Easy Rider Conveyor operated 10 am – 4 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Excited energy was in the air as skiers and snowboarders slid on snow for the first time since our closing day on May 6th,2023. Coach’s Corner was the perfect first-season run to open, allowing visitors to stretch their legs with some mellow turns. Bogus Basin would like to extend warm gratitude to all of the employees and mountain crews who made our early season happen. Welcome, Winter 2023/24!
Please watch for operations updates on social media and our website.
