Bogus Basin

The Bogus Basin area likely received its name during the 19th-century gold rush. According to local history, criminals in the hills above Boise City, known as “spelterers,” produced fake gold dust by heating lead filings with small amounts of genuine gold dust.

In 1939, Alf Engen, considered the father of the American powder skiing technique, selected the site for the Bogus Basin ski area. The resort officially opened to the public in December 1942 with a 500-foot (150 m) rope tow. A 3,300-foot (1,010 m) T-bar lift was added in 1946. During the early 1950s, Bogus Basin featured a 30-meter Nordic ski jump designed by Corey Engen, while his brother, Sverre Engen, served as the resort’s ski instructor.

The first chairlift at Bogus Basin was installed at Deer Point in the fall of 1959, and night skiing began in December 1964. Today, the resort operates seven chairlifts and four magic carpets. Four of the chairlifts are high-speed quad lifts: Deer Point Express (#1) and Pine Creek (#6), installed in 1996 and 1999; Superior Express (#3), installed in 2011; and Morning Star (#2), upgraded in 2019.

Bogus Basin covers 2,600 acres (10.5 km²) of terrain, including groomed runs, bowls, and glades, with approximately 900 acres (3.6 km²) regularly groomed. The lift-served vertical drop on the east-facing back side of the mountain is 1,790 feet (546 m). The summit reaches 7,582 feet (2,311 m) above sea level at the top of Shafer Butte, the highest point in the Boise Ridge Mountains. The back side of Shafer Butte opened in January 1977 after the Pine Creek (#6) double chairlift was installed the previous summer. After operating as a fixed-grip double chairlift for 23 seasons, it was converted into a high-speed quad in 1999.

On the front side of the mountain, the southern lift-served summit is located at Doe Point near Deer Point, which sits slightly higher at 7,070 feet (2,155 m) and contains several communication towers. Both viewpoints overlook Boise and the Treasure Valley, more than 4,000 vertical feet (1,220 m) below. The main base area and J. R. Simplot Lodge, formerly known as Bogus Creek Lodge, are situated at 6,150 feet (1,875 m). The Deer Point Express (#1), a high-speed quad installed in 1996, serves the north-facing slopes. The original Deer Point double chairlift, first installed in 1959 and upgraded in 1981, was relocated in 1996 and renamed Coach (#7) in honor of Bill “Coach” Everts, an early manager and longtime director of the ski area.

Midway up the mountain, Pioneer Lodge, built in 1973, sits at 6,800 feet (2,070 m). The area includes a large parking lot, condominiums built in 1975, and the Jason Harper Training Center. From Pioneer Lodge, visitors can access the gentle south-facing slopes served by the Morning Star (#2) high-speed quad, as well as the north-facing Bitterroot (#5) quad chairlift, which operates mainly on weekends and holidays. The area also connects to the Superior Express (#3), which serves advanced and expert terrain on the northern face of Shafer Butte. The lift rises 1,500 feet (457 m) and reaches an unloading elevation of 7,480 feet (2,280 m). It replaced a Riblet double chairlift built in 1965 and significantly reduced ride times. Night skiing was added to the Superior area in 1986, and the Morning Star lift was upgraded from a double to a triple chairlift in 1999 before becoming a quad chairlift in 2019.

Historically, Bogus Basin has received an average annual snowfall of 200–250 inches (510–640 cm), although snowfall totals have generally declined since 2011. Due to limited water resources, the resort has only minimal snowmaking capabilities, using portable snowmaking units mainly for patching trails. Night skiing is available across 165 acres (0.67 km²) on trails served by five chairlifts. The resort also features three terrain parks, including advanced and beginner-to-intermediate parks on Deer Point Mountain and Sunshine Park on the Morning Star side of the mountain.

The main day lodge at Bogus Creek was constructed in 1962 and expanded in 1991. In 2002, it was renamed the J. R. Simplot Lodge in honor of agribusiness entrepreneur J. R. Simplot (1909–2008), whose financial support helped save the ski area. In 1953, when Bogus Basin was struggling financially, Simplot purchased the ski lifts and other mountain improvements from the Kingcliffe Company and leased them back to the Bogus Basin Recreational Association for $1,500 per year over ten years. His support prevented the resort from closing and earned him lasting appreciation from generations of Idaho skiers. Simplot later played a key role in the development of Brundage Mountain near McCall, which opened in November 1961.

 

 

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