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Another great place to ski in the vicinity is the Chief Joseph Cross-country Ski Trail System located just forty-five miles North of Salmon on Lost Trail Pass. To get there, take Highway 93 North from Salmon to the top of Lost Trail Pass. Turn right on Highway 43 and continue approximately another mile to the signed parking area at Chief Joseph Pass. This system has 8km of "easy" trails suitable for beginners and families with kids. For more challenge there are 17km of "more difficult" trails that wind up and down through meadows, forest and clear-cuts. There are outstanding vistas throughout the trail system. Each Thursday or Friday the trails are groomed for classic skiing (no skating) by the Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club. The club developed this system jointly with the Beaverhead, Bitteroot and Salmon Nation Forests. There are pit toilets, plenty of parking and trail maps at the trailhead. Dogs are discouraged on the groomed portion of the trail system. For more information contact the Sula Ranger District, 406-821-3201.
Also at the top of Lost Trail Pass is Lost Trail Powder Mountain that has marked backcountry trails suitable for more experienced skiers. The ski area itself is a great place to learn or practice your telemark skills.
In addition to the more developed cross-country ski areas, there are hundreds of miles of forest trails and pristine wilderness available to the adventurous backcountry skier throughout the Salmon area. You'll be spoiled by the solitude, beauty and great snow!
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Salmon Idaho Chamber of Commerce
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Mountain vistas with tall green pines, crystalline white snow and clear blue skies are what you can experience when you cross-country ski on the forest roads and trails near Salmon, Idaho.
Just ten miles southwest of Salmon is the Williams Creek Summit Cross-Country Ski Complex. Developed jointly by the Salmon National Forest and Salmon Nordic Ski Association, their seventeen-mile trail system traverses a variety of terrain from gentle to steep. The trails are marked with green or blue diamonds and are classified using the standard guidelines for beginner, intermediate and advanced ability. The trails are not groomed.
Adjacent to the trails is plenty of terrain for backcountry skiing and telemarking. In this area, the cross-country skiing season begins in mid to late December and continues into mid March. For more information or to obtain maps, you can call the Salmon/Challlis National Forest, 208-756-5100.
To ski the Williams Creek Summit Cross-country Ski Trail Complex, drive five miles South on Highway 93 to the Shoup Bridge. Turn right, cross the river and continue on about a mile. At the junction to Perreau Creek take the left fork and continue to Williams Creek Summit, approximately twelve miles. There are parking pullouts that access the trails in the 2-3 mile stretch before the summit. At the summit there are pit toilets and parking.
Ski the Salmon Valley's Pristine Snow
