49 RAMPS UP: New Quad Finally Arrives

In the pioneer days, metal was mined from the hills surrounding Chewelah and sent by train or horse-drawn carriage to markets far beyond the Colville Valley. Today, the metal is coming back to Chewelah, forged and finished elsewhere into wheels, towers, and cables, to fuel a new kind of regional boom driven by prospectors of the steep and deep.

The May 2006 arrival of the new Sunrise Quad-in dozens of pieces and loaded onto several slow-moving 18-wheelers-at 49 Degrees North marked a watershed moment for the small ski area in northeastern Washington with big dreams. 49 purchased the 1989 model fixed-grip quad from Mt. Ashland Ski Area in southern Oregon, and will install it for immediate service next season.

For years 49 has worked tirelessly with the Forest Service and environmental groups to fulfill its dream of developing Sunrise Basin (formerly known as East Basin), the steep, forested bowl adjacent to Chair 1 on 5,774-foot Chewelah Peak. In the summer of 2005, as part of its long-range master development plan, workers cut numerous trails through the basin's steep glades and opened them to skiing last season as a glimpse of things to come to skiers willing to navigate the long cat track back to the base area.

This year, skiers will simply be able to hop on the new quad. A developed Sunrise Basin adds more than 450 acres of lift-served terrain (spanning 1,500 vertical feet) and 15 runs to 49's arsenal. With four existing double chairs serving other parts of the ski area, the Sunrise Quad will easily be 49's most modern lift, already earning it the "flagship" moniker by resort operators.

49 owner John Eminger has said he hopes to add food and lodging services to Sunrise Basin, perhaps setting the stage for an entirely new base area. In the mean time, long-time 49 skiers from Chewelah, Spokane, and beyond will find plenty of new intermediate and advanced terrain to their liking, and, for these parts, a pioneering new quad to boot.

ski49n.com