Summer Brush Cutting at Bogus Basin
It’s not summer at Bogus Basin without brush cutting!
Throughout the summer and into fall, the Bogus Basin Mountain Operations team, alongside contractors from SlopeworX and Alpine Forestry, has been hard at work across the mountain clearing brush and opening up new terrain. Thanks to their extensive and ongoing efforts, skiers and snowboarders can expect less brush on some of their favorite trails, plus two freshly cleared top-to-bottom runs in the Pine Creek zone this winter.
Read on for a progress report on our mountain-wide brush cutting efforts, including major work on Lucky Friday and Bogus Basin’s newest named run, Utopia.
Changing the Pine Creek Experience: Two Freshly Cut Runs
Earlier this summer, we announced that two freshly cut runs would be coming to the Bogus Basin: Lucky Friday and Utopia. As of mid-October, work in both areas is nearly complete, and ready for the snowflakes to fly.
Lucky Friday
In recent years, Lucky Friday, a named run accessible from Middle Paradise, had become overgrown with thick brush and bottlenecked near the bottom, making it challenging for skiers and snowboarders to navigate. Over the summer, the team transformed the area into a seamless, top-to-bottom groomed run from Middle Paradise to the bottom of Pine Creek.
Lucky Friday is an advanced black diamond trail with a sustained pitch, stretching approximately half a mile.
Utopia
Continuing Bogus Basin’s tradition of naming runs after Idaho’s mining history, our newest addition, Utopia, takes its name from a historic mine in Northeast Idaho. It’s a fitting name for a run that promises a euphoric experience from top to bottom!
Utopia is located between Wildcat and Mary’s Ridge in the Pine Creek zone, highlighted below.
Brush Cutting
Beyond the work in Pine Creek, the Bogus Basin Mountain Operations team has been putting our newest piece of equipment – the Green Climber – to work across the entire mountain.
Added to our fleet this summer, this impressive remote-controlled machine tackles slopes with up to a 60% grade (slightly over 30 degrees*), making brush cutting safer and more effective in hard-to-reach areas.
*Tiger or Lucky Friday are popular Bogus Basin runs with a 30 to 35 degree angle
The Green Climber has been on the move, clearing vegetation across the mountain from Deer Point to Superior.
Where does the mulch go?
Ever wonder what happens to all the trees and brush after they’re cut? They stay right here on the mountain.
The Green Climber mulches vegetation as it works, leaving a clear path in its wake. On the steeper slopes of Lucky Friday and Utopia, SlopeworX used large mulching machines attached to winch cables to process the cut vegetation.
Leaving the mulched material on the mountain helps minimize long-term erosion risk, supports the forest ecosystem, and creates better conditions for early-season snow accumulation.
Check out the map below to see the Green Climber’s journey around the mountain this summer!
Stay tuned!
With winter just around the corner, the team is wrapping up months of summer and fall brush cutting work across the mountain. Excitement is building for the season ahead as we get Bogus Basin ready for opening day. Stay connected through our social media channels and website for the latest updates!
About Bogus Basin Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area is a 501(C)(3) organization dedicated to engaging the community to provide accessible, affordable, and fun year-round mountain recreation and education. Opened in 1942, Bogus Basin offers 2,600 acres of daytime skiable terrain and 200 acres for night skiing, seven chairlifts and three conveyor lifts, and an 800-foot tubing hill. The Nordic Center offers 37 kilometers of groomed trails for skiing and snowshoeing. Environmental education and community outreach programs, primarily youth, serve over 20,000 individuals annually. Summer activities include The Glade Runner Mountain Coaster, The Mine Shaft Challenge Course, mountain biking, events, hiking and chairlift service for hike and bike transport. Bogus Basin is located 16.5 miles north of Boise, Idaho, and operates under a special use permit with the Boise National Forest. www.bogusbasin.org
