Pebble Creek, Idaho
Encyclopedia
Pebble Creek is an alpine
ski area in southeastern
Idaho
, in the Portneuf Range
in the Caribou National Forest. It is east of Pocatello
in eastern Bannock County
, four miles (6.4 km) east of Inkom
.
Pebble Creek's runs are on the northwestern slope of Bonneville Peak (a.k.a Mount Bonneville), whose summit is 9271 feet (2825 m) above sea level, the highest elevation
in the Portneuf Range
. The lift
-served summit is 8560 feet (2609 m), with a vertical drop of 2200 feet (670 m). Accessing the summit of Bonneville Peak by foot is allowed, gaining 711 vertical feet (216 m), giving a total vertical drop of 2911 feet (887 m).
The ski area opened in 1949 as Skyline, with two rope tows
and a warming hut. A Poma lift
was installed in 1958, and another in 1960. The first chairlift
(double) was installed in 1966 which opened steeper terrain, and the current day lodge was built in 1968. The area was sold in 1978 and again a year later to the Pebble Creek Land Company, which changed the area's name to Pebble Creek in 1979. The CTEC triple chairlift was added in 1980, with additional terrain, and the area was sold again in 1981 to Pebble Creek Ski Area Ltd., a group of local investors. In 2001, the old Minor-Denver double chair was replaced with a triple which extended the lift-served summit an additional 200 vertical feet (61 m).
Currently, Pebble Creek has three chairlifts (all triples) serving 1100 acres (4.5 km²) of skiable terrain, rated at 12% beginner, 35% intermediate, and 53% advanced. The average annual snowfall is 250 inches (635 cm). Snowmaking
was added in the lower areas of the mountain in the 1990s.
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
ski area in southeastern
Eastern Idaho
Eastern Idaho is a generic term used to describe areas of Idaho which lie east of the Magic Valley region. It is generally understood to include: Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, Bonneville, Butte, Caribou, Clark, Custer, Franklin, Fremont, Jefferson, Madison, Oneida, Power and Teton...
Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, in the Portneuf Range
Portneuf River (Idaho)
The Portneuf River is a tributary of the Snake River in southeastern Idaho in the United States. It drains a ranching and farming valley in the mountains southeast of the Snake River Plain...
in the Caribou National Forest. It is east of Pocatello
Pocatello, Idaho
Pocatello is the county seat and largest city of Bannock County, with a small portion on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in neighboring Power County, in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. It is the principal city of the Pocatello metropolitan area, which encompasses all of Bannock...
in eastern Bannock County
Bannock County, Idaho
Bannock County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. It was established in 1893 and named after the local Bannock tribe. It is part of the Pocatello, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Bannock and Power counties. As of the 2000 Census...
, four miles (6.4 km) east of Inkom
Inkom, Idaho
Inkom is a city in Bannock County, Idaho, United States. It is part of the Pocatello, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 738 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Inkom is located at ....
.
Pebble Creek's runs are on the northwestern slope of Bonneville Peak (a.k.a Mount Bonneville), whose summit is 9271 feet (2825 m) above sea level, the highest elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
in the Portneuf Range
Portneuf River (Idaho)
The Portneuf River is a tributary of the Snake River in southeastern Idaho in the United States. It drains a ranching and farming valley in the mountains southeast of the Snake River Plain...
. The lift
Chairlift
An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel cable loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs...
-served summit is 8560 feet (2609 m), with a vertical drop of 2200 feet (670 m). Accessing the summit of Bonneville Peak by foot is allowed, gaining 711 vertical feet (216 m), giving a total vertical drop of 2911 feet (887 m).
The ski area opened in 1949 as Skyline, with two rope tows
Ski tow
thumb|right|A rope tow or ski tow.A ski tow, also called rope tow or handle tow, is a mechanised system for pulling skiers and snowboarders uphill....
and a warming hut. A Poma lift
Platter lift
A platter lift , platter pull or button lift is a surface lift, a mechanized system for pulling skiers and snowboarders uphill, along the surface of the slope. In Europe they are also known as Poma lifts...
was installed in 1958, and another in 1960. The first chairlift
Chairlift
An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel cable loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs...
(double) was installed in 1966 which opened steeper terrain, and the current day lodge was built in 1968. The area was sold in 1978 and again a year later to the Pebble Creek Land Company, which changed the area's name to Pebble Creek in 1979. The CTEC triple chairlift was added in 1980, with additional terrain, and the area was sold again in 1981 to Pebble Creek Ski Area Ltd., a group of local investors. In 2001, the old Minor-Denver double chair was replaced with a triple which extended the lift-served summit an additional 200 vertical feet (61 m).
Currently, Pebble Creek has three chairlifts (all triples) serving 1100 acres (4.5 km²) of skiable terrain, rated at 12% beginner, 35% intermediate, and 53% advanced. The average annual snowfall is 250 inches (635 cm). Snowmaking
Snowmaking
Snowmaking is the production of snow by forcing water and pressurized air through a "snow gun" or "snow cannon", on ski slopes. Snowmaking is mainly used at ski resorts to supplement natural snow. This allows ski resorts to improve the reliability of their snow cover and to extend their ski...
was added in the lower areas of the mountain in the 1990s.
External links
- Pebble Creek Ski Area.com - official site
- Pebble Creek at IdahoWinter.org - official state site
- Pebble Creek at IdahoSkiResorts.com
- Pebble Creek at OnTheSnow.com
- Topographic map and aerial photo from USGS via Microsoft Research Maps
- Pebble Creek at SkiTown.com
- Photos of Bonneville Peak & Skyline Peak at IdahoSummits.com