Buzzards Valley
(then known as Claim Jumper)
(now known as B-52) at
Lookout Pass Ski Area
| Lookout Pass is located at the Idaho Montana border on Interstate 90, Exit 0, at the east end of northern Idaho's Silver Valley, and is a full-season ski and recreation area. It is close to the historic town of Wallace and several backcountry areas filled with alpine lakes. More than forty additional acres of intermediate terrain, originally called Buzzards Valley, was opened in the 1998/99 season. Park of this popular area, renamed Claim Jumper in 2001, and B-52 in 2003 by the current Forest Service leasee, is a natural terrain park, featuring NINE notorious TWENTY foot hits along an 1100 foot long "non-conforming natural halfpipe." |
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| History of Buzzards Valley |
| The original trench with it's twenty foot high piles of rock and dirt resulted from a soil evaluation study carried out in the '60's by a Wallace silver mining company. The area grew a natural vegetation and was lost to view until the Batwaves Underground (aka, friends of Del and Chase Sanborn) liberated the area using chain saws and pruning shears in the heat of four summers. When the time was right, they revealed their handiwork to Lookout's owners. Before the 1997/98 season, access to the "out-of-bounds" area was "by invitation only." For one reason, boarders entering the hidden area needed a snowmobile to tow them back to the lodge. In the summer of 1998, Lookout Pass was permitted by the Forest Service to build a road from the bottom of Buzzards Valley back to the main area. All expert tree routes end at this medium pitched cat track. |
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| Photos of Buzzards Valley | |
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These photos were taken by Anthony
during the 1998/99 season. Many of the photos
document the very popular
Buzzards Boarder
Cross Race Series that was carried out under the
direction of
Dave Brown and Del Sanborn, with help
from myself. Greg Marsh wallace-id.com weblord |
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| Anthony and I had some great times during the 1998/99 season at Lookout Pass. One of the best days was on the next to the last day with 2 feet of champaign powder on a 19 FOOT BASE. The best part of Buzzards Valley for me is the 50 acres of new trees to negotiate. | |
 Greg Marsh |
 Anthony Cafiero |
| The first race of the season was on November 27 and was called "Shoot the Buzzard." | |
 the 3 medal winners |
 the winner of a new board |
| The second race, the Christmas-X, was held a month later. | |
 Brandon the super star |
 the other medal winners |
| The third race, The Kind-X, was held on January 31. | |
 a Kind day from start... |
 to finish! |
 Copper Lake Basin |
 skiers also competed |
 they won medals |
 but she won a board as well |
| The fourth race, The Kiss-X, was held on February 14. | |
 a good day for racing... |
 or for just hanging out |
 junior boarder winners |
 senior boarder winners |
 lady boarder winners |
 skier winners included Dave Brown Director of Snowboard School |
| The Final Border-X of the Series was held on March 27 with 35 contenders. It featured... | |
a new drop gate |
and an immediate drop off. |
 boarders were airborne... |
 but skiers also flew |
| Speaking of air travel, check out these shots taken during the season! |
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| No matter how you ride, you can't beat the view! |
 St. Regis Lake Basin Backpacking Heaven |
 big hits into deep powder under blue sky. WOW! |
 Montana backcountry powder seen from Lookout's main side |
| What to do when the last day of the season is March 28 and there is still 19 FEET of snow on the ground? How about a Kayak Race! | |
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Return to the
Lookout Pass index page
at wallace-id.com, or go to another of Greg's Lookout Pass or Silver Mountain pages:
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| Please visit skilookout.com for more information about this Silver Valley attraction. |
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