With chilly nights and the first dusting of snow at Schweitzer Mountain Resort, skiers and boarders are anxiously awaiting more of the white stuff and looking forward to a great upcoming season.
    Schweitzer has some fun news: all skiers and boarders age 80 and older will ski for free! Plus, the Powder Alliance has added its second Canadian resort – Whitewater Ski Area in Nelson, B.C. Schweitzer unlimited passholders receive three free days at each of the 13 other resorts in the alliance. Finally, work started this past summer on the 13,000-square-foot summit lodge. It's perched at the top of the Great Escape Quad, and will be a dandy when it's completed for the 2016/2017 ski season.
   Get stoked about the upcoming season by checking out the online edition of Schweitzer Magazine here. Printed copies are available at many locations in town, and on the mountain. (Plus, the new Winter 25th anniversary Sandpoint Magazine, available Friday, Nov. 6, at 200 locations around the region or online.)

   Until the snow arrives, check out ski-related events including the SARS Annual Ski Swap at the Bonner County Fairgrounds Saturday, Nov. 14, and later that night the Warren Miller ski film "Chasing Shadows" screens at the Panida Theater.
    Remember ... think snow!

    Sandpoint kicks off the holiday season with small-town charm via the annual Tree Lighting, held Friday, Nov. 27. All are welcome to attend this festive ceremony, which includes a visit from ol' St. Nick himself - all happening from 5:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. in downtown's Jeff Jones Town Square. Families will enjoy holiday carolers, plus complimentary cookies and hot cider. Free and open to all, so join in this fun holiday kick-off event! Sponsored by Sandpoint's Business Improvement District.

    After the festivities, start filling those wish lists at downtown Sandpoint's unique array of lovely shops. View a list of local retailers via the Sandpoint Chamber's website. And when it's time to relax and enjoy a meal, shoppers will be pleased to know there's a wide range of delectable choices in Sandpoint. View a list of local restaurants and drinking establishments.

    Anglers from near and far descend on Lake Pend Oreille for the annual K&K Thanksgiving Derby, held Nov. 21-29 (minus Nov. 26 for Thanksgiving). Sponsored by the Lake Pend Oreille Idaho Club (LPOIC), the K&K is an exciting event for the entire family. More than $10,000 in cash and prizes are up for grabs, with adult divisions in mackinaw and rainbow, plus two youth divisions and a junior division.
    This year's derby could be one for the books. As the club continues to grow, so do the prizes, and so do the fish. The Gerrard Rainbow fishery has been growing thanks to the efforts of LPOIC and Idaho Fish & Game. In the past few years, IF&G have released more than 30,000 pure strain gerrard rainbows into the tributaries flowing into Lake Pend Oreille. With a steady supply of kokanee to feed on, the rainbows have flourished and could produce years of trophy-sized fish for anglers. Visit LPOIC.org for information about the club and become a member.

    The Inland Northwest is a beautiful, rugged place - and one that gets noticed by those who enjoy the four seasons and the great outdoors.
A recent article in The Inlander, a Spokane weekly, named off "six hikes for the four seasons" of the Inland Northwest - including Sandpoint's Mickinnick Trail. The article says Mickinnick Trail is "close enough to town to do before lunch or in the afternoon before dinner, but gets you high enough to really feel like you're getting away from it all." Click to read the entire article here -- and then get outside and enjoy!

Photo credit: Nikki Anderson