WINTER SPORTS -- Although I thought Sandpoint had arrived long ago, the North Idaho town has just been named one of the nation’s "top 10 emerging ski towns" in the March 2013 issue of National Geographic’s Adventure magazine .
"These 10 North American ski towns may not have the name recognition of the world’s best-known destinations , but that’s just fine with them. These are the local’s favorites, the up-and-comers. They’re real towns, often cheaper and friendlier than the big dogs—at least for now. If you’re on the hunt for great skiing without the crowds and glitz, read on." said the article's author, Aaron Teasdale.
Sandpoint , and more specifically, the 2,900 acres of ski terrain at Schweitzer Mountain Resort , is described as being "Best For: Non-extreme skiers and boarders seeking the famed tree skiing of the Selkirks without the trip to Canada."
Other ski towns in the Top 10 include Red Lodge, Mont.; Ogden, Utah; Reno, Nev.; Revelstoke, B.C.; Nelson, B.C.; Driggs, Idaho; Mammoth, Calif.; Waitsfield, Vt.; and Durango, Colo.
The article asked locals in each town for suggestions on where to eat, sleep and spend time away from the ski hill, as well as the best ski run on the mountain.
