Ski The Great Potato

Around 1970 the State of Idaho Department of Commerce & Tourism (or whatever the name was then) had a great idea on promoting skiing in Idaho.  Not like Idaho isn't known for skiing, Sun Valley was the first destination winter resort in the United States. The world's first chairlifts were built there in 1936.

Over the years, skiing gained popularity and more resorts sprang up around the state.  To capitalize on these winter activities and promote Idaho as a true four season vacation state, a new slogan, Ski the Great Potato, was introduced.

The above photo is of an original promotional poster from that era.  It features Peter Max style artwork of an All-American skier blasting over the Great Potato, representing the many ski resorts in Idaho.

Across the top of the poster are the names Sun Valley, Bogus Basin, Schweitzer, Targhee and Brundage.  In small print across the bottom were Bald Mountain, Bear Gulch, Blizzard Mountain, Caribou, Cottonwood Butte, Hitt Mountain, Jackass Bowl, Kelly Canyon, Lookout Pass, Lost Trail, Magic Mountain, Montpelier,, North South Bowl, Pine Basin, Pomerelle, Rotarun, Skyline, Snohaven, Soldier Mountain, Tamarack and Taylor Mountain.  Forty years on, a number of these ski areas have changed names or gone out of business for one reason or another.

Most notably, Jackass Bowl is now known as Silver Mountain.  North South Bowl is now known as the Palouse Divide Lodge.  Bear Gulch  lost it's USFS permit and the lodge was burned in 1989.  Other names are parts of larger resort areas or are small, family run operations featuring cross country skiing and a couple have become havens for snowmobile.  Locally, a couple that weren't listed on the poster were Signal Point south of Post Falls (defunct prior to 1970) and Holiday Hills just across the state line above Liberty Lake (ill fated 1970's project that never had a chance). 

This wasn't the only Great Potato promotional piece.  Tune in tomorrow and see what bourbon has to do with Idaho's skiing.