The thrilling sense of victory from scaling a mountain brings a rush of adrenaline that is unrivaled. Why else would climbers risk there well being to climb an Everest or Kilimanjaro? Hanging off the side of a cliff, a blizzard smacking you in the face with certain death thousands of feet below you, what’s not to like right?
The sport of mountaineering certainly isn’t for everyone. But that doesn’t mean you can’t ever reach a summit and breath in the sweet alpine air. Lucky for you, the gondola lift exists. From base to summit in a matter of minutes, you could be on top of a mountain before you could finish that next episode of Netflix. God bless technology.
Idaho has been on the forefront of alpine technology since the early 1900’s. The first-ever ski lift was installed in Sun Valley. Almost 100 years later Idaho would continue to make life easier for skiers and sightseers by building the longest gondola in North America on Silver Mountain in the small town of Kellogg.
Kellogg, Idaho: A Town Founded by a Donkey
The tiny town of Kellogg, Idaho was founded by a jackass…literally. The town’s motto is “Founded by a jackass and inhabited by his descendants”. Noah Kellogg’s donkey is given credit for founding the town after leading his owner to an outcrop of rocks made of a lead ore. Mr. Kellogg knew lead ore typically means silver is close by and thus the towns rich mining history began.
Silver Mountain Gondola
After the mining industry in Kellogg collapsed, the town turned towards tourism and recreation as its new source of income. Thus, Silver Mountain Resort was created and the longest gondola in North America opened in 1990. At 3.1 miles long the journey to the top takes a little over 30 minutes. This smooth ride is relaxing and exciting all at the same time.
If you’re a skier or snowboarder Silver Mountain has 67 runs for all skill levels. For winter lovers with no extreme sports ability, there is also a tubing park right as you get off the gondola.
In the summer, concerts are held at the top of the mountain or bring your mountain bike along and shred some downhill trails.
Our Experience
We recently visited Kellogg on our trip to Spokane. We aren’t big winter sports enthusiasts but still wanted to say we have ridden the longest gondola in North America so we just rode the gondola up and down. If you don’t ski or snowboard but still want to see the incredible views just ask the person at the ticket counter for a scenic ride ticket. You won’t see this advertised anywhere but it is significantly cheaper than having to buy a ski pass.
Chad can be summed up by his idea of a perfect day: Waking up early to watch the sunrise over the mountains, warm cup of coffee in hand then grabbing his camera and fly rod, hitting the trail to explore some uncharted territory followed by cold beers and campfire steaks. Chad is often joined on his adventures by his wife, Tori, and their dog, Kona.