History

The first white man to visit the area was David Thompson in 1809. French Canadian trappers who braved the snowy heights in search of fur followed him. The mountain did not get its name from any of the men who braved its snow-covered peaks but from a man of mystery. The peak known as “Schweitzer Mountain” was named after an old Swiss hermit who lived at the bottom of the basin. He had been in the Swiss military, and, as part of a crime investigation, his house was searched. It yielded the bodies of numerous local cats that had gone missing. According to legend, the man enjoyed cat stew. Mr. Schweitzer was soon hauled off to the asylum and forgotten. His name remains.

Skiing at Schweitzer began as early as 1933, but it was not until December 4, 1963 that it proudly opened as Schweitzer Basin, with a day lodge at 4700 feet and a mile long double chairlift, which provided 1700 feet of vertical drop. During the 1960s Schweitzer made a profit in only one year. Schweitzer was initially planned as a weekend-only ski area however it was operated seven days a week at the insistence of Sam Wormington, the areas first general manager. Three chairlifts were added in 1967, replacing T-bars and rope tows. The back area of Colburn Basin was developed in 1971 with two more lifts. The road to the resort was paved in 1973 and Chairlift # 7 was added in the summer of 1974 to add capacity to the front side. Summer chairlift rides began in 1986. In 1988 the ski area was renamed Schweitzer Mountain Resort, and it began offering hiking trains and mountain bike rentals.

When owner (and co-founder) Jim Brown died in April 1989, his daughter, Bobbie Huguenin, took over the family business. Under her leadership, Schweitzer focused on becoming a destination resort; many additions and improvements were accomplished, including the replacement of the old lodge with the new 3-story Headquarters Day Lodge. A detachable quad chairlift was installed in 1991 and lights were installed for night skiing. Huguenin also saw the construction of the 82-room Green Gables Lodge.

Ultimately, the Brown family ran out of cash and was unable to market the resort as a destination alternative. In November 1997  the resort filed for bankruptcy. On December 31, 1998, Harbor Properties purchased Schweitzer Mountain Resort from U.S. Bank for the sum of $18 million. The Seattle-based company also operates Stevens Pass and Mission Ridge. Harbor Properties made immediate improvements by providing equipment for slope management. A six-passenger chairlift (Stella) was installed in the summer of 2000, serving the Northwest Territory in Colburn Basin. The high-speed Stella six-pack replaced chairlift #5. With the addition of Stella, the resort totaled 2,500 acres.

In July of 2005, the mountain’s ownership status changed again when Harbor Resorts’ ownership was dissolved, leaving the resort with a sole owner — McCaw Investment Group of Seattle. This allowed for the addition of the Idyl-Our T-Bar, the Hermit’s Hollow Tubing Center, and a SunKid Magic Carpet.The Idyl-Our T-Bar/Little Blue expansion added 400 acres and five new runs.