"From where we are today, it's looking like an early December completion on the project," Matt DeGen, manager and safety engineer for the Ada County Highway District, told BoiseDev in late October. He was talking about the washout on Bogus Basin Road. For anyone in the Highlands, that road starts at the end of the street, and this winter it's the main thing changing between home and the lifts.
The mountain has new additions too. They're modest, and the reason goes back to last winter's snowpack. The repair is the largest piece of work happening on the way up this season, and its finish date lines up closely with opening day.
Seven Hundred Feet of One Lane
In July, a severe summer storm washed out part of Bogus Basin Road near mile marker 10. It also caused pavement failures and damaged drainage, so stormwater could no longer reach an existing inlet. That raised the risk of more slope failure. ACHD's Board of Commissioners passed an emergency declaration so the district could speed up procurement, geotechnical work and design.
The work zone, according to BoiseDev's October 26 report:
- Traffic is down to one lane for a 700-foot stretch at mile marker 10, controlled by a temporary signal.
- Repairs started in August.
- Crews are building two retaining walls, each about 100 feet long.
- The lower wall, where the erosion was worst, reaches about 12 feet at its tallest. The upper wall tops out at about 4 feet.
- The contractor expected to finish drilling pile holes by the end of that week and to have H-piles set in concrete by November 6.
- ACHD expects to finish in early December.
ACHD's guidance for drivers is to slow down, follow all traffic control devices and allow extra travel time on Bogus Basin Road. That guidance applies whether you're heading up to ski or just driving home along the lower stretch.
Thanksgiving and Early December Overlap
According to KTVB, Bogus Basin is aiming to open around Thanksgiving, depending on weather and snowfall. After summer operations ended on Labor Day, crews moved snowmaking machines and fan guns into place wherever snowmaking works on the mountain.
If both schedules hold, the first weekends of the season will run through a signal-controlled work zone. KIVI reported the same one-lane restriction and early-December estimate on October 14.
Fewer cars means less of a line at the signal, and Bogus Basin already rewards carpooling. Its Getting Here page says cars with three or more passengers get priority parking in Lot 1 on peak winter days. Shuttles run between the on-mountain lots on weekends and holidays, and a public bus runs on peak weekends and holidays.
Last Winter's Snowpack Shaped This Winter's Additions
On April 1, 2026, Bogus Basin had 62 percent of normal snow water equivalent, BoiseDev reported. April 1 is roughly when snowpack peaks and spring melt begins. Snowfall drives the revenue that pays for the nonprofit ski area's projects. "If we go into another winter similar to this one, it slows our ability to pay for these improvements," Director of Mountain Operations Nate Shake told BoiseDev.
That helps explain why this year's projects are smaller. The U.S. Forest Service approved realigning the Showcase chairlift up the south face of Deer Point Mountain to Cabin Traverse. Shake put that project two to five years out, depending on the next several winters.
This summer's plan was clearing brush and trees. In July, Bogus Basin announced it had hired SlopeworX, a contractor from Midway, Utah, to begin in mid-July on two new groomed runs in Pine Creek, the area on the back side of Shafer Butte. Both are scheduled to open for the 2026/27 season:
- Lucky Friday starts from Middle Paradise and runs to the bottom of Pine Creek.
- A second run, still unnamed, starts just past the Wildcat entrance and is reached from Cabin Traverse.
Both are rated black diamond and recommended only for advanced skiers and snowboarders. Lucky Friday already existed as a run. Bogus Basin's Bridgette Johnson told KTVB this winter is the first time it will be groomed. Shake said Pine Creek has long been known for off-piste terrain with few groomed runs, and the project opens up more of the zone's 1,800 vertical feet.
The same project scope also included clearing brush and trees on the south side of Shafer Butte for a future fixed-grip quad chairlift. Both trails were identified in Bogus Basin's 2016 Master Plan.
A Fabric Building Beside Pioneer Lodge
The Outpost at Pioneer Lodge is a 10,000-square-foot "sprung structure," a tensioned-fabric building on an aluminum frame that's engineered to handle heavy snow loads and wind. If you've ridden the Morning Star Express, you've seen it next to Pioneer Lodge. BoiseDev reported that the company behind the Idaho Central Aquatic Center in Boise, another sprung structure, also produced the materials for The Outpost. According to Bogus Basin's Susan Saad, these buildings go up quickly and leave large open interiors with no columns.
Bogus Basin's October 8 announcement called construction nearly complete and said the mountain expects to open The Outpost this winter as an event space and another place to eat and drink. It will have a full bar, and this winter it will take bookings for corporate gatherings, holiday parties and private celebrations with full food and beverage service. Weddings start in May.
The Hours Changed More Than the Prices
Bogus Basin kept 2026/27 season pass prices at 2025/26 rates. It also dropped holiday blackout dates on the Midweek pass and holiday start-time restrictions on the Value pass. The bigger change for someone who lives 20 minutes from the base is the daily schedule:
2026/27 detail | What Bogus Basin published |
|---|---|
Lift start | 9 a.m. daily |
Close on day-only days | 4 p.m. |
Night close, Sunday through Thursday | 9 p.m. |
Night close, Friday and Saturday | 10 p.m. |
Night Pass start time | 5 p.m., one hour earlier than before |
Night operations window | Mid-December through March 13 |
Value pass weekend restriction | 3 p.m. start, Dec. 19, 2026, to March 9, 2027 |
The early pass sale ran from February 27 to March 8. The 2026/27 pass guide lists adult retail prices before tax: $779 for True Bogus, $499 for Value and $129 for the Night pass. With the Night pass starting at 5 p.m. and the work zone expected to clear in early December, weeknight runs after work should get easier by the time night skiing starts in mid-December.
The Season Starts at the Bottom of the Road
The repair crew's schedule doesn't affect the businesses near the Highlands end of Bogus Basin Road. Greenwood's Ski Haus, at 2400 N Bogus Basin Rd., does ski and snowboard leases, tunes, repairs and boot fitting. The shop told KIVI it expects more customers once snow arrives and the lifts start turning. Across the road, Eco Lounge at 2445 N Bogus Basin Rd. sells ski and snowboard gear and is open daily. Highlands Hollow Brewhouse is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day and has live music on Wednesdays.
Highlands Hollow and Eco Lounge were set to host the first ULLR Fest on October 24. According to BoiseDev's preview, the plan included local ski shops, a hot-wax station from McU Sports and ski movies at O'Michaels.
The next pre-season event is downtown. Warren Miller's Days Off has its Boise premiere at the Egyptian Theatre on November 19 at 7 p.m. Bogus Basin's events calendar lists more showings on November 20 at 7 p.m. and November 21 at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. That leaves about a week before the Thanksgiving opening target, while ACHD works toward early December at mile marker 10.
If you're in the Highlands and wondering what a season of road work and new terrain up the hill means for your own plans, Tina Richards Real Estate is glad to talk it through, whether you're staying put or thinking about your next move. Let's connect.
