As of this year, Schweitzer Mountain Resort has opted to limit their skiing and visiting capacity in mindfulness of COVID-19 and CDC guidelines. The resort has reviewed the detailed data they have collected over years relating to tickets sold, passes scanned, hotel visits, and as such can accurately predict how many people will be visiting the mountain on any given day. By utilizing this data, Schweitzer’s departments can implement a variety of strategies to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in buildings and on the slopes.

“In order to stop the spread of the virus, we really needed to limit the number of people congregating at any given time.” said Dig Chrismer, Schweitzer Mountain Resort Marketing DIrector. She explained that Schweitzer’s CEO’s strategy was to use their data to determine how many people on the mountain are passholders and how many are visitors with individual tickets. Limiting the number of guests allows people to spread out and be safe while still enjoying Schweitzer’s activities.

Schweitzer has also implemented other strategies to reduce COVID spread in buildings, on chairlifts, and in the offices. According to Chrismer, implementing protocols “can be challenging as certain offices and buildings don’t have the luxury of a lot of space,” she said, “I think we’re taking the protocols pretty seriously.” Schweitzer employees are checking visitors temperatures and required masks to be worn at all times in addition to recommending every person keep six feet distance from each other. Building capacity is also being limited to prevent people from congregating in enclosed areas.

Human Resources Director Scot Auld shared how customers and employees have been handling Schweitzer’s COVID-19 protocols. “I think that for some people, it’s normal. They have taken to the changes really smoothly.” Auld said, “But I think for others, it’s been a point of stress. We’ve even had some employees who have been with us for a long time that opt not to work this year.” Schweitzer, like other businesses in Bonner County, has seen a wide spectrum of response to the current situation and must deal with each problem as it comes. 

Though the COVID-19 future is unknown, the directors at Schweitzer Mountain Resort are confident in their ability to reduce spread, stay open, and most importantly provide their customers with an unforgettable experience.