Vista Cruiser Chairlift Summit at Mt. Spokane

Top Station of Chair 1

The camera sits beside the upper terminal of the Vista Cruiser, the lift the mountain calls Chair 1, and frames the line of towers and chairs on their last pitch up to the summit. A trail sign at the edge of the unloading area marks where skiers and snowboarders pick their route down the front side.

A Summit Panorama over the Inland Northwest

From here the ground drops away across an open shoulder dotted with conifers, opening a long view over lakes, forested valleys and successive ridgelines. The outlook faces the eastern side of the mountain, toward the Idaho Panhandle and the ranges that rise beyond the state line.

Mount Spokane, the County High Point

Mount Spokane tops out close to 5,900 feet (about 1,800 metres), making it the highest point in Spokane County and one of the southernmost peaks of the Selkirk Mountains. The stone Vista House, a lookout lodge from the 1930s, stands on the same summit a short walk from the lift.

A Nonprofit Ski Area in a State Park

Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park operates as a nonprofit ski area inside Mount Spokane State Park, northeast of the city of Spokane. This summit feed is the quickest way to judge snow cover and visibility at the top of the mountain before heading up.