Winter Van Life: Pomerelle Mountain Resort
Time of Our Visit: March 2022
It was a last-minute decision to visit Pomerelle. We left Tamarack in Idaho heading east toward Beaver Mountain in Utah. Even though Tamarack is only 419 miles from Beaver and about a 7.5-hour drive, we generally don’t commit to more than 2-3 hours of driving a day due to work. We would quickly burn out!
Pomerelle is located between Tamarack and Beaver in the Albion Mountains of southern Idaho, not far from I-84. OpenSnow showed that Pomerelle was about to receive several inches, so we decided to call it home for a few days.
Pomerelle received over a foot of snow during our visit, more than what was forecast. There were plenty of freshies on both weekdays we chose to ski and ride. Hardly anyone showed up!
We were worried that we’d arrive at Pomerelle to discover that cell service was abysmal. We still had to work, and we planned to take runs between meetings and tasks. We had scoped out Pomerelle in April 2019 after they had closed for the season. At the time, my phone was only registering a bar of 3G in their parking lot. Fortunately, I can now get full bars on AT&T and Verizon, and the speed is blazingly fast.
What we love about Pomerelle…
The snow quality. Our van registered -7 degrees one morning, which is unhappiness for my toes but great for snow! Normally if I ski through other peoples’ lines, I can feel the impact in my skis. The snow was so forgiving I barely noticed when I was cruising through any chop.
The feeling of having a mountain all to yourself. I could look out in all directions without seeing a single skier or rider. I love when I can take the time to really enjoy the surroundings instead of rushing for fresh lines before everybody else packs it down.
Super casual vibe. On the morning after a foot fell, we arrived at the ticket window about a half-hour before lifts were scheduled to spin at 9:00 am. However, the woman scheduled to work that morning was just unlocking the door to the office and wasn’t going to be ready for at least 20 minutes. Their two lifts weren’t spinning yet either, and after 9:00 am, ski patrol was still waiting at the bottom to load the first chair. They didn’t get the second lift open until about 10:00 am.
Some people might find this irritating, but I appreciated their small operation. Nobody was in a hurry which meant I didn’t have to be in a hurry either. There were no lines of angry skiers and riders impatiently waiting for the mountain to open. Everyone relaxed in their corner, enjoying their morning coffee and the view.
Plan Your RV/Van Life Road Trip to Pomerelle
pomerelle.com
961 East Howell Canyon Road, Albion, ID 83311
(208) 673-5599
info@pomerelle.com
Send a message
Pass affiliation: Indy Pass 2023/24
Lift hours: Lifts spin daily, 9 am to 4 pm. Night skiing is available Tuesday through Saturday, 4 pm to 9 pm. See Hours of Operation.
Mountain Stats
- Average annual snowfall: 500 inches
- Skiable terrain: 500 acres
- Vertical drop: 1,002 feet
- More stats
Driving to Pomerelle
The ascent to Pomerelle on Howell Canyon Road is very windy. Some corners are missing guardrails, and in adverse weather, there is potential for drivers to veer off the mountain. Fluorescent flags are posted in some places to mark the road’s edge. I wouldn’t recommend this drive after dark. We drove up about 3:30 pm, and snowdrifts reduced the road to one-and-a-half lanes in some places. We came around one corner in one such area as another car came down the hill. Had either of us been going faster, we would’ve collided.
Parking at Pomerelle
There is an upper and lower parking lot at Pomerelle. You’ll want to park at the lower parking lot near the lodge, especially if you need to pick up a ticket. As you get closer to the resort area, a spray-painted sign tells you that the upper parking lot is best for people with season passes.
Using Your 2022/23 Indy Pass at Pomerelle
You must have an online account with Pomerelle to receive an RFID card. It doesn’t matter when you create the account. However, it is highly recommended to complete the process before arriving at the ticket window. It will speed up the redemption of your ticket. You can create your account here.
When you go to the ticket window, have your photo ID handy. You’ll also need to pay $5 for the RFID card. The RFID card is good for future visits and supposedly future seasons. If you intend on revisiting Pomerelle, hold onto it so you don’t have to pay for another one.
If you are committed to two specific days you plan on riding with your Indy Pass, I believe the ticket office can load both days on your RFID card. We didn’t preload our card since we were unsure of our plans for the second day.
Tips on How to Ski/Ride Pomerelle
See Pomerelle’s Trail Map to follow along.
DO NOT ski/ride the green run, Woody’s Way, located along the mountain’s perimeter on a powder day. While I’m well beyond my beginner days, I wanted to check out the whole mountain. Woody’s Way was ungroomed and flat, and my track was only the second one out there. It took a while to skate and pole myself back to the lodge. Regardless, you get a fantastic view of the entire resort from that side of the mountain. I also discovered the upper parking lot while over there, which is not shown on the trail map.
For the steepest runs, you want to ride the Triple 88 chair. In this area, it’s easy to dip in and out of the trees if that’s your thing. While the ratings of the runs are blue and black, I’d rate them to be more like blue and blue-black. It’s hard to maintain speed in certain sections on a powder day. While I never felt like I would get stuck, it seemed like I was in slow motion at times.
Working Remotely at Pomerelle
As previously mentioned, cell service is great. We use both AT&T and Verizon. Texting, emailing, streaming entertainment, and online video calls worked fine without a cell booster.
Where to Sleep in Your Van/RV
Pomerelle Mountain Resort – There is no information on Pomerelle’s website about overnight RV parking. However, it is allowed. We checked in with the ticket office on our arrival, but no payment was required, and you don’t need a permit. They just ask that you park on the other side of the lot from the lodge. If you go, contact Pomerelle ahead of time in case anything has changed.
There are no RV hookups and no dumpsters so pack it out!
Restrooms are only available during operating hours in the bottom level of the lodge. They lock them up promptly at 4:00 pm.
Note: You might need to move in the morning for plowing operations. A snowplow and snowcat were out before 6:00 am during our visit, so be prepared. They never asked us to move, but we did so voluntarily when they started getting closer to where we were parked.
City of Rocks National Reserve – 30.8 miles / 45 minutes near Almo, ID – City of Rocks is one of our favorite discoveries that we stumbled on in April 2019. There are a few camping options that you can read about here.
Working remotely is difficult as AT&T cell service is practically non-existent. I could barely send and receive texts and emails depending on where we were in the Reserve. The service in Almo was sufficient. This was back in April 2019, so it might be different now. We also didn’t have Verizon then.
Note: Many roads in the City of Rocks are dirt, including those to campsites. They can become muddy and might even be snow-covered during winter. Again, cell service is limited, so it might not be easy to call for help if you get stuck.
Even if you don’t choose to camp here, it’s still worth a day trip if the roads in the Reserve aren’t muddy from recent rain or snow.
Heyburn Riverside RV Park – 30 miles / 45 minutes in Heyburn, ID – While Pomerelle offers overnight RV parking, this is a great place to stay for a shower. When we left Pomerelle, we went straight there.
It is not open from December 1 to March 1, so were fortunate our visit didn’t take place until March 10.
You can make a reservation by calling the Camp Host at (208) 431-2977. Otherwise, when you arrive at the park, the camp host will greet you and assign you a site. Sites are gravel back-in and pull-throughs with full hookups.
You cannot pay with cash or check. You must pay with a card. The camp host will text you a link to process your payment which must be completed within 30 minutes of your arrival. We last paid $38 in April 2023.
The RV park is adjacent to a lovely park on the Snake River. There is a paved walking path along the river on both sides, and a road bridge connects the two sides with a barricaded walking lane to protect pedestrians from moving vehicles.
While not spa-like, the bathhouse was clean. Two codes are needed to get in. The first code gets you past the outside door and into the first room with toilets and sinks. The second code grants access to a second room with four showers.
We stayed a second time at this RV park in April 2023. The shower I chose on the women’s side got hot really fast and had excellent water pressure. If you want to scald yourself, you can. However, the shower Kyle chose on the men’s side took some time to warm up. Also, the lights turned off and back on a couple of times throughout his shower. All lights in the facilities are on a motion sensor. He didn’t do anything specific to get them to turn back on. There was just something strange going on.
AT&T and Verizon worked great without a cell booster. Texting, emailing, streaming entertainment, and online video calls worked fine. However, for some reason, downloading entertainment was too slow. We were getting ready to head to Soldier Mountain, which we understood to have no cell service. We wanted to have some movies to watch overnight, so we used the RV park’s WiFi instead which was sufficient.
Conveniences Near Pomerelle
Albion is a tiny town, almost ghost-like. If you’re staying at Pomerelle overnight and plan on preparing meals, go grocery shopping in Burley for the best options. We like Stokes Market (Burley) which is 29.7 miles from the ski resort. We were excited to find they had fresh Mexican pastries and doughnuts! This store also had a water refill station for refilling our 2.5-gallon jugs.
If you don’t shop in Burley, the closest convenience store to Pomerelle is a fuel station – Phillips 66 (Creekside 66). It is 12.1 miles from the ski area.
We had a terrible time finding dog food near Pomerelle. We thought Burley would have what we needed, but they did not. We had to go all the way to Petco in Twin Falls almost 90 minutes away. Depending on what your dog eats, it might not be an issue for you.
Closest Ski Areas to Pomerelle
- Magic Mountain Ski Resort – 75.3 miles / 1.75 hours in Kimberly
- Pebble Creek Ski Area (Ski Cooper 2023/24) – 114 miles / 2 hours in Inkom
- Rotarun Ski Area – 134 miles / 2.5 hours in Haile
- Soldier Mountain (Indy Pass 2023/24) – 141 miles / 2.75 hours in Fairfield
- Cherry Peak Ski Resort (Freedom Pass 2023/24, Indy Pass Allied Resort 2023/24) – 143 miles / 2.75 hours in Richmond, UT
- Sun Valley (Ikon 2023/24, Mountain Collective 2023/24) – 143 miles / 2.75 hours in Sun Valley
- Nordic Valley (Power Pass 2023/24) – 153 miles / 2.75 hours in Eden, UT
- Snowbasin (Ikon Pass 2023/24, Mountain Collective 2023/24) – 162 miles / 2.75 hours in Huntsville, UT
- Beaver Mountain (Indy Pass 2023/24) – 156 miles / 3 hours in Garden City, UT
- Powder Mountain (Indy Pass 2023/24) – 157 miles / 3 hours in Eden, UT
- Kelly Canyon (Indy Pass 2023/24) – 167 miles / 3 hours in Ririe
Sightseeing & Other Winter Activities Near Pomerelle
Shoshone Falls – 68.4 miles / 1.25 hours in Twin Falls, ID – If you happen to be visiting Pomerelle in spring, the falls might be at peak flow. Shoshone Falls Park is a beautiful place to hang out for the day. We picked a parallel parking spot with the perfect view to relax for a couple of hours and enjoy lunch when we were there in April 2023. The park has a lot of grass and picnic tables and it’s dog-friendly. We last paid $5 for a day pass. If you don’t wish to pay to see the falls, there is a parking lot just before the entrance kiosk on the left side of the road where you can get a glimpse.
Notes: If you have Starlink, this would be a great place to work. Unfortunately, AT&T service was in and out. Also, Twin Falls is a large city with a lot of conveniences that you might not be able to find in the towns closest to Pomerelle.
Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve – 135 miles / 2.5 hours near Arco, ID – Craters is one of the more interesting places we’ve been to in our travels. As we criss-cross the West, we’ve managed to revisit in every season.
Craters’ Loop Road is closed to motorized vehicles during winter but is still open for skiing and snowshoeing. You can learn more here.
We took out our backcountry gear on Christmas Day 2019 to appreciate the volcanic landscape covered in snow. It was such a great way to spend the holiday in the middle of nowhere.
Note: Weather can change rapidly at Craters. As we ended our day on Christmas, freezing fog moved in within minutes. I was grateful we weren’t still out on the trail as it would’ve been challenging to see, and we might’ve instantly become popsicles. Since this area gets freezing fog, it’s also worth noting that you might not want to drive the highway when that happens. We quickly moved to the Big Lost River Rest Area and skipped driving for the night. This part of Idaho is desolate and cell service is spotty so be prepared!
