Winter 2015/16 had been great for most of Idaho, but especially great for the mountains south of the Snake River. Pomerelle Ski Area had been reporting well over 100 inches of snow, including 30 inches of new snow this week. There were a couple of peaks near the resort on my peak wish list, so I thought it would be nice to tag the summits and see what 10 feet of snow looks like.

With the ski resort closing on Saturday, April 2nd I figured a visit on April 3rd was in order. This turned out to be a great idea, as it meant I also got to utilize the packed runs as well :-)

I had been in the area before during winter, visiting the higher and more popular Mt Harrison years ago.

I arrived around 11am. It was in the 50's and partly cloudy. I parked in the lot and noticed quite a bit of activity on the mountain, as they were taking down fencing, putting up equipment, etc.

I put on my snowshoes immediately and started heading up the packed run beneath the ski lift on the right as you look up at the ski area. The terrain under this lift was more gradual then the terrain under the main lift that goes higher on the mountain and ends just below the peak.

The angle was perfect for gaining altitude at a nice pace, but not overheating. Once at the top of the lift, I took a cat track south to the top of the other lift. This cat track gets you above the treeline and it was nice having a breeze.

From the top of the main, higher lift the top of Pomerelle Mountain (Peak 8762) is less than 100 feet elevation gain away. There were some huge drifts between the lift and the top, one of them probably 20 feet high (see my selfie below).

Once on top the views open up and you have nice views of Mt Harrison, Cache Peak, Black Pine Peak, etc. The wind was blowing hard on top, but with the sun out, it wasn't cold at all. I explored the top and found some interesting rock cairn creations. I also decided the highpoint was indeed the location marked 8762 on the Connor Ridge, ID topographic map.

I then dropped off the peak, following a cat track leading climber's right. My goal was the point marked 7850 in the drainage seperating Pomerelle Mountain and Connor Ridge. The going was great, but I knew I would eventually have to get off the ski runs and cross through the trees to get onto the west face of Connor Ridge.

Crossing the mashed potato-like snow wasn't as bad as I thought and soon I was on a heavily tracked path cruising to the top of Connor Ridge. The going here is quite easy and the views of Pomerelle Mountain and Mount Harrison from Connor Ridge are quite nice.

After my quick snowshoe back to the ski area parking lot, it was off to Hailey for work.

I parked in the Pomerelle Ski Area parking lot. The resort was closed, so I would suggest you also wait until the resort closes as well before attempting the trip.

From the Pomerelle Ski Area parking lot and lodge, I followed the run underneath the right-hand lift. The terrain under this lift is much less steep then the lift that goes straight up the mountain from the base.

Once to the top of the lift, I headed south on a cat track to the top of the other lift. I then went pretty much straight up to Pomerelle Mountain (Peak 8762).