The Payette Lakes Ski Patrol is busy crafting their annual art piece for this year’s Winter Carnival Sculpture contest. They’ve taken home the ‘First Place’ honor the past two years, and the latest sculpture taking shape at the summit is sure to be a stunner.

That said, it can be a little tricky to check out this high altitude wonder. The Brundage sculpture is on THE SUMMIT of the mountain, at 7,640 feet, which means you can’t even catch a glimpse of it from the parking lot. Wintery weather in the weekend forecast makes it even more elusive. Here are some tips on how to view this masterpiece in comfort:

Tip #1: Come Ride!

The best and easiest way to see the Brundage sculpture is during a short pit-stop between ski runs. It sits right at the top of the BlueBird Express. And, despite the crowds in town on opening weekend of Winter Carnival, Brundage Mountain’s slopes are surprisingly UNCROWDED on opening weekend.

Tip #2: Bundle Up:

If you’re not a skier or snowboarder, you can still see the sculpture. Brundage Mountain sells ‘single ride’ lift tickets for $10 for those looking to see it on foot. The BlueBird Express slows down ALMOST to a stop to let you off, but you’ll need to exit the chair on a snowy ramp, so…bundle up and WEAR SNOWBOOTS!

Tip #3: Timing is Everything:

It looks like Brundage Mountain Resort is likely to have back-to-back ‘POWDER DAYS’ over the weekend. That means our most passionate skiers and riders will be charging for fresh turns all morning long. If you plan to visit our sculpture on foot, you’ll want to arrive later in the afternoon when those powderhounds have slowed down a little bit. You’ll appreciate the slower pace at the summit, and they’ll appreciate not having the lift slow down repeatedly for pedestrian traffic during a prime powder morning. The last ride down the BlueBird is at 4:30, so visiting between 2:30 and 4:30 will still allow plenty of time to see this beautiful work of art.