Brundage Mountain wouldn’t be what it is today without the decades-long influence of Earl Dodds. Known affectionately around these parts as “Dobber”, Dodds passed away last month after an incredible 97 year run. 

“EARL FEARNLEY DODDS, JR. The last of the Big Creek rangers has taken his final ride into the backcountry of paradise. Earl Fearnley Dodds, Jr. left this earthly plane peacefully on January 28, 2025, at the age of 97. During those 97 years he lived a life of love for nature, for justice, for adventure, for his family, wife, and friends, and for God. Earl always said, “When God created the world, He cared enough to make it beautiful.” 

That excerpt, from his beautifully written obituary, sums up Earl’s approach to life. Dodds joined the US Marine Corps as soon as he graduated from High School to serve in WWII. Once his service was over, he earned a degree in Forestry and worked as a McCall Smokejumper before settling in for a 26 year stint as Forest Ranger of the remote Big Creek District. 

It was during his time as Big Creek Ranger that Dobber first put his fingerprints on what would soon become Brundage Mountain. Earl, a life-long skier, was here from the literal beginning.

In 1959, he helped to pioneer and choose the site of Brundage Mountain with his friend, Wally Lancaster, who was the McCall District Forest Ranger at the time. When the mountain opened two years later in 1961, Earl signed on as a ski patroller, and he remained a member of the patrol well into his 80s – earning accolades as the longest-serving ski patroller in McCall history. 

But Earl had an even more impactful role behind the scenes at Brundage.

After retiring from the Forest Service, Dodds became the Long-Term Planner for Brundage Mountain Ski Area. He wrote the late-1980’s Master Plan for the resort which led to a 30% terrain expansion, installation of the Centennial Triple Chair, and the first mountain bike trails on the mountain, among other key improvements.

Earl was also a pivotal figure in the creation of the Brundage Snowcat program in the 1990’s. It remains one of the largest (by acreage, at 18,000 acres) and longest-running snowcat programs to this day.  

Dodds always championed the idea of creating more open glade skiing on the mountain, and spent a good deal of his retired summers, and sometimes winters, traversing the mountain with his chainsaw, opening up fresh “pow shots” (before the term “pow shots” was even a thing.)

We’re not exactly sure when Ranger Trail was added to the official trail map, but we do know it was named in honor of Earl.

When the Lakeview Chairlift was installed in 2007, adding nearly 300 acres of new terrain, Brundage honored Dodd’s enduring contribution to the operations – and the spirit – of the resort by designating a gladed area just west of Dropline as “Dobber’s Dream”. 

You can read more about Earl’s incredible life and love for our natural spaces here. You can also learn about his life and impact on the pages of the Brundage History book, “Best Snow in Idaho”, where his life story is intertwined with the story of Brundage. From the resort’s very inception, to what it is today, the enduring legacy of a man who loved the mountains is something we can all draw inspiration from as we explore and appreciate the outdoors. 

A Memorial Service, with Military Funeral Honors, will be held at Our Savior Lutheran Church at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 11, 2025. Because Earl so loved the Monday night jam sessions at Broken Horn Brewery, a celebration of life will follow at the North Fork Lodge, 200 Scott Street, McCall, with Broken Horn beer and a jam session.