Non-profit organizations provide important services to all communities, including ours. This year, the annual “Idaho Gives” program – which is designed to bring the state together, raising money and awareness for Idaho nonprofits – runs through Thursday, May 6.

While Brundage Mountain believes that all Idaho non-profits serve valuable needs, we would like to highlight a few of the local non-profits participating in Idaho Gives that have a direct impact on recreation and community-building at Brundage Mountain and in our local communities.

CIMBA – Central Idaho Mountain Biking Association

The Central Idaho Mountain Bike Association (CIMBA) operates out of McCall, ID, which is designated as a Silver Level Ride Center by the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). The CIMBA mission is to protect, enhance and create quality trail experiences for the mountain bike community in Central Idaho. CIMBA actively works to promote the sport of mountain biking and responsible riding, advocates for trail access and builds and maintains sustainable trails in the McCall area.

CIMBA is currently undertaking its most ambitious trail project in the McCall Area, The Payette Lake Trail. The Payette Lake Trail is a new 33-mile loop around Payette Lake in McCall, ID.

CIMBA is also hatching plans to begin a new trail that will open up 5+ miles of new single track this summer on the south end of Brundage Mountain Resort and will eventually provide 8 miles of rolling, scenic singletrack to connect the Brundage Bike Park trails into the backside of the Bear Basin Trail system.

Pending final approval on our route in early summer, we have trail builders lined up to begin the first section of this trail by mid summer. This project was already approved by the USFS and CIMBA’s partnership will help build it. With your support, we can make this trail a reality.

Valley County Pathways

Valley County Pathways has a county-approved master plan to build more than 70 miles of trails around the valley to connect Cascade, Donnelly, Lake Fork, McCall and New Meadows. We also want to connect to popular tourism destinations like Brundage Mountain, Jug Mountain Ranch, Tamarack Resort and Gold Fork Hot Springs.

VCP trail projects include:

1. Carefree Subdivision to McCall Middle School – 5 miles
2. End of North Valley Trail on Heinrich Lane to Norwood, and Norwood to Donnelly – 10+ miles
3. Town to Beach Flyway in Donnelly – 1.3 miles
4. Extending the Strand in Cascade to the north bridge and paving the dirt section – .5 miles

Payette River Bicycle Movement

Do you remember the first time you rode a bike? Payette River Bicycle Movement (PRBM) works to create the opportunity for as many kids as possible to have this same experience. PRBM’s mission is to refurbish donated bikes and provide new helmets to children who wouldn’t otherwise have a bike.

PRBM is actively involved in bike safety and bike maintenance education for children and runs programs using obstacle courses and hands on skills for preschool age on up.  In 2019, PRMB built a mountain bike trail at the local elementary school with the help of many dedicated volunteers. Students are now able to use it during recess and it has turned into a resource for the community!

Through community and school partnerships PRBM has refurbished and given out bikes and helmets to more than 300 kids. 

MWSC McCall Winter Sports Club

When you donate to the McCall Winter Sports Club, you are helping to “create world-class kids through winter sports.” 100% of your Idaho Gives gift goes directly to local athletes via scholarships for the purpose of program enrollment, equipment, race and competition costs.

MWSC offers seasonal programs, including; Alpine Race, Big Mountain Freeride and All-Mountain Development to athletes 5 to 17 years-of-age. MWSC also hosts multi-day camps including the Backcountry Boot Camp and All-Mountain Holiday Camp. In addition, MWSC produces downhill races, big mountain competitions and other events for both the competitive and recreational athletes. Our home ski areas are Brundage Mountain and Little Ski Hill.

Payette Lakes Ski Club – Little Ski Hill/Bear Basin Nordic

Payette Lakes Ski Club was established in 1937 to provide a winter recreational outlet for McCall and surrounding communities.   PLSC continues to play an important role in maintaining affordable winter recreation today.  Like many nonprofits, PLSC anticipates an increased need for our services this year and donor support is more valuable than ever. 

The Little Ski Hill and Bear Basin Nordic Center are thriving community hubs during the long winter months experienced in McCall.  These spots are recreation based and community driven; they give us all a place to belong and to recreate.  Your contributions can have an enormous impact on the collective experience at these community gems, including scholarship availability, trail grooming, events, and equipment for our patrons in need of support.   This year’s donations will offset annual operating expenses and directly impact PLSC’s ability to reach a greater part of the community.

Valley County Search and Rescue

Valley County Search and Rescue (VCSAR) is a volunteer group dedicated to serving the residents and visitors of Valley County, Idaho. VCSAR members search, rescue, and render aid to people in difficulty or distress. Members support community events and work with neighboring counties, the Idaho State Search and Rescue (ISSAR), and other organizations to provide these services.

The area served by VCSAR is a recreation paradise. Valley County is vast and rugged, with more than 3700 square miles of tall mountains and deep river canyons. Wildlife is abundant, so hunting and fishing are popular. The county includes a large portion of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, an immense roadless land area. Much of the county is mountainous at high elevation, so a deep winter snowpack offers more than 500 miles of snowmobile trails.

The outdoors opportunities, weather, and terrain here all combine to provide many challenges to search and rescue. VCSAR members become experienced to meet those challenges through mentoring, training, and feet-on-the-ground. We search in all weather, from blazing summertime heat in the canyons to deep winter snows and sub-zero temperatures on the mountains. VCSAR utilizes a diverse set of tools in our searches, from hiking boots to ATVs, snowshoes to snowmobiles. Each search requires a broad range of skills, from comms (radio communications) to navigating unknown terrain with map, compass, and GPS. Due to the rugged terrain and primitive roads, sometimes just getting to the search area is a challenge.

Your donations will help fund equipment and training, and lead to positive outcomes for those in need of rescue.

Friends of the Payette Avalanche Center 

The “Friends” believe education leads to awareness, and awareness leads to safe backcountry travel. The goal is to foster the community and government support that will allow the P.A.C. to continue to grow and provide individuals the tools and information necessary for safe backcountry recreation.

Payette Land Trust

Since 1993, Payette Land Trust has been dedicated to conserving the scenic, agricultural, ranch, recreational, historic and wildlife values of West Central Idaho, for current and future generations. The Payette Land Trust and Payette Riverwalk Alliance have teamed up to conserve 44 acres of riverfront property on the North Fork Payette River. The goal is to provide: daytime public recreation and fishing access, a small system of walking/biking trails, take-out areas for water recreationalists, habitat for game and non-game species and habitat connectively for the river corridor.

These aren’t the only non-profits working hard to make our communities more livable places. You can read about other great causes using the search bar at the top of www.idahogives.org

Thank you for supporting our community gems!