Brundage Mountain Resort is offering free chairlift rides on Thursday, July 1 as the resort stages a special celebration to kick off the 2010 summer chairlift season.

The Grand Opening Celebration takes place Thursday, July 1 from 12:00 noon to 5:00 pm. Visitors can stop by the Bike Shop to get their free scenic lift ride or mountain bike tickets for a ride up the Blue Bird High Speed Quad to Brundage Mountain’s 7,640 foot summit.  Mountain bikes will be available for rent. There will be a special barbeque for the event and visitors will enjoy live music from Equaleyes from 3:00 pm – 5:00. Equaleyes is the headliner for the Idaho-Down Music Festival at Brundage in August.

Trails crews are already hard at work getting the 20+ miles of expertly-built single track whipped into shape for great summer riding. Those who don’t bike can enjoy the mountain greenery on the way up, and enjoy spectacular 360-degree views from the summit that include the Payette Lakes, Long Valley, Meadows Valley, the Seven Devils, and even Oregon’s Eagle Cap mountains.

“We want to build excitement for the summer season by giving everyone a chance to experience the summer beauty of Brundage Mountain,” said resort spokesperson April Russell. “Last year, we gave away 1,200 free lift rides during our Grand Opening event. That was the start of our one our most robust summer seasons ever.”

Regular summer lift hours are Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, with a bonus day to close the season on Monday, September 6th.

Some other highlights of the 2010 Brundage Mountain Summer season include:

July 3 & 4 – Brundage Mountain Bike Festival

July 17 – Kentucky Headhunters live in the Brundage Mountain Amphitheater

August 20 – 21 – 2nd Annual Idaho-Down Music Festival – two days of continuous live music on two stages in the Brundage Mountain Amphitheater

More details on all these events is available at www.brundage.com/event-calendar/

Brundage Mountain also offers guided whitewater rafting trips on the Main Salmon River. Visit Brundage Whitewater Adventures in Riggins or www.raftbrundage.com.