Contacts: Jocelyn Kidd, Shore Lodge, 208.630.0216, [email protected] Tony Harrison, Stoltz Marketing Group, 208.880.9814, [email protected]

For Immediate Release World-Class Spa Opening in One of the World’s Greatest Undiscovered Vacation Destinations Idyllic Central Mountain Lake Resort Shore Lodge to Offer “Adventures In Luxury” with New Extended-stay Spa

MCCALL, Idaho (June 23, 2011) — When you think of world-class spa experiences, destinations like Sedona, Southern California, the Virgin Islands, St. Moritz, Paris, and Milan immediately leap to mind, but not so much Idaho. That’s bound to change when Shore Lodge and Whitetail Club open The Cove, a new extended-stay spa in the Central Idaho town of McCall, which is gaining notoriety outside the Northwest for its unparalleled outdoor recreation opportunities and friendly, small-town atmosphere. Opening June 23, The Cove is being developed by the renowned team of Mark Natale, brand strategist, and Colum McCartan, designer, whose signature projects include the Parker Meridien in New York City and the Parker Palm Springs in Southern California. The 7,902-square-foot facility is being created on site at Shore Lodge, and its celebrated design and planning team is excited about the results. “As outsiders from the Northeast who didn’t know much about Idaho,” Natale says, “we had to pick up our jaws when we arrived in McCall. It’s so stunningly beautiful. While it was always our intention to bring something of five-star caliber to the resort from a treatment and experience standpoint, it became clear that creating something that’s very authentic to Shore Lodge, Whitetail Club and McCall was critical, too.” In addition to incorporating an outdoors design theme and many locally sourced materials, Natale says two elements in particular stand out — the immersion pools and the treatments — and help convey what the properties are touting as “an adventure in luxury.” “There are two stunning immersion pools right in the center of the spa,” he says. “One is inside with beautiful windows positioned to capture sunlight throughout the day, and the other is outdoors but open year round. While most spas have pools with geometric shapes, these feel like they’re natural pools — like they’ve been there forever and have a very organic, untouched feel. We even incorporated about 68,000 pounds of local granite boulders into the pools to help pull it off. We’ve worked extremely hard to create something that’s more authentic and natural — you’re going to feel as if you’ve happened upon a really beautiful hot spring.”

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Natale says the treatments also help express that The Cove delivers an atypical spa experience: “There’s a bit more zest in your Zen here,” he says. “It must be the mountain air.” Dan Scott, general manager of The Cove, Shore Lodge and Whitetail Club, concurs, saying the new spa promises a luxurious escape and a great adventure that will make patrons feel incredible and that they can enjoy on your own or with friends. “We’ve made it fun and accessible, and that extends all the way to the treatment menu,” he says. “We offer ‘Big Game’ and ‘Trailblazer’ massages and our day packages are based on some of the area’s greatest climbs like Granite Mountain and Rainbow Peak. We offer ‘Wildflower’ facials and the ‘Rosemary Mint’ manicures and pedicures for the girls and ‘One Tough Mug’ facials and the ‘Mountain Man-icures’ for the guys. However, while we talk about ourselves in a carefree manner, we don’t take the experience lightheartedly and are deadly serious in delivering the best treatments our guests have ever enjoyed.” In addition to the two immersion pools, The Cove offers individual and couples treatment rooms, a wet treatment room, an ADA-compliant treatment room, a fitness studio, a full-service salon, men’s and women’s locker rooms and steam rooms, numerous nooks with tables and chairs to relax during and after treatments, and an outdoor sanctuary featuring a fire pit, garden and crafted seating areas that Scott says “allows you to escape the mundane and slip away into the splendor of the McCall outdoors.” The spa also offers exquisite food and beverage service led by the properties’ executive chef, Eric Gruber, who has earned praise recently from such publications as Every Day With Rachael Ray and National Culinary Review. According to Scott, the new amenity is part of Shore Lodge’s and Whitetail Club’s ongoing commitment to enhance guest and member experiences. “While many resorts have cut amenities and guest services recently, we’ve made a tremendous commitment to expand them,” he says. “In addition to creating a multimillion-dollar, world-class extended stay spa, we’ve increased our guest- services staff tenfold so Shore Lodge can offer valet parking, expanded concierge services, and transportation throughout the area. And we’re keeping our outdoor lakeside pool open year round and offering poolside food-and-beverage service there during the summer.” Visit www.thecovemccall.com for more information. About Shore Lodge Established in 1948 and nestled on the sandy, southern shores of , Shore Lodge is the quintessential mountain retreat. The historic boutique resort and its amenities are second to none and include 77 suites (61 of which boast lake views), fine dining, a private beach and outdoor marina, a lakeside swimming pool and hot tubs, a day spa, 13,000 square feet of meeting and events space, and complimentary shuttle services to Brundage Mountain and other area attractions. Visit www.shorelodgemccall.com for more information.

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About Whitetail Club Adjacent to Shore Lodge, Whitetail Club rests on 1,300 stunning acres and is the area’s only private club and community. With its 18-hole championship golf course designed by Roger Packard and two-time U.S. Open winner Andy North, first-class facilities like the 6,000-square-foot Fish & Swim Club and the 14,000-square-foot Indoor Tennis & Fitness Center, access to Shore Lodge’s beach and marina and a vibrant member activity program, Whitetail Club offers unsurpassed mountain-lake living and a generous package of amenities and year-round recreational opportunities for every age group. A limited selection of 25 homesites offering golf, lake, and/or mountain views are still available, as well as a handful of elegant spec cabin homes. Visit www.whitetailclub.com for more information. About McCall, Idaho Located just 100 miles north of Idaho’s state capitol of Boise (which boasts an international airport with service by eight major airlines), McCall is set on Payette Lake — a beautiful, glacially carved lake surrounded by the western edge of the Rocky Mountains. Uniquely situated in the heart of , McCall provides prime access to the largest area of protected wilderness in the continental United States. It’s also nearby three major river systems and the best and most plentiful hot springs in the country. Plus it’s only 10 minutes from Brundage Mountain, which Ski Magazine says has “the best powder in North America” and which provides lift-assisted access to more than 20 miles of mountain bike trails. Outdoors enthusiasts trek to McCall for the skiing and snowshoeing, miles of summer hiking and winter cross-country and snowmobile trails, boating and waterskiing, fishing, golf, whitewater rafting and kayaking, horseback riding, and biking. Visit www.mccallchamber.org for more information.

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Contacts: Jocelyn Kidd, Shore Lodge, 208.630.0216, [email protected] Tony Harrison, Stoltz Marketing Group, 208.880.9814, [email protected]

Treatments Fact Sheet The Cove provides an adventure in luxury

MCCALL, Idaho (June 23, 2011) — Regarded as a mecca for outdoor recreation, the Central Idaho town of McCall now boasts a different type of excursion: an adventure in luxury known as The Cove. The new, world-class, extended-stay spa offers a comprehensive array of treatments in a unique, natural setting, yielding a relaxing, unforgettable experience authentic to its idyllic, mountain-lake surroundings.

Massage • Vintage McCall — Timeless and tranquil like McCall, this massage uses long, flowing strokes for relaxation. Aromatherapy oils can be added to enhance the experience, with notes of citrus to energize or with a blend of lavender and lemongrass to relax. • Big Game — Not for the faint of heart, this robust massage targets the tight spots deep in the muscle layers caused by vigorous activity. It incorporates an essential-oil blend of eucalyptus, peppermint and ginger to stimulate circulation and soothe active muscles. • Skipping Stones — Smooth, heated stones and warming oils melt tension away and relax your muscles. • Trailblazer — Allows guests to pick a specific area on which to work that serves as the spa’s focus throughout the session. • Footprints — Utilizing the ancient Eastern methodology of reflexology, this massage targets the pressure points on the feet that correlate with specific areas of your body. • Any of the massages on the menu can be performed in as a side-by-side couples treatment in the spa’s adjoining-treatment room. • Prenatal massage is available after the first trimester.

Facials • Mountain Mist — Designed to increase circulation to plump and firm the skin, this treatment includes a deep exfoliation with paprika and fresh fruit pulps infused with natural fruit acids, as well as two masks that are applied during a luxurious scalp, neck, shoulder and foot massage. • Wildflower — These custom facials use a blend of vitamins, antioxidants and herbs designed for each guest to give their skin exactly what it needs: hydration, deep-pore cleansing, lightening and balancing.

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Facials • Forest Flora — This repairing facial begins with a strawberry-rhubarb (continued) hyaluronic exfoliation and includes two customized masks, lip repair and eye-brightening treatments to help tired skin bounce back. • Essential Elements — A highly effective peel that combines yam and pumpkin extracts with vitamin A to boost collagen production, diminish sun spots, and leaves your skin smooth, glowing, and more youthful. • One Tough Mug — A custom facial for men that includes deep-cleansing and moisturizing treatments. • Facial Boosters — A gentle naseberry exfoliation, nourishing mask with gingko and vitamin K, and a finishing mask revives tired eyes and diminishes puffiness and fine lines. For patrons needing lip repair, an enzyme exfoliation, plumping and hydrating mask, and peptide-infused lip-balm application is the perfect pucker picker-upper.

Body • Clearwater Scrub — Begins with a head-to-toe exfoliation that employs Treatments raw cane sugar and an infusion of fruit and herb extracts and finishes with an application of soothing body butter. • Sharlie’s Secret — Named after the mythical sea serpent inhabiting Payette Lake, this super-moisturizing wrap boasts a vitamin-rich body mask and scrub customized to provide what’s lacking in the patron’s skin. While the scrub-mask blend penetrates the skin under the warm wrap, patrons are treated to a zesty scalp and shoulder massage. • Deep Blue Wrap — This toning wrap blends the powerful antioxidants in blueberries with green and black tea in a full-body massage that improves circulation and skin elasticity. A warm wrap completes the detoxification process.

Waxing The Cove offers low-heat eyebrow, lip, chin, half leg, full leg, chest, back, underarm, half arm, full arm and bikini waxing. Other waxing services are available upon request.

Salon The Salon at The Cove enhances beauty through natural nail and hair- styling services that are eco-friendly and nontoxic.

Manicures • The Cove Manicure — A hand soak, nail shape, and buff finished with the guest’s polish of choice. • Rosemary Mint Manicure — An invigorating hand soak that includes rosemary and mint starts this manicure off. Then an organic sugar-scrub exfoliation and extended massage give hands and forearms some much- needed TLC. For the finish, nails are detailed and polished to perfection.

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Manicures • McCall Spa Manicure — A healing, hydrating manicure that soothes (continued) tight, dry hands, this treatment begins with a gentle exfoliation followed by a warm paraffin mask. Nails are fully detailed and hands are massaged with a finishing cream to lock in moisture and strengthen and protect the skin. Then the nails are finished with the guest’s polish of choice. • Mountain MANicure — A manicure customized for men.

Pedicures • The Cove Pedicure — This treatment begins with a gentle exfoliation of the lower legs and feet. Nails are groomed, heels are hydrated with a lavendar mask and body butter is massaged into the skin. Then the toenails are finished with the patron’s polish of choice. • Rosemary Mint Pedicure — A whirlpool bath followed by an organic rosemary-mint-sugar scrub applied to the lower legs and feet kick this pedicure off. It’s followed by a foot massage with special foot cream and finished with a detail and polish. • McCall Spa Pedicure — Heels and dry patches are smoothed with an exfoliation and then the feet are submerged in a warm paraffin mask for a supremely healing and hydrating treatment. Toes are fully detailed and massaged with a finishing cream to lock in moisture and strengthen and protect the skin. Toenails are finished with the guest’s polish of choice. • Mountain Man Foot Treatment — A pedicure customized for men.

Daily • Jughandle Mountain — A 2-1/2-hour trek that includes the Vintage Excursions McCall Massage and the Mountain Mist Facial. • Granite Mountain — A 3-hour journey that includes the Trailblazer Massage, Wildflower Facial, and The Cove Manicure and Pedicure. • Rainbow Peak — A 4-hour quest that includes the Deep Blue Wrap, the Wildflower Facial, and the Rosemary Mint Manicure and Pedicure. • — An epic 6-hour adventure that includes the Skipping Stones Massage, the Clearwater Scrub, the Forest Flora Facial, the McCall Spa Manicure and Pedicure, and a healthy spa lunch served by the immersion pools. • Blaze Your Own Trail — Patrons preferring to choose their own adventure in luxury can have The Cove build a custom Daily Excursion just for them.

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Contacts: Jocelyn Kidd, Shore Lodge, 208.630.0216, [email protected] Tony Harrison, Stoltz Marketing Group, 208.880.9814, [email protected]

Design Team Profile World-renowned Team Designs World-class Spa at Idyllic Idaho Mountain-lake Resort

MCCALL, Idaho (June 23, 2011) — When he looked at everything Shore Lodge and Whitetail Club had to offer in terms of a luxurious mountain resort lifestyle, owner Joe Scott felt something was missing. “We have some of the finest amenities in the Pacific Northwest — championship golf, a private beach, exquisite fine dining, proximity to three major river systems, the most plentiful hot springs in the country, fantastic winter sports, and the largest area of protected wilderness in the continental United States — but I still felt we were missing something,” Scott says. “Then it occurred to me a world-class spa would really complete the lifestyle that Whitetail Club members and Shore Lodge guests expect and deserve.” Although an extended-stay spa would round out the properties’ 5-star offering, Scott was not interested in building the typical 5-star spa. “This had to be different,” he says. “It had to be reflective of the town — authentically McCall.” To accomplish this goal, Scott enlisted Smarthinking Inc., a brand agency from Philadelphia with a long history of developing unique and compelling hospitality projects. Both Scott and Smarthinking Inc. principal Mark Natale are convinced the firm’s East Coast roots actually were an advantage, because the consultants were seeing and experiencing McCall for the first time. “When we first arrived in McCall we were awestruck,” Natale says. “This has to be one of the most beautiful spots in the country, and we immediately started thinking how to incorporate that beauty into the design of the spa.” According to Natale, the devil really is in the details. “Every aspect of the design — from the interior design to the spa treatment design — was rethought and redesigned until it was exactly right,” he says. “The Cove’s two pools are a great example. We knew we wanted to build indoor and outdoor immersion pools in the spa — beautiful soaking pools with heated, saline water — and bring the hot springs concept inside the spa. But we needed to do something different, something reflective of McCall. To capture an authentic design we felt the pools should look like they were newly discovered natural hot springs. So we sat down with the pool designers and said, ‘Forget everything you know about traditional pool design.’ In the end, we were left with two stunning immersion pools that incorporate roughly 68,000 pounds of local granite boulders.”

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Natale says this maniacal attention to detail continued throughout the 12-month project. “From imaginative treatments like the Wildflower Facial and the Trailblazer Massage to the more than 60 floor-to-ceiling Douglas Fir logs in the lobby, The Cove is a spa like no other,” he says. “The majority of its woodwork was made from Pacific Northwest antique oak, which we selected for its rich, warm hues and enduring allure. Once we had the proper brand concept in place, it became a very interesting project — I don’t typically build 68,000-pound pool.” In developing The Cove, Natale collaborated with Colum McCartan, a world-renowned designer with whom he frequently partners. Signature projects on which they’ve joined forces include the Parker Meridien in New York City and the Parker Palm Springs in Southern California. Mark Natale, Brand Strategist Natale’s mania for creating compelling brands began at the tender age of six when he was first introduced to the band KISS and realized this eccentric group was much more than a band. Since then he’s established a reputation for developing inventive and imaginative branding concepts that deliver stunning results, and he’s worked for such high-profile clients as Superbowl XXIX, The Trump Organization and Coca Cola. Many of Natale’s inspirations were cultivated from his experiences living in Miami, where he earned a master’s degree in sports management, and in New York City, where he launched his career. He founded Smarthinking Inc., his “factory for brilliant brands,” in Philadelphia in 2006. Colum McCartan, Designer Born and raised in Ireland, McCartan studied furniture and interior design at the College of Art and Design in Belfast before opening a firm focused on restaurant, hotel, and nightclub and bar interiors. Sir Terence Conran’s Design Partnership in London recruited him to conceive interiors for cruise ships and the famous Conran Restaurants, after which he co-founded United Designers, a renowned group in London focusing on interiors for international clients. He moved to the United States in 1995 and set up shop in San Francisco, earning a reputation for creative and innovative work with the completion of the Hotel Metropolis in San Francisco. In 2003 he opened an office in New York City, and recently he has completed the new Avia collection and the new Eventi Hotel in Manhattan. After 53 hotels and counting, McCartam has become one of the leading designers of boutique lifestyle hotels in the United States.

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Contacts: Jocelyn Kidd, The Cove, 208.630.0216, [email protected] Tony Harrison, Stoltz Marketing Group, 208.880.9814, [email protected] McCall Backgrounder Central Idaho mountain lake resort community McCall is an extraordinary, increasingly popular vacation destination

MCCALL, Idaho (June 23, 2011) — Sun Valley McCall, Idaho, by the numbers may be Idaho’s most famous winter and summer playground, but people in the know Founded...... 1891 throughout the Northwest flock to McCall, a Population (2010 U.S. Census)...... 2,991 resort community on the shores of beautiful Latitude...... 44.911 Payette Lake on the western edge of the Rocky Longitude...... –116.097 Mountains. The community was named after Elevation in feet ...... 5,013 Tom and Louisa McCall, who arrived in 1891 Restaurants within city limits ...... >30 as homesteaders and traded a team of horses Ponderosa State Park’s acreate ...... 1,515 for the 160 acres of land around which the Payette National Forest’s acreage ...... >2,300,000 town is centered. Still retaining its laid-back Nearby high-mountain lakes...... >400 charm, McCall is only a two-hour drive north McCall hiking trails @ Go-Idaho.com...... 30 from Boise, the state capitol. Miles of groomed snowmobile trails...... >500 McCall is known for its mild summers and Chair lifts at Brundage Mountain ...... 5 fantastic winters. During the summer, Payette Brundage’s annual snowfall in inches ...... >300 Lake and nearby rivers offer activities like Brundage’s vertical drop in feet ...... 1,800 swimming, fishing, boating, waterskiing, and Brundage’s inbounds skiing acreage...... 1,500 whitewater sports. It also is a Shangri-la for Brundage’s guided cat skiing acreage ...... 19,000 hiking, golfing, biking, horseback riding, and Miles of mtn. bike trails @ Brundage ...... >20 camping. Winter visitors enjoy snow sports like Miles from Boise via car...... 107 skiing, tubing, sledding, snowshoeing, and Miles from Portland via car ...... 458 snowmobiling. Renowned Brundage Mountain Miles from Salt Lake City via car ...... 449 ski resort is only 10 minutes from McCall, and Miles from Seattle via car...... 532 the surrounding backcountry boasts more than Major airlines with service to Boise ...... 8 500 miles of snowmobile trails. While it is home to many noteworthy events, McCall presents two annual signature celebrations. The first is a 10-day revel called the McCall Winter Carnival that was named one of the Top 100 Events In North America in 1986 by the American Bus Association. Although McCall resident and Olympic ski champion Cory Engen conceived the festival in 1924 as a way for locals to beat the winter blues, it has grown into a massive soirée that attracts visitors and amateur and professional snow sculptors from throughout the world. It transforms downtown into a fairytale- like winter wonderland via the Idaho Snow Sculpting Championship, and the affair also features parades, a hairy-legs contest, snowshoe golf, dances, dogsledding demos, ice-skating, and hockey.

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The town’s other signature celebration is its annual Fourth of July fireworks display. Trekking to McCall for the holiday to watch the town’s spectacular pyrotechnics presentation over Payette Lake has become a beloved tradition for thousands of visitors. McCall has many noteworthy facilities — chief among them the iconic Shore Lodge. Nestled on the southwestern shore of Payette Lake and one mile from downtown, the resort was established in 1948 and ushered in the transformation of the community from a dying timber town to a vibrant tourist destination. Across the street is the resort’s 1,300-acre sister property, Whitetail Club, which boasts a private, championship golf course designed by Roger Packard and two-time U.S. Open winner Andy North that’s ranked by Golfweek Magazine as a Top 100 Best Course to Play in America. The private, gated community’s amenities are fully developed, and it is becoming one of the Northwest’s most desirable, family friendly, year-round, mountain-lake resort developments. In addition, Shore Lodge and Whitetail Club are creating The Cove, a new world-class extended-stay spa that is opening June 23. Completed in summer 2003 at a cost of $6.2 million, the nonprofit Manchester Ice & Event Centre offers an NHL-size ice-skating rink in the middle of downtown McCall that is open year round and overlooks Payette Lake and the surrounding mountains. In addition to hosting skating activities, the facility rents and sharpens skates, offers private lessons, and operates an arcade and snack bar. With grandstand seating for up to 650 people, the rink also stages special events. The city is also home to Harshman Skate Park — which is Idaho’s largest dedicated boarding facility and was commemorated in August 2006 by skateboard legend Tony Hawk. The McCall Smokejumper Base is one of only eight such training installations operated by the U.S. Forest Service nationwide, and it provides free tours during the winter every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 1 p.m. if staff is available. They suggest calling (208) 634-0390 the morning of the tour to confirm it’s still on. The McCall Fish Hatchery — one of 19 such facilities the Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game runs statewide — is fun to tour, too, and is open to visitors year round from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The result of James Warren's discovery of gold, the nearby ghost town of Warren was established in 1862. Boasting a population of 660 rugged individuals by the next year and peaking at about 2,000 during the height of the gold rush, many of the structures seen today in Warren were built by those hardy folks. Stop by the McCall Ranger District Office for a tour guide, or check it out online at www.secesh.net/Walk.htm. Other local attractions include the Central Idaho Cultural Center, the Valley County Museum, and the McCall Visitor Center, plus the beautiful downtown district counts a growing array of art galleries, antique stores, gift shops, and clothing and sporting goods retailers among its merchants. There’s even an old-fashioned drugstore with an antique soda fountain. Downtown McCall also boasts more than 30 restaurants and cocktail lounges — including two brewpubs — that serve everything from family fare and quick meals to ethnic food and fine cuisine.

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The beauty of McCall, Payette Lake, and the Payette National Forest drew attention from Hollywood in 1938 when the motion picture “Northwest Passage” starring Spencer Tracy, Robert Young, and Walter Brennan was filmed here. Released in 1940 and nominated for an Academy Award, the movie tells the tale of two friends who join the elite force Major Rogers’ Rangers during the French and Indian War. Several celebrities and business moguls call McCall home, too, including the family of billionaire potato magnate J.R. Simplot, which maintains a gorgeous, sprawling compound on the west side of the lake. The town is also home to many past winter Olympic athletes, plus Barbara Morgan — a local elementary school teacher who became the first teacher to go into space — has resided here since 1975. Payette Lake The glacier-carved Payette Lake has inviting, sandy beaches, and its crystal-clear waters support a slew of summer sports. Waterskiing — especially on the legendary early morning “Payette glass” — is one of the most beloved activities, and the lake’s still waters and warm summer breezes also make it a sailing paradise. Visitors also can discover secluded coves and other hidden wonders the lake has to offer — many of which make ideal picnic sites — via canoe, kayak, or Jet Ski. The easy swim out to the water trampoline at Ponderosa State Park is well worth the effort, yielding fun, refreshing bounces into the lake during the dog days of summer. Great swimming and sunbathing can be had on the north end of the lake, too, at North Beach State Park, which also boasts a boat ramp and offers kayak, canoe, and paddleboat rentals. Visitors can also rent boats and personal watercraft or launch their own crafts downtown at Mile High Marina. There are plenty of activities to pursue around Payette Lake that don’t involve venturing out upon or into the water. Ample campsites are strewn with beautiful conifers and spruce and wildlife is abundant. There are plenty of fun places to take a stroll — including the lush Charlie’s Gardens off Warren Wagon Rd. or the infamous Red Dot Trail up by Paradise Point. Many visitors drive, cycle, and bike the Payette Lake Loop that follows Warren Wagon Rd. and circles around and across the and back to town — a CD auto tour for which is available from the Payette National Forest’s McCall District Ranger Office. Brundage Mountain Tucked away just eight miles northwest of McCall at the edge of the Payette National Forest, Brundage Mountain offers skiers 1,500 acres of lift-served terrain with an 1,800-feet vertical drop. In the summer it gives mountain bikers lift-assisted access to more than 20 miles of trails. Visitors can also snowshoe or hike through the surrounding forest, or they can kick back or dance while enjoying a summer concert at the resort, which opened in 1961. According to Ski Magazine, Brundage Mountain is home to “the best powder in North America.” It receives nearly 400 inches of annual snowfall and boasts spectacular terrain and primarily west- facing slopes in an uncrowded setting. The family owned resort, operated by descendents of early McCall pioneers, added two new in 2007, bringing the total to five. The DeBoer family also runs a guided backcountry Sno-Cat ski-tour business with access to more than 19,000 acres of fresh powder.

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Nearby Little Bear Basin has 30 kilometers of groomed cross-county ski trails, and Jug Mountain Ranch welcomes dogs on its Nordic trail system. And just outside McCall on Highway 55 along the way to Brundage Mountain is the 76-acre, community-supported . It opened in 1937 as a diversion for local forest workers and was the second ski area established in Idaho after Sun Valley, which opened a year earlier. It currently operates a T-bar and has a vertical drop of 405 feet. Ponderosa State Park Home to some of the largest old-growth trees in the , Ponderosa State Park is a 1,515-acre peninsula jutting into Payette Lake less than two miles from downtown. Established in 1965, the park boasts a scenic overlook at Osprey Point that affords a spectacular view of the lake, plus it offers sandy beaches, picnic areas, hiking and biking trails, guided walks with park naturalists, evening campfire programs, and onsite campgrounds, cabins, and group shelters. The park’s North Beach Unit, mentioned earlier, maintains a boat ramp and offers kayak, canoe, and paddleboat rentals. Winter visitors can follow the park’s winter hiking trail, snowshoe, and Nordic and skate ski a dozen miles of groomed cross-country trails underneath the old growths. In partnership with the city, the park even hosted the 2008 Masters World Cup — an unofficial world championship for veteran cross-country skiers held by the World Masters Cross-Country Ski Association. For those who enjoy making tracks underneath the stars, Blue Moon Outfitters serves up unique, festive, multi-course dining experience that blend New World cuisine, ethnic food, and liberal servings of hot mulled wine in between the one-mile, guided ski or snowshoe trek to and from its spacious, cozy yurt. Untamed wilderness and abundant wildlife Surrounded by national forests, McCall serves as a convenient trailhead to some of the best hiking, fishing, mountain biking, horseback riding, geocaching, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing in the Gem State. Visitors can book guided tours of the interior or snowmobile, drive, motorcycle, or bike along lengthy, scenic stretches of meandering country roads. The Payette National Forest surrounding McCall encompasses 2.3 million acres, and its dynamic landscape ranges from dry desert grasslands to heavily forested expanses and mountain peaks reaching elevations of nearly 9,500 feet above sea level. It is the most sizable component in the Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness Area, which is the largest designated primitive area in the lower 48 states. Granite basins cradling about 400 pristine alpine lakes make the forest and its drainages an ichthyologic utopia that should be on every angler’s “bucket list.” More than 40 species of fish inhabit area waters and range from smallmouth bass, crappie, and catfish to trout, perch, steelhead, Chinook salmon, and even white sturgeon. Many developed campsites can be found close to hot fishing spots, and guided trips are also available for more remote experiences.

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Roughly 300 species of mammals and birds inhabit the Payette National Forest. Deer, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, coyotes, bobcats, and apex predators like mountain lions, bear, and wolves are among the larger forest denizens. Smaller forest residents include foxes, river otters, snowshoe hares, marmots, blue jays, osprey, and herons. Rare birds include the bald eagle, harlequin duck, spruce and blue grouse, calliope and rufous hummingbirds, red-naped and Williamson’s sapsuckers, black and Vaux’s swifts, three types of woodpeckers, pine grosbeaks, both crossbills, and flammulated, northern pygmy, great gray, and boreal owls. Eight species of conifers — Ponderosa Pine, Douglas fir, grand fir, Western Larch, Lodgepole Pine, Englemann Spruce, subalpine fir, and Whitebark Pine — make their home in the Payette National Forest, too. And the grass and shrub communities are dominated by Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, stiff sagebrush, mountain big sagebrush, and bitterbrush. In addition, more than 1,500 wildflowers and plants — including at least 38 rare species — grow and bloom from early March through late September. Several other national forests are adjacent to the Payette, including the Boise National Forest to the south, the Salmon-Challis National Forest to the east, and the Nez Perce National Forest to the north. And on the Payette National Forest’s western flank lies Hell’s Canyon National Recreation Area — renowned for the deepest river gorge in North America. In some places along the eastern rim, visitors can gaze down at the winding a mile and a half below or across the 10-mile-wide chasm into the neighboring state of and the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. World-class whitewater With three major river systems nearby, McCall and the surrounding area offer exceptional choices when it comes to extreme water sports. Plunging 7,900 feet, Idaho’s Hells Canyon along the Snake River is deeper than the Grand Canyon. Idaho’s Salmon River — known as the “River of No Return” because of its difficult passage — is the nation’s longest free-flowing river that heads and flows within a single state. And the Payette River has several stretches and forks that offer a wide range of experiences from relaxed family floats down the Cabarton Run of the North Fork to an adrenalin-filled rollercoaster ride down the South Fork. Lessons and guided one-day and overnight kayak and raft trips are available on all three rivers throughout the summer, with many outfitters offering gourmet meals and first-class service and amenities. In addition, several jet boat tours operate on the Snake and the Salmon. The hot springs capitol of America One of the most seismically active regions in the country, Idaho is home to more hot springs than any other state and boasts about 130 soakable pools out of some 340 total. McCall is close to around 30 of these geothermal mineral baths, many of which rest on federal lands and are thus open to the public.

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McCall Backgrounder June 23, 2011 Page 6 of 6

Founded in the 1870s, Burgdorf Hot Springs is one of the oldest developed hot springs in the state and only about 45 miles northeast of McCall near the historic ghost town of Warren. It features a steamy, 6-feet-by-6-feet spring-box pool at 113 degrees Fahrenheit and a 50-feet-by-85-feet pool ranging from 100-104 degrees Fahrenheit. Both are outdoors and have sandy bottoms. Electricity-free cabins are available for rental and come with a wood stove and oil lamp, and visitors intending to spend the night need to bring cooking equipment, food, and any other supplies. A resident elk herd completes the rustic atmosphere. The holy grail of Idaho’s commercial mineral springs, Gold Fork Hot Springs is about 20 miles southeast of McCall near Donnelly. The water is renowned for its exceptional quality and healing properties, possessing intense alkalinity levels and high concentrations of other minerals that rejuvenate the skin and relax the body. The facility maintains six separate, tiered, gravity-fed outdoor pools of varying sizes and temperatures that range from hot to cool and achieve complete flow through in four hours. The decks are composed of all-natural wood, and the retreat’s pools — one of which has a sandy bottom — are lined with river rock. Zim’s Hot Springs is another noteworthy privately owned soaking option. Located 16 miles northwest of McCall just past the town of New Meadows, Zim’s has two outdoor pools fed by natural mineral water from an artesian well that is cooled by the waters of the Little Salmon River. The soaking pool maintains a temperature range of 103-106 degrees Fahrenheit, while the Olympic-size swimming pool ranges between 90-100 degrees Fahrenheit. Further reading • The Cove, An Authentic McCall Spa — www.thecovemccall.com • Shore Lodge — www.shorelodgemccall.com • Whitetail Club — www.whitetailclub.com • McCall Chamber of Commerce — www.mccallchamber.org • Brundage Mountain — www.brundage.com • Hell’s Canyon Raft — www.hellscanyonraft.com • Payette National Forest & McCall Ranger District — www.fs.fed.us/r4/payette • Ponderosa State Park — http://parksandrecreation.idaho.gov/parks/ponderosa.aspx • Hot springs — www.idahohotsprings.com • Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association — www.ioga.org

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