Since the beginnings of Little Ski Hill, four-way competitions were what races were made of. In 1946, a 40-foot-tall ski jump was built with wooden scaffolding just 200 feet from Idaho state highway 55. Little Ski Hill was the training grounds for McCall’s 13 & younger Mitey Mites Ski Team; some of whom went on to compete at the Olympic level. In 1948, Corey Engen of McCall took third in ski jumping at the Winter Olympic Games in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Going off the jump was a rite of passage for local youth skiers who would first practice their jumping skills on a nearby smaller jump. “In the days before Brundage Mountain, that was how we got our downhill practice for getting used to speed on skis,” said Dave Engen, US Ski Team member 1965-66.

Today, The Little Ski Hill is not all that different. Still, it’s a special place for dawn-to-dusk winter recreation with lights and a T-bar. Cost of a lift ticket is just $20 for kids. Temperature of the local craft beer on tap is cold for the adults and the churros are hot for everyone at the Lodge.