The Snow is Falling!

Brush off those skis friends, the snow is finally falling. If this keeps up maybe Brundage Mountain will be able soon; they need about 12 more inches.

The lack of snow has not stopped the winter fun around here, for those that have been braving the cold weather, the ice skating on Cascade Lake and Little Payette Lake has been fantastic. Bear Basin has been grooming for cross country skiing for the past couple weeks and providing fairly good early season skiing. And for those that like to snowshoe, the blue skies have helped with some beautiful back drops.



And for those that haven't been to McCall in awhile, you will notice that there are several new restaurants open or on their way to opening. The new one in downtown with lake views is Northwest Passage for evening dining and the Little Gem for your lunch time fares. I would highly recommend the Goddess Chicken sandwich at the Little Gem, the combination of the dressing, pears, chicken breast and cheese is delicious.



Wraptor, offering wraps, rice bowls and other healthy combinations opening in Alpine Village should be serving food as early as December 20th. I toured the restaurant the other day and the owners have done a fantastic job with the design, mixing in vibrant colors with industrial-type features and a small amount of timbers. The restaurant is two stories but with the second floor just a small mezzanine area, this allows most of the space to be open to below and with the tall ceiling and big windows, the space is inviting and bright. Wraptor will serve beer and wine and open in the evenings for open mic night. It is refreshing to see the new menu items and experience a brand new restaurant and space.

Also, soon to open is Hometown's Pizzas in their new location near the airport and across from Si Buenos and McCall Sushi located in the old First American Title building off Railroad Ave. Blue Moose is also a new restaurant slated to open this spring.

The economy hasn't slowed this town down. For those that haven't been here I encourage you to come give it a try but I warn you, you might not want to leave.

Happy Holidays!

First snow of the winter season in McCall

Welcome Winter! We woke to almost four inches of snow on our deck this morning. Is your house ready for the season? Here are few suggestions to get your home ready for the weather:

1. Check the furnace: Call an HVAC professional to inspect your furnace and clean ducts. Consider getting a programmable thermostat.
2. Get Fireplace Ready: Clean the chimney & stack and split the remaining cords of needed firewood in a dry area.
3. Inspect roof and gutters: Add extra insulation in the attic, if needed, clean out gutters if you have them, check flashing, and put up heat tape if necessary.
4. Service weather-specific equipment: Buy your shovel now, before they run out and while there pick up a bag or two of ice melt.
5. Check foundation: check vents in crawl space, put up insulated covers on, if applicable. Rake away debris and edible vegetation from foundation and seal up entry points to keep small animals from crawling under the house (especially the skunk)
6. Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors - or check their batteries.
7. Prevent plumbing freezing: insulate exposed plumbing pipes, keep your house at least at 55 degrees if you leave. Have it checked by someone periodically if you are gone for extended days.
8. Landscape & outdoors: Blow out the sprinklers, drain garden hoses, ask your local landscaper about what bushes and scrubs to wrap for the winter. Put markers up to mark the edges of your driveway for plowing.
9. Prepare an emergency kit: Buy indoor candles and matches, buy battery back up for your computer, store extra water and non-perishable food supplies.
10. Prepare your vehicle: Put in an extra pair of boots, a hat & gloves, blanket and small shovel for emergencies.

These are just a few ideas to prepare you and your home for the upcoming season. It is one of the best times of year here and always more enjoyable if you have a warm, safe place to come back to after experiencing a fun-filled day in some outdoor adventure.

Lots Happening in McCall, Idaho

The first weekend of Winter Carnival in McCall, Idaho kicked off with beautiful weather and huge crowds. The local businesses really put on a nice display of snow sculptures with over 30 amazing projects throughout the downtown area. Live music, speciality foods, fireworks and lots of fun events were a great start to the first weekend. One more weekend is planned that includes the popular music extravaganza at the Pancake House, with local artists and performers both Saturday and Sunday. Other events can be found at the McCall Area Chamber of Commerce web site. www.mccallchamber.org

On February 7, the Special Olympic Snowshoe events starts at Ponderosa State Park. With over 385 athletes and representing 50 Special Olympic Programs world wide, this will be a fun event to watch and offer our support to these amazing athletes!

Although we haven't had new snow for a couple weeks, the snow conditions remain good for both skiing and snowmobiling. For those cross country ski enthusiasts, the early snow created a great base and all the venues are keeping their trails in fantastic condition. Local nordic grooming report can be found at www.mccallnordic.com I recently skied at Jug Mountain Ranch and the conditions couldn't have been better for a skate ski. For powder hounds, you may have to get up high in the mountains; there is still a lot of snow in the higher elevations.

For more information about events this winter, please visit the activities and events tab at Corbetproperty.com.