Ever since I first rolled into Pomerelle Mountain Resort back in 2017, I’ve found myself coming back again and again. It’s not because it has massive vertical. It’s not because it’s stacked with gnarly steeps. So what is it? It’s the vibe and the great skiing they offer. Day in and day out, they deliver a quality product on the mountain. One friend summed it up perfectly after skiing it with me: “pleasant.” And he meant that in the best possible way.
You hear kids laughing and screaming with pure joy. The beer in the lodge doesn’t require a second mortgage. And the corduroy? Some of the best you’ll ski anywhere. I’ll stand by that.
Ski areas like this are becoming harder to find. That’s why it’s exciting to see the legacy continue, with longtime employees Zack Alexander and his wife Crystal stepping in as the new owners. It feels right. And it feels like Pomerelle’s soul is in good hands.
Quick Facts About Pomerelle
Vertical Drop: 1,000 Feet
Annual Snowfall: 500 Inches
Trails: 31
Acreage: 500 Acres
Pass Affiliation: Indy Pass
Closest Major City: Twin Falls (76 Miles)
From Ski School Kid to Mountain Owner
We had the chance to sit down with him to talk about his journey to becoming an owner, why he chose to take on such a monumental challenge, and what he envisions for the future.
Raised on Snow
Born and raised in Paul, Idaho, just outside Burley and about 45 minutes from the slopes of Pomerelle, Zack grew up on skis. A true ski school kid, he was practically destined for it. His grandparents, Barry and Sheryl Whiting, directed the ski school program and had him on skis at just one year old, telling him to “get after it.”
All In on the Ski Life
Anyone who’s fallen in love with skiing or snowboarding knows the feeling. One day on snow and you just know… you’re hooked for life. That was Zack. He KNEW he wanted to be a ski bum and he’d do whatever it took. But he didn’t just love sliding on snow. He loved everything about the ski industry.
From Dreaming Big to Doing the Work
As a kid, he was already helping former owners John and Jody Burrows with whatever needed to be done. “They’re the reason I’m in this industry,” Zack told us. He rode shotgun in the 3100 snowcat with John while grooming and stamped tickets with Jody in the office. At six years old, he told his friends he’d own the mountain someday. Most childhood dreams fade. His didn’t.
He also followed in his grandparents’ footsteps as a ski instructor, starting at just 14. And not just any instructor. He became the youngest ever Level 1 and Level 2 certified snowboarder in his division and the only Level 3 under 25.
Earning His Turns By Getting Educated
Like any good son, he listened to his parents. Even though the mountains were calling loud and clear, he decided to level up first. He headed to Colorado Mountain College and earned a degree in Ski Area Operations. While there, he didn’t just hit the books. He chased steep lines and tested himself on some of the gnarliest terrain in the country, including Crested Butte.
Finding His Way Home to Pomerelle
By the time he graduated in 2006, the big question was where to plant roots. Tamarack near McCall was booming and he thought hard about jumping on board. Instead, he came back home for a season and worked alongside John again.
And that’s when it hit him. His best days on snow had always been at Pomerelle. No matter how steep or flashy the mountain, nothing felt like home the way Pomerelle did. That’s when he knew. This wasn’t just where he grew up. It’s where he was meant to be.
I Would Own Pomerelle One Day… Becomes Today
Over the past 20+ years, he’s helped keep this Mom and Pop ski area running smoothly, working just about every job you can imagine. “I have a passion for this place,” Zack told us. And you can feel it.
In October 2023, the Burrows decided it was time to retire and pass the torch. After watching what large corporations like Vail Resorts and Alterra have done to small ski areas across the country, they didn’t want to put Pomerelle on the open market. They wanted to keep it local. Keep the legacy alive. Keep it in the community.
But turning a lifelong dream into reality isn’t easy. Securing financing to buy the mountain took a year and a half. There were plenty of moments when it would have been easier to walk away, take a paycheck, and just enjoy the snow. But to Zack, this was never just a job. “I know my guests by name. I know every employee by name,” he said. “They’re not just numbers. They’re my extended family.”
Keeping Pomerelle Fun, Affordable, and Family Friendly
Zack’s mission is simple: Keep Pomerelle a family friendly, affordable mountain where everyone, no matter your budget, can hit the slopes. Lift tickets still start at just $55! That means the focus stays on the mountain experience. He’s all about delivering top notch groomers, the perfect timing, and expert snow handling. “All the same thrills without the frills,” Zack says. And it’s not just the slopes. The lodge stays chill and affordable too, with meals and beers that won’t break the bank.
What Does the Future Entail?
As Zack puts it, every investment has to support the core mission: Keeping skiing affordable for the region. And it’s working. Over the last ten years, the right product at the right price has nearly doubled their revenue. The infrastructure may be solid, but it needs upgrades to keep guests “on the lift, not standing in line.” On the horizon, Zack is looking at few other opportunities for even more fun for everyone on the mountain.
While Zack might only hit the slopes nowadays five days a year, he’s still living the ski bum lifestyle every single day, surrounded by snow and the mountain vibe. His stoke has shifted. Now it comes from seeing the smiles on people’s faces when they make their first turns and hearing the pure joy of kids racing their friends down his perfectly groomed corduroy. And if you do come visit, be sure to say hi to the new owners Zack and Crystal Alexander.
It’s Always Been About Family
It isn’t just about the skiing either. It’s where he found the love of his life – his wife of 16 years, Crystal, when she was an instructor at Pomerelle. Both of them don’t see Pomerelle as just a ski area but rather a community and this wouldn’t be even possible without her. Crystal feels very much the same way about this special place. They aren’t just married but the perfect partners in life and in business. In addition to managing everything from accounts down to the tiniest of details, she also homeschools their four youngest children. And he said,
“I definitely couldn’t and wouldn’t want to do it without Crystal’s support and that my kids are as diehard skibums as I was. My family is the reason I’ve stayed. They have sacrificed everything for years to allow me to chase my dreams. And now we get to do it together.”
If you’re feeling burnt out on what the ski industry has become and need a place to recharge, a trip up high into the Albion Mountains is what you need. Pomerelle isn’t trying to be anything it’s not. At its heart, it’s a local ski hill and for many of us, that’s exactly what we need. It’s the perfect spot to reconnect with the joy of skiing, recharge your soul, and get stoked for whatever adventure comes next, whether that’s chasing powder on the Powder Highway or heading east to Grand Targhee.
