Who will be driving the bus from the Red Barn on Nov. 27?
Schweitzer plans to open that day, conditions permitting. The resort has also announced that its food truck, The Schwagon, will spend its first ski season parked at the Red Barn and serving breakfast burritos and coffee. The resort calls that lot its "primary park-and-ride location." So the resort is putting new money into the bottom of the mountain. But the public record doesn't yet say who will carry skiers from that lot up to the Village.
For anyone who lives on the mountain or skis it from town, that is the story of this shoulder season. The summit is the same as last winter. How you get up there may not be.
A quiet winter announcement, focused on the bottom of the hill
Schweitzer's 2026-27 announcement, dated Sept. 24, covers lessons, food, and group bookings. It doesn't mention a new lift. It describes the Creekside Quad and the skier bridge as already in place. Here's what's new:
- Learn to Ski in 3, a $425 program for ages 13 and up. It includes three group lessons with lift access and rentals. Graduates earn a Grad Pass good from March through closing day.
- Women's Wednesdays, a six-week program for all ability levels. Sessions run 9 a.m. to noon and include Sky House discounts afterward. The cost is $450.
- A candy and ice cream shop at Lakeview Lodge, which doesn't have a published name yet.
- Group bookings, including private after-hours skiing on Basin Express terrain, six-course Crow's Bench Cellar Dinners, and a Rowdy Grouse Elopement Package for up to 10 guests, Monday through Thursday.
- Sky House turns 10. The summit lodge sits at the top of the Great Escape Quad and houses Red Hawk Café and The Nest.
The Schwagon is the item on that list that changes a local's morning routine, because it puts hot food at the lot where people leave their cars. That only helps if a bus is waiting at the same lot.
What the SPOT minutes actually say
On Schweitzer's own shuttle page, the Red Barn service is a "free SPOT Bus shuttle." The page lists buses every half hour, seven days a week, from a 6:30 a.m. first departure up from the Red Barn to a 5:30 p.m. last departure down from the Village. The parking section above it is still headed "Winter Parking 2025/2026."
Meanwhile, the SPOT board has been working through a different plan in its monthly packets. At its April 16, 2026 meeting, the board noted that the Schweitzer agreement expired that month. It discussed the March 2025 accident, finances, selling the current buses, and buying buses better suited to mountain terrain. It also acknowledged that operations had improved over the past season. Then it voted 5-1:
"Motion to sell blue (mountain route) buses and not proceed with an RFP for Mountain Route Service"
Here's what has appeared since:
- May 21. In a budget discussion, the board noted that its funding request to Schweitzer "reflects only service to the Red Barn or where ever their staging location will be." No action was taken.
- July 16. The board voted to keep one of the "mechanically best big blue buses" for large events. The minutes point out that these buses have no air conditioning because they were built for winter use only.
- Aug. 20. The minutes say "Four of the Mountain Buses will be put up for sale soon." Proceeds SPOT is allowed to keep will be set aside as matching funds for buying new buses.
- Sept. 17. The agenda asked for approval of the bus sale. As of this writing, the board-meetings page shows no posted minutes recording the outcome.
None of this says the Red Barn shuttle is canceled. The April vote ended SPOT's mountain-route service, but the May note suggests SPOT may still bring riders to the Red Barn or wherever the resort sets up its staging area. We found no published confirmation of a new operator, a new agreement, or a 2026-27 schedule. Twilight bus dates are listed only as "winter 26/27 dates to come."
The April packet also gives some context on last season. Mountain bus ridership in March 2026 was down about 5,000 rides from March 2025. In a poor snow year, the resort closed a week early, on April 7. By then, Schweitzer had taken over maintenance on the mountain buses, and SPOT staff said the arrangement "continues working well." That suggests the two organizations were still working together on the buses even as the board decided not to renew the route.
The neighborhood shuttle is also unsettled. That's a separate service: the Selkirk Recreation District runs it for homes above the Fire Station Roundabout on peak weekends and select holidays. Schweitzer's page lists it as "2026/2027 info coming soon" and notes that the resort has no control over SRD's decisions. SRD's own shuttle page still shows its winter 25-26 schedule. Its Sept. 22 agenda listed "Shuttle Winter" under old business. SRD has already stepped back once this year. In June, the Bonner County Daily Bee reported that Schweitzer was charging $10 for summer weekend rides from the Red Barn "following the recent cancellation of service by the Selkirk Recreation District."
Why the bus matters more than the new lot this year
The long-term fix for parking at Schweitzer is Schweitzer Creek Village. It includes a 1,400-space day lot and a road connecting to the Roundabout, with a two-lane vehicle bridge over Schweitzer Creek. In a July 30 construction update, the resort set a goal of having the road and lot paved and ready "by the 2027/28 winter season." It said opening part of the lot sooner had been explored, but that weather, materials, and budget could all affect the timeline. The Bee's June report described possible limited use "by winter 2026." The resort's later update is the one to plan around.
That means this winter starts with the parking setup locals already know. Under last season's posted rules, parking was free in the Gateway Lot, the Fall Line Lot, and at the Roundabout. Lakeview was free on weekdays and $25 on Fridays, weekends, and holidays. Once Gateway filled, people parking at Fall Line could take a free shuttle or ride the Creekside Express up to the Village. The same page told visitors that lots "fill up fast" on busy days and recommended the Red Barn bus. The new lot isn't here yet, and the resort's own fallback on busy days is the Red Barn bus. That puts more weight on the Red Barn this winter than in any season since the Roundabout sign first pointed to a "future road."
The mountain in the meantime
Up top, it's quiet. Schweitzer's Sept. 16 fall post puts it plainly: the lift has shut down and "many of our outlets have closed their doors." The post describes the shoulder season as three things: Cambium Spa, lodging, and dining. Here's what's posted as open right now:
- Mojo Coyote Café, daily 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hot food stops an hour before close.
- Crow's Bench, daily 2 to 8 p.m. Reservations are recommended.
- Pucci's Pub, daily from 3:30 p.m. The resort's fall post calls it the place to "hang out with the locals."
- Cambium Spa in the Selkirk Lodge, Thursday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and by appointment Monday through Wednesday.
Chimney Rock, Gourmandie, Taps, and the Sky House restaurants are closed for the season. So are The Source, The Market, the Artist's Studio, and the Alpine Shop. The Selkirk Lodge pool and hot tubs may be closed for maintenance through Oct. 31.
For a walk, the resort suggests the cross-country trails out to Picnic Point. It also warns that "there is no patrol on the mountain in the fall." Uphill travel is only permitted on the Nordic trails, and uphill traffic before opening requires a current ticket or pass. Hunting isn't allowed on resort property. Cutting firewood requires advance permission from Mountain Operations.
Where the answers are likely to come out
Between now and opening day, most of the ski calendar happens in town, and one date on it is a public Q&A:
- Oct. 8: IPAC Movie Night at The Hive, 207 N. First Ave. The Quality Ski Time Film Tour raises money for the Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center. Doors open at 5 p.m. and films start at 6.
- Oct. 17 to 24: Sandpoint Idaho Film Fest, with screenings around town.
- Nov. 7: Warren Miller's "Days Off" at the Panida Theater.
- Nov. 12: State of Schweitzer, 5 to 6 p.m. at the Heartwood Center, 615 Oak St. Doors open at 4. The event is free, and resort leadership will give a 26/27 season update and take questions.
- Nov. 14: SARS Ski Swap, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bonner County Fairgrounds.
- Nov. 15: The season pass sale ends. The $249 3-Packs are available until they sell out.
- Nov. 27: Tentative opening day.
Nov. 12 comes three days before the pass sale ends, so the State of Schweitzer Q&A is the most likely public place to hear who runs the Red Barn bus, what the schedule looks like, and whether the SRD neighborhood shuttle returns. If an answer comes out sooner, it will probably show up in SPOT's posted board packets or on Schweitzer's shuttle page once the "2025/2026" heading changes.
If you're deciding where on the mountain to live, or weighing a condo above the Roundabout against a home in town with an easy drive to the Red Barn, getting up the hill in winter belongs in that decision. At Territory Real Estate, we follow these details because they shape everyday life on the mountain. When you're ready to talk through how they fit your plans, start the conversation with us.
