Edholm retires after four decades

After 42 years of service, Phil Edholm has decided to call it a career.

For over four decades Edholm has served in various roles including the chief executive officer and president of Lookout Associates, and owner of Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area & Route of the Hiawatha Scenic Bike Trail (Lookout).

Edholm was a force in the skiing community serving as an executive for many different resorts throughout the region.

Lookout Chief Financial Officer Stephen Beaulieu spoke about Edholm’s indelible mark on the industry, but also how he took a small local ski hill and brought it into the 21st century.

“Phil’s guidance of Lookout Pass over the past 20-plus years has been nothing less than exceptional,” Beaulieu said. “His leadership has resulted in the growth of the area from a single aerial lift, when Phil assembled the ownership group to purchase the resort in 1999, to the approval of two master development plans resulting in the addition of four aerial lifts and a more than doubling of the lodge and guest service areas, all through cash flow.”

Edholm is also a past president of the Idaho Ski Areas Association and the Inland Northwest Ski Areas Association and most recently assisted in the passage of legislation addressing liability limitations for both winter and summer operations in the State of Idaho.

Lookout’s Director of Marketing Matt Sawyer also spoke of Edholm’s passion for the ski hill and how he channeled that passion.

“Phil Edholm was a man with a vision and a passion for the sport of skiing, the skiing lifestyle and ski business,” Sawyer said. “He was also a person with a great sense of humor, who also took a sincere interest in his employees personal well-being. He was a true leader, a champion of providing great guest service, a personal friend and mentor - not just to me but to many in this quirky yet fun industry as well.”

Though his body of work may point towards it, Edholm wasn’t just about skiing. While expanding the skiing operations at Lookout, he was also instrumental in the development of the Route of the Hiawatha.

As one of the nicest and most popular rail-to-trail bike trails in the country, it was recently named as a Hall of Fame Trail by the Rail-To-Trail Conservancy.

Edholm’s career spanned a lifetime and Beaulieu is just thankful for all of the hard work, the foresight, and willingness to adapt that he showed throughout his career.

“Phil’s efforts have set a solid foundation for the continued growth and success of Lookout Pass and we will be forever thankful for his accomplishments,” Beaulieu said. “Although Phil has formally retired, he has graciously accepted an ongoing consulting assignment which allows Lookout Associates to continue to benefit from his lifetime of ski industry knowledge and relationships.”

Sawyer also mentioned how the Edholm name was a one-two punch, that included Phil as well as his wife, who was a major part of the organization as well.

“Not to steal his thunder, but we all know behind every great man there is usually a good woman,” Sawyer said. “Wyn Edholm held the business office together practicing strong financial acumen with a deft eye toward a positive bottom line. They were a great team that enthusiastically moved Lookout and the Route of the Hiawatha forward. The success and growth of these two businesses benefited the local communities in both Idaho and Montana greatly. He has left deep tracks on this mountain and I know he will be back to occasionally make some fresh tracks in our abundant powder, or on our impeccably groomed corduroy. Enjoy your retirement Wyn and Phil as it was well earned.”