BOISE, Idaho — Most people who have skied up at Bogus Basin for any length of time know the tale of the trolls who occupy the space beneath the cattle guard on your way up the mountain. And while the cattle guards are no longer, the trolls remain.
“There probably will be public outrage about this.” Author and history writer Eve Chandler explains the legend of the Bogus Basin trolls. “The story is: you open the door going up and you let the trolls in, and they will keep you from getting into a ski accident. And then when you come down, you open the door and let them back out so they will be ready for the next trip back up [to the mountain].”
See what happened to the cattle guard, which the trolls call home
Chandler wrote a book about the history of Bogus Basin ski resort and says the story has taken on a life of its own. It’s something the crews from A.C.H.D. are well aware of.
Tom Otte, a Deputy Director at A.C.H.D., said removing the cattle guards had been talked about for a while. “We do understand there’s a little bit of lore and superstition with the cattle guard, so we’re making improvements to the troll’s home and to make sure the troll is still happy and gets a ride while people are going up the hill.”
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Otte says since cattle no longer graze here, there’s no need for a cattle guard. However, the new build, he says, “it’s going to look and feel like a cattle guard," so you can still open your door and let the trolls in.
99-year-old Bob Greenwood from the legendary Greenwood’s Ski Haus on Bogus Basin Road has never put too much stock in all the hocus pocus over the trolls, but enjoys a good story. “I have heard the stories, and I’ve seen people doing that. I’ve been driving that road off and on since 1950 myself, and that troll must have forgotten me. I’m still alive and I’ve never opened the door, so I guess he’s missed me.”
