COEUR d'ALENE - When the snow starts to fly at Lookout Pass this winter, skiers and snowboarders will find a larger lodge and an expanded outdoor deck area.

The popular ski and recreation area, perched on the rugged border of Idaho and Montana, is adding 1,200 square feet to its main lodge this summer. According to president and CEO Phil Edholm, the roughly $200,000 project will provide additional indoor seating for 84 people.

On the uphill side of the lodge, offering an unobstructed view of the slopes above, a new barbecue deck will add seating for 36 guests.

"It got started in late June, and we expect it'll be done by the end of September," Edholm said.

Lookout's rustic lodge houses the kitchen and serving area, two dining rooms and an upstairs bar. In winters past, the narrow space filled quickly at lunchtime, especially on weekends.

The addition will create more leg room and reduce crowding.

"And on weekends, it gives us a separate dining area for groups," Edholm said. "It's going to be a real nice addition for us."

Once the new deck is in place, Lookout will host frequent barbecues, he added. That side of the lodge gets plenty of sun, too, so the deck will be especially pleasant in the springtime.

The project requires minimal alterations to the mountain itself, Edholm said. The ski runs will still converge in the same spots.

"There's going to be a little re-contouring done right at the upslope of the base lodge," he said.

Bekel Construction Inc., based in Kellogg, is building the addition.

Lookout began planning the lodge expansion about 10 years ago, Edholm said. The project is one of the initial phases of Lookout's long-term expansion plan, which will likely add a second peak, two more chairlifts and several runs.

Another major build is planned for the summer of 2013, Edholm said. The ski area will construct a 14,000-square-foot building with lodging and restaurant facilities.

In the meantime, the mountain's newly expanded lodge will be ready for guests when the first snowstorm rolls in.

"The weather predictors are starting to talk about a second La Nina," Edholm said, "so we might have back-to-back big winters here."