In this series, we profile a local every month to get the down-low on what their perfect day in Sun Valley looks like.

With the opening of Baldy just weeks away, I reached out to Mike Fitzpatrick, the Manager of Guest Services at Sun Valley Resort, to hear how he would spend a perfect 24 hours in Sun Valley this November. Mike is in charge of all aspects of a guest’s experience on the mountain at Sun Valley, so he knows a thing or two about how to make the most of a day on and off the slopes! 

What would you do first thing?

A perfect day would start with going out to breakfast at the Konditorei. They have my favorite breakfast, the Baked Swiss Eggs Rösti. It has these special potatoes, almost like hashbrowns mixed with a lot of bacon, and they crack eggs over the top and bake it in the oven. And I’d get a triple mocha, too.

How would you spend your morning?

I’d go on an “early-ups” with a ski instructor on Baldy and get there for sunrise. When the sun hits the snow on the mountains, there is this golden hue — there’s nothing quite like it. It’s almost spiritual. Early-ups gets my day going…actually, it’ll keep me going for many days! I’d ski down Ridge to Blue Grouse, or Christmas Ridge if it’s open.

What would you do for lunch?

At River Run Lodge, there is a chef named Cuc, he’s from Southeast Asia, and he makes the best stir-fry. He’ll customize it a bit every time, too. If you want it extra hot, or substitute shrimp for chicken, he’ll do it. 

If I’m on the Warm Springs side, I’ll stop at Apples for a hamburger made with Wood River Farms beef. It’s grass-fed, and you can really taste the difference.

How about the afternoon?

Well, if we’re talking about a perfect day, I’d go take a big, long soak in the Sun Valley Lodge pool. I’d get a cocktail, too. With the Poolside Café, you don’t even have to get out…they’ll serve you right in the water.

Once I’m all loosened up from the soak and the cocktail, I’d get a massage at the Spa. They are pretty awesome!

Where would you have dinner?

I’d have a cocktail at the Sun Valley Inn bar before going to The Ram for dinner. I love The Ram. Larry Harshbarger has been playing the piano there for forty years, and few people know this, but for regular customers, he picks out a song that he always plays when you come in. You may not even notice it, but he does. For my wife, who is a teacher at Hemingway Elementary, he plays “School Days.” When my son was young, he played “Zipadeedoodah.” My son is 35 years old, and he still talks about it.

Adam Fisher is the chef at The Ram, and if I’m not eating the fondue, I’ll have the brined pork chop. It falls right off the bone.

How would you close out your perfect day?

I’d go to the bowling alley at the Sun Valley Lodge and bowl a few frames after dinner. I think people forget that it’s there, but you can rent lanes and play arcade games. It’s fun.

The morning would start at the Konditorei with Baked Swiss Eggs Rösti and just go up from there. That, for me, would be the perfect day.