In this monthly series, we check in with one of our adventurous locals to find out how they would spend a perfect 24 hours in Sun Valley. The days are getting longer, the temperatures are warming up, and if summer hasn’t officially arrived, it will soon. June is a special month in Sun Valley—warm enough to break out the summer clothing, but early enough in the season to have the trails and rivers all to yourself. For our 24hrs Sun Valley – June edition, we reached out to Mark Davidson, Executive Director of the Blaine County Recreation District. Known locally as the BCRD, the Blaine County Recreation District’s mission is to enhance Blaine County’s quality of life by creating healthy, active recreational opportunities for all. They do this through a mix of programming, including youth sports leagues, adult fitness classes, and HUB after-school care, and facilities such as the outdoor Aquatic Center, FitWorks fitness center, Galena Lodge, and a network of summer and winter trails. Though perhaps best known for their extensive groomed Nordic trail network, it’s a different trail system that has captured the attention of trail lovers this spring—BCRD’s new Quigley Trails Park in Hailey. Quigley Trails Park …
Locals Guide to the Weather of Sun Valley
Ketchum and Sun Valley are in a weather forecasting dead-zone in the rural mountains of Idaho. The one thing you’ll notice first with locals is the backseat of their cars are ready for both an Everest expedition and a day at the beach. As someone enmeshed in the very fabric of Sun Valley, Matt Gorby (or “Gorby” as he’s know to many locals) is as good as anyone to help break down the intricacies of the weather in our unique town. Ketchum’s favorite bartender and all-around mensch, Gorby, moved to Ketchum from the east coast 27 years ago. Since then, he can be found bartending at The Casino, doing graphic design, drinking coffee at Starbucks, starring in the area’s plays, announcing the Wagon Days parade, or simply being a family man to his wife and daughter. How would you describe the weather year round in our area? Matt: You know what they say about the weather here: if you don’t like it, wait 5 minutes because it’s going to change. The fact of the matter is, it’s life in the mountains; you don’t know what you’re going to get. Weather makes a right turn at you all the time and …
24hrs with a Local: The Community Library’s Dr. Jenny Emery Davidson, April
In this monthly series, we check in with one of our adventurous locals to find out how they would spend a perfect 24 hours in Sun Valley. April showers bring, well, you know the rest. Spring has officially landed in Sun Valley with its season-bending weather patterns and the last days of skiing on Baldy and the Nordic trails. While we collectively shake off winter and crane our necks to glimpse the warmer days ahead, there is plenty of excitement to be found right here, in this often-unpredictable month. For this 24hrs Sun Valley – April edition, we connected with Dr. Jenny Emery Davidson, Executive Director of The Community Library in Ketchum. Jenny has been at the helm of the library for the past six years, working alongside the Board of Directors and a team of dedicated staff to bring “information, ideas, and individuals together to enhance the cultural life of the community.” Over the past year, the community has demonstrated how highly they value that connection to information and ideas. “We’re circulating as many, if not more, books – both physical books and digital downloads,” says Jenny. “People are hungry to read as a way to stay connected, to …
24hrs with a Local: Sun Valley Museum of Art’s Courtney Gilbert, March
In this monthly series, we check in with one of our adventurous locals to find out how they would spend a perfect 24 hours in Sun Valley. Say hello to long(er) sunny days! March in Sun Valley nudges at the first hints of winter bending toward spring, and the promise of summer just around the corner. Still, it wouldn’t do to wish away this glorious month, when Baldy’s bowls turn into perfect corn conditions and the backcountry skiing and Nordic trails are on point. For this 24hrs in Sun Valley March edition, we caught up with Courtney Gilbert, Curator of Visual Arts at the Sun Valley Museum of Art (SVMoA). SVMoA, formerly called the Sun Valley Center for the Arts, is dedicated to enriching the community through transformative arts and education experiences. In her role, Courtney organizes multi-artist, thematic exhibitions that usually relate to SVMoA’s BIG IDEA projects, which “ask timely questions and investigate them through art, music, theatre, conversation, and workshops.” The latest exhibition, on display at the SVMoA (191 Fifth Street East, Ketchum) through April 16, 2021, is titled “Deeds Not Words: Women Working for Change.” This multidisciplinary curation coincides with the centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the US …
24hrs with a Local: Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation’s Rick Kapala, February
In this monthly series, we check in with one of our adventurous locals to find out how they would spend a perfect 24 hours in Sun Valley. Happy February! We hope you are out enjoying the spoils of this epic snowstorm that dumped 51” of powder on Bald Mountain and coated the entire Valley, from Bellevue to Galena Lodge, in a deep blanket of snow. We are sure that one person taking advantage of this winter wonderland is Rick Kapala, the Program Director for the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation’s (SVSEF) Cross Country Ski Team. Rick has worked with SVSEF since 1987, coaching youth athletes to some of the highest levels of competitive snowsport. SVSEF’s vision is to create the best junior snowsports development program in the nation. They offer coaching and skills development in cross country skiing (including their elite “XC Gold” team), alpine skiing, big mountain, Freeski, freestyle, and snowboarding. “We offer programming for close to 800 kids across different winter sports disciplines,” says Rick. “From little kids putting on skis for the first time to ski racers at the highest level, we help our teams develop skills and capacities for ski sports and for life.” As for us, …
24hrs with a Local: Sun Valley Resort’s Peter Stearns, January
In this monthly series, we check in with one of our adventurous locals to find out how they would spend a perfect 24 hours in Sun Valley. Happy New Year! While some may be saying “good riddance” to 2020, we’re looking ahead with hope and mindfulness for the coming year. We’re so lucky to have incredible outdoor winter recreation in Sun Valley, and that’s due in no small part to the opportunities at Bald Mountain and Dollar Mountain, Sun Valley Resort’s two ski areas. For this month’s 24 Hours Sun Valley, we tracked down Peter Stearns, Director of Mountain Operations at Sun Valley, to hear about his typical day in January and learn more about this unique winter season. Welcome, Peter! Can you tell us a bit more about your role at Sun Valley Resort? As the Director of Mountain Operations, my ultimate responsibility is the management of Bald Mountain and Dollar Mountain. I work with a fantastic team, most of whom have been doing this kind of work for quite a long time. You’ve been working at Sun Valley for quite a few years, is that right? I’ve been with Sun Valley for 40 years this past June. Wow, that’s impressive! …
24hrs with a Local: Sawtooth Avalanche Center’s Scott Savage, December
In this monthly series, we check in with one of our adventurous locals to find out how they would spend a perfect 24 hours in Sun Valley. Ready or not…winter is here! From the first snowflakes in early November to opening day on Bald Mountain, we have been enjoying every second of this early season. Scott Savage, the Director of the Sawtooth Avalanche Center, is someone who loves winter more than most. A lifelong skier and a snow geek, Scott and the team of Avalanche Specialists provide avalanche safety information for people recreating, working, or traveling in the Sawtooth National Forest. “The Sawtooth Avalanche Center exists to help people make good decisions, have fun, and stay safe in the mountains,” says Scott. Don’t think that your winter recreation takes you into avalanche territory? It might. Though the Sun Valley area has plenty of room to explore, some of the most popular recreation areas are exposed to avalanche danger. But before you hole up and miss the chance to enjoy winter fun under a summer sun, take heart: Scott says making safe decisions is simply a matter of understanding the risks and knowing how to handle them. First, he says, check the …
24hrs with a Local: Photographer Dev Khalsa, November
In this monthly series, we check in with one of our adventurous locals to find out how they would spend a perfect 24 hours in Sun Valley. A chill is in the air, and the snow guns blasting on Bald Mountain in preparation for opening day prove that it’s properly almost-winter in Sun Valley. Though we’re only weeks away from pulling out skis and boards, there is still plenty of fall left to enjoy this November. Don’t take it from me, though. Dev Khalsa, owner and photographer at Dev Khalsa Photography, has a secret love of this in-between month. “Summer is super crazy with work, and then suddenly there’s Daylight Savings, which means less light each day, which means that I get more time to relax,” she says. “It’s a time to be cozy with my family and enjoy the leaves that are still around. I love that transition and wouldn’t have it any other way.” Locals and visitors alike seek out Dev for her natural, candid, documentary style of wedding and portrait photography. How has this year differed from years in the past? “This year’s weddings totally changed,” Dev says. “Some of them moved to next year, but others became these really small, …
24hrs with a Local: Silver Creek Outfitters’ Terry Ring, October
In this monthly series, we check in with one of our adventurous locals to find out how they would spend a perfect 24 hours in Sun Valley. The aspens are turning, snow is dusting the high peaks, and it’s time to slow down into the delicious, golden-soaked atmosphere of October in Sun Valley. Fall is a season that long-time local Terry Ring, owner of Silver Creek Outfitters, enjoys to the fullest. Silver Creek Outfitters is a fly fishing shop, destination retailer, and a guide service. “We focus on the ‘Sun Valley lifestyle,’” says Terry. “It’s energetic, it’s outdoors, and it’s around town. We’re so lucky to have rich cultural activities, like the Writers Conference, the Symphony, and the Trailing of the Sheep, and so much public land to enjoy.” “We cater to people who are out of doors hunting and fishing, as well as people around town,” Terry explains. “We are fire and ice—hooks and bullets, but we also have cashmere.” After the rush of a busy summer season, Terry takes advantage of the slower days of fall to truly soak in all that Sun Valley has to offer. Here’s how Terry would spend his perfect 24hrs Sun Valley this October. What would you …
24hrs with a Local: Rebecca’s Private Idaho’s Rebecca Rusch, September
In this monthly series, we check in with one of our adventurous locals to find out how they would spend a perfect 24 hours in Sun Valley. Is that a chill in the air? Fall is fast approaching in Sun Valley, and after twelve years of living in this mountain town, I can confidently say it’s my favorite season. Warm days, cool nights, uncrowded trails, and perfect starry evenings make September hard to beat. September is also when seven-time world champion cyclist and local resident Rebecca Rusch hosts over a thousand riders for Rebecca’s Private Idaho, a multi-day gravel biking festival and stage race. Since 2013, this event has welcomed athletes ranging from professional to amateur to compete and race along the trails in Ketchum. This year, in light of the pandemic, Rebecca transitioned this iconic event into a global race, with a flexible, interactive membership training plan that leads to cyclists riding their own “Private Idaho” courses at home over Labor Day weekend. Rebecca is one of the most generous humans you can hope to meet and an incredibly tenacious athlete. She’s known as “The Queen of Pain” for her remarkable ability to tackle the world’s most grueling endurance cycling events. Her …