If you’re someone who likes to earn their turns (or just doesn’t want to pay to ski or ride), skinning up Baldy or Dollar is the move, garnering you plenty of runs for the cost of free-ninety-nine. But as both mountains are operated by the Sun Valley Resort, there are a couple rules to follow to ensure a safe and fun skin, as well as a few guidelines on what gear you’ll need. The Rules All of Sun Valley’s rules and guidelines for skiing Baldy and Dollar can be found on their website (or app) under “After-Hours Access.” This page is full of all sorts of information, including the mountain report, which will tell you the temperature (at both base and top); runs that are open and/or groomed; how much it has snowed this season, in the last week, in the last 24 hours, and overnight; how fast winds are blowing; and a small blurb giving any pertinent announcements/updates, weather forecast, webcams for various spots on both mountains. You can also sign up for email and/or text alerts for uphill access, which will let you know about closures, conditions, and more that might affect skinning. Baldy: The rules for each …
Rotarun Ski Area
Located 12 miles south of Ketchum, the home of Bald Mountain, is the town of Hailey and the home of the area’s lesser known ski mountain: Rotarun. Known as “the little mountain with a big heart”, this 475-foot ski hill located three miles east of Hailey out Croy Canyon has been a draw to the local community since it opened in 1948. With free night skiing, new snow making capabilities and terrain for Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation (SVSEF) programs, this mountain is still making a big impact, showing how small ski hills like these are truly the soul of winter towns. Rotarun a ski hill where the essence of the sport is alive and well thanks to minimal barriers to entry and a welcoming demeanor. We highly recommend checking it out for yourself. History This small mountain has a storied history over the more than 70 years it’s been in existence. Starting after World War II, locals would boot pack up and ski down; shortly thereafter in 1948, Olympian Ann Winn started using the small mountain to teach kids how to ski, the first of many people to do so over the years. The mountain received its first “lift” in …
Your Guide to the Holidays in Sun Valley, Idaho
The holidays in Sun Valley are magical, and these are just a few of the festive moments that await this holiday season. Don’t know where to start? We’ve compiled your 2018 guide of must-see events and happenings from Christmas festivities to rock-the-house New Year’s shenanigans!
What We’re Made Of: Sawtooth Mountain Guides and Sun Valley Mountain Huts
All manner of people have explored the Idaho wilderness, for as long as it’s been there, but two companies, Sawtooth Mountain Guides and Sun Valley Mountain Huts, are two of the longest-running backcountry businesses in the Wood River Valley. An accredited mountain guide service, Sawtooth Mountain Guides (SMG) has been around for over 30 years, providing summer and winter backcountry guiding services. Sun Valley Mountain Huts (SVMH), formerly known as Sun Valley Trekking, owns some of the country’s oldest and most diverse backcountry hut system, with six huts in five Idaho mountain ranges. Sawtooth Mountain Guides The History Founded in 1985, Sawtooth Mountain Guides is the brainchild of outdoor enthusiast Kirk Bachman, who began exploring local ski and climbing terrain in the area in the early ’70s. When Kirk started SMG in the mid-’80s, it was primarily as a climbing guide service, though he soon added ski guiding on to the company and also built and established some of the first North American yurts as backcountry ski huts in the Sawtooths. This included the Williams Peak Hut, which the company established in 1988 as a winter base for local at-risk youth programs and continues to operate today for both guided …
24 hours with a Local: Professional Skier Karl Fostvedt
Local ski legend Karl Fostvedt (often referred to as “Crazy Karl”) has been skiing Sun Valley’s local mountains practically since he was born at the local Moritz hospital. In his years as a professional skier, Karl has amassed many accolades, from being named King of Corbet’s in 2018 and 2021 to being featured in various free ski movies from Warren Miller Entertainment, Teton Gravity Research, Red Bull Media House, Matchstick Productions (to name a few) to competing in the Dew Tour and War of Rails. Karl’s focus of late is on his own production company, Native Earth Productions, and making his own ski films with his hometown crew in the mountains he grew up in. He and his long-time girlfriend, Sierra (who attends vet school in Logan, Utah for the time being) live in Warm Springs, but he also spends a good deal of time brapping and skiing in the winter, and preparing for brapping and skiing in the summer. “I do everything I can to take advantage of this awesome opportunity to live my dream as a pro skier and having such an awesome backyard to go out in.” Visit Sun Valley caught up with Karl to see how …
Best Fireplaces to Cozy-Up by in Ketchum & Sun Valley
After a day on the slopes, or a day at the spa, there’s nothing like lounging next to a roaring fireplace as the snow falls outside. Whether you’re in the company of friends and family, or a good book, the warmth of a well-built fire fills the heart. Here are our favorite places to sit by the fire in Ketchum and Sun Valley. Limelight Hotel Limelight Hotel’s expansive lobby—perfect for a cocktail, a game of cards, a couple hours of work, or hanging out with your favorite person—welcomes visitors with two glass-fronted fireplaces. Sip a drink, taste an appetizer, and let the flames melt away all your worries. Sun Valley Wine Company The Sun Valley Wine Company, in Ketchum’s Town Square, is a wine shop, bar and light fare restaurant. Browse the racks for a great bottle of wine to share, or order a single pour at the bar. A selection of chilled beer is also available. Settle into the couch in front of the stone fireplace and munch on a cheese plate as you warm your toes. Sawtooth Club Hemingway knew how to while away the hours at a beloved bar, telling a good yarn. And his favorite haunt in …
Boulder Mountain Tour: What Not to Miss
2023 marks the 50th year of the Annual Zions Bank Boulder Mountain Tour (BMT). This year the BMT will Honor Bob Rosso, one of the original founders of the race and a valued community member here in the Wood River Valley. This historic cross-country race is held on the historic Harriman Trail in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, north of Ketchum.
S.A.A. – Spring Activity Anxiety
An intertwined combination of spring & winter can lead to a potentially chaotic outbreak of Spring Activity Anxiety. Symptoms most commonly associated with S.A.A. include: severe indecisiveness, confusion, and obsessive over packing of vehicles with sporting equipment. Patients are urged to remain calm, analyze possible activities, and cram as many said activities as possible in to one day to quell bouts of insanity.
Ultimate College Ski Trip
Picture this: 5 girls, 2 cars, 10 planks, 1 playlist, an air mattress, a case of beer, a Costco run, a couple of new years resolutions, and a big desire to get the most out of our Ikon passes. It was a snowy Thursday morning in Fort Collins, Colorado when the five of us girls set out on our 10-day ski trip to Bozeman, Montana. When choosing Airbnb’s we kept a couple of things in mind. Firstly, price. When booking Airbnb’s it is important to start the process early, as many ski towns fill up quickly in the winter. We planned our college ski trip in October so we could book Airbnb’s that fit our needs; a close proximity to downtown nightlife and a decent kitchen so that we could cook most of our meals. We made a conscious effort to cook most of our meals, choosing one restaurant in each destination, this saved us a lot of money long-term. Bozeman and Big Sky We were in Bozeman for New Year’s, so being in town was a big factor for us. We were able to find a cute house just off Main Street on the East side of town, an excellent location …
Sun Valley’s Next Generation of Skiers and Boarders
It would be hard for the town of Sun Valley, Idaho, not to be mentioned when talking about professional and Olympic skiers and snowboarders; the town is practically synonymous with greatness. With Bald Mountain as their training ground, ski greats from Picabo Street to Gretchen Fraser back in the day to more recent pros like McKenna Peterson, Wing Tai Barrymore, Lexi DuPont, Banks Gilberti, Colin Collins, Karl Fostvedt, Lucy Sackbauer have added to the legacy of the place. And snowboarders too—did you know there’s never been a U.S. Olympic snowboard team without a member from Sun Valley? Repping the boarders are Olympians Chase Josey, Kaitlyn Farrington, Graham Watanabe and a whole lot of other pros and amazing riders. The time has come for some of those same skiers and boarders to pass the torch to the next generation, which promises to bring it just as hard, race just as fast, jump just as high, and continue to put Sun Valley on the map for winter athletes. The Rafford’s “For me, skiing on Bald Mountain was a privilege that took me years to appreciate.” Toby Rafford Starting out the list of the new generation are brother and sister duo Addison (Addie) and Toby Rafford, both of whom are …