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.
Searching for Sun Valley
24 Hours with a Local: Trailhead Bicycles Owners Kyle Wies and Andy Solomon
After several years of working for Fitzgerald’s Bicycles in Victor, Jackson, and Idaho Falls, friends and business owners Kyle Wies and Andy Solomon—and Andy’s wife, Erin—decided to open their own bike shop in Hailey after seeing a hole in the market for a year-round bike shop. The two met at Fitzgerald’s in 2015 when Andy bought a fat bike from Kyle—two years later, Andy was working there too. They opened Trailhead Bicycles in April 2022 and have been busy ever since. Andy and Kyle live fairly opposite lives: Andy and Erin are parents to their 6-year-old daughter, Finley, and shop dog 11-year-old Elliott (if you’ve been in the shop, you’ve likely seen this huge, loveable guy) who all live in Woodside. When not on the bike, Andy and the family can be found outdoors doing it all—lake days, paddle boarding, hiking, and biking, of course. Kyle lives by himself in Ketchum, commuting daily to Hailey by biking on the bike path or reading on the bus. Kyle’s a big runner and reader when he’s not biking, and the two friends also like to get together to watch soccer. Assuming the trails are dry and ready for biking (a bit of …
24hrs with a Local: Sawtooth Avalanche Center’s Annie DeAngelo, April
Since making Sun Valley her home ten years, Annie DeAngelo has embraced all of the professional, recreational, and social aspects the area has to offer. As Education Coordinator for Friends of the Sawtooth Avalanche Center, Annie wears many hats, coming up with events and ways to reach new people, putting on the education programs the org has been running for years, and collaborating with other local organizations. Prior to working with Friends of the Sawtooth Avalanche Center, Annie DeAngelo taught middle school math and science for the Community School for many years. She’s also been a NOLS instructor, taught ski school, interned with ICL, and is unofficially the Grumpy’s Social Director. Her and her partner, ski patroller and Sawtooth Mountain Guide Toria, live in west Ketchum with their pit bull-chihuahua-poodle mix Xander. When not working, Annie is a woman of “endless” hobbies, as she describes it, but her biggest are whitewater SUPing, cooking, gardening, hunting, mountain biking, skiing, and playing in band Miscellany 7 (formerly Miscellany 5, but they’ve since acquired two more members). While most days are ideal days in Sun Valley for Annie DeAngelo, she described her perfect one here, taking a few liberties because, after all, this …
24hrs with a Local: Hockey player Mike (Taco) Curry, March
If you’ve seen a Sun Valley Suns hockey game in the last ten years, then you already know Mike Curry, better known as “Taco” to those in the know. The Alaska native moved to Ketchum about ten years ago and has been playing defense for the Suns ever since. When he’s not on the ice, Mike works from his home in Warm Springs doing headhunting for Walmart Global Tech. In the winter, he enjoys snowboarding and snowmobiling (in addition to hockey, of course) and in the summer spends lots of time on the lake water skiing and doing a bit of fishing. We caught up with Mike to see what his perfect March day in Sun Valley entails. How does your morning start? Mike: I’d start out with breakfast at either the Kneadery or something quick at Wrapcity. At the Kneadery I like the cowboy benedict—it’s rock solid. At Wrapcity I get the Mayday wrap. What’s after breakfast? Mike: I’d hit the mountain for a couple runs, nothing too crazy. I’m a snowboarder, so I try to stay off steep pitches so I can cruise; usually I’ll do Broadway top to bottom for my first run of the day. …
Racing ’round the World with Local Haley Cutler
Haley Cutler is making a name for herself, not only here in the Wood River Valley but also in the skiing world. At 25, Cutler has jumped back into racing and is competing around the world, from placing 1st in Giant Slalom in Jackson to traveling across Europe for the Europa Cup in the Super G discipline. However, racing isn’t anything new for her. Starting as a young skier, Cutler was a part of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation (SVSEF), went on to ski collegially at both University of New Mexico and Montana State University, and then became a coach for SVSEF.
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 …
24hrs with a Local: Riley Berman, February
A born and raised local, Riley Berman wears many hats professionally in the Wood River Valley where he is manager of the Hailey ski hill Rotarun, a fishing guide for Silvercreek Outfitters in the summer, and the co-founder of small outerwear company Steel Zips. He and his wife Katelyn live south in the Bellevue triangle with a menagerie of animals, including dogs, cats, mini donkeys, horses, pigs, goats, and chickens. Now in his fourth year as manager of Rotarun, Riley Berman enjoys skiing on his off days, whether in the backcountry, on Baldy, or at Rotarun. How does your ideal morning start? Riley: For me, February is definitely work time and I like my job, so my ideal day would probably be my regular day. Regardless, I get up early at about five. Then I spend a few hours on my company Steely Zips, making sure orders and our website are up to date. We’re trying to do new marketing and branding for a new piece we’re going to launch in the spring. I’ll spend some time with my dogs, especially my corgi, Midge. I don’t do breakfast or coffee—not really a coffee guy. Then what is mid-morning like? Riley: …
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 …
24hrs with a Local: Board Bin’s David Kelso, January
If you’ve stepped foot in the Board Bin in Ketchum in any of the 34 years its been open, chances are good that you’ve seen long-time employee and now co-owner and manager David Kelso (though, to be fair, he didn’t start working there until 1993). One of the founding fathers of board culture in Ketchum alongside original Board Bin owner Jim Slanetz, Dave took over the shop with local Quinn Baser in the fall of 2018. A skateboard afficianado first and snowboarder second, Dave grew up in Idaho Falls and moved to Ketchum in 1991. He’s been in the Valley ever since and lives with his wife, Erin, and 12-year-old son, JackHenry, out Warm Springs with their dog. When not on a board of some kind, Dave gets into fly tying and fishing, hiking, and camping. How does your ideal morning start? Dave: I make coffee at home and then walk our dog Josie, a Border Collie/Aussie Shephard/Whippet rescue from Mountain Humane. I take the dog to the river and stand in the river meditating for a few minutes while she runs around. I always do the New York Times crossword puzzle and Wordle and various other games. Then I …
Complete Guide to Cross-Country Skiing Sun Valley
Each winter, at the first hint of snow, local Nordic skiers pull out their gear and anxiously await the inaugural groom of the season. From the first pass of the snowcat in early winter until the trails disappear in spring’s warmth, stoke runs high. These long-time skiers know what many others are about to find out—that cross-country skiing is a great way to explore the mountains, clear the mind, and, especially this year, socially distance. While the pandemic may be partially responsible for this year’s meteoric rise in the sport’s popularity, cross-country skiing’s roots run deep in Sun Valley. Over 200 kilometers of Nordic ski trails wind through the Sun Valley area from Hailey in the south to Galena Lodge, tucked in the Boulder Mountains north of Ketchum. Our world-class trails are not only a destination for skiers from around the globe but are also the United States’ only designated cross-country skiing Olympic and Paralympic training site. Exploring Sun Valley’s Nordic scene for the first time can get a little overwhelming, but we’re here to help. In this guide, we give you the 411 on everything from where to ski to who can help you get the right gear. See …