Sun Valley Museum of Art’s Peter Burke has dipped a toe into most every part of the arts there is since graduating from NYU Tisch School of the Arts years ago; he has been at SVMoA since 2018, but before that he worked as an experiential and creative producer, producing events for Google, the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, and more. He is one of the co-founders of Ketchum theater The Spot and can often be seen gracing the stage in their productions. When not in his role as Development Director and Wine Auction Director at SVMoA, he continues to teach barre classes at Zenergy, which he has done for the last eight years. As a young 30-something who grew up in and out of this Valley, Peter knows just how to have a perfect summer day, whether that’s getting inner tubes at Les Schwab to float a section of the Big Wood River or getting blocks of ice from Veltex to sled down grassy hills. Peter and his husband, Daniel, live in west Ketchum with their cat, Zelda (who can often be found sneaking into Sushi on Second searching for scraps of fish). When there is a moment of free …
Searching for Sun Valley
24hrs with a Local: Rescue Trainer & Brewer Paul Holle, July
Paul Holle is a man about town, someone who, even if you don’t know personally, you’ve probably seen at some point, whether it’s at one of the Sawtooth Brewery locations, teaching a Wilderness First Aid class, or shuttling his children around town. After homebrewing his own ales, Holle went pro in 2012 when he helped open craft brewery Sawtooth Brewery in both Ketchum and Hailey. The next year, Holle helped start Idaho Rescue Training, which offers wilderness emergency medical courses to everyone from lay responders to outdoor professionals. He, his wife, Colleen; their two kids, 4-year-old Bryce and 8-month-old Theo; and their dog and cat live in Hailey, spending their free time taking family camping trips in the camper, rafting, hiking, and enjoying life in the Wood River Valley. In the July edition of 24hrs in Sun Valley, we’ve asked Paul to describe his perfect day. How does your perfect morning start? Paul: Sleeping in, cooking waffles with the kids, and drinking coffee. I like to put fresh berries in them and whipped cream on top. Then maybe go for a hike with the kids with the little one napping in the backpack and the four-year-old hiking at toddler speed. We …
24hrs with a Local: Wyatt Caldwell, June
The Caldwell family is well-known in the Wood River Valley; as lifetime locals, their presence can be felt in various aspects of the community, such as patriarch Will Caldwell’s art gallery that was next to the Cellar for many years and his starting of the live music event Ketch’em Alive over 20 years ago (though he’s since passed it on to the city to run). Or mom Julie Caldwell, seen at every Farmer’s Market or daily Zenergy classes. After 20 years spent as a professional snowboarder traveling the globe and taking note of some of the best film and photo practices in the sport, Wyatt Caldwell has made a name for himself both in Ketchum and in media, partnering with his brother Yancy in their company Stellar Adventure Media which creates film content for clients worldwide, often involving outdoor brands and action sports. Wyatt and his wife, Lindsey, live in Northridge where they raise their two daughters, 3-year-old Fynnly and 1-year-old Rozalyn. Growing up in Ketchum with his brother and sister, Scarlet, Wyatt and Lindsey know first-hand how important it is to expose young kids to the beauty of this Valley. They do everything they can to give their daughters …
24hrs with a Local: A Day in the Life of Otis the Dog, May
Sun Valley is a dog town. It’s impossible to walk down the street, go on a hike, or even visit someone’s office without getting a friendly greeting from Ketchum’s favorite furry residents. And many businesses and areas strive to be as dog friendly as possible, making it even more fun for our fur babies to live alongside us in this beautiful place. In the May edition of 24hrs in Sun Valley, we’ve asked local dog Otis to describe his perfect day. How does your day start? Otis: Woof! I’m very happy to be sharing my favorite day. Though all my days are my favorite in Ketchum. But after waking my mom up with my cold snout, she feeds me breakfast and takes me to the dog park where I get to run around with all my other dog friends and eat grass and drink from the river. It’s huge! Then I got to go in the car with my mom to Java. She tied me up outside and lots of people gave me pets and she came back with a puppicino for me! We both enjoyed our treats sitting outside on the deck. Many people told me I was cute. …
How to Recreate Responsibly
There’s no wonder that folks such as John Muir have been preaching the benefits of venturing to the wilderness with its fresh mountain air, views for days, free recreation, wildlife abound, and so much more. While many have been drawn to these attributes for a long while now, an influx of others are discovering the incredible offerings out there. Like anything new, there tends to be a learning curve for figuring how to do things the right way. There’s no exception for recreating. To give you a head-start and ensure that everyone heading outdoors here has a good time, it’s important to recreate responsibly which means following trail etiquette, Leave No Trace, and geotagging responsibly principles. Trail Etiquette For the majority in the Wood River Valley, their first and most frequent access to the outdoors is through the area’s vast system of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. With so many users, trail etiquette is of the utmost important to make sure the trails stay pleasant for everyone. Stay in control Know your limits, slow down around blind turns, step to the side to let others pass when appropriate. Maintain awareness of your surroundings by keeping music volume low …
24hrs with a Local: Community School’s Patrick Graham, April
As Outdoor Program Co-Director at the Sun Valley Community School, Patrick Graham spends roughly 75–80 days out in the field each school year, leading outdoor trips for students of each grade (in addition to other, less fun duties that fall under his purview). Before joining Community School in 2015, Patrick worked as a ski guide for Sun Valley Trekking and later as a licensed backcountry ski guide and an AMGA-certified climbing and skiing guide. He’s now been in the Valley for 17 years—specifically Hailey, where he lives with his wife and three kids. Read on as we dig into Patrick’s ideal 24hrs in Sun Valley for April. What’s your perfect morning start with? Patrick: Typically, it starts with coffee. I like to just have some quiet time in the morning to get myself centered, some sort of hot beverage. When putting my best foot forward, I often times write in a journal for half an hour or so and then prepare to go skiing. Skiing on Baldy? Backcountry? Patrick: To make the most of spring skiing, my day would start before the sun came up, and I would probably transition from coffee into looking at maps and determining the route …
Women’s History Month: Women Ski Racers of Sun Valley
We’re already into the third week of March and Women’s History Month! After commemorating the vast history of the Wood River Valley, starting with the Indigenous Peoples and then focusing on the early settlers with ties to the mining and ranching industries, it’s time to focus on those women who made fame with their ski racing careers. Ski racing has been central to the Sun Valley/Ketchum community since the inception of the resort in 1936, and we’re proud to boast numerous Olympic medalist women with ties to the area. These women represent the trailblazing spirit of Sun Valley and Ketchum and have impacted the history for women in sports for years to come. Gretchen Fraser Gretchen Fraser, born in 1919 and laid to rest in the Ketchum cemetery in 1994, was the first American to win an Olympic gold medal in skiing. She grew up in Washington, but came to call Sun Valley home in 1938 when she met her soon to be husband, Donald Fraser. Although both Gretchen and Donald were members of the 1940 Olympics team, the games were canceled due to WWII. Gretchen took that time to help rehabilitate wounded veterans through skiing, something she would continue …
Women’s History Month: Honoring Sun Valley’s Native Land and its People
Women’s History Month, celebrated during the month of March in the United States, highlights the contributions of women to historical events and modern society. Most people know that Ketchum, Sun Valley, and the entire Wood River Valley have a storied past, one marked by celebrities and old, Western mining culture. However, archaeological evidence indicates that as far back as 10,000 years ago, the Wood River Valley was home to Native peoples from the Shoshone, Bannock & Lehi tribes. To kick off Women’s History Month, we are looking back to the Wood River Valley’s first inhabitants and commemorating the women who have ensured that their stories and culture live on. We are constantly told that we were never here, but our presence is in the petroglyphs, teepee rings and other cultural resources. These are traditional artifacts from time immemorial. We continue to come back to the areas of our ancestors to let the communities know that we have not forgotten our past association with these lands. We come to pay homage to the spirits of our ancestors. We let the communities in and around Sun Valley know that we are a living culture, not a prehistoric culture to be forgotten. Lionel …
24hrs with a Local: The Flourish Foundation’s Ryan Redman, March
Flourish Foundation’s executive director and co-founder (with his wife, Paige) Ryan Redman leads the kind of calming, wellness-centered lifestyle many in Sun Valley strive for. From dedicating hours of his early mornings to himself before work to just truly cherishing every part of living in this town, Ryan exudes contentment. Ryan’s Flourish Foundation is no different, with its vision to inspiring systemic change through heartmind cultivation, promoting personal well-being, benevolent social action, and environmental stewardship. Since its conception in 2010, the Flourish Foundation has facilitated programs that nurture life skills and transformation through ethics and values like meditation. Ryan has studied meditation and Yoga from an early age and teaches yoga in Sun Valley in addition to his work at the foundation. We asked the passionate leader, yogi, devoted husband and father of two boys what his perfect 24hrs for March in Sun Valley looks like. How does your ideal day in Sun Valley start? Ryan: After an incredible night’s sleep, I open my eyes and feel tremendous gratitude to have a human body, to live in such a beautiful place, and to be healthy and capable of providing service to the world and serving myself. Then, after my thoughts …
24hrs with a Local: 5b Fruit’s Katja Peller, February
Wellness-focused couple Parker Morris and Katja Peller have taken their passions and turned them into two thriving businesses, 5B Fruit and 5B Floatation. After hiking Baldy on a hot summer day, the two were craving a healthy smoothie. Not finding one that satisfied them, the two opened what they thought would be a small smoothie stand and turned it into the popular shop it is today. While their days are busy behind the counter at 5B making delicious smoothies and bowls, they still have time to enjoy raising chickens and their dogs Tilly and Garth on their farm south of Bellevue where they’ll be getting married this summer. Learn how Katja spends the perfect day in Sun Valley! How does your perfect day start? Coffee/breakfast somewhere? Easy morning at home? Katja: Usually, mornings start very early to make sure things are taken care of around the farm. The drive from my house to Ketchum is about 40 minutes so I listen to a podcast to start the day off. Then I stop at Lizzy’s on my way into town. A day can’t start and is not complete without a cup of coffee. My favorite way to start the day is …