5 fabulous winter walks in the Sun Valley area suitable for everyone from families to dog walkers.
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What We’re Made Of: Sun Valley Guides Owner – Zach Crist
A Local Legend Some folks are legendary in Sun Valley and some folks are lifers. Zach Crist is both. A Ketchum native, Crist has been through all iterations skiing has to offer—riding professionally, being featured in Warren Miller movies, coaching, owning a backcountry guide company—all while still living in the place he wouldn’t dream of not calling home. Now married to Emilie DuPont and father to four kids (ages 1, 3, 8, and 12), Crist has settled into his newest role as the owner of Sun Valley Guides and couldn’t be happier. Crist is evidence that you might think you’ve done all this town has to offer, but there’s always a new angle to enjoy the culture of Sun Valley, Idaho. The Educational Years Though he was technically born in California, Crist is an Idahoan through and through. He moved to Ketchum with his parents and siblings Danielle and Reggie (also a former professional skier) when he was 6 years old. With his experience on skis since he was 2, Crist ended up joining the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation and was eventually picked for the U.S. Ski Team, joining his brother Reggie on the World Cup Tour. After seven …
What We’re Made Of: Restauranteurs – The Mason Family
The food scene of Ketchum would truly be a different landscape without the Masons and as their family continues to grow, so too does the family business.
What We’re Made Of: Local Artist Molly Snee
For being a tucked away mountain town, the greater Sun Valley area is home to an incredibly robust arts community. The lure of the outdoors and unassuming networking opportunities seem to continually draw mavens to the region. From skilled craftsmen to award-winning film makers to highly coveted painters and beyond, the Valley is teeming with talent. Molly Snee happens to be one of these sensationally skilled individuals that call Sun Valley home. If you’ve roamed the streets of Ketchum, chances are high that you’ve spotted some of Molly Snee’s work around town. From posters for City-sponsored events to various outdoor murals to her self-published guides to Ketchum, Snee’s particular brand of illustration is hard to miss. If you have yet to venture to the Sun Valley area, there’s still a chance that you’ve Molly’s work. In addition to her creative endeavors and local jobs in her home-base of Ketchum, Snee has started to expand into the national market with recent gigs illustrating for the New York Times, Restoration Hardware, Southwest Airlines, and The Boston Globe. Snee’s ability to make the Ketchum scene work for her career while also helping to enhance the creative spirit of the town makes her the perfect example of the characters that make this Idaho town unique. Snee grew up in Virginia …
A Dozen Family Fun Activities for the Winter
It’s school vacation time and you’re lucky enough to be in—or at least a short, scenic drive away from—Sun Valley. So what do you next? Pretty much whatever you want. This is America’s original ski resort, for crying out loud! Crying is just about the only thing that we don’t really allow around this fun-filled place, unless, of course, they’re tears of joy. To help make your family time in Sun Valley more joyful, here are a dozen ideas. Go Sledding In our mountainous section of Idaho there are oodles of places to go sledding during the winter months. The popular “Sledding Hill” across from the Sun Valley Stables is usually a good spot, but Sun Valley is literally surrounded with the two main ingredients for great sledding action: hills and snow. There are places to sled from Hailey up to Galena Lodge and lots of local shops sell a variety of sleds. Sledding also gives you a great excuse to get some hot chocolate afterwards—add some peppermint schnapps and make into a “Ski Lift” for mom and dad. Go Nordic Skiing Nordic or cross-country skiing is a surprisingly enjoyable activity for active families. It’s easy to learn. It’s a great way …
Sun Valley Bike Path Sightseeing Tour
The Wood River Trail aka “the bike path” runs over 20 miles between the Wood River Valley from Bellevue up to Sun Valley. The area encompassing Ketchum and Sun Valley is full of unique and historical sights, all easily viewed in a day by foot, bike, or any other way you choose to explore the bike path! We’ve put together a Sun Valley bike path sightseeing tour guide with all of the must-see spots along the scenic byway. There are a number of ways to go about this sightseeing tour. We’ll leave the navigation up to you! Spur Sculpture Located just off the bike path between St. Luke’s hospital and Ketchum, John Grade’s sculpture Spurwas commissioned in 2016 by the Sun Valley Center for the Arts with significant support from the City of Ketchum as part of a larger project celebrating Craters of the Moon National Monument during the 2016 National Park Service Centennial. Spurwas located at Craters during that summer before relocating to its current long-term site. Based in Seattle, artist John Grade visited Craters of the Moon several times before beginning work on Spur. He was fascinated by the park’s extraordinary geology, and using a technology called LIDAR, he digitally mapped …
9 Off Mountain Winter Activities to do in Sun Valley, Idaho
Sun Valley is a mecca for the alpine skier or snowboarder: epic vertical decent, uncrowded trails and brilliant blue skies. But don’t be tricked into thinking the mountain is the only place to spend a winter day. We’ve compiled nine winter activities for a perfect day off the slopes.
10 Ski Experiences You Can Only Have in Sun Valley
From tailgating in the same parkign lot that Warren Miller used to hang to sharing the half-pipe with a gold medalist there are a variety of unique experiences that Sun Valley offers. Check out our top 10.
Kid-Friendly, Adult Approved Winter Activities in Sun Valley
Winter can be a challenging time of year when it comes to entertaining the kids. Sun Valley, Idaho rolls out the red carpet when it comes to delivering kid friendly, adult approved winter activites that will please the whole family. We’ve compiled a list of our must-do’s for the season to take the stress out of the equation.
Sun Valley’s Backcountry: A Short Guide to Long Runs
Sun Valley is a gateway to endless, powder-filled backcountry terrain with awe-inspiring views. Accessible by helicopters, hut systems, snowmobiles, and by human powered means, enthusiasts will revel in the area’s expansive mountain ranges. Here is a short guide to making safe and endless turns across the surrounding bowls, peaks, and glades.