With the boom of breweries around the country, more and more people seem to have a growing interest in, not only beer, but the company it brings. That doesn’t stop in a small mountain town!
Searching for Sun Valley
What We’re Made Of: First Lite
In the lineup of businesses and companies started on the hallowed grounds of the Wood River Valley, First Lite used to be considered the new guy. Now in its 15th year of business since its founding in 2007, that’s hardly the case, and since its acquisition by media company MeatEater in 2018, First Lite has only continued to reach a bigger audience and market. First Lite, at its core, is a clothing company, creating merino wool garments in camouflage print for hunting. But with its focus on conservation efforts, a new flagship store, and the continuous growth provided by parent company MeatEater’s audience, First Lite has become a game-changer in the outdoor industry. How It Started First Lite started in the early 2000s as so many great ideas start—because of a need for something that doesn’t exist. Founders Kenton Carruth and Scott Robinson had both moved to Ketchum in the mid ‘90s and worked in the winter sports industry. The two enjoyed the outdoors, particularly hunting, but found that there were limited options to wear while hunting that would keep them warm in the chilly fall Idaho mornings. After wearing merino wool while hunting, which they discovered was an ideal …
24hrs in Sun Valley: October- Natalie Battistone- The Spot
Natalie Battistone LIVES for the fall. The Marketing/Creative Director for local theater company The Spot considers October her favorite month and can be found celebrating it by visiting a good pumpkin patch (like Tubb’s Berry Farm in Twin Falls) or reading Dracula. An original member of The Spot since they opened in 2015, Natalie recently directed The Spot’s production of The Sound Inside and is involved behind the scenes or in-stage with most of the company’s production. She is also a freelance actor, acting coach, and director, working with theater scenes in various spots from directing commercials to helping her partner, Spot founder and Community School drama teacher, Kevin Wade, with school productions. Her and Kevin met at the Harvard Repertory Theater graduate MFA acting program in 2014; they live in west Ketchum with their rescue dog Ophelia (named for the character in Hamlet). When not involved in the theater, the introverted Natalie enjoys foraging, birdwatching, and writing poetry. How does your ideal morning start in the fall? Natalie: I wake up and go to the Konditorei for the coffee and its never-ending refills and the Konditorei Breakfast [two eggs, meat, toast]. They used to have donuts on Saturdays but …
Hispanic Heritage Month
We are in the middle of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15- October 15) and here in the Wood River Valley we’re continuously grateful for the Hispanic community and all that they bring to our valley.
Sun Valley + IKON Pass
No matter how much you might love your home mountain, there are always other resorts to try out. And if you’re a powder hound, you might just spend your winters hopping from ski hill to ski hill, going where the meteorologist says the next dump will hit. This kind of winter adventuring is a heck of a lot easier with the IKON Pass, a multi-resort ski and snowboard season pass that gives you access to a whopping 50 resort destinations across five continents, 10 countries, 15 states, and four Canadian provinces. The 2022–2023 season, marks the first year that the Sun Valley Resort is a part of the Ikon Pass, adding itself to the list of iconic mountains one can experience as a pass holder. Sun Valley is also on the Mountain Collective Pass for the 2022-2023 season. Sun Valley is no longer on the EPIC Pass. What Are the IKON Pass Offerings? For the 2022-2023 season the original namesake IKON Pass costs $1,179 (for adults 23+, other options are available for young adults and children) and gets you unlimited access at 14 destinations and up to seven days each at 37 destinations. Included in those 14 with unlimited days …
How to Fall in Love with Fall in Sun Valley: A Bucket List
This is your guide for how to Fall in Love with Fall in Sun Valley, Idaho. From hiking to leaf peeping see why this is the best kept secret season.
Guide to Leaf Peeping
Your guide to Leaf Peeping in Sun Valley has arrived! Discover stands of aspens crawling up the mountains to hulking cottonwoods along the Big Wood River.
24hrs in Sun Valley: September – Dexter & Crystal McKenzie – Sun Valley Wine Company
Covid and quarantine brought many new people to town, who perhaps came just to hunker down for a few weeks or months but then couldn’t imagine living elsewhere. This was the case for Dexter and Crystal McKenzie, new owners of the Wine Co. along with Crystal’s parents Gayle and Jim Phillips. Gayle and Jim have been homeowners in Ketchum for 33 years, hosting the family each Christmas for a little skiing and vacay away from Dexter and Crystal’s home in Olympia, Washington. Like every other year, the couple came to visit the Phillips in Ketchum for Christmas of 2020 to ski, but two weeks turned into four months turned into “let’s put our house on the market and move to Ketchum,” in the words of Dexter. The couple has been running an online women’s boutique and decided to look for a new opportunity in Ketchum; Gayle and Jim were retired, but were also ready for a bit of adventure. After seeing a description of a 27-year-old Ketchum business for sale and realizing it was the Wine Co., the foursome put in an offer right after another had fallen through, and in a moment of kismet, they suddenly found themselves the …
24hrs in Sun Valley: August – Peter Burke – Sun Valley Wine Auction
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 …
24hrs in Sun Valley: July – Paul Holle – Rescue Trainer & Brewer
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 …