March in Sun Valley is the best. The short, cold days of winter slowly fade away as the sun climbs higher in the sky. The daily routine slows down dramatically with the timing of snow conditions. So take it from me, first off, there is no rush. Start the day out right and drop by your local coffee house in town for an expertly made cappuccino before hitting the slopes. After that caffeine hits your veins, the day will start to blossom. It’s the time of year when the snow begins to soften around midday and you take comfort in knowing that it’s possible after a day of riding to slide your feet into the luxurious embrace of flip flops while having an après-ski beer on the outdoor patio at Lefty’s, Apples, or Warm Springs Lodge, sharing in the camaraderie of good friends. At times it’s a challenge to just live in the moment. So I advise relishing every second of every day.
Searching for Sun Valley
12 Characters You’ll Meet on the Slopes of Sun Valley
This group represents the majority of people you’ll meet in Sun Valley. They come from all walks of life, each with their own story of how they ended up here and what they do in order to stay. They’re the chefs, bartenders and waitresses, lift operators, ski and yoga instructors, and everyone else who works to live here and preferably keeps their days free so they can ski or ride as much of their waking lives as possible. You’ll recognize them by their wide smiles, goggle tans, and that sparkle in their eyes. They’re living the dream; their life is your vacation.
Hot Laps in the Cold Smoke
Earning turns the old fashioned way, one slogging skin track at a time, is how the original skiers to Sun Valley carved their way across the landscape, but today there exists a magic carpet ride to blower pow paradise, Sun Valley Heliskiing. Occasionally lottery tickets turn up winners, and as luck would have it mine finally came in. I am going to do the best I can to not sound smug, but when you get it this good, it’s hard not to brag.
Getting Out There and Grinding Gravel at Rebecca’s Private Idaho
Sun Valley has long been known around the Labor Day time of year as the home of one of the most remarkable non-motorized parades in the country, Wagon Days. But last year, local endurance athlete Rebecca Rusch, brought a new sort of twist on the non-motorized parade to town, Rebecca's Private Idaho. Heading into the great wide open a rider crosses into another world. Wildhorse Canyon meets the Copper Basin. Capitalizing on the lack of tarmac and abundance of top notch gravel roads which criss cross the county, this event run in the European Grand Fondo tradition, sends riders on an odyssey without the pressure of needing to compete, but inviting them to choose their own level of adventure. As many sports do, road cycling has evolved over the recent years with a new category whose machines make riding dirt roads, well, kind of cool and fun. Why is there a picture of an ass in this post? Read on, it will make sense. Wagon Days parade entrant #22. For the second year in a row, the four legged non-motorized set was joined by the two legged two wheeled contingent adding a new wrinkle to an old horse. …
My First Rodeo Sun Valley Style
July 4, 2014: For weeks I’d been hearing about how ‘hard’ Sun Valley goes on the day of America’s independence. “Just wait for the Fourth”, people kept saying. So after experiencing the 4th of July madness firsthand, I’m here to tell the tale.
Ride Sun Valley: The Best Time on Two Wheels Anywhere!
The Smith Optics Ride Sun Valley Bike Festival brought some of the best racers and good timers out there to Sun Valley. Headlining the festival was the Scott Sports Enduro Cup presented by GoPro And yes, all the way down there, way below, where the cars look like little ants, yep that’s the finish. It began four years ago with a dream we had to put together a chemistry experiment of sorts. Why wouldn’t the perfect organism of mountain biking, Sun Valley, thrive with a concoction of one part fun, one part silliness, and one part competition mixed with good food and great beer injected into its vein just around the time it ripens into the ideal host? Mountain biking’s unknown paradise needed a festival and so we cooked one up. This summer, the Smith Optics Ride Sun Valley Bike Festival elevated the health of the creature to an all time high, putting together the perfect elixir encompassing four nights and three days of riding, racing, live music, beer drinking and, most importantly, just generally goofing off. The weekend began with the Sheeptown Drag Races, a time honored underground event in the valley which was cooked up …
DEATH TO DAY JOBS 3: A Preview and Not-So-Subtle Invitation to Come Out!
When some people think of Sun Valley, it’s any guess what comes to mind, but one image the might catch one unexpectedly by the scruff of the neck, is the very real and very rad young artist community which calls this place home. Forget the image of Golden Girls meets Lawrence Welk in the mountains, we’ve got it going on. Being an artist in Sun Valley sounds about like nirvana, except living here has its challenges, like getting by. Which is the theme of a now in its third installment art show, Death to Day Jobs which is about creating that escape from working the daily grind in paradise. It’s about getting elevated to a higher level of paradise which sounds like a fantasy role playing game… but whatever. The art and artists not to mention super fun group that comes out for this show each year makes it without a doubt the place to be. All cozied up at Ochi Gallery on Lewis Street you will catch a beer buzz and revel in the hum of creativity, ironic eyeglasses, body ink, and people who look like the belong in the city, living life in the rad lane right here in Sun Valley. So be there, tonight, July 3rd at OCHI Gallery on Lewis Street, 7:00 pm sharp!
INTRODUCING THE SUMMER INTERN: A Young Seattleite’s First Taste of Sun Valley
Living the dream is a phrase which we hear frequently, but truly experience rarely. Yet the stars aligned and here I am, the summer intern, in mountain paradise. For the next four weeks I am going to be giving you the first person, no holds barred experience of getting to know Sun Valley. Classic mountain biker pose at the top of Bald Mountain w/ Teddy Oram For those of you who haven’t met me, which I would imagine is most of you, my name is Asa Redfield. On June 15th I pulled into Sun Valley riding my golden steed of a car with minimal knowledge of the area or even the state of Idaho. I’m here answer an ad for a summer internship on behalf of an online-marketing role with a local start-up called PlayHard GiveBack whose mission is, you guessed it, to help others keep playing hard while simultaneously giving back. It’s a pretty rad company and you can check more of them out here: Play Hard Give Back. En route to Sun Valley from Seattle! (Taking pictures while driving is not recommended…) So basically it’s been just over two weeks now that I’ve been living here in Sun …
Coyote Yurt: Singletrack, Shuttles, and Backwoods Amenities
Sore legs, epic views, and cold beer. Three thoughts that command my attention as I reflect on a glorious weekend spent acquainting myself with Coyote Yurt in the Smokey Mountains of Sun Valley, Idaho. This magical, remote place perched high above the valley is a dream come true for mountain bikers looking to ride endless single track from a base far away from it all, yet still fully supported. Think glam camping with all the beer you can fit in to a 4×4, comfy beds, and bottomless vistas. The Coyote Yurt should be on your Sun Valley bucket list.
Its the End of the Season As We Know It: Sawtooth National Gelande Quaffing Championships
Gelandesprung (v): German for a downhill ski jump in the style of Oympic nordic jumping, yet with fixed heels. Quaff (v): to drink rapidly with much vigor The legend of the Gelande Quaff was born back around the time snow was new. On a dark winter evening as the boys huddled for one last round, tipping back cold beers honoring their mastery of the backscratcher into couloirs in tight neon stretchpants, the bar tender slid frosty mugs down the bar to eager hands. It was a normal night until an order was called, the one who ordered got distracted, and the beer slid past only to leap off the end of the bar. Fortunately, stationed at the end of the bar, there stood one lone, alert skier who snatched the beer out of the air, pounded it back and slamming it on the table proclaimed, “Gelandequaffing!!” and the rest was history. As the story goes, a new form of sport drinking was born. It began to catch on in small mountain towns where long winters and poor odds lead to various devices of distraction. Like most new sports, the development of rules and competition formats would follow as well as the kind of innovation that was tracking in freeskiing and snowboarding. And today, after nearly a decade of progression Gelande Quaffing has evolved into a World Championship-level competition. Getting an invite to the said World Champs stands as one of the more coveted mountain town trappings anywhere.