Sun Valley Resort - Ketchum ID Ski Vacation

Preview: On any given run down Sun Valley’s Bald Mountain (“Baldy”), snowriders may find themselves skiing alongside celebrities like Arnold Schwartzenegger, James Cahn, Donna Karen, or Clint Eastwood. The “Valley,” as local residents refer to Ketchum, Idaho’s world-class resort, has always been a favorite of the rich and famous. And for good reason. Sun Valley is simply one of North America’s best resorts. Magical scenery, a superbly designed trail system, five-star hillside amenities, light dry snow, the best grooming in the U.S., lots of sunshine, the world’s largest computer-controlled snowmaking system, and seven high-speed quads combine to make the resort a must-ski. Located in the Sawtooth National Forest, the Valley was first recognized for its commercial potential by Averell Harriman, a former New York governor who chaired the Union Pacific Railroad’s board of directors in the 1920s. A long-time skier, Harriman decided the best way to attract passenger traffic to the West was to develop America’s first grand ski resort. After an exhaustive search, he settled on the old mining town of Ketchum. Harriman coined the name Sun Valley and began construction of the world’s first chairlift—a mutated machine previously used to load bananas onto cargo ships. He built glass-enclosed swimming pools, hired chefs to prepare haute cuisine, developed an impeccable service philosophy, and booked a sophisticated orchestra to perform nightly. Although the resort was clearly setting the standard, there was no way of getting around the fact that Idaho is in the middle of nowhere. To convince skiers around the nation that Sun Valley was worth traveling to, Harriman flew in several movie stars of the late 1930s, including Clarke Gable and Errol Flynn. To this day, the love affair between Tinsel Town and the Valley continues. The resort’s recent 50th anniversary gala featured such stars as Clint Eastwood, Brooke Shields, and George Hamilton. Why is Sun Valley so popular with the Hollywood stars? A stay in the Valley is what some would call roughing it in style. In the last five years the current owner has fuel-injected big-time money into the resort’s lodges. The first time you walk through the door of any one of them you’ll no doubt feel guilty for tracking snow on the carpet. Some snowriders even feel underdressed. One look at the elegant kitchens and the soft cushy chairs and you may think, “I should be wearing a tuxedo or gown for a place like this.” Completed in 1992, the Warm Springs Lodge was named “top day lodge in the nation” by Mountain Sports and Living, formerly Snow Country magazine. Building costs exceeded $4 million, but it was money well spent. This chapter contains a thorough description of the resort including driving directions, mountain statistics, trail profiles, extensive lodging & dining information, travel tips, and much more.
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Best Time to Go: Thanksgiving to late April
This travel guide comes from:
Ski & Snowboard America: Pacific Northwest & British Columbia Guide Book