The Valley Sun

Bright lights, fun mountain

All the action Sunday night was on Dollar Mountain, where the slopes of Quarter Dollar and the Progression Park were flood lit hours after the lifts normally close. Hundreds of visitors and locals alike flocked to the hill to take advantage of Sun Valley’s first public night skiing from 4 -9 p.m. and everyone agreed 100 percent, the night was fantastic (please, let’s do it again soon).

Crowds flocked to Dollar to ride and ski under the floodlights

Under crystal clear, star-filled skies, skiers and boarders ranging in age from approximately three to 73, did laps on the Quarter Dollar lift, accessing two groomed runs, rails and jumps. At about 7:30 p.m., the big show was on the jumps, with dozens of skiers and boarders executing tricks and catching some air, all backlit by the powerful lights. I heard one teen say it felt like being in a movie. Another young twin-tipped skier completed a 180 off a jump, with a parent in close pursuit. It was an even contest as to whose smile was the widest.

Many Progression Park enthusiasts curtailed the need for the lift by hiking back to the top of the run after completing their turn, allowing for an uninterrupted series of shots at the features. Music, provided by special moveable “boom boxes” provided a soundtrack to the night.

The night air was cold but not freezing and the snow on Dollar was soft and had been groomed to perfection earlier in the day. Conditions were great for a beginner or expert.

Inside Dollar Lodge, the party continued. Many people made a full night of it, grabbing a table and enjoying a casual dinner while they took a break from the mountain. I spied parents enjoying a beer or glass of wine while their children took a few more runs. The hot chocolate flowed and every chair in the restaurant was filled.

The night was very affordable (free for season pass holders and Blaine county pass holders), $15 for an adult ticket and $10 for a child for those with a same-day lift ticket, discount or multi-day pass. Even just buying a ticket was $20 for adults and $15 for children 11 and under, making it family-friendly night on the snow.

Many made a night of it at Carol's Dollar Mountain Lodge

Dollar’s night skiing was a part of Sun Valley’s weekend long Presidential Party. Tonight, the festivities move to the Sun Valley Outdoor Ice Rink. From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. local DJ extraordinaire Lenny Joseph will spin his magic, creating a dance party on ice called “Grooves On.” A $10 fee includes ice admission, skate rental fee and free cocoa and cider. Pizza slices are available for $1. Skating at night, outside, under the stars, beside the Sun Valley Lodge is highly recommended.

For more information on all the special events, please call 208-622-2248.

Enjoy your Presidents’ Week stay in Sun Valley and thank you to the Resort for treating us all to a night of skiing under the lights.

–RES

Everything is going perfectly. You have arrived in Sun Valley and are looking forward to a holiday week of amazing skiing or snowboarding. You checked into the Resort, unpacked your ski clothes and plan to be at the mountain bright and early to take advantage of bluebird skies, bright sunshine and terrific conditions. Now, all you need is some gear.

Step one: fill out the necessary online forms at Pete Lane's

To help ensure you get onto the mountain as quickly as possible, here is a primer for renting equipment at the base of River Run. If you follow these basic steps, perfect turns and pristine slopes will be yours in record time.

Rentals and demos on the River Run side of Baldy are available at Pete Lane’s on the plaza. Pete Lane’s is in the same building as the Brass Ranch, toward the back (very convenient if shopping for beautiful ski clothes is also on the agenda).

At Pete Lane’s, locate one of the computer terminals against the back wall and go ahead and fill out the requested information.

The friendly and well-trained staff is here to help

Next, walk a few steps across the room to where Demo skis are displayed. There, friendly staff members will help you decide what kind of package you require, discuss different equipment options, current snow conditions and your ability level in order to get you on exactly the right set-up. Pete Lane’s offers a wide range of equipment, perfect for a true beginner or expert shredder; appropriate for a day on Sun Valley’s fabled groomed runs or a dip into the powder. At this counter, you may also buy lift tickets.

The always-critical boot fitting comes next. Again, the experts at Pete Lane’s will make sure you get a boot that is sized correctly and that is comfortable, because, as we all know, there is nothing sure to sour a day on the mountain more quickly than aching feet.

Step 3: Making sure the boot fits

Last stop is the back room where your skis or snowboard await. Boots on your feet, skis and poles or snowboard in hand, the lift and gondola beckon, right outside the door.

And don’t forget, if you rent equipment from Pete Lane’s or if you are a Resort guest, there is complimentary ski storage at the base of River Run. Drop your equipment off before heading in to the River Run Lodge from an après ski beer and entertainment. It will be waiting for you the next morning.

Almost there. Grab your skis or your board and you're out the door!

Equipment rental is also available at Dollar Mountain and at the base of Warm Springs. The process is the same: computer first, forms next, boots, skis or snowboards and off you go. Don’t hesitate to ask a staff member if you have any questions – they are all knowledgeable and helpful.

Have a fantastic Presidents’ Day holiday or ski week and be sure to let us know how you liked the gear!

–RES

This amazing view awaits!

Skooter Gardiner and Sean Glaccum of Ski Patrol fashion a safety "temple" atop Baldy for Safety Week. The power tools don't look too safe, but don't worry, they are pros.

It’s that time of year: great snow, bluebird skies and Safety Week. The Safety Week campaign, sponsored by the National Ski Area Association to help make the sport we all love so well, the safest it can be, kicks off Saturday. If you ski on Baldy or Dollar from the 19^th through the 26^th, you will know there is something special going on. According to Sun Valley Ski Patrol’s Sean Glaccum, patrollers are working hard to make the campaign both informative and fun.

The educational part of Safety Week focuses on helping skiers and boarders know how to keep the mountain as safe and enjoyable as possible for everyone. First and foremost to Patrol’s education component is “knowing the code.” The National Ski Patrol Responsibility Code is a mountain user’s reference that everyone, from seasoned skiers to absolute beginners, should be familiar with. In case you missed the oversized posters detailing the Code on the Christmas and Challenger chairlifts, here they are:

(1) Always stay in control, and be able to stop or avoid other people or objects.

(2) People ahead of you have the right of way. It is your responsibility to avoid them.
(3) You must not stop where you obstruct a trail, or are not visible from above.
(4) Whenever starting downhill or merging into a trail, look uphill and yield to others.
(5) Always use devices to help prevent runaway equipment.
(6) Observe all posted signs and warnings. Keep off closed trails and out of closed areas.
(7) Prior to using any lift, you must have the knowledge and ability to load, ride and unload safely.

Members of Sun Valley Ski Patrol have also been in area schools this week, helping children understand the importance of skiing safe. Glaccum said this is one of everyone’s favorite parts of Safety Week. “The kids are great. They really listen and they get it,” he said. “Reaching out to the community is meaningful for all of us.”

The fun part of Safety Week takes many forms. Right now, an absolutely mammoth safety “temple” is being erected on the top of Baldy.  Patrol’s amazing avalanche dogs will make personal appearances at the top of the gondola. The first Tucker Snowcat will be on display at Dollar. Correctly answered safety trivia will win you a free cocoa. There are prizes, buttons and schwag galore.

Everyone in the Sun Valley mountain family is getting in on Safety Week.  Snowsports instructors are emphasizing both chairlift safety and “lids on kids” — the importance of properly fitting helmets. To help with this second initiative, all retail outlets on the mountain will answer any of your helmet questions and help you find a perfect fit. Safety also comes with comfort and knowledge, so Guest Services is out in force, helping mountain users acquaint themselves with the layout of the ski runs. Folks at the ticket counters are doing the same and will happily go over mountain maps with you and make suggestions that suit your ability level and interests.

Many very safe helmets are available at Brass Ranch at the base of River Run

Another important (and free) service will also be provided in honor of Safety Week. Pete Lane’s Mountain Sports will offer ski binding checks to help people stay in their skis when they should, and release out of their skis when they shouldn’t. The program is available at River Run, Warm Springs and Dollar, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The binding check takes about 20 minutes and requires your skis and one of your boots. Feel free to leave your skis and boots overnight to take advantage of this service (not to mention warm boots the next day).

Last year, Sun Valley’s Ski Patrol was rated number one out of 425 national patrols in their ability to interface effectively and helpfully with skiers and boarders on their mountains and with the community at large. They are motivated to hold on to the distinction, so expect to see a lot of white crosses all over the hills this coming week.

As I always say, our Patrol members are some of the most qualified, helpful and friendly people anywhere. They are EMT’s, Paramedics; explosives and ropes experts. They love their job. They are here to help.  Be sure to say hello to one this week and thank them for all they do. Also give a shout out to Guest Services, the people at the ticket windows and all mountain employees. They are all doing their very best to make sure you are having the time of your life, and staying safe.

–RES

Both chairlift and terrain park safety will be emphasized next week

Buckle up, it's time to learn to snowboard

Part of me, a small part, but a part none-the-less, has always wanted to try snowboarding. Or, in truth, to try it again. A few decades ago, when the sport was new, I rented a board and went glibly up Quarter Dollar with my brother. On my first run, I was upright, oriented downhill and felt pretty confident when I caught my back edge and knocked the wind out of myself. No more snowboarding.

So it’s always been in the back of my mind to give it another go – this time with some instruction and a mature sense of self-preservation. Holding me back were fear and finances. So when I got wind of Sun Valley’s new deal-of-the-century, called SunStart, it was time to head over to Dollar, meet my fabulous instructor, Liz Wallace, and try it again.

SunStart offers beginner skiers or snowboarders full gear rental, a Dollar lift ticket and two hours of group instruction for $39. No, that is not a misprint. $39 all-in. You can try skiing if you’re a snowboarder, snowboarding if you’re a skier. If you’re 13-years or older and have always wanted to try an alpine sport, now is your chance.

My morning started at the Dollar SnowSports desk where I checked in for my lesson. Reservations for SunStart should be made 24 hours in advance whenever possible to ensure proper staffing. Lessons begin at 10:30 a.m., and you are advised to arrive at Dollar about 30 minutes earlier (probably a bit more on weekends) to fill out your paperwork and get your equipment.

Snowboarding boots -- reason alone to try the sport

Next stop was down the hall to Pete Lane’s to gear up. Like any regular renters, SunStarters first fill out a form on the store’s computers. Unlike a regular rental, however, when you take your slip to the desk to get fitted, your equipment is already paid for. That always feels good. Then a nice young man brings you boots and helps you slip into them – Cinderella style. After about one minute of wearing snowboard boots, I can honestly say, they are as comfortable as everyone says – big and warm. That should be enough to get skiers with boot issues to at least try snowboarding. I brought my own helmet and goggles and wished I had brought a roll of bubble wrap in which to encase myself when my Burton beginner board was delivered and it was go-time.

Admittedly, I was pretty nervous. I tried to put my inauspicious start to snowboarding 20 years ago out of my mind and concentrate on Liz’s gentle reintroduction to the sport. Her wide smile and infectious enthusiasm soon had me believing that snowboarding really was fun and was something I could do. As both a ski and snowboard instructor (one of the few), Liz is very credible when she says, “don’t worry.”

We began the two-hour lesson with baby steps: here is how you buckle your front foot in the binding, how you stand on the board, how you walk with it on your foot. Check, check, check. We then hiked a few feet up the bottom of Dollar and learned the always-useful equivalent of side-slipping. Check again. Next, it was on to the Magic Carpet. A few “successes” in staying upright on my board led Liz to believe we were ready for Quarter Dollar.

I didn't recall Quarter Dollar ever looking so steep

Now, one of the parts of snowboarding that worried me most, was getting off a chairlift. I have seen too many boarders wipe out before they have even started a run to assume this skill is easy to master. It turns out, it’s also not as hard as I imagined. My step-by-step coaching probably didn’t hurt, either.

By the end of my lesson, my scorecard read as follows: Three out of three successful chairlift rides. One run down the steeper side of Quarter Dollar, mostly side-slipped and “garlanded” (basically turns only to one side). Two runs down the gentler side of Quarter Dollar where I actually linked a few turns. Fifteen – my approximate number of falls (none painful).  Pretty high — my new found appreciation for snowboarding (and snowboarders).

If you are in a rut, or have always been curious about skiing or snowboarding, you couldn’t pick a more convenient and affordable time than now to get onto the snow. SunStart, offered as a part of National Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month, runs through January and can be reserved by calling the SnowSports School at (208) 622-2289.  The last day to reserve your SunStart lesson is January 28.

Get out there and try something new. No excuses!

Thanks to Liz and the great team at Dollar for making this one positive experience.

–RES

All smiles with Liz, who will literally hold your hand while teaching you to snowboard

Day one of DIVAS -- the terrific coaching team motivates the group

The standard definition of the word di·va  [dee-vuh, -vah] is: Italian, literally, goddess, feminine of the divine, god. The term has evolved in modern times to describe famous female opera singers (no idea why) and then devolved to a term for a woman that must have her way exactly, or no way at all.

Danielle Carruth, our intrepid leader

But there is another definition of DIVAS, specific to Sun Valley: Idahoan, “Die Incredible Vimin Alpine Shredders.” And for 90 local women skiers, this is the only definition that matters. Sun Valley’s DIVAS are skiers of intermediate ability and above who take part in an eight-week clinic, skiing one day a week with a rotating cadre of some of the mountain’s best coaches. It’s women teaching women and it’s such a big success, that in its third year, DIVAS has a wait list. According to Snowsports Supervisor Nick Maricich, the DIVAS program is the top women’s clinic in the country and is being emulated by many other resorts. Yay us!

What makes the program so popular? The answer is as diverse as the skiers. In a pre-season questionnaire sent out by DIVAS co-founder and Sun Valley skiing royalty, Danielle Crist Carruth, each woman was asked what she hoped to get out of the clinic. Possibilities ranged from improving bump technique, to improving confidence; from skiing with the girls and making new friends, to getting away from the kids for three hours. I just appreciated being asked what I wanted for a change and chose D: all of the above.

This Monday morning, on day one, I joined 29 other shredders at the base of the Warm Spring Lodge. In my second year of the program, I was excited to be there. My inaugural year as a DIVA was not only a huge boon to my ability to carve pretty round turns, I also met some great people and laughed – a lot. This year, with the goal of finally conquering moguls and pulverizing powder, I took my turn skiing down in front of a slew of coaches, praying I didn’t fall or disqualify myself from the group that also wanted to ski varied terrain.

The ski off helps coaches put skiers in appropriate groups

I was placed with five fun women  who shared similar goals. The always positive, extremely helpful and very entertaining DIVAS co-founder Nicky Elsbree was my coach du jour. Each week is themed and the focus on Monday was balance – apropos for women at the beginning of a New Year. For the next two-and-a-half hours, Nicky helped us work on our balance from every angle.

Being a DIVA is an exercise in balance in itself. Most of the 90 women up there every Monday, Tuesday or Friday are balancing multiple commitments, from jobs to children to spouses and volunteer gigs. The three hours we carve out each week for ourselves, carries over to everything else. As one of my fellow DIVAS said on the lift, the valley spread out beneath us, if we don’t get out here and enjoy where we live, we may as well live anywhere. Amen. Skiing with DIVAS forces you to focus, to quiet the never-ending mental “to do” list, to be present.

Nicky Elsbree demonstrates balance

For those interested in adult specialty ski programs, Sun Valley has something for everyone. DIVAS also offers a beginner clinic called DIVAS 101 and the Snowsports School runs popular programs including Mountain Masters, Masters Race, Ski Club and the new men-only program, ARCS.

If you’re here for the winter, or most of it, these clinics are probably the best way to get excellent instruction at a great value, while meeting new friends and enjoying the mountain lifestyle.

Please call the Sun Valley Snowsports School at (888) 490-5950 or email snowsports@sunvalley.com and find your inner diva.

–RES

Here are my impressions of the new Ski Patrol 101 program, in no particular order.

• In December, it is still midnight dark at 7 a.m. at the base of River Run.
• If you are lucky enough to be drawn to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime experience, be sure you’ve had at least one cup of coffee upon arrival (if you’re a grown-up). You are expected to be awake, alert and ready to work.
• Sun Valley’s Ski Patrol has the most breathtaking office anywhere in the world.
• I had no idea how much went into getting the mountain safe and open in the morning, even when it hasn’t snowed.
• The Patrol is made up of some of the funniest, kindest people in the Valley.
• Hopping on the back of a snowmobile behind Mike Davis, zooming to meet a “hot” helicopter landing drill, made my morning.
• I will never be hired as a Ski Patrol member but it was fun to play one for a few hours.
  

  How Ski Patrol greets the day

Enter to win this once-in-a-lifetime experience

For those of you who haven’t heard about Ski Patrol 101, here are the basics. Every week, a lucky winner (plus a friend) will be chosen at random to work as a patroller on a Saturday morning. You enter by submitting your information on an iPad kiosk at either the River Run Lodge or in the Recreation Office in the Sun Valley Village. If your name is drawn, Ski Patrol will phone you with the good news and meet you at the base of the hill on your assigned day. You will attend the morning meeting and be put to work at any of the dozens of tasks completed by Ski Patrol each morning between 7:30 a.m. and the mountain’s open at 9. Patrol will ask what you are interested in helping with, which could be as simple as riding a snow machine to the Bowls to make sure the cat track is in good shape, to more advanced prep requiring more advanced skiing ability. It truly is appropriate for anyone who is comfortable on Baldy.

Here is what the basics don’t tell you. Sunrise on Baldy from the vantage of the Ski Patrol Hut is perhaps one of the most jaw-dropping you will ever experience. The quality of the light is a hot orange/pink and flows over the top of the mountain like the tide coming in. Hopping on the Christmas Lift in near darkness, then skiing off at the top as the sky turns from grey to purple to gold is something I will never forget.

Assessing the day ahead at morning meeting

After participating in the morning meeting that covers everything from snow conditions, weather conditions, grooming and skier numbers, I was off with my personal Patrolman, David Schames to “help.” When asked what I would like to do, I glibly replied “drill” and “drop gates” without really knowing what that involves.

So off we went down Ridge and Blue Grouse (did I mention you get first tracks as part of this endeavor, too?) to the cat track below. There, a bunch of very competent patrollers waited patiently while I inexpertly drilled post holes into the snow and tried to help set up boundary fences. Then it was off to drop gates – something that sounds easier than I found it to be. We skied down the very edge of Christmas Bowl, opening chutes that lead into the Bowls. The terrain was kind of steep and lumpy in there (and I truly had not had enough coffee) and “dropping” a gate is not a passive drop at all. You tug hard at a bungee-type rope, trying to get the right angle so it snaps open, before neatly coiling it on a post. I was not brilliant at it.

Watching the sunrise with Dave Schames and Jack Sibbach

I was excellent at my last task, however. That morning, Patrol was working with Sun Valley Heli-Ski on a “hot” drill, landing a copter behind Lookout Restaurant, loading it with Patrol and flying off to a mock emergency on some other peak. Excitement was high as the radio announced the imminent arrival of the helicopter. The Hut cleared out, as people jumped on snowmobiles or picked up ropes behind them to be pulled up the hill. I jumped onto the seat, held on to Mike Davis and was very thankful no one had suggested I tried to “ski” behind the machine. We roared up to Lookout just as the helicopter landed and it was amazing to watch the drill begin. We are all in very capable hands whenever we are on that mountain.

Ski Patrol, with Heli-Ski, prepping for any emergency

Whether or not you really “help” during your time at the hill, is somewhat irrelevant to Ski Patrol 101 (thank goodness). What the experience did for me is demystify some of what the Patrol does and make me truly appreciate the job and the people who do it. The Hut is open to visitors at any time and the sign outside that reads “welcome” is telling the truth. Stop by and say hi.

Becoming a Ski Patroller for the morning was exciting, humbling and just plain fun. Thanks to David, Jack Sibbach and the rest of the crew for being so gracious and patient and letting me have a glimpse of what goes on behind-the-scenes on the mountain I love so well.

–RES

The 22-foot superpipe opens on Sunday. Game on!

The headline? Sun Valley’s new highly-anticipated Olympic-size 22-foot (deep) superpipe will open for business on Sunday, January 6. Taking shape on Dollar’s Old Bowl, this will be one of only three 22-foot pipes currently open in America. One more reason to be sure to include Sun Valley in your winter vacation plans.

The Zaugg “Pipe Monster”, the largest pipe groomer in existence, is busy at work, prepping the extreme feature. According to the Zaugg website, the machine was designed by aeronautical engineers to work much in the same way as an airplane wing. It is lightweight, flexible and able to withstand high stress — traits that might also be useful to those brave enough to jump in.  The combination of this monstrous machine and the know-how of Sun Valley’s Terrain Park experts, is creating a pipe that allows tricks people once thought impossible — like jumps 20 feet above the deck.  Epic.

Practice makes perfect in the Progression Park

According to Sun Valley’s Brian Callahan, guru of all things Terrain Park, now is the perfect time to get comfortable on the ever-evolving and growing jumps, rails, jibs, pipe and other features specifically built for Dollar. “The Progression Park is open and is a great place to get comfortable,” he said. For people like me who don’t know what a Progression Park is, as Brian explains it, it is a an “extra small terrain park with features appropriate to beginners. It’s the perfect place to learn how to unweight your skis or your board, to get air and really enjoy using all the surfaces.”

For those already comfortable catching air, the medium parks are also up and running on Dollar. These jumps and rails are X-Games and Slopestyle caliber, according to Brian, and offer endless possibilities for fun.

Past seasons on the cross course proved a huge hit with the kids. This year will be no different, just better and better.

And if that isn’t enough, the Family Cross Course is in its final stages and will be completed on Sunday. This track lets skiers and boarders bank curves, jump and tuck to the bottom, in direct competition with up to three others. It is a kid favorite, for sure.

Just in time for the amazing Revolution Tour, coming to Sun Valley in March, a huge snowmaking effort is underway, preparing the competition boarder cross course. Be sure to come to Dollar from March 17 to March 22 to watch the best of the best compete in Halfpipe, Snowboardcross, and Slopestyle. The course used by the Revolution athletes will be open to the public, but requires completion of a training session.

In fact, safety on all terrain park features is of the utmost importance to Brian and his team. Sun Valley Snowsports has instructors specifically trained to teach in the park and pipe and will offer special camps and lessons to familiarize users with what’s available on Dollar throughout the season. Call the Snowsports School at 208.622.2289 to sign up for a lesson or clinic to ensure the safest, most enjoyable day at the park ever. Then, let her rip.

Come play in Dollar's Terrain Park

–RES

The Tubing Hill is open for fun!

Let’s face it, kids have limitless energy that can sometimes be challenging for parents to harness. Even after hours of shredding on Baldy, playing on the “Bald Spot” terrain at the top of the hill and tackling runs from moguls to glades and Adventure Trails, many children are still not ready for the fun to end.

And let’s face it, after hours of skiing on Baldy and trying to keep up with said kids, parents might need a bit of a break. Maybe even one of the famous Bloody Marys or a beer for après ski at River Run Lodge. A little live music and adult conversation might just hit the spot.

Every child loves to sled and tubing is even better

How to keep everyone happy? It’s the Tubing Hill to the rescue! Every afternoon, beginning at 1 p.m. and running until 5 p.m., the young and the young at heart can get a ticket, grab a special inner tube sled and delight in an hour of taking some laps down the Tubing Hill, relocated his year to Baldy. Located to skier’s left of Lower River Run and adjacent to the children’s learning area, Kinderspielplatz, the Tubing Hill is a terrific way to get a little more out of your day.

On New Year’s Eve, Matt jovially manned the base of the run, handing red and blue inner tubes to a child as young as three (accompanied by his dad), to two 17-year-old girls who announced they “loved” their ride after the first lap, to every age in between. At the top of the hill, accessed by the Magic Carpet and a gentle uphill walk, Mark helped launch the sledders down the curving slope, giving an extra spin or a little more speed when asked. Two local sisters, who hadn’t skied that day, had come over to the hill simply to enjoy tubing. They were happily doing laps, sometimes sharing a tube (it goes faster that way), or driving their own.

Ready, set, go!

Everyone loves to sled but the adults among us may not always love the hassle of driving to the right spot and repeatedly lugging children up steep hills. At the Tubing Hill, the Magic Carpet does the work and there is no need to drive anywhere. Brilliant!

Across the plaza, I am guessing the parents of some of those happy children, were enjoying Happy Hour at the bustling Lodge. The last “run” of the day for many vacationers and locals alike is Mahogany Ridge, the long, polished bar at River Run. Serving cocktails, beer, wine, soft drinks, coffee and hot chocolate drinks, it is a very popular gathering place and a great spot at which to compare notes, brag about runs and talk about just how amazing the skiing in Sun Valley is right now. And did I mention the legendary Bloody Marys?

Mahogany Ridge is the place for apres ski

It’s all happening at the base of River Run. Happy, shrieking children sliding and spinning down the Tubing Hill; parents joining them for a few runs or gathering with friends at the Lodge to unwind and extend the day a bit longer.

Go check it out and slide into a happy New Year!

–RES

Tired, at last

As the sun set Christmas Eve, only the silhouettes of dozens of Snowsports instructors were visible atop Dollar

Just after 5:30 on Christmas Eve, I stood atop Dollar Mountain, watching the lights from the Sun Valley Resort burn brighter by the minute. The winter sun retreated, leaving a fat, hay-colored moon in its stead. Behind me, in front of me, and on every side, congregated dozens of Snowsports instructors. For the most part, conversations were subdued as friends greeted friends and took a moment to survey the scene below, unanimously proclaiming it one of the prettiest Christmas Eve nights in recent memory. As this ever-multiplying group waited for the Torchlight Parade to begin, the quietude was interrupted sporadically by an impromptu Christmas carol or a shout of excitement.

Instructors' skis were lined up and ready to go at dusk

I took it all in from the front of a line that stretched, I am guessing, a few hundred people back. Beside me, stood long-time ski instructor Hans Thum, smiling his trademark kind smile. He promised that all would be fine – he had his eye on me. Coming from a legend who has skied the Sun Valley Torchlight Parade 44 times, I felt reassured and grateful.

Because truth be told, I had been nervous all day about the endeavor. Although I have watched this dazzling tradition many times, I always watched from a distance. I hadn’t an inkling of the level of expertise required to participate — something I failed to consider when I asked (begged?) to ski. But standing there, as the temperature dropped and it grew darker and darker, I worried. My worst fear, as a non-Snowsports instructor (not even close) was that I might ruin it for everyone. I fretted about not being able to see where I was going. I worried that I would catch my coat on fire. Most of all, I dreaded an ignominious tumble down Old Dollar that would disrupt the perfect slalom of the parade route and take out the skiers and snowboarders behind me. Or what if I missed a turn and sailed off course, torches illuminating my humiliation?

The charming and gracious Hans Thum led me through parade prep and then down the hill

But once the end of the wildly popular Nutcracker on Ice was announced via radio, it was go-time. Positioned safely between two Austrians, both of outstanding skiing pedigree, the call came to light the torches. Plastic caps off, a torch firmly in each hand, we lit the overgrown matchsticks by striking them end-to-end. Suddenly, the black surroundings glowed red and a battle cry went up among the crowd.

Up close and personal with the makeshift torches

“Stay right behind me!” Hans reminded as we pointed our skis down the slope and held the torches away from our bodies. As the line began to snake down Dollar, skiing became hypnotic. Ahead of me, I focused on the tails of Hans’ skis, working to stay in his perfect tracks. The rest of the torches blurred ahead of me and out of the corners of my eyes. The snow on Dollar was textbook-perfect soft corduroy that kicked tiny plumes of powder into the flames. Down we went, effortlessly. After a turn or two, I couldn’t remember what I had been nervous about.

About three-quarters of the way to bottom, the first fireworks exploded overhead and everyone in that long, long series of s-turns began to cheer. Instructors ranging in age from their 20s to their 70s, from “new hires” to seasoned pros, snowboarders and skiers alike, guests like me — held our torches high, all proud members of the Sun Valley family beneath that sparkling Idaho sky.

Photographer Charlie Webster captured the view from the top of Old Bowl on Monday night

As the slope flattened and I approached the crowd standing outside Carol’s Dollar Mountain Lodge, the only thought in my head was, “I want to do that again.” As someone who is rarely at a loss for words, I could find none appropriate as I stood in my skis, beneath the firework finale. Magical is too trite. Inspiring isn’t quite right. I think I will go with transcendent and leave it at that.

–RES

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night (courtesy Charlie Webster)

The Sun Valley reindeer forage for food by Trail Creek in 1937.

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen … but do you recall? Streamer, Liner, Clipper, Saint and Nick? Probably not. Their’s was a short and unhappy life in Sun Valley, as the resort’s first and only reindeer herd.

It was 1937, and in anticipation of Sun Valley’s second ever Christmas, marketing genius Steve Hannagan, the man who gave Sun Valley its name, convinced resort owner Averell Harriman that a herd of reindeer was an essential ingredient for a picture perfect Sun Valley Christmas. Hannagan tasked Andres Bango, a Laplandar whose father had brought the first reindeer from Siberia to Alaska in 1898, to round up 13 of the beasts from the tundras of Teller, Alaska and escort them by boat, plane and train to the heart of Idaho. Newspaper reports from the day indicate that Harriman and Hannagan had hopes this group may be the nucleus of a permanent stand of reindeer in the Sawtooths.

Once arrived in Sun Valley, the beasts were fitted with special harnesses and sleighs for ferrying guests from the railroad to the resort and, most importantly, to pull Santa’s sleigh. However, while every comfort was afforded the reindeer – including a special barn built just for them – Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Streamer, Liner, Clipper, Saint and Nick had a difficult transition to life in Idaho. Reindeer are the only domesticated deer in the world (in the wild they are known as caribou), and in general they are  easy to domesticate, being naturally docile with a trusting disposition. But the 13 reindeer that ended up in Sun Valley were not so cooperative. They did not take kindly to being required to abandon their usual diet of tundra moss in favor of the more readily available alfalfa and by all accounts arrived from Alaska on the verge of starvation. A train load of moss was quickly dispatched from their homeland, but before it arrived the creatures had made the switch to alfalfa, refusing to return to their native diet.

By this point, the baker’s dozen were a nervous and ill-tempered bunch and when Bango hitched them up to a sleigh he couldn’t control them. To keep them running away or attacking passengers he had to hold their antlers until the sleigh was loaded and then release them and leap into the driver’s seat. According to his biographer Rudy Abramson, Harriman witnessed the creatures’ cantankerous nature first hand during the 1937 lighting of the Christmas tree. Santa Claus was delivered to the Lodge on his sleigh, but as soon as he stepped down, the reindeer charged at the jolly red man. The sight of a terrified Santa being pursued by angry reindeer in front of all his high-profile guests was enough for Harriman, and the reindeer were banished from Sun Valley.

Sun Valley's reindeer herd was replaced by this less aggressive breed.

But what became of the Sun Valley reindeer? While there is no record of exactly what happened to them, today caribou do exist in Idaho, although they are one of the most critically endangered mammals in the country. The last herd of Woodland Caribou in America lives in Selkirk Mountains of northern Idaho, eastern Washington and southern British Columbia and numbers just 34. It’s nice to think that maybe, just maybe, Streamer, Liner, Clipper, Saint and Nick led their brethren to the cooler, wetter climes of northern Idaho, where they lived out their lives as wild caribou. Perhaps, 75 years on, their descendants are still roaming that land.

Happy Holidays!

Jennifer Tuohy