Don’t miss all the incredible Nordic ski action going on as part of this weekend’s Boulder Mountain Tour!

The Boulder Mountain Tour will be crowning new champs this weekend.

by Alec Barfield

Originally an alpine destination, Ketchum has developed a nordic reputation. With an extensive network of trails running through unmatched scenery and more than enough sunshine to merit the name, Sun Valley and its surrounidng area has become the ideal haven for both the casual and competitive cross-country skier. Yet our moniker of “Nordic Town USA” stems from more than just sunshine and backdrops not uncommon in the West. We’ve merited the title because of passionate individuals, like Boulder Mountain Tour founder Rob Kiesel, who are responsible for the races and programs that ignited this community’s love of the sport.

This year’s Boulder Mountain Tour (BMT) is dedicated to Kiesel, who passed away in October. As the founder of both the BMT and the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation cross-country program, Kiesel was a major force for nordic skiing in this valley and he will be missed by many. Fortunately, his legacy shall continue strongly: over 800 people are registered for the 37th edition of a race on Saturday, February 4th. Launched in 1973, it is one of the country’s longest running nordic events, well-respected for its longevity, speed and extremely high level of competition.

Beginning at Senate Meadows, just east of Galena Lodge, and finishing at the Sawtooth National Recreation Headquarters, the Tour is a 32-kilometer long (19.8-miles) “jaunt” along the base of the Smoky and Boulder mountain ranges. The course crosses six different creeks, while following the larger Big Wood River down the valley. And with the recent snowfall, the setting and the course couldn’t be more breathtaking.

 For the non-elite, there are a couple of ways to enjoy Saturday. Obviously, spectating is welcome and expected. For those hoping to watch the Tour, buses will be traveling from Hemingway Elementary in Ketchum to both the start (from 7-9 am) and the finish (from 9-11 am), as there will be no public parking anywhere near Galena Lodge. In addition, registration is still open for the Half Boulder, which is an informal 15k (9.3 mile) race starting at Baker Creek that coincides with the BMT course and begins shortly after the pros cross the finish line. As of now, there are already 110 skiers signed up for the latter. Although limited parking will be available at Baker Creek, more buses will be running from Hemingway between 9 and 11 am.

So if you missed the excitement of Sun Valley Nordic Festival, be sure to check out its culminating event this Saturday, the Boulder Mountain Tour, as well as the Boulder Mountain demo day at the Sun Valley Nordic Center on Sunday. Because as much as I love skiing Baldy, this week belongs to “Nordic Town USA,” a celebration of cross-country skiing and the people who brought it to Ketchum.

Official Schedule

Friday: Boulder Mountain Tour Expo (10 am – 8 pm) at the Ketchum YMCA for registration, souvenirs and sponsor booths.

Saturday: Boulder Mountain Tour (10 am) and Half Boulder (11:30 am) races and awards ceremony (6 pm) at a location TBD.

Sunday: Boulder Mountain Tour Demo (10 am), featuring equipment testing from sponsors.

NordicTown USA is in its glory with this weekend's Boulder Mountain Tour.

By Katie Matteson

We all get tired and cranky. I will be the first to admit that I am completely susceptible to the “Hangry” attitude that comes with being hungry and tired at the same time. And often times, on the mountain, in the middle of a pretty epic powder day, it can hit me the worst.

Not being much of a cook, and being even less of a breakfast-lover, there are days I have headed to the mountain with nothing but a cup of coffee in my belly. And on a good day, I perhaps had a piece of toast and banana before clicking into my powder skis. One such incident happened only weeks ago on a bright, snowy Saturday when skiing with my step-dad. Upon noticing that I was struggling through each turn and had a huge frown on my face, he suggested, as any good parent does, that we stop in to the Lookout and take a break. Rather than taking a leisurely snack/lunch/brunch break (at 11:00 AM, it really wasn’t time for lunch yet), he grabbed two glasses of water and dropped a NUUN tablet in each. Five minutes later, we were dropping into Lefty’s Bowl, he was skiing just as good as ever and I was feeling completely rejuvenated.

A day on the mountain, at any level can be exhausting. Breakfast is always key but carrying snacks always helps. So to help out those other non-breakfast eaters, or anybody that needs a little help refueling on the hill, we created a roundup of our favorite fueling options for Bald Mountain:

1.     NUUN: These “Optimal Hydration” tablets work wonders, upping your electrolytes and readying you for a few more laps in the bowl.

2.     Sun Valley Bar: This delicious fruit, nut and seed bar fits perfectly in your pocket and was originally created right here in Sun Valley. Now repackaged and distributed by Good N’ Natural, it still gives you the same Sun Valley Bar pick-me-up.

3.     Mom’s Chocolate Chip Cookies: Chocolate chip cookies almost always hit the spot, so they definitely do the trick on the mountain. Or stop by the Warm Springs Lodge when the bell rings for some of their fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies, eat half and stash the other one in your pocket.

4.     Tanka Bars: This bar is kind of new to the scene and is perfect for someone looking for the gluten-free option. Made from cranberries and buffalo jerky, it also gives athletes the protein other solutions might be lacking.

5.     Clif Bar Shot Blocks: My friend pulled a peach flavor Shot Block out of her pocket last weekend and it totally hit the spot and gave me the energy I needed for some more powder shots in Frenchman’s, completing its mission of “replacing carbs and electrolytes during activity.”

6.     Haribo Gold Bears Gummi Candy: One of the best endurance athletes I know, a gnarly mountain biker and Nordic ski coach, always has a bag of this classic gummy bears handy for any time she bonks.

This year’s class includes Alpine Committee selections: Dick Durrance, Warren Miller, Janette Burr Johnson, Pete Patterson and Michel Rudigoz. The Nordic Committee has selected Bill & Annie Vanderbilt, N’tala Skinner, Charley French, Hans Muehlegger and Jenny Busdon

Don’t miss all the high flying action at this weekend’s Sun Valley Freestyle Spectacular! Friday’s events include the Slopestyle Competition, with  Saturday and Sunday featuring some of  the nation’s best in  mogul and double mogul competitions. For more info call 208.726.4129. Conor Davis photo courtesy of SVSEF.

]]> http://blog.sunvalley.com/2012/01/shot-of-the-week-flipping-over-for-the-freestyle-spectacular/feed/ 0 http://blog.sunvalley.com/2012/01/big-snow-shopping-alert/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=big-snow-shopping-alert http://blog.sunvalley.com/2012/01/big-snow-shopping-alert/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:07:33 +0000 cking http://blog.sunvalley.com/?p=6983 Big Snow Shopping Alert!

Saturday, January 28

2 Hours Only!  4–6pm

We’ve got big snow and now we’ve got big savings all over the Sun Valley Village.  Join us for two hours of non-stop shopping and dining and some of the season’s best buys!

25% Off Everything!

40% Off Kids Skiwear!

• Brass Ranch
• Pete Lane’s
• Signatures & Gifts
• Panache
• The Toy Store
• Towne & Parke Jewelry

25% Off Dining and Entertainment!

• 25% off pizza at Bald Mountain Pizza
• 25% off entrées at the Ram Restaurant
• 25% off draft beer and wines by the glass at the Inn Lobby Lounge
• 25% off Boiler Room cover charge

Th Sun Valley Nordic Fest kicks off this weekend!

The Sun Valley Nordic Festival kicks off this weekend!

By Katie Matteson

And we’re off!

We all know the great alpine skiing around here, the numerous skiing prodigies raised around here and the world-renown competitions hosted here. But for those not so, well, gravity-inclined, there’s a pretty big Nordic skiing scene around here as well … But really, who are we kidding?? The Olympic Norwegian Nordic Teamtrained here, we host one of the biggest Nordic events of the season, the Boulder Mountain Tour  and our local racers are some of the best in the world. So the Nordic scene here isn’t just big, it’s HUGE! So massive and impressive, in fact, that Sun Valley has recently earned the official title of “NordicTown USA!”

And one of the biggest highlights in NordicTown USA is the annual Sun Valley Nordic Festival. Starting this weekend here in Sun Valley, the event features a plethora of events like the Blaine County Recreation District’s (BCRD) Ski the Rails Day, a randonee race, training clinics with Fischer athlete Nicole DeYong, Alturas Lake Ski Day and après dinners, lectures, clinics, the downtown jam and Sprint Races. All culminating in the epic Boulder Mountain Tour. (A complete schedule is available here: www.svnordicfestival.com.)

It’s bound to be a busy week of Nordic skiing and celebrating around the Valley, so here is write-up of the five events we won’t be missing during this year’s Sun Valley Nordic Festival!

 1. Skin It 2 Win It Randonee Race!

Saturday, January 28^th, 10:00 AM

Dollar Mountain

This premiere Randonee Race will have teams of 1, 2 & 4 persons skinning from the base of Dollar Mountain to the summit where they will remove their skins and ski back to the start to hand off their baton to the next teammate. Racers will complete as many laps as possible in 5 hours. The distance is approx. 1.3 miles and 600 vertical feet.

This is a fund raising event for the Sawtooth National Forest Avalanche Center. Entry fee is $50/person and must be entered in advance. No registration day of race! Racers are encouraged to secure sponsors to cover entry fee and beyond. Hot drinks & food will be provided for racers. Awards will be same day at Dollar Lodge @ 4:30. Prizes will be awarded for fastest lap, most laps completed, best costume and most money sponsored.

Costumes are required!

Galena Lodge.

2.  Galena and the Trails Winter Benefit

Saturday, January 28^th, 5:30 PM – 10:00 PM

Limelight Room, Sun Valley Inn, Sun Valley

Don’t miss the annual Galena & The Trails Winter Benefit this year on January 28th, the first day of the Sun Valley Nordic Festival. The Benefit is the annual celebration of our community trails and lodge supported by the BCRD. All support from the Benefit goes to the annual costs of maintaining the trails and lodge facilities. For a full list of live action packages for this year’s benefit, click here.

Don’t forget to buy your tickets now, they’re going fast!  Purchase tickets online at bcrd.org!

Highly-acclaimed Nordic ski coach Rick Kapala.

3. Nordic Lecture: Building a Bigger Engine

Monday, January 30^th, 7:00 PM

The Community Library, Ketchum

Join Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation’s Head Nordic Coach Rick Kapala for a presentation on how to improve your physical capacities for cross country skiing. They’ll cover training physiology, workout design and training monitoring as key elements in managing your training plan.

4. NordicTown USA Downtown Jam and Sprints

Thursday, February 2^nd, 4:00 PM

Downtown Ketchum, at the intersection of 4^th and 2^nd.

Quickly becoming the “can’t miss” event of the Sun Valley Nordic Festival! World-class sprints with Olympic caliber athletes, kids races and accompanying music all in one! Get some dinner with Galena Lodge onsite, grab a warm drink and enjoy the bonfire and on site winter artwork after checking out the amazing sprint races!

Tim Snider and Sound Society are going to rock the Ketchum Downtown Jam and Nordic Town USA Sprint races! Tim has traveled to Europe, Cuba, Morocco, Spain, Indonesia, and much of Central America in his ongoing journey to study the world’s different styles of music. Blending American roots, world beat and Latin rhythms into an inspired sound that has been dubbed “World Rock,” the group creates a high-energy performance that gives its audiences an irresistible desire to dance. Some say it is just foot-stomping soul-stirring goodness!

Grab the kids, bundle up and get ready to watch the races, dance and then compete in the legendary World Snowshoe Dance Competition. Refreshments will be available for purchase and the bonfire will be going!

5.  2012 SWIX Boulder Mountain Tour

Saturday, February 4^th, 10:00 AM

Senate Meadows (Start area)

One of America’s longest running and most respected cross-country ski races, the Boulder Mountain Tour (BMT) is the Wood River Valley’s winter treasure. Drawing a field from across the country, and across the spectrum of abilities, the BMT welcomes all. The race traverses the spectacular Boulder Mountains for 32 kilometers of breath-taking beauty and world-class competition. Some of the finest skiing to be found anywhere on the planet combined with warm hospitality and first-rate race organization.

The Ketchum-Sun Valley Ski & Heritage Museum.

Preserving the History of the Wood River Valley

 By Alec Barfield

The Sun Valley Heritage and Ski Museum  (KSVHS) is best walked into when it’s snowing. Of course any season will do, the property is a tree-filled compound of traditional white barns with green trim that is picturesque year-round. But when it’s snowing the museum beckons like a warm fireplace, the hearth by which we can gather and hear stories of Wood River Valley’s rich and colorful history. For reasons that don’t need explaining, this collection honoring skiers and winter soldiers, architects and local celebrities simply kindles brightest when it’s white outside.

First leased by the KSVHS from the National Park Service in 1993, the museum sits quietly on Washington Avenue and 1st Street. The interior, however, was renovated in 1995 and is now contemporary, with exhibits organized spaciously between the separate Heritage and Ski Museum buldings. The first of these are the Jimmy Griffith and the Don and Gretchen Fraser collections, which are housed in the latter. Regional history at its finest. The photo and award displays tell the stories of three Sun Valley residents, each a legend in the sport that has defined this community for more than 75 years.

Ski movie posters form Warren Miller's films.

The ski protion of the museum is a tribute to these heroes and others, an extensive presentation of those who have contributed so much to shaping this resort community. Stroll through the “Ancient Skiers” exhibit and you’ll find rare photos of Andy Hennig, vintage Sun Valley ads from the 1960s and a mountain of classic images depicting life and sport in Ketchum. Equally significant is the fact that the Ancient Skiers Club, a group of individuals who have been skiing since before World War II, recently had a gathering at the museum—living additions to a museum that already features many of the club’s members.

What’s incredible about both the Heritage and Ski Museum is how personal many of the holdings are to people in this Valley. Although 75 years is monumental, the Sun Valley Story, which is also an exhibit, remains a foggy but memorable experience. Yet this won’t be the case for long and the Historical Society is committed to preserving both the recent and bygone eras of Ketchum and Sun Valley. As much as people love to walk the photo-filled hallways of the Sun Valley Lodge, it’s truly a blessing that we can expand our knowledge and appreciation by visiting a substantial museum, who’s only goal is to collect and preserve regional history.

Who knew that Freidl Pfeifer, Sun Valley’s second ski school director, helped to train 10th Mountain Division in the 1940s? Or that Stanley Underwood, the architect behind the historic Sun Valley Lodge, was famous for establishing the now standard aesthetic of National Park Service buildings? Whether you consider these mere pieces of trivia or details that reveal the center-most fabric of our community, the Heritage and Ski Museum is a cultural asset worth exploring.

The 10th Mountain Division exhibit.

For instance, there’s the visually diverse, “Warren Miller and the Art of Ski Cinematography.” Miller started his illustrious career in the River Run parking lot, where he lived in a trailer and causally filmed with friends. Relics of his path from there to Hollywood dot the walls of this exhibit. There are timeless posters of Miller’s “Beyond the Edge” and “Ski People,” there’s a projector running other famous movies and there’s even a large collage of ski cartoons sketched by the iconic director himself. However, it’s temporary, so go examine the artifacts of this great pioneer before it’s too late.

Another highlight, which has permanent status, focuses on another prominent Sun Valley character, Ernest Hemingway. Housed on the property’s third barn, is the hallway of “Hemingway in Idaho.” More than just a few classic images, the exhibit is a full and elegant presentation of Ernest Hemingway’s two decades of living, writing and hunting in the Wood River Valley. This collection of photos is just one of many reminders in the Heritage Museum that the story of this place extends beyond skiing, even if winter sports does anchor so much of its history. So if you’re a fan of Hemingway, this unassuming celebration of the author in an area he loved is a must-see!

Yet “Hemingway in Idaho” and “Art of Cinematography” are just the beginning. The Ski and Heritage Museum has eight permanent collections, with three temporary exhibits currently in circulation. They also host weekly events, like February 1st’s 2012 Sun Valley Ski Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, during which a handful of candidates will be chosen and their plaques placed in the Ski Museum, next to the likes of Bobbie Burns and William Janss. Although only one of many dates on the KSVHS calendar, the ceremony symbolizes the museum’s function; it is the community’s time capsule, that fireplace of memories, while also being the window out which we can admire the present. History is made everyday, and it’s wonderful that the museum recognizes the on-going nature of its subject matter by recognizing Sun Valley’s latest icons.

If you have time on snowy (or even a snowless) afternoon, make a stop by the Heritage and Ski Museum. Wander the exhibits, attend one of the many lecture or just let the legacy of the Wood River Valley warm your soul before returning to the harsh storms of the present.

The hallowed halls of the Ski & Heritage Museum.

Current Exhibitions

Ski Museum:

The Ancient Skiers

Gretchen Fraser, Don Fraser and Jim Griffith

Sun Valley Ski Hall of Fame

10th Mountain Division of the United States Army

Warren Miller and the Art of Ski Cinematography (temporary)

The Sun Valley Story: An American Original (temporary)

Heritage Museum:

Mining in the Wood River Valley

Discovery of Elkhorn Springs: Pre Historic Native Americans in the Wood River Valley

Hemingway in Idaho

The Architecture of Gilbert Stanley Underwood and The Sun Valley Lodge

Women’s Work: Women and the Settling of the American West (temporary)

Photo courtesy of Tal Roberts.

Tom Wallisch Fantasy Rail Jam goes off and the Sun Valley Freestyle Spectacular is coming up!

By Katie Matteson

With all the excitement about weather forecasts for the upcoming “snopacalypse” and a possible “snownami” (which are happily hitting us this week) it’s easy to forget about all the fun bluebird day happenings on the mountain in Sun Valley. Cool events like last weekend’s Tom Wallisch Fantasy Rail Jam and next weekend’s Sun Valley Freestyle Spectacular are just a few from the long list of the cool things that happen around here, powder day or not.

Tom Wallisch Fantasy Rail Jam: Saturday, January 14^th, 2012

SCOTT USA and Sun Valleyhosted their first rail jam of the season last weekend on a packed new feature in Dollar’s epic Terrain Park. The event started weeks before when SCOTT invited terrain park enthusiasts to design their very own fantasy feature. It was 24 year-old Patrick Sullivan of Gunnison, Colorado, who designed the winning feature with an eight-foot ditch pipe with rails on the top and bottom, which the Sun Valley Terrain Park crew brought to life to look almost exactly like Sullivan’s sketch. Judged by the man, Tom Wallisch himself, the Rail Jam kicked off Saturday morning with over 40 competitors. After signing autographs for the little grommets and hitting the features a few times himself, Wallisch sat back to watch the eager skiers show off. Under a bluebird sky and in front of a crowd of revelers who hiked up Dollar to check out the action, the Rail Jam went off without a hitch, each jibber impressing Tom Wallisch and his crew. Photographer Tal Roberts was on hand to check out all the action and the sweep of the junior category by Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation freestyle skiers, Hunter Diehl, Luke Rizzo and Alvaro Jiraldo. You can see the rest of his shots here.

 Next Up…

The Sun Valley Freestyle Spectacular: January 27^th-30^th

One of the biggest freestyle competitions in the region, Sun Valley Resort and the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation is hosting the Sun Valley Freestyle Spectacular again this year! The event takes place January 27^th-30^th and is the best way to check out Dollar Mountain’s now famous terrain parks! The event kicks off on Thursday with the Halfpipe competition on Dollar’s brand new Halfpipe and continues Friday with the Slopestyle Comp. Saturday and Sunday will feature mogul and double mogul competitions. It is a weekend not to be missed!

Happy kids wear lids!

Sun Valley celebrates safety!

By Mike McKenna

Adhering to the general philosophy that it’s a lot more fun to play it safe and be smart than it is to wind up in the Emergency Room, each winter the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) celebrates “Ski Safety Week.”

Sun Valley is once again taking part in the national party to promote safe and responsible skiing and boarding. And the great news—besides the fact that ski patrollers are giving out coupons for free cocoa!—is that these annual reminders are working.

According to Mike Lloyd, Sun Valley’s Ski Patrol Director, Baldy is one of the safest ski areas in the country, boasting a mere 1.7% accident rate (per thousand skiers); almost a full point below the national average.

“We definitely see a positive impact from this program,” Lloyd says.

To help keep Baldy and Dollar Mountains safe, fun places to shred, here are some of the highlights from this year’s National Ski Safety Week (January 14-22).

Know the Code!

It’s the responsibility of every skier and snowboarder to know and adhere to the Responsibility Code. It’s what you agree to when you buy a ski pass at just about every resort on the globe. In case you need a refresher, or a member of the Ski Patrol asks you (every day this week they’re giving out 100 coupons for free hot cocoa to kids who know the Code), here’s a refresher:

1. Always stay in control.

2. People ahead of you have the right of way.

3. Stop in a safe place for you and others.

4. Whenever starting downhill or merging, look uphill and yield.

5. Use devices to help prevent runaway equipment.

6. Observe signs and warnings, and keep off closed trails.

7. Know how to use the lifts safely.

Lids on Kids

Since wearing a “Brain Bucket” is no-brainer when you’re skiing or snowboarding, Sun Valley is supporting the Lids of Kids. The program reminds shredders of a few basic guidelines:

-Wearing a helmet when participating in snow sports is a smart idea. Besides the overwhelming safety benefits of wearing a helmet, they tend to be warmer than simply wearing a hat.

-One size does not fit all. Make sure to follow some fitting guidelines before hitting the hill in headgear.

-Heads Up, Set an Example: Skiing and riding in a responsible and safe manner isn’t just important for your own sake. It’s sets a good example for kids of all ages (and sometimes it’s the adults who need to be reminded how to follow the Responsibility Code the most).

Sign On

Besides plastering both Baldy and Dollar Mountains with posters promoting the Responsibility Code, Sun Valley is also holding a Kid’s Poster Contest. Entries can be picked up at Dollar Mountains’ Children’s Center. Good luck and be safe!