The custom home you’ve been dreaming of awaits at the premier private community in the Rocky Mountain West.
Located in spectacular McCall, Idaho, just two hours north of Boise, Whitetail Club offers the perfect combination of family, adventure, and modern living, all within reach of your luxury mountain-lake home.
Starting at just over $ 2 million.
Introducing The Design-Build Collection at Explore the collection at WhitetailClub.co m/CustomHomes or call 877. 634 .1725.
MORE:
LEARN
Obtain a Property Report required by Federal Law and read it before signing anything. No Federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property. Whitetail Club is represented by Whitetail Club Realty, LLC. We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the nation. Scenes and views may be of a location not on or related to the property.
74 MODERN HISTORIC
A home that hugs
WORDS SARAH LINVILLE
PHOTOS JOSH WELLS
80
MOUNTAIN FARMHOUSE
Mountain rustic meets refined farmhouse
WORDS KATE HULL HEIDENREICH
PHOTOS RAY GADD
86
BEFORE & AFTER
An ‘80s log cabin is modernized for family living
PHOTOS JOSH WELLS
94
INSPIRATIONS
Reclaimed timber, housing trends, and Sanctuary, a new monograph on the work of de Reus Architects
68 profiles
GERRY MOFFATT: THE MIND OF A THUNDER DRAGON BY SARAH LINVILLE
PAIGE REDMAN: EVER MINDFUL BY PAMELA KLEIBRINK THOMPSON
NAPPY NEAMAN: ODE TO A LOCAL BY JONATHAN MENTZER
60 MEN OF STEEL
The spirit of iron and the blacksmith’s craft
ON THE COVER
Rustic style and refined, elevated farmhouse interiors define this Golden Eagle home designed by Floyd Town and built by Bashista Construction.
WORDS LAURIE SAMMIS PHOTOS TIMOTHY FLOYD KITCHEN: JOSH WELLS/SUN VALLEY PHOTO, SAM CAMERON FROM WOOD RIVER WELDING: TIMOTHY FLOYD
SUN VALLEY ICE
The show must go on—updating an iconic original!
SLACK IS BACK…TELL A FRIEND
The best part of living in Sun. Valley is the fall ‘slack’ season
LOOKING FORWARD
Considering teacher housing in Elkhorn 40
SCOTT GLENN IN SUN VALLEY
A 1982 Interview with Victoria Golden
THE PULL OF PILATES
An exercise regimen to help you do the things you love doing
BACKPACKING AND THE CURIOUS MIND
Tips, tricks and gear to help you navigate on the trail
TAKE FLIGHT IN SUN VALLEY BY PARAGLIDING
CRAFTSMAN
Artisan bags by Cindy Kirk
SNAKE RIVER NETS
The quality could not be better
LAMURE’S NATURAL WORLD Idaho-based sculptor presents bronze vessels
THE LIGHTS WILL STAY ON AT THE LIBERTY
The fate of theater in Hailey
FORAGING AND MINDFUL MEAL PLANNING
Wild Idaho Mushroom Pizza Recipe
also in this issue 24 FROM
The Sun Valley Magazine website, at sunvalleymag.com, is user friendly and incorporates responsive design so that you get the same award-winning content on phones, tablets or desktop computers. On our site you will find all of our print stories, as well as a wealth of additional online content, including resource guides, videos and online features. Look for the best of Sun Valley life in our Arts , Food & Drink , Community, Health , Adventure , Home & Design , and Wedding sections. You can also enjoy digital editions of Sun Valley Magazine in our extensive archives and access all of our social media sites.
To explore our magazine archives, dating all the way back to the Winter 1973/1974, visit sunvalleymag.com/magazine. On our digital magazine page, you can enjoy back issues of Sun Valley Magazine . Travel back in time to see what we were covering at the turn of the century (21st!) and beyond. Looking for an old article? Spend some time in our archives—an ongoing, living record of life in the Wood River Valley. Also check out our digital edition of TASTE of Sun Valley on the Food & Drink page! FOLLOW US:
Follow us, like us, and hashtag us for a chance to end up in the next Sun Valley Magazine!
In pulling together the stories that thread through the pages of our special HOME + DESIGN issue of Sun Valley Magazine, I was inspired to look back through the years—we are fast approaching our 50th Anniversary of publication, which is what prompted the retrospective. Five decades is a long time to be setting down, with words and images, the many people, places homes, and happenings of the Wood River Valley; and looking back provided some interesting reflections on both the narrative of life in our high alpine valley and the arc of the lives within it.
In 2001, as we were relaunching Sun Valley HOME Magazine in a post-9/11 world, we were intently aware of the home as refuge, a place to relax and dream, or simply absorb silence. We considered that it was in these rooms and outdoor spaces where we gather with friends and family, raise our children, confide in our partners, and whisper with siblings. It is these rooms and spaces that hold our histories and tell the stories of our lives.
In the following years, our pages focused on showcasing the many talented and dedicated people who joined hands to create masterpieces of architectural and personal significance. These were unique and inspired collaborations between architects and homeowners, builders and craftsman, collectors and artisans, designers and fabricators—all of it becoming works of synergy in a collective search for form and function, a dialogue of materials and texture. In 2010, we built an issue around the concept of ceremony, exploring the richness and depth of the sometimes small, and always personal, rituals and customs that we bring into the daily lives of our homes. We reflected on the ways in which the design of our spaces works to reinforce the rituals and routines that help us exhale a quiet sigh of silence,
one that temporarily suspends the outside world and brings each of us solidly home. Reading through those reflections brought back memories of kicking off my shoes to walk barefoot across the floors or roasting marshmallows in our cozy outdoor fireplace when the kids were small, or even, winding down the day sitting outside around that same fireplace sharing a glass of wine with my husband as dusk fell into night.
All of these ideas hold steadfast today and the homes on the pages of our Fall 2023 Home Annual, and in our Valley, have become increasingly personal expressions of the way we live our daily lives. Pouring through forty-nine years of issues in preparation for our 50th Anniversary reminds me of the passage of time, and also, of the very real suspension of it when we enter the spaces that hold refuge for us.
Sun Valley Magazine HOME+DESIGN has always been about the importance of place, of creating haven where we live, indoors and out. And this issue is no exception.
We, in the Wood River Valley, are lucky because our sense of place is firmly rooted in the landscape around us. And, because the spaces where we live invite that landscape in through the sliver or sweep of our windows and entries, our homes carry a presence of their own, representing the soul of who we are and nurturing some unspecified piece of the dreams we hold. Welcome HOME to Sun Valley.
Laurie Sammis publisher / editor-in-chief
Tim Floyd began his surgical practice in the Wood River Valley in 1990. After retiring from medicine, Tim has pursued his other early career choice of documentary photography. He has published several longform photo essays, including a story in The Washington Post on the aftermath of the Minidoka internment camp, which he continues to explore. His first photo essay on refugee physicians ran as a front page story in the Idaho Statesman and won First Place for photojournalism in that year’s Idaho Press Club awards.
Kate Hull, a Texas native, moved to Idaho’s Teton Valley in 2012. She is the co-publisher and editor in chief for Powder Mountain Press’ Teton Valley Magazine. Her work has appeared in numerous Intermountain West and Texasbased magazines, including Texas Monthly, Texas Highways, Austin Monthly, Mountain Outlaw Magazine and Teton Home and Living. When not writing, Kate can be found exploring her surrounding Idaho home with her husband, Kenny, and two cattle dogs.
Father. Husband. Photographer. Josh specializes in ground base/aerial photography, video, and virtual reality production for the architecture, design and custom home building industries throughout the West. His work has been featured in local, regional and national publications. When not behind the camera, Josh can be found on his bike or skis or traveling with his family outside the Wood River Valley.
Photos by Josh Wells: “Modern History: A home that hugs,” page 74
“Welcome Home: An eighties log cabin is modernized,” page 86
Sarah Linville currently enjoys a seasonal life centered on the Idaho outdoors. She proudly spends her winters on Bald Mountain with the Sun Valley Ski Patrol. The summer time will find her floating somewhere on the Salmon River. Life is tough. She received her degree in journalism from Northern Arizona University and has since then contributed to Rock and Ice Magazine and locally to BIG Life Magazine
Stories By Sarah Linville: “Backpacking and the Curious Mind: Tips, tricks and gear to help you navigate on the trail,” page 52
“Gerry Moffatt: The mind of a thunder dragon,” page 68
“Modern Historic: A home that hugs” page 74
writers K aren Bossick, Ben Bradley, Carolyn French, Kate Hull, Sarah Linville, Jonathan Mentzer, Laurie Sammis, Hayden Seder, Pamela Kleibrink Thompson, Jamie Truppi, Winter Warchol, Claudia Weathermon
photographers Travis Amick, Tim Floyd, Koko Furlong, Ray Gadd, Andrew Kent, Hillary Maybery, Maddi Miller, Amanda René Nagy, Halsey Pierce, Matt Scrivner, Kirsten Shultz, Carol Waller, Josh Wells
515 River Street Hailey, ID 83333 • 208.578.2184 info@fireplaceoutfitters.com • fireplaceoutfitters.com
FALL 2023/2024
publisher/editor in chief L aurie C. Sammis
managing editor Jonathan Mentzer
associate editor C arolyn French
guest art directors L illie Cooper K ristina Mitchell
s enior designer S ophia Lizberg
s ales & marketing director Mona Warchol
c opy editor Patty Healey
controller Brenda Carrillo
c irculation director Nancy Whitehead
Sun Valley Magazine Online: sunvalleymag.com email: info@sunvalleymag.com
Sun Valley Magazine Awards
2018 MAGGIE AWARDS
Finalist, Best Feature Article - “Primal Necessity”
2017 MAGGIE AWARDS
Finalist, Best Feature Article - “The Long Journey Back” Finalist, Best Profile - “A Life in the Sky”
2016 MAGGIE AWARDS
Finalist, Best Feature Article - “The Great Migration”
2015 MAGGIE AWARDS
Finalist, Best Annuals & One-Time Custom Publication/Consumer
Finalist, Best Cover/Consumer
2014 MAGGIE AWARDS
Finalist, Best Annuals & One-Time Custom Publication/Consumer
2013 MAGGIE AWARDS
Finalist, Best Semi-Annual & Three-Time/Trade & Consumer
Finalist, Best Special Theme Issue/Consumer
2012 MAGGIE AWARDS
Winner, Best Semi-Annual & Three-Time/Trade & Consumer
2011 MAGGIE AWARDS
Finalist, Best Semi-Annual & Three-Time/Trade & Consumer
Finalist, Best Special Theme Issue/Consumer
2010 MAGGIE AWARDS
Finalist, Best Semi-Annual & Three-Time/Trade & Consumer Finalist, Best Special Theme Issue/Consumer
2010 OZZIE AWARDS
Gold Winner, publication fewer than 6 times per year
2010 EDDIE AWARDS
Gold Winner, publication fewer than 6 times per year
2010 IDAHO PRESS CLUB
Best Magazine Serious Feature & Best Blog
2010 MAGGIE AWARDS
Finalist, Best Semi-Annual & Three-Time/Trade & Consumer
2009 MAGGIE AWARDS
Winner, Best Semi-Annual & Three-Time/Trade & Consumer
Mandala Media, LLC. Subscriptions: $24 per year, single copies $7.95.
The opinions expressed by authors and contributors to Sun Valley Magazine are not necessarily those of the editor and publisher. Mandala Media LLC sets high standards to ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable manner. This issue was printed on recycled fibers containing 10% post consumer waste, with inks containing a blend of soy base. Our printer is a certified member of the Forestry Stewardship Council, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and additionally meets or exceeds all federal Resource Conservation Recovery Act standards. When you are finished with this issue, please pass it on to a friend or recycle it. Postmaster — Please send address changes to: Sun Valley Magazine, 313 N. Main St., Hailey, ID 83333
Printed in the U.S.A.
sunvalleymag.com | FALL 2023-2024
With over 30 years of building expertise in the Intermountain West, View Point Windows has been working directly with clients to get the look they want in every room—whether a contemporary steel window, rustic cabin mixing wood and steel, or the look of steel for a fraction of the cost, View Point offers custom sizing options and value engineering to fit any specification or budget.
Sierra Pacific windows featured in our DREAM HOMES—the Floyd Town/Lloyd Construction build home “Mountain Rustic Meets Farmhouse” on pages 80-85 and the Bashista Build/Red Canoe Design home “Modern Historic” on pages 74-79 Handcrafted. Authentic. Enduring. Check it out to see what the best window professionals can do for your dream project!
Nick Maricich sailed across Sun Valley’s outdoor ice rink, the blades of his skates leaving a thin line.
There is perhaps no one alive today who is more familiar with that ice rink—his father Herman Maricich ran the ice rink for decades. Nick performed there countless times, wowing spectators as he jumped over barrels.
But the rink that his father had introduced in 1956 had been retired after 67 years. And this was his chance to test the new ice.
Sun Valley Resort spent 10 months
digging up and replacing both the outdoor and indoor ice rinks this past year, finishing the day before the first Sun Valley on Ice show of the 2023 season on July 6.
“Everyone’s thrilled we have ice back in Sun Valley,” said Scott Irvine. “Sun Valley is known as a destination ski resort, but it’s also a destination skating resort with people coming from all corners of the globe—from Hong Kong to Germany—to skate here.”
Sun Valley has offered ice skating since it opened in 1936. But resort officials took
great pleasure in announcing that “on this spot” would be built the world’s first outdoor refrigerated ice rink when it held its groundbreaking for the current ice rink in 1956.
“Union Pacific wanted this to be worldclass, one-of a kind,” said ice rink manager Scott Irvine. “And, to the best of my knowledge, it’s the only full-sized outdoor rink in the country.”
But the rink showed its age these past few years as leaky pipes and equipment failures had workers coaxing the mechanical refrigeration system through one more day. It conked out
just before the final show of the 2022 season on Sept. 2.
What followed was a spectacular show of a different sort. Excavators dug up the rink, finding Union Pacific’s original rail ties underneath. Workers cut the original steel piping in sections and front loaders hauled them away.
Workers placed and wired 13 miles of highdensity pipe an inch in diameter underneath the outdoor rink and another 13 miles of pipe underneath the indoor rink, which had been built in 1971.
Then came 60 trucks of concrete bearing 30 truckloads for each rink. Workers had to pour an entire rink through pumper booms in one continuous flow over a 12-hour day. Then, workers using concrete power screeds equipped with lasers smoothed out the concrete with what looked like rotating fan blades.
Sun Valley employees then spent multiple nights hosing down the rink with firehoses, building the ice up layer by layer.
“This had been planned for awhile, so we were able to get materials in time. But heavy snows
T he ice at Sun Valley rink is kept at 20 degrees for hockey players and 22 degrees for figure skaters. Speed skaters like the ice colder yet. Rink workers will often set the temperature for 22 degrees during the day when figure skaters are using it, then turn it down in the afternoon in time for the hockey players.
T he outdoor rink ice temperature is affected by the humidity, breezes and sunlight.
“ We’re still learning on a daily basis how we have to run our new machines to make it work,” said Irvine. “During the summer we had a constant temperature between 80 and 84 degrees every day. Then the daily high dropped to 74 degrees so we had to adjust. But that’s what makes this job so interesting—all the different variables we have to consider to make the best ice we can. It’s an art form—half art and half science.”
S un Valley’s Olympia resurfacer scrapes off 30 one-hundredths of an inch of ice every time it hits the rink. That equals 120 cubic feet of snow if it has a full load.
A nn Loftus can remember when it cost a dollar to see the ice shows in the 1960s. “It was always a good show with the top names in ice skating,” said Loftus.
T hose who have performed in Sun Valley on Ice include Olympians Scotty Hamilton, Katarina Witt, Brian Boitano, Elvis Stokjo, Sasha Cohen, Steven Cousins, backflip artist Surya Bonaly and 2022 Olympic gold medalist Nathan Chen, who has been skating at Sun Valley since he was a youngster.
O thers who have skated Sun Valley’s famed ice include Lucille Ball and members of the Kennedy family.
did hamper us and so did 42 straight days of rain in the spring,” said Irvine. “But we got it done in time, thanks to an amazing team of Sun Valley employees and Everything Ice of Pennsylvania, which is one of the best in the business.”
The indoor rink’s new LED lights improve lighting at half the energy consumption. The pipes contain a glycol solution, sucking hot air out to keep the ice cool. No one has to come in at 7 every morning to control the temperature manually. And there’s more refrigeration capacity to provide more consistent ice in warmer months.
“Summers keep getting warmer each year so we’ve built in room for that,” said Irvine.
In addition to providing ice time for guests, Sun Valley hosts a robust year-round calendar that includes the Sun Valley Summer championships, part of the National Qualifying Series; the Sun Valley Figure Skating Club, adult programs, Sun Valley Youth Hockey and
the Sun Valley Suns semi-pro hockey club.
Then there are those who perform in the Sun Valley on Ice shows, which can hold 1,700 spectators, including 400 people on the terrace.
“The rink went from glorious to more glorious,” said ice comedian Jason Graetz.
“It’s perfectly flat—just beautiful surface,” added coach Stephanee Grosscup. “It’s an amazing state-of-the-art system. And it ensures that this is going to be here for another 70 years.” ï
‘‘On this spot” would be built the world’s first outdoor refrigerated ice rink.
—SUN VALLEY RESORT OFFICIALS, 1955
Avisitor traveling to Sun Valley only during the fever pitch of summer or the mayhem that is the holiday season would be forgiven for thinking that the Wood River Valley is a constant bustle of people and activities.
But for those who visit outside of the prime time, and certainly for the year-round locals, the shoulder seasons return town to a state of calm. Gone are the lines of traffic collecting at each traffic light, and the routine trip to the grocery store is no longer an angst-inducing test of the depth of one’s patience.
Better known as ‘slack’ among residents, the seasonal downturn is a fixture for nearly all resort- or tourism-focused locales the world over. The cyclical nature of life in a community driven largely by tourism is akin to a collective circadian rhythm, the yin to the busy season’s yang. And though local business owners certainly feel the effects of this downturn, there
is a nearly universal love for slack, especially here in the Wood River Valley.
For locals, it feels as though their town has been returned to them. A palpable sense of calm and quiet pervades every corner of the community and the breakneck pace of life in the high season yields to a tranquility more representative of the valley’s serene surroundings.
Among the many dramatic changes the COVID pandemic imparted on the valley, perhaps the most surprising was the complete disappearance of the spring and fall slack seasons. “COVID happened, and then there was no slack, neither fall nor spring,” says Paddy McIlvoy, owner of Backwoods Mountain Sports in Ketchum. The outdoor sporting goods industry was overrun by an onslaught of demand for everything from bikes to bocce balls as the American masses took to outdoor recreation in droves in the first summer post-lockdown. McIlvoy’s business and other
outdoor retailers in the valley experienced a seemingly unlimited demand for their wares that didn’t dissipate as the seasons changed.
Like any abrupt change to a longstanding pattern of events, the disappearance of slack left everyone living and working in the valley a bit discombobulated. Though most certainly a boon for many local businesses, the sudden change came at the price of work-life balance as operators and the small local workforce they employ were forced to work exceedingly hard to keep up. “It’s just not sustainable,” McIlvoy notes. “We want people who live here and work here to be able to take a breather every once in a while.”
The natural question on many minds
following each subsequent shoulder season was simply, ‘Will slack ever return?’ Though it seemed the answer was a resounding ‘no,’ the spring of 2023 saw the return of slack, with one of the slowest spring seasons in recent memory.
Following a remarkable winter season of snowfall, spring proved to be nearly as wet, with warmer sunny days not arriving until well into June. This abnormally cold, wet spring undoubtedly contributed to a slow spring slack like in pre-COVID days.
“It was cold, rainy, and no trails were open, which may have been part of it,” says Sawtooth Brewery owner Kevin Jones. With the tourists gone, limited recreational opportunities to be had, and few, if any, sunny afternoons to entice people to meander the sidewalks, local businesses were bound to struggle. But with the struggles, slack also provided the pause many craved.
As local business owners look into the crystal ball, again attempting to prognosticate whether or not slack is actually back in full force, many agree that the slower shoulder season trend has likely returned. “I don’t think we’re going all the way back to 2018,” notes Olin Glenn, owner of Sturtevants, which operates in both Ketchum and its newly
expanded location in Hailey. “But overall, I think the jury is still out.”
The pandemic drove unprecedented growth in year-round residents of the valley, a trend that supports the notion that the slack seasons could be on a trajectory to become less and less drastic. For organizations like Visit Sun Valley and The Chamber, the goal of reducing the effects of slack on local businesses and jobs through various marketing initiatives has become a lot more attainable. While it seemed like the job may have been done in 2021 when slack completely evaporated, the reality check of last spring has made certain their work is far from over.
For the most part, slack has been welcomed
back with open arms, but far fewer residents of the valley long for it to return to its near ghost town-like state of affairs in slacks past. Time will tell just what kind of form slack
begins to take as the rhythm of life in the Wood River Valley returns to its new balance. As the leaves turn this autumn, the locals of the Wood River Valley will once again get their chance to slide back into the easygoing pace of life in slack. ï
‘‘
It’s just not sustainable. We want people who live here and work here to be able to take a breather every once in a while.”
—PADDY MCILVOY
Sun Valley Community School Head of School Ben Pettit presides over a school campus that borders a creek where students can conduct science experiments. He has an athletic field where student skiers can practice freestyle flips and soccer players can challenge competing teams.
He even has a residential dorm that hosts students from as far away as China.
What he does not have is assured housing that can seal the deal when hiring teachers.
He needs teachers to teach the school’s 440 students. But fewer people are pursuing teaching as a career so the hiring market is becoming increasingly competitive.
“There’s been a decline over the last decade in terms of the number of college freshmen who consider education a viable career,” he said. “The challenges of COVID led to teachers retiring and in a three-year window 51 percent of the workforce is going to be transitioning out of education with most of them retiring.
“Hiring has become more competitive nationally and the lack of affordable housing here has become one of the biggest barriers for us when it comes to hiring new teachers and staff,” he added.
Sun Valley Community School is helping
41 of 110 employees with housing. It’s done that by creating rent assistance and downpayment assistance programs. It purchased a fourplex for staff in the Skyview complex on Woodside Boulevard in Hailey. It’s partnering with ARCH Community Housing Trust for a handful of units. It’s housing six employees in the dorm that sits across from Bigwood Bread Bakery & Café in Ketchum.
And the school has significantly increased salaries to help with increases in rental prices and mortgages, Pettit said.
Now the school wants to build workforce housing at its Sagewillow Campus, which hosts the Air Barn and soccer fields, and at property it owns on nearby Arrowleaf Road.
The housing would benefit not just the school but the community, as well, because it would add to the housing stock in the valley, said Ryan Waterfield, the school’s communications director. “And it’s a clear benefit to the school’s students if teachers live close to their place of employment,” she added.
Zoning revisions are necessary before building commences.
The City of Sun Valley’s Comprehensive Plan has contemplated multi-family housing on part of the Sagewillow Campus since 2006.
And the Comprehensive Plan adopted in 2015 reaffirms that multi-family housing would be something that could be appropriate there, said Brittany Skelton, community development director for the City of Sun Valley.
The city’s latest zoning designations did away with OR-1, the zoning designation that covered the original 32-acre Sagewillow Campus, which was gifted to the school by the Dumke family in 1998. That prompted the school to apply in 2021 for a rezone that matched the 2015 Comprehensive Plan future land use planning map.
Any building would not affect the athletic fields, the barn or open space around the barn, Pettit said. Housing could potentially be built on what is now parking.
“We’ve been in conversations with seven neighborhood groups that surround the campus and we’ve sent out a couple surveys and we’re adapting proposals based on the feedback from those surveys,” said Pettit. “We’re looking at 40 to 45 units that we think can help meet the school’s long-term needs.”
The six acres that the school owns on Arrowleaf Road has five lots in an area zoned for single-family houses. The school is proposing to rezone that property to medium density so
it could put three townhomes with a total of 10 units between the three on two of the lots, leaving the other three lots for open space.
Some residents have indicated they would prefer that to building single-family residences on all five lots, said Pettit.
“It would allow for much more open space than the current zoning,” said Waterfield. “The school has said from the beginning of this process that it would submit a development agreement along with its rezone application codifying issues like open space, agreed-upon building heights and more. We have worked extensively with our neighbors to understand and address the issues that they have been most concerned about.”
The school last went before Sun Valley’s P&Z in February and has been looking at potential proposals with neighbors and traffic consultants since. When ready, it will submit updated information to P&Z probably this fall, Skelton said.
If the rezone is approved, the school will have to submit architectural designs to the Sun Valley/Elkhorn Association and the city’s P&Z and City Council.
“The school is following the process that any other land owner in Sun Valley or Idaho goes through. It’s a very public process and, as the application moves forward, there will be additional opportunities for members of the public to weigh in,” Skelton said.
“The housing issue is something we need to address over the next three to five years. We would like it to be quicker than five years,” Pettit said. ï
Approximately 15% of those surveyed responded to both surveys.
A majority of those surveyed (63.4%) believe that the Valley has an urgent need for workforce housing and 28.1 % believe there is a moderate need for workforce housing. Traffic and loss of wildlife habitat are among the concerns elicited in the survey.
There is significant support for the school, its history and its role in the community.
Visit www.communityschool.org/about/thefuture-of-the-dumke-family-sagewillow-campus.
This summer [Editor’s Note: originally published July 1982] the country is being treated to one of the best movies ever made about women. It’s a thrilling, sensual piece of celluloid called Personal Best. The pivotal performance in this movie about women is played by a man: Scott Glenn. He plays Mariel Hemingway’s coach, Terry Tingloff, a role he plays masterfully with tension, power and affection.
Scott Glenn and his family are four-year Ketchum locals. Last week, while home on hiatus from playing Alan Shepard, the astronaut in a new film called The Right Stuff, he consented to be interviewed by his hometown magazine. Scott arrived for the interview looking as though he had just stepped from the pages of an early ’60s LIFE magazine. He was driving a 1962 silver Corvette convertible and
was sporting a brown leather aviator jacket and a regular Air Force haricut.
Scott Glenn sends the cliché of “dumb actor” packing.
SUN VALLEY MAGAZINE : With Hollywood being the center of the movie industry, how can you live in Ketchum?
SCOTT:
About 4½ years ago, my wife, Carol, who is a clay artist, got accepted to the Sun Valley Center for the Arts and Humanities at the time that Jim Romberg was running the ceramics department. It was one of the best in the country. She was coming up here for the summer program and she was bringing our kids, Dakota and Rio. At the time we were living in Topanga Canyon and
WORDS VICTORIA GOLDEN PHOTOS ANDREW KENTit looked like I was going to be doing this movie called Altered States. Initially, it was Arthur Penn, Paddy Chayevsky and me. During the readings to work on the script Penn and Chayevsky were having fairly heated arguments about how the film should proceed. Penn was fired and eventually someone else did the film. Anyway, Carol said, “Hey, babe, why do you always have to have the excuse of a job to kick you in the ass to go anywhere in your life?”
During this period, I had been rock climbing fairly extensively in Southern California. I wasn’t a hot climber, I just loved to do it. I’m a great coolie so if someone wanted to do some hot vibe leads, they could call me up and I’d follow along behind and clean up the pitches and drag all of the stuff up. Carol told me about this guy, Eric Ryback, who was doing an Outward Bound sort of trip. So I decided to go on a shakedown with him into the Bighorn Crags for 11 or 12 days. At the end of the 12 days, Carol picked me up in Challis. I remember how weird it felt to be in an internal combustion machine after being in a place like that. And Ketchum looked like fuckin’ New York to me. I thought to myself, “Holy shit! Look at all of those people!” When I got back to Ketchum, what I noticed was that my oldest daughter no longer had a bronchial cough that she had had for several months in Los Angeles. And she already had two friends. My youngest daughter was running around going crazy. She’s very physical and she had found a zillions ways to get off. Carol and I were real solidly in love and it was real good and hot. Everything in the family was just great. I got a phone call from Fred Roos, a producer for Fancis Coppola, and he asked me if I wanted to do a movie that George Lucas was producing called More American Graffiti. So the whole family went back to L.A. and I went to San Francisco and did the movie. Then I went back to L.A. The whole family got the blues again. We were bitching at each other and Dakota had started coughing again. I hadn’t been working in L.A. for almost three years, not anything worthwhile, anyway. So I thought, “Fuck it, man, let’s go back to Ketchum and just live there.”
I asked Carol what she thought and she loved the idea. My life in Hollywood is extremely competitive. The pressures are tremendous. What I really needed, and didn’t
consciously know it at the time, was a place where I could come to neutral. Here, nobody cares that I’m an actor and I can come to neutral (snaps fingers) just like that.
SUN VALLEY MAGAZINE:
How did the move affect your career?
SCOTT:
When I left Los Angeles, I was with a big agency, ICM, and when I told them I was going to live in Idaho, they said, “Who do you think you are, ROBERT REDFORD?!! You can’t do that, you’ll never work!” and I said, “WHAT’S NEW??!!”
One of the things that happened, strange, is that I got back to my old dreams of acting I had when I was in New York. In L.A., I’d start telling myself that I still care about acting, I still care about my dreams. But the truth of the matter is I was really worried about what I was up for, what my billing was going to be and how much money I was going to make. All of that crap. It’s been magic since I moved here.
SUN VALLEY MAGAZINE:
Your role as the wicked Wes Hightower in Urban Cowboy was extremely powerful and convincing. How did you prepare for that role?
SCOTT:
I guess somewhere inside of me that character lives. Inside everyone is Albert Schweitzer. Inside everyone is Adolf Hitler. We’re all human beings. So what you do is find the parts of your personality where that character lives.
In acting, as in any art, you have to learn how to find places in your personality that are latent, find out where the dials are and turn up the volume for a period of time. For months, they become dominant, not latent, and they control your whole animus. They literally do. So I worked it that way to get ready for Wes Hightower. When I got to Houston to do Urban Cowboy, I ran into some old acquaintances of mine that I met through Freddy Fender who make their living illegally and violently. Mexican guys. I hung out with them and some rodeo cowboys for about three weeks. I also stopped at Huntsville Prison for 3-4 days and slept outside the prison in a sleeping bag, in different places where I thought you might be able to get over the wall. I wanted to know about the little things that no one would ever see in the movie that would key me off.
What was most interesting about these kinds of characters is that they’re not only magnetic and interesting, but if you spend time around them, they’re horrible, scary, uncomfortable and abusive.
SUN VALLEY MAGAZINE:
So when your whole animus is busy being Wes Hightower, what happens to your real life?
SCOTT:
After a month of doing the part, my life starts to imitate my art. It starts to happen to me a lot. It was very tough for Carol. She brought the kids down and they were going to stay for two months and within five days they were on their way back up here. She and I have been together for about 15 years and she totally knows about me. She said, “Look, I really love you; I’ll be waiting for you in Idaho. I can’t stand this Wes Hightower, so you just let me know when he’s dead.” You know, when she first arrived and walked over to kiss me, I almost threw her across the room. I was really horrible.
At one point the bathroom on the honeywagon on the set didn’t work. I asked the assistant director if he’d get it fixed. He said, “Oh Scott, you don’t have to worry about that, that’s no concern of yours.” He said it in front of all the extras in Gilley’s. They were real Gilley’s people, they were not from the Screen Actors Guild. I knew that they had to
believe that I was that awful character when I walked in because acting had nothing to do with them or their lives. So when the AD said that was none of my business, I went out to the police car, got out a shotgun and walked into the honeywagon and took out the whole place. Toilet, ceiling and everything.
SUN VALLEY MAGAZINE:
How did the director feel about that?
SCOTT:
He loved it. He knew what he was getting into when he hired me and he certainly knew what I was doing.
SUN VALLEY MAGAZINE:
So, bottom line is that you basically turned into Wes Hightower.
SCOTT:
Yeah, pretty much. But I left Wes Hightower somewhere in Wyoming on the drive up from Houston. Kicked him out the door and told him that I never wanted to see him again.
SUN VALLEY MAGAZINE : Was it your idea to eat the worm?
SCOTT:
Yeah, it was never supposed to be in the movie. It was the end of the night and we’d been
‘‘ I left Wes Hightower somewhere in Wyoming on the drive up from Houston. Kicked him out the door and told him that I never wanted to see him again.”
—SCOTT GLENN
drinking mezcal. I said to Jim that I can get the worm out of the bottle, why don’t we put it in the film so that we can laugh about it in dailies. He said, “Great!” So I just did it. It’s no big deal.
SUN VALLEY MAGAZINE: So you’ve eaten worms before?
SCOTT:
Thousands of them. I spent some time in southern Texas with Freddy Fender and some guys that he knows. One of the games they play with the gringos is everyone sits around a table and everyone puts a $100 bill in the middle of the table. They pass the mezcal bottle around and the first one who gets the worm out wins all of the money. What gringoes invariably try to do is to get the worm and they pass out. The only possible way to do it is to stick your tongue in the neck of the bottle, wait for the worm to float down and suck in the biggest gulp that you can and you’ve got it. Jim, the director, ended up puttig it in the movie and it turned out to be something that everyone remembers.
SUN VALLEY MAGAZINE: About Personal Best … How did two people from Ketchum end up in the same movie?
SCOTT:
Blind luck. We didn’t know each other before. I had no idea who Mariel Hemingway was. The first time that I ever met her, I was in the Coffee Grinder [Editor’s Note: current site of Ginger Sweet juice bar, Ketchum] and she came in with Willie McCarty, who has since become a really good friend of mine. The two of them came in. I said “Mariel!” and she yelled, “Scott!” We just couldn’t believe it. Warner Brothers freaked out because two of the leads in their movie were from a town of 2,500 people in Idaho. It just happened that way, that’s all.
SUN VALLEY MAGAZINE :
In Personal Best, who is your character Terry Tingloff, and what was his history prior to being a women’s coach?
SCOTT:
He was an athlete himself: a college gymnast, a college fencer, and he coached both football and gymnastics for men. He
could have gone on to do that, but decided not to because of women’s athletics. Terry was an explorer and women’s athletics is an incredible frontier right now. I had a note to myself that the essence of the character of Terry Tingloff is that he’s a closet lesbian. Literally, he’s someone who so identifies with women, loves them, and cares for them, that you could really call him that. There’s a section of my own personality that has a much easier time dealing with women than with men. My manager is a woman, I’ve got two daughters, and the people who have helped me in the business have all been women. So I just put all of that together in this character. And doing Personal Best with those women was the best experience that I’ve ever had.
SUN VALLEY MAGAZINE:
It’s amazing what you’ve gotten to learn in your life as a result of your craft. It’s almost as though your craft is a vehicle to get your body all of these wild places so that you can learn to
do everything that you’ve always dreamed of being able to do.
SCOTT:
You’ve found me out!! It’s a magic carpet and a total unwillingness to live just one life this time through.
SUN VALLEY MAGAZINE:
Your newest film, The Right Stuff, has certainly brought you to the forefront as a successful actor. Now that you’ve “arrived,” do people ever ask you about acting as a career?
SCOTT:
When I was in Eugene, a lot of kids, particularly young girls, would come up and ask me about acting. I said to them, “Do it because you love to do it; don’t do it because of what you think is at the end of the line or it will break your heart. Always do it out of a sense of appetite for the thing itself … If it makes you drool, if it gets your feet tapping, then do it and stay with it.” ï
A new monograph on the work of de Reus Architects, Sanctuary features sixteen recent projects, located in such diverse locations as Hawai’i, Mexico, and the Pacific Northwest, which explore the interplay between nature and craft and the firm’s pursuit of timeless architecture.
Introduction by Joseph Giovannini
Published by ORO Editions
by de Reus Architects
In Idaho, our spectacular outdoors sets the stage for seemingly effortless fitness with its call to ski, hike, jog or cycle –tackle the terrain, and you’re rewarded with a beautiful view and a good workout. But age and injury eventually creep in, and whether it’s pride or pain, we tend to step back from the activities that used to be second nature. But what if there were an exercise regimen that kept you doing the things you love longer?
“That’s what Pilates is!” exclaims Gabrielle Rivelo, co-owner of CoreFocus, a Pilates, yoga and functional fitness studio in Hailey.
“The workouts are compact and efficient. You balance your core, and everything else stems from there.”
Rivelo enthusiastically explains how Pilates calls upon muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and more. She teaches classes and private sessions, essentially picking up where physical therapy might leave off.
“Many times, people recovering from a large muscle injury learn they must rebuild all the supporting structures around the muscle. Pilates helps with that. And done proactively, it goes deep to build balance and strength
to prevent injury and improve overall performance.”
Pilates is generally done in small groups or one-on-one sessions. Optimally, an instructor helps you stay properly aligned and anatomy-focused. Without that guidance, Rivelo says, you might not get the best effect. The whole body doesn’t engage until the core is aligned and supported.
A typical Pilates studio might look like a medieval torture chamber to some. A variety of apparatus with springs, slides and pulleys. The devices have names like The Reformer,
Wunda Chair and the Ladder Barrel. The father of the discipline, Joseph Pilates, invented the equipment and excercises to speed the process of stretching, strengthening, and aligning the core.
Rivelo’s evangelism of the practice spurs from the many turnaround stories she’s personally witnessed, recounting the case of a client with limited movement due to a spinal injury and subsequent surgery. “In his 50s, he’d been told it was the end of his skiing, biking and running days. But three years of strengthening and lengthening the spine using the Pilates method allowed him to return to backcountry skiing, which he does now well into his 70s.”
One of the biggest affirmations Rivelo receives is when a client discovers a ‘new’ muscle. “It’s proof that something definitely happened during their Pilates workout,” Rivelo says. “We reached a part that is not getting used any other time. That’s the unseen part of fitness that supports the work of the larger muscles.”
Intentionally accessing the micromotor structures allows easier everyday use of the bigger muscles we typically use without much thought, adds Rivelo. “You’re setting yourself up for cross conditioning, which is huge for our hyper-athletic population here in the valley. Our bodies need movement and variety to be happy and healthy.”
Though Pilates seems to be having a ‘moment,’ it’s been practiced in the Wood River Valley for over thirty years—its popularity waning during the hot yoga trend. Now more studios and gyms have added it to their fitness lineups. Despite the greater availability, Lisa Hamilton says she’s busier than ever at her eponymous studio in Hailey. One reason may be that Pilates workouts can be scaled to almost any fitness level and body type. That makes it an option for people of all ages and abilities. Hamilton’s been teaching Pilates since 2002. Her typical client is between 40 and 85. “People do Pilates to stabilize their core. That keeps them in their favorite activities longer, whether it’s
Pilates is similar to yoga combining physical movement with purposeful concentration and breathing. But Pilates focuses more on core strength. It can improve flexibility, strength, balance and circulation and is typically practiced in a studio using various equipment designed to maximize and accelerate results.
Overcoming a fragile childhood, Germanborn Joseph Pilates develops an exercise regimen in the early 20th century to improve his health.
In the 1920s, Joseph Pilates immigrates to the U.S. and opens a New York City studio.
In the 1950s, the practice becomes popular for injury prevention and rehabilitation.
In the 1980s, Pilates gained popularity in the mainstream for overall fitness and wellbeing.
In 2000, Newsweek reports 5,000 Pilates devotees in the U.S.
9.7 million Americans are believed to practice Pilates as of 2021 (Statista.com)
Pro athletes LeBron James, Tiger Woods and Cristiano Ronaldo have all said they do Pilates.
In 1971, a former student opens the first Lotte Berk Method studio in the U.S.
The studio closes in 2005.
Barre method experiences rapid expansion in the 2010s, mostly credited to former Lotte Berk instructors founding major exercise chains.
An estimated 4 million Americans attend Barre fitness classes today.
Jennifer Lopez, Kyra Sedgewick and Kelly Ripa are among many celebrities who exercise at barre studios.
pickleball, golf or skiing. Pilates is really the exercise you do so you can stay active in life.”
Zenergy Health Club and Spa remodeled its Pilates studio last October. General manager Derek Agnew says with the input of his highly knowledgeable team of instructors, the club converted from classic equipment to new Balance Body Reformers with towers. “It’s made a huge difference in participation. Even with more than 20 reformer group clinics per week, we consistently fill 90 percent of our slots,” he says.
Agnew reports overall participation is up over 200% since the remodel, giving full credit to the Club’sgreat instructors and the new studio set-up. “The Balance Body units deliver a more dynamic workout in a one-hour session. I’ve been blown away by our members’ response,” Agnew says.
Private Pilates lessons at the club are open
to the public and come with the added benefit of an all-day pass to enjoy other club amenities like the pool, sauna, cold plunge or jacuzzi.
Barre fitness classes combine elements of dance, yoga and Pilates for full-body strengthening. Classes are typically conducted in a studio equipped with bars and have grown to include resistance bands, weights and exercise balls. Instructors focus on small, pulsing movements, targeting areas to fatigue, leading to strengthening.
Barre classes have consistently been one of the most popular group fitness activities at Ketchum’s Zenergy Health Club and Spa. Group fitness manager Kati Freytag is a Barre devotee herself, despite her original entry into the fitness world as a Pilates instructor. “Barre, Pilates and yoga share some similarities. They’re each great for all-over body toning. They build
strength, and that helps lower the risk of injury. That’s very important to our active community,” Freytag says.
Zenergy offers six Barre classes per week. Freytag says students’ ages range from the 20s through the 70s. “There’s no heavy lifting, and movements can be modified for every fitness level whether someone is rehabbing from injury or conditioning for an upcoming sport season.”
The ballet style movements, says Freytag, fine-tune and tone the smaller muscles that connect to the tendons and joints for a deeper workout. Sure, your quads will get a good workout, but step up to the wall-mounted barre, where the demands on minor muscles are made during standing balance work. Freytag says instructors are meticulous about proper form to target those essential stabilizing muscles. ï
Matt Scrivner has been backpacking in Idaho most of his life. He’s been doing it professionally for Sawtooth Mountain Guides since 2012. When asked why people like to walk far distances with heavy things on their backs, he says, “Maybe they’ve been out on a hike and seen someone come down the trail. They’re dirty and smelly; for some reason, there’s an allure to a bigger adventure. They’re intrigued. It’s very human to want to know what’s out there.”
Years of experience have taught Matt the essential roles that proper planning and gear play in a successful venture. Half of his clientele are novice backpackers. He advises that people start small when planning a trip for this demographic. Test the waters and remove as many variables as possible.
“Plan on one night out,” Matt suggests. “Pick an easy-to-follow trail, and don’t expect to be walking more than nine miles a day, especially if there are 2,000 or more feet of elevation gain.”
Selecting the right trail or destination requires consulting the right sources. Sara Gress, the executive director for the Wood River Trails Coalition, a stewardship organization that helps create and maintain the Wood River Valley’s extensive trail network, advises getting information from the people in charge.
“Call the local Ranger District for the Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management office that owns the land,” she recommends,
“which means you’ll need to figure out which agencies administer the area you’re going to. This is usually easy to figure out from a map. If you don’t know what those agencies are, start educating yourself on our federal public land management agencies.”
No matter the chosen destination or objective, following Leave No Trace (LNT) practices is always best. LNT aims to protect the environment, wildlife and respect the experiences of fellow travelers by minimizing
impact. This principle is achieved through practices such as camping on durable surfaces, digging cat holes for solid waste and avoiding the creation of fire rings. Apart from being eyesores, fires built directly on the ground with no firepan or blanket can pose unnecessary risks.
“It’s a high alpine environment where the soil isn’t broken down,” explains Matt, “so even if a fire is put out on the surface, it can burn down old tree roots or a decaying log and pop up as hot spots a surprisingly far distance away.”
Principles of Leave No Trace: Respecting the Environment, Wildlife, and Others
Pl an and Prepare: Research regional recreational use regulations, plan for emergencies and meal prep for a successful trip.
Travel and Camp Responsibly: As often as possible, travel on established trails and camp on hard surfaces or already impacted sites.
Dispose of Waste Properly: Pack it in. Pack it out. Bury excrement at least 6 inches deep and 200 feet from any water source. Pack out used toilet paper. Use human waste disposal kits like Wag Bags in high-use areas.
Leave What You Find: Take only pictures, leave only footprints.
Minimize Campfire Impact: Use firepans or blankets and avoid fires during highdanger seasons.
Respect Wildlife: Don’t harass, approach or feed wildlife. Manage food and trash and put it where animals can’t get it.
Respect Others: Hopefully, this is selfexplanatory.
For more information, visit www.LNT.org
Once trip details have been ironed out, the weather has been checked, and the rules understood, the packing becomes the next focus. The expert advice is to shell out for the good stuff. “Buy gear from companies that specialize in that gear,” says Matt. “Buy backpacks from backpack companies like Osprey and get them fitted by someone who knows what they’re doing.”
Another benefit to spending more upfront is saving weight on your back, a quality especially important to fast packers like Maddie Miller. Maddie grew up in Ketchum and cut her teeth working for Sawtooth Mountain Guides before moving to Colorado. She continues to guide part-time for Pacific Mountain Guides based out of Washington. She succeeded in summiting the highest point in all 50 states in 41 days, 16 hours and 10 minutes, accompanied by mountaineer Melissa Arnot on each climb except Denali.
Maddie describes backcountry camping as “mountain naps” with minimal comforts. “I bring a bivy sack (a minimalist shelter that only qualifies as a tent in theory) and an
ultra-light sleeping bag, and I use my 30-liter backpack as a sleeping pad.”
Fastpacking is long-distance trail running, an activity in which bringing an inflatable pillow or a pair of earbuds is considered an excessive luxury. For Maddie, though, the utilitarian nature of fast packing and backpacking trips, in general, makes the endeavors so attractive. “There’s something really awesome about being completely selfsufficient,” she says. “It’s an opportunity to have everything you need and nothing more.”
The simplicity of foot travel is surprisingly calculated. It’s a world where eggs are dehydrated, toothbrushes are sawed in half, zip ties pass for first-aid equipment and duct tape’s value skyrockets. The wrong equipment will cost more than just dollars, and flaky trip planning can spell disaster. The trails themselves require enormous effort to create and maintain. People invest considerable time and energy to escape, venture farther, and carry the minimum.
“I rarely have more than a night or two anymore,” expresses Sara, “but if I have more time, I will go on big loops that get me
A p ack should never weigh more than 30 percent of your body weight, preferably less.
P ut heavier stuff at the bottom and close to your back.
Use loose, soft items like jackets and rain flies to fill empty spaces.
Have access to things you’ll want during the day, like the first-aid kit.
Hang as little as possible on the outside of the pack.
multiple nights away from the trailhead. I’m looking for silence away from other humans and to see the new country I haven’t been in yet that’s only accessible by foot.”
Backpacking allows nature’s allure to intertwine with human curiosity. It requires a balance of preparation and spontaneity, self-sufficiency, and respect. It is imperative to remember that every step taken can leave a lasting impact in our quest to be in untouched remoteness. By following expert advice and guidance and embracing simplicity, connection with and protection of majestic places can be achieved simultaneously. ï
When planning a backpacking trip with your dog, prioritize their safety and well-being. Start by asking yourself these questions:
What are the regulations and restrictions regarding dogs in the area I wish to visit? Some areas, especially in the wilderness, have leash requirements, and some do not allow dogs.
Is this trip suited to my dog’s abilities? Bringing an old or overweight dog into the backcountry could be inviting unnecessary risks.
Is it too hot to bring my dog? Dehydration and overheating can lead to serious health emergencies. Provide water, rest and shade as often as possible.
Is my dog trained? A reliable recall is essential training for off-leash travel. It protects the dog, the wildlife, and others on the trail.
Do I have the right equipment to keep my dog safe and comfortable? Luckily, many items we bring for ourselves can be used to help our furry friends, but it’s always smart to compile some specialty items just for them. Adjust your kit to meet your dog’s needs and follow the advice of your veterinarian.
Injuries affecting the airway, ability to breathe or creating excessive bleeding is an emergency requiring veterinary attention.
Tweezers : Handy for removing stuck grasses and seeds, insect stingers or ticks. Monitor your dog for behavioral changes or allergic reactions after a sting or bite. Some ticks carry diseases, and signs of exposure, like lethargy and swelling at the bite site, will show up within a week or so after the event.
Benadryl (diphenhydramine): Administer under veterinary guidance if you suspect an allergic reaction.
Dog-friendly bug spray: Do not spray your dog with DEET. Look for natural repellants like citronella.
Syringe, alcohol wipes and antibiotic ointment: For minor wound care.
Gauze pads
Vet tape: Find medical tape that will not stick to fur or hair. Vet tape is great for keeping bandages in place.
Hydrogen peroxide: Inducing vomiting should be done with discretion and only used after immediately ingesting a known non-corrosive substance.
Dog shoes: Protect your dog’s feet after injury. Have a size large enough to accommodate bandaging.
Muzzle: Good to have when your dog is stressed or injured.
Emergency carrier: Consider purchasing a dog sling carrier or evacuation bag.
There are many ways to take in the beauty of Sun Valley: by foot on our many hiking trails, by bike on some of the splendid single-track, or by boat on our famous rivers. But for those who want a different perspective, why not get the bird’seye view by trying paragliding?
Sun Valley, and particularly Bald Mountain, are known as some of the best paragliding territories in the country, with Baldy hosting many competitions over the years and being the site of many world records.
Though the word looks similar to parachuting and parasailing, paragliding is neither. Rather it is its own form of flight and
the smallest and lightest of wings a pilot can fly. It is essentially an airplane wing with no rigid frame attached and provides a silent, nonpolluting, pure form of flight. No jumping from a cliff or precipice is required; pilots use ski runs and mountain slopes as runways to launch the glider. In the right conditions, paragliders can soar for hours, maintain altitudes of thousands of feet above the ground, or cover distances of hundreds of miles.
Whether you’re looking to go on tandem flights off Baldy or get instructions on flying solo, Fly Sun Valley is the best game in town. The only fully insured and permitted paragliding operation of the Sun Valley Resort
(though they are their own autonomous business entity), Fly Sun Valley conducts flights off Baldy in cooperation with the Sun Valley Company (SVC) and through an exclusive commercial permit issued by the U.S. Forest Service.
Fly Sun Valley owner and operator Chuck Smith began flying paragliders in 1987 in Switzerland and helped form the American Paragliding Association. Smith is also a former factory test pilot for UP International and a former U.S. national champion with numerous flying awards. Smith first came to Sun Valley for a flying competition in 1991, a place he “only knew as one of the best flying sites in North America.” Shortly thereafter, he moved
to the area to start Sun Valley Paragliding with a friend. The long wait for a permit with the Forest Service prompted him to move to Aspen, Colo., where he lived and paraglided until returning to Sun Valley and starting Fly Sun Valley in 2000.
Fly Sun Valley is a one-stop paraglide shop with personalized coaching and instruction; guided international tours and travel; instruction for all levels of pilots, including specialized continuing education courses; retail sale of paragliding gear and equipment; and, of course, tandem flights.
For those who have never paraglided, tandem flights are the best way to try it out. People of all ages can fly—no experience required—in tandem gliders designed to accommodate you and your pilot.
For summer morning and evening flights (when the lifts aren’t open), Fly Sun Valley will take you to the top of Baldy in their company 4x4, and you’ll launch from the top.
In winter, or when lifts are in operation, SVC requires the use of chairlifts and the gondola. While in flight, covering the approximately 3,300 vertical feet from the summit to the base of Baldy, your pilot is equipped with GoPros on selfie sticks for optional photos at an extra fee. The whole experience, depending on the weather, takes about 1.5–3 hours, with flight time ranging from 15 minutes to an hour.
“Baldy is a great launch site with good logistics because it can accommodate flights in just about every wind direction,” says Smith. This means that Smith rarely has to cancel flights. Baldy also has tons of potential for flying distance and cross-country, though that’s not something Smith does commercially, though he and other paragliders in the community have been trying to get Sun Valley Company to embrace that potential.
Those staying at the Limelight Hotel can take advantage of paragliding flights and lodging packages between Fly Sun Valley and the Limelight. ï
SUN VALLEY HELI SKI
What: S cenic helicopter flights (winter only) orbiting around the Pioneer, Smoky, and Boulder Mountain ranges with lunch in the field (customizable). Guests can also opt for a morning helicopter ride to the top of Baldy’s Lookout Lodge from the Sun Valley Gun Club—then can ski the resort or fly back to the Gun Club. Cost is $2,500 for a group of up to four for a Scenic Flight; or $1,000-$1,200 for a group of four for a Lift to Baldy, plus a lift ticket or pass.
What: S cenic flights (year-round) or breakfast flights to backcountry lodges or airstrips not accessible by road. Available out of McCall, Sun Valley, Stanley or wherever your group decides. Cost: $600/hour
What: S cenic flights of the west-central mountains of Idaho, Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, Sawtooth Mountain Range, Hells Canyon Wilderness. And scenic breakfast flights to ranches.
‘‘Baldy is a great launch site with good logistics.”
—CHUCK SMITH, FLY SUN VALLEY
When Les Cameron works, the fingers and eyes and arms of generations of Camerons work alongside him. Many hands guide him, reaching back through the years, as he works punching, spreading, flaring, bending, twisting and molding the pieces of metal that make up his craft. It is something that can be felt, like the warming glow of a forge, within the walls of the 77-year-old workshop on Bellevue’s main street.
Les Cameron is a millwright and a welder, wielding the tools of his trade at 216 South Main Street in Bellevue at Wood River Welding. He has been a metal worker since as far back as he can remember. His father, Orville Cameron, was a blacksmith who started the business back in 1945 with his wife Opal and business partner Otis Disbennett, Sr. The original location was across the street in an old livery barn with wooden floors and walls. “You can imagine how difficult that was,” said Les. “They had to wet the floor down every night to stamp out any sparks.”
“The second year my father was in business, one of his best customers, Walt Stewart, said, ‘Why don’t you buy land, put up a building and act like you are going to stay,’” said Les. Stewart helped put up some of the money and that is exactly what Les’s father, Orville, did. A neighbor, Joe Shipman, was a stone mason and laid the block, and the main building and warehouse for Wood River Welding was built in 1946. The back building was added in 1978 and a side building and office was added in 1985.
“We only lived a block up the street, so I spent a lot of time in here as a kid, watching,” said Les, who learned his craft almost through osmosis. His father was a blacksmith and metal worker and his older brother, Ed, learned the trade in the Navy and then perfected his skill under the mentorship of his father. Les wanted to be a shop teacher and received his degree from the University of Idaho in industrial arts education, but got most of his knowledge from the college of agriculture and the mechanical
engineers. After graduating, he taught school for a year before getting a job dismantling the mill at the Minnie Moore Mine (also known as the Silver Star Queen) in Bellevue, before setting it up again in a tiny town near Council, Idaho—an experience he credits with teaching him how to find solutions in the field. After returning to Bellevue, Les worked in the family business with his parents and brother Ed, until Ed passed from mesothelioma in 2015. He now works with his nephew, Ed’s son Sam, and can still be found, at the age of 76, five days a week at the shop.
As Les walks the warehouse, he moves easily amongst the spirits of those before. Ranch brands are scattered across the massive wooden doors in testament to ranching families and land holdings that have come and gone, even as Wood River Welding remains standing. Hulking machines stand ready and sturdy everywhere in the warehouse. The first that Les lays his hands on is a C-frame open throat hydraulic press. “This one was built right here, on site, designed by Pete Johnson,” said Les, adding that Pete was a WWII veteran who was a self-taught engineer. “He got his G.E.D., learned how to weld in the Navy, then taught himself trigonometry and became one of the best in the business.”
This particular hydraulic press is very rare and might be one of the only one of its kind in the region. Keeping company with it are pipe threaders, milling machines, a coal-fired forge, a large and sturdy Summit drill press, two lathes, and drill bits, grinders, files, nozzles, hammers and power hammers, and saws of all shapes and sizes.
Les recounts the stories of each piece of equipment as if calling up the qualities of old family friends. And indeed they are. One lathe was bought at auction in 1969, an Italian-made beauty Les believes was made around 1958. Another one is a Summit lathe from Yugoslavia, a country that is no longer, even though the machine stands as brawny and solid as a linebacker, rotating and shaping metal workpieces right here in central Idaho.
WORDS LAURIE SAMMIS PHOTOS TIM FLOYD
Each piece of equipment has a story to tell. There are MIG (metal inert gas) welders, several acetylene torches, along with two portable, truck-mounted welders so that Les and Sam can work remotely on-site for customers. There is an Ellis VanSaw to make mitre cuts, a Scotsman Ironworker to help sheer iron and punch holes, and a beloved piece of equipment that Les introduces as the Faye Scot. Clearly, a dear old friend, Les describes the Faye Scot as a lathe picked up at auction by his father more than 35 years ago that probably dates to before 1900.
“It was designed to run off belts in a factory,” Les said. “They took the reverse gear out of a Model-A transmission, mounted the motor right on the machine and made a force feed to change the speed with the lever.”
Wood River Welding is what Les calls a ‘job shop’. “Basically, someone walks in the door with a metal job and we take a look and determine if
we can do the job,” Les said. It is work that requires knowledge of the craft combined with the mind to sift through the problem, studying and chewing on different options until finding a workable solution.
“It is becoming a thing of the past,” said Les, who adds that his older brother, Ed, had a good mind for it, figuring out ways to solve problems others couldn’t resolve. “One time, we even worked with Sun Valley Resort fixing a coupling issue tied to their diesel backup system for the big new chairlift,” recalled Les. “We fixed it and ended up working with the guy from Doppelmayr to complete the project.”
“Each job is different here. You always have to find a new solution to fix what is broken or not working,” said Les. “And that’s a good thing. It keeps it interesting.”
Les and his nephew, and his brother before him and his father before
both of them, have created brands for most of the ranches in the region (both his brother and father were excellent blacksmiths), fabricated machine parts and completed essential repair work on farm machinery, construction equipment, chairlifts, snowmaking equipment, engines, and, most recently, a lot of landscaping equipment, pipe and machinery.
Les even worked on creating a medieval sword for Lisle Dye, a Wood River High School student working on her senior project. True to form, Les wanted Lisle to have the full experience of metalworking and the history of welding. Viking warriors used welding techniques and archeologists have discovered iron tools and weapons from ancient
cultures like Egypt that have been dated as far back as 1000 B.C. Some of the oldest artifacts known to man were constructed using welding, with small circular boxes made with pressure-welded lap joints being traced as far back as the Bronze Age (3000 and 2000 B.C.).
“If you’re going to make a medieval sword, you need to use medieval tools,” Les instructed his senior project pupil. Using age-old techniques from thousands of years ago, Lisle spent more than 50 hours hammering and pounding and shaping the metal for her sword using an anvil and chisel.
“She was one of my hardest workers,” Les recalled. “Maybe she’ll have a future in the trade.”
Flourish means to thrive and prosper. It’s an appropriate name for the Flourish Foundation, whose mission is to support personal growth through self-awareness, community service and environmental stewardship.
Founded in 2010, Flourish Foundation facilitates programs that nurture life skills and transformation through ethics and values, meditation and experiential inquiry. The heart of their work focuses on revealing the human potential for leading a wise, moral and compassionate life.
As the Operations and Educational Programs Coordinator for the Flourish Foundation, Paige Redman sees how mindfulness can impact people’s lives. “Mindfulness has become such a ubiquitous term, but we define it for the elementary kids as paying attention to yourself, each other and the world around us with kindness,” states Paige. “We are helping kids realize their human potential to become co-creators of a kinder and wiser world by allowing them to connect with their innate wisdom and compassion.”
Flourish Foundation teaches the principles of mindfulness to children at all schools in the Sun Valley area. From October to May, Flourish facilitators visit more than 50 classrooms per week through the Mindful Awareness Program, offering a curriculum designed to teach children how to cultivate attention and become aware of their emotional lives. Paige finds that the half-hour visits to the classroom are helpful not only to the kids but to the teachers as well. Paige noted, “Often, our teachers are tasked with being experts in math, science, reading, classroom management and social-emotional learning. The Flourish curriculum allows them to explore the tenderness of their human experience and care for themselves so that they can ultimately care for all those around them.”
Ryan Redman, Paige’s husband of almost 19 years, started the nonprofit foundation. “With an increase of self-awareness, we’re able to have a choice for how we’d like to relate to the world around us,” said Ryan. Flourish’s programs and events are developed to cultivate human values such as kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, evenheartedness, an impartial sense of care toward others or the capacity to extend care to all living beings without bias or prejudice.
“What we say, think and do really impacts the world around us,” observed Ryan. “Happiness is a skill that can be nurtured within our own heart and mind.”
One of the many Flourish Foundation programs is Compassionate Leaders, an extracurricular program for high school juniors and seniors that meets weekly for deep discussions about our shared humanity and how to improve the world. An alumnus of the program, Amy Aranda, stated, “When I think of Flourish, I think of endless opportunities and doors being opened.”
Another program Flourish Foundation offers is the Environmental Stewardship Retreats, where middle and high school students explore their inner world through self-reflection in nature and give back to the surrounding environment by clearing trails in the backcountry. Many of these children have never been exposed to the beauty of nature or had an outdoor experience in the natural world.
In addition to working within the schools, Paige is a doula and offers courses in Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting (MBCP) to expectant adults. She is honored to be invited into that sacred space of bringing a new life into the world. She noted that mindfulness skills reduce stress and anxiety during pregnancy and pain during childbirth, enhance attunement between parents and their infants, and set the tone for conscious parenting.
Paige observed, “The greatest gift we can give another is attention.” Through MBCP, parents can learn to be more present and attuned to their child’s needs. “They need us to show up with love.” Paige continues to practice daily, raising her teenage children, Satya, 17, and Taj, 14. They are her greatest teachers! When asked how to have a mindful marriage, she advised those desiring a true loving partnership to have a “deep level of respect for each other. Don’t take each other for granted. Be kind. Grow together. Know it won’t last forever. Let go of the small things.”
In her role at Flourish, Paige is eager to get more people involved by helping in the classrooms as the work of Flourish is rapidly expanding in the Wood River Valley and beyond.
On September 8th and 9th, Flourish Foundation is offering a seminar for those in the community who want to learn more about Flourish’s school-based programs.
“We are transforming hearts and minds and helping children know themselves and how they can participate in creating a beautiful world,” affirmed Paige. “We’ve been supported by the generosity of so many people. I feel so grateful to be able to serve the community. I am beyond delighted and welcome continued support both financially and in other ways. Generosity permeates everything we do.” ï
‘‘Mindfulness has become such a ubiquitous term, but we define it for the elementary kids as paying attention to yourself, each other and the world around us with kindness.
—PAIGE REDMAN
Basic principles constitute adventure, knowing that there will be inherent risks, being willing to exert real effort, and accepting that there is no way to know how things will work out. Life is an adventure; no matter how afraid it makes us, we’re not meant to know what comes next. For Gerry Moffatt, the unknown makes life worth living to its fullest.
Gerry, 58, a world-class and celebrated kayaker, expedition guide and filmmaker hailing from Scotland, became enthralled by the intense freedom of whitewater kayaking from age 11.
At 18, he was invited to be the youngest British kayaking expedition team member to the Himalayas. The experience captured his spirit, and he never truly left. In 2016 he was honored to be named Nepal’s first international ambassador for adventure tourism. Gerry’s life story is marked by exceptional achievements like being the first person to descend all the major rivers in Nepal and Bhutan and summiting Everest twice. However, it’s not the physical accomplishments he wishes to focus on.
In 2013, Gerry, alongside his wife Pia Saengswang Moffatt, a strikingly intelligent person with over two decades of experience in the nonprofit world focusing on management, venture philanthropy, education, social entrepreneurship, and film, launched an organization called Thunder Dragons.
“The philosophy behind Thunder Dragons is helping people create a healthy relationship with the unknown,” explains Pia. “With that relationship unfolds all the things we are brave enough to do and actualize in our lives.”
Thunder Dragons was originally created as a medium for storytelling through live talks, written pieces and filmmaking. To mark turning 50, Gerry embarked on a solo motorbike journey spanning 108 days and over 4,000 miles revisiting the remote landscapes that had shaped his youth across Nepal, India, Tibet, Pakistan, and Bhutan. His trip is documented in the film “The Tenth Step,” about Gerry’s journey with sobriety. The compelling storytelling and Gerry’s candid vulnerability resonated with audiences. People also wanted to know how they could live authentic, adventurous lives. Thus, Thunder
Dragons launched an outdoor education program called Zen Masters based in Sun Valley.
Sun Valley has been Gerry’s home for 35 years. Initially attracted by the challenging whitewater of the Payette River, he stayed for the community he found. The multi-week Zen Masters experiential programs are designed to teach adults a “beginner’s mindset”—an approach that requires shedding all preconceived notions to make room for new skills and experiences obtained through whitewater kayaking, rafting and backcountry skiing. Gerry is quick to point out that Zen Masters is not based on the conventional guide-client dynamic. Instead, a student-teacher relationship is encouraged.
“They have to be vulnerable and put ego aside,” says Gerry, “It’s a lot to ask of egos that are established. I am honest with my students just as Mother Nature is honest with us all.”
Evidently, about 75% of Zen Masters participants, primarily Sun Valley residents, return to the program seeking to continue layering on skill level and open more adventurous doors. Some have even philanthropically contributed to Thunder Dragons’ next venture of bringing outdoor education to the youth of Nepal and Bhutan in collaboration with local partners there.
“I grew up with a strong outdoor education in Scotland, and it really affected me,” recalls Gerry, who envisions an environment where Nepalese youth similarly benefit from exposure to sustainable development concepts and obtain skill sets, allowing them to take part recreationally in their own rivers and mountains. Ideally, the program will run entirely locally within three to five years.
While Gerry started his career in the realm of physical extremes, he recognized that adventure isn’t confined to the external. True adventure encompasses changing careers or moving to a new place. It happens when we’re vulnerable and unafraid to make mistakes, and he worries our current society doesn’t allow for or encourage the principles of adventure, instead gravitating towards commercialized experiences with a guaranteed outcome. In such a society, Gerry Moffatt is a testament to the transformative power of embracing the unknown and encouraging personal growth by taking risks and making mistakes. Through his community outreach work, his legacy thrives, inspiring individuals worldwide to journey into their uncharted potential. ï
“If there ever was a truly beloved local who exudes the Sun Valley lifestyle, it’s Nappy Neaman. With his radiant smile, warm personality, cowboy hat and flip-flops, Nappy knows cool. He’s an eclectic, one-of-a-kind personality who is both down-to-earth and wild at heart at the same time. He traveled the world at a young age and has lived in the Wood River Valley for quite some time. He’s a ski mechanic, snowcat groomer, a mountain goat guide and the emcee at the Wagon Days Parade.
Suffice it to say Nappy has his hands in a lot.
And while he makes it look so easy to be calm, Nappy Neaman’s childhood dreams came true through hard work and determination.
Born Kevin John Michael Neaman, Nappy’s story is one of perseverance and a deep-rooted love for skiing that has stayed with him throughout his life. Despite growing up in a one-room apartment with his brother in a New Jersey ghetto in Union City, Nappy always had big dreams.
Nappy’s parents worked tirelessly to provide for their family in their small living quarters. But despite their financial hardships, Nappy’s father, Harold, a genuine East Coast blue-collar guy, always found a way to support his son’s passion for skiing.
The love of skiing was born after Nappy saw the 1964 Winter Olympics on television. When he was 12, he and his father would drive to the ski slopes every weekend, where Nappy would spend hours skiing while his father waited in the lodge.
Nappy Neaman’s journey to achievement was fateful. At just 17, Nappy was lured to Boulder, Colorado, to be the youngest ski rep in the United States when ski legend Dave Scott brought him to a little ski company called HEAD.
He spent the next 10 years traveling around the country as a demo rep, working on skis for ski racing events, and trained under the legendary Michel Arpin, who coached Jean-Claude Killy. The male mentors who played a heavy role in his life were hard-nosed, oldschool guys.
“I worked for some of the toughest guys in the ski business,” Nappy says. Dave Scott, Michel Arpin, Hank Talbert of HEAD Skis, Bob Beattie and eventually Denzel Rowland at Sun Valley Resort; these pioneers shaped and molded Nappy.
“[Dave Scott] is the one who took me out of the ghetto; that day changed my life. He’s my mentor,” Nappy adds. “Bob Beattie inspired me to work hard and do a good job. He was tough.”
Nappy eventually moved on to Sun Valley Resort in 1974, where he helped put on big ski races at Bald Mountain.
Under the stern tutelage of Rowland, Nappy then became a leader in the snowcat crew on Bald Mountain. He assisted in the high level of snow grooming that Sun Valley Resort has become renowned for.
“Denzel taught me a lot,” Nappy remembers. “He was really tough on me.”
In 1988, the meandering of Nappy’s life took him to the backcountry, and he fell in love with mountain goats and has since been devoted to guiding.
It started by helping a friend who was an established mountain goat guide. “I was taken worldwide because of mountain goats,” Nappy says. “I fell in love with the animal, and still to this day, it’s a passion.”
His mountain goat guiding has been featured in Sun Valley Guide and “Capturing The Valley—Observing the Mountain Goat,” a photo essay from local acclaimed outdoors photographer Jeffrey H Lubeck & MESH Art, to which Nappy was Lubeck’s guide.
Nappy then spent 27 years at Ketchum’s Elephant’s Perch before another fateful door opened. In 2013, he would notch emcee onto his resumé when he took over leading the Wagon Days Parade in Ketchum. On the day of the parade, the usual emcee of the event— Gary Stivers—went missing, and the show was about to go on.
“They needed someone to announce the parade, and I was the only one at the Perch, so they gave me a big book and off I went.”
Nappy’s passion for announcing the parade grew each year. He added good music and historical information to make the parade even better.
It was a testament to how one small act of kindness can become a lifelong fondness. Nappy will always be remembered as the best emcee at the Wagon Days Parade.
As for his nickname, that’s still a mystery. Not even his own daughter knows the roots of ‘Nappy.’ When he’s not in the mountains guiding mountain goat excursions, being the voice of Wagon Days or grooming that perfect Sun Valley corduroy, Nappy is comfortable right at home waiting for what life throws at him next. ï
Tucked next to the abrupt southern aspect of Dollar Mountain and in the shade of mature cottonwood trees growing next to Trail Creek sits a modern-contemporary home evoking the enduring imagery of Sun Valley itself. This unique property’s elements dictated the home’s design and build, presenting challenges during an unprecedented time. The project brought together a remarkable group of talented people to complete this structurally distinctive and comforting addition to a classic Sun Valley neighborhood.
The homeowners always knew they wanted to retire in Sun Valley; having visited since the mid-70s, they’ve grown attached to the active community and the ample opportunities to play in the mountains. They searched for the right property, ultimately falling for a modest plot near the heart of downtown Ketchum. The property sits near the historic McCoy Canal, hand dug in 1883 and that still feeds water to the iconic Reinheimer Ranch, running right through it. The canal sealed the deal, allowing the homeowners to realize the unique opportunity of designing a home over a water feature. They searched for an architect “without an
ego.” They found this qualification in Marc Corney and Jill Payette of Red Canoe P.A, whose work was cut out for them.
The property presented challenges other than the canal. It is in an avalanche zone, a riparian overlay and a 100-year floodplain zone. “The house could only go where it went,” explained Marc and Jill. “The constrained situation dictated what we could do. It was quite the puzzle.”
With the skilled involvement of several structural engineers, and sitespecific studies, it took over a year to gain all necessary information before planning the eventual 3,800-square-foot residence could begin. Ultimately, the foundation was raised, and the avalanche impact zones of the house were appropriately reinforced and unnoticeable. The only indicators are two windows in the first-floor master bedroom made of specialty impact glass.
The homeowners first envisioned the project as a vacation home. They shared a rental where they would eventually retire, but then COVID altered their plans as it did for everyone. With the option of spending more time where they pleased, the home’s design changed to accommodate a full-time family lifestyle. The combined non-egotistical chemistry of Red Canoe and the clean, inviting style of Jennifer Hoey from Suede Studio filtered through and lent insights to the actualizing talents of Lloyd Construction. Together they produced an effortless unrestricted flow to the four bedrooms and three-and-a-half-bathroom house that simultaneously kindles feelings of warmth and coziness.
ARCHITECT
RED CANOE
BUILDER
LLOYD CONSTRUCTION
INTERIOR DESIGN
SUEDE STUDIO
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
GARDENSPACE DESIGN - DEAN HERNANDEZ
As Toni Damalas, general manager at Lloyd Construction, eloquently notes, “It feels like the house is giving you a hug no matter where you are in it. There are no cold corners. Every edge is warm and texturized.”
The clean yet lived-in element is achieved through the open floor plan, the placement of soft angles and large windows, and the employment of naturally minimalistic materials. Exposed, distressed beams are spaced along the ceilings, and the floors are reclaimed wood, as is much of the exterior. Centered in the main living area is a staircase that surrounds the Montana moss rock fireplace. Lichen clings to some of the rock, and if one knows where to look, they’ll find an intact bird’s nest still nestled in one rock’s depression.
The homeowners wanted nature’s organized simplicity to be felt inside and outside the house. A beautiful windowencased bridge does walk over the McCoy Canal. However, mysteriously, the water that normally flows over ninety days a year has run dry this summer—a disappointment that the homeowners and neighbors alike hope to rectify with the city’s
help or by redesign. Regardless, a special piece of Ketchum trails highlights the home’s backyard. Part of an Adams Gulch bridge provides passage over the canal, as the Ketchum trail crews were removing bridges. They now bring another uniquely Sun Valley element into the home through a series of fortunate events and creative donations. Although they may not last as long as if made with new materials, that’s hardly the point.
Happily, highlighted by all involved was the unpretentious communication and seamless cooperation between each contributor at every development phase.
“As a team, we enjoyed the process,” reminisced Payette. “Everybody was happy with the outcome.”
The outcome was simple, functional elegance resulting from working with the landscape and not against it, professional details that transformed a challenging property into something exceptional, and creative and patient construction and material sourcing problem-solving. The home on Snowbrush Lane is a true local accomplishment. ï
This page (top): The warm glow of glass pendants and sconces, carefully selected according to Suede Studio’s lighting plan, work seamlessless with the reclaimed wood beams, neutral handmade glazed tile and earthy elements of the home.
Opposite page: A window bridge spanning the McCoy Canal works to incorporate the beautiful outdoor Idaho landscape into the passageways of the home.
THE DETAILS
LIGHTING
SUEDE STUDIO
WINDOWS
VIEWPOINT WINDOWS & SIERRA
PACIFIC DOORS
CABINETRY
TAYLOR WOODWORKS
FLOORING
RECLAIMED OAK - STROMBERG MOORE
TILE
KSR TILE
WOODWORKING
LLOYD CONSTRUCTION
PAINTING
ARCHIVE FURNISHING
HARDWARE
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HARDWARE
SIDING
BARNWOOD, RECLAIMED
ROOFING
MILEY ROOFING
Situated on 2.38 acres overlooking a stunning, picturesque lake surrounded by iconic Sun Valley mountain views, the Golden Eagle home combines mountain rustic style with refined, elevated farmhouse interiors to create a space that’s cozy, comfortable, and meant to be enjoyed by all who step inside.
For the owners, one of the keys to the project was the incredible team that came together to bring it to life, stone by stone and beam by beam. To them, the group—led by architect Floyd Town, constructions operations manager Josh Glick and general manager Shane Lago at Bashista Construction, and interior designer Kim Anderson of Arcadia Design Group in Phoenix—was the dream team.
“We kept calling them the dream team,” the owners say. “I cannot speak highly enough of them all. There was such chemistry and communication, and there were really no egos; it wasn’t like anyone was stepping on anyone’s toes. Everyone was just ground in, ‘Okay, we have this nice open palette, and it’s just a beautiful place,’ and everyone created it together.”
The result was the perfect culmination of the owners’ vision and the team’s skillset.
“The collaboration between the builder, architect,
designer, and owners was a key feature in this,” Josh Glick says. “Everybody worked well together, and a lot of good ideas were put on the table, and we all talked about what worked best in each space. That collaboration was a big part of this project, and it shows.”
That fine-tuned collaboration is echoed in the owners’ love of the space.
“A lot of times, when you buy a home or build a home, people always ask what you would have done differently,” the owners say. “My husband and I literally say we would not change a single minute detail.”
The space is a single-story, 4,883-square-foot home featuring five bedrooms and five-and-a-half baths and a three-car garage with ample storage. The exterior was expertly designed to interact with the landscape and provide incredible views from all angles. Floyd Town opted for reclaimed siding and beams with stone veneers. They used a “cold out” technique to achieve the cooler tones of the stone, giving it a beautiful, cool visual look that complements the lush surroundings.
“We picked the stone, and then we picked certain colors within the stone palettes,” Josh says. “We opted not to use the orange color, and we wanted to cold out certain colors to
get a look that really flowed with the reclaimed materials, windows, and the colors of the house.”
The orientation of the home was meant to focus on the water views. “We worked with the landscape architect and Floyd to maximize the frontage view of the pond and the down-valley views, with a little bit of the mouth of East Fork off to your left,” Glick says.
Inside, the great room, main bedroom, and key spaces all offer stunning views of the lake and surroundings.
“We wanted to take advantage of the view of the lake and the mountains beyond,” Floyd explains. “When we enter the home, the great room’s large windows overlook the lake and mountains beyond.”
The home exudes comfort and a welcoming atmosphere. A stone fireplace radiates warmth and coziness, and reclaimed wood cabinetry inside the kitchen, anchored by an abstract charcoal backsplash and exposed beams on the ceiling, showcases the attention to detail.
The family all loves accessing the Sun Valley outdoor recreation, and perfectly designed a ski room with individual ski lockers and an adjoining laundry room, to start and end the day with organized intention.
“This house has a real sense of comfort,” Josh says. “It is not a house that you walk in, and it has glitzy written all over it. It is subtle, with very nice finishes, and it is inviting to want to be in.”
As you walk in, a simple and thoughtfully designed wine room houses their favorite vintages. Past the great room, there is a bar for entertaining
and a billiard room to close out the night.
The main bedroom has an walk-in bathroom, and down the hall, three identical guest rooms and a bunk room for future grandchildren are the perfect spaces to rest, relax, and gather.
“It was designed for function more than form,” Glick says. “There was a lot of thought put in each space, and it all is very usable and flows well.”
The owners leaned on Kim Anderson’s expertise for interiors and used cool tones in neutrals with subtle unique accents like exciting backsplash or striking light fixtures.
Whether it’s just the two of them relaxing in the living room or cooking dinner, the refined farmhouse décor offers a beautiful combination of exposed wood beams with black granite countertops and plush chairs, and a variety of textures
throughout. Each space is an invitation to sit and relax.
“We wanted the kitchen, dining, and family room to all connect,” the owners said. “We want the people in the kitchen to be part of everything and have the space feel intimate. It is intimate to the point that when it is just my husband and me, we feel like we are living in a 1,500-square-foot house. But when people are here, we can expand. All the doors, the living room doors, the kitchen doors, open to bring the spaces together.”
While the owners are looking forward to a packed home at the holidays and hoping for busy grandchildren in the future, for now, they are thrilled to sit and look out at the surrounding lake and take in the beauty that surrounds them, both the landscape and their home. ï
Opposite page: Custom-made reclaimed wood barn doors lead into the billiars room, which features linen-fabric walls for a softer effect. The master bath (below) features an onyx tub and the bunk room highlights functional custom-made bunk beds to accommodate a full house.
THE DETAILS
WINDOWS
VIEWPOINT & SIERRA PACIFIC
DOORS
VIEWPOINT
CABINETRY
KETCHUM CUSTON
FLOORING
OAK 8” PLANK FROM STROMBERG MOORE
SIDING
RECLAIMED LUMBER FROM MONTANA ROOFING
BRAD BAKER
PROFESSIONAL ROOFING
INTERIOR DESIGN ONYX & OAK B UILDER SAWTOOTH CONSTRUCTION
STYLIST JULIA SULLIVAN A FTER PHOTOS
JOSHUA WELLSFinding creative solutions to update a traditional Ketchum log home built in the ‘80s is no easy task, espcially when it involves keeping the integrity of the exposed log-supporting beams and structure intact. The team at Onyx & Oak Interior Design, combined with builders Sawtooth Construction, carefully and meticulously took on the project—and the end result was well worth the care and collaboration it took to preserve the original structure while updating the interiors and flow for how the family would be using it today.
“This family home offered us great bones, beautifully vaulted ceilings, and a perfect loft space for the kids with all the rustic charm we could ask for,” says Kristin Losey, co-owner of Onyx and Oak Interior Design. “We aimed to modernize this ‘80s log cabin while still maintaining the look and feel of a mountain home.
“The first step was to tone down the ‘orange’ logs with a rich yet neutral wood stain. Then layering checks, plaids, and stripes with soft blues and warm greys helped achieve the cabin’s welcoming feeling. At the same time, updating the kitchen finishes and lighting throughout balanced the overall design. It’s modern mountain living at its finest.” ï
before after
The professionalism and success of Ellis Interior Design, which recently rebranded from Elizabeth Ellis Interior Design, makes it a company to take note of. In just two years, their determination to shake up the local interior design scene with their approachability, efficiency, and collaboration, has resulted in winning Gold in the Best of the Valley Awards. Owner and Lead Designer, Elizabeth Ellis is both humbled and thrilled with the backing they’ve received in the valley.
Consider your favorite restaurant: you don’t love it simply because the food is stunning. You love the skillful execution, timely service, great pairings, friendly staff, and pleasant ambiance— the whole experience is wonderful.
Similarly, in delivering gorgeous interiors, we ensure you are thrilled during the entire journey. Tell us what you’d like, and we will deliver it in expert fashion—respecting your time, budget, and taste. And if you’re not quite sure or can’t envision something, our photorealistic imagery removes any doubt. Want to walk around your new space before it’s built? Join us in the office for a ‘Vino & VR’ session, where we enjoy an immersive virtual reality tour of your home in a relaxed environment. It’s all a standard part of the service, and the results are incredible!
208-721-8597
www.ellisid.com
“Working with Elizabeth has been a breeze. My client lives out of town, and projects used to stagnate because decisions needed to be made when they were physically at the house. Now, because of Elizabeth’s renderings, documentation, and communication, the client can make design decisions remotely - quickly and accurately. We can execute remodel projects with 100% confidence in the project’s outcome.”
- Taylor Sundali, BWR Management.All the wood was stripped of the “orange” stain and refinished in a rich brown that updated the space and provided the backdrop for a color palette of creams, blues and grays, with pops of color. A Four Hands bench and Loloi area rug bring warmth and functionality to the entry (right), offering a convenient place to shed boots, hats or gloves. Hooks from School House provide ample space for outerwear and throw pillows from Shoppe Amber and My House add color, texture and whimsy.
The space under the stairs was converted to a convenient bar (left and far left) upgraded and modernized with beautiful bronze pulls from Rocky Mountain Hardware, a floating shelf for glassware from Blue Pheasant and a pouf from My House.
351 N. Leadville, Suite 204
Ketchum, ID 83340
208-214-5155
www.farmerpaynearchitects.com
With a solid understanding that designs are better realized when a team of creators, users, planners, and builders contribute, Farmer Payne Architects prides itself on forging enduring relationships. These relationships fuel the diligent craftsmanship necessary to realize our clients’ dreams and goals. We’re a collective of passionate professionals who enjoy the collaborative process, whether with our clients or our consultants.
We create forms that connect to the natural world and that enrich the lives and experiences of our clients and their audiences. Our building materials are selected for their beauty, to best serve the project, and to tell the story of where you live. The fundamentals of design guide our approach, while quality, simplicity, and collaboration compose our values. We are rooted in the belief that great architecture is produced by individuality and collaboration, and we are always eager to expand out personal and professional boundaries.
The boutique size of Farmer Payne Architects allows us to engage each member of our team with every project. This not only brings a distinct thoughtfulness to every project but also allows us to apply different materials and building methods for the best possible solutions. We rigorously apply the design process through every inch of every project. Our diverse experiences allow us to reflect on and combine all the crucial design elements required for outstandingly well made structures.
Enhancing relationships through architecture is what drives each stroke of the pencil. We look forward to exploring your project, the inherent challenges and finding the inspired solutions.
Pacific Palisades, CA
310-804-4643
onyxandoakinteriors.com
@onyxandoakinteriordesign
Seamlessly integrate your natural surroundings and modern luxury with Onyx & Oak Interior Design.
Drawing from over 20 years of combined experience, co-founders Kristin Losey and Felicia Bushman blend knowledge and innovation to curate remarkable interiors.
With various projects spanning coast to coast, we take pride in creating timeless retreats of comfort and sophistication. Our boutique team of designers provides a personalized journey, guiding you at every step to ensure the final creation is visually stunning and feels like home in every sense.
Whether it’s a vacation property or your forever home, we understand that each project presents its individual challenges, which is why we offer full-scale project planning. From premium material and furniture selections to the final installation, we produce luxury homes that stand the test of time and work for our clients personally.
Elevate your living experience with us at Onxy & Oak Interior Design, where we approach every project with a unique perspective and design homes that help you live and feel your best.
“Sun Valley is the best. We love this house so much because of YOU GUYS. Makes me so happy.”
-Homeowner
The sought-after reclaimed or repurposed barn wood look is highly valued in many design-build projects in the Rocky Mountain West. However, working with reclaimed wood and boards presents unique challenges for builders to consider, including varying widths, thicknesses, the presence of residual lead paints, knots or nails. These unique features may require additional on-site attention during installation or necessitate careful selection to ensure optimal use of the material.
Architects, builders and homeowners now have options through prefinished wood products that are brushed, sawn or distressed to look like authentic reclaimed wood for exterior siding, fascia, trim, paneling, decking or flooring. Montana Timber Products, located right outside Boise (with a new manufacturing facility opening Fall 2023 at 2618 S Kcid Rd. in Caldwell, Idaho), uses specialty sawmills and artisan finishes to produce renewable, pre-finished natural wood products that are hand-crafted to mimic authentic reclaimed lumber—but with the performance capabilities of new wood.
A leader in their field, Montana Timber Products (MTP) is committed to environmentally friendly harvesting and works with small sawmills to support proper forest stewardship
and to ensure they create a sustainable product. Woods are kiln-dried and their proprietary pre-finishing steps create rich color variation and weathered character through wire-brushed, circle-sawn, raked or distressed finishes.
Born in the Rocky Mountain West, the company is dedicated to creating a superior product with the look of reclaimed wood, and they can customize any look and finish, often working with architects and homeowners to create custom colors and textures for their unique project. MTP recycles all by-products, including the sawdust from their production plant, and even offers a line of fire protection treatments such as Fireline™, an all-natural solution which exceeds Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) standards. All products are pre-finished using their eco-friendly SEAL-ONCE™ coating, which prevents water penetration while adding enhanced UV protection. All of these are enhanced benefits homeowners, architecs, and builders, alike, are sure to appreciate.
And if your project absolutely requires reclaimed wood, MTP’s Corral Board product line offers sustainable reclaimed wood, handselected from fences collected from only the most authentic and richly charactered ranches of the West. ï
Realeased in the Fall of 2023, DeReus Architects’ newest publication “ Sanctuary: Homes and Resorts ” showcases the awardwinning firm’s latest projects. This monograph, published by ORO editions, unveils sixteen homes and resorts scattered across diverse locations, from Hawaii to Mexico and the Pacific Northwest. Essays by Mark de Reus and Joseph Giovannini explore the interplay of nature and craft and how the spirit of a location influences their design.
“A well-crafted sanctuary offers more than refuge and shelter from the chaos of the world,” de Reus explains in this ode to the architectural pursuit of timeless style. “It is a personal monastery where the mind unwinds and recharges. It is where we tend to be ourselves, and where we unearth creative inspiration. It is, by definition, a sacred place— somewhere life can be supported and nurtured, where the human soul can thrive.” — By Carolyn.French
The look of reclaimed wood is all the rageJennifer Hoey Founder
Suede Studio, formerly Jennifer Hoey Interior Design, is a forward thinking, highly talented design team led by Jennifer Hoey, ASID. With locations in Ketchum, Idaho and Bozeman, Montana, Suede Studio works with clients throughout the Mountain West. Our team addresses every detail of our projects from start to finish with efficiency and precision, while maintaining oversight of the big picture—and we’re not afraid to have a little fun while we’re at it.
At Suede Studio we work to achieve harmony between contrasts—a blend of modern and traditional styles, the juxtaposition of rustic and refined materials, innovative creativity with attention to budgets and schedules. From the ground up, we create spaces unique to each of our clients’ personalities and lifestyles. Every project is personal to us. Our passion for the spaces we design shows in the details.
Our recent name change was inspired by Suede’s properties which reflect many of our values and our style. Soft and strong, suede changes with the touch, revealing depth and movement. A material that finds roots in our home base - the west - it is both edgy and classic, luxurious and practical.
We value creative collaboration. As a team, we work together, feeding off each other’s creativity in a social, playful environment. Over the past 20 years, we’ve also had the privilege of fostering strong relationships with some of the most talented professionals in our field—from architects, contractors, and builders to craftspeople, artisans, and landscape designers. Together, we turn visions into reality.
www.suedestudio.com
Sun Valley Magazine has been delivering national award-winning publications for 50 years and has the largest requested circulation of any magazine in the area, period! We are the only magazine in our market with both local and national distribution. Aligning your brand and business with Sun Valley Magazine will ensure that you stay top of mind among this coveted audience—we are an influencer in the Sun Valley market!
Since 1973, Sun Valley Magazine has remained the trusted resource for passionate residents and curious newcomers. We continue to deliver the most sought-after demographics in the state of Idaho:
SB Architects released their forthcoming design approach for Sunshine Townhomes—an upscale residential development located in Elkhorn Village, a few miles from Sun Valley. In Partnership with Timberline Real Estate Partners, the Austin-based development firm is set to build 42 contemporary units over the 4.5 acre space, promising mountain luxury in their highly anticipated housing project.
Design plans will preserve the cozy, ski-town vernacular often associated with architectural charm of the Sun Valley area. Spanning three stories, the units will offer a range of two to five bedrooms, combining elements of steel, stone, and wood to create a warm and rustic, organic palette. With the intention of catering to a diverse buyer pool of mountain town residents, six unique styles will be offered within the fourteen building structures.
Half of the new-home exteriors will feature material pallets of Redwood and Cedar sidings, while the other half will combine gunmetal, gray metal panels, and honey-colored wood siding to showcase the desired mountain living appeal. Sophisticated finishes and state-of-the-art appliances will grace the interiors while stoneclad chimneys will line the tops of the townhomes, completing the rustic elegance of these welcoming mountain modern homes.
“It was important for our contemporary design to reflect the sophisticated, well-traveled lifestyle of discerning homebuyers, and we hope the bold forms and rooflines, elegant finishes, and open layouts provide the perfect backdrop for them to experience the small-town charm and adventurous spirit of Sun Valley,” said SB Architects Vice President and Associate Principal David Rychlowski.
Each townhome will additionally offer the spectacular view of the Pioneer Mountains to the east. Taking into consideration the sloping building site, Timberline plans to build so that the range can be viewed from each of the fourteen buildings while maintaining a tall interior infostructure. Low, flat roofs will maximize the view of the mountains, and homes will feature expansive glass windows to create a sense of indoor/outdoor living.
“We are honored to work on a project that aligns so well with the tranquil, natural surroundings,” Rychlowski said. “Buyers seeking a relaxed yet sophisticated lifestyle in Sun Valley will discover it in this residential community.”
Sunshine Townhomes will offer new opportunities to the adventureseekers that so often flock to this mountainous oasis. The homes to come will be a place of modern comfort for our beloved town’s growing population. ï
BY LAURIE SAMMIS
Cindy Kirk, the creative force behind Cindy Kirk Designs, is open, welcoming, stylish, laser-focused, and ever-so-humble. This last detail may be surprising given the fact that her timeless collection of handmade leather handbags is sold nationally and can be found in the arms of fashionable women from San Francisco and Manhattan to Paris and Milan.
Recognizable by the cross stitching and hand-beaded detail that distinguishes every bag, each Cindy Kirk bag is functional and practical in design. “My bags are meant to be used and will develop a rich patina over time,” says Kirk. This only enhances the value of each piece.
As functional as they are beautiful, each CK Bag (as known to devoted followers) is handmade right here in Sun Valley, Idaho, and Kirk employs a practice of zero waste, using cutting scraps to create her popular line of accessories (clutches, wallets, etc.) and a
recently launched line of hand-stitched leather belts, and donating the rest to local schools for craft and art projects.
A seamstress by trade, one of Kirk’s first business ventures was Silverlining, a custom children’s clothing line sold regionally. But it wasn’t until Kirk searched for a timeless, simple and functional women’s handbag that she dove into leather goods. “Necessity is the mother of all invention,” Kirk says from her studio in Starweather. “I couldn’t find a bag that wasn’t covered with brand logos, and that had both style and function … so I finally just made my own.”
Kirk hadn’t set out to launch another business, but when she carried her new bag to a ladies’ luncheon at Cristina’s Restaurant (now AROMA restaurant) sometime around 2007, the women in attendance went mad over the style and functionality. After Kirk admitted that she had handstitched it herself, the women begged her to make them
one—and Kirk’s signature bag, “The Cindy” (featuring a timeless silhouette, hidden magnet closure and functional exterior and interior pockets), was launched!
The rest is history, and Kirk now has more than 30 custom handbag designs that she rotates through her collection, handmade in both classic and fashion-forward palettes of fine Italian and European leathers and featuring hand stitching and beading, and custom hand-dyed zipper details on her newest line of bags for added functionality.
“To this day, I am dedicated to following my passion: designing the perfect handbag, one that has a beautiful balance of shape, detail, leather, texture, and utility,” says Kirk. Akin to the vision of the founder, the Cindy Kirk customer is a quietly confident woman. She isn’t defined by brand labels and has a timeless style … but she isn’t afraid to carry a bag as a fashion statement! ï
1786 E. State Street
Eagle, ID 83616
208.793.0007 x700
www.woodlab.co
WoodLab is a local team of artisans that handcrafts heirloom-quality custom furniture, art and home goods in our Eagle, Idaho woodshop. In an age of fast fashion and one-day shipping, our process is more deliberate and lasting. Our ethos is “tree to table sustainable,” meaning that from the sourcing of our urban rescued hardwoods to the eco-friendly epoxy and finishes we use, the end product reflects a high standard of caretaking for the earth and quality for our clients. Each piece is handcrafted and is literally one-of-a-kind.
We became nationally recognized for some first-ever projects such as: a modern wood and epoxy spiral staircase in a local Parade home; nationally recognized wood and resin art projects; high-tech customizable light shows within our tables and art; and some very large epoxy pours, including a recent 58-foot board room table for an Indian Council in California. But what we love most is the relationship we have with our clients and collaborators. As David Gosse, co-founder reflects, “Whether we’re working with a local client whose home is just down the street or a custom build in Hawaii, we genuinely appreciate the inspiring ideas, exacting specifications and appreciation of the arts that our clients bring. Our collaborative makers also regularly inspire us with thoughtful artistic, logistical, and mechanical solutions that breathe new life into our projects. I’m grateful every single day for the supportive and creative people we get to work with.”
We also appreciate our valued retailers like locally beloved Ketchum Kitchens, which carries our charcuterie boards. Stop by our showroom if you are in the Boise area; we would love to visit with you. We carry a curated selection of boards, tables, desks and art ready to take home and enjoy today.
In the realm of outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers, few experiences are as gratifying as a successful day of fishing. For avid fishermen looking for quality, unique products, Snake River Net Company’s handcrafted nets and fly boxes are made with care and attention to detail that only a lifelong fisherman could instill. Mike Avery and his wife Bonita own and are the sole creators at Snake River Net Company. Mike is lucky to design, hand carve the nets and maintain the company warehouse. Bonita does “all the computer stuff” and juries for shows. Between the two of them, everything that the company sells is created in-house, even the screenprinted T-shirts!
The Averys are sticklers for quality. Mike wants his customers to come directly to him for concerns and lives by the mentality that constantly improving and learning is part of life. With nets taking up to three days to make and made of hand-chosen wood, these products are the epitome of intentional. The company creates six styles of nets named after “places I like to fish,” says Mike. The length of the handle, depth of the bag, bag material, color, and design are all hand tailored to the area and fish they’re meant for. Each net has a way to measure fish to find the actual length of the fish instead of the “fisherman’s length.”
Mike’s net bags are made of PVC, a fish-friendly material, which is better for catching and releasing fish and keeping hooks from being caught. Another important distinction of these nets is the finish. Mike had the idea to use tung oil after other nets he owned would chip or wear down. Since sometimes the finish is unknown, he had to sand the entire net down to match. Mike also makes the hoop small enough to not get caught on the brush when carrying, large and flat enough to get under fish, and deep enough that fish won’t flop out of designs specific to each river the nets are made for. Each net is made from either maple, walnut, or cherry; Mike also inlays some nets with exotic woods like Lacewood, Chechen, and Bubinga. Like most elements of these nets, he prioritizes function and style. The wood is inlaid to be as strong as possible while still visually appealing. “What my stuff is, in my opinion, is functional art. It’s a nice tool with a lot of thought behind it that looks nice, and I hope people are proud of using,” he says.
Every Snake River net is a testament to this remarkable company’s passion, dedication, and craftsmanship, inviting anglers to embark on unforgettable journeys with the utmost confidence in their gear. ï
Hang your net up after a trip.
Keep the net out of direct sunlight when storing it. UV breaks down the net bags.
Once or twice a year, oil a rag, wipe the net down with tung oil, and then wipe it off to restore the finish.
Take a kid out fishing. Someone took time to take you fishing, so you need to “pay it forward” and do the same.
If you’re going to carry a fishing net, you need to make it easily accessible and tethered to you. If you need both hands, that net is still tethered.
Don’t ever take your waders and stuff them in a bag with your net.
Don’t forget your net! (Yes, it even happens to net craftsmen).
Don’t drag a fish on the bank.
Use barbless hooks for catch and release.
If you are going to handle the fish, make sure to wet your hands first.
If taking a “grip and grin” picture, hold your breath from when you take the fish out of the water and put the fish back in when you need to breathe.
The quality could not be better
Driving down Main Street Hailey, it’s hard to miss the iconic Liberty Theatre and its grand marquee. But that marquee has been empty for the last couple of years, with no new plays or performances. After the pandemic and the dissolution of the Liberty’s theatre group, Company of Fools, the building has gone through a bit of an identity crisis. Until this year, when a local realtor bought the theater to give the building new life.
The original Liberty Theatre was built in the 1900s across the street from the present-day theater, built in 1938 on an outdoor skating rink site. After changing hands over the next several decades, Bruce Willis and Demi Moore purchased the theater in 1994. Shortly after, Willis attended a Company of Fools (CoF) production in Richmond, Virginia, the home of the then-two-year-old theatre company. Afterward, Willis talked to CoF founder and friend Denise Simone about his new theater and whether she’d be interested in using it for her company.
Despite knowing next to nothing about the area, Simone and CoF co-founder Rusty Wilson (the other CoF founders are John Glenn, Robert Throckmorton, and Joel Vilinsky) relocated to Hailey, intent on continuing the Company’s work. Their inaugural production was an adaptation of Nikolai Gogol’s Diary of a Madman, put together on a shoestring budget, with costumes from the Barkin’ Basement, and performed for over 30 people over two nights at $5 a ticket.
When Simone and Wilson arrived, the Liberty still showed movies and play productions had to work around the movie schedule. As the years went on, and Bigwood 4 Cinemas opened, the Liberty phased out movies, and CoF took over operations and designed the stage for live performances, adding lights and sound production.
As the area continued to change and the North Valley showed its support for the high-caliber productions put on at the Liberty, the CoF worked with local businesses, became members of local boards, and was active in the community. “The Liberty has always been such a beloved building in the Valley, and part of our mission was to be a good neighbor,” says Simone.
R.L. Rowsey, a core company artist who moved from Richmond in 2000 with his husband, deceased CoF founding member John Glenn, adds, “I think a good arts organization changes as its community changes. The expansion of the variety of restaurants in Hailey was big in changing the way people moved up and down the Valley for things that interested them.”
In addition to CoF plays, the Liberty occasionally rented out for other events, like The Second City comedy troupe or the two times
Liberty Theatre Company performances are currently taking place upstairs at The Mint.
Chicago: October 4–29, 2023
24-Hour Theatre Festival: November 5, 2023
Hammond Castle: December 15–17, 2023
Disgraced: February 15–March 3, 2024
that Robin Williams wanted to try out his new acts. “All along the way, I know that the artistic leadership of CoF tried to keep its finger on the pulse of the community, trying to find ways to help the community find its voice through the arts,” says Rowsey.
In 2013 CoF joined the Sun Valley Center for the Arts (SVCA), now the Sun Valley Museum of Art (SVMoA), and in 2016 Willis and Moore donated the theatre to the SVCA. During COVID, the theater sadly went dark, and the CoF disbanded, leaving the future of the Liberty and live theatre in Hailey up in the air.
“I think it was a beautiful example of how arts organizations work in partnership to lift the community and how it becomes a space where neighbors and tourists can come and experience that beautiful and rare place that the Wood River Valley is,” says Simone, who left CoF in 2016. “We were lucky to call it our theatrical home for so many years.”
In late 2020 the CoF and SVMOA mutually agreed to become two independent arts organizations. Two task forces were formed to help determine the future of the CoF, which ultimately decided to carry on the company’s legacy by forming a new performing arts organization under new leadership and a new
1900s: The original Liberty Theatre was built across the street from the current location
1917: Silent movies brought to Hailey and shown at the Liberty
1938: Present-day Liberty was built on the site of an outdoor ice-skating rink by Jack Rutter
1971: Sun Valley Center for the Arts is formed
1973: Liberty is sold
1992: Company of Fools is formed in Richmond, Virginia
mission: the Liberty Theatre Company (LTC).
The LTC is currently run by interim artistic director Naomi McDougall Jones, who first visited Sun Valley as the first writer and resident at the Hemingway House and fell in love with the area. “I was living in New York City and really tired of it, so I was constantly having this conversation with myself of, how can I keep making great art and live in this remote place in Idaho?” says McDougall Jones. “I went to go see one of the last shows the CoF did and was so blown away by the caliber of theater being produced in this small place in Idaho.”
McDougall Jones and her husband relocated to Sun Valley, where she became involved in the local theater community and heard that the LTC was looking for an artistic director. She decided to take on the role for a year to help the company on the next part of its journey and to find an artistic director to take over. “I deeply believe in having a world-class theater group here and wanted to be part of that continuing.”
Many members of the CoF have transferred over to the LTC, including Rowsey, who works with them on specific projects, including doing the musical directing for Chicago this fall.
Part of the LTC’s journey has been finding a home for productions. In 2021 SVMoA offered to give the building to the LTC, but after raising money for repairs after a year and a half
1994:
1996: Company of Fools relocates from Virginia to reside at the Liberty
2013: Company of Fools joins Sun Valley Center for the Arts
2016: Bruce Willis and Demi Moore donate theatre to the SVCA
2023: Sun Valley Museum of Art (formerly SVCA) sells Liberty to Logan Frederickson
of fundraising, the company elected to walk away from the offer when they couldn’t raise money for an endowment fund for ongoing maintenance. SVMoA also offered the building to the City of Hailey and discussed possible solutions with local nonprofits, but ultimately the Liberty Theatre returned to the open market.
In May 2023, the theater was purchased by local Windermere Realtor Logan Frederickson, an Idaho local who moved to the area in 2012. Frederickson’s reasons for purchasing the theater are less sentimental (his only experience at the theater was a Homegrown Film Festival) but more focused on the future, specifically bringing back movies and putting on live theater and music.
Currently, the 212-seat theater lacks sound production and lighting and needs some sprucing up before it can reopen. Frederickson also hopes to work with the LTC to put on plays and performances there, but not in the same capacity and exclusive agreement that the CoF previously had with the theater. Frederickson says he hopes to get the theater up and running by late fall of this year. “I know it means a lot to the community, both from a historical perspective and excitement as a venue for things to come to the Valley that Hailey was missing out on.” ï
BY WINTER WARCHOL
Connecting art and nature has never been a reach for Dave LaMure. If anything, the Idaho-based sculptor feels it would be more difficult to ignore how nature plays a role in art.
His sculptures and vessels featuring wildlife are currently on display at the Kneeland Gallery in Ketchum, a well-placed exhibit in the town some call a gateway to the Sawtooth wilderness. With every detail intentionally chosen, the animals are formed on these vessels in a process called “bas relief.”
LaMure cuts spaces out of surrounding material and manipulates the vessel from the inside so that an image stands out slightly. Coins with figures on them are great
examples of this incredibly intensive process where 3-dimensional images are made with limited vertical space. This gives a unique impression on clay vessels that the figures on the vases spring right from the clay. It also allows LaMure to smoothly fade his artwork into the pots, helping to symbolize their connection to their surroundings.
The artist’s career began when LaMure’s uncle brought clay to the family’s kitchen table. From that small amount of clay, a young LaMure crafted a clay owl with a wizard hat on. The artist looks back fondly on this first project, attributing the choice to an unconscious knowledge of the wisdom of nature, the driving force behind LaMure’s art
even now. He also spent countless days in the Roswell Museum in Roswell, N.M., admiring large ancient pottery and utilizing the pottery studio to develop his technical skills and further his love of ceramic work.
While developing his skills, LaMure also fine-tuned his purpose for creating work. He creates art that represents our collective consciousness and expresses the wisdom and rhythm of the natural world. “People are an integral part of nature, there’s a feeling of separation sometimes, but we are learning through our own doing that all life is intimately connected,” say LaMure. He says to think of “Uni-verse,” meaning one song. There’s a rhythm of the natural world;
“
We are tethered to what we love and tethered to our experiences, and that makes up that intangible space.”
-DAVE LAMURE
when people work in tandem with nature, true harmony comes from it. He explains that people feel peace when they see nature. Art can imitate that feeling through similar proportions and repeating designs. This explains why someone can enjoy art without knowing exactly why art resonates with the natural world.
For LaMure, the entire process of creating work gives him the feeling of being in touch with nature. His vessels begin as wheel-thrown pottery, and each piece takes around 8-12 months to create into bronze. LaMure sculpts his work from the inside out, constantly molding and shaping the vessels to life. When the clay vessels are done, LaMure bisque fires his work to prepare for the bronze foundering process. Each vessel is also hollow with leather tethers hanging inside.
“We are tethered to what we love and tethered to our experiences, and that makes up that intangible space,” says LaMure. The empty pot represents the empty space that is
our perspective, with the tethers representing experiences and passions we look to when we want to find direction. The lids are also uniquely designed for each vessel. The lid on the “Nine Muses” is sculpted into horse hooves in the composition of running. This piece specifically is dedicated to LaMure’s sister, one of his muses, and his experience slowly breaking horses, a gentle process that centers around establishing relationships with horses to slowly get them accustomed. He explains that everyone has muses in their lives that inspire them to create and live with intention.
LaMure’s “Native” bronze sculpture now sits outside the Kneeland Gallery and came about when a gallery owner in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, wanted a piece done to honor her late husband’s passion for trout fishing. LaMure hesitated at first, but after learning more about the presence of cutthroat trout in our rivers, he became entranced and produced a piece that represents what the fish look like in their
natural habitat. LaMure, a longtime river runner and guide, advocates strongly for land preservation and cites Theodore Roosevelt as an inspiration because of his forward-thinking policies that resulted in countless national parks and protected wilderness areas today. Roosevelt stated, “Wild creatures are not merely the property of people today but of unborn generations.” His artwork resonates strongly with the idea of preserving nature for the next generations.
These bronze vessels are a gentle reminder for art and nature enthusiasts alike that mankind and nature are intimately connected. Unsurprisingly, someone with an unbridled passion for the outdoors could bring energy to his sculptures the way LaMure has. He lives close to this quote from Frank Loyd Wright: “Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.” ï
Picture Framing & Art Installation for 48 Years
Severn Art Services offers custom archival framing, featuring vintage and contemporary frames for fine art, mirrors, and three-dimensional objects of all sizes
Art storage and professional advisory services for artwork valuations conservation and restoration
Professional services for indoor and outdoor art installations
Severn Art Services is located in Gail Severn Gallery
Despite fall not being the prime morel season, this is a timeless activity for those looking for friendly fungi. Use this guide in the spring when morels are shooting up from the ground to be prepared.
At the same place, at approximately the same time every spring when damp forests shift into full blossom, mushroom foragers cautiously tiptoe about, pocketknives and baskets in hand. I’ve been one of them. My sister, a seasoned morel forager, took me morel hunting several years ago in mid-May.
We drove up an unmarked road on “the other side of the mountains” from Hailey, Idaho, at a much lower elevation to “no-name woods.” With our four young kids in tow, we set out to forage for an experience—not necessary to locate the “Motherload on Mother’s Day.”
The hunt for morels requires heightened senses. Ears attuned to the potential of other foragers in one’s self-proclaimed territory. Fingers brush aside pine needles or caress the tops of white puffball and caramel-colored bolete mushrooms—edible, yet less desirable than morels.
With winter’s chill fully in the past, the air is warm even in the shade and soil temperatures have increased enough for mushrooms to grow. Morel-friendly flowers unwrap their petals and essence: arnica, calypso orchids, glacier lilies, flowering dogwood and trillium. In Idaho’s mountains, a morel’s typical symbiotic community includes fir trees, not pines and, often, cottonwoods or huckleberry bushes (if you’ve mapped that undisclosed location, too).
Like entering a portal into nature’s richness, the secret to foraging is simple: spend time in the woods, move slowly, pack a lunch, carry water, practice patience and observe. And yet, don’t delay too much with morels—the season lasts only a couple of weeks. Persevere, and the prized honeycomb-capped fungus will expose itself to attuned “mushroom eyes.”
When conditions are perfect, natural species of Morchella materialize from seemingly everywhere; when conditions are imperfect, morels appear in microclimates, such as tucked under fallen logs. If they’re
small and popping up, go lower elevation for more mature morels or return in a week. If they crumble, they’re old—leave them.
Sometimes morels pop out from underneath a bed of pine needles, where there appears to be nothing else growing. They also like places where the soil has been disturbed, such as the edges of old logging roads or campfire rings.
Fire morels—also called “burn morels” or “black morels”—co-exist in nature differently than “natural morels,” which grow in the same spot each year. Fire morels are single-walled mushrooms (verses the 2-walled “natural” Morchella species) that grow in coniferous forests the year after a forest burn. They range in color from light brown to almost black.
However, if there’s red coloring anywhere on the mushroom, don’t pick it!
If there are ants or any other bugs, leave them. If the stem seems abnormally meaty (not hollow from step to the cap, like natural and fire morels), the head is “brain-like,” and it’s potentially a so-called “false” morel. These may
Arrange the mushrooms on a tray or clean surface in a single layer, allowing them to dry in the open air. In arid Idaho, they’ll be dry in a couple of days. Don’t be in a hurry to put them into a container—you cannot “over-dry” morels, but you can seal them in a jar or bag too soon (in which case, they’ll mold).
Before adding dried morels to storage containers, place them in a bag and shake them to release dust or debris. Notably, any remaining spores also will release – they will look like white powder. Some people spread these spores in their own yards if there are ideal places for morels to grow the following year.
NOTE: The spores (powder) are hard to remove from drying trays. Therefore, soak the trays to remove excess spores with soap and hot water. Alternatively, use the tray only for dehydrating mushrooms and NOT other foods (you don’t want spores contaminating your kitchen or other foods).
be among many other mushrooms, of which Gyromitrin and Verpa are often mistaken for morels. While some people report they do not get sick from them, the toxins in Gyromitrin can cause short- or long-term illness. You must know what you’re harvesting! “When in doubt, leave them out,” cautions my sister.
When new to mushroom foraging, it’s unnerving to remember nature’s nuances. If possible, find a fungi person to help identify your harvest. She might not take you to her top-secret spot, yet she’s probably willing to help you find your own. Like my sister, she’ll teach you how to “flick and pick” (release the spores to ensure mushrooms grow the following year), how to gently slice the upper morel stem away from the base (with your thumbnail or a small knife), and how to know which morels to keep (and to leave a few morels in each area to “spore out”).
She’ll teach you how to keep “a clean basket” (don’t pick overly dirty morels) and remind you and your dog that you’re in the home of other animals (if dogs scare grouse, the grouse may not return to their nest).
Once home, carve out time to care for your bounty. Fire morels dry out more quickly than natural morels, so eat or dry them immediately. There’s no need to wash morels—they’ll become mushy and potentially moldy. Place the amount you plan to consume in the next few days in a bowl in the fridge; never store morels in a sealed container—they need to breathe. Dry the remainder.
To prepare fresh morels for cooking, simply tap them to release excess spores and debris, then slice larger mushrooms into idealsized pieces for your meal. Be as mindful with morel meals as you are with foraging. Choose wild, seasonal accompaniments, just as morels choose their ideal growing place. Some amazing recipes made with morels sauteed in butter with dandelion greens and pasture-raised eggs, morels include elk-morel stroganoff and morel-asparagus pizza.
When eating morels with plant-based foods—like wild rice with chopped purslane— ensure you include vitamin C-rich foods, like bell peppers, to help absorb the high amounts of iron in morels. Depending on the soil diversity upon which morels mature, the mushrooms may also be high in calcium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and
zinc minerals. Morels and other mushrooms are among the few food sources of vitamin D.
Despite their dense nutritional value, take caution with the amount of wild morels you consume, and always cook them thoroughly. Like many other foods from the earth, mushrooms contain small amounts of natural toxins—a protective mechanism. Wild morels contain hydrazine toxins (destroyed when cooked), yet some people still experience gastrointestinal upset. Nevertheless, morels benefit gut health with their soluble fibers, including galactomannans. They also can benefit liver function and the immune system thanks to antioxidant compounds like phenolic acids. However, some morels can be high in heavy metals due to chemicals saturating the soil.
If you’re new to foraging morels – or any wild Idaho mushroom, like blue oyster, cauliflower, king bolete, or meadow –mindfully harvest them from agriculture sprayed with pesticides. If you buy mushrooms, ensure they’re from a trusted source. Then, enjoy them in harmony with nature. ï
Pizza night is a big deal in my house (I’m Italian and have kids, after all). To mix it up each week, I look for seasonal ingredients. Harvesting fresh morels practically begs us to source other ingredients from spring’s abundance. This recipe includes sourdough crust I make from scratch using my sister’s rosemary sea salt and Hillside Grain flour, raised and milled in Bellevue, Idaho. I also make pesto from scratch using local, seasonal greens and garlic. Feel free to source pre-made crust and pesto handmade in your area, and when you’re up for it, try making them from scratch, too.
Ingredients
1/2 lb. elk sausage (or another sustainably raised sausage of choice)
1/2-1 cup fresh morels (or 1/4-1/2 cup dried, that have been reconstituted in milk)
12 fresh asparagus spears
Pesto (to make your own, see “Easy Peasy Pesto” recipe in the Spring 2023 Taste of Sun Valley or online at sunvalleymag.com)
4-6 oz. fontina cheese, grated (or locally made cheese of choice)
Olive oil (for greasing pizza trays)
Sourdough for two 12-inch pies (if you don’t make your own crust, buy sourdough crust locally, such as from Hangar Bread in Hailey)
Arugula or microgreens, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Place the rack in the middle
Prepare toppings.
Elk sausage
Heat a cast-iron skillet to medium heat and break apart fresh sausage into bite-sized pieces. Add your favorite seasonings, such as rosemary or garlic. Cook thoroughly until no pink is evident, about 8 minutes.
Morels
If using fresh morels, ensure they are dirtand-bug-free (but don’t wash them). Slice into sizes of your choice. If reconstituting morels from dried, place morels in a small bowl with milk (water makes them soggy)) for about 10 minutes to rehydrate. When ready to use, strain well, pat dry, then slice.
Asparagus
Wash asparagus spears. Snap off the bottom ends. When the sausage has finished cooking, remove it from the skillet and place it in a separate bowl, keeping the fat and juices in the skillet to cook the asparagus. Sauté the asparagus, covered, for 5-6 minutes. If the skillet is too dry, add olive oil and/or water. Add a pinch of sea salt or pepper if you’d like. Asparagus is ready when it’s bright green and slightly crunchy. Remove from the skillet (otherwise, the hot skillet will keep cooking the asparagus). Considering the size of the crust, cut off the ends of each spear so you can artfully place the floret toward the middle of the pizza, with the ends reaching toward the crust.
Prepare crust.
If using fresh sourdough crust, first line the baking sheets/cookie trays with silicone or parchment paper and spread evenly with a small amount of olive oil. Using your fingers, spread half the dough into a circle on the oiled paper or silicone until it’s approximately 1/4inch thick (it is fine if the edges are slightly thicker). Bake the first crust for 5-6 minutes, until it’s slightly firm to the touch to easily spread pesto on top. While the first crust bakes, spread out the remainder of the crust on the second sheet/tray, then bake for 5-6 minutes. Assemble pizza.
While the second pizza crust is baking, spread the pesto (store-bought or homemade, see “Easy Peasy Pesto” recipe (see the spring 2023 issue of Taste of Sun Valley Magazine) evenly on the first crust. Add elk sausage, morels, and freshly grated cheese (if using goat cheese or feta, just crumble on top). Place asparagus spears in an artful way on top. Bake for 6-8 minutes until the cheese has melted and the crust becomes golden brown. Add toppings to the second crust while the first pizza is baking, then bake for 6-8 minutes until golden brown. Slize pizza and garnish with fresh arugula or microgreens. Enjoy!
Tip:
Double up on sausage, morels, asparagus, or cheese (or save extra) for a subsequent meal—these ingredients make an incredible omelet or quiche (see the “Simple Quiche” recipe in the Spring 2023 issue of Taste of Sun Valley Magazine)!
Homemade soups, salads, and a variety of great sandwiches. Serving the Valley for over 15 years and rated #1 Best Sandwich Deli. Let us prove it, and your belly will thank you.
171 N. Main St., Hailey. 208.788.2411.
Visit us at one of our spectacular locations, both featuring beautiful outdoor views, fantastic food and outstanding service. Fresh and homemade is how we do it!
271 Northwood Way, Ketchum. 208.726.2035.
Locally roasted, custom blended coffee brewed to perfection. Large selection of loose-leaf tea. Homebaked scones, muffins and breads. Breakfast and lunch. 208 N. River St., Hailey. 208.928.6200.
Café, bakery, and market located in the heart of Hailey. Our market offers prepared dinners to-go, housemade provisions, grocery essentials, local produce, dairy, meats, fish, beer and wine. Stop in to shop our daily
“Dinner Tonight” offerings and more, or order from our weekly dinner and grocery menu online for Friday pickup or FREE delivery.
103 S. Main St., Hailey. 208.913.0263.
The perfect place for a summer or winter outing. Enjoy one of the carefully maintained trail loops (on foot or bike in the summer, or on Nordic skis when the snow flies), before sitting down for a handcrafted lunch using the freshest seasonal ingredients. Call or check their website for special dinner events and offerings, like their Galena Full Moon Dinners. 15187 State Hwy. 75, Ketchum. 208.726.4010.
Glow is a plant-based and organic café and health food store. Glow specializes in delicious, plant-based foods, emphasizing locally grown produce.
380 Washington Ave. #105, Ketchum. 208.725.0314.
Adjacent to the Sun Valley Lodge lobby, Gretchen’s Restaurant welcomes you with a relaxing indoor/outdoor feel with easy access for Terrace dining all day long. Enjoy
breakfast, lunch or dinner and full bar service. Sun Valley Lodge. 208.622.2144.
Our café serves delicious gourmet espresso drinks and fresh-baked goods from our on-site bakery. All of our coffees are fresh roasted in Hailey and our baked goods are served fresh from the oven.
219 S. Main St., Hailey. 208.788.8482. 611 Sun Valley Rd., Ketchum. 208.928.7955
We are a bakery, floral design and gift shop offering fresh-baked sweets, custom cakes, flower arrangements, and a large array of unique gifts. 471 N. Leadville, Ketchum, 208.726.0115; and 91 E. Croy St., Hailey, 208.928.4088.
Truly a great coffeehouse! Baking from scratch daily. Serving the finest Fair Trade and organic coffees. Sound like a local and order the “Dirty Hippie Burrito” and a “Bowl of Soul.”
191 4th St. W., Ketchum, 208.726.2882; 111 N. 1st Ave., Hailey, 208.788.2297.
A fast guide to the Valley’s best eateries
Best sandwiches in town! Jersey Girl is home of Trenton, New Jersey-famous porkroll, egg and cheese sandwich, the locals favorite “Bacado” (house roasted turkey, bacon, Swiss, avocado), a bangin’ lineup of homemade soups and a mean biscuits and gravy.
14 E. Croy St., Hailey. 208.788.8844.
Lunch dishes range from pumpkin spaetzle with sausage and apples to roasted chicken crepes with spinach and spicy Liptauer cheese. The café offers a full complement of artisanal coffee and hot chocolate drinks, plus house-baked European pastries. Sun Valley Resort, 208.622.2235.
Maude’s is a coffee shop and a clothing store that serves traditional espresso, small eats, and is a purveyor of unique vintage contemporary clothing for women and men. The husband and wife team, Jacob and Tara, who started Maude’s, believe in products made with integrity and intention.
391 Walnut Ave., Ketchum. 208.726.6413.
Julie Johnson opened NourishMe in June 2010 in order to bring her love of nutrition and local food to the community in which she lived. This light-filled store on Main Street in Ketchum features everything from seasonal produce and bulk seeds, nuts and fruits, to a wide variety of supplements, homemade sandwiches, salads and soups, wellness products, gluten-free foods and organic cosmetics.
151 Main St., Ketchum. 208.928.7604.
Callie and Maeme Rasberry believe all the senses must be involved in meal preparation; therefore, the menu is eclectic, just like the chefs, with dishes prepared with fresh local ingredients when available and their own take on comfort and ethnic food.
411 Building, 5th St., Ketchum. 208.726.0606.
Under new ownership, Smiley Creek Lodge is located near the headwaters of the Salmon River at the top of the Sawtooth Valley, 37 miles north of Ketchum/Sun Valley. A full restaurant serves delicious homestyle food for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and a newly renovated market features fresh and wholesome take-away meals and provisions. The connecting retail store is small, but well-stocked with provisions and gear for all your outdoor adventures.
16546 N. Hwy. 75, Sawtooth City (over Galena Summit). smileycreeklodge.com.
The Kneadery combines wholesome fresh food with a rustic Idaho atmosphere. All meals start with the freshest
ingredients: locally baked organic breads, farm-fresh, cage-free eggs, seasonal fruit and top-quality meats. 260 Leadville Ave. North, Ketchum. 208.726.9462.
Atkinsons’ Markets, serving you and your family at our three locations in the Wood River Valley with deli sandwiches made to order, hot soups, grab-and-go meals and desserts, and a full deli case of freshly made main dishes and sides.
451 E. 4th St., Ketchum, 208.726.2681; 93 E. Croy St., Hailey, 208.788.2294; 757 N. Main St., Bellevue, 208.788.7788.
Serving the best subs in the Great State of Idaho! Family owned and operated since 1998, and serving up hot subs like the popular “5B” (turkey, bacon, cream cheese, mayo, lettuce, tomato) or the “Mama Sass’s Meatball” (Italian meatballs, marinara, parmesan). Homemade soups, salads, smoothies and build-yourown round out a solid menu of delicious sandwiches.
371 Washington Ave., Ketchum. 208.725.7827.
Wrapcity serves up creative wraps and salads, homemade soups, and unique quesadillas. Wrapcity also serves breakfast wraps all day with special breakfast creations on Saturdays and Sundays.
180 Main St., S., Ketchum. 208.727.6766.
For 33 years, Apple’s Bar & Grill has been a popular spot for lunch and aprés-ski. Apple’s is still the best spot to fuel your body after a long day ripping turns on Baldy—and it’s now open year-round for lunch and dinner! At the base of Baldy near Warm Springs Lodge, the restaurant is known for mouthwatering grub and as the locals’ #1 post-ski destination. Now also the perfect spot for lunch or dinner during the summer, and available for private events.
205 Picabo St., Ketchum. 208.726.7067.
Grumpy’s is a favorite of locals and visitors alike. We are a little hard to find, but not hard to find out about.
860 Warm Springs Rd., Ketchum. No phone.
Enjoy the neighborhood-tavern feel of La Cab Sports Bar while dining on local favorites that include a Buffalo chicken sandwich, jalapeño poppers, Wings, burgers and fish and chips.
107 Hwy. 75, Hailey. 208.788.5048.
Lefty’s has a great casual dining menu, including killer burgers served on fresh-baked bread, monster hot sandwiches, wings, salads and the house specialty, fresh-cut French fries. And the outdoor deck can’t be beat in the summer!
231 6th St. East, Ketchum. 208.726.2744.
When late afternoon hits, we swing our doors wide open for guests and locals to dig into our friendly après food and drink specials. Our full dinner menu is available evenings in the Lounge, for in-room dining, or take-out.
151 South Main St., Ketchum. 208.726.0888.
Mahoney’s offers a full bar, a terrific patio that’s just a short stroll from Bellevue’s Howard Preserve and a tasty menu featuring their famous “Juicy Lucy” cheese-filled, grilled-onion-topped hamburger. 104 S. Main St., Bellevue. 208.788.4449.
Serving locally-raised Wagyu beef burgers, blackened Ahi sandwiches and tacos, hand-cut fries, and organic salads with a wealth of beers on tap.
502 N. Main St., Hailey. 208.788.9184
25 taps with beer, wine, cider, and kombucha on tap! Join us for the game on one of our big-screen TVs. We fill growlers, crowlers, and have kegs, bottles, and cans to go! Two locations—Hailey and Ketchum—with seasonal outdoor seating at both spots.
631 Warm Springs Rd., Ketchum. 208.726.6803; 110 N. River St., Hailey. 208.788.3213.
Roots offers a chic and cozy space to explore wine and food. The menu is geared toward lunch and happy hour snacking, with an array of cheese and charcuterie boards, snacks and small plates.
122 S.Main St., Hailey. 208.928.4376.
Scout is a celebration of good wine, good food and community. Their extensive wine list is accompanied by a selection of beer and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as cheese from the U.S. and Europe, cured meat, and thoughtful bar snacks.
360 East Ave., Ketchum. 208.928.4031.
With a brand-new deck that doubles their outdoor space—with both a sunshine-drenched west-facing deck with Baldy views and a partially-shaded deck with Dollar Mountain and Pioneer views, Ketchum’s original wine bar is the place to go for lunch, an
afternoon break, happy hour, après ski, after a hike, or to meet up with friends. Owners Crystal and Dexter McKenzie, and Gayle and Jim Phillips, are passionate about wine, carrying over 1,000 bottles of handcurated wines to satisfy wine enthusiasts of every type—and you won’t want to miss special events and themed dinners and tastings that have become local’s favorites!
360 Leadville Ave., Ketchum. 208.726.2442.
From traditional pub fare such as buffalo burgers or fish & chips to original dishes such as our flat-iron steak salad, we have something for everyone in your party. We have a full bar and feature a great selection of draft beer and fine wines.
400 Sun Valley Rd., Ketchum. 208.622.3832.
Featuring award-winning, authentic barbecue right here in Idaho. Featuring Texas-style brisket cooked with applewood smoke, ribs, pulled pork, turkey, chicken, sausage and a selection of mouthwatering sides to fill up any plate.
315 S. Main St., Hailey. 208.788.0772
210 2nd Ave. S., Twin Falls. 208.733.3885
Serving fresh and authentic small bites and sandwiches (and featuring Ro’s Ramen, winter only) along with beer, wine, and craft cocktails made with a variety of champagnes, liqueurs and wine.
117 N. River St., Hailey.
TNT / Tap Room is a craft beer and wine bar focusing on organic, sustainable and biodynamic wines. We’re located in a piece of Ketchum history in the dynamite shed. We have 12 rotating taps of independent craft beer along with bottles and cans as well as a unique and younger approach to wine. We don’t serve food but we welcome and encourage guests to bring in their food of choice. Open Wed.-Sat.
271 Sun Valley Road E., Ketchum.
Enjoy a wide selection of cocktails and craft beer on tap, as well as a crowd-pleasing menu of classic American favorites: hearty cheeseburgers, chicken wings, pizza and family-style salads. Sun Valley Village, Sun Valley. 208.622.2143.
The ever-changing menu brings you the best provisions from across the Northwest in our comfortable neighborhood pub setting. The best summer deck in town with fire pits and rocking chairs for comfort and conversation.
280 N. Main St., Ketchum. 208.726.2739.
Tucked into the edge of downtown Ketchum with patio views of Baldy, Barrio75 offers a lively and decorative take on a beloved culinary duo … tacos and tequila. Every day, they grind organic heirloom corn, crafting housemade tortillas—the base of everything they do—while paying homage to the traditional street tacos of Mexico and South America. And don’t miss the list of over 40 tequilas, draft beers and wines, and a cocktail menu designed to accentuate the bold and bright flavors of each dish.
211 4th St. E., Ketchum. 208.726.3068.
A family Mexican restaurant serving authentic dishes, including specialties such as pollo a la chapala, chicken carnitas, and huevos con chorizo. 200 S. Main St., Hailey. 208.928.7306.
Despo’s is committed to authentic, delicious Mexican dishes that respect your desire for a healthy meal without compromising flavor.
211 4th St. E., Ketchum. 208.726.3068.
This cheerful, laid-back burrito joint serves delicious fish tacos and offers a make-your-own burrito, with a choice of 27 fillings.
460 Sun Valley Rd., Ketchum. 208.928.6955; 121 N. Main St., Hailey. 208.788.7217.
Only one way to put it…best authentic Mexican food in town. The town’s hidden gem that is truly a favorite. 103 S. Main St., Hailey. 208.788.1255; 160 W. 5th St., Ketchum. 208.725.5001; 745 N. Main St., Bellevue. 208.928.7550.
Enjoy true Mexican food in downtown Hailey. Pollo rancherito, carne asada and “Sandy” tacos are house specialties not to be missed.
14 W. Croy St., Hailey. 208.578.1700.
Serva Peruvian Cuisine is all about simple clean ingredients and inspiring flavor. Step inside and experience a fusion of Peruvian and American food served in a healthy and unique way using the freshest quality ingredients seasonally. Traditional recipes from Rodolfo Serva’s family appear alongside the unique creations of Chef Edgar for an upscale Peruvian dining experience.
200 N. Main St., Ketchum. 208.928.4332.
A communal space for relaxed social dining, Saffron draws its inspiration from the vibrancy of the culture and art, as well as the innovative spirit of authentic Indian cuisine. We have traversed the length and breadth of the country to create our distinct seasonal menu, which will introduce you to unique Indian ingredients, combined with the freshness of produce in fresh, seasonal dishes that are an interpretation of customary Indian sensibilities through international techniques and inspirations.
230 Walnut Ave., Ketchum. 208.913.0609.
A culinary collaboration between Juan Flores and Cristina Ceccatelli Cook (founder of Cristina’s restaurant), Aroma serves lunch and dinner weekly, with daily rotating specials featuring fresh, seasonal ingredients and gourmet European specialties. Freshly baked bread accompanies every meal featuring tantalizing flavor combinations and local favorites that include fresh pastas, hand-tossed pizzas, and traditional chicken, steak and fish entrées focused on fresh ingredients and homemade techniques and sauces. AROMA is the place to be for an authentic taste of Europe right here in Idaho!
520 Second St., E., Ketchum. 208.726.6427.
Ketchum’s newest gastronomic addition, with its upscale pizzeria and wine bar. Enoteca has a plethora of small plates to choose from.
300 N. Main St., Ketchum. 208.928.6280.
Il Naso is special whether you drop by to have a burger and beer at the wine bar, or to relax in the candlelit dining room. The extensive wine list and knowledgeable staff will help you choose just the right bottle to enhance your dining experience.
480 Washington Ave., Ketchum. 208.726.7776.
Since 2013, we have been offering contemporary Italian cuisine prepared to the highest standards. Our premium wine selection includes more than 150 wines to pair with any course.
580 Washington St., Ketchum. 208.726.6961.
Our fresh, handcrafted food is what brings people in, and our service is what keeps them coming back for more. We pride ourselves on creating a “nourishing and memorable neighborhood experience that people love!”
200 Sun Valley Rd., Ketchum. 208.622.5625.
Serving New York-style, hand-tossed pizzas topped with whole-milk mozzarella, and baked to perfection in our stone deck ovens. Large selection of local and regional bottled and draft beer.
460 Sun Valley Rd., Ketchum, 208.726.0737; and 411 N. Main St., Hailey. 208.788.8688.
Dang’s offers a wide selection of popular dishes ranging from sushi, green papaya salad, pad thai, and their famous green curry with chicken! Highly recommended as an affordable, flavorful and fun experience in Hailey!
310 N. Main St., Hailey. 208.928.7111.
Enjoy authentic Thai cuisine in a log cabin with views of Bald Mountain. With specials such as tender slow cooked Lamb Shank served in a Massaman curry, Shrimp in a Ceramic Pot served on top clear vermicelli noodles and Fresh Rolls with house-made peanut sauce, Ida Thai is your place to celebrate an occasion, relax after a day on the mountain or order online.
310 S. Main St., Ketchum. 208.726-7155
Hailey’s newest sushi-seafood-steak and martini bar. Serving Asian fusion, sushi, steak and seafood selections. A full bar with handcrafted cocktails and lounge for drinks you can’t put down.
416 N. Main St., Hailey.
Serving “ethnic street foods,” inspired by the flavors and foods in locales such as Thailand, Vietnam, China, and Indonesia.
460 N. Washington Ave., Ketchum. 208.726.8481.
Sushi on Second is the Valley’s oldest sushi restaurant. But don’t let age fool you. A talented crew of Sushi Chefs are in the center and delight in creating dishes that are as appetizing to look at as they are to eat.
260 Second St., Ketchum. 208.726.5181.
This cozy place was built in 1932 as a church and then later on was an architect’s office, daycare, butcher shop, BBQ restaurant and bakery. Vita and Burke Smith fell in love with this cute building and decided to give it a new life.
271 7th St. East, Ketchum. 208.720.3260.
All new and inviting, this legendary lounge serves up cocktails, imported beer and an extensive wine list. Now you can also duck in for a quick bite from our lounge menu. Sun Valley Lodge. 208.622.2145.
The environment at the Knob Hill Inn is casual and comfortable, yet sophisticated, with distinctively Northwest cuisine, and a variety of American and European classics. A top local favorite!
960 N. Main St., Ketchum. 208.726.8004.
For nearly 28 years, Ketchum Grill has brought your dining experience to the highest gastronomical level, and the best Idaho has to offer. 520 East Ave., Ketchum. 208.726.4660.
Perched midway up Bald Mountain on the River Run side, the Roundhouse is a culinary destination not to be missed. Serviced by the Roundhouse Gondola, the restaurant offers spectacular views of the Valley. Bald Mountain, Ketchum. 208.622.2012.
Among the most popular places in Sun Valley to eat, drink and relax, the wraparound terrace at Sun Valley Club offers stunning views of Bald Mountain, Dollar Mountain and the golf course (summer) or Nordic trails (winter). The Sun Valley Club brings exciting, contemporary dishes that are focused on local ingredients and big flavors.
1 Trail Creek Rd., Sun Valley. 208.622.2919.
Offering an intimate ambiance with an always-evolving menu. The relaxed atmosphere is a place to enjoy good friends, fine wine, and delicious meals.
520 Washington Ave., Ketchum. 208.726.3663.
The Pioneer Saloon, renowned for perfectly aged, tender and flavorful beef, is typical of an earlier Idaho where ore wagons rattled down Main Street and business was done with a handshake and a drink. Natural woods, mounted game, and period firearms help recreate an authentic saloon atmosphere.
320 N. Main St., Ketchum. 208.726.3139.
Sun Valley’s original restaurant, The Ram has been warming and welcoming diners since 1937. Travel back in time with the nightly
“Heritage Menu”—a series of historic dishes such as pork tenderloin schnitzel, Hungarian goulash, and the famous Ram fondue.
Located in the Sun Valley Inn. 208.622.2225.
Always busy with a great mix of locals and visitors, The Sawtooth Club offers a unique blend of American steakhouse classics, fresh seafood, wild game, unique pasta dishes and much more. Many entrées are cooked over the live, mesquite-wood fire, and all are prepared with a singular creative flair. The award-winning wine list offers a diverse selection of reasonably priced wines to compliment any of the delicious menu offerings.
231 Main St S., Ketchum, ID 208.726.5233
TUNDRA Restaurant in Hailey is a hip place serving creative, freshly made food, beer, wine and bubbles. We strive to provide the best service, best food and an unique and fun experience! Reservations can be made online at www.tundrahailey.com.
516 N. Main St., Hailey. 208.928.4121.
A favorite of the locals, chef Rodrigo Herrera is tuned into the best of the season’s offerings. With a lovely ambiance, both inside and seasonally outside, Vintage offers a dining experience like one would have in France: leisurely, lively, and without pretension.
231 Leadville Ave., Ketchum. 208.726.9595.
For Les Cameron’s family, metalworking is written into the genetic code. Wood River Welding in Bellevue hosts generations of Cameron men who have mastered the art of welding, starting in 1945 and continuing to this day. Each piece of equipment harbors a story, building a workshop ingrained with familial history. No job is the same for these men of steel as they navigate projects from chair lift systems to medieval swords. Read more about the legacy of these Men of Steel on page 60.
#RECREATERESPONSIBLY IN STANLEY, IDAH0
YOUR FALL ADVENTURE AWAITS IN THE HEART OF THE SAWTOOTH MOUNTAIN RANGE. EXPERIENCE SERENE
STANLEY, IDAHO FROM LABOR DAY TO EARLY NOVEMBER, EMBRACING A TRANQUIL AND QUIETER ADVENTURE.
