photographs : courtesy sun valley heli ski
THIS PAGE (top to bottom) Chris Templeton zeroing in on the landing zone on top of Baldy; Excited guests awaiting the heli pickup on top of Baldy, ready to ski powder in Idaho’s remote terrain. opposite page In the landing zone with snow flying, as soon as the chopper disappears over the horizon ... silence. It’s just you, your friends, the guides and thousands of acres of untouched powder.
Mountain Lodge (SML) in 1999, nestled 5,500-feet high in the mountains at the upper end of the South Fork of the Boise River. This 4,000-square-foot basecamp, surrounded by the picturesque Sawtooth National Forest, is the only fly-in heli ski destination in the lower 48. Powered by a diesel generator and stateof-the-art solar batteries, with a riverrock fireplace, granite countertops, wood-fired sauna and hot tub, private chef and sleeping room for up to 12 guests, the SML is essentially a five-star mansion in the wild. In 2006, Baumgardner sold SVHS to EpicQuest but continues to guide for the company. Now owned by Jay Levine out of Massachusetts, it is managed year-round from their new location at the base of Warm Springs on Bald Mountain, where SVHS continues to be one of the pioneering forerunners of the heli ski industry. “Guests, if they so choose, can be picked up in the helicopter at the top of Bald Mountain,” explains Tyler Ferris, the business operations manager. “We are one of the only operators in the country with that capability.” Before guests take off, Ferris usually asks them one simple question: “Are you ready for your life to change?” And they crawl in the chopper, wide-eyed and puffing clouded breath—just like “the godfather” of heli skiing—for the adventure of a lifetime. Winter 2014 | sunvalleymag.com 45
Look sharp. You’ve got a history to uphold.
The Essence of Sun Valley. Ketchum Store 500 N Main St 208 726 5282 www.store.silver-creek.com Sun Valley Store Sun Valley Mall 208 622 5282 Photo courtesy of Sun Valley Company
thousand springs winery bed & breakfast wine, wonder and wildlife on the Snake River
hagerman, idaho • 208.352.0150
www.thousandspringswinery.com