Sun Valley Magazine | Winter 2020–2021 by Sun Valley Magazine

RAILROAD DEPOT | PROFILES OF WINTER ICONS | BACKCOUNTRY SKIING | MUSHROOMS

Winter 2020/2021

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contents // features 54

PULSE OF A RECEDING TRAIN The Train Changed the Heartbeat of the Wood River Valley BY J E N N Y E M E R Y DAV I D S O N

BACKCOUNTRY BLISS A lifetime of powder days BY L AR A ANTONELLO

PROFILES Sun Valley’s “Irrepressible” Jake Moe NICK PRICE

BY DICK DORWORTH

DIVAS Danielle Carruth and Nicky Elsbree BY CAROLINE ALBRO

Sun Valley’s Quintessential Skier Bobbie Burns BY DICK DORWORTH

Zac Mayhew Catching the Fishing Bug BY MIKE MCKENNA

ON THE COVER

Brett Nichols skiinning uphill on a perfect winter day, Boise National Forest. PHOTO BY TODD MEIER

Jake Moe, the founder of Powder Magazine, at Sun Valley’s Bald Mountain.

sunvalleymag.com | WINTER 2020/2021

contents // departments

The Argyros Performing Arts Center

24 localbuzz

The Wood River Trail

Lions Mane Infused Sugar Cookies

A LOOK BACK IN TIME The Argyros Performing Arts Center

BALDY GETS NOTICED amenities make Sun Valley #1

A MAVERICK SPIRIT

Injury-Free

Community, identity and convergence at The Community Library

CHANGING HANDS

Soldier Mountain gets Its 5th owners in 73 years

4 6 getoutthere

BACKCOUNTRY YURTS AND HUTS

An Austrian tradition settles in the

3 4 nexgen YOUR HIGH SCHOOLER IS A PHILANTHROPIST How WOW is cultivating generosity

mountains of Idaho

THE WOOD RIVER TRAIL

The making of the Valley’s outdoor lifeline

76 inthearts 38 body&soul CONDITIONING FOR AN INJURY-FREE WINTER Exercises to build strength and flexibility

WORLD OF ART Local galleries bringing international art to Idaho—David Hytone, Michael Gregory and Mayme Kratz.

20 CONTRIBUTORS 42 THINGS WE LOVE 84 GALLERY BUZZ/EVENTS

JUST MUSHROOMS

92 DINING LISTINGS

and variety of fungi

sunvalleymag.com | WINTER 2020/2021

18 FROM THE PUBLISHER

88 food&drink The incredible healing power

also in this issue

96 WHY WE LIVE HERE

TOP LEF T, CLOCK WISE: COURTESY THE ARGYROS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER / KEVIN SYMS, COURTESY BL AINE COUNT Y RECREATION DISTRICT / DEV KHALSA, COURTESY JUST MUSHROOMS : CELEBR ATING THE FUTURE OF FOOD BY MICHELLE RUSSELL AND CAMILLE DEGABRIELLE

Expanded terrain and top-rated

until the wild is truly free

We will never rest As a national legal non-profit, no one fights more cases for the environment. Learn more: earthjustice.org/neverrest

online // sunvalleymag.com PAST

M ORE

ISSUES

STORIES

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,

To explore our magazine archives, dating all

Home & Design, and

the way back to 1974, visit sunvalleymag.com/

Wedding sections.

magazine. On our digital magazine page, you

You can also enjoy

can enjoy back issues of Sun Valley Magazine.

digital editions of Sun

Travel back in time to see what we were

Valley Magazine in our

covering at the turn of the century (21st!) and

extensive archives and

beyond. Looking for an old article? Spend

access all of our social

some time in our archives—an ongoing, living

media sites.

record of life in the Wood River Valley. Also check out our digital edition of TASTE of Sun Valley on the Food & Drink page!

@Sun Valley Magazine

PINTEREST @sunvalleymag

TWITTER

@sunvalleymag

sunvalleymag.com | WINTER 2020/2021

INSTAGRAM

@sunvalleymagazine

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fromthepublisher // insight

publisher

sunvalleymag.com | WINTER 2020/2021

Laurie Sammis / editor-in-chief

PHOTO: FIVEB STUDIOS

t the core of every single issue of Sun Valley Magazine has been the desire to uplift and inspire, to enlighten and encourage those of us who call this Valley home. Really, in the end, each issue offers a means to introduce each of us to our neighbors, our friends, and the landscapes, vistas and pathways of where we live. Perhaps in the knowing of them, it will help shape and inform our lives here—or, at least, provide common ground and a deeper narrative for how we choose to connect with each other. Never has this been more important than now, in the midst of the constantly changing uncertainty facing our daily lives and the rapid influx of change we are witnessing in our mountain paradise. This is when our focus on the quality, not the quantity, of where we live rises to the surface. We are lucky here in Idaho. Despite our many different backgrounds or hometowns, occupations or individual passions or pursuits, those of us living in the Wood River Valley have a common purpose here: We live here because we choose to be here. Contained within these pages are fragments and pieces of a much larger picture, some of which continue to shape our lives here, whether or not we are immediately aware of them. This area as it was more than a century ago can be glimpsed in our story covering the Oregon Short Line Railroad. Through the regional history archives at The Community Library, Jenny Emery Davidson and Mary Tyson trace the first railroad track that was punched north from Shoshone in the 1880s and how that shaped the next 100 years of Valley life and livelihood (“The Pulse of a Receding Train” on page 54). This history went on to mold many aspects of current Valley life, seen and unseen. Consider the over 20-plus miles of paved, multi-use, year-round path that connects all the Wood River Valley communities, enjoyed by thousands and the result of a coordinated community effort which grew out of the abandoned Union Pacific railroad tracks (“The Wood River Trail” on page 50). The pages of this issue also celebrate the expansiveness of our backcountry terrain, with some basic ideas on what to “Know Before You Go (KBYG)” in our cover feature (“Backcountry Bliss” on page 60)—more of photographer Todd Meier’s stunning images can be viewed online at sunvalleymag.com. Learn about the Austrian tradition of huts (and, in Idaho, yurts) that began in 1939 and has since flourished in the mountains of Idaho in our Get Out There department (page 46). Next, follow writer Dick Dorworth as he explores the unique, bold and, sometimes, irrepressible character of skiing legends Bobbie Burns, the first hot dogger, and Jake Moe. Then step outside with local fishing guide and Wood River Valley native Zack Mayhew as he reflects on a life spent on and in rivers and water (“Catching the Fishing Bug” on page 74). These are the people and histories that continue to shape our valley and form our history. It is our story: vivid narrative, personal account, or stirring inspiration. In these snapshots from the Wood River Valley and areas beyond are some of the many faces and places that represent what we are: Notable. Vital. Celebrated. Irreplaceable.

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featuredcontributors // writers & photographers

LARA ANTONELLO

TODD MEIER

DICK DORWORTH

NICK PRICE

Lara Antonello is an

Todd Meier has a passion for

Dick Dorworth has spent most

Nick Price is a fly fishing guide

enthusiastic conservationist,

telling other people’s stories.

of his life in the mountains of the

and photographer specializing

human-powered adventurer,

He has spent the last 17 years

West. His work has appeared

in fly fishing, travel, and outdoor

and freelance writer that calls

trying to pass on his subjects’

in many publications, and he

lifestyle photography. His

the Stanley Basin and the

stories through photographs.

has authored six books. “Night

editorial work has appeared

Sawtooths home. In winter,

He immerses himself in their

Driving,” “The Perfect Turn,”

in publications including: The

Lara is an aspiring avalanche

world, taking the viewer along

“The Straight Course,” and

FlyFish Journal, The Drake,

educator for Sawtooth

for the ride. From knee-deep

“Climbing to Freedom” are

Anglers Journal, Condé Nast

Mountain Guides and, in

powder in the backcountry,

published by Western Eye Press

Traveler, and others. He lives in

summer, she is the bear

to a downtown office in the

and are available through Dick’s

Hailey with his wife and two sons.

education biologist for the

middle of any city, Todd finds

blog at dickdorworth.com. “The

Sawtooth National Recreation

the connection between

Only Path” and “WHAT ARE YOU

“Profiles: Jake Moe, Bobbie

Area. Her studies of the

himself and his subject. Not

DOING? And Other Buddha’s

Burns, Danielle Carruth and

natural world have inspired

incidentally, Todd created

Dharma Dances” were self-

Nicky Elsbree, Zac Mayhew,”

her writings and continue to

the cover shot for Territory ’s

published and are available on

page 68

guide her passion to connect

inaugural issue, one that won

Amazon. He divides his time

people to the environments in

the Maggie Award for Best

between Bozeman, Mont. and

which they live. Other writings

New Publication, 2017. Living

Ketchum, Idaho.

by Lara can be found on the

life in Boise and beyond with

Sawtooth Mountain Guides

his wife, Lorie, and daughter,

“Profiles: Jake Moe, Bobbie

and Stanley Chamber of

Ella, Todd is always looking to

Burns,” page 68

Commerce blog pages.

the next adventure.

“Backcountry Bliss,” page 60

also in this issue writers Caroline Albro, Winslow Brokaw, Jenny Emery Davidson, Kate Hull, Sarah Linville, Mike McKenna, Nicole Potter, Michelle Russell, Laurie Sammis, Hayden Seder, Kira Tenney. Mary Tyson.

sunvalleymag.com | WINTER 2020/2021

photographers Valentine Atkinson, Cody Haskell, Toni Frissell, Ray J. Gadd, Dev Khalsa, Ella Meier, Kevin Syms.

208-726-5276 5 1 1 S u n Va l l e y Ro a d Ketchum, Idaho 83340 barrypeterson.com WINTER 2020/2021 | sunvalleymag.com

John Moyers

“Peaceful Days”

40” high X 40” wide

oil on gesso board

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publisher/editor in chief Laurie C. Sammis creative director Roberta Morcone guest art director Kristina Mitchell

graphic designer Alex Gonzalez

sales & marketing director Mona Warchol

digital marketing Caroline Albro

copy editor Patty Healey controller Sage Bookkeeping Inc. circulation 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 Sun Valley Magazine® (BIPAD # 074470772330) is published three times a year by Mandala Media LLC. Editorial, advertising and administrative offices are located at 313 N. Main St., Hailey, Idaho 83333. Telephone: 208.788.0770; Fax: 208.788.3881. Mailing address: 313 N. Main St., Hailey, Idaho 83333. Copyright ©2020 by 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.

localbuzz A LOOK BACK IN TIME Sun Valley Motors takes the stage as The Argyros Performing Arts Center

Members of the Sun Valley Repertory Company outside the Sun Valley Motors building priot to the NexStage renovation, November 1991.

sunvalleymag.com | WINTER 2020/2021

he soaring glass, steel and wood face of The Argyros Performing Arts Center, built just two years ago in 2018, had a life on Ketchum’s Main Street before becoming the center for culture and arts at the corner of Main and 1st Streets. It is a story that traces the history and storied past of Ketchum’s Main Street and includes The Argyros’ immediate predecessor, the nexStage Theatre, and prior to that, a renovated car dealership, and a storage house for Ketchum’s emergency vehicles and fire engines. From 1992 until 2018 the nexStage Theatre produced plays, musicals and readings. It also hosted children’s theater camps, classes and workshops, and it served as a community center. It was financed by the Sun Valley Theatre Company and was closely affiliated with the Sun Valley Repertory Company and several other local theater groups. During its tenure, the nexStage Theatre hosted other events put on by over thirty Wood River Valley nonprofits. But it was not housed in the same building as The Argyros. The nexStage Theatre was located inside a renovated car dealership, Sun Valley Motors.

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A longtime mainstay of Main Street, Sun Valley Motors was a Jeep/Dodge/Chrysler dealership. Similar to the theaters that came after it, the dealership gave back to the Wood River Valley community. Starting in the spring of 1975, Sun Valley Motors also housed several Ketchum fire trucks and ambulances in its back warehouse. The Sun Valley Motors dealership, which became the nexStage Theatre building, was feeling its age and in desperate need of repair by 2018, when it was demolished in order to make way for the state-of-the-art Argyros Performing Arts Center, which has already hosted music, dance, live theater and film from around the globe, contributing yet another chapter to the south end of Ketchumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Main Street. ĂŻ

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localbuzz // bald mountain SUNRISE EXPANDED TERRAIN •S unrise adds 380 acres of expert bowl, chute and glade skiing • I ncreases Baldy's skiable terrain by 20%, to almost 2,500 acres •E xpert terrain includes rock drops and steep chutes •L ower Broadway run extended 4,200 feet •N ew Doppelmayr high-speed quad rises 1,582 feet in 1 mile

BALDY GETS NOTICED

•P rovides high-speed lift access to Baldy’s lower bowls • Direct connection to Roundhouse Restaurant and Christmas Chair #3 •F irst major terrain expansion in over two decades To view the Bald Mountain Expansion, watch … youtube.com/watch?v=C9K5oL_r2Xc&feature=esmb_rel_end

Expanded terrain and top-rated amenities make Sun Valley #1 BY L AURIE SAMMIS

ald Mountain, known affectionately as “Baldy” by Sun Valley locals—the crown jewel of Sun Valley Resort—is taking gold once again. The first time was in 1948 when one of its own, skiing legend Gretchen Kunigk Fraser, became the first American to win an Olympic gold medal in alpine skiing at the 1948 Winter Olympic Games in St. Moritz, Switzerland. This time the resort is glowing after earning gold as the #1 ski resort in the U.S. in the 2021 Annual Ski Resort Awards by SKI Magazine. This is the first time Sun Valley has won the top award, which is based on the results of the Reader Resort Survey, one of the most comprehensive and longestrunning rankings in the industry. And there is a lot to crow about: Sun Valley also ranked #1 in the categories of Lifts and Down-Day Activities and ranked in the Top 5 in the categories of Grooming, Dining, Lodging, On-Mountain Food, Service, Accessibility, Local Flavor, Charm, and Overall Satisfaction. Innovation has always been a part of Sun Valley’s rich and storied past—the first chairlift was invented here in 1936, and former ski patrol director Nelson Bennett pioneered new technology in the development and patent of the Sun Valley rescue toboggan here in the 1940s. But the recent investments and innovations in expanded terrain that will launch with the 26

sunvalleymag.com | WINTER 2020/2021

Winter 2020/2021 season are what helped secure Sun Valley’s national ranking as the top ski resort in North America. These include Sun Valley’s upcoming expansion plan of over 380 acres of expert terrain, called Sunrise, and opening this winter 2020/2021 season. The Sunrise expansion increases Baldy's skiable terrain to just under 2,500 acres and is the first major terrain expansion in over two decades.

Accessed via Seattle Ridge, the expanded terrain adds some exciting new expert terrain—for some. Longtime locals have enjoyed the secret powder stashes, rock drops, steep chutes, open bowls and powder-cached glades for decades, as well as the epic corn skiing in the spring. But the new Doppelmayr high-speed quad at the base of Lower Broadway will just make access that much easier and faster. The new lift, which rises 1,582

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vertical feet in just over one mile, replaces Baldy’s oldest operating lift, the double Cold Springs chair (you know the one that seemed to inch up the hill, but still always managed to sweep unsuspecting riders sideways upon loading, leading to lift stoppage or the ferrying of poles and gear in a buddy system to uphill riders). The replacement of the Cold Springs lift included a 4,200-foot extension of the Lower Broadway run and was designed to

provide a seamless transition from the base of Lower Broadway run to the Roundhouse Restaurant, gondola, and Christmas chairlift. But, in addition to the 380 acres of newly added expert terrain, the happy byproduct of a brand-new high-speed quad might just be faster access to Baldy’s lower bowls and a bit of help with speeding up powder-day traffic jams at the bottom of Lower Broadway run, which earns a gold star in any local’s book. ï WINTER 2020/2021 | sunvalleymag.com

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localbuzz // community hub

A MAVERICK SPIRIT The Community Library B Y K AT E H U L L

sunvalleymag.com | WINTER 2020/2021

he Community Library was founded on the independent spirit so intrinsic and interwoven into life out West. In 1955, seventeen women established The Community Library Association with a single-dollar donation from each member and an intention to create a privately funded, privately governed, nonprofit cultural organization. It all began in a one-bedroom cabin that housed the Gold Mine Thrift Store, the chief fundraising arm for the library at the time. More than sixty years later, The Community Library occupies 27,635 square feet covering an entire city block and houses nine program areas that serve the Wood River Valley and beyond. Its founding mission of building a strong community through bringing information, ideas, and people together remains at its core. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The founding women saw that this community would be stronger having a cultural center around books,â&#x20AC;? said executive director Jenny Emery-Davidson. Unlike most libraries across the country, The Community Library does not receive

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COURTESY THE COMMUNIT Y LIBR ARY

A team of designers collaborated on the recent renovation, working hard to update an iconic hub of the community. Credit goes to architect Dennis Humphries/ RATIO | HPA, interior designer Nicole Snyder, landscape architects Rob King and Staci Page of Landwork Studio, and builder Elias Construction.

any local, state, or federal tax funding, Emery-Davidson explained. “From its inception, it has been independent,” she said. “It truly is different from all other libraries in the country and is funded solely through the revenue of that thrift store—built decades ago and through private donations.” This independence extends beyond how the library is funded to its operations. Many libraries limit library card access to local and in-state residents and might offer a visitor pass or paid access to out-of-area visitors. The Community Library services, however, expand outside the Wood River Valley, allowing any and all people to get a free library card. “There is this maverick spirit behind The Community Library,” said EmeryDavidson. “It’s really of the people; we serve a broad geography.” Its user base covers 140,000 people, representing 15,000 library card holders from more than 1,500 zip codes across the country. The offerings in the physical and WINTER 2020/2021 | sunvalleymag.com

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No matter the size, The Community Library was always a hub (from top to bottom): the original log cabin (1955), the seventeen visionary women who founded the privately funded, privately governed, nonprofit cultural organization memorializing the site for the first library (1956-57), and the fruits of their labors, the first new library, which was housed at the site of the current Gold Mine Thrift Store from 1957-1975.

sunvalleymag.com | WINTER 2020/2021

virtual spaces are as diverse as the user base. The Community Library has more than 80,000 physical books that can be checked out, as well as audiobooks, music, online classes, and more. “We are so proud of the collection of books and that’s so primary to what people enjoy at the library, but in addition we have such a wide programming of educational offerings,” Emery-Davidson said. “The Center for Regional History is such a treasure trove of artifacts and oral histories, that is used by professional researchers and students.” The library has seen an influx in people utilizing the Center for Regional History, as well. “I feel anew how significant [the center] is in helping the community navigate change, while maintaining a sense of its history and character,” Emery-Davidson said. “Holding onto the stories of the past while new stories are made creates a more resilient community.” As with many things during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the on-site programming required a pivot or two, with much of the offerings moving virtual. “As much as we miss getting together in a room, it’s been exhilarating to see how we can have these global conversations in Idaho,” said Emery-Davidson. “We have been really excited about how people have continued to participate.” For Emery-Davidson and the team at The Community Library, navigating COVID-19 was a challenge, no doubt, but one they were prepared for, thanks, in part, to a newfound flexibility during the newly completed multiyear renovations. “The community learned to be flexible when all of this was going on [the renovations],” she said. “It was a disruptive situation, and we learned to embrace it. It served us well as we navigated the pandemic and taught us to be flexible and gritty.” The renovations prepared The Community Library in other unexpected ways that have helped navigate the new normal at the space, including a self-checkout system that allowed the library to open this past summer safely and more quickly than many others. The library also expanded the Bloom Bookmobile this past summer and fall, in partnership with The Hunger Coalition and in an effort to address the gap in school programming and provide children with a free meal and books. “We gave away books called the Seedling Program to grow children’s home [libraries] when their access to books is limited,” Emery-Davidson said. “We gave away 2,500 books, sprouting little gardens of knowledge.” While there is so much that is uncertain in these current times, Emery-Davidson knows one thing remains ever-present: The importance of access to a library. “Coming to the library is a way to locate oneself in community,” she said. “Walking in the door, you are part of this shared space with your neighbors. A library is how you build community.” ï

PHOTOS : COURTESY THE COMMUNIT Y LIBR ARY / CL AR A SPIEGEL COLLECTION, JEANNE RODGER L ANE CENTER FOR REGIONAL HISTORY

localbuzz // community hub

WINTER 2020/2021 | sunvalleymag.com

localbuzz // soldier mountain

CHANGING HANDS Soldier Mountain gets its 5th owners in 73 years B Y H AY D E N S E D E R

n 1947, friends Bob Frostenson and Harry Durall founded Soldier Mountain Ski Area while visiting Sun Valley to watch the U.S. Olympic Team tryouts. Since then, the Fairfield ski area has had generations of new owners, from actor Bruce Willis, who purchased it in the late '90s, to a nonprofit, to Matt and Diane McFerran. Now the mountain is in the hands of its newest owners, a group of six investors—all skiers, boarders, and backcountry enthusiasts—with a vision for keeping this iconic, historic resort just as people have come to love it while making beneficial changes to help move it into the future. A family-friendly mountain, Soldier is small but packs a punch in terms of what it offers. Two chairlifts reach up to 7,177 32

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feet and one can even hit the backcountry bowls by skiing down the backside. Soldier’s snowcat skiing is one of the most successful operations in the country where skiers and boarders can reach 10,095 feet to access private powder, all at this unassuming resort. Kids will enjoy the Magic Carpet for learning and the whole family can gather after a cold day in the lodge for food or for a pint at the Fox Den Pub. Before purchasing Soldier Mountain, the only member of the investment group who had actually been to Soldier was Paul Alden, the only Idaho resident of the group. Alden, who lives in Driggs, at the base of Targhee, had visited the mountain 30 years ago when he was running volunteer events for the Intermountain region and an event scheduled

at Sun Valley had to be moved to Soldier. He didn’t return again until March 2020 when the other five Utah-based investors had him go investigate this newly-for-sale ski area. “One of the principle investors in our group somehow stumbled across the fact that Soldier was up for sale,” said Alden. “We’re all rather involved skiers and snowboarders—anything outdoor related, this group is very passionate about.” As someone who had been around the snow sports industry for roughly 40 years, Alden was the perfect person to go see what the place was like. When he did, he fell in love with it and set in motion the purchase of Soldier that would culminate in the permit transferring at the beginning of August. Though all investors are involved in the ins and outs of Soldier Mountain, Alden is the “boots-on-the-ground” guy, commuting from Driggs to Soldier where he’s rented a house to stay in four or five days a week (often accompanied by his wife of 62 years). Alden, who has just turned 84, refers to his position at Soldier as his “fourth failure at retirement.” In his 40 years in the snow sports industry, he has certainly experienced

COURTESY SOLDIER MOUNTAIN

Soldier Mountain boasts easy-access backcountry cat skiing that offers a twist on the traditional guided experience. Their goal: To give you a memorable snow day where you get to choose the lines you ski or board.

all facets of it, from working for Burton snowboards for 10 years to a family business that installed most ski lifts that required helicopters in the Western U.S. A snowboarding convert after 25 years of skiing, he even worked in the early days to get snowboarding permitted on various mountains in the U.S. and worked on the committee to get snowboarding in the Olympics. During his first “retirement,” Alden, a Level 2 snowboard instructor, taught at Targhee for 22 years. Since indicating their interest in Soldier back in March, Alden has been under the tutelage of the mountain’s fourth owners, Matt and Diane McFerran. Both of the McFerrans’ last days were in mid-October, but the transition of ownership has been successful, especially due to the majority of managers staying on. With new ownership comes new changes, the first of which was tragically cut short prematurely. A new bike park was installed this summer, with the grand opening day scheduled in August, the same day that a fire came through and burned the whole operation. This also put the kibosh on another endeavor the new owners had planned to pursue: snowmaking. “Snowmaking hadn’t been used in 30 years,” Alden said. “One immediate change was going to be getting that up and running because it would extend the season early and late.” Because the pumphouse burned down and some 30-odd hydrants around the mountain melted, the project will take a backseat to getting other damage, like the main chairlift, back up and running. The fire did extensive damage that required the replacement of Lift 1, the Magic Carpet, and communications lines. But, rest assured, Soldier will be operating this winter season. With the priority being on getting the mountain back into the shape it was, new updates to Soldier are on the backburner… for now. But Alden and his fellow owners have plans to not only get the bike park open for next summer but to extend it as well. With a wedding already scheduled for next summer, they hope to book more events and celebrations, and also plan to keep the restaurant and lodge open for most of the summer. “As we see ways to serve more people in more varied ways, we will act on that as quickly as we can,” Alden said. Clearly, Soldier Mountain Ski Area is here to stay. ï

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nex en YOUR HIGH SCHOOLER IS A PHILANTHROPIST How WOW is cultivating generosity BY WIN S LOW BROK AW

id you know that your high schooler is a philanthropist and that your children are leading a generosity movement in the Wood River Valley? This fact is the best-kept secret from adults, but all the kids are in the know, and it is time that you were, too! Meet ‘WOW: The Generosity Project.’ WOW engages K-12 students in generosity and philanthropy by connecting students, teachers and nonprofits in meaningful projects. Projects range from raking leaves, clearing trails, and writing library book reviews, to running a

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Paralympic School Day, creating musical performances for senior citizens and making a “Buddy Bench” on the playground to promote kindness and friendship. How does it work? Participating organizations propose projects, and students and teachers select one to which they dedicate their “time, talent, and treasure,” according to WOW. Immersed in these three key concepts of philanthropy, kids learn that generosity is not just about money but also about their time and actions. They learn that their voice and skill sets count no matter their age or socioeconomic background.

Generosity “is as simple as opening the door or offering to carry someone’s groceries,” says staff member Elizabeth Herrick. While WOW donates $25 on behalf of every child to the nonprofit with which the group works, the financial award comes last—icing on the cake. Financially, WOW is sustained by a small group of devoted investors from the community who believe in paying it forward and teaching the next generation how to be generous philanthropists. Teaching youth philanthropy is not new, but WOW is unique in that it is the only organization in the country working with

PHOTO ILLUSTR ATION : MARY RODRIGUEZ

every school and all grades in a community. Founded by longtime Sun Valley resident Morley Golden in 2009 to cultivate “community through generosity” (Wow’s tagline), the stats are impressive. Over the last ten years, WOW has engaged approximately 2,000 students per year who have partnered with 50 local nonprofits, invested 60,000 hours in community service projects and directed $500,000 to Blaine County nonprofits. This model allows students to experience various nonprofits’ missions and activities of generosity during their K-8 years and prepares them to take on a significant leadership role with the Youth Philanthropy Initiative by high school. The Youth Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) provides high school students “ownership and responsibility” in shaping and supporting their community through philanthropic giving, says Herrick, by allowing them to oversee the distribution of $15,000 each year. Supported by a teacher, students from each high school form YPI groups and, according to WOW: “vet grant applications, review finalists, and determine who receives grant awards” over a six-week period. The students review up to fifteen grant applications and create their own questions for the finalists they interview in person. Each YPI group ultimately awards three grants between $500

and $5,000 in a culminating ceremony in which the students speak to why they chose specific projects in front of the teachers, parents, and nonprofits. Giving money away may sound easy, but the students learn how difficult it can be to allocate money strategically. “Why can’t we give money to everybody?” deliberates Bridgette from Sun Valley Community School. Lila, of The Sage School, reiterates the challenge of making decisions when there are so many incredible nonprofits in the Wood River Valley, saying, “We realize that there is no wrong choice. Every organization that we can give money to would be the right choice. It’s a wonderful thing to know that your community is filled with so many organizations that want to help.” Because the students are in charge, they are forced to critically consider the needs of the community and examine “effective strategies for change,” according to WOW. Their reflections speak to the power of the YPI experience as a catalyst for personal growth. Lydia, from Wood River High School, stated, “I felt that it gave me a voice and that I could make an impact on where our money goes in our community.” Ali, from Sun Valley Community School, shared that “YPI was a place for me to voice my

High school students participating in WOW's 2019 Youth Philanthropy Initiative, collaborate on vetting grant applications to worthy non profits.

own opinions and educate myself about the nonprofits in our Valley.” Finally, Bridgette highlighted how it strengthened her selfworth by showing her “that I can make an impact on someone’s life, which is very inspiring for me.” Despite COVID-19 and the challenges of varying school schedules, YPI is still in full swing and will be conducted remotely over Zoom where needed. While other aspects of WOW’s programming are limited due to COVID-19, some teachers and students are still putting generosity in action. For example, an art teacher at Ernest Hemingway STEAM School in Ketchum and her students are creating puzzles for senior citizens living in isolation. The children are learning that their time and talents are bringing joy to others’ lives, even when it feels hard to give away their precious artwork. Are you ready to get involved? Start by asking your children or your friend’s children about their experience spreading generosity in the Wood River Valley. The youth are the foundation of this philanthropic generosity movement that ultimately seeks to engage not only the Valley’s students, teachers and nonprofits, but also parents, adults and businesses. Let the benevolent wild rumpus start! ï

PROMOTING THE WELFARE OF OTHERS Even during challenging timesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;or especially during tough timesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Idahoans step up in service to others. Idaho ranks 5th in the nation for volunteer spirit, with 34% of Idahoans volunteering their time for a cause. So whether a longtime local or new to the Gem State, here is a sampling of a handful of the over 75 non-profits operating in the Wood River Valley.

FLOURISH FOUNDATION

THE PEREGRINE FUND

A values-driven organization fueled by the passion to ignite personal transformation, inspire social change, and nurture community development. Flourish Foundation works to inspire systematic change through the cultivations of healthy habits of mind that promote personal well-being, benevolent social action , and environmental stewardship through year-round youth and adult programming. flourishfoundation.org.

Celbrating 50 years, the mission of The Peregrine Fund is to conserve birds of prey worlwide, ensuring the raptor populations and their ecosystems thrive adn that human communities are enriched by their work and raptors are valued by all humans. peregrinefund.org

GIRLS ON THE RUN The mission of Girls on the Run of Souther Idaho is to inspire girls to be healthy, joyful and confident by using a fun experience-based curriculum that creatively integrates running. gotrsouthernidaho.org

HIGHER GROUND Since 1999, Higher Ground has been using recreation therapy to help people with all types of physical and cognitive disabilities to achieve a higher quality of life. With recreation, therapy, and continuing support, they bridge the gap between disability and belonging. highergroundusa.org

IDAHO BASECAMP

Newly built, Argyros Performing Arts Center.

THE ARGYROS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Idaho BaseCamp is a leading resource for outdoor adventure education, committed to cultivating leaders, individual and community development, and serving the environment. idahobasecamp.org

This brand new, high-tech performance and event facility is designed to inspire and enrich artists, residents and visitors from around the world. From music and dance to live theater and film, speakers and educational workshops, The Argyros offers a diverse selection of multi-disciplinary top-quality performances for the community. theargyros.com

BALLET SUN VALLEY Ballet Sun Valley's mission is to bring the world's most renowned ballet companies and dancers to Sun Valley. They also support dance students and adapative dance students through education programs featuring professional instructors from internationally recognized ballet schools. balletsunvalley.com

CAMP RAINBOW GOLD An independent, nonprofit organization serving Idaho's children diagnosed with cancer and their families. Camp Rainbow Gold offers youth and teen oncology camps, a sibling camp, family retreats, family events, college scholarships, and a year-round teen support group, entirely free of charge to all children and families. camprainbowgold.org

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St. Luke's, helping those in need through donations.

ST. LUKE'S WOOD RIVER FOUNDATION The mission of St. Luke's Wood River Foundation is to accelerate the advancement of innovative programs and services that fundamentally improve healthcare experiences in our community. slwrf.org

SUN VALLEY MUSIC FESTIVAL The Sun Valley Music Festival's goal is to instill a lifelong love of music in our community through exceptional, free classical music concerts and education programs. They bring the joy admission-free, live classical music into the lives of thousands of residents and visitors in the Wood River Valley and serve students through their summer programs and year-round programs in conjunction with the Blaine County School District. svmusicfestival.org

SUN VALLEY INSTITUTE

Volunteers with the Idaho Conservation League providing wilderness stewardship.

IDAHO CONSERVATION LEAGUE The ICL's goal is to create an informed and engaged conservation community in Idaho. By building a robust conservation community, ICL works to protect the air you breath, the water you drink and the land you love, ensuring adequate protections for healthy families and Idaho's unique way of life. idahoconservation.org

NAMI NAMI works to break down the barriers of stigma relating to mental health conditions. NAMI empowers individuals and their families living with a mental health challenge to learn about recovery, based on a peer-led model. nami-wrv.org

Sun Valley Institute, a Center for Resilience, acts as a catalyst for lasting quality of place by advancing economic, ecological, and social resilience, pioneering transformative solutions, driving awareness and convening leaders and innovators for global and local impact. sunvalleyinstitute.org

SWIFTSURE RANCH Swiftsure Ranch Therapeutic Equestrian Center's mission is to encourage the physical, cognitive , and emotional well-being of adults and children with disabilities through equine-assisted activities and therapies. swiftsureranch.org

THE HUNGER COALITION The Hunger Coalition builds a healthy community through access to good food and addresses the root causes of food insecurity in collaboration with key partners. thehungercoalition.org

LEF T TO RIGHT: COURTESY THE ARGYROS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER / KEVIN SYMS, COURTESY IDAHO CONSERVATION LEAGUE, COURTESY ST. LUKE'S WOOD RIVER FOUNDATION

nexgen // philanthropy today

body&soul CONDITIONING FOR AN INJURY-FREE WINTER Exercises to build strength and flexibility BY SAR AH LINVILLE

or many of us in the Wood River Valley, winter is the most treasured time of year. Powder days, hockey tournaments, feeling the chill on our cheeks and the burn in our legs as we stride, slide and carve on the ice and snow. Our beloved cold-weather sports allow us to be simultaneously present and exhilarated, and perhaps, they create a space free from other worries and fears, demanding unaltered focus. But activities like downhill skiing, snowboarding, Nordic skiing, hockey and ice skating also demand skill, strong legs,

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solid core, confidence and steady balance. One of the many ways the COVID-19 outbreak has affected people here and everywhere, is their strength conditioning. “Generally, people have struggled,” said Kjersten Grinde Timoney, doctor of physical therapy for St. Luke’s outpatient clinic in Ketchum “Social, emotional, cognitive and physical health have all taken a really big hit since the pandemic.” Jumping into a multifaceted sport like downhill skiing after a long period of limited or no pre-conditioning could make people

WINTER 2020/2021 | sunvalleymag.com

body&soul // injury-free winter

“

Before hitting the slopes or the trail, it is a good idea to warm up the muscles. We have to be very careful when our muscles are cold. Try to get the blood moving before engaging in your activity for the day. A stationary bike is a great tool or try some exceptionally light dynamic stretching. Do not aggressively stretch first thing in the morning—you can really end up hurting yourself.” — EMILY KNOW LES

more susceptible to injury and that worries Timoney. “I am a little fearful moving into the season with people going on to the mountain or trail in a set-back or even bad pre-conditioned shape,” she expressed. Primarily, the injuries accrued from winter sports are aches, sprains and strains in the knees, ankles and lower back. Not as common but still prevalent injuries include ligament tears in the knees, tibial plateau fractures and ankle breaks. When asked how people hurt themselves, Timoney said that many patients tell her that their balance isn’t what it used to be. “Balance is like strength,” Kjersten said. “If you don’t use it, you lose it, especially if you’re over the age of forty.”

BALANCE IS KEY Incorporating balance exercises into a fitness regimen does several things; it challenges stabilizing muscle groups, it works the core muscles and makes people more confident in where their body is in space. All of which are important in high-impact or fast-moving winter sports. Reaping the benefits of core strength and improved balance can be achieved by regularly including exercises found in the disciplines of both yoga and Pilates. Pilates focuses on large core muscle (or the body’s “powerhouse”) strengthening and lengthening at the same time—two things that seemingly everybody needs to work on, according to Emily Knowles, a group fitness 40

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instructor, personal trainer and Pilates instructor at Zenergy. “If you’re not strengthening and stabilizing your core [the muscles closest to the center of the body, not just abs],” explained Knowles, “you are more susceptible to injury in your extremities.” Holding good form in repetitive-motion sports, like downhill and Nordic skiing, depends on a strong connected system in the body where the core protects the back and the hips, and the gluteal muscles and quadriceps protect the knees and ankles. However, the body can only take so much repetitive motion until fatigue causes undue strain in the over-used muscles. Strengthening the body’s large muscles to protect the smaller, more vulnerable areas is key to a healthy, active winter, but learning to listen to the body’s cues is perhaps just as important. Along with teaching counterbalancing poses that can improve stamina and strength and provide relief to muscles that regularly engage in a repetitive-motion sport, yoga goes beyond the physical aspect, says Beth Stuart, yoga instructor and owner of idaYOGA studio in Hailey. Yoga practices force a connection to “the breath” and allow people to be fully present, “listening” to their body. What feels good? What doesn’t feel good? “Yoga is good for everything,” said Stuart. “Physically. Mentally. It can teach us to drown out the noise and be present in the

moment.” This is especially important when training for fast-paced sports such as skiing. The National Ski Area Association says people should do their best to get outside this winter. Outdoor recreation is proven to improve mental and physical health, they insist. But nothing is worse for a long winter than a sidelining injury, and a great way to prevent injury is to pre-condition either at home or at the gym. To reduce the risk of exposure, many people have chosen not to return to their exercise facilities since reopening. Before writing the gym off altogether as too risky, go check it out, advised Timoney. “Put on your mask and scope out your facility’s policies and rules regarding COVID-19, and then make your decision.” Knowles related that some Zenergy members have expressed a great appreciation for their gym, calling it their lifeline, while others set up a home gym that they are very happy and more comfortable with. So, whether the decision is to stay home, or venture out, what really matters is taking the steps to remain injury-free this winter. No matter what stage you find yourself in physically, the best advice this season is to never try to perform outside your ability level—don’t get overly excited on a powder day, be aware of limits, and always start the season out slow to hone skills and build strength. Think of the winter as a marathon, going strong and steady to the end. ï

AT-HOME CORE AND GLUTE EXERCISES WITH LIMITED EQUIPMENT (These exercises are generously provided by Kjersten Grinde Timoney, D.P.T.) What youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll need: Resistance band and a chair.

1. S UPINE BRIDGE (2 to 3 sets of 10 repetitions, one to two times a day) Setup: Begin lying on your back with your arms resting at your sides, your legs bent at the knees and your feet flat on the ground. Movement: Tighten your abdominals and slowly lift your hips off the floor into a bridge position, keeping your back straight. Tip: Make sure to keep your trunk stiff throughout the exercise and your arms flat on the floor.

2. C LAMSHELL WITH RESISTANCE (3 sets of 10 reps once a day) Setup: Begin by lying on your side with your knees bent 90 degrees, hips and shoulders stacked, and a resistance loop secured around your legs. Movement: Raise your top knee away from the bottom one, then slowly return to the starting position. Tip: Make sure not to roll your hips forward or backward during the exercise

3. S IT TO STAND WITHOUT ARM ASSISTANCE (3 sets of 10 reps once a day) Setup: Begin by sitting upright on a chair with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Movement: Reach out with your arms and lean forward at your hips until your bottom starts to lift off the chair. Move your body into a standing upright position, then reverse the order of your movements to return to the starting position. Tip: Make sure not to let your knees collapse inward during the exercise.

4. TANDEM STANCE WITH SUPPORT (3 sets of 10 reps once a day) Setup: Begin in a standing upright position holding on to a stable object for support. Movement: Place one foot directly in front of the other so you are standing heel-to-toe. Hold this position. For increased challenge, close your eyes. Goal is 1 minute with each foot leading. Tip: Make sure to maintain your balance during the exercise.

WINTER 2020/2021 | sunvalleymag.com

SUN VALLEY MAGAZINE’S

things we love … Lasting Gifts Enduring Style

Women’s Gloria Wool-Lined Waterproof Italian Suede and Leather Boots. Overland Sheepskin Co. 208.726.3588

Women’s Forest Wool-Lined Rabbit Fur and Italian Calfskin Hiker Boots. Overland Sheepskin Co. 208.726.3588

Women’s Rosewood Cashmere-Lined Lambskin Leather Gloves, and Odessa Cowhide Coin Pouch and Clutch Wallet. Overland Sheepskin Co. | 208.726.3588

For nearly 50 years, the Overland family-run business has offered superbly crafted outerwear, clothing, and home accents inspired by the American West and made from the finest sheepskin, leather, wool, and other natural materials.

Premium Australian Sheepskin Rug 1.5-Pelt. (2’ x 4.6’) Overland Sheepskin Co. 208.726.3588

Austin Coyote Fur Shoulder Bag with Argentine Cow Horn Handle. Overland Sheepskin Co. 208.726.3588

Men’s Ethan Classic Australian Merino Sheepskin Slippers. Overland Sheepskin Co. | 208.726.3588 Vintage Leather Aviator Hat with Rabbit Fur Trim, and Men’s Noble ShearlingLined Lambskin Leather Gloves. Overland Sheepskin Co. | 208.726.3588

Tahoe Distressed Leather Duffel Bag. Overland Sheepskin Co. | 208.726.3588

sunvalleymag.com | WINTER 2020/2021

Knitted Mink Fur Beanie Hat with Fox Fur Pom, and Odessa Raw Edge Cowhide Crossbody Bag. Overland Sheepskin Co. 208.726.3588

Blue Ice Kume 30L , minimalist ski pack. Backwoods Mountain Sports | 208.726.8818

Backcountry essentials—the Black Diamond Storm headlamp and a Bula Howard beanie. And the gift of safety, a Mammut Barryvox S avalanche beacon and Garmin Inreach Mini. Backwoods Mountain Sports 208.726.8818

24 oz Hydro Flask, lightweight and wide mouth, and Jetboil Flash, portable cooking systems. Backwoods Mountain Sports | 208.726.8818 Layer with the Krimson Klover Midnight Ride zip neck. Backwoods Mountain Sports 208.726.8818

Rossignol premium nordic skate boot offers the ultimage in fit and power transmission. Backwoods Mountain Sports 208.726.8818

Adventure Essentials The options for adventure here are almost unlimited. But a guy or gal has to have the right gear, whether winter fishing, skinning up Galena, or just skipping town for a weekend. Check out our favorite finds from the experts at Backwoods Mountain Sports.

The perfect Wood River backcountry ski setup—Black Crows Camox Freebird Skis and Black Crows Duos Poles with extended handles—both functional, powerful and light. Backwoods Mountain Sports 208.726.8818

Backwoods Gift Cards— Perfect at any price, let the outdoors people in your life get what they really want this holiday season. Backwoods Mountain Sports 208.726.8818

Dirt Bags chalk bags are locally made and each a unique design. Scarpa Veloce climbing shoes provides extreme sensitivity. Backwoods Mountain Sports | 208.726.8818

Tubbs Wayfinder Snowshoe. Easy on and off and lightweight. Backwoods Mountain Sports | 208.726.8818

WINTER 2020/2021 | sunvalleymag.com

SUN VALLEY MAGAZINE’S

things we love … Perfect to Give and to Get Beat the chill in cozy cashmere or statement sweaters, step out in distinctive style or create coziness, and fill your space with fabulous finds from The Wildflower that would top any gift list! Baubles and beads. Adorn yourself with statement necklaces or dainty pieces dripping in precious stones and crystal drops. The Wildflower 208.928.4700

Perfect for date night— subtle snakeskin pattern leggings with a cropped balloon sleeve sweater from Oat. The Wildflower 208.928.4700

Sing and spread the joy in sweaters by Wooden Ships. The Wildflower 208.928.4700

Alpine skiers adorn jammies perfect for winter cuddling. The Wildflower | 208.928.4700

Johnny Was Blanket, reversible and soft. Winter Glen and Native pattern. The Wildflower | 208.928.4700

sunvalleymag.com | WINTER 2020/2021

Thymes Frasier Fir, gilittery star candles or gorgeous glass votives in jewels tones light up any night. The Wildflower | 208.928.4700

Precious stone necklace—with just the right amount of diamonds for everyday wear or a night on the town. Silver Creek Outfitters | 208.726.5282

The ultimate host or hostess gift—gorgeous and functional! A real turqouise-handle cheese knife set or wood inlay wine opener. Silver Creek Outfitters | 208.726.5282

“Cliff Hangers” by Tim Shinabarger brings the goats of the Boulder Mountains home. Bronze wall hanging, 38” h. X 12.5” w. X 10” d. Shop the online gallery at www.woodriverfinearts.com. Wood River Fine Arts | 208.928.7728

Stay warm and cozy with luxurious cashmere from Repeat and functional and protective boots from Sorel. Silver Creek Outfitters | 208.726.5282

The Gift of Healthy Skin! Pwered by clinically proven ZO® Growth Factor technology, Growth Factor Eye Serum and Growth Factor Serum encourage renewal and help soothe, reinvigorate and plump the skin. Pure | 208.788.4747

Sparkle and shine this season with Date Vertigo Tenny footwear and a functional adn stylish backpack from . Silver Creek Outfitters | 208.726.5282

Cozy up in Nepalese cashmere from SISTER in Ketchum. Vintage and classic design with a contemporary twist in hand-knit cashmere. Pair with a one-of-a-kind, handloomed cashmere scarf or cashmere beanie and stay warm all winter. SISTER | 208.726.5160 WINTER 2020/2021 | sunvalleymag.com

etoutthere SUN VALLEY’S BACKCOUNTRY YURT AND HUT SYSTEM An Austrian tradition settles in the mountains of Idaho

fter rapidly transforming from a sleepy, post-boom-and-bust mining town of just over 100 yearround residents into a luxury winter ski resort within one year in 1936, Sun Valley Resort brought over Austrian and German mountain guides to ski instruct in 1938. They were immediately intoxicated with the seemingly endless mountain ranges surrounding the resort and began exploring, skiing, and guiding in the backcountry. By the time 1939 rolled around, the mountain guides, headed up by Florian Haemmerle, had constructed Pioneer cabin as a basecamp for ski touring and mountaineering, located east of Ketchum at an elevation of 9,400 feet. Pioneer cabin was North America’s first backcountry hut that was built specifically for the purpose of ski touring, modeled after the huts that could be found throughout the European traditional hut-to-hut ski and hiking tour routes. Today, the Sun Valley area boasts a backcountry hut and yurt system throughout the surrounding Boulder, Sawtooth, Smoky, and Pioneer mountains that are coveted for winter and summer basecamps for outdoor adventures. While huts are more similar to small cabins, yurts are circular, portable dwellings, distinguished by their lattice of flexible poles and fabric covering. Mongolia holds claim to the birthplace of the yurt, which is the prominent abode throughout Central Asia, and in recent decades yurts have grown in popularity in the backcountry. The huts 46

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and yurts around Sun Valley were developed by outfitters over the years to offer a more comfortable opportunity to spend days out in the mountains in winter and summer, basing out of one location, rather than moving accommodations nightly as in the hut-to-hut tour model that is common in Europe today. Joe St.Onge, co-owner of Sun Valley Mountain Huts (formerly Sun Valley Trekking), with his wife Francie, described, “We've got one of the most unique backcountry hut systems both from a historical ski aspect and from a structure perspective.” He continued, “All of the six huts we operate are different and spread across three mountain ranges. From the structures, to the skiing and mountain biking, to the ecology, each hut was built on site, with consideration of how to best fit it into that site. At the same time, there’s also lots of common characteristics and accoutrements for levels of comfort. The huts have everything you need and nothing that you don’t.” A combination of huts and yurts, Bench, Fishhook, Tornak, Boulder, Coyote, and Pioneer are cozy dwellings with woodheating stoves, beds, kitchens, and even some saunas and wood-heated hot tubs. In addition to Sun Valley Mountain Huts, Sawtooth Mountain Guides operates the Williams Peak Hut, and Galena Lodge has four yurts available for rent in winter and summer, which are Senate View, Star’s Perch, Miner’s, and Honeymoon yurt.

How we got from Pioneer cabin to the extensive hut system of today largely took place in the 1970s. Once World War II hit, Sun Valley Resort shut its doors, most of the German and Austrian ski guides returned to Europe to fight in the 10th Mountain Division, and Pioneer cabin largely fell into a state of disrepair despite locals continuing to explore Ketchum’s surrounding mountain ranges. But in the early 1970s, local outfitter Joe Leonard began building primitive walltents in the Sawtooth and White Cloud mountains where he would host trips. One of Leonard’s early guests had recently returned from a National Geographic assignment in Mongolia and recommended that he use yurts to host and accommodate guests. Leonard was convinced and built the first known yurt that was specifically built as a destination ski hut. In 1982, Leonard passed along his operation to Bob Jonas, who named the company Sun Valley Trekking and moved the yurts and huts higher into the mountains. Joe and Francie St.Onge took over Sun Valley Trekking in 2000, and continue to run the huts today. The Williams Peak yurts were constructed by Sawtooth Mountain Guides founder Kirk Bachman in 1986, and are located at 8,000 feet on the northern expanse of the Sawtooth Range near Stanley. While Sawtooth Mountain Guides’ yurts and Sun Valley Mountain Hut’s huts and yurts are backcountry ski, bike, and hike jumping-off points that you pack into,

R AY J. GADD

BY KIR A TENNEY

One of the Boulder yurts in the Smoky Mountains, two connected yurts located at 7,120 feet that can accommodate 14, and great for everybody from novices to intermediate skiers.

WINTER 2020/2021 | sunvalleymag.com

getoutthere // backcountry yurts

Enjoying a backcountry yurt with family or friends provides ample time for experiencing "everything you need, and nothing you don't."

Galena Lodge’s yurts are accessible by Nordic ski trails and, while they also boast mountain views, are less remote. Joe described what it took to keep these backcountry paradises up and running. All are located in remote backcountry settings, and there is a huge amount of work required to build them in the first place. Take the Bench Hut, which was built from beetle-kill trees all within 100 feet of the site. Then, there’s maintaining the huts and yurts throughout the year, cutting and transporting supplies and wood for fuel for the entire winter, and ensuring general upkeep. Joe noted that, “Francie and I consider ourselves stewards. While we're the owners, it’s not about ownership, it's about stewardship, and it’s a huge responsibility and honor.” All told, nearly a dozen yurts and huts are sprinkled throughout the mountains surrounding the Wood River Valley, providing unique opportunities to get into the mountains to experience that indescribable sensation of getting a group of friends together to just be out in the high alpine wilderness—experiencing the joy of “everything you need, and nothing you don’t.” ï 48

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The best place to start if you’re interested in a hut or yurt trip is exploring Sun Valley Mountain Huts, Sawtooth Mountain Guides, Sun Valley Guides and Galena Lodge websites, which give full information about location, amenities, availability, what to think about, and how to prepare, particular to each location. In general, make sure you are adept in backcountry safety and navigation if you are going skiing or snowboarding. The yurts operated by Galena are less remote and can be great “starter” yurt experiences. If it’s your first time to any hut, an orientation is required that will deck you out with quick beta on the hut or yurt and nearby adventure terrain. St. Onge notes that there are the options for full guided trips, which are recommended for first-time users. Both Sun Valley Guides and Sawtooth Mountain Guides offer fully guided hut trips.

SUN VALLEY GUIDES

SAWTOOTH MOUNTAIN GUIDES

svguides.com info@svguides.com 208.721.0290

sawtoothguides.com getaway@sawtoothguides.com 208.806.3063

GALENA LODGE galenalodge.com info@galenalodge.com 208.726.4010

SUN VALLEY MOUNTAIN HUTS svtrek.com info@svtrek.com 208.788.1966

R AY J. GADD

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getoutthere // rails-to-trails

THE WOOD RIVER TRAIL The making of the Valley's outdoor lifeline

n a Valley where there are literally thousands of miles of trails, one of the most notable trails is the Wood River Trail (WRT), more well-known to locals as "The Bike Path.” It’s a conversion of the old Union Pacific railroad tracks into over 20-plus miles of paved, multi-use, yearround path that provides a non-motorized connection between the Wood River Valley communities of Ketchum, Sun Valley, Hailey and Bellevue, and to public lands and trails nearby. Commuters, bikers, joggers, walkers, skateboarders, horseback riders, and even cross-country skiers and snowshoers in the winter—you name it, everyone enjoys the Wood River Trail in all seasons and every day of the year—for

free. Dotted with interpretive signs, doggie water fountains, benches to sit on and enjoy the view ... it’s not your average walk in the park, and in many ways, it’s the outdoor lifeline in our Valley. And yet, the nationally-renowned interconnected trail system that the Wood River Valley now boasts, including the central artery of the WRT, was not an easy feat to bring to fruition. It is the legacy of the vision, drive, and hard work of trailblazing local leadership and community efforts. In the case of the WRT, it all started when a railroad trestle bridge blew out in the early 1970s. In 1972, Union Pacific officially abandoned the Sun Valley rail line after a trestle

bridge just north of River Run was damaged to the point of needing complete replacement. Railroad officials originally wanted $20 million for the railroad right-of-way, and at first, it was meant to be for the highway. At the time, Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) was going through a huge growth period and hosted a community meeting at the old Holiday Inn in Ketchum to present their plan to acquire the railroad right-of-way and build a separated four-lane highway from Bellevue to Ketchum. The Valley’s population came “unglued,” to the extent that individuals chained themselves to cottonwood trees in protest with slogans of “Don’t Widen Our Highway!”

The Wood River Trail provides over 20plus miles of paved, multi-use, yearround path for non-motorized use.

sunvalleymag.com | WINTER 2020/2021

COURTESY BL AINE COUNT Y RECREATION DISTRICT / DEV KHALSA

BY KIR A TENNEY

Local attorney Russ Pinto saw the perfect opportunity to instead acquire the railroad right-of-way to establish a connected path for recreation users and non-motorized transportation. Pinto began working with a small group in town doing research on the right-of-way and talking to ITD, as well as ranchers who had been involved in the established “sheep driveway” that was dedicated in the Valley in 1929 as a stock driveway for sheep and cattle. Pinto began initiating negotiations with ITD and the ranchers with the idea of a connecting greenway belt from Ketchum to Bellevue, similar to the sheep driveway, but designed for recreational use. Meanwhile, Bob Rosso, owner since 1976, with his wife Kate, of outdoor store and community hub The Elephant’s Perch, and Butch Harper, the Ketchum Ranger District recreation manager from 19641994, were working together to create what would become the Blaine County Recreation District (BCRD). Established in 1976, the BCRD offered local programs such as basketball, baseball, and volleyball for the community in the early years, but Rosso and Harper were enamored with the idea of a rails-to-trails project connecting the entire Valley (at the time, recreation users had to share the right of way with a busy highway). The BCRD took the initiative on. Then, “Along came Mary.” Young, energetic, and all-in, Mary Austin Crofts applied for the BCRD executive director job and was hired in 1984. At the time, the E.D. was the sole employee at the BCRD, which was directed by a board that included Rosso and Harper. For the next seven years, Mary Austin Crofts didn’t take a day off. She ran the BCRD and helped coordinate the rails-totrails initiative. “It was just such a great team of people! We had this deep friendship and camaraderie right from the very start,” she explained. “It wasn’t as easy as people often think. In the early stages, there was a lot of pushback. People didn’t want a public path in their backyards, people worried about theft and crime increasing— every single section has a story of adversity in its making. Now, we’re all so grateful to have it, but we have it because everybody pushed so hard to make it happen.” Austin Crofts, Rosso, and Harper worked extensively with local attorneys Russ Pinto and Jim Speck, and engineer Dick Fosbury, along with members of local WINTER 2020/2021 | sunvalleymag.com

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getoutthere // rails-to-trails

OF SUN VALLEY

The Valley’s premier dining & menu guide

SPRING—The WRT crosses several historic railroad bridges along its 20-mile route from Bellevue to Ketchum.

Pick up a copy on stands throughout the Wood River Valley, or read the digital edition at sunvalleymag.com/dining.

and state government. But at first, the idea of the Wood River Trail was a hard sell to the “masses” in Ketchum. Butch Harper recounted, “At first, we got the right-of-way to develop a paved trail from Adams Gulch Road to Saddle Road on the north side of town. So we decided, ‘People have no idea what this is going to be like, so let’s just do it and build it, so people will understand what we’re trying to do.’ Then people saw it, and used it, and that was really the kickoff. So many people were saying, ‘Wow, this is really cool! Now we see what you’re talking about,’ and it got a lot easier after that.” Sometime after that first trail, local citizens passed a bond (with 95 percent support) to allocate $3 million to complete portions of the bike path and Austin Crofts successfully applied for funding to build the 52

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two tunnels under the highway. Harper remembered how important community involvement was to success, recounting, “From the Forest Service standpoint, the amount of volunteer help we had to do these things was huge. Whenever you put the word out, people showed up to do the work and we just got a lot of stuff done. It was a long period of time, and it all didn’t happen at once. It took a lot of effort, commitment, and time and this community would still step up again if you had the right project.” It was also noted by the team that it was easier to get things done back in that day. Harper laughed, saying, “At the Forest Service, we’d just design trails, put out to volunteers that we needed a hand, and then people would show up and we’d build a trail. Now, we’d go to jail if we did that.”

PHOTOS : COURTESY BL AINE COUNT Y RECREATION DISTRICT / DEV KHALSA

FALL—The autumn colors are spectacular, especially where the trail follows the Big Wood River.

SUMMER—Expect to see dog walkers, baby joggers, roller bladers, runners, bikers during the busy summer months.

WINTER—The WRT is regularly groomed with classic and skate tracks, and is dog-friendly.

HE OF T

VA L

2020 2020 •

“Back then, it was easier,” described Rosso. “Now it gets a little more complicated as we all need to think ‘how do we retain these amenities that do belong to the people of the Valley and that escalate guests’ experiences when they come visit?'” At last count, the Wood River Trail boasted over 300,000 users. Many describe it as “saving us during COVID.” Austin Crofts is in the beginnings of writing and producing a coffee table book filled with stories and photographs commemorating the history of the community’s “bike path” and is currently rallying funding for the effort. “This trail system is my passion,” she said. "It was complex and there were many times it looked impossible. But, we did it.” The BCRD “A Team,” as they were called, were also able to negotiate, acquire funding for, and develop the North Valley Trails

ski system and the Harriman Trail pathway between Galena Lodge and the Sawtooth National Recreation Area Headquarters and to purchase and upgrade Galena Lodge. The Wood River Trail became a quick model for other mountain towns across the West to develop rails-to-trails greenways. “People in this Valley love their trails,” grinned Bob Rosso. “So many people worked their tails off to get what we have and are still working their tails off. Now, a lot of us are getting to be old farts, but we don’t want to watch the things we have in this Valley fade away. What comes with what we have is the protection of them. If we build them and don’t take care of them, they’ll get trashed—we’ve got to take care of it all. It’s also never done. The question for all of us in the Valley is, what’s next? What are we going to do for the community?” ï WINTER 2020/2021 | sunvalleymag.com

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L EY

THE PULSE of A RECEDING

TRAIN

THE TRAIN CHANGED THE HEARTBEAT OF THE WOOD RIVER VALLEY BY J E N N Y E M E R Y DAV I D S O N P H O T O G R A P H Y , C O U R T E S Y T H E C O M M U N I T Y L I B R A R Y , JEANNE RODGER L ANE CENTER FOR REGIONAL HISTORY

efore the train, central Idaho was the terrain of a free-running freestone river; it was where the Shoshone-Bannock tribes came to fish; it was where prospectors and trappers came seeking fortunes. It was what the writer Mary Hallock Foote called “the darkest part of darkest Idaho” in 1882 when her engineer husband got involved with the Wolftone Mine. Then the train arrived—its throbbing energy surely reverberating through the mountains, the whistle perking the ears of wolves, and its steel circulation system changing the flow of the valley. In the 1880s, the Oregon Short Line tracks were punched north from Shoshone, reaching Ketchum by 1884 and linking the wilds of central Idaho with a global industrial economy. Millions of dollars of galena ore rolled down those tracks in the 1880s and 1890s, and around that time tourists in top hats and dresses swept into town on those same tracks, then traveled by horse-drawn wagon to Guyer Hot Springs Resort in Warm Springs Canyon to rejuvenate in high elevation hot water.

sunvalleymag.com | WINTER 2020/2021

The Oregon Short Line transported millions of tons of galena ore from Ketchum south to Shoshone and the industrial world. January 1906.

WINTER 2020/2021 | sunvalleymag.com

1902, Reclamation Act: The Act required that water users repay construction costs from which they received benefits.

1880

1890 1890, Idaho becomes a state.

1910 to 1960, Strong U.S. lamb market. The height was in the mid-1940s.

1900

1910

1894, Carey Act was enacted to lay responsibility for irrigation on the States and Territories. The federal government granted land to State or Territory management on condition that the land be irrigated and occupied.

1914 to 1918, W WI, U.S. enters war in 1917. 56

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1920

1930 COURTESY MUSÃ&#x2030;E NATIONAL D'HISTOIRE MILITAIRE DIEKIRCH

1890 and 1891, Congress passed legislation reserving rights-of-way for reservoirs, canals, and ditches in the public domain.

1919, 19th Amendment: Women get the right to vote.

LIBR AY OF CONGRESS/ HARRIS & EWING, WASHINGTON, D.C.

COURTESY UNION PACIFIC R AILROAD

1883, Oregon Short Line (OSL) completed to Hailey Depot and 1884, to Ketchum, Idaho.

1939 to 1945, World War II, the U.S. entered the war in 1941.

COURTESY UNION PACIFIC R AILROAD

1936, Sun Valley Resort opened in December of 1936 (the lure of skiing in the sunshine was invented to attract passengers on the Union Pacific Railroad.)

In the first half of the twentieth century, hundreds of thousands of sheep were shipped down those rails. Later, at the behest of Union Pacific Railroad chairman and Sun Valley Resort founder, W. Averell Harriman, skiers started arriving on special event trains, such as the Snowball Express party train that brought revelers from Los Angeles as late as the 1960s. They’d be met with a “western welcome” and ferried to Sun Valley Resort in horsedrawn surreys and wagons. Much of this circulation happened at the loop—the northernmost point of this spur of the Union Pacific railway system, where the tracks formed a broad circle in what is now the industrial district of Ketchum. The loop lay just past the railway intersection where one track turned toward the Philadelphia Smelter at the mouth of Warm Springs; the loop was beyond the small Ketchum depot and the labyrinthine stockyard and weigh house. At the end of the line, the tracks circled wide around a sagebrush flat, glancing close to the Big Wood River near where the Presbyterian Church of the Big Wood now stands.

CORPOR AL PETER MCDONALD/ U.S. MARINE CORPS

1950 to 1953, Korean War.

1972, Ketchum Depot closed. Hailey, Bellevue and Picabo had already closed.

Timeline by Mary Tyson

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

1929, Start of the Great Depression with the market crash.

SCHNITZEL _BANK /FLICKR

1971, Amtrak passenger service was born. The only stop in Idaho was in Sandpoint.

1987, Union Pacific Railroad pulled up the tracks and ties.

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An aerial view of the railroad depot loop at the end of the line in Ketchum, August 1957.

Many days, the loop lay quiet. Supply trains came and went with no fanfare or commotion, especially as the twentieth century advanced. Even as they kept the lifeblood of the community going, bringing coal for the resort and even shipping linens from the hospital to Utah to be laundered, those iron-and-steel engines didn’t intersect with most Sun Valley routines. Each July and August, through the first half of the 20th century, the loop was electric with activity as bands of sheep were trailed from the high country and loaded onto waiting trains. The sheep were staged overnight on the bench where Zenergy and the Big Wood Golf Course are now, then pushed to the stockyard to be weighed and shipped to distant markets. The loop roiled with dust and smoke, the squeals of locomotive brakes and the bleating of sheep, the smell of wool and dung and smoke, and the yells of men. “I was rousted from bed at 4 a.m.,” recalls Jack Lane, Sun Valley resident, who, as the son of a prominent local merchant and sheeprancher, was enlisted to help with the shipping. The sheep were weighed and herded through the stockyard’s maze of wooden fences, gates, and chutes to be loaded. At the top of a chute, a little boy—like Jack—led the first bell-clad ewe into and around the boxcar. Jack remembers hunkering near the boxcar door while the sheep crowded the car and Basque sheepherders pushed poles through the slats to nudge the sheep along. The payoff at the end of a hot day shipping sheep for a little boy like Jack “was to ride up with the engineer around the balloon track in the steam engine,” says Jack. They rounded the loop in the dusty afternoon heat, and seven-year-old Jack pulled on the whistle and felt a rush of exhilaration. From aboard the locomotive, the world loomed large. Ketchum resident Peter Gray also remembers the summer sheep-shipping ritual at the railroad loop—and he grins recalling the early morning pancakes-and-bacon breakfast with the sheepmen at the Western Café when he was a young boy. “It was the guys, you were with your fathers,” recalls Peter. Those mornings of hard work between the stockyard and boxcars inducted these Idaho boys into a world of western men and labor. They relished it.

sunvalleymag.com | WINTER 2020/2021

At that time, in the 1950s, sheep-shipping season was the busiest time at the railroad loop. Otherwise, “the train up there was not part of the social fabric of the community,” Peter says. It brought supplies and sometimes tourists (the main passenger service ended at Shoshone), but it was at the periphery of daily experience. Its whistle was heard in the distance, but it didn’t intersect with one’s lived routine. By the early 1970s, few trains traveled to Ketchum, and a final special event train, the Preamble Express, pulled into Ketchum in 1975. By the end of 1987, the tracks were gone. Ketchum resident Gail Severn was a little girl when the trains still ran in the Wood River Valley, and her grandfather was a lead conductor for Union Pacific Railroad. She lived in Nampa as a child, and sometimes her grandfather would pick her up for the trip from Boise to Ketchum. Her eyes spark with memories of riding the train—“It felt special; it was a big deal!”—and she remembers the flash of the sagebrush landscape beyond the train windows, and the warm hand of a black porter leading her down the aisle. Today, traces of the train are hard to find where the railroad loop once dominated. The rail line was transformed into the valley-long bike path, and the Ketchum depot, stockyard, and turnaround have been replaced by construction company garages, the Big Wood Bakery Café, and the YMCA recreational facility. An interpretive sign harkens this history, like a secret, tucked behind the Mountain Rides bus stop at the entrance to the YMCA. But just a few blocks from where the railway stockyard stood, you can still catch a glimpse of it in an unexpected place: At Gail Severn’s gallery, beyond the smooth, sleek blue of a stainless steel sculpture, and behind a bold-stroked oil painting on canvas, a series of plain brown posts quietly uphold the front desk. Gail salvaged this wood from the stockyard when it was dismantled in the 1980s, wanting to honor her grandfather and recalling the thrill she felt as a little girl riding past those stockyards in the caboose, running up and down the aisles of the train as it chugged along. Where the railway reached the end of the Wood River Valley line, the pulse has changed: Now, cars and cyclists, tech workers and gallery walkers set the rhythm. But at the heart of that pulse a whistle still calls and tugs at the edges of memory. ï

The Ketchum/Sun Valley rail depot during the days of passenger service and the Snowball Express direct from Los Angeles, circa 1940-1950.

WINTER 2020/2021 | sunvalleymag.com

BACKCOUNTRY BLISS

A LIFETIME OF POWDER DAYS IS BETTER THAN JUST ONE WORDS BY L ARA ANTONELLO

PHOTOS BY TODD MEIER

s autumn ends and early winter arrives, the leaves that once rustled on the trees are laid to rest beneath a crystalline blanket. Dawn and dusk, no longer peppered by birdsong, are void of sound but vibrant in color as pinks and blues cast their tones on a blank snowy canvass. Busy minds surrender to play and days of sweat and laughter. Ski buddies study the day's brilliant and thorough avalanche forecast and pursue new ridgelines in hope of a rare mountain goat sighting. The human-powered pursuit of an ever-changing horizon makes backcountry skiing the dynamic adventure that holds the heart of our community.

The climb is worth the wait. The reward: Spectacular views of Idaho's Sawtooth Mountains from the saddle below Mount Heyburn.

Today, backcountry users have slope-angle shaded maps, waterproof layers, and carbon skis to help them enjoy fun in snow-covered mountains. It wasn't always this way. Before there were ski edits and gear sponsorships, there was a sport born of necessity. Surviving winter is hard work and anyone who has spent time in the high mountains of central Idaho can attest to that. For hundreds of years, skiing was a means of movement for survival and subsistence during the harshest season for living things. Over time, creative minds developed climbing skins, new techniques for descending steeper slopes, and avalanche rescue gear. In the wake of this creativity came the stoke-filled fun that we know today—bell to bell resort days and face-shot-filled backcountry days. I grew up riding chairlifts, but it seems that, after two decades of lapping my favorite chairlifts, my transition to backcountry skiing was inevitable. I was two years out of college trying to save every penny, chase every dream, and get one hundred or more days logged on my season pass. I was falling short in each category and craved a way to stay connected to my favorite sport without being married to a resort. Everything changed the day my first backcountry setup was mounted. A few coworkers and I stayed after our shift at the ski shop where we worked, cracked some beers, turned on some music, and set up the jig. I had bought used skis from our rental f leet, used skins on ebay, bindings and an avy rescue kit with a pro deal. The whole rig was topped off with a touring pack purchased from the local mountaineering shop and, when it all came together, I was in awe. I was going to be able to skin up to ski down. That’s the kit I showed up with for my first season at Sawtooth Mountain Guides. Weighing in at 23 pounds, that setup added extra effort to already hearty porter loads but it worked. It worked for slushy summer skiing in shorts. It worked for breaking trail to the Williams Peak hut. It worked on my first 3,000-vertical-foot day of backcountry powder. It worked for sunset party laps with more dogs than humans. It was my gateway into a world sprinkled in pixie dust… or maybe it was snow.

sunvalleymag.com | WINTER 2020/2021

An early morning climb through a stand of burned trees is a reminder of the power and force of nature.

WINTER 2020/2021 | sunvalleymag.com

I have since graduated to a lighter setup but the goal remains the sameâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;dawn patrol missions with trusted partners and ear to ear grins on powder days. Whatever you ride, the gear is simply a catalyst for the excitement to come. Joy and risk exist symbiotically in backcountry skiing. Humanity has had a lot of practice with risk assessment and decision making this past year. People are searching for clarity in nature and connection outdoors and, as a result, the backcountry is busier than ever. Wild landscapes offer unparalleled freedom, but that liberty must be informed or a trip into the backcountry can prove disastrous, or even deadly. The importance of safety, knowledge, clear plans that have specific parameters, and trusted backcountry partners with the same goals and parameters cannot be emphasized enough.

An expression of joyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;first tracks down an open face of powder after a long climb.

Adam Wirth and Brett Nichols digging a test pit in the Sawtooths to asses risk.

Dropping into Gun Barrel Couloir in the Sawtooth Mountains.

When you are out in the backcountry, the people you are with become your lifeline should anything not go as originally planned, but there are some simple steps for recreationists of all levels to consider. First and foremost, invest in safety. Take an avalanche course and keep your knowledge current. Invest in reliable avalanche rescue equipment—beacon, probe, shovel—and practice using them often. Also follow the basic tenet of “Know Before You Go (KBYG). KBYG (www.kbyg.org) is an education initiative with free resources to help people learn safe backcountry practices. KBYG makes an important distinction; "when you are off the highway or outside of the resort in snowcovered mountains, you are in avalanche country," which means that every time you go out you should consider the weather, terrain, avalanche conditions, and resources you have in case of an emergency situation. Even if you are armed with all the knowledge, education and high-tech gear on the planet, it is also vitally important to have a plan before you venture into the backcountry. Set your limits each day before you get after it and discuss them with your ski partner or group. It's easy to get caught up in the moment when faced with an untracked, powdery slope. Having parameters in place ahead of time can help keep you safe. Choose partners with similar avalanche education, or better, and choose partners with similar risk tolerance. The backcountry has high stakes and incredible rewards; it is best to navigate that with someone you trust. A lifetime of powder days is better than just one, so the decisions you and your partners make should ref lect that. And, finally, remember this: With the inf lux of users and the early season snowfall, this winter is shaping up to be a big one in the backcountry. The mountains above the Wood River Valley and Sawtooth Valley are a wellspring of untapped adventure. All they demand is respect. ï

All routes point down. Adam Wirth enjoying a powdery ridgeline descent, Boise National Forest.

SUN VALLEY’S “IRREPRESSIBLE” JAKE MOE The founder of Powder Magazine reflects on media, magic and adventure WORDS BY DICK DORWORTH

sunvalleymag.com | WINTER 2020/2021

PHOTO BY NICK PRICE

n 1968, Jake Moe quit his studies at the University of Washington in rainy, overcast Seattle and, with $95 and a beat-up 1955 VW Bug, drove to Sun Valley to become a ski bum. He was 20 years old and self-described as “…small, with a severe case of acne, extreme ADHD, and with an overactive mind and mouth, suffering from foot-in-mouth disease.” He worked on Baldy as a ski patrolman and as a dishwasher, waiter, roof shoveler, cook, cannery worker, painter, and whatever else it took to pursue a ‘magical’ life in the mountains. A significant element of that magic was “…the fantastic people of Sun Valley,” said Moe. “These people are too cool.” By then he had adopted the motto, “If you’re not having fun, you’re fired.” Today, he claims that he has fired himself from any project that didn’t meet that standard and that “Sun Valley isn’t Heaven, but you can see it from here.” By 1970, the ski bum lifestyle and the sun of Sun Valley had cleared up his acne and expanded the potential of his overactive mind. According to Moe, four towers from the top of Baldy, while riding the single-chair Christmas lift on a stormy January 1970 day, a radical idea spontaneously entered his mind: American skiing needed a new publication that emphasized emotion instead of information and photography rather than text. His vision was to use this format to counter-balance the staid format of the primary ski publications of the time, SKI and Skiing magazines. It needs mentioning that Moe’s overactive mind was part of the first generation to come of age that had grown up with television; thus, his imaginative idea and his knowledge of how to turn it into reality were a long way apart. “I didn’t even know how the words got from a typewriter onto a printed page,” he said. Moe phoned his older brother, Dave, a Washington school teacher and advisor for the school’s yearbook, for advice and direction. Dave (aka Captain Powder) liked the idea enough to quit his job as a teacher and team up with Jake so they could turn it into reality. After two years of work, promotion, solicitation, a steep learning curve, and lots of fun, Powder to the People Publications issued the first issue of Powder in 1972/1973 featuring one of those cool people, Pat Bauman, skiing powder on Baldy, and a cover showing skiers making tracks in space. Over the years, Powder featured some of Sun Valley’s toocool people and their activities and attitudes, among them Pat Bauman, Bobbie Burns, Jim Stelling, Pam Street, Ron Funk, Charlie McWilliams, Richie Bingham, Butch Harper, Ed Scott and Leroy Kingland. There are too many more to mention here. The coolest of them all was (and still is) Susan Bills, who worked for Sun Valley and gave Jake free ski lift tickets after he quit the ski patrol so he could continue to take photographs (and ski) on Baldy. Susan and Jake have been married for 51 years and have two children and two grandchildren.

The first two people to believe in Moe’s idea enough to loan him $1,000 each to get started were Larry Bauman (Pat’s brother) and Gary Stitzinger. Jake sold his 1962 Porsche for $1,700 (a Porche was more fun than a VW Bug), which means that Powder Magazine was started with $3,700 and a huge amount of Moe brother’s energy. The first major ski industry advertiser was Salomon, and the first major brand advertiser was Olympia Brewing Co. Two other people had a huge influence on Powder’s success. The first was Jim Tobin, a superb skier who worked for Scott USA and gave Jake and Dave each a Scott company pass to the Ski Industries of America show (now called the Snowsport Industries of America), which is where most business and networking of American skiing took place, and still does. Once inside, Jake and Dave pasted “Powder to the People” over the Scott logo and visited every booth at the show, selling emotion over information and photography over text. The other major influence on Powder’s success was a cigar-smoking executive with Ziff-Davis Publishing, which published Skiing Magazine. Jake was having dinner in the Ore House in Vail, Colo., with some friends in 1971, when a cigarsmoking gentleman from a nearby table approached and asked, “Are you the guys who are trying to start a new ski magazine?” Moe replied in the affirmative. “Well," the man said with cigar emphasis, “it will never succeed. You will fail because I publish Skiing and we own the market,” and returned to his table. “That’s the reason Powder succeeded,” Jake says with an irrepressible smile, “because he said we wouldn’t.” While he is well known as the founder of Powder, which he sold in 1981, Moe is also a serial entrepreneur and likely the longest standing tennis instructor in Sun Valley, having given lessons to friends in the restaurant industry in the late 1960s. Some of his other businesses include starting Sports Northwest Magazine, The City League Ski Racing Series, Ski Northwest TV Show, The Zip Line at Seahawks Stadium, Norway.com Magazine, The Seafair Triathlon, and, with his partners, the Tennis Center Sand Point. In addition, Jake consulted with dozens of businesses in the ‘art’ of marketing, promotion and advertising at no charge. This October, American Media, which owned Powder, declared bankruptcy and shut the magazine down. David Pecker, American Media’s CEO, and friend, ally and fixer for Donald Trump's affairs with Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels, is the target of some of Jake’s current ideas about why shutting down Powder was not economically necessary or ethical, but those ideas are for another story. Jake credits the love of his life, Susan, with putting up with his endless jokes, far-flung adventures, multiple disappointments, and unbearably cheerful attitude. ï

WINTER 2020/2021 | sunvalleymag.com

SKIING REVOLUTIONARY Sun Valley’s Quintessential Skier: Bobbie Burns WORDS BY DICK DORWORTH

obbie Burns is 84 years old, has made Sun Valley his home for more than 60 years, and is an iconic member of its community of skiers. This fall he was elected to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame Class of 2020, a long overdue recognition of his pioneering contributions to freestyle skiing as an athlete, innovative designer of skis for ski racers at Seattle’s K2, and for his work designing and manufacturing freestyle skis like no others for his own company, The Ski, based in Sun Valley. Born in Idaho and raised in Ogden and Salt Lake City, Utah, Burns did not grow up skiing, though he was always an outstanding athlete. In his younger years he mastered ballet, gymnastics and platform and springboard diving. He didn’t ski until he was in his early 20s and shortly after discovering the sport, moved to Sun Valley in those Averell Harriman days when lift passes, room and board were part of the package for some jobs with the Sun Valley Company. Burns was one of many ski bums who began his career there. He skied each day and worked at night, and with his long white-blond hair, bright blue eyes, and huge smile, he was hard to miss. Burns told Matt Hansen for Powder Magazine that because of his dancing and diving background in which the body follows the head and eyes, “I found that I could ski huge bumps while standing up straight, but with ankle pressure, and be able to keep my balance with my head and my eyes.” That discovery defined Bobbie’s skiing technique and revolutionized (some might say ‘invented’) freestyle skiing. Burns enjoyed skiing bumps with a higher balance point than skiers of more traditional techniques, and absorbed bumps better by holding his hands and arms above his head rather than in front of his torso. He said of his skiing in those years, “I was an accident waiting for a place. The only thing I had was a lot of guts, balance, and the ability to have fun.” Accent on having fun. By the mid 1960s he was revolutionizing the techniques of bump skiing, the concept of free skiing and the possibilities of steel thighs, noodle knees, balance and showmanship in skiing. With his long, blonde hair, unorthodox technique, unbelievable athleticism and huge smile, Burns changed the world of performance skiing, in some ways simply because he was having more fun than everyone else. He has described his skiing style as “…different because I had large cojones but no ability.”

PHOTO BY NICK PRICE

Ski cinematographer Dick Barrymore saw Bobbie skiing bumps in Sun Valley and remembered, “The sight changed my life as a filmmaker. Burns’ style was not like any I had seen before….Burns attacked a field of moguls like Errol Flynn attacking a band of pirates,” said Barrymore. “When he skied bumps, he sat down in a permanent toilet-seat position, with his arms high over his head holding 60-inch-long-ski poles….Bob Burns was, in 1969, the first hot dogger.” Barrymore’s films introduced Burns’ skiing to the world, and ... the rest is history. In the mid-’60s Chuck Ferries, one of America’s great ski racers, was coaching the U.S. Women’s Ski Team and invited Burns to help him, more for his knowledge of skis and people than for his expertise in racing. Burns has said, “Racing was never for me.” In 1968, Ferries went to work for K2 Skis and convinced Burns to come with him to make skis. Burns siad, “I didn’t know shit about skis,” but, then, there had been a time when he knew nothing about skiing. He moved to Seattle, studied for a graduate degree in chemical engineering at UW and learned how to make skis. In 1969, Marilyn Cochran became the first American to win a World Cup title (in giant slalom), and Mike Lafferty, Spider Sabich and Bob Cochran (among several others) went on to successful ski racing careers on K2 skis designed by Bobbie Burns. But Burns wanted to make skis for the way he liked to ski, not for racing. In 1974 Burns returned to Sun Valley and began making The Ski, the first ski, according to Burns, ever made in the Wood River Valley. The Ski revolutionized free skiing for the masses in much the same way as Bobbie Burns revolutionized free skiing for elite athletes of performance skiing. The Ski was soft lengthwise and stiff torsionally, with simple blocks of color for artwork, unlike anything seen in skiing before. In the mid-'80s, Burns sold his company. Since then, he has made skis for select customers, designed clothes, taught skiing, worked as a consultant, raised his three daughters (aged 34, 19 and 13), and until a couple of years ago, skied most days. He still dotes on his daughters and two infant grandchildren and hikes in summer on Proctor and Bald mountains and walks in winter between Sun Valley and Ketchum. He can often be found in the coffee shop at Ketchum’s City Market holding court for his many old and new friends and fans. His hair is white (sometimes supported by a beard) instead of white-blonde, but his smile is as bright and mischievous as ever. ï

WINTER 2020/2021 | sunvalleymag.com

MOUNTAIN DIVAS Life Lessons on Skis with Nicky Elsbree and Danielle Carruth WORDS BY CAROLINE ALBRO

anielle Carruth and Nicky Elsbree are familiar with the power of skiing. The two friends started DIVAS, an acronym for Die Incredible Vimin Alpine Shredders, to share their passion for the sport with groups of intermediate to advanced female skiers. The program, ranging over the course of eight winter weeks, includes a two-and-a-half-hour group lesson on one day each week, under the instruction of expert Sun Valley ski coaches. Back in 2008, when Carruth and Elsbree first came up with the idea for DIVAS, they envisioned building a vibrant and lively community of female skiers in the Wood River Valley. Now, going on their twelfth year, DIVAS has done just that–with a crazylong wait list of women, both local and visiting, who are hoping to join the group of passionate and fun female skiers. Twelve years ago, Carruth and Elsbree were both working at the Sun Valley Ski School after the birth of their children. They loved traditional instruction, but they also saw an opportunity to start a new type of program, one that would focus on community and friendships among female skiers. They were hearing from their students and friends who wanted a more relaxed yet still instructive mountain experience. At the time, nothing of the sort existed in Sun Valley. Carruth remembers conversations with her friends seeking other skiing opportunities: “It would just be a friend who was like, ‘I just need a couple pointers to get going.’ There are so many people who live here, who want to get up there, enjoy the mountain more, and just need to get going.” So, when Carruth and Elsbree joined forces to start DIVAS, they became committed to making skiing more accessible to women in the Valley. Both Carruth and Elsbree were pretty fortunate when it came to their own access to skiing throughout their lives. Danielle Carruth grew up in the Wood River Valley, attended the Community School, and raced competitively for the Sun Valley Ski Team and the U.S. Development Team. She would go on to ski at Middlebury College in Vermont and at University of Colorado Boulder. After college, she fully embraced her adventurous spirit and her love for the outdoors in her work and travels. But her hometown eventually called her back, as she settled back in Ketchum to start her family. While Nicki Elsbree grew up on the East Coast, her commitment to skiing throughout her life led her to Sun Valley. She remembers skiing with her family as a child and eventually enrolling in a race clinic, “which led to my future of ski racing coupled with my flat-out love of skiing.” Once she landed at Burke Mountain Ski Academy for her second half of high school, she gained selfconfidence, physical fitness, and academic success. “I learned more 72

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PHOTO BY NICK PRICE

about skiing and about more than skiing,” Elsbree said. She landed in the Wood River Valley in 1989 and decided to stay. Working as a ski instructor at Sun Valley, a job that helped Elsbree “create a balance, ... get outside, and have a little fun while making some grocery money,” she ultimately sought out an opportunity to support the local community. That’s when DIVAS came together. In the twelve years since beginning the program, Carruth and Elsbree have seen an incredible response. During the first three years, the number of participants doubled. Although Carruth expected the program size to subside, it just keeps growing. “It was obviously a niche that needed to be filled,” Carruth noted when explaining the popularity of DIVAS. Despite its wild success, managing the business each winter, along with its physical demands and balancing families, can be overwhelming. Both women have families and run the program out of their homes and note that it can be challenging to form a meaningful relationship with each DIVAS participant, especially with the program’s growing numbers. This year, however, DIVAS was forced to cap participants off at ninety, thus having to turn away returning skiers and longtime pals. “While it makes us a bit sad, it is the smart thing to do,” Elsbree said. At the end of the season, Carruth and Elsbree want DIVAS participants to “fall in love with skiing and to enjoy where they live.” After completing the eight-week program, Carruth hopes the women will “take away some sense of belonging to a community and enjoying their surroundings.” Elsbree noted how time on the mountain can be a transformative period for many participants. By giving in to the “DIVAS buzz,” taking a break from day-today life, and feeling satisfied after a successful ski session, Elsbree hopes that participants can find space to let go of some of their troubles. “When we all ski together, which is rare, there's an energy like no other. I think the secret sauce is that we treat each other with respect, try to keep our senses of humor, and remember that it's skiing. It truly is not rocket science (although a couple of the DIVAS participants are rocket scientists).” Taking that into consideration, Elsbree acknowledged the tough days when “DIVAS get frustrated and we remind them that you need to be patient and the changes will come.” Elsbree and Carruth know that life lessons are cultivated through skiing. Throughout this winter, as the community deals with COVID-19, political change, and lots of newcomers, the two founders of DIVAS remind everyone to have some patience, dedication, and a whole lot of fun, both on and off the mountain. ï

Nicky Elsbree (left) and Danielle Carruth (right), co-founders of DIVAS.

WINTER 2020/2021 | sunvalleymag.com

CATCHING THE FISHING BUG Zac Mayhew has always been hooked on angling WORDS BY MIKE MCKENNA

ost kids who grow up in the middle of the high desert don’t become obsessed with water. But Zac Mayhew was never like the other kids. “I was that weird kid that just always went fishing,” said Zac, who is now 36 and married. “The only requirement for me to be happy on family trips was that we had to be near water so I could go fish.” Zac’s family moved from Wisconsin to the Wood River Valley when he was just seven years old and he quickly fell in love with the Big Wood River. “I’ve always referred to the Big Wood as the ‘backyard fishery.’ You’re never more than a few blocks away,” Zac said, explaining that he would ride his bike to the river to fish after baseball or soccer practice when he was growing up It’s a tradition local kids, like my own baseball-playing sons and a couple of their teammates, still carry on each summer. “It’s a great way to grow up. You steal some flies from your dad’s fly box, hit the river for a couple hours and then go to practice or hang out with your buddies,” Zac said. “You can’t beat it.” After high school, Zac beat a trail up to Moscow but even as he was preparing to graduate from the University of Idaho, he still wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his life, except, of course, fish as much as he could. “I was kind of lost, “ Zac said, and as fate would have it, Lost River Outfitters (LRO) would help him find his way. Zac had seen LRO’s owner, Scott Schnebly, on local rivers his whole life. “I would always run into Scott on the water, especially in the winter on the Big Wood,” Zac fondly recalled. “It would be just me and Scott out there chasing whitefish.” Scott offered Zac a job guiding that summer until he figured things out. “I’ve been guiding for 14 years now, so apparently I haven’t grown up,” he said. Being a fly fishing guide is clearly what Zac was born to do. He has the passion, patience and perfect—fairly sarcastic— personality for it. Zac has been named the “Best Guide in the Valley” so many times he’s lost count. But he doesn’t make too much of it. “I was named Best Dancer in eighth grade, too, and I put that in the same category,” he said.

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PHOTO BY NICK PRICE

Dancing didn’t necessarily help him land his wife, Abby, but fishing has played a big role in their relationship. In fact, when you ask Zac about the ingredients to some of his favorite fishing stories, Abby is included. “My fishy wife and what she does to me,” Zac explained. “I get out-fished—repeatedly—by my wife. And she’s great at stealing flies out of my fly box, too!” The other ingredients Zac says you need to cook up a great day on the water include being in the moment and actually catching fish. “I hate it when people say, ‘I don’t even care if we catch any fish.’ Well, that’s what we’re there for,” Zac said. “You do need to look around, to realize and appreciate where you are and what you’re getting to do. You don’t fly fish in ugly places. But the point is to catch some fish.” Zac now works for Picabo Angler as both a fishing and bird hunting guide. He guides all year long, including more than 100 days each summer. When asked how to make the most of a guided trip, Zac keeps it pretty simple. “The best clients are the ones willing to trust their guide and to try to learn something new,” said Zac, who has hired guides on his own fishing trips from Florida to New Zealand. “It also helps not to save the celebratory drinks for après fishing. I’ll most likely even join you,” said Zac, who guides on the Big Wood, the Big Lost, for steelhead on the Salmon and on his favorite local fishery, Silver Creek. While the warm-weather months are obviously the most popular and easiest times to fly fish, Zac is one of those odd anglers who enjoys casting during the winter months. “People think that fishing in the winter is insane, but the fish are still there,” he said, adding that, “Sometimes when you’re out there you don’t hear anything but the falling snow. Those are those romantic things that fly fishers live for.” It’s obvious that fishing is one of the things Zac lives for. “I still love fishing and, moreover, teaching fishing,” Zac said. “Fishing is still my disease.” ï

inthearts WORLD OF ART Local galleries bringing international art to Idaho BY CAROLINE ALBRO

“

hen I enter the studio, I do not so much begin with an idea as an endeavor to arrive at one.” Artist David Hytone, now being featured at Friesen Gallery, approaches his art with a focus on the process, rather than the result. Using a variety of “off-canvas” processes in his work, including glassplate paint transfer, crude mono-print techniques, and the application of painted paper to the piece’s surface, Hytone is able to create beyond the canvas. In doing so, he plays with the intersection between specificity and approximation, abstraction and representation. These techniques involve transference and obfuscation, thus producing

compromised or incomplete images that reflect Hytone’s themes of human impermanence and limitation. His artistic journey led him to the Minneapolis College of Art and Design for a BFA in Fine Arts, then on to solo and group exhibitions all over the country. He even landed a spot as a finalist for the 2018 Neddy Award in Painting. Today, his work resides in collections such as Capital One, Swedish hospitals, Hilton, and the permanent collection of King County, Wash. In his themes of theater and still-life, Hytone asks his viewers to reconsider common tropes and reflect on the nature of human endeavors in an impermanent world.

“Dubious Theatrics and Exculpatory Fictions” by David Hytone at Friesen Gallery, acrylic, ink, flashe, okawara on panel, 73 in. x 108 in.

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inthearts // world of art

“Meeting” by Michael Gregory at Gail Severn Gallery, oil on panel, 41.5 in. x 35.5 in.

Upon first look at Michael Gregory’s paintings, you might recognize the classic American imagery of barns, landscapes, and fields, but his scenes are actually imagined collages of various places Gregory has encountered throughout his life. Michael Gregory combines personal observations, experiences, art history, and his own interests into his paintings. Having taken road trips throughout the American West and Midwest, he’s melded those environments with invented landscapes from memory. Gregory explores themes of isolation, exploration, and the human experience in his work. The

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small architectural details of homes and ranches in his paintings, set amongst vast skylines and landscapes, remind the viewer of the smallness of human existence. These details also suggest the strength required of the individuals living in these regions. Above all, much of Gregory’s work is symbolic of Americana, westward expansion, and hope. As far as Gregory’s own hopes for his work, he doesn’t wish to tell stories in his paintings. Rather, he hopes to suggest “a point of departure for a topic for conversation.” He advises viewers to consider the icons in his paintings as points for meditation and reflection.

inthearts // world of art

Mayme Kratz creating wall art in her studio. You can find Maymeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work locally at Gilman Contemporary.

Having hiked and camped in many national parks and open spaces throughout the Southwest, Mayme Kratz has found a way to blend the personal with the artistic. While hiking throughout the desert, Kratz would collect roots, leaves, bones, flowers, and other natural materials, which she would go on to incorporate in her work by crafting the pieces into patterns and shapes and then casting them in resin. Her pieces bring beauty to the oftenoverlooked remnants of nature, transforming simple materials into stunning works of art. Those Southwest desert hikes also provided Kratz with time to reflect on her own smallness in the face of the natural world, noticing the beauty, fragility, yet simultaneous harshness of her environment. These observations are reflected in 82

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her work, which often grapples with the feeling of human existence as infinitely small in comparison to our surroundings. Kratz found her own style and method in sculptural and two-dimensional mixed-media polymer resin works after an apprenticeship with artist James Hubbell in San Diego in her early twenties. Her dedication to preserving and highlighting natural debris that would otherwise be ignored or thrown away ultimately led to her award of the Arlene and Morton Scult Contemporary Forum Art Award by the Phoenix Art Museum in 2010. Now, Kratz has collections in the Phoenix Art Museum, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, Tucson Museum of Art, and San Jose Museum of Art. ĂŻ

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inthearts // gallery buzz

WINTER GALLERY BUZZ The Sun Valley area boasts a diverse and cosmopolitan art community. Here is a sampling of what’s in store at galleries this winter.

WINTER EXHIBITIONS

BROSCHOFSKY GALLERIES December “AMERICAN ART” Works from the early explorer artists interpreting the West through new frontier exploration in the mid 1800’s to iconic Western pop imagery of Andy Warhol, Broschofsky Galleries is showing an array of imagery from their gallery artists. The Fall presentation includes a selection in a variety of mediums/genres in American art.

SUN VALLEY MUSEUM OF ART (SVMOA) December BIG IDEA PROJECT – “GEM STATE” SVMoA’s BIG IDEA project Gem State considers geology—particularly the geology of Idaho and the American West. The origin of Idaho’s nickname as the Gem State remains unclear, but it likely alludes to the state’s abundant mineral resources, from silver and lead to semiprecious and precious stones. Idaho, like other parts of the American West, is rich not just in minerals, but also in mountain scenery. It’s a place where history is written across the state’s topography. The idea of time (both geologic and human) drives the project, but so does transformation, and the idea that change through time is both possible and inevitable. The visual arts exhibition associated with Gem State features the work of four contemporary artists who explore themes central to the BIG IDEA: Mari Andrews is a Northern California-based artist who works with natural materials, including stones and minerals, to create sculptures, two-dimensional works, and installations that reveal Andrews’s interest in the geology 84

of place. Blane De St. Croix is well known for his large-scale sculptures and installations that recreate different kinds of geological and environmental sites of political or social importance, with a focus on the dramatic effects of climate change. Cynthia Ona Innis has responded to geological sites throughout the American West for a number of years. Working with acrylic paint, ink and fabric, she creates striated, abstract artworks that suggest the collision of tectonic plates at fault lines, geothermal or volcanic activity, mountains and canyons. Multidisciplinary artist Brad Johnson has long been interested in the geology of the American West, and uses photography and digital media to create works on paper that are sculptural in nature, using relief to evoke the textures and surfaces of the places he depicts.

WOOD RIVER FINE ARTS December – March Wood River Fine Arts proudly features traditional and contemporary works by artists who capture the natural grandeur and unique peoples of the American West. Gallery owners Tom Bassett and Sandy Gregorak have moved to a virtual gallery with digital artist exhibitions and online viewings and galleries in a celebration of the award-winning painters and sculptors they represent.

GILMAN CONTEMPORARY November 30 – January 21 “VANTAGE POINTS II” “Vantage Points II” is our second annual exhibition that celebrates the unique perspective our photographers and painters bring to their work. Each of our artists brings a distinct interpretation of material and vision.

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November – December FRONT GALLERY – ‘COLOR AS METAPHOR’ ‘Color as Metaphor’ examines artists working in both abstract and nonrepresentational forms whose work employs color in myriad ways: to add narrative, provide symbolic meaning, and elicit visceral or emotional sensations for the viewer. This show features the abstracted female figures in moments of repose of California artist Linda Christensen, acrylic and mixed-media work of Cole Morgan’s richly colored surfaces, and the oil paintings of Pegan Brooke, which capture the sensation of light on water. Also featured in this show are Marcia Myers’ frescoes on linen, created using traditional raw pigments like lapis lazuli, burnt umber and gold mica, and the large canvases and bold colorful style of Gary Komarin, who is a master of post-painterly abstraction. Working with the simple and elemental form of the curve, ceramic artist Bean Finneran’s sculptures deliberately employ the use of bright, bold, ‘un-natural’ color to emphasize the balance of light and shadow within her forms. Painting in encaustic, Rana Rochat’s works focus on the visual dialogue between color and space, allowing the conversation between these two elements to create balance within her paintings. Working both in large and small scale, Delos Van Earl’s geometric steel and bronze sculptures are

GALLERY 2 — ‘HONORING OUR LANDSCAPE’ This group exhibit explores the artistic interpretation of our lands by nationally renowned painters and photographers. This exhibition includes work by Victoria Adams, James Cook, Michael Gregory, Theodore Waddell, Sheila Gardner, Laura McPhee, and a selection from Jack Spencer ‘s large photographic archive of American landscape, representing both the wild and sublime. GALLERY 3 —‘FLORA AND FAUNA’ ‘Flora and Fauna’ celebrates the changing seasons and the beauty found in autumn’s vibrant palette. The exhibition features both large paintings and sculpture as well as smaller intimate works on panel. The show includes mixed-media paintings by internationally recognized painter Hung Liu, who will have her major large- scale retrospective at the Smithsonian, National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., in May 2021. Three photorealist paintings by Diane Andrews Hall and two large-scale paintings by Kathy Moss are also featured, along with the works of ceramicist Margaret Keelan, mixed-media fiber artist Lisa Kokin, bronze sculptor Carolyn Olbum, encaustic paintings by Christopher Reilly, small mixed-media collages by Kenna Moser, and the watercolors of Idaho artist Divit Cardoza, whose aspen watercolors chronicle the changes in light and color as the seasons progress.

“Untitled S340” by Rana Rochat at Gail Severn Gallery, encaustic on paper, 46 in. X 41 in.

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inthearts // gallery buzz

WOOD RIVER FINE ARTS PRESENTS RALPH OBERG

“A Remnant of Wilderness” by Ralph Oberg at Wood River Fine Arts, oil on linen, 32 in. X 48 in.

Ralph Oberg called the Wood River Valley home for several years in the early 1970s, and he now returns to showcase his landscapes and wildlife paintings with Wood River Fine Arts. Before his days as a painter, Oberg worked as a technical draftsman, a graphic designer, a bird renderer, a wildlife artist, and a plein-air landscape sketcher. However, he maintained a love for the outdoors, specifically the mountains, that would lure him to attempt to represent its beauty through painting. In 1973, while climbing in the Alaska Range, Oberg experienced the awe of glaciers and ice-covered mountains. Since that point, he knew his life’s work would focus on that subject matter. Oberg reflected on the tendency for artists, including himself, to represent the past or the fleeting in their work. Knowing that the glaciers he saw in 1973 continue to shrink and recede each day made Oberg wish to paint them in an effort to document their beauty and wonder. And Oberg successfully captured such beauty in A Remnant of Wilderness, as he was recently honored at the 2020 Prix de West Show in Oklahoma City with the Wilson Hurley Memorial Award for Landscape.

GALLERY 4 —‘ANIMALIA’ ‘Animalia’ pays homage to our ursine and avian friends. The small group show features oil paintings by Robert McCauley. Rooted in the tradition of 19th-century American Romanticism, McCauley’s narratives are both timely and relevant and address a variety of contemporary themes and issues, including cultures in collision, environmental ethics, and humankind’s impact on our world. With ornithological precision, Ed Musante captures the unique nature of individual bird species through his cigar-box paintings. Shadowboxes by Northwest artist Chris Maynard are included in the exhibition and make use of the natural beauty and the equal strength and delicacy found in feathers. Elegant sculptures by Gwynn Murrill and Jane Rosen are both featured in the exhibition. Gwynn’s sculptures are wonderfully reductive, suggesting an animal from its most elemental form. Highlighting both the art of glassblowing and stone carving, Jane Rosen breathes life into each sculpture she creates, carefully balancing the contrasts of color and texture intrinsic to the materials’ nature of glass and stone. Derived from daily observations, Rosen’s sculptures are elegant and statuesque interpretations of the birds of prey that roost by her ranch and studio. For those who wish to view our exhibitions virtually, exhibition walkthroughs (during open hours or by appointment), exhibition catalogs, gallery highlights and our artists’ national museum exhibitions will be available through our social media platforms and our website: www.gailsevern.com.

AUROBORA December 8 – February 2021 “WINTER FLOWER” Works by Gustavo Ramos Rivera, Fraser Taylor, Steve Roden, Todd McKie, Lisa Williamson, William J. O’Brien, Sabina Ott, Flavio Garciandia, Wes Mills, Monique Van Genderen, Willy Heeks, Joanne Greenbaum, LoopmasterM, and Wesley Kimler.

FRIESEN GALLERY

Ralph Oberg painting Upper Cramer Lake, Sawtooth Wilderness.

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December – January Friesen Gallery announces representation of David Hytone. Unique and fresh, Hytone is interested in the intersection between specificity and approximation, particularly how this relationship informs our perception of the world around us and the role memory plays in that interface. His approaches in his studio revolve around “off-canvas”

processes: glass-plate paint transfer, crude mono-print techniques, and the creation of myriad types of painted paper that are manipulated and cut to form prior to application to the surface of the piece. Hytone’s artwork straddles the line between abstraction and representation. Constructed from an improvisational blend of painting and collage, By using themes that turn the tables on accepted tropes, Hytone reflects on the absurdity of human endeavor in an impermanent world.

KNEELAND GALLERY December 15 – January 30 CHRISTMAS EXHIBITION — “MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT” FEATURING ROBERT MOORE, STEVEN ADAMS, AND CALEB MEYER Renowned plein-air painter Robert Moore serves as an inspiration and mentor to many accomplished painters. His technique involves applying a multitude of oil hues onto his canvas, then working a palette knife with both hands until his composition emerges from the apparent chaos of texture and color. The process is all the more extraordinary given the fact that Moore suffers from partial color blindness. A native of Hailey, Idaho, and former apprentice of Robert Moore, Caleb Meyer has always enjoyed the rugged beauty the Northwest has to offer. A graduate of Boise State, he continued his education through an apprenticeship with renowned artist Robert Moore. Meyer compares his time in Moore’s studio to the laying of a strong foundation. “The painting process is like building a house—a painter must understand the principles of design to create a strong painting—much like a carpenter must understand the principles of architecture to build a strong house.” Meyer is now an established artist in his own right and features in public and private collections nationwide. A longtime favorite of our clients, Steven Adams strives in his work to portray the elusive feeling of timelessness beneath objects that might otherwise seem commonplace. Preferring to paint a broken fence or a ditch to a majestic mountain, he endeavors to communicate the beauty in his subject matter and to haunt the viewer. Reception to be confirmed. Please contact Kneeland Gallery for information. ï

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food&drink JUST MUSHROOMS The healing power of this powerful fungi B Y L A U R I E S A M M I S

Excerpts from Just Mushrooms: Celebrating the Future of Food, by Michelle Russell and Camille Degabrielle

ost people are familiar with the edible mushroom (fungi) varieties such as cremini, portobello, oyster, morel, porcini or button mushrooms. But did you know that in addition to imparting unique flavors to rich and savory dishes, fungi also have a range of vital roles, from recycling nutrients and helping plants draw nutrients from the soil to the development of medicines that can lower blood cholesterol or enable organ transplants? In fact, penicillin, the world’s first antibiotic, is derived from the penicillium ascomycetous fungi; a mushroom. And yet, despite these obvious benefits— penicillin has been lauded as one of the most important scientific discoveries in recent history, saving millions of lives—the mushroom is often misunderstood and even maligned. Mushrooms have been the source of fear and superstition in many cultures. In the British Isles, rings of mushrooms were traditionally thought to be fairy rings, which came with the belief that any animal that grazed there would be struck with disease. In parts of Africa, mushrooms were sometimes regarded as souls of the dead and, in New England folklore, a fungus called the “death baby” growing in the yard was considered a harbinger of imminent death in the family. Perhaps these superstitions and darker lore are due to the fact that some wild mushrooms are, in fact, extremely poisonous. But many other mushrooms have incredible health benefits and, while often too small to be easily seen, have been 88

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critical to life on earth. Mushrooms have been around for a long time, with scientists estimating that land fungi evolved about 1,300 million years ago, about 500 or 600 million years before plant life evolved on land and having a role in helping that evolution. And mushrooms are so densely packed with nturients that some large animals feed on fungi as their primary source of nutrition, such as the caribou, which relies almost exclusively on tree lichens for food during the winter months when no leafy foods are available. Mushrooms seem to finally be getting their due in recent decades as the field of mycology, the discipline of biology devoted to the study of fungi, continues to grow. In 2011, Yale students made headlines with the discovery of a fungus in Ecuador that has the ability to digest and break down plastic, and mycologists are exploring ways that mycelium (the vegetative part of a mushroom or fungus, consisting of a network of fine white filaments, or hyphae) can trap bacteria in contaminated drinking water, acting as a micron filter. Mushrooms are also used as the foundation for many critical drugs besides antibiotics, such as statins used to treat high blood pressure. But the importance of consuming mushrooms for everyday health still seems to be a bit slower to catch on. To gain insight into how mushrooms can be added into everyday meals and recipes for their health benefits and immuneboosting properties, we turned to Michelle Russell and Camille Degabrielle, two

Pumpkin Fairy Rings made with fairy ring mushrooms and topped with maitake “bacon.”

Idahoans who are passionate about this powerful fungi. Chef Russell and Degabrielle joined together to bring an expanse of mushrooms and regions of flavors to readers in a new book that is both a treatise and an homage to the mighty mushroom. Their book, Just Mushrooms: Celebrating the Future of Food, released this past November 2020, features a collection of recipes for all culinary experience levels. “Our intention is to demystify mushrooms, while providing recipes that are fun and accessible,” said Russell, citing

Point, pastel, 16” 12” Point, Point,pastel, pastel,16” 16”x x x 12” 12”

Backstage, Backstage, pastel, 11” x 14” x Backstage,pastel, pastel,11” 11” x 14” 14”

recipes ranging from American comfort food to authentic Mexican dishes. “This collection aims to inspire you with all the creative ways mushrooms can be used. The mushrooms selected for this book are generally easy to source and offer medicinal benefits.” “Mushrooms can help with many of our most pressing issues: preventing and reversing cognitive decline, fortifying your immune system, protecting against cancers, saving the bee populations, bioremediation, and so much more,” said Russell. As a food source, mushrooms are rich in the B vitamins: riboflavin, niacin, and

pantothenic acid, a combination that has been shown to help protect heart health. Riboflavin is good for red blood cells. Niacin is good for the digestive system and for maintaining healthy skin, and pantothenic acid is good for the nervous system and helps the body make the hormones it needs. Mushrooms are also rich in beta glucan, a form of soluable dietary fiber that’s been strongly linked to improving cholesterol and boosting cardiovascular health. Beta glucans occur in the cell walls of many types of mushrooms, and studies have shown that WINTER 2020/2021 | sunvalleymag.com

Steven Steven Lee LeeAdams Adams Kneeland Kneeland Gallery Gallery Kneeland Gallery 271 271 First FirstAvenue AvenueN., N.,Ketchum Ketchum

271 First Avenue N., Ketchum PO PO Box Box 2070, 2070,Sun SunValley, Valley,ID ID83353 83353 PO Box 2070, Sun Valley, ID 83353 208.726.5512 208.726.5512 208.726.5512 art@kneelandgallery.com art@kneelandgallery.com art@kneelandgallery.com www.kneelandgallery.com www.kneelandgallery.com www.kneelandgallery.com

food&drink // Just Mushrooms

Avocado Toast Why pay someone else to make your toast? There are a million ways to do this and they’re all delicious. We used a millet bread to give some heft to our toast offering. You can use any kind of bread and any variety of mushroom you fancy. — Michelle Russell INGREDIENTS : Just Mushrooms: Celebrating the Future of Food, by Michelle Russell and Camille Degabrielle

it can help your body regulate blood sugar, reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Oyster and shiitake mushrooms are believed to be the best sources of beta glucans. Chef Russell and Degabrielle list the potential health benefits of specific mushroom varieties, including techniques and recipes on how best to utilize each type—including a shredding technique, a pressing method, patty making and many other ways to turn mushrooms into a savory side or your main entrée. The appendix section of Just Mushrooms offers a brief introduction to the health benefits of mushrooms as a superfood, as well as a health benefit section to help explore which recipe can be used to help reduce anxiety, decrease inflammation, improve mental clarity and focus, increase longevity, protect against disease or boost the immune system response. Both Russell and Degabrielle caution that their book is meant to be a quick reference, saying that a great deal more information on the mushrooms featured in the recipes, and other mushrooms, can be found by following the sources listed in the source section of Just Mushrooms. “Mushrooms provide some of the greatest hope for healing,” stated Degabrielle. “Use our book as a starting point for your own research and exploration.” “We firmly believe that mushrooms are part of the solution to the current health crisis and many of the other crisis points for our natural environment,” said Russell, who suggests starting with the Lion’s Mane Pudding (great for kids!) and work your way up to Thai Curry Patties. “Our hope is that Just Mushrooms offers a delicious way to take a step toward the future of food and a more sustainable tomorrow,” said Russell. ï 90

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teaspoon maple syrup

5 cloves garlic, minced

large ripe avocado

bread of choice

beet sprouts, for garnish

tablespoon sesame oil cup of chestnut mushrooms

2 tablespoons soy sauce INSTRUCTIONS :

1. In a small saucepan, heat sesame oil and toast garlic on medium heat for roughly 2 minutes. 2. Prepare your mushrooms by removing the rough mycelial bottom and placing the stalks and caps in the pan. 3. A llow mushrooms to sweat and cook in their own garlicky goodness for 2 minutes. 4. Add soy sauce and syrup. 5. Cook another 2 minutes while you toast your bread of choice. 6. Place mashed or sliced avocado on toast. 6. Top with mushrooms and garnish with fresh sprouts.

Mushroom Gravy

OPEN DAILY AT 5:00PM

My kids drink this like soup! Besides being a holiday staple, it’s absolutely the best for biscuits and gravy!

Takeout and Distanced In-House Dining

— Michelle Russell

520 East Avenue North • Ketchum, Idaho

I N G R E D I E N T S : 1

208.726.4660 • ketchumgrill.com

small white onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, diced 1 tablespoon vegan butter 4 cups filtered water 2 teaspoons dried sage 1

teaspoon oregano

1 ounce dried oyster mushrooms 1

/3 cup cashews

/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon salt 1

teaspoon black pepper

I N S T R U C T I O N S : 1. Dice onion and garlic. Sauté in a stock pot over medium heat with butter until golden brown and aromatic. 2. Add water, sage, oregano, mushrooms, cashews and nutritional yeast. Simmer for 20 minutes. 3. Pour into a high speed blender and process until completely smooth. 4. Return to the stock pan and allow gravy to slowly simmer on low heat for another 10 minutes. This will allow the gravy to thicken and the flavors to unite.

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5:00pm for Takeout and Distanced In-House Dining 360 East Avenue North • Ketchum, Idaho 208.726.6969 • ketchumtavern.com

food&drink // dining guide S P E C I A L

PROMOTIONAL SECTION

GLOW LIVE FOOD CAFÉ

DINING AROUND TOWN A fast guide to the Valley’s best eateries BREAKFAST & CAFES

BIG BELLY DELI 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.

BIGWOOD BREAD 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! Downtown Café – 380 N. East Ave., Ketchum 208.928.7868; and Bakery Café – 271 Northwood Way, Ketchum. 208.726.2035.

BLACK OWL CAFÉ Locally roasted, custom blended coffee brewed to perfection. Large selection of loose-leaf tea. Home-baked scones, muffins and breads. Breakfast and lunch.

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.

GRETCHEN’S 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.

HAILEY COFFEE COMPANY 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.

HANK & SYLVIE’S We are a bakery, floral design and gift shop offering fresh-baked sweets, custom cakes, flower arrangements, and a large array of party goods and gifts. Specialty coffee drinks available and a selection of fresh-baked goods handmade from scratch daily. 471 N. Leadville, Ketchum, 208.726.0115; and 91 E. Croy St., Hailey, 208.928.4088.

INTERNATIONAL COWBOY COCINA International Cowboy Cocina is a cornerstone in the Hailey community and

has been recognized for its outstanding American cuisine, excellent service and friendly staff. 111 N. 1st Ave., Suite 1C, Hailey. 208.928.7009.

JAVA COFFEE AND CAFÉ 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.

JERSEY GIRL 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.

KONDITOREI 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.

PERRY’S Voted “Best of the Valley” by the Idaho Mountain Express readers numerous times for breakfast, lunch, and sandwiches, Perry’s Restaurant has been a Ketchum fixture for 34 years. 131 West 4th St., Ketchum. 208.726.7703.

208 N. River St., Hailey. 208.928.6200.

CAFÉ DELLA 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.

GALENA LODGE The perfect place for a winter or summer outing. During the winter months Galena is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lunch served daily from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 15187 State Hwy 75, Ketchum. 208.726.4010. Café Della, preparing housemade provisions for “Dinner Tonight.”

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MAUDE’S COFFEE & CLOTHES 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 & Tara, who started Maude’s, believe in products made with integrity and intention. 391 Walnut Ave., Ketchum. 208.726.6413.

RASBERRYS 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.

THE HAVEN Specializing in catering, take out and delivery, with spaced dine-in options, Kellee Havens is always thinking about food—beautiful and delicious. The Haven’s savory, filling and scrumptious delectables are always appealing to her Ketchum and Wood River Valley followers. The Haven now offers free delivery (with purchase of bottle of wine). Deliveries to both Ketchum and Hailey between 2-5pm. 220 East Ave. North, Ketchum. 208.928.4291.

THE KNEADERY 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 topquality meats. 260 Leadville Ave. North, Ketchum. 208.726.9462.

DELIS

ATKINSONS’ MARKETS Atkinsons’ Markets, serving you and your family at our three locations in the Wood River Valley with deli sandwiches made to order, hot soups, graband-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.

JOHNNY G’S SUB SHACK 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-your-own round out a solid menu of delicious sandwiches. 371 Washington Ave., Ketchum. 208.725.7827.

WRAPCITY 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.

PUBS, GRILLS, & LOUNGES

APPLE’S BAR & GRILL

SAWTOOTH BREWERY 25 taps with beer, wine, cider, and kombucha on tap! Join us for the game on one of our big-screen TV’s. We fill growlers, crowlers, and have kegs, bottles, and cans to go! 110 N. River St., Hailey; 631 Warm Springs Rd., Ketchum. 208.726.6803.

THE CELLAR PUB 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.

Established over two decades ago, Apple’s Bar & Grill is still the best spot to fuel your body after a long day ripping turns on Baldy! Kick back, enjoy a great meal and a pint of beer at one of the most spectacular mountain bar locations! 205 Picabo St., Ketchum. 208.726.7067.

GRUMPY’S 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.

LEFTY’S BAR & GRILL Lefty’s has a great casual dining menu, including killer burgers served on freshbaked bread, monster hot sandwiches, wings, salads and the house specialty, fresh-cut French fries.

Limelight Lounge, serving up gourmet wood-fired pizza.

231 6th St. East, Ketchum. 208.726.2744.

LIMELIGHT LOUNGE

MAHONEY’S BAR & GRILL

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.

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.

POWER HOUSE Serving locally-raised Wagyu beef burgers, blackened Ahi sandwiches and tacos, handcut fries, and organic salads with a wealth of beers on tap. 502 N. Main St., Hailey. 208.788.9184.

7 FUEGO 7 Fuego is a family-owned and operated “Baja” style BBQ grill located in the “historic” bank building in Bellevue. We specialize in slow-cooked tri-tip steak and various seafood items.

151 South Main St., Ketchum. 208.726.0888.

THE RED SHOE Enjoy the neighborhood-tavern feel of The Red Shoe while dining on local favorites that include a meatloaf sandwich, wild Alaskan sockeye salmon and braised pork ribs. 107 Hwy. 75, Hailey. 208.788.5048.

VILLAGE STATION 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.

200 S. Main St., Bellevue. 208.788.1034.

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food&drink // dining guide S P E C I A L

PROMOTIONAL SECTION

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.

ROMINNA’S 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.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN PIZZERIA & GRILL Warfield Distillery & Brewery’s, Grilled Wagyu Beef Burger with bacon and cheddar.

WARFIELD DISTILLERY & BREWERY 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.

MEXICAN

KB’S This cheerful, laid-back burrito joint serves delicious fish tacos and offers a make-yourown burrito, with a choice of 27 fillings. 260 N. Main St., Ketchum. 208.928.6955; 121 N. Main St., Hailey. 208.788.7217.

LA CABANITA Only one way to put it…best authentic Mexican food in town. The town’s hidden gem that is truly a favorite.

BARRIO75 TACO LOUNGE & TEQUILA BAR

160 W. 5th St., Ketchum. 208.725.5001; 745 N. Main St., Bellevue. 208.928.7550.

Tucked into the edge of downtown Ketchum with patio views of Mount 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.

LAGO AZUL

211 4th St. E, Ketchum. 208.726.3068.

CHAPALITAS GRILL 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 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.

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Enjoy true Mexican food in downtown Hailey. Pollo rancherito, carne asada saran and “Sandy” tacos are house specialties not to be missed. 14 W. Croy St., Hailey. 208.578.1700.

ITALIAN & PIZZA

DIVINE FOOD & WINE Voted the best wine bar in the Wood River Valley for the last three years, diVine offers wines by the glass, soups, salads, panini and gourmet pizzas. And don’t miss the delicious fondue or gluten-free options. 111 N. 1st Ave., Hailey. 208.788.4422.

ENOTECA 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 Il Naso is special whether you drop by to have a burger and beer at the wine bar, or

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.

WISEGUY PIZZA PIE Serving New York-style, hand-tossed pizzas topped with whole-milk mozzarella, and baked to perfection in our stone deck ovens. We make our sauce from scratch and our dough fresh daily. We also craft delicious sandwiches, salads and calzones. 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.

ASIAN/SUSHI

DANG’S THAI CUISINE 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.

PADDLES UP POKÉ Paddles Up Poké is Idaho’s first and only specialty poké restaurant. Their fish is delivered every day and hand selected to ensure the highest quality standards and freshest product offered in the state. Sauces are all made with the finest Aloha Shoyu, imported from Hawaii for an authentic sweet fermented soy sauce taste, and the entire menu is built to accommodate any type of dietary need. 620 N. Main St., Ketchum. 208.941.1589.

RICKSHAW

DUCHIN LOUNGE

THE SAWTOOTH CLUB

Serving “ethnic street foods,” as chef Andreas Heaphy likes to say, Rickshaw has been well received by locals, visitors and critics alike. Creative, fresh, small plates are inspired by the flavors and foods in locales such as Thailand, Vietnam, China, and Indonesia.

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.

460 N. Washington Ave., Ketchum. 208.726.8481.

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!

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.

SUSHI ON SECOND Sushi on Second is the Valley’s oldest sushi restaurant. But don’t let age fool you. Head sushi chefs John Rust and Ross Bird are at the center of a talented crew of sushi chefs that delight in creating dishes that are as appetizing to look at as they are to eat. 260 Second St., Ketchum. 208.726.5181.

ZOU 75 Zou 75 is your destination for more than great Asian fusion, sushi and seafood selections. With fresh fish flown in several times a week straight from Honolulu, Hawaii, you can always count on the best in quality and freshness. Zou 75 is the perfect choice for your next dining event. 416 N. Main St., Hailey. 208.788.3310.

MEDITERRANEAN

TOWN SQUARE TAVERN Town Square Tavern is a gathering place in the center of Ketchum, serving fresh and inspired world cuisine. With flavors inspired by the Mediterranean regions stretching from the Middle East, to North Africa, to Spain, Italy and France, there is something sure to please everyone’s palate. 360 East Ave. N., Ketchum. 208.726.6969.

REGIONAL NORTHWEST

COOKBOOK 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.

THE COVEY Jesse and Jane Sheue’s new restaurant in Ketchum offers 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.

Sun Valley Lodge. 208.622.2145.

GRILL AT KNOB HILL

960 N. Main St., Ketchum. 208.726.8004.

KETCHUM GRILL 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.

ROUNDHOUSE 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.

SUN VALLEY CLUB 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 18-hole Sawtooth Putting Course. The Sun Valley Club brings exciting, contemporary dishes that are focused on local ingredients and big flavors.

231 North Main St., Ketchum. 208.726.5233.

TRAIL CREEK CABIN Trail Creek Cabin is Sun Valley’s destination for romantic dining in a rustic, early-Western atmosphere. Accessible by sleigh or car, Trail Creek Cabin is the perfect winter backdrop for a delicious seasonal menu, which includes Hagerman Valley Idaho ruby red trout, buffalo tenderloin and Trail Creek New York strip. 300 Trail Creek Rd., Sun Valley. 208.622.2019.

VINTAGE 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. Pick up a copy of TASTE of Sun Valley for menus and more!

1 Trail Creek Rd., Sun Valley. 208.622.2919.

THE PIONEER SALOON 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.

THE RAM 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.

TASTE of Sun Valley - Dining & Menu Guide showcases feature articles on the latest in food and drink, chef and restaurateur profiles, restaurant TO GO menus from the area’s best eateries , and tantalizing recipes.

Located in the Sun Valley Inn. 208.622.2225.

WINTER 2020/2021 | sunvalleymag.com

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If you are in a beautiful place where you can enjoy the sunrise and sunset, then you are living like a lord.” — NATH AN PHILLIPS

sunvalleymag.com | WINTER 2020/2021

CODY HASKELL

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