courtesy steve deffè
/ team i4, tim brown
left: Smoke from fires in Yellowstone impacted the action during the 1988 nationals. UNdaunted riders race near GAlena Lodge. below: a team specialized rider on one of the final banked turns coming into the finish line at river run lodge during 2011 usA mountain bike nationals.
says Peter Stearns, Director of Mountain Operations for Sun Valley Resort. Stearns points out the expanse of single-track trails in the area, as well as the BCRD’s two pump tracks for skills development in Hailey and Ketchum. “We’re trying to fill a niche … one thing the community doesn’t have is lift-serviced, purposeful, downhill mountain biking,” he says. To that end, the company this January submitted to the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management a proposal to build new trails on the River Run side of Bald Mountain. Julian Tyo, who is heading up the resort’s bike trail efforts, says the proposed trails would “hour-glass around the Roundhouse Restaurant, halfway up the mountain.” These would be machine-built, uni-directional “flow trails” which, Tyo says, if built right, would have a modest gradient—3%-5%—and with lots of gradient reversals that would not require a lot of braking or pedaling. “They might be classified as ‘green’ runs (beginner level) but an expert rider would have a great experience on them,” he adds. Stearns points out that he does not anticipate the bike park as envisioned here to be on the scale of those at places like Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia or Northstar in California. The demographics of the area and proximity to bigger airports does not support that large of
“the riders here loved it last year. And the demographics of the riders and spectators fits this community well.”
–kelli lusk, national events director for usa cycling
a program. “Hopefully, this will drive some economic vibrancy for the area,” he says. “But we want to build a business that is appropriate for the community. You have to constantly ask, ‘How much is too much? How much is sustainable?’” The resort’s plan is, of course, wholly dependent on Forest Service and BLM approval. Ideally, Stearns would like to have something new built before the Cross Country Mountain Bike National Championships, which are being held on Bald Mountain July 5-8 for the second year in a row. Kelli Lusk, national events director for USA Cycling, expects there to be 1,100 – 1,200 racers, with riders ranging from junior amateurs to pros and masters. Events will include cross country, cross continued on page 116 country short track and super D. “The riders Summer 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 73