Sun Valley Magazine Winter 2011-2012

BIG MOUNTAIN SKIERS | DOG SLEDDING | WINTER ON THE BIG WOOD | SHOPPING

W i n t er /S p r i n g 2 0 1 2

75

YEARS

SUN VALLEY MAKES HISTORY

SKIING THE MIDDLE FORK With Drew Stoecklein and Griffin Post

STANLEY: WILD IDAHO

6PIONEERS

Living in the Shadow of the Sawtooths

SKI INDUSTRY

VALLEY LOCALS INFLUENCING THE WINTER SPORTS WORLD

Rock ‘N’ Roll

ANDREW KENT’S ICONIC PHOTOGRAPHY

www.sunvalleymag.com

9 Après Ski Hot Spots 5 Great Snowshoeing Trails 12 Instrumental Ski Filmmakers

Swiss Engineered. mountainforce.com

TWO LEGENDS, ONE ANNIVERSARY.

EDDIE BAUER & SUN VALLEY CELEBRATING 75 YEARS

TWO AMERICAN ICONS COME TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE A 75TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR. Eddie Bauer marks the invention of the 1936 Skyliner Model jacket — the first down jacket patented in America. And Sun Valley Resort commemorates its opening, as well as the introduction of the world’s first chairlift.

Eddie Bauer is proud to be the official outfitter of the Sun Valley SnowSports School.

Legendary mountaineer and Eddie Bauer First Ascent guide Peter Whittaker and his family have made Sun Valley their home since 2001.

eddiebauer.com © 2011 Eddie Bauer LLC

You Need A Solid Team.

[IT CAN GET YOU THROUGH ANYTHING] The right investment plan starts with the right investment partner. The King Miller Barrios & Boe Investment Group’s advisors work with you to understand your needs, then create, implement and monitor a highly personalized asset management strategy. Contact us today for a complimentary consultation.

Create your path forward.

King, Miller, Barrios & Boe Investment Group Eagle • Ketchum The Christiana Building 675 Sun Valley Road, Suite M • Ketchum, Idaho (208) 725-5313 www.kmbbinvestments.com

Portfolio Management • Income Strategies • Estate Planning © 2011 RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Member NYSE/FINRA/SIPC.

Thunder Spring is Sun Valley’s finest - offering unparalleled luxury condominiums, stunning views, world-class amenities, concierge service, and maintenance-free living. Thunder Spring Real Estate is the on-site professional real estate company that specializes in Thunder Spring and is the premier choice when considering ownership and rental opportunities.

Thunder Spring Real Estate, LLC Sonya Johnston 208.721.0411 sonya@thunderspring.com www.thunderspring.com

Thunder Spring is Sun Valley’s finest - offering unparalleled luxury condominiums, stunning views, world-class amenities, concierge service, and maintenance-free living. Thunder Spring Real Estate is the on-site professional real estate company that specializes in Thunder Spring and is the premier choice when considering ownership and rental opportunities.

PA S T A S P RO L O G U E - P R E V I E W 2 0 1 2 A N OV E RV I E W O F U P C O M I N G E X H I B I T I O N S

D E C E M B E R - J A N U A RY Robert Polidori • Chuck Close • Morris Graves • Marcia Myers • Lynda Lowe • Hung Liu • Jane Rosen Squeak Carnwath • Robert McCauley • Linda Christensen • Laura McPhee • Jonathon Hexner Theodore Waddell • Nicolas Africano • Therman Statom • Margaret Keelan • David deVillier Deborah Oropallo • Jose Cobo • Tony Berlant • Michael Gregory • Jun Kaneko • Kris Cox

GAIL SEVERN GALLERY 400 First Avenue North • PO Box 1679 • Ketchum, ID 83340 208.726.5079 • 208.726.5092 Fax • info@gailseverngallery.com W W W. G A I L S E V E R N G A L L E R Y. C O M O P E N S E V E N D AY S A W E E K

ART OF PLACEMAKING WAIMEA HAWAII

SUN VALLEY IDAHO

Mark de Reus is one of the AD100 Architectural Digest's listing of the world's best architect's and designers Mark de Reus

www.deReusArchitects.com

Armstrong-Root Optometrists • Opticians

Style Perfected

649 Sun Valley Road • Ketchum, Idaho • 208.726.4250 www.armstrongroot.com

contents // features

80 66

Carving Turns Along the River of No Return

Two legendary skiing locals, Drew Stoecklein and Griffin Post, search for fresh tracks along the banks of the Middle Fork.

72

Valley Profiles

What do Bobbie Burns, Chuck Ferries, Rick Kapala, Langely McNeal, Phil Puchner and Penelope Street all have in common? They’ve all had large and positive impacts on the ski world, especially its hub here in Sun Valley. photography by kristIn cheatwood

84

66

80

Access, Aperture and Reverb: The Photography of Andrew Kent The iconic photos of Andrew Kent are well known, but few know that one of the world’s most celebrated rock ‘n’ roll photographers has long retired to a quiet life in the Wood River Valley. by chatham baker photography by andrew kent and chatham baker

84

Living in the Shadow of the Sawtooths on the cover

David Bowie at the Metropol Hotel in Moscow, 1976. photographed by andrew kent

10 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

Stanley is one of those special spots in Idaho where time seems to slow down long enough to grab a drink or two. by mike mckenna photography by craig wolfrom

david bowie: andrew kent / griff in post: drew stoecklein / stanley: craig wolfrom

by kira elizabeth TennEy photography by Drew stoecklein

Available Exclusively at

Sun Valley

208-622-2021

River Run

208-622-6146

112 23 | Local Buzz Flying Sun Valley, the science of ski tuning, Nordic Town USA, Baldy’s Big Mountain skiers, local art scene and a couple calendars full of fun stuff to do.

37 | Gift Guide To help you pick the perfect gift for him, her, the kids or your favorite pooch.

23

90

47 | Body & Soul Staying safe, healthy and comfortably dressed from head to toe all ski season long.

55 | Get Out There Enjoying our winter wonderland from snowshoeing, fly fishing and yurting to pond hockey and the Valley’s brand new ski school.

23

90 | Off the Beaten Path There are all kinds of fun—and a bit out of the ordinary—things to do in Stanley in the winter, like the annual dog sled races.

94 | Local Heroes The dynamic duo of ski patroller Steve Daigh and his canine companion Syringa.

Also in This Issue 16 | From the Editor 18 | Contributors

55

122 | Galleries & Artists

100 | History In honor of the 75th birthday of America’s original ski resort, we offer highlights from the new coffee table book celebrating the area’s star-studded history, “The Sun Valley Story.”

106 | Profile: Ski Movies Adam Tanous picks a sweet line through the highly entertaining history of ski films and Sun Valley’s strong connection to the genre.

112 | Food: Après The Sun Valley Magazine staff guides us through some of the Valley’s best après ski spots.

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126 | Gallery/Restaurant Map 127 | Dining Guide 133 | Wood River Fine Dining

37

Check out all the super cool SWAG like these dog toys in our Gift Guide!

beer: jamdesign / big mountain skier axel peterson: meg haywood-sullivan / pond skimming: courtesy sun valley company / dog sledding: nancy whitehead / pond hockey: mark oliver / dog toys: f ive b studios

contents // departments

40 years of papunya tula

Kawayi Nampitjinpa, Two Snake Dreaming, 122 x 107 cm, acrylic on linen, 2011

Contemporary Indigenous art from Australia

391 1ST Ave North, Ketchum 208.309.8676

www.harveyartprojects.com

Special Fundraiser Preview Party Thursday, February 16th, 2012

“Caring For Painters And Their Families�

Tickets $35 All Proceeds Benefit the Papunya Tula Aged Care Fund Gallery Walk Opening Reception Friday, February 17th, 2012

contents // online content

{ www.sunvalleymag.com }

home

HOME ARTS DINING COMMUNITY WELLNESS RECREATION REAL ESTATE PAST ISSUES RESOURCES WEDDINGS BLOGS and garden

When you want more, visit www.sunvalleymag.com for in-depth stories, multimedia features, local color and resources.

web extras Valley Calendar Wondering what to do? Check our Calendar first or visit our new “Cheat Sheet” on the Local Buzz blog every Thursday for our editor’s picks on the best events and happenings. Have an event? Post it!

Local Resources Menus at your fingertips...

We’ve made dining out in the Valley a whole lot easier. Browse through menus and listings of nearly 100 restaurants. Whether it’s a casual lunch or a romantic dinner, find it online.

Check out your weekly Horrorscope from astrologer Clouds McCloud—every Monday afternoon!

Yum! | A Blog About Food Whether you want to grow and harvest, or simply prepare and enjoy, Yum is all about food and the role it plays in our lives, including local restaurant profiles!

Hitched | Planning Your Big Day Everything you need to know to plan your dream wedding! Plus advice from those who have gone before you.

Go speed flying with Will Burks.

Get more . . .

Videos Get a birds-eye view of speed flying.

Enjoy clips from iconic ski films including “The Performers,” “Ski the Outer Limits,” “Ski Racer,” “Last of the Ski Bums,” “Blizzard of Aahhhs” and “Der Weisse Rausch (White Ecstasy).”

Romantic dinners at the Valley’s best restaurants, weekend golf getaways, spa packages, gift cards and more!

We’ve got the best prizes in the Valley, so be sure to register weekly.

www.sunvalleymag.com 14 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

Local Buzz | Who, What, Where & Wow! Photographs and write ups on what’s happening every week all over the Valley.

Slope Style | All things Mountain From skiing and boarding Baldy, to the clothing and equipment needed to make your stay on the mountain more enjoyable.

By Katie Matteson

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date on cool happenings in and around Sun Valley. Friendship has its benefits . . . fans and followers can reap the rewards of special deals, events and even local discounts!

ENTER TO WIN!

Fetch | For the Love of Pets About all things feathery and furry, scaled and four-legged.

Catch up on ski movie classics!

Photo Galleries Catch more of Sun Valley Magazine’s world-class photography, including: Craig Wolfrom’s view of Stanley and Nancy Whitehead’s dog sledding.

Stories Hailey Tucker profiles the popularity of the Valley for foreign Exchange Students.

Don’t miss our hot new blog SWAG or our weekly happening Cheat Sheet each Thursday in Local Buzz.

Stay up-to-date with local events.

Gone Fishing | Life on and off the waters of the Wood River Valley Humorous and hopeful articles on everything from f ly fishing to local war heroes to bumbling one’s way through parenthood.

By mike mckenna

will burks: courtesy / dr. arnold franck’s “der weisse rausch (white ecstasy)” / sun valey ski education foundation’s alpine ski team: katie matteson

blogs

from the editor // insight

share your story on facebook Let us know your favorite story, whether it’s about you or someone you know—a roommate, sister, brother, coworker, neighbor, aunt, uncle, father or friend?

Log onto Facebook, tell us what you think, send us your favorite story and enter to win a catered dinner at the Ketchum Sun Valley Ski and Heritage Museum with 10 of your favorite friends . . . or other great SWAG and giveaways.

Feeling shy? Email your story to us at mystory@sunvalleymag.com and enter to win the same prizes.

16 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

ith the publication of this issue, Sun Valley Resort will be celebrating its 75th Anniversary. The Resort officially opened for its first winter season on December 21, 1936, after a flurry of activity, inspiration and ingenuity. From the time that Averell Harriman initially visited the Wood River Valley to solidify his vision for America’s first grand ski resort, slopes and trail lines were sited and, in less than eight months, a 136,000-square-foot lodge was designed sited and constructed in the middle of what was once a cattle and sheep grazing pasture just east of Ketchum, Idaho.

Legend has it (passed by word of mouth from local to local) that the last, largely Idahobased work crew exited the back door of the lodge as the first guest entered the front door (read all about it in Van Gordon Sauter’s new coffee table history of the Sun Valley Resort—“The Sun Valley Story,” available at local retailers and online at www.sunvalleyhistory.com).

You can’t believe everything you hear over a pint at The Pio bar or a scotch at the Christy, but, if true, this particular legend sums up what this community is made of—skilled and honest, unapologetic, resourceful and inventive men and women of the mountains. Individuals with flair, resourcefulness and originality who came here to stay.

That same spirit threads through the local community today. At our heart, we are a celebration of the inspiration and ingenuity of the original mountain culture.

We are Chuck Ferries, who lowered a rope from his bedroom window in Michigan at the age of 16 and bought a one-way train ticket in order to satisfy a burning passion to ski a big mountain. The fever paid off for Chuck, who competed in the 1960 and ’64 Olympics and set the ski racing world on its head when he became the first American to ever win a European classic gate race at Austria’s famous Hahnenkamm slalom. Read about him and five other local characters like Bobbie Burns, Penelope Street and Langely McNeal in our “Valley Profiles” feature (page 72). We are local resident Andrew Kent, one of the most acclaimed rock photographers of all time (see a selection of his intimate portraits of Keith Richards, David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Cat Stevens, KISS, Black Sabbath, Jim Morrison and countless others on page 80).

We are the place where legendary filmmakers launched their careers—Warren Miller in the back of his “small” (4’ x 8’) trailer from the Sun Valley parking lot in the winters of 1947 and ’48, and Dick Barrymore traveling around the country in his ’57 Chevy with a camper on the back, filming the K2 demo team and helping to launch the craze for the hot dog skiing movement with his cult classic, “The Performers” (read about it in our history of ski filmmakers on page 106).

We are Drew Stoecklein and Griffin Post, who carved turns on a harrowing adventure through the River of No Return Wilderness (page 66), and we are local Big Mountain and extreme skiers Lexi DuPont, Axel Peterson, McKenna Peterson, Conor Davis, North Parker, Chris Tatsuno, Lynsey Dyer, the Crist brothers and Kent Kreitler—who prove you don’t have to be in Alaska to turn out some of the best extreme competitors on the international stage (page 30). You just have to be steeped in the mountain culture and way of life. We are . . . and we’ve got the history, and the passion, to match it.

We are the original mountain ski town. We play. We plan. We work (when we have to) and we live. We are what makes this town unique and we are the reason people come from Seattle and San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles. And we are the reason they decide to stay.

Thank you: To all of you who live and work and play here. Thank you for your stories and your inventiveness and your inspiration. Thank you for building upon the vision that started more than 75 years ago. You are the community. You are the original mountain town. And it is your story we tell in the pages of every issue of Sun Valley Magazine.

kevin syms

W

Chatham Baker (Access, Aperture and Reverb: The Photography of Andrew Kent, pg. 80) “narrowly survived” growing up in the Seattle suburbs before he escaped at 18 to pursue art and snowboarding. He graduated from Colby College (Fine Art & Fiction Writing) with brief stops at RISD, UC Berkeley and Italy. After graduating, he couch-surfed through Hells Kitchen, N.Y.C. all the way to a couch in West Ketchum.

Now, 10 years later, he’s a designer at Smith Optics, co-conspirator of WIZE and married to a local. It was in 2003 while schlepping art as a grunt for a local gallery that Chatham first met Andy Kent, Andy’s camera collection and his stories of rock ‘n’ roll. It’s out of this mutual friendship and respect that this story was made. julie gallagher (Valley Profiles: Bobbie Burns, Chuck Ferries and Phil Puchner, pg. 72) grew up in the mountains of Idaho, mostly on horseback, tagging along with her forest ranger dad. After college, she settled in Ketchum to ski just one season, checking furs at the old Lodge Dining Room to the strains of Hap Miller’s Orchestra.

In the mid-’70s, she created the Sun Valley Ambassador Program, a 12-woman skiing guest service team, a first at any ski resort in the West. In 1986, she was named executive director of Sun Valley Center for the Arts and Humanities and now owns J. Gallagher & Associates, private fine arts consultants. She and her husband Brian live in Hailey. drew stoecklein (Carving Turns Along the River of No Return, pg. 66) grew up in Sun Valley where he discovered his passion for the outdoors and photography. After attending The Community School, he polished his photography skills at Brooks Institute of Photography and obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a minor in Business Administration from Montana State University in Bozeman. During college, he studied with legendary Hollywood photographer Douglas Kirkland and world famous wildlife photographer Dan Cox. Today he lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he is able to pursue his career as a professional photographer and big mountain skier.

Nancy Whitehead (Jonesing to Run, pg. 90) and her camera love to capture the moment— whether in the field, on the water, or in the backyard. She has photographed dogs from the tundra in Alaska to the plantations in the deep South, turning those photos into fine art and field portraits. Her work has appeared on the covers of sporting books in England, Shooting Sportsman, the Orvis catalog and Sun Valley Magazine. Her work is currently showing in the Beretta Gallery, in New York City and Dallas, and her book, In the Field: A Photographer’s Journey with Sporting Dogs, has received critical acclaim. View her work at www.sportingdogphotography.com.

18 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

chatham baker: andy mccabe / julie gallagher: courtesy / drew stoecklein: courtesy / black labs: nancy whitehead

contributors // writers & photographers

®

W i n t e r

2 0 1 2

publisher/editor in chief Laurie C. Sammis

associate publisher/ circulation director Laurie Christian managing editor Mike McKenna art director Robin Moore Leahy production director Julie Molema graphic designer Cara Shumate

staff writer/ web editor Katie Matteson

features editor Carrie Lightner

copy editors Patty Healey Brooke Pace McKenna

advertising sales Laurie Christian Nancy Glick

controller Linda Murphy edit department intern Kate Elgee Sun Valley Magazine Online: www.sunvalleymag.com email: info@sunvalleymag.com 2011 MAGGIE AWARDS

WESTERN PUBLICATIONS ASSOCIATION

Best Semi-Annuals/Trade & Consumer Finalist Best Special Theme Issue/Consumer Finalist

2010 OZZIE and EDDIE AWARDS

Gold Winner for circulation less than 6 times per year, full issue—Summer 2010

2010 Idaho Press Club

Best Magazine Serious Feature—“Idaho Basque Tables,” Summer 2010 Best Blog—“Gone Fishing”

2010 MAGGIE AWARDS

WESTERN PUBLICATIONS ASSOCIATION

Best Semi-Annual & Three-Time/Consumer Magazine Finalist

2009 MAGGIE AWARDS

WESTERN PUBLICATIONS ASSOCIATION

Best Semi-Annual & Three-Time/Consumer Magazine

2008 OZZIE and EDDIE AWARDS

Eddie Award, Editorial Content—Summer 2008

Ozzie, Best Use of Photography—“Spirit Messengers”, Summer 2008 Sun Valley Magazine® (ISSN 1076-8599) is published quarterly, with a special annual HOME edition, by Mandala Media LLC. Editorial, advertising and administrative offices are located at 111 North First Avenue, Suite 1M, Hailey, Idaho 83333. Telephone: 208.788.0770; Fax: 208.788.3881. Mailing address: 111 North First Avenue, Suite 1M, Hailey, Idaho 83333. Sun Valley Magazine. Copyright ©2011/2012 by Mandala Media LLC. Subscriptions: $22 per year, single copies $5.95.

The opinions expressed by authors and contributors to Sun Valley Magazine are not necessarily those of the editor and publisher. Our printer is SFI- and FSC-certified. Paper used contains fiber from wellmanaged forests and meets EPA guidelines that recommend a minimum 10% post-consumer recovered fiber for coated papers. Inks used contain a percentage of soy base. Our printer meets or exceeds all federal Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA) standards.

Postmaster: Please send address changes to: Sun Valley Magazine, 111 North First Avenue, Suite 1M, Hailey, ID 83333

Printed in the U.S.A. courtesy of Nils Ribi and Sun Valley Archives

20 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

Q uinTessenTial K eTChum T i m e t o d i s c o v e r K e t c h u m ’s i c o n i c s h o p s , s e rv i c e s , a n d a r t g a l l e r i e s l o c at e d i n t h e C o lon nade & C h r i st ian ia .

ArchitecturAl resources • Armstrong-root opticAl • comme les Filles • DAvis • elizAbeth lucAs home • FArAshA • elle rose • gilmAn contemporAry gAllery • holli Jewelers • iconoclAst books & cAFÉ • leslie st. lAurent skin cAre • ming • ochi gAllery • pure • sureFoot • tully’s • swAy • cAtherine e. DurborAw m.D. & mArk e. FreemAn m.D. At the center For Aesthetics christiAniA proFessionAl oFFices: eAgAn reAl estAte • rbc weAlth mAnAgement • Dr. gAry peterson • FeltmAn & gArrison pllc • lAwson lAski clArk & pogue pllc • sun country mAnAgement • tAnDem recruiting group • urAngA & AssociAtes • About FAce • boArDmAn llc • greyhAwk cApitAl mAnAgement • JAck thornton •

For oFFice AnD retAil leAsing opportunities pleAse cAll tim eAgAn At (208)725-0800 visit www.bestoFketchum.com For more inFormAtion • bounDeD by sun vAlley roAD, Fourth street AnD wAlnut AnD spruce

24//up, up and away

Paragliders and speed flyers alight in the Valley

26//the science of tuning

LOCAL BUZZ

The importance of keeping skis and boards in tune

27//nordic town usa

Sun Valley stakes its claim

28//calendar

Fun stuff to do in the snow and sun

30//going big

Why Baldy produces so many Big Mountain skiers

32//on-mountain madness dan hoffman

An overview of the biggest on-mountain events

34//art buzz

Highlights from Sun Valley’s thriving art scene

Adam Majors kicks it up a notch.

Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 23

local buzz // in the air

UP, UP & AWAY

Get a different view of the Valley by paragliding off Baldy

24 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

Garth Callahan flying high over the inversion.

The most complicated—and potentially dangerous—part of paragliding is understanding and working with air currents, which are more difficult to anticipate in mountainous areas.

Few paragliders have the experience and credentials of Smith, 48, a Cape Cod, Massachusetts, native who has lived in Idaho for 11 years. He started using the equipment 25 years ago as a way to easily descend after mountaineering and quickly began competing. He earned the national championship in the sport in 1988, and has been instrumental in bringing paragliding competitions to Sun Valley. The mountain hosted the U.S. National Championships in 2006 and 2010 and in August will welcome the Paragliding World Cup—the U.S. has hosted the international event just once before.

It’s a coup for Sun Valley, but Smith is happy just introducing new people to the sport and estimates he has piloted more than 5,000 tandem flights.

“Being able to share that passion with people who haven’t done it before, that’s where I zeroed in on things,” he says, describing why he started teaching and offering tandem. It takes just a few sentences to learn all you need to know to be the passenger, but the rewards are, sometimes literally, breathtaking.

As Morgan explains, “I can’t tell you how neat it is to get into a thermal with a hawk or a buzzard. The view is unlike any other. You’re flying so close to the ridgetops and seeing a view of the mountains that so few people have ever seen. That’s the closest to being a bird that you can be.”

And really, who hasn’t dreamed of flying?

Fly Sun Valley can take that dream off your bucket list. -Ariel Hansen

Get Your Glide On

Tandem flights vary from 15 to 35 minutes and cost $225, with a typical length of 20-25 minutes. In-flight photo and video packages are available for additional cost.

Flights depart from the top of Bald Mountain in Ketchum from mid-June through September and during the winter run from opening day on Baldy, usually Thanksgiving Day, through mid-April.

Clients must be able to follow instruction from the guide; so far, that has included ages 3 to 93. Because of equipment restrictions, clients should weigh less than 260 pounds.

Although most flights involve a small amount of walking and running, those with physical disabilities, including paraplegia and quadriplegia, can be accommodated. “I tell people, you know your body better than I do,” says instructor Chuck Smith. “I can explain the physical requirements, but in the end it’s their call whether they think they can handle it or not.” For more info check out, www.flysunvalley.com.

linda whittig / courtesy f ly sun valley

Skiers talk a lot about “flying down Baldy.”

But flying off Baldy? That’s the lingo of paragliders, lovers of a sport that’s less extreme than you might think.

“It does generate adrenaline, no matter how long you’ve been doing it,” says Chuck Smith, owner of Fly Sun Valley, which holds an exclusive permit to launch tandem paragliding trips off Bald Mountain. “Most people that we fly are people that don’t do any sort of extreme sports; maybe ski, or drive over the speed limit a bit.”

The tandem flights, which are offered during the summer and winter seasons, launch from the slopes at running speed, then glide and coast on air currents and thermals before landing gently in a field near the base of River Run. During the flight, clients are in an upright-seated position with the pilot just behind them—only a sail above keeps them afloat.

Unlike those used in hang gliding, a paragliding sail doesn’t have an internal frame, so they’re quite portable. And unlike parachuting, instead of leaping from a height, paragliders launch from gentle slopes, and by using up-drafting thermals they can stay in the air much longer than a BASE or plane jumper.

“When you do a tandem, it’s so quiet you can talk in a normal tone of voice to the other person,” says George Morgan, a retired airline pilot who lives in Greensboro, North Carolina. He fell in love with paragliding during a trip to Sun Valley in 2009, when he saw a glider come off the mountain, and immediately wanted to try it.

“I came down from that first flight, and I just knew it was something I wanted to pursue,” says Morgan, who has since purchased equipment and learned how to solo. “It lived up to everything I thought it would be and more. I’ve flown a lot of different airplanes, and there’s nothing like it.”

Most tandem flights stay under 14,000 feet (the launch points off Baldy are about 9,000), though paragliders are allowed to go up to 18,000 feet without getting prior permission from the Federal Aviation Administration.

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SunValley

Will Burks gets ready for flight .

speed flying

aaron beck

Why walk down the mountain when you can fly?

For some adrenaline and speed junkies out there simply bombing down a mountain on skis or rising up above it while paragliding isn’t enough. So they’ve figured out a way to combine the two. Life-long local Will “Huck” Burks is one of the truly extreme athletes who participates in the growing sport of speed flying.

“You can fly the mountain, essentially,” he says. “It’s pretty incredible.”

The gist of speed flying is that a skier releases a much smaller version of a paragliding canopy and then starts carving turns and literally catching air, when terrain allows (or warrants) it, while descending the mountain.

“It’s about contouring the terrain,” says Burks, who earned his nickname for hucking huge air while skiing. He explains that a speed flyer can buzz just a few feet above the surface for hundreds of yards or soar as high as 1,800 feet above if the winds are right.

“You can be as high as you want or you can barely touch the ground,” Burks says. “It appeals to sky divers, paragliders and BASE jumpers, but it’s also in the family of skiing. So it’s a sport that’s appealing to lots of people.”

Speed flying isn’t just limited to snow covered slopes. In the summer, a slightly different version of the sport referred to as ground launching allows participants to soar their way down almost any mountain.

And since the canopies are much smaller than a paraglider and therefore weigh less, it allows speed-fliers to take their kits almost anywhere. Burks has flown off the Boulder Mountains, Hyndman Peak and even from the highest point in Idaho, Mount Borah (12,662’).

“It gives you the ability to hike wherever you want because it’s so light. You could hike any mountain in the Valley and go speed flying,” he says.

So the next time you see something flying down a local mountain and wonder, “Is it a bird? Is it a plane?” don’t be surprised if it’s just another speed and adrenaline junky like Will Burks getting a fix. -Mike McKenna Web Extras: For more on speed flying and to watch video clips, visit www.sunvalleymag.com.

Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 25

of SunValley

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SunValley

Sometimes all you need is a little hardware 380 NORTH WalNuT aveNue, KeTcHum 208.726.8099

local buzz // on the snow

Lexi DuPont perfects her planks.

The Science of Tuning

Skis and snowboards have the same basic tuning philosophy Think you only need to tune your skis after hitting that rock in the Bowls? Think you can get by tuning your board only once a season?

Or do you think that a weekly tune is just for racers? Think again. We talked to some local experts, Baird Gourlay of PK’s Ski and Sports and Tal Roberts and Erik Tiles from the Board Bin, about the art of tuning.

The first thing that we learned is that tuning isn’t just an art … it is definitely a science as well. From belt sanders, stone grinders, Wintersteiger “Green Machines” and ceramic disk grinders, to hand files, rotobrushes and more, tuning shops have plenty of tools and procedures that work to reproduce factory specs.

Techniques, applications and materials can differ from shop to shop but everyone agrees on one thing—tune well and tune often! “We invest so much in our skis these days that a $50 tune is critical to maintain our investment,” explains Baird Gourlay,

an owner and operator of PK’s in Ketchum.

Gourlay not only emphasizes the importance of a good tune, in fact, he tunes or touches up his fleet of skis every day. As he says, “In the early season, with our surplus of firmer, man-made snow, you should tune your skis every four days. And under normal conditions, you should never go more than seven days without a tune.”

Board Bin tuner Tal Roberts says the same thing applies to snowboards. He explains, “Getting your board stone-ground a couple times a season helps out quite a bit, especially

in spring when it gets slushy. But you should definitely wax your board every two or three times you ride.” And if you can’t afford a weekly tune, Roberts suggests consistently waxing and de-burring your edges at home.

In the PK’s tuning shop, a basement underneath their rental shop, three to four guys work every night, devoting 45 minutes to each pair of skis. For Baird and his crew, the bottom line of tuning skis comes down to two critical things: First, making sure each ski has a perfectly flat base with the correct structure for the snow conditions (this comes from the stone-grinding program). Second, a ski needs to have the correct bevels on its edges (Gourlay typically recommends from 1.0° to 1.5° for the average skier). From there, each ski is hand finished and the edges are polished with ceramic stones. Gourlay says, “If this isn’t done, the ski just won’t ski well.”

Finally, each ski is waxed with the “wax du jour” and rotobrushed.

The Board Bin guys point out that the process of tuning a board is pretty similar to that of a ski. “We just have a bigger space,” Tal says. “It’s pretty much the same idea just on a larger surface. We do things a little different with the bevel and de-tuning of edges.”

Walking around the tuning shop with Gourlay was a mix between taking a studio tour with an artist and a lab tour with a doctor. And even though the shop wasn’t completely set up for winter yet, we could almost hear the machines humming through the night . . . a skier’s dreams of big turns and face shots coming to fruition with every whirr of the grinder. -Katie Matteson

tal’s do it yourself tips Can’t spare the cash for a tune as often as you’d like?

Hoping to turn your garage into your own shop? Here are Tal’s Three Tips for any amateur tuner:

26 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

1. Use a well-ventilated area for waxing. There is no use suffocating yourself for a good tune.

2. Don’t use your mom’s iron and don’t burn the house down!

3. Wear gloves so you don’t cut your hand off while sharpening edges.

courtesy eddie bauer f irst ascent (will wissman)

Getting your board stoneground a couple times a season helps out quite a bit, especially in spring when it gets slushy. But you should definitely wax your board every two or three times you ride. –tal roberts

Skiers compete during last year’s Nordic Fest.

Nordic Town USA

nils ribi / hailey tucker

Sun Valley claims its rightful place in the Nordic ski scene When the Sun Valley Nordic Ski Alliance, a coalition of local individuals and businesses, coined the term “Nordic Town USA” to describe the Wood River Valley a couple of years ago, their intention wasn’t to make the area sound selfimportant. It was simply to spread awareness across the world that the Valley holds more than 200 kilometers of some of the top Nordic skiing trails in the country.

The goal was also to help create enough interest in the local Nordic culture to sustain it in the future, according to Jim Keating, the co-chair of the annual Sun Valley Nordic Festival.

Along with taking on the name and brand of “Nordic Town USA,” the Alliance created the aforementioned Sun Valley Nordic Festival, which is a yearly celebration of both new and long-time Nordic races and events. With the consolidation of so many events into one week of Nordic festivities, Keating said the festival has seen an increase in 1,300 attendees from the first year in 2010 to the sec-

ond, and that almost every event has seen an increase in participants.

This winter’s 3rd annual Sun Valley Nordic Festival will run Saturday, January 28th through Sunday, February 5th.

Keating said the week will build up to the 37th Annual Boulder Mountain Tour on Saturday, February 4th, which showcases world-class athletes racing side-by-side with Valley locals on a 32-kilometer trail north of Ketchum.

The week will begin with the Blaine County Recreation District’s (BCRD) annual Ski the Rails event, which encourages all-skill-level skiers to take to the old railroad from Ketchum to Hailey.

Throughout the week, Keating explained, the festival will also showcase speakers discussing Nordic skiing-related topics at The Community Library in Ketchum and feature presentations by the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation crosscountry team’s head coach, Rick Kapala.

Keating said Galena Lodge will continue to offer their Twilight Ski Dinners, and will host

the 16th Annual Galena Trails Benefit on Saturday, January 28th. The Downtown Nordic Night, which will offer circuit races and an evening block party at the Sun Valley Center for the Arts’ lot in Ketchum, takes place on Thursday, February 2nd. The week-long festival will close Sunday, February 5th, with the Ski Demo Days.

Keating said giving the Valley a new nickname has helped bring the awareness and attention that the local trails and Nordic community deserves. -Hailey Tucker

For more info

on Nordic Town USA or the Sun Valley Nordic Festival, be sure to check out these two sites: www.nordictownusa.com www.svnordicfestival.com.

Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 27

local buzz // winter highlights

February 4

boulder mountain tour: Celebrating a christmas carol: This heartwarming

holiday musical will be presented at nexStage on the weekends. The curtain opens at 7pm each night with a matinee on Sundays at 3pm. www.nexstagetheater.org

December 21

75 anniversary silver and gold ice show: Starting at 6pm, Olympic silver and th

gold medalists and world-class figure skaters like Sasha Cohen, Evan Lysacek and Nathan Chen will light up the ice. 208.622.2135

December 24

christmas in sun valley: The celebration

gets kicked off at 5:30pm with the Sun Valley Company’s production of “Nutcracker on Ice” at the outdoor ice rink. Fireworks will follow the annual Torchlight Parade down Dollar Mountain, with public ice-skating and a cameo

by Santa Claus after the show. This event is free and open to the public. www.sunvalley.com Terrain Park at Dollar Mountain features new progression parks and an 18’ halfpipe.

Winter 2012

With everything from heli-skiing to sleigh riding, pond-skimming to paragliding, Sun Valley offers a little bit of something for everyone this winter. So dust off the ski boots and make sure those snow pants still button, because the fun begins Thanksgiving weekend and doesn’t end until the snow melts!

Here are this winter’s highlights.

28 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

January 15-16

IDAHO POND HOCKEY CLASSIC: The traditional outdoor Pond Hockey Tournament held at beautiful Atkinson Park in Ketchum on January 15th and 16th. An outdoor, double elimination and 4-on-4 with no goalies, beer, bonfires, bratwurst and live music. “A” and “B” divisions. www.bcrd.com

January 26-29

sun valley freestyle spectacular slopestyle event: Hosted by the Sun

Valley Ski Education Foundation (SVSEF). Events include Slopestyle on January 26th, Halfpipe on January 27th, Moguls on January 28th and Dual Moguls on January 29th. 208.726.4129

January 28

sun valley telemark series: Going

on its 32nd year, this is the nation’s longest continuously-run telemark series. The “All Terrain Race” includes trees, moguls, “wrapaloosa” and GS gates, will be on January 28th, and the legendary Hawaiian Nationals on March 31st. www.sunvalleytele.blogspot.com

January 28-February 5

sun valley nordic festival: This weeklong event is packed with films, music, clinics, demonstrations, and races right here in “Nordic Town USA.” The culmination of this festival is the ever-popular Boulder Mountain Tour on February 4th. www.svnordicfestival.com

February 1

sun valley ski hall of fame ceremony: A celebration of alpine and Nordic skiing. The ceremony will include live music, drinks and presentations at the Ketchum Sun Valley Ski and Heritage Museum at 4pm. 208.726.8118

February 11

marley in the mountains: In the true

spirit of Bob Marley, there will be plenty of live music featuring “Roots/Rock/and Reggae” during this weekend-long festival in Ketchum Town Square. www.marleyinthemountains.com

March 3-5

united states of america snowboard association (usasa) snowboard comp: On Dollar Mountain.

Events: Boardercross March 3rd, Slopestyle March 4th, and Halfpipe March 5th.

March 23-25

lane parrish memorial: (Dates tentative) This is a three-day event, consisting of Moguls, Halfpipe, and the Diamond Sun Super G with individual and overall prizes for male/female age divisions. All proceeds go to benefit SVSEF. 208.726.4129

March 31

hawaiian nationals: This head-to-head Giant Slalom race on Baldy culminates the 32nd Annual Sun Valley Telemark Series. There are Hawaiian-inspired costume prizes, bbq-ing, charity raffles, prizes and, of course, “racing.”

The after party includes the human slalom and tandem tele competitions. www.sunvalleytele.blogspot.com

April

ski area closing weekend dollar dayz: A three-day party on Dollar Mountain

concludes the ski season and includes a family skier-cross race, rail jam, and the Cold Bowl Pond Skim on Sunday, where both little and big skiers attempt to skim across a pond on skis or a board without getting their costume wet. 208.622.2242

closing weekend scorpion nationals: On the closing day, Ketchum’s bravest race down Baldy’s half-gravel Scorpion run (on “Scorpion” skis). Podium placement is at Apple’s Bar and Grill for the End of the Year Party. First Place Prize: six-pack of tallboys—and bragging rights.

All Winter Long

full moon dinners: Every month enjoy

the Valley’s moonlit Nordic trails. Top the eve off with a four-course gourmet meal at Galena Lodge or dinner at Sun Valley’s Trail Creek Cabin. www.galenalodge.com or www.sunvalley.com

sleigh rides: Nighttime horse-drawn sleigh rides from the Sun Valley resort to Trail Creek Lodge. www.sunvalley.com

sun valley company

December 17-24

its 37th year, this is one of the largest crosscountry ski races in the country. With almost 1,000 participants, this open skate race traverses 32 kilometers from Galena Lodge to the SNRA headquarters north of Ketchum. There is also the non-competitive “Half Boulder” after the main event. www.bouldermountaintour.com

nordic skiing: There is a new Nordic Center in Sun Valley and over 200 kilometers of groomed trails to explore throughout the Wood River Valley. www.xcskisv.com, www.galenalodge.com, or www.sunvalley.com

winter playground: This winter, Dollar Mountain will be a wintertime playground for both kids and pro skiers/boarders. www.sunvalley.com ice skating: All winter long at Atkinson Park in Ketchum, the Sun Valley outdoor ice rink and Hailey’s Roberta McKercher Park. gallery walks: There are nine opportunities throughout the year to take a nighttime walk sipping wine and touring the local galleries. www.svgalleries.org Tubing at Dollar is a kids’ delight.

paragliding: All ages welcome, from toddlers to grandparents, to fly from the top of Bald Mountain. www.flysunvalley.com heli skiing: December through April you

can head to the surrounding mountains via copter for some of the best untracked powder in Idaho. www.sunvalleyheliski.com or www.epicquest.com

sun valley suns hockey: From midDecember to end of March there are rowdy hockey games almost every Friday/Saturday night at 7pm at the Sun Valley indoor ice rink. www.sunvalleysuns.com

snowmobiling: Rent snowmobiles to explore the beautiful Idaho backcountry at Smiley Creek Lodge in the Stanley Basin. www.smileycreeklodge.com yurts: Come camp for the night and wake up to the best backcountry skiing in Idaho. www.galenalodge.com, www.svtrek.com

aprÈs ski shows: Live music and comedy shows at the Boiler Room, as well as drink and app specials all around town. www.sunvalleymag.com Online Events: Be sure to check out our calendar at www.sunvalleymag.com for updates and new events.

Pond Skimmers enjoy Dollar Dayz.

Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 29

local buzz // big mountain skiers

McKenna Peterson scopes out her line during the FWT comp in Crested Butte.

Chris Tatsuno shows off some Sun Valley style.

going big

Why Baldy produces so many of the world’s best Big Mountain skiers When Lexi DuPont entered her first Big Mountain competition, she walked up to the judges and introduced herself. They asked where she was from and when she said Sun Valley, they broke out in laughter. They asked, “How does Sun Valley pump out so many good skiers?!”

Ask around and you’ll get tons of different answers. Maybe it is Baldy’s insane amount of vertical. Maybe it is because their racing coaches were also Picabo Street’s coaches.

Maybe it’s the region’s renowned backcountry skiing, from steep Sawtooth couloirs to 12,000-foot descents in the Pioneers. Maybe it’s the non-stop bowl laps or the moguls on Upper River Run. Or perhaps it is the tradition of skiers like the Crist Brothers, Kent Kreitler, Will Burks, Lynsey Dyer, Dick Dorworth, Dick Durrance, Griffin Post … the list goes on. Or maybe, as Big Mountain competitor and born-and-bred Sun Valley skier Chris Tatsuno said, it’s that “the generational 30 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

strength and fortitude to mold good skiers runs a little deeper in Idaho.”

Whatever it is, it cannot be denied. When a list of competing freeskiing athletes includes Sun Valley prodigies DuPont, Post, Tatsuno, Bryce Newcomb, Conor Davis, McKenna Peterson, Axel Peterson, North Parker and Drew Stoecklein, it’s hard not to credit Baldy’s terrain, its thigh-burning vertical and the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation (each of these athletes was once a member).

From Park and Pipe competitions to Big Mountain comps in places like Revelstoke, British Columbia, Crested Butte, Colorado, Argentina and Chile, skiers from across the world compete every year in the Subaru Freeskiing World Tour (FWT) and in sanctioned International Freeskiing Association events. Hundreds of guys and girls who think, breathe and live mountains huck themselves off cliffs, ski in less-than-ideal conditions, take their chances on new, huge

Conor Davis at “Red Rocks” cliff on the backside of Baldy above the Burn.

lines, and push themselves to the limit in a sport where taking chances can be fatal and the rewards can be huge.

“Everyone is stoked on everything all the time. This excitement and passion forces me to look at the mountain and my sport in a new way every day,” says Axel Peterson, explaining that his experience on the FWT has helped him develop as a skier, constantly

A COLLECTIOn Of COLOrS, A COLLECTIOn fAbrICS AnD Of COLOrS, STyLES THAT fAbrICS AnD STAnD ALOnE STyLES THAT

casey day / courtesy mountain sports international / josh wells

STAnD ALOnE

challenging him with new variables and unexplored zones. His sister, McKenna, who is also on the tour, says, “We are a giant family of adventure-seeking kids with a shared love for skiing. I don’t ski on the tour for money or glory. There really isn’t much of it anyway.

It is the experience that brings me back year after year.”

Sun Valley may not have the most notoriously extreme terrain but don’t be fooled, our skiers can really ski. Conor Davis, a telemark skier who competes in both telemark and alpine Big Mountain comps, says there is more extreme to Baldy than meets the eye, you just have to know where to look. “If the Lower Bowls and River Run South Slopes are open, they’ll definitely surprise you. And there is always the Burn, as long as you have a buddy and the proper avalanche gear.” It’s our mountain’s terrain that has cultivated a love for skiing in these skiers—and the hundreds more just nipping at their heels—that is part challenge, part adventure and all about Sun Valley tradition.

And as for the notion that Baldy has nothing more to boast about than fast and well-maintained groomers? Well, these Big Mountain skiers are willing to just let that rumor slide. They’d like their short lift lines and secret spots to stay that way. And besides, we’ve got to keep the judges wondering—just how does Sun Valley keep producing all these great skiers? -Katie Matteson Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 31

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local buzz // sun valley events

On-Mountain Madness From professionals hucking big air to amateurs racing like the Olympians, there are plenty of on-mountain events this winter to either watch or be a part of.

The Lunar Eclipse Rail Jam Series

The Sun Valley Lunar Eclipse Rail Jam Series returns again this season even bigger and better. The winner of the three-part series wins a trip to Windell’s, one of the nation’s premiere free-skiing camps. The Dollar Terrain Parks boasted 40 features last season and were featured in this fall’s Level One ski film. This year, they’re adding a bigger cross course, and moving the half-pipe from Lower Warm Springs to Dollar. For more information on dates and locations for the Lunar Eclipse Rail Jam Series and other terrain park events check out the Sun Valley Terrain Parks Facebook page and visit www.sunvalley.com.

World Cup Wednesdays: Sun Valley Town Series

Now in its 22nd year, the Sun Valley Town Series tears up the corduroy on Lower Cozy every Wednesday morning. Hosted by the Sun Valley Race Department, this annual racing series is a favorite among locals. It pits teams of four against each other in a competition for all the glory—and the chance at one of four grand prizes, a season’s ski pass. Every race is 32 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

relived that evening at the aprèsski awards party, hosted by rotating bars and restaurants around the Valley. The first race is January 25th at 10am, so sign your team up early and we’ll see you at the bottom—or at the bar. For more information call 208.622.6356 or email svrace@sunvalley.com.

The Bill Janss Pro-Am Classic

One of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation’s annual fundraising events, the Janss Pro-Am proves that skiers know how to have a good time. This three-day annual event, taking place April 5-7th, teams skiers and snowboarders with former Olympians and professional racers, for a weekend of costumes, parties, races and classic Sun Valley festivities. This year’s theme is Vintage, so pull out your classic ski gear and sign up! Visit www.svsef.org or call 208.726.4129 for more information.

For the Kids: The Kindercup

Professional skier-cross racer Langely McNeal lists the Kindercup as the most important win in her career. Olympic gold medal win-

ner Picabo Street was a Kindercup champion. Take your little ones out to Dollar for the Papoose Club’s 56th Annual Kindercup on March 10th for all the fun. The free event is open to racers aged three to 13. For more information go to www.papooseclub.org.

Sun Valley Tele Series: the Oldest and Boldest

The longest consecutively running telemark series in North America,

the Sun Valley Tele Series is back this year with three events: an all-terrain race, a giant slalom, and Hawaiian Nationals Dual Slalom. All events are open only to snowboarders and telemark skiers, so free your heel, grab your board and head out there. For more information about these events, dates and possibly a few surprises, be sure to check out www.sunvalleytele.blogspot.com.

-Katie Matteson

hailey tucker / courtesy sun valley company / courtesy danni dean

Unique and classic on-mountain Sun Valley events

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“It’s A Wonderful Life: A LIVE RADIO PLAY” by Company of fools

Sun Valley Resort proudly presents Company of Fools’ production of “It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” at the Sun Valley Opera House. A treasure for the whole family to enjoy. The setting is Christmas Eve 1946 at radio station WCOF, where several talented radio players bring you all the characters (yes, all of them!) in “It’s A Wonderful Life” plus commercials, sound effects and music. Create a lasting holiday memory for your family and friends with George Bailey (the richest man in town).

December 13-18. Sun Valley Opera House, call for showtimes 208.622.4111.

Sun Valley Holiday Tree Lighting

Ice and snow sculpture displays, Christmas caroling, free hot chocolate, cookies and Santa. Free event. December 21. Sun Valley Village, 5pm.

Prime Commercial Space For Lease. Approx. 2,000 sq. ft. on the corner of Sun Valley Road and Leadville Avenue Call for Details.

Silver & Gold Ice Show

Featuring silver and gold medalists Evan Lysacek, Sasha Cohen, Nathan Chen, Kim Navarro and Brent Bommentre, and Irina Grigorian. Followed by the Torchlight Parade and fireworks. Meet and Greet autograph party after the show! Sun Valley Outdoor Ice Rink, 5pm. December 21. Tickets at the Sun Valley Recreation Center. Call 208.622.2135.

Christmas Eve Celebration at Sun Valley Resort

Join us for holiday fun at Sun Valley Resort on December 24. Festivities will begin at 5pm at the Sun Valley Lodge terrace and outdoor ice rink. Be sure to bundle up to stay warm for all the outdoor events! Visit www.sunvalley.com for more details.

Christmas Brunch and CHRISTMAS Dinner at Sun Valley RESORT

Indulge in the Lodge Dining Room and share in the tradition. Full brunch starting at 10am with music by Leanna Leach on piano and a la carte table service offered at dinner. Reservations required. 208.622.2800.

New Year’s Eve Bash at River Run

River Run Lodge on Saturday, December 31 from 9pm to 2am. Sun Valley Resort, in collaboration with The Sun Valley Center for the Arts’ Junior Patrons Circle, hosts a New Year’s Eve bash to benefit The Center. Dancing, music (including 80’s cover band Notorious), and much more! River Run Lodge, with optional four-course dinner at the Roundhouse and complimentary champagne (reservations required). Call 208.622.4111 for details.

Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 33

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local buzz // art buzz

mackayriver.com 800.635.5336

White Valley by Anke Schofield and Luis Garcia-Nerey at Gilman Contemporary.

art buzz R E A D Y

T O

P L A Y ?

Idaho’s Middle Fork and Salmon Rivers

Winter Art Scene in Sun Valley

Although Sun Valley is best known as a destination for outdoor recreation, it also boasts a thriving and sophisticated art scene. This winter many local galleries will be featuring exhibitions that combine the two. Local and world-renown artists contemplate the relationship between man and his environment, or interpret the landscape through various creative lenses. Here we highlight a few outdoorfocused exhibitions in and around Sun Valley this winter. -Kate Elgee “Young Collector Show” Emerging Artists Exhibit and Panel Discussion Featuring affordable work by both established and emerging artists for new collectors, this exhibition will also include a panel discussion for young collectors on January 4th with the Sun Valley Center. Featured artists include Alison Van Pelt, Erin Rachel Hudak, Gordon Stevenson, William Hutnick, Claudia Parducci and others.

Featured at Ochi Gallery (Walnut Ave. location) November 25th – December 23rd

Permittee of Salmon-Challis National Forests

“Bosque IV” Kollabs artist Anke Schofield and Luis Garcia-Nerey, who have been working together as professional artists for over 20 years, have teamed up yet again to present “Bosque IV” at Gilman Contemporary this winter. For this exhibition the pair moves away from their fascination with forest life and its inhabitants and moves towards emphasizing the parallels that exist within human society and the animal kingdom.

Featured at Gilman Contemporary Gallery December 12th–January 30th

To check out our website, go to www.mobile-barcodes.com to find the right QR Code reader that works best with your smartphone.

34 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

“BIRRKU: Treasures from a Distant Land” This will be artist Buku-Larrnggay’s first exhibit of stunning ceremonial poles and bark paintings in the United States, held in conjunction with a series of community cultural events including film screenings and talks with visiting artist Wukun Wanambi. Using only natural materials, these Yirrkala artists take the ancestral designs of Australian aboriginal art to create enchanting pieces that historically challenged the colonial marginalization of their tribe.

Featured at Harvey Art Projects Opening Reception on December 30th

“History of the American West through Art” This exhibition will demonstrate various artists’ interpretation of the American West, dating back to 1844. From early explorers to contemporary artists, this show will map out the progression and artistic representation of the American West for the last century and a half. Featuring works by Albert Bierstadt, Thomas Moran, Olaf Wieghorst, George Catlin, Karl Bodmer and Edward Curtis.

Featured at Broschofsky Galleries Opening Reception on December 30th

“Lands of Lore” Shanna Kunz, Linda Tippetts and Seth Winegar Hailing from Utah, both Kunz and Winegar offer different interpretations of the landscape of their homeland; Kunz through the play of light and shadow and Winegar through vibrant color contrasts and a rich surface created by using multiple layers of paint and glaze. Tippetts is the recipient of numerous awards for her landscape works of the Rocky Mountains, including the National Arts for the Parks Grand Prize. Artists will be in attendance at the opening reception.

Featured at the Kneeland Gallery January 27th–February 28th, 2012

“Kris Cox” Don’t miss the newest work of well-known artist Kris Cox whose meticulously layered and finely sculpted surfaces on panel provide a juxtaposition of calculated references mixed with metaphor and color. The images are produced with investigations of the potency of materials such as putty and glazes on underlying structures, grids, and wood. The end result is a subtle play between the polished, lush top layers and the exposure of deep, underlying patterns made up by traces of the artist’s process of adding and subtracting.

Featured at Gail Severn Gallery Opening Reception on February 17th, 2012

James I by Erin Rachel Hudak at Ochi Gallery’s online shop.

cal and renowned Desert Art Centre. This exclusive USA exhibit begins right here in Sun Valley, Idaho—a world-premiere exhibit of 21 stunning new paintings that celebrates 40 years of the Western Desert art movement with a mixed selection of recent works by men and women from Kintore and Kiwirrkura. The show features established Western Desert artists. Proceeds of this exhibition will support the Papunya Tula Artists Aged Care Program. A special Collector Preview and Artist Aged Care Fundraising Cocktail Party to benefit the artists will be held on February 16th, with a intimate glimpse into the lives of works of these artists by Papunya Tula Manager Paul Sweeney.

Featured at Harvey Art Projects February 17th–March 8th, 2012

Schemata ‘M’ by Kris Cox at Gail Severn Gallery.

“Papunya Tula Artists: 40 Years” A special 40th Anniversary Exhibition by Papunya Tula Artists, Australia’s most histori-

“The Eloquence of Trees” A group tapestry exhibition focused on the natural environment as subject where, as Marshall McLuhan says, “the medium is the message.” These works are not pigment on a ground; the ground is the image. Every color and detail is the result of the interaction of the colored threads which comprise the object itself, the vertical warp interlaced with the horizontal weft. Featuring the work of Squeak Carnwath, Donald and Era Farnsworth, April Gornik, Robert Kushner, Hung Liu, Andy Diaz Hope and Laurel Roth.

Featured at Gail Severn Gallery Opening Reception on March 9th, 2012

Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 35

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LUCKY SEVEN SCARVES Silk Scarf Collection created by renowned computer artist Brentano Haleen. Lucky Seven Scarves will enhance your personal style and accompany your every mood.

100% silk scarves made in the USA are available in sizes from 14”x 14” to 16”x 65”. Price: $60-$95.

www.luckysevenscarves.com

Panache This 100% Rabbit Fur Vest by Jocelyn is a trendsetting and stylish addition to any wardrobe.

Price: $1,100.

www.panachesunvalley.com 38 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

SPECIAL SHOPPING SECTION

sister Cozy up with this gorgeous cashmere wrap sweater from Italy by Avant Toi and shearling- lined suede boots from Humanoid. Top it all off with a felt hand-painted hat by Italian designer Reinhard Plank. All found exclusively at Sister. Sweater $1475, Hat $325, Boots $780.

100 N. leadville Ave., Ketchum 208.726.5160 Barry peterson jewelers An original Barry Peterson design, this 10.96ct aquamarine, with 1.56ct TW oval diamonds set in 18ct white gold is nothing shy of stunning.

Armstrong-Root The ultimate style statement, this aviator has braided leather temples, a floating gradient lens and sterling silver accents. Chrome Hearts Jewel Box in GP-WTL. Price: $1,695

www.barrypeterson.com

www.armstrongroot.com

farasha boutique You can never go wrong with the classic colors of black and white.

Printed sequin cocktail dress

by Adolfo Sanchez will suit any holiday party, $430. Complete your fabulous look by clutching this handcrafted crystal and python evening bag, by Isabella, $595.

www.farashastyle.com

Virgin’n Makeup Pure mineral makeup that protects, corrects and reveals your natural radiance. Bismuth, Talc and preservative free.

www.buyvmakeup.com

Panache Renown for being both beautiful and practical, Henry Cuir’s hand stitched bags and boots are much beloved for their durability and uniqueness. Cowhide purse, $1,975.

Boots, $995. And a Pashmina scarf is the perfect accompaniment $365.

www.panachesunvalley.com

Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 39

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IDAHO MUD I drink/eat from a fish dish, therefore I am. . . handcarved platter mugs or ornaments make the perfect gift for your fisherman. Price from: $15 to $395. Available at Silver Creek Outfitters or www.idahomud.com

Mandala media Written by Van Gordon Sauter with a foreword by Clint Eastwood, this stunning 204-page coffee table book contains previously unpublished vintage images, as well as lavish four-color photographs from the last decade.

Regular edition $49.95. Limited edition $125.

PICKET FENCE Pass your snacks around in style with this Belgravia Tray by B Home Interiors. Price: $365.

www.thepicketfence.com

www.sunvalleyhistory.com

PICKET FENCE Exquisite cut velvet and lavender satin Decade Pillow by Dransifield & Ross. Price: $575.

PICKET FENCE Bring in the outdoors with this Aspen Bark table lamp by Lamp Works Fine Lighting.

Price: $250.

www.thepicketfence.com

www.thepicketfence.com

entertaining sun valley style Sun Valley Center for the Arts presents Entertaining Sun Valley Style: Behind the Scenes from the Sun Valley Wine Auction, A compilation by the Junior Patrons Circle. Price: $49.95.

www.sunvalleycenter.org

40 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

Ketchum bed & bath Get cozy in these Peaceful Ivory Stripe top and Charcoal Love pants by PJ Salvage. Price: $48 each. Then toss ‘em in your Skull & Crossbones Laundry bag by Lovely Designs. Price: $110. Available at Ketchum Bed & Bath and Yellow Brick Road.

351 N. Leadville Ave., Ketchum 208.726.7779

Let us inspire your cozy day in . . .

Fine Linens, Table Settings, Home Decor, Gifts and Interior Design Services 560 East Avenue North , Ketchum, ID • 208.726.5511 • www.thepicketfence.com

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Special SHOPPING Section

Bavarian soul Fashion and Function, Maloja brings it. Made of alpine wool, this jacket looks like a traditional cardigan but it acts like a performance layer with the “no wind pro” feature making it wind and water resistant, breathable and super cool.

Price: $339. www.bavariansoul.com

Armstrong-Root Bogner Ski Helmet: Aerodynamic, lightweight and warm with leather ear covers, this helmet brings more than just protection to the hill. Price: $695.

www.armstrongroot.com

Astis Mittens combines today’s technology with natural materials to produce leather with superior warmth and breathability, waterproofing and beautiful aesthetics. Hand-stitched in the USA from the highest-quality suede leather and lined with Polartec® Thermal Pro® High Loft. Price: $145-195.

www.astismittens.com

SturTevants Sun Valley’s favorite goggles and helmet—matched for style and performance —by Smith. The “I/O” spherical series goggle comes with two performance TLT mirrored no-fog thermal lenses and frames designed to comfortably fit your face. Price: $165. The “Vantage” helmet with a BOA adjustment system allows the user to literally dial-in a perfect fit and Smith’s innovative venting system and removable washable liner ensure satisfaction throughout the season. Price: $180.

www.sturtos.com

42 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

Special SHOPPING Section

Klhip Get hip with Klhip. This multi-award winning, revolutionary clipper comes in a buttery soft leather case, making it the perfect gift for the man on your list. Found locally at Valley Apothecary, PURE, Silver Creek Outfitters and Bellissimo. www.klhip.com

for

him

high desert So Sexy, your girl is gonna want one. The award-wining Hoyt Element RKT Carbon bow, $1299, shown with First Lite’s camo Labrador full zip superfine Merino wool sweater. Price: $159.95.

Only at High Desert Sports.

201 N River St., Hailey 208.788.3804

BeLlisSimo Give your sports fan a piece of the ballpark action. Pen made from wooden seats at Fenway Park.

Baseball bat opener used in a Phillies game. Wallet sports a piece of a Red Sox game ball. Price: $90-$190.

www.shopatbellissimo.com

Auto club Anyone can be part of Sun Valley Auto Club. Get your sweet gear and everything you need to keep your baby purring like a kitten (or growling like a tiger). www.svautoclub.com Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 43

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Sun Valley Dog Fido will love these wool toys made from 100% natural organic wool from New Zealand and Tibet and are individually hand crafted in Nepal for Sun Valley Dog. Price: $14.95-$24.

www.sunvalleydog.com

Thunder Paws Give your dog a little swagger while giving back with beaded collars from Kenya supporting both the Maasai artisans and their villages. Or, sport some “sun” made from old world leather and fine German craftsmanship. Price: $74-$89.

www.thunderpawspetshoppe.com

Sun Valley Dog Delish! Straight from their Gourmet Treat Bar that offers a full range of organic treats baked just for Sun Valley Dog. Individual treats $2.50-$3.00 / Packaged treats from $9.95-$14.95. www.sunvalleydog.com

Thunder Paws Give it twice with these colorful boiled wool toys.

Made by village women in Nepal raising funds to support orphans.

Toys range $10-$25.

www.thunderpawspetshoppe.com

44 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

and somewhere, someone is arguing over the color of a pie chart.

SUN VALLEY BRONZE

Fine Solid Bronze Architectural Hardware 866.788.3631 tel

•

208.788.1306 fax

www.sunvalleybronze.com SCIENTIFIC CERTIFICATION SYSTEMS SCS-MC-01755 - SCS-MC-01756

SCS certified for 90% pre-consumer recycled content silicon bronze and 95% pre-consumer recycled content white bronze sand cast architectural hardware

courtesy eddie bauer f irst ascent (will wissman)

body & soul

48//chicken soup for muscles Injury prevention and bodywork basics

50//head to toe Headgear and boot fitting tips 52//sweet skivvies and sick mountain gear

Sun Valley’s Lexi DuPont tests Eddie Bauer’s First Ascent outdoor clothing line.

Local connections to First Lite and First Ascent Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 47

body & soul // healthy and safe

Avoid a toboggan ride this season— follow these tips.

mountain prep

Once you’re in peak shape, here are some pointers to get you safely down the hill: Get Tuned: Take your equipment in for a checkup. Malfunctioning equipment makes you as vulnerable as a set of atrophied quadriceps. Binding settings need to match ability, so set wisely and avoid a torn ligament.

Eat breakfast: Low blood sugar results in a weak body, poor reflexes and increased chance for injury.

Wear a Helmet: Research tells

avoiding injury

Tips and tricks for staying healthy all season For some people, preparing for winter means sporting the coolest new garb and gear. But for others, it’s about making sure they’re ready to conquer the mountain so that it doesn’t conquer them. While the former may get you catcalls when cavorting under the chair, the latter will save your bacon from injuries that can take months to overcome.

An Ounce of Prevention Dr. Stephen Wasilewski, an orthopedic surgeon who has practiced in Ketchum for more than 20 years, believes that being physically fit is central to avoiding injury. “The number one thing is to get in shape before the season starts—actually, that’s number one, number two and number three.”

Exercising year-round is an important component in preventing injury, especially as we age. “I’m going to ski myself into shape is a bogus statement,” explained Wasilewski.

“Once you’re into your 40s and 50s, you simply cannot do what you did when you were 18.”

A complete exercise program involves more than just lower extremity strength. Erin Finnegan, a physical therapist at 48 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

Sun Valley Sports Rehab Clinic at Thunder Spring, assesses patients from head-to-toe to determine imbalances and weaknesses. “Perfecting your mechanics is key.

Optimal strength, joint range of motion, intrinsic movement— how strong is your mid-back or your rotator cuff? A lot of what we do for patients is to educate them. So many injuries have their source in core inflexibility and can spread to other areas of the body,” said Finnegan.

Let’s Get Physical Yoga and Pilates are popular for a reason. They provide flexibility and strength where it matters most—your core. Gloria Gunter, MPT, MMed and a partner in Physical Therapy Plus of Idaho stresses both. “You need the balance of strength and flexibility. If

all you are is strong and not flexible, you’re at an increased risk for injury, ”she explained.

Fortunately, there are dozens of classes designed for strength, flexibility, endurance and balance. The YMCA offers spinning, circuit training, core power yoga and ski conditioning, among others. Zenergy at Thunder Spring has a weighty schedule of classes that do the trick as well—Pilates and gentle yoga for instance. Yvette Hubbard, a certified personal trainer and fitness instructor, is Clinics and Programs Manager at Zenergy and believes that varying your routine is paramount. “Not only do you get bored with the same workout over time, your body gets bored and needs change.

You need muscle confusion,” said Hubbard. -Jody Orr

us that helmets can save lives.

Less than half of U.S. boarders and skiers wear helmets despite the fact that their advent accounts for a 43% decrease in head, face and neck injuries.

Don’t Be a Hero: Ski or board terrain that is comparable to your ability, not your ego.

Learn How to Fall: More people break their wrists and thumbs snowboarding by sticking out arms, or injure a knee trying to stand up mid-fall while skiing.

For Skiers: Fall uphill if possible. The ground is closer and there’s less tendency to slide.

Absorb the fall with your hip and shoulder to protect knees and arms.

For Snowboarders: Keep

your arms close to your body.

When falling forward, bend your knees, and let your chest absorb the fall. Should you fall backwards, bend your knees, tuck your chin (so you don’t bump your head) and land on your rear end. It hurts less than breaking a bone.

Quit While You’re Ahead:

The majority of injuries occur after 3pm. Don’t let your buddies goad you into “taking just one more run.” You’ll regret it. -Jody Orr

Massage cupping helps release toxins.

BrunellO CuCinelli

What’s the Rub Chicken Soup for the Muscles

Bodywork is like chicken soup for the muscles.

It’s soothing, calming, and just what the doctor ordered. Massage treats illness by boosting the immune system, lowering blood pressure and helping the body flush out toxins. There are dozens of massage therapists in the Valley who provide countless treatments and just as many different techniques. The following range of therapies are all well-suited for sports massage and all offer the same outcome—making you feel better.

Ashiatsu: Translating from Japanese literally

as foot (ashi) pressure (atsu), ashiatsu gives new meaning to foot massage. Feet are used in place of hands (bars hang from the ceiling to balance the therapist), to work deeper tissue, glide over muscles and move fascia. Great for deap pain.

Swedish Massage: Created at the turn of the last century by Henry Peter Ling in Sweden, this technique was developed to relax muscles by applying pressure to them against deeper muscles and bones. Swedish massage uses kneading, circular friction and tapping techniques, along with long, flowing strokes, always rubbing in the same direction as the flow of blood returning to the heart.

Shiatsu: Shiatsu translates as finger pressure and uses thumbs, palms, elbows, forearms and sometimes knees and feet to apply pressure at specific points related to the central and autonomic nervous systems.

Muscle Cupping: While relatively new to

this country, the technique of muscle cupping is centuries old and draws upon traditional Chinese medicine. It works well as a soft tissue detox by using cups to suction skin away from the bone as a way to re-distribute soft tissue fluids and release toxins.

And remember that a good massage therapist will employ a variety of techniques, often combining one or two or more of the above with other methods based on each client’s specific needs. So be sure to discuss any special concerns or injuries with your practitioner prior to your treatment. -Jody Orr Visit www.sunvalleymag.com for a full listing of massage therapists in the area.

Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 49

panache fine women’s clothing

and

accessories

Open Daily 10am to 6pm in the Sun Valley Village 208.622.4228 panachesunvalley.com

diane von furstenberg • elizabeth and james • joie • rachel zoe • inhabit haute hippie • tse • nanette lepore

RC

body & soul // head to toe

courtesy sue hansen

RiChaRd CalCagno

Brent Hansen (second from left) and the Ski Tek team.

Boot Fitting 101

PHOTOGRAPHY TORY TAGLIO

Making ski boots your friend, not your foe Brent Hansen of Ski Tek’s Hansen Orthotics Lab in Ketchum is a Boot Fitting Master. He’s been fitting ski boots for 30 years and his impressive résumé includes not only serving as a technician on the World Cup Tour but fitting countless locals, from weekend warriors to the Valley’s finest pros—signed posters from legendary skiers like Reggie Crist, Dick Dorworth and Langely McNeal line his shop.

Brent uses old school techniques on new school boots, incorporating things like taking a mold of your foot in beeswax and sand (to get that perfect cast), and using intuition liners and the newest, state-of-the-art boots from companies like Atomic, Head, Nordica and Dalbello. If getting a perfect fit in your ski boots seems like a daunting task, fear not, Hansen has a few tips before you head out to any boot-fitting shop. “Be patient,” he says, “the boot-fitting process can be tedious, but the more custom a fit is, the more fun skiing will be.” -Katie Matteson

tips from boot fitting master brent hansen : 1. A good pair of boots should last 5 to 10 years.

To help extend the life of your boots after your original liners wear out you can put in an aftermarket liner. This will get you another two to three years out of your boots.

2. Shells often wear out on the toe and heel— but don’t throw them away just yet! “Most bottoms can be replaced with original or custom plates or lifters, giving your boots new life,” Hansen says.

3. Buckle up—all the way! “When you are fitting a new boot, buckle them up like you would while skiing so that your heel moves back into the heel pocket,” he says. “Otherwise the right size boot will always feel too small.” And always make sure that your boot-fitter puts your naked foot in the shell. It is important that the shell looks like your foot.

StyliSt 208-788-5150 113 E. Bullion Ste. d hailey, id 83333

4. There is nothing wrong with a little stiffness.

If your boots aren’t firm enough to hold your lower legs in place and make the skis work, you start cheating and taxing your quads. Brent says he sees too many people with loose boots who end up destroying their quads after only a few runs. Don’t make the same mistake.

50 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

5. Outfit your foot—get the right sock! Bad socks can ruin the feel of a good fit, so make sure you wear the proper sock for trying on new boots and when skiing. Brent recommends wool alpaca compression socks that are tight and thin for both comfort and function.

6. There is definitely a difference between men’s and women’s feet. Women have smaller heels and wider forefeet. So girls, while you shouldn’t be afraid to try those women-specific boots, make sure they fit you correctly. Brent often sees women with boots too soft for mighty Baldy!

bonus tip:

Which boot does Brent think you should be skiing this season? The Atomic Tracker 130 INT, a boot with stiffness but also a control release system made to make walking and hiking more comfortable. The industry is moving in the direction of “one magical boot” that does everything from backcountry to side country to hard pack—this boot is at the forefront of that trend.

save your noggin This season’s top helmets

Every passing ski season, helmets become more and more prevalent in the ski industry and not just because the obvious safety benefits cannot be denied. It’s because companies like Smith and Poc are making cooler and cooler-looking helmets and companies like Skullcandy are making sweet helmet and audio accessories. Wearing helmets to ski or board isn’t just becoming a smart way to save your noggin, it’s becoming a cool fashion statement.

Sturtevants Mountain Outfitters’ expert Olin Glenne explained the healthy trend of wearing helmets, “Everyone in my family wears one every time we ski. It has become easier to pick out the people in a crowd that aren’t wearing a helmet these days. We even see people with several helmets to match their different outfits.”

“The properties of a helmet are basic physics,” explained Lindsey Johnson, Helmet product manager at Smith Optics. “The presence of one on your head increases the amount of time your head takes to decelerate during impact. This means less impact on your head during a crash.”

So whether you are looking for a helmet for the fashion statement, the safety benefits or both, we asked the experts about which helmets we should be wearing this season. -Katie Matteson

Poc Skull X: This competitionlevel helmet is a part of Poc’s semi-hardshell line. It merges traditional hardshell technology with the more cushioning, in-mold technology used in cycling. (Suggested retail price: $160) Salomon Patrol C.Air Mike Douglas Helmet: Tough as any helmet on the market, and will fit anyone’s head.

In fact, it comes with a custom AIR PUMP (i.e. you can adjust the next time your head gets a little . . . inflated). (Suggested retail price: $140)

• corrective skincare massage • brazilian waxing hair artistry • spray tan lash extensions • manicures nails • pedicures bridal packages • mineral makeup infrared sauna • medical treatments facials

Smith Vantage: A dual regulator helmet (adjustable ventilation in the front and back), with a lower profile so that it doesn’t look so bulky on your head. The lightweight construction makes this the helmet for any skier or snowboarder. (Suggested retail price: $180)

Bern Carbon Watts: This helmet is perfect for multi-sport athletes since it’s certified for biking and skating.

Still tough, it’s also a little lighter than some of Bern’s other models because it utilizes a new, hand-wrapped carbon fiber. (Suggested retail price: $230)

Smith Allure: This stylish, lifestyle helmet is the lightest certified snow sports helmet on the market.

It also comes in some pretty sweet colors.

(Suggested retail price: $100)

A Coffee & Wine Affair Purity’s on site cafe is brewing organic coffee, serving breakfast, lunch and enhancing any spa service with a glass of wine or champagne.

Scott Rumble: Light-weight and wellventilated, this helmet helps your head stay cool with removable ear covers . . . making you look cool too. (Suggested retail price: $75)

Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 51

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208-734-PURE(7873) www.purityspasalon.com

RUSTIC

body & soul // outdoor wear

Pretty Sweet Skivvies for Dirty Men The Max-1 camo pattern at work.

MOUNTAIN

“Prey can hear you twice, see you once, but if they smell you they’re gone.”

–kenton carruth

RUSTERN

MODERN

DOUGLAS W. BURDGE, AIA www.buaia.com

208-495-3228 310-456-5905

Women all over the country are thanking local boys Scott Robinson, Kenton Carruth and Brick Blackburn for founding First Lite Merino wool hunting clothes. The same natural composition of Merino wool that makes it so great for skiers and boarders on the mountain also makes it perfect for hunters.

It’s warm and cool, water-repellent, durable, anti-static, a UV protector and, perhaps best of all, it’s odor resistant.

The lack of odor is just a pleasant byproduct of First Lite’s vision. The backbone of their endeavor is the combination of camouflage patterns with the most versatile fabric available, sewn in patterns that meet hunters’ needs. There are several elements, both physical and chemical, that make Merino wool naturally resistant to odors. Finally, men are coming home from hunting trips smelling a little sweeter!

First Lite focuses on using Merino wool because it offers hunters several specific advantages that are important to their sport: • There’s no shine, since unlike synthetics, wool completely absorbs light. Combine this with a camo pattern and hunters can slip completely into the background, making them less visible to their prey.

• There’s no sound, as wool is virtually noise free. It doesn’t whip, crackle or shear.

• There’s no smell, and every hunter knows how important it is to minimize odor.

• It’s lightweight and soft. Merino wool fibers 52 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

are some of the finest found in nature, producing fabrics that are durable, lightweight and soft enough to wear next to the skin.

Hunting requires all day comfort. First Lite feels wool is the answer. It performs well in every condition, keeping hunters warm in the mornings, cool as the day heats up and, amazingly, completely odor-free day after day, hunt after hunt. Robinson and Carruth also found that there were many situations where they wanted their Merino layer on the outside but were limited to black as a color choice. Enter camouflage.

First Lite spent countless hours perfecting a process to print on Merino wool that doesn’t degrade its natural benefits. First Lite now offers three of the top camo patterns in the country: ASAT Camo, Mossy Oak’s Break-Up Infinity and Realtree Advantage Max-1. They can be found at major retailers like Cabela’s and High Mountain Outfitters, but the only place to get them locally is High Desert Sports on River Street in Hailey.

“We found that we could use these products for bow hunting in September, rifle hunting in October, and hunting for upland game birds and waterfowl in November and December,” says Carruth.

Now thanks to the ideas and research technology of a few local hunters, a national industry that is typically slow to adapt to new technology is feeling (and smelling) the difference. -Nancy Glick

courtesy f irst lite / courtesy eddie bauer f irst ascent (didier gault)

First Lite undergarments are durable, lightweight and soft

KNIGHT IN SHINING

Lexi DuPont—a local face and a gear tester for Eddie Bauer’s First Ascent.

ARMOR

SOLD SEPARATELY.

deep roots

First Ascent and the Sun Valley Connection First Ascent is all over the ski industry. The wares of the technical outdoor clothing company—offshoot of Eddie Bauer—can be seen in skiing magazines, at competitions and on some of the world’s finest outdoor athletes. We chatted with Damien Huang, senior vice president of outerwear, active wear and gear at Eddie Bauer, about the company and its Sun Valley connection.

SVM: What is the inspiration behind First Ascent?

DH: While the First Ascent line is new, the concept behind it is not. Eddie Bauer was testing all his gear when he started in 1920. So when CEO Neil Fiske came on board his goal was to bring the company back to its rich outdoor and mountaineering roots. With Idahoan and Sun Valley local Peter Whittaker, they put together a plan for a line of authentic and practical expedition-quality outerwear and gear that would be designed and built by a group of elite mountain guides.

SVM: How important was it to get real athletes and guides involved?

DH: There would be no First Ascent without the guides and athletes. They are the ones that design and test the outerwear and gear all over the world. This helps us create a line that is both authentic and practical, whether you’re climbing Mt. Everest or just skiing on the weekend.

SVM: Your athletes and guides, like Peter Whittaker, Melissa Arnot, Ed Viesturs, Reggie and Zach Crist, Erik Leidecker, Wyatt Caldwell, Lexi DuPont and Lynsey Dyer, are all from Sun Valley.

Is this a coincidence?

DH: American mountain and ski guiding has deep roots in Sun Valley. Averell Harriman recruited prodigal ski guides to help teach guests the skills required to climb and ski the surrounding mountains. These guides brought more than mountain savvy—they translated a romantic lifestyle that forever changed the way Americans thought of mountain culture. Sun Valley, undoubtedly, continues to be home to some incredible guides and athletes who are the best in their sport. Their experience makes them indispensable assets to the teams and the brand.

It’s then no accident that so many First Ascent guides hail from Sun Valley—one of the first guide meccas. -Katie Matteson Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 53

ENGAGEMENT RINGS WEDDING BANDS BRACELETS NECKLACES MEN'S AND WOMEN'S WATCHES

120 Main Street North Hailey, 83333

788-1123 Follow us on facebook!

A FULL-SERVICE GROCERY STORE WITH GOURMET FLAVOR ...

• Locally owned and operated.

• Ketchum’s favorite salad bar and only olive bar.

• Paninis, sandwiches & soups made fresh daily.

• Unique wine and beer.

• Extensive selection of local and organic foods.

• Daily deli specials created by our in-house chefs.

• Clean & convenient with the friendliest staff in town!

CU STO MER O RDERS W ELCOME!

100 North Main Street in the heart of downtown Ketchum, Idaho 208.725.2222 • www.msmketchum.com Open daily 7 am - 10 pm

56//winter wonderland

Snowshoeing and yurting—off the beaten path options

58//fishing on the big wood

GET OUT THERE

Casting during the cold time of year

60//more than just skiing

DIVAS and the new Ski Academy— more than just turns

62//old school-style

mark oliver

Idaho Pond Hockey Classic and places to skate

SUNS player Charles Friedman (front) tears after the puck at the 2010 Idaho Pond Hockey Classic.

winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 55

get out there // in the woods

WALKING IN a WINTER WONDERLAND Snowshoeing around Sun Valley

There is no learning curve with snowshoeing. Grab some shoes or boots, strap on your snowshoes and put one foot in front of the other. Look Ma! I’m snowshoeing! Kids, adults, seniors, even attitude-stricken teenagers can snowshoe (so long as none of their friends see them).

It’s a relatively inexpensive sport, provides a good cardio workout and is a great way to re-connect with nature. So give your board or skis a rest for the weekend, grab (or rent) some snowshoes and see the trails you love to hike in the summer in a whole different light.

Here are some of our favorite local treks: SNRA // North Fork Loop Length: 2.5 miles Level: Easy The North Fork snowshoe loop is eight miles north of Ketchum at the Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNR A) headquarters. Parking is plentiful and groomed trails are yours for the tromping. The fee is $5 for snowshoers. The North Fork loop is an easy loop that follows the creek and has spectacular views. It’s a great trail for beginners, and perfect for out-of-town guests who want to take a break from the slopes and enjoy some striking scenery in a peaceful atmosphere.

Billy’s Bridge// Billy’s Bridge Loop Length: 2.5 miles Level: Easy to Moderate Out of town, but not too far out of town, Billy’s Bridge is located 16 miles north of Ketchum. Parking is at the trailhead on the east side of Highway 75. The Billy’s Bridge snowshoe loop starts out with vast open spaces and works its way walking through stands of Aspen trees. It’s a great trail, with lots of space to go off on your own, especially on a powder day. Fee is $5 for snowshoers. Fido walks for free on this, and all Blaine Country Recreation District (BCRD) trails.

Sun Valley // The Bridges Trail Length: 2.25 miles Level: Easy to Moderate Sun Valley has a fantastic selection of pristine trails that are perfectly groomed. Gradual slopes morph into steep hills as the trail network leaves the Sun Valley Club. The Bridges Trail is one of our favorites. Start off meandering through the trees and then 56 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

pick up some speed through open spaces (fairways) on the Trail Creek golf course.

The trail crosses Trail Creek itself several times and is beautiful in its quiet intimacy (this trail could be made a little longer if extended to the Hemingway Memorial).

Just as with skiing, après snowshoeing is something to always look forward to. Treat yourself to a delicious lunch or hot beverage served daily at the Sun Valley Club. Day pass is $8 and snowshoe rentals are $18 for adults. Ample parking.

Adam’s Gulch // Sunnyside, Lane’s Trail and Adam-Eve Loop Length: 3.78 miles Level: Moderate to Difficult Adam’s Gulch is a mecca for mountain bikers (located only 1.5 miles north of town).

It’s also a great place to snowshoe. Adam’s Gulch trails are all “locally groomed”—so if you get there first on a powder day, you’ll be cutting the trail yourself. The full loop encompasses three trails—Sunnyside (heading right from the parking lot through some Aspen trees), Lane’s Trail (past the picnic table at the top) and the Adam-Eve Loop (the old road that brings you back to the trailhead). Blake Everson, trail crew foreman for the Ketchum Ranger District of the Sawtooth National Forest, believes it’s one of the best trails around. “While Baldy and Dollar certainly steal the winter spotlight here in the Valley, recreationists looking for a close-to-town adventure where they can enjoy the crystalline silence of a winter afternoon, must check out Adam’s Gulch,” he said. No trail fee and Fido is welcome, but please pick up after your pooch. Easy access parking lot.

Get some fresh tracks of a different sort.

Galena Lodge // Psycho Adventure Length: 2.5 miles Level: Difficult Galena Lodge (located 24 miles north of Ketchum) offers a plethora of groomed snowshoe trails (more than 15 miles!), but Psycho Adventure is the featured trail. On this trail, you’ll trek though open spaces, steep inclines and heavily treed areas before meeting up with North Wood Trail on the last part of the loop. Erin Zell, Galena Lodge proprietor, confirms its difficulty. “Psycho Adventure trail is advanced terrain due to its length, steepness and the need to break trail sometimes along the ridge lines. The views off Psycho Ridge and North Wood of the surrounding snowy peaks are amazing,” she said. Trail passes are $5 and your dog walks (or runs) for free. If you don’t have a hound of your own, loaner dogs are available at no charge. Galena’s ski shop has snowshoes ($13 for a full day), poles and over-boots for rent, plus all the advice you’ll ever need. -Julie Molema

Snowshoeing Tips:

• Dress in layers (so you can shed one if necessary) and bring a hat and gloves in case weather changes.

• Wear waterproof shoes or boots along with snow pants or gaiters.

• Bring plenty of water and stay hydrated!

• Poles are handy for steep inclines/descents.

• If you snowshoe (or cross-country ski) a lot, pick up a SNRA Nordic Trails pass for $209 for the year.

• Don’t forget your camera!

• Most of all—relax, have fun and enjoy some powdery trails that will take your breath away!

BAVARIAN SOUL

Senate View Yurt—walking distance from Galena Lodge.

home away from home The Hows and Wheres of Yurting around Sun Valley

courtesy galena lodge / kevin syms

A few hundred years ago, the word “yurt” was heard in only one hemisphere. With roots that extend back to the steppes of Central Asia, the yurt, or ger (Mongolian for “home”), has since been transplanted with popularity to the North American continent, particularly in the Northwest United States.

This tradition has become particularly prominent in the Sun Valley area because it allows for an outdoor experience that is halfway between the hardcore and the comfortable— that is, a yurt is not quite a lean-to and it’s not quite a cottage . . . it’s juuuuust right.

Depending on your choice of company and add-on amenities, you can make the experience as harrowing or as handfed as you like –with options like door-delivered gourmet meals and pack-toting snowmobiles, it’s not just something for the extreme outdoor enthusiast to enjoy anymore.

With other yurts scattered around the Pioneer, Sawtooth and Smoky Mountains, Sun Valley has plenty of options available. Here’s a rundown of some of the local yurting options.

sun valley trekking

If you’re looking for something a little more adventurous, consider Sun Valley Trekking Company. They boast of over 30 years experience in the backcountry business and are rated “one of the top hut-to-hut ski operations in North America.” With six yurts available all over the mountains of Central Idaho, each equipped with the usual firewood supply, bunk beds, and cooking utensils (as well as wood-fire saunas and hot tubs), they can definitely dial you in. They provide both private and guided tours with a daily rent-a-guide on standby. Recommended for intermediate yurters and big groups. For more information check out www.svtrek.com.

Galena Lodge

Galena Lodge provides three different “semibackcountry” yurts within walking distance of the parking lot, including a Honeymoon Yurt (wink, wink) and they even offer gourmet food delivery from their tasty kitchen. If the trails are snowed over, you can ski, snowshoe or telemark for the roughly 15-30 minute hike, nestle into a bunk bed and wait by the fire for your sautéed Shrimp Scampi to be delivered to the door. This excursion is highly recommended for first-timers and families. For more information check out www.galenalodge.com.

sawtooth guides

Just 60 miles north of Ketchum, you’ll find the Williams Peak Yurt, perched some 8,000-feet in the sky and overlooking the small town of Stanley, Idaho. With aerial alpine views of the surrounding rugged terrain and over 2,000feet of vertical descent to point your skis and boards down, this is a paradisiacal playground for backcountry skiers. Tours can be booked for 3-5 days as either a fully-guided, semi-guided or private tour. Recommended for advanced yurters and backcountry thrill-seekers. For more info check out www.sawtoothguides.com.

Don’t forget...

As with all yurt expeditions, be sure to plan at least one month in advance as they tend to fill up quickly and require deposits. But no matter when you go, it’s guaranteed to cap your winter adventures. -Kate Elgee Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 57

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get out there // on the line

winter on the big wood

It’s during the cold and quiet days of winter when fly fishing on the Big Wood River is its most poetic. Snow falls, silence reigns, feathered hooks gently float, fishermen are few and far between, trout are hungry, insects bounce about, the wind shows its strength, eyelets freeze, fingertips numb, the river keeps on flowing.

Certainly, winter fishing on the Big Wood is by no means easy. Nor is it as celebrated as its fellow seasons, especially the autumn around here that Hemingway made so famous, “and best of all he loved the fall … leaves floating on the trout streams and above the hills the high blue windless skies.”

In the winter, the leaves give way to falling snow and drifting ice. The skies can sometimes be high blue, but are rarely windless.

Winter fly fishing in the chilly heart of Idaho usually requires the angler to pack on more layers than a walrus, and some fishermen— just like the aforementioned sea mammals— may have icicles freeze to facial hair.

It also means that outside of local tackle shops and Grumpy’s in Ketchum, most folks will look at you as if you’ve just escaped from a loony bin if you tell them you just went fishing on a day when the temperatures barely hit double digits. And skiers or snow58 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

boarders will treat you like you smell funny if they find out you went to the river instead of going up on the mountain (if you’ve had any success angling, however, you’ll happily smell a little fishy).

But that’s okay. Let them think what they will. They just don’t get it anyway. They can’t hear the lyrics of the wintry river or feel the rhythms of the cast. They don’t notice the verses of the rainbows or the tempo of the stoneflies, midges and nymphs. As Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Mary Oliver so brilliantly asked: “And when has happiness ever required much evidence . . . ?”

Ed Northern is the president of the local Hemingway chapter of Trout Unlimited. A retired fire captain and paramedic originally from Southern California, Ed seems far too sane to ever be caught wading into an icy river to cast for trout. But the winter is his favorite time to fish the Big Wood.

“You can cross-country ski or get on the slopes and still get some time to fish for big, healthy, beautifully colored fish and you have the solitude and the beauty of winter here.

When you combine all these things together, it’s just magical,” explained Ed, who also does some guiding for Silver Creek and is a published poet.

Poetry and fly fishing do, naturally, have a few things in common. In their truest forms (like winter casting on the Big Wood or the works of Mary Oliver), both are essentially philosophical and downright spiritual practices—art forms if you will.

Still, those who don’t fish or only cast in pleasant weather often look at us winter anglers not as if we’re artists, but more like we’re deranged finger painters. They obviously think of fishing in terms of prose, not poetry.

So our response starts and ends with a couple of quotes from an essay on the matter by arguably the best fishing prose writer there is, John Gierach. First, “Fishermen openly enjoy being thought of as crazy.”

And finally, “Any idiot can fish in the summer.” -Mike McKenna

nick price

Fly fishing’s most poetic practice

winter fishing Tips from the trade

ı. Winter conditions are hazardous

and even in its mellow off-season flows the Big Wood River is more powerful than any person.

Always err on the side of safety. The river isn’t going anywhere. There’ll be other days to fish.

Experience Ruby Springs Lodge.

2. Wading boots must have good soles and be able to handle slick rocks and slippery snow and ice.

3. Always tell someone where you’re going and when you’ll be returning.

4. Keep the fish in the water as much as

possible. As Tim Alpers, whose family has been farming their famous “Alpers monster trout” in California’s eastern Sierra Nevada for three generations, once explained there are two main concerns when handling trout in winter: The first is that handling trout, especially with dry or gloved hands, removes the protective slime layer (a fish’s insulation in the winter); And prolonged exposure to cold air can freeze a trout’s gills.

“Winter can be hard on trout,” he said.

5. pick the right flies Dave Faltings from

Silver Creek Outfitters in Ketchum is what you’d a call a professional trout bum. Dave has a passion and knowledge for fly fishing that runs stronger than the Big Wood during a monstrous spring run-off. So naturally, he loves to fish in the winter.

“The winter is a great time to fish around here,” Dave said as he opened his fly box atop the counter at Silver Creek. “It’s mostly a midge time of year. The bugs are really small in the winter.” Dave has three favorite winter flies for the Big Wood River: Rubber-legged Stoneflies range as large as sizes 6-8.

Trailing Shuck midge is a small dry fly, ranging in size from 20-22.

Zebra midges in assorted colors and sizes.

Even the coldest winter days have midge hatches.

[Get the basics of winter fly fishing by taking advantage of Silver Creek Outfitters’ special winter guide rates: just $300 for one to two people a day, including all the gear right down to the flies.]

Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 59

Fly fish some of Montana’s most storied rivers and private-access spring creeks.

Revel in superb cuisine and beautifully-appointed riverside cabins. Lose yourself in a classic Montana landscape. www.rubyspringslodge.com info@rubyspringslodge.com 800-278-RUBY (7829)

get out there // on the mountain

alpine divas

Building confidence, skills and friendships

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Ketchum Bed & Bath 351 N Leadville Ave, Ketchum, ID 83340

(208) 726-7779 www.ketchumbedandbath.com

DIVAS Stephanie Carlson perfecting her form on Dollar.

women,” says Carruth, who adds that most of the DIVAS are working women and working moms. “We are all juggling very busy lives,” she says.

“DIVAS provides an outlet for many of these women to take time out for themselves and just get out there!”

“We focus on a new theme every week, with very targeted instruction to help improve skills,” says DIVAS coach and co-founder Nicky Elsbree, who asserts that breaking into small groups of five or six skiers ensures that the instruction is personalized to each woman’s individual needs and learning style.

One week the theme may be balance, with instruction on hip position, proper upper body stance and weight transfer. Another week the DIVAS may run gates, focusing on the finish of the turn and angulation, as opposed to taking on a bump run in the bowls, which is more about the top of the turn, initiation and transfer of weight.

“We try to make all our learning fun,” says Carruth who recalls when the DIVAS ran the ski cross course on Dollar last season. “Everybody

60 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

had a blast, and I don’t think anybody even realized that they were working on things like how to ride a flat ski or how to absorb the terrain,” she says. “They might not know they are working on skills that will apply later in the bumps, but they’re doing it and having fun at the same time.”

“Building confidence is important,” adds Elsbree.

“Essentially, we are teaching each skier how to make subtle changes in their skiing depending upon the terrain that they are about to enter.”

The goal is to ensure that no matter what conditions they encounter—whether entering steeps, or harder snow, or bumps—DIVAS will have the eye and the technique to handle whatever is below them.

“That is what makes skiing so fun,” adds Elsbree. “It is never the same, so it is always challenging.” -Laurie Sammis

join the fun

Contact Sun Valley SnowSports at 208.622.2289 or www.sunvalley.com to sign up for DIVAS next season (or get on this winter’s wait list and cross your fingers).

courtesy elevation imaging

Everything for above & below the sheets!

Interested in skiing Baldy with a group of ripping women—carving turns from top to bottom, experimenting with bumps in the bowls and occasionally racing gates on Dollar or running the ski cross course? If the answer is yes, then you should sign up for the DIVAS ski group next season—and do it quick, it sells out every year.

Founded in 2010, DIVAS stands for “Die Incredible Vimin Alpine Shredders” (best uttered, according to Sun Valley SnowSports instructor and DIVAS founder Danielle Carruth, with a heavy Austrian accent). “The idea for the program has been in the works for about five years, but the timing was finally right and we are thrilled with the incredible turnout,” says Carruth.

Modeled loosely on the success of VAMPS, which is Muffy Ritz’s Nordic program taught by women for women (and with a nod to the spirit of VAMPS through the name as well), DIVAS is a women’s ski group taught by a core team of all-women coaches who focus on improving technical skills over varied terrain. You don’t have to be an expert: The only requirement is that you can comfortably ski any run on Baldy, from top to bottom. DIVAS meets one-day per week for 2.5 hours on Baldy, although many DIVAS continue to ski together after class.

“Muffy had success with her program because there was a need for women athletes to ski with and learn from other

courtesy sun valley ski academy

Ski Academy students warm up during training.

sv ski academy A New Style of Ski School

When Olympic skier Jonna Mendes was growing up, she longed for a program like Sun Valley’s brand new Ski Academy.

“It offers a more traditional high school experience. Kids can still race and train at a high level but can also be part of the Drama Club or attend proms, play other sports and be part of the community. The kids can have a ‘normal’ high school experience,” Jonna said.

While coming up through the skiing ranks, eventually winning four National Championships, claiming a bronze medal in the Super G at the 2003 World Championships and competing at the Olympics in Nagano and Salt Lake City, Jonna felt that despite all her success, she was missing out on some of the more important aspects of growing up—like a regular education and all it entails. After retiring from racing, the California native was offered a chance to help create a one-of-a-kind ski academy in Sun Valley and she jumped at the chance.

“These kids deserve and need other opportunities besides just racing and this academy provides that,” said Jonna, who now serves as the school’s director for recruitment.

The Sun Valley Ski Academy is a unique program that offers high school-aged winter ski sports athletes (including freestylers, snowboarders and cross-country skiers) a chance to train with some of the best coaches on the globe while studying at one the nation’s finest college-preparatory schools, all set amidst the breathtaking backdrop of the Wood River Valley.

Unlike other similar (usually skiing-only) programs, the Sun Valley Ski Academy, which is a marriage between The Community School and the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation, doesn’t simply focus on skiing or racing.

“No one else is doing what we’re trying to do,” explained Jessica Wasilewski, the program’s director of residential life. The first year includes students from as far away as Connecticut and an equal number of boys and girls from freshmen through seniors.

“We want our focus to be on education through skiing. We’re not going to compromise the education or the connection to the community,” she said. -Mike McKenna Web Extras: For more information, be sure to visit www.sunvalleyskiacademy.org.

Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 61

mark oliver

get out there // on ice

Players watch Whitehead Landscaping’s Ryan “Rico” Enrico on a breakout pass.

Old School Hockey Ketchum’s Annual Idaho Pond Hockey Classic

It’s hockey the way it was meant to be played: outdoors, with a couple of sticks, a few friends, beers, brats and a bonfire.

For all those New England or Midwest transplants to the Gem State, the Idaho Pond Hockey Classic (IPHC) is a trip down memory lane.

“My first memory on the ice was playing pond hockey with my dad when I was three,” says local resident and 2010 Idaho Pond Hockey Champion team member Steve Morcone. “I grew up outside Milford, Massachusetts, and we had neighborhood teams that would travel around playing games on each team’s ‘home’ pond. We would be out there all day, playing hockey until dark and some of those kids never even saw a commercial ice sheet, it was all on ponds.”

And while there are no natural ponds to skate on here in the Wood River Valley, there are plenty of backyard rinks that spring up with the aid of some boards or packed snow, a hose, a fair amount of ingenuity and a lot of determination.

“A lot of kids and NHL players started on backyard rinks or ponds,” says Ketchum Parks 62 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

2010 A-Division Champions, the McGoo’s Mulies, after being awarded the Golden Shovel.

Department director John Kearney, who adds that the best part of the tournament is watching all the age groups skate together.

“It is the most fun, and most sore, I have been playing hockey. Ever!” says 2010 IPHC champion team member and Hailey local, Pete Whitehead, who grew up playing on the ponds and lakes of New Hampshire.

Played at Christina Potters Ice Rink in Atkinson Park, the IPHC has two divisions, an advanced A-Division and an intermediate B-Division open to all players, which means that men play alongside women and 16-yearolds play on teams with 50-year-olds.

“Everyone is there to have fun!” says Wood River Valley native Piers Lamb, who cofounded the tournament with Kearney and Dave Keir (Director of Recreation at Blaine

Taylor Rothgeb, Chad Levitan, Ivars “Muzzy” Muzis and Sean Rynes defining crowd involvement.

County Recreation District). The tournament has pretty much sold out every year since its inception in 2008 and features 30 teams of six players who travel from all over—including Boise, McCall, Missoula, Salt Lake City, and even from as far away as California. Around 300 fans come out to watch the excitement as well and to enjoy the free beer and brats (offered on a donation basis).

The idea for the Idaho Pond Hockey Classic started essentially as pond hockey itself does: with a couple of guys playing pick up games in Hailey who wanted to develop it into something more. “We were skating around Roberta McKercher Park every night for fun, playing hockey and having a bonfire at the end of the night,” says Lamb. “More guys kept showing up and it was so much fun, it just evolved into the idea for a pond hockey tournament.”

The IPHC is run as a 4-on-4 doubleelimination tournament played with no goalies. Each team is guaranteed at least two games, but you play more games if you win. All the proceeds benefit youth programs in the Valley and, in a nod to the National Pond Hockey Championship held every year in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the grand prize is, what else—a golden shovel. -Laurie Sammis Web Extras: For details on this year’s tournament visit www.sunvalleymag.com. Want to learn how to make your own backyard rink—check out SVM’s “Build a Backyard Rink” how-to-tips online.

Ice, Ice Baby

If you know Sun VALLey you know the eyewORkS.

Local ice skating options

If you have an itch for ice, there are a few different options up and down the Valley where you can break in your blades, show off some old skills or possibly even learn some new ones.

Hailey: Located at the south end of Hailey, Roberta McKercher Park is converted, by way of hoses and an old Zamboni, from a grassy field into a local’s outdoor ice rink. It’s a great place to come in your jeans, bring some old skates and a hockey stick or, more commonly, tennis shoes and a broom. The only amenities provided are two goals at each end of the field, so bring your own hot chocolate (and try to stay away from the edges as they tend to sprout grass and get bumpy).

Ketchum: The Christina Potters Ice Rink is located at Atkinson Park in downtown Ketchum and, during regular business hours, the Recreation Center offers free skates, helmets, pucks and sticks. This rink is popular with everyone from local businessmen on a lunch break to little ones pushing chairs around. This is also where the annual Idaho Pond Hockey Classic takes place every Martin Luther King weekend, with the requisite beer, brats, and music. For more info call 208.726.7820.

courtesy sun valley company

Sun Valley: At the other end of the Valley (and spectrum) is the Sun Valley outdoor ice rink. Open year-round, this upscale arena provides a full-service Pro Shop with skate rentals, group and private lessons and the finest in figure-skating apparel. It is also home to Olympic skaters during the seasonal Sun Valley Ice Shows. There’s also a full-size indoor ice arena at the Sun Valley Lodge, which provides stickand-puck skating and open hockey all year, as well as the extremely popular Sun Valley Suns hockey games on most winter weekends. For more info call 208.622.2194. -Kate Elgee

Anne et Valentin

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Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 63

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To see what the power of the right advisor can mean to you, please contact: Ruttke, Pfeiffer, Crossley, Fichter Group Uwe Ruttke, CFM Senior Vice President–Investments Wealth Management Advisor, Portfolio Manager, PIA Program (208) 338-3162 Boise/Sun Valley-Ketchum 225 North 9th Street, Suite 700, Boise, ID 83702 San Francisco/Bay Area 4900 Hpoyard Road, Suite 140, Pleasanton, CA 94588

Source: Barron’s “America’s Top Advisors: State by State,” February 21, 2011.

Barron’s is a trademark of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved. The bull symbol, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and The Power of the Right Advisor are registered trademarks or trademarks of Bank of America Corporation. Merrill Lynch Wealth Management makes available products and services offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a registered broker-dealer and member SIPC, and other subsidiaries of Bank of America Corporation. © 2011 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

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Carving Turns Along the River

of No Return Two Local Ski Pioneers

sun valley natives drew stoecklein and griffin post float the middle fork of the salmon river in search of fresh tracks.

BY Kira Elizabeth Tenney PHOTOGRAPHY Drew Stoecklein

66 sunvalleymag.com | WINTER 2012

shredding Jeremy Benson captured through the eye of a tree on a rare sunny day.

(Clockwise from left) The crew enjoys a refreshing waterfall from its icy landing spot. Support crew members Lynn Kennen and Fredrick Reimers launch the one-of-a-kind trip at Boundary Creek. Reimers and Post get pummeled on the last big rapid of the Middle Fork.

Coated

with a thick latewinter frost, an unusual combination of gear rests on the snow-freckled sand next to the river: rafts, ski boots, dry suits, and avalanche transponders.

The mixture of gear may seem odd, but a first-ever fusion raft and ski trip through 100 miles of the “River of No Return,” the Middle Fork of the Salmon, in early April is anything but orthodox. Some would call it pioneering, while most would just call it crazy. But leave it to two young men born and raised in Sun Valley, Idaho, Drew Stoecklein and Griffin Post, to organize and take part in a truly wild adventure right in their own spectacular backyard.

A mischievous kid from the start, Drew Stoecklein is only in his midtwenties, but long ago achieved local legend status in Ketchum. He’s a professional skier, a reputable photographer, and an organizer of adventure expeditions around the world—achievements that don’t come without hard work and a distinctly outrageous personality.

In terms of character, high school accomplice Hannes Thum describes Drew as someone with “…an unspoken ethic and moral code with regard to certain situations. If there’s any sort of body of water, even if there’s a bunch of rocks, grass, and ice chunks in it, it’s not a choice, Drew has to pond-skim it. If there’s a giant boulder on the edge of a cliff, Drew has to push it off. If there’s a way to make an adventure harder, Drew will say that you should probably do it.”

Drew began his skiing career on Dollar Mountain at the age of two. It was love at first happening, as he immediately found skis to be the perfect means for carrying out the outrageous escapades that, for better or worse, are simply an innate part of his being. Stoecklein raced on the Sun Valley Downhill Ski Team until 10th grade when he discovered the world of big mountain freeskiing.

While skiing has been around for thousands of years, the competitive discipline of big mountain freeskiing didn’t develop until the late 1980s. Today, it has a worldwide circuit, with year-round competitions everywhere from Snowbird in Utah to Valle el Arpa in Chile. Each race venue presents extreme competitors with the canvas of a steep, un-groomed, cliffed, spined and corniced mounWINTER 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 69

tain face on which to paint the full expression of their skiing. Skiers are judged on creativity, fluidity, and style, and their runs boast straight-lines, double-stage cliff hucks, harrowing arcs over broken snow, and a bevy of tricks acquired in terrain parks and backyards alike. It is certainly a sport that prefers creativity and innovation over established structure. Stoecklein is considered one of the best big mountain skiers on the planet.

Anyone

who knows Griffin Post, another born and bred

Sun Valley native, usually pauses when asked to describe his skiing, and then answers, for lack of better words, “It’s beautiful.” Post has a quality to his skiing that no one can teach, and no amount of practice can instill.

Tyler Roos, a friend and Sun Valley ski-partner-in-crime, reminisces about one of his early days with Griffin: “He was always the ballsiest of us all. One of those years when we got a lot of snow, the whole ski team was in a big group and looked at jumping this tree at the bottom of Lower College. Only two kids went off. The first double-ejected and crashed and the second, Griffin, stuck it. From that day on, in my mind, Griffin was on a course to do things that few people could do.”

Griffin raced on the Alpine Ski Team at Bowdoin College in Maine and then finished his college career at the University of Denver in Colorado. He has always had a drive to succeed, and Roos describes Griffin’s current situation as “…living the dream and being on the Pro-Leisure Tour.” This essentially means that Griffin has advanced in the industry to the point of getting paid to ski and compete all over the world, including skiing for Teton Gravity Research, the renowned ski film production outfit based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Griffin and Drew, respectively, could be considered the yin and yang of skiing, or the beauty and the beast, each excelling in his own style. They have both claimed high-standings and wins on the World Freeski Tour. Griffin is known for his consistent and clean technique, whereas Drew possesses a “win-or-crash-trying” mindset. Both share a drive and passion for skiing and adventure that few others can match, or even keep up with. Once they have a goal in mind, they put their heads down to achieve it.

The Middle Fork

of the Salmon

River winds dramatically through the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness Area. Named after Frank Church, a Democratic Idaho Senator who stormed the U.S. Senate from 1957 to 1981, the area includes the truly awe-inspiring mountain ranges of the Salmon River Mountains, the Clearwater Mountains and the Bighorn Crags. With significant effort, Church ultimately secured the preservation of large swaths of irreplaceable public lands, and he also established and fought for the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, which preserves outstanding rivers in their natural state. Church specifically noted that these rivers “…shall be preserved in free-flowing condition for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations.”

70 sunvalleymag.com | WINTER 2012

skrafting As Post and Kennen can attest, the approaches in the sport of skrafting (skirafting) can be a bit rough.

Post and Stoecklein are members of the future generations Church spoke of, as well as a couple of the best thrill-seeking skiers Sun Valley has ever produced. So it makes sense that they would eventually turn their attention towards the steep canyons of the Middle Fork. It was inevitable that a random Baldy chairlift chat resulted in the idea to venture into the 3.3 million-acre roadless area resting in the heart of Idaho to attempt an unprecedented expedition.

After the idea to ski in the Frank Church Wilderness entered their brains, Stoecklein and Post were dead-set on preparing an excursion to take advantage of its wild, remote, and rugged beauty.

While Griffin was primarily excited to get into the mountains of the Frank Church Wilderness, Drew was very captivated by the idea of a rafting and skiing combination. Stoecklein notes, “It’s an incredible concept because it’s the easiest way continued on page 116

(Clockwise from top left) The crew warms up in a snow-filled fire lookout. Lynn racing back to camp for a cold beer and a warm sleeping bag. This Bud’s for you! Griffin Post, Lynn Kennen and Jeremy Benson toast to another incredible day in Idaho as they de-thaw their bones at the Middle Fork Lodge.

valley profiles

BY Kristin Cheatwood PHOTOGRAPHY Kristin Cheatwood

The true spirit of Sun Valley is that of the pioneers—the type of people who don’t just idly sit back and wait for their dreams to come to them, but rather those who chase after their dreams with a passion. Here we profile a handful of the Valley’s true ski industry pioneers—people who brought their passions to life, and made Sun Valley a better place for their efforts.

72 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

Rick Kapala

FAVORITE RUN: Cherry Creek at Galena HERO: My parents

We get “ tricked into thinking

that the end result is where knowledge, competency or ability come from. But it doesn’t come from getting the answer.

It comes from working to get the answer.”

–Rick Kapala

industry impact:

Rick Kapala is considered one of the best crosscountry ski coaches in the country—bar none.

His impressive résumé includes being named USSA Cross-Country Coach of the Year three times and most recently having two of his athletes (Morgan Arritola and Simi Hamilton) make the 2010 Olympic team.

about rick kapala...

When Rick Kapala sustained an injury during a pick-up football game in college, he was told he could no longer participate in contact sports. The news instantly put an end to the dream of being an Olympic wrestler that he had harbored since high school.

But having grown up with a love for the outdoors and having learned the discipline and passion for an active lifestyle from wrestling, he began Nordic skiing with some college buddies as a way to keep healthy. Little did he know that the challenge and solitude of the sport would draw him in and provide him with a new future far from the world of wrestling.

In 1987, after having coached a team in Alaska for a couple of years, Kapala moved to the Valley to take a position as the head coach of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation’s (SVSEF) cross-country program. Now 52, Kapala has coached students such as 2010 Olympian Morgan Arritola and many others who have gone on to earn national and international titles.

The SVSEF recently awarded Kapala with the 2010 Jack Simpson Dedicated Coaches Award and he also received the 2011 Al Merrill Award for Nordic Leadership and Commitment to Excellence from the United States Ski and Snowboard Association. In almost 30 years of coaching, he has worked individually with more than 400 athletes.

Kapala’s initial interest in coaching came from his high school wrestling coach, Tom Kroll, and a couple named Tom and Sue Duffield, who guided him one high school summer on a trail crew with the Student Conservation Association. Kroll made him feel welcome on

the wrestling team from day one, even though he wasn’t much good.

“I was this fat little kid who couldn’t do anything very well, and I got talked into this sport by some other kids on the street,” Kapala says. “I felt like it didn’t matter if I was the best guy on the team or the worst guy on the team. It was obvious that this coach valued everybody equally. To me that was a huge, huge lesson, and I never forgot it.”

That lesson, along with his time with the Duffields, taught Kapala to be curious about the world and provided him with exceptional examples of how to empower teenagers. Drawing on those experiences, Kapala began developing the views on coaching he still holds today.

Kapala tries to coach with what he refers to as a servant-style leadership. He sees it as his job to help his athletes find the strengths within themselves to succeed.

“You have to really understand your athletes. It’s my job to adjust my coaching style to them, not theirs to change their personalities to suit me … so I have to figure out how to help their essential elements add to what they’re doing. My job isn’t to make them somebody else,” Kapala says. “At the end of the day, what you’re really trying to do with coaching is get people to awaken themselves.”

Mike Sinnott, 2011 Super Tour Champion and one of Kapala’s long-time students, says that Kapala’s efforts to adapt his coaching to each individual and his ability to infuse hard work with fun are what initially kept him on the team.

Looking back, Sinnott says, “I don’t think it can be overstated how great a coach Rick is and how important he’s been to the community. He’s very much affected my own life … I couldn’t imagine what I’d be doing now, probably would be stuck in an office somewhere, without him.”

Kapala says that one of the most rewarding aspects of coaching for him is seeing kids who struggle initially with cross-country skiing stick with the sport and undergo a personal transformation until, at some point, they finally succeed.

“We get tricked into thinking that the end result is where knowlWinter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 73

edge, competency or ability comes from. But it doesn’t come from getting the answer. It comes from working to get the answer,” Kapala says. “We never say to anyone, ‘You’re not good enough.’ We just keep saying, ‘You can be.’”

He also enjoys seeing old students out training, even years after they have moved on from the team. Kapala hopes that if his students leave with any lesson in particular, it is how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. -Hailey Tucker

about bobbie burns...

Bobbie Burns is a slightly subversive icon, an irrepressibly flamboyant showman who has pretty much always done his own thing, and happily at that.

There’s little doubt in anyone’s mind, however, that Bobbie Burns was the first real “hot dog” skier. Back at the beginning of the freestyle movement, Bobbie had a kamikaze style of skiing bumps; he skied as fast as he possibly could, shooting his skis forward as he sat back with his heels locked together and held his hands and poles high over his head. The poles were his only real form of control because, as he says, “All I needed was balance.” His eclectic style quickly became famous. Everyone had larger-than-life stories about what they had seen Burns do on Sun Valley’s steepest runs. But the thing is, they were all true. Bobbie Burns owned the moguls!

Born in 1935 in south-central Idaho, Burns grew up in Ogden,

bobbie burns

FAVORITE RUN: Upper River Run/Exhibition HERO: Dean Perkins/ Stein Erikson

Be the best “ you can be and have fun, no matter what.”

–Bobbie Burns industry impact:

One of—if not the— original freestyle skiers, Bobbie Burns’ impact on the ski industry runs as deep as a powder day on Baldy. A highlyacclaimed ski instructor and former ski film star, Bobbie also invented “The Ski” and created his own line of fashion ski wear.

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Utah, and learned to ski at Snowbasin. He had been a gymnast and dancer as a kid and then a competitive diver, but in skiing he exhibited absolutely no control. “I was an accident waiting for a place,” Bobbie explains. “The only thing I had was a lot of guts, balance, and the ability to have fun.”

In the late 1950s, Sigi Engl and Sepp Froelich of the Sun Valley Ski School told him he could get a job teaching, “if you think you can learn to ski.” Bobbie did learn to ski and ended up teaching in Chile, New Zealand and Sun Valley. He also started skiing a lot of bumps.

Burns noticed that he seemed to have a higher balance point than most, so with his hands and arms up high over his head he learned to absorb the bumps better. “Hot-dogging” was born.

Racers couldn’t believe that Burns could do what he did on skis because it was so contrary to the technical control they aspired to … and that on top of his unique skill, he did it laughing the whole time!

Dick Dorworth, well known for a multitude of legendary mountain endeavors, was training for ski races in 1963 in Sun Valley and was Burns’ roommate in the dorms. As Dick remembers, “Nobody could ski the bumps on Exhibition like Burnsie and none of us even tried to keep up with him. He was this great guy, but an anomaly, so unlike us serious, almost grim racers. He skied the entire time smiling as if he was actually having fun.”

Burns says for him it’s always been about how much fun you can have, how big the bumps are and how fast you can ski them. He adds, “Racing was never for me. What possible fun is it to run gates? You

have to slow down to do it!” Bobbie didn’t believe in many barriers and perhaps this is because of his innate talent. He laughs at that suggestion. “If you’re coming down the mountain and having fun, then it’s right!” he says with a smile. “Once, Jean Claude Killy told me, ‘there is no wrong way.’”

The late filmmaker Dick Barrymore called Burns the “first hot dogger” and described him as a “handlebar-mustached, steel-thighed skier attacking a field of moguls like Errol Flynn attacking a band of pirates … no one can ski like him.”

Burns really became famous after starring in the cult classic ski film, “The Performers,” while working as a rep for K2. He was called a “genius” for his knowledge of how to tune skis for the best results and he also helped design skis in the K2 factory.

A creative, albeit non-conforming kind of guy, Bobbie wanted to make a high performance bump ski that would allow for torsion and ultimate forgive-ability. With backing from friends, he began building his own personal brand, “The Ski,” in his garage. The Ski became an instant favorite on the freestyle circuit. By 1980 Burns was selling 10,000 pairs a year. Burns successfully sold the company in 1985 and began to produce a casual outerwear clothing line known as “Bobbie Burns,” which he still sells in Sun Valley.

For Burns, no mountain community in the world compares to Sun Valley. The last few years have found him on Dollar Mountain teaching his two young daughters to ski. His oldest child has just completed medical school. Bobbie says, “I always tell them: Be the best you can be and have fun, no matter what it is.”

He obviously follows his own advice, for Bobbie Burns is still having the time of his life. At Sun Valley’s Freestyle Reunion last winter, he was at every event, joining in the re-telling of stories from the glory days with ribald enthusiasm. “Probably only slightly embellished,” he laughs. -Julie Gallagher

about chuck ferries...

The first time Chuck Ferries was in Sun Valley it was for a mere three hours. Arriving by train with a one-way ticket, he was a 16-year-old with a dream to ski a big mountain. Just days before, he had lowered his suitcase and ski gear by rope from his bedroom window, running away from home in upper Michigan. But it was November in Idaho and there was no snow. So, on the advice of “some guy I met,” as he explains, Chuck hopped the next train for Alta, Utah, where he worked for room and board and happily skied powder for a few weeks until he broke his ankle.

Ferries then returned home where his relieved but understanding parents agreed that he probably needed to “get the skiing out of his system.” He had obviously outgrown the Mont Ripley Hill and its 423 vertical feet, where he had learned to ski and race, so in the fall of 1956 he moved on his own to Aspen, Colorado, to finish high school and hone his racing skills.

Through tough training, perseverance and focus, Ferries made the Aspen Ski Team and became a talented slalom specialist. He then raced on scholarship for the University of Denver, coached by the infamous Willy Schaeffler, who was quoted as saying, “Chuck has made his own way and never asks anything of anybody. He has tremendous concentration, determination, and spirit and is mentally perfect … if he makes a mistake he forgets it, goes back, and does it right.”

Ferries went on to prove that his parents’ support of his passion was the right thing to do. He was named to the U.S. Ski Team (USST) in 1960, ’62, ’63 and ’64, made two Olympic teams in ‘60 and ’64, and became the first American to ever win a European classic gate race, Austria’s famous Hahnenkamm slalom.

Although he retired from competitive skiing at age 24, Ferries remained immersed in the culture. He coached the U.S. Women’s Team at the ’68 Olympics. And then he heard about a special company on Seattle’s nearby Vashon Island that was developing a commercially viable, light, resilient, foam-core fiberglass ski. So Chuck asked Bill Kirschner, who had just formed the K2 Ski Company, for a job, specifically to develop a fiberglass racing ski. They shook hands and Chuck came on board.

Ferries laughs, “That handshake was the only contract I ever had with K2. Bill was wonderful, a genius kind of guy and he never said, ‘no, it can’t be done.’ Instead he would say that we’d figure out a way.” Chuck wound up developing a relationship with the USST, especially Marilyn Cochran, to test prototypes. Building skis to Marilyn’s specifications led to success; in 1969 she was the first American

CHUCK FERRIES

FAVORITE RUN: Warm Springs HERO: Jimmy Heuga for his dedication to people with MS.

I feel that you “ make choices and decisions based on inspirations.

I have always tried to learn from the best, find out who has the best product, observe and ask questions, and then come up with new ideas.” industry impact:

As the first American to ever win the “Super Bowl” of skiing, Austria’s legendary Hahnenkamm slalom, Chuck Ferries’ name will long live in skiing lore. Credited with creating the first ever fiberglass ski and for saving Scott USA, Ferries was elected in to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in 1989.

Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 75

to win a World Cup on American-made skis, a fiberglass K2 model.

Kirschner sold the company in 1972, but Chuck stayed on to build skis. In 1976 he decided to move his family to Sun Valley where he had always wanted to raise his kids, Annie and Tom. Chuck had just launched PRE (Precision) Skis as K2’s second brand and moved that part of the company to Sun Valley for a short time.

Looking for a long-term opportunity, Ferries and Bob Smith (the owner and founder of Smith Optics) found one: the 1981 Scott USA bankruptcy. Together they bought the company, a technical product leader in the skiing market. Chuck guided Scott USA into a very profitable brand as they became the top global developer and distributor of ski poles and goggles, mountain bikes, motorcycle goggles, and accessories. Reflecting back on those days, Ferries says, “I feel that you make choices and decisions based on inspirations. I have always tried to learn from the best, find out who has the best product, observe and ask questions, and then come up with new ideas.”

In 1989 Ferries was inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame. He is proud and quietly passionate about his longtime USST affiliation, including his involvement as a member of their Board of Trustees, which is directed by his close friend and former Olympic teammate, Bill Marolt. According to Marolt, “As much as anyone I know Chuck has played a major role in the growth and development of the USST and the USSA (United States Ski Association). Through his leadership, USSA has become a huge success when measured against any standard of excellence.”

Still enjoying the Sun Valley lifestyle with his wife, Nancy, Ferries also mentors his son and son-in-law who own a local outdoor product manufacturing business, Chums. “Sun Valley is the best place in the world to live,” Chuck exuberantly laughs. “How could you possibly have a better life? I consider myself very, very lucky.” -Julie Gallagher

about phil puchner...

Phil Puchner says that his heroes have “always been the younger skiers. They keep you going!” But when he was a kid, back in the 1920s in Wausau, Wisconsin, his heroes were also the “big boys from Milwaukee” who came to race on nearby Rib Hill. By watching them and studying picture books from the United States Ski Association, he says he “learned to ski a little bit.”

Phil practiced jumping on the local wooden ski jump and by high school he was racing as well. In 1941, he captained the Dartmouth Ski Team and competed in the Collegiate Championships in Sun Valley, where he made his way to the podium via Rudd Mountain’s 30-foot jump. Phil was impressed by Sun Valley’s downhill terrain and five chairlifts: River Run, Exhibition and College on Baldy, and one each on Rudd and Proctor Mountains.

In 1942, Puchner left his studies behind to volunteer for the U.S. Army’s 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment. After some intensive training with the 87th, the infamous 10th Mountain Infantry Division was formed at Camp Hale, Colorado, and Puchner joined other mountain-savvy soldiers for rugged winter training. In December of ‘44, the 10th was shipped off to Italy, where they were inserted into the front lines of the North Apennine Mountains and faced intense combat against strong German forces imbedded in the ridgelines. On May 2nd, the 10th helped force a surrender at the foot of Brenner Pass in the Italian Alps. Four months later, the now leg76 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

PHIL PUCHNER

FAVORITE RUN: Harriman Trail HERO: Butch Harper

Well, I “ wouldn’t mind being a kid again to try that ski cross.” –Phil Pucnher industry impact:

Besides being a member of the legendary 10th Mountain Division during World War II, the former collegiate ski jumper helped cut many runs on Baldy and went on become a World Masters Championship cross-country racer.

Last year, Puchner was named to the inaugural class of the Sun Valley Ski Hall of Fame.

endary 10th Mountain Infantry Division was demobilized, but the brotherhood and friendships have lasted lifetimes.

With his service complete, Phil headed back to the mountains of the West, teaching skiing, climbing peaks, and visiting Sun Valley again. In 1947 he began working on Bald Mountain for fellow 10th Mountain boys, Nelson and Eddie Bennett, widening runs like College and cutting the cat track to Roundhouse. They also cut logs on Upper College, dragging them to the top to build the current ski patrol shack.

That winter Phil worked on the ski patrol and raced as much as possible, competing in the U.S. Olympic Trials and running his first Harriman Cup. Over the years, Puchner raced in five Harriman downhills (considered to be the toughest in

the country) and in 1952, with a near-perfect run, placed third against an impressive international field.

Thanks to the G.I. Bill, Phil picked up his education again, entering the University of Colorado in 1949. After graduating with a degree in engineering, he returned to Sun Valley, ready to raise a family. He secured the two-acre piece of property at the bottom of Greyhawk and built his home. Phil worked on a variety of nearby engineering projects including: Galena Road, Hells Canyon Dam, Jackson Lake Lodge and the development of both Elkhorn and Greenhorn Gulch. But in 1959, Phil left for Nepal to oversee the construction of a 27-mile freight tramway from the Terai Plain near the Indian border to Katmandu. He continued to work in Thailand and Pakistan, always finding time to hike and climb.

A decade later he started his own firm and became more interested in Nordic skiing; it took less time than downhill, which helped with his busy work schedule, and the equipment was changing, which he found intriguing. A competitor at heart, Phil began racing cross-country and became a familiar entrant at every local, and often regional, race. He also participated in World Masters Championships, held everywhere from Norway to Alaska to Lake Placid, New York, and even in McCall, where he medaled. In 1975 Phil competed in his first American Birkebeiner, the prestigious annual 50-kilometer race in Hayward, Wisconsin. He competed in the “Birkie” for 18 straight years. His last race there, at age 70, garnered him third place in his age group.

Longtime Valley local Bob Rosso has known Phil for over 35 years and recognizes his committed involvement to cross-country skiing and racing. “No one better represents the spirit of cross-country skiing than Phil,” says Bob. “He has always been available to help us build trails, put in tracks on which he would then compete, always with that smile and predictable chuckle.”

At 89, Phil Puchner is a gracious, generous host with his wife, Ann, enjoying classical music, fine art and books, and wines of excellent vintage. The mountains of Sun Valley, however, still hold his spirit. As he reflects, “I can’t think of anywhere else I would have ever wanted to live. This is such a pleasant environment and it draws such freespirited people.”

When asked about the future of the Sun Valley skiing culture his eyes dance. “Well, I wouldn’t mind being a kid again to try that ski cross … but the half-pipe? I don’t know,” he chuckles, “is that really skiing?” -Julie Gallagher

about whiz and langely mcneal...

Whiz McNeal was in the doghouse. While his daughter was making her figure skating debut at this past summer’s Battle of the Blades ice show, he was in an airport. To make matters worse, she won the whole shebang with a grand prize of $3,000 for her charity of choice, the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation (SVSEF). And Whiz had missed it all.

The video of Langely decked out in a bright ’80s-tastic costume, flipping around the ice and performing lifts with difficult-topronounce names is already going viral on the internet. (In defense of Mr. McNeal, his flight home from visiting family was canceled.)

But here’s the thing: Langely isn’t even an ice skater. She is a skier.

To be more precise, she is an X-Games ski cross racer and a former Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 77

langely mcneal FAVORITE RUN: Hemingway HERO: My Mom

I have “ tremendous

respect for my dad . . . The way he handles his life and his profession with such care and composure makes me proud.

If I inherit any of his cool confidence I will be lucky.”

–Langely McNeal INDUSTRY IMPACT:

The daughter of a longtime Sun Valley Ski Patroller, Langely McNeal was one of the first women invited to join the new U.S. Ski Cross Team in 2008. She was the top American female finisher during the 2009-10 World Cup Ski Cross Tour and has begun to make a name for herself in the Big Mountain skiing scene.

WHIZ MCNEAL

FAVORITE RUN: Anything with 2 feet of powder on it Hero: My Father

Be cool “ Lange, be cool.

You got this.”

–whiz McNeal

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courtesy penelope street

SVSEF and Division 1 collegiate alpine racer.

Born and raised in Sun Valley, Langely was swimming, skiing, and riding a bike without training wheels by the age of two. She credits her love of the outdoors and adventure to her parents and to this community, one that she says is uniquely devoted to its youth programs, complete with world-class coaches, facilities, mountains and trails.

She also has a father adept and accomplished in his own right as an avid outdoorsman and 30-year veteran of the Sun Valley Ski Patrol, who instilled in her the values of hard work and commitment, along with a lifetime love of the outdoors.

Together they ski Baldy, ride dirt bikes (though Langely wasn’t allowed to have her own until she turned 19), race mountain bikes and explore the mountains.

Whiz’s words of encouragement to his daughter are always simple: “Be cool Lange, be cool.

You got this.”

Langely is currently trying to follow in her parents’ footsteps and make Sun Valley her permanent home. “To make a living here, you sometimes have to be pretty creative,” she says. She is now an accomplished athlete beyond her alpine racing career. After switching to ski cross in 2006, she was a member of the World Cup Ski Cross Team from 2007-2010, was one of the top two ranked female ski cross racers in the country, and has competed at several X-Games and North American Cups.

As a ski cross racer, it helps that Langely grew up skiing the slopes of Bald Mountain. “Standing on top of Upper Greyhawk with four buddies while someone screams ‘FIRST ONE TO THE BOTTOM WINS!’ is exactly where ski cross came from,” she explains. -Katie Matteson

PENELOPE STREET

INDUSTRY IMPACT: “Penny in the Sky,” as she was known, is considered one of the original female freestyle skiers. Besides helping found the International Freestyle Skiers Association, the former model became a highlyacclaimed telemark ski instructor and was a member of the first ever U.S. Demonstration Team, touring Europe on behalf of the three-pinning sport.

I have learned to be in the “ present, but it does make me laugh to look back like this because it’s

been so much fun!” -Penelope Street

to see this profile, AND MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS ARTICLE visit www.sunvalleymag.com

LEFT (Left column, top to bottom) David Bowie, at Vladimir Lenin’s tomb in Moscow 1976; Ringo Starr in concert, early-70s; David Bowie, L’Hotel, Paris, last day of the tour, 1976; (Middle column, top to bottom) David Bowie at the Metropol Hotel in Moscow, 1976; Jim Morrison at Garden District restaurant in Los Angeles (this is one of the last photos taken of Morrison in America), 1970; Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath Tour in Chicago, 1978; Cat Stevens, early-70s; Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young at Winterland in San Francisco, mid-70s; (Right column, top to bottom) Frank Zappa at the A&M Records Studio, mid-70s; Iggy Pop on tour, 1978; Keith Richards, backstage at the Palladium in Los Angeles, early-70s; RIGHT David Bowie on tour, 1976.

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Access, Aperture & REverb The photography of

andrew

kent

1968 – The Summer of Love was quickly becoming a distant memory. The utopian dreams of free love and nonviolence were falling to the realities of the Vietnam War. Rock ‘n’ roll emerged from the ashes of a generation’s ideals as a monstrous beast slashing towards the future, struggling to find new heroes and its own way as an art form. And there on the shoulders of the snarling beast was 18-year-old Andrew Kent with his Nikon in hand, capturing the intimate, reverb-filled world of rock ‘n’ roll.

BY Chatham Baker | PHOTOGRAPHY Andrew Kent & Chatham Baker

WINTER 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 81

by 1978

Andrew Kent had the one thing any music photographer desperately wants and needs: access.

“Access is everything,” he tells me as we sit over coffee in his home studio north of Ketchum.

From his very first gigs as a staff photographer for the Los Angeles Free Press, he became a regular on the L.A. music scene. He used his trusty press pass to work his way up the short list of photographers who were allowed backstage at any given show. His access to musicians soon spread from L.A. to the rest of the world.

Simply put, Andy is one of the most acclaimed rock photographers of the 1970s, if not of alltime. While first impressions of Andy don’t scream rock ’n’ roll— he’s polite, soft-spoken, conservatively dressed, with a trimmed beard—just a quick glance around his studio reveals hints and glimmers of a past deeply steeped in music. A large, iconic, black and white photograph of Jim Morrison leans against a bookshelf. Morrison is heavily bearded and squinting through one eye. It is one of the last portraits of the cultural legend. Andy’s photographs of musicians, including Cat Stevens, Keith Richards, Freddy Mercury, Rod Stewart, KISS, Elton John, and even Frank Zappa, have graced the covers of every rock magazine, billboards in Hollywood, and album covers. His portrait of Iggy Pop during an unplanned moment at the BBC Studios is the iconic cover of the rocker’s 1977 album, Lust For Life.

He was the staff photographer for Cream, Atlantic Records, A&E, and Capitol Records.

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Andy is perhaps best known for his photos of David Bowie.

His candid portraits offer remarkable glimpses into the musician’s life and personality.

“You can’t get these photos from the side of the stage,” he smiles as he holds up a print from the stack on his desk. The image is of Bowie, tangibly comfortable in front of Andy’s camera, on a train reading what appears to be a Russian newspaper.

The photo is from the 1976 Station to Station tour. Andy remembers how, instead of flying from Zurich to Warsaw with the rest of the band and tour, Bowie decided to take the train into the Soviet Union. It was just Bowie, Andy, Iggy Pop, and two mem-

bers of Bowie’s staff, on a train bound for unknown adventures behind the Iron Curtain. “We just went over there because we could, and we knew it’d be a lot of fun,” Andy explains.

The small group went unnoticed into the U.S.S.R. and Andy snapped photos the whole time. On their way out through customs, Bowie and Iggy were accused of stealing relics and were strip-searched. Andy laughs as he recalls the incident, “…and there I was holding the stolen goods.”

At this point in the interview he gets up from his chair and disappears into his house. He comes back holding a small Russian sign, and I can just make out that it says something about toilet paper.

“I unscrewed this from the bathroom on the train,” he chuckles.

Andy’s Idaho home is a collection of extraordinary objects: a credenza full of cameras, albums of all his backstage passes from 1968 to 1978, scrapbooks of his photos cut from magazines, and framed art on every wall. He is an organized collector. Andy shows me a framed subway map of Paris. He points to where he lived and where his frequent stops were, saying, “It took me weeks to steal this from the subway car.”

Above the stack of cameras there is a framed and faded picture of Andy’s great-grandfather. “He was a Jewish cowboy. That wasn’t too common,” he says and smiles.

Andy has surrounded himself

with an informal museum of personal oddities since moving to the Valley in 1978.

So here’s the real question: How did Andy end up living here in Ketchum, so far from the world of rock ’n’ roll?

In the fall of 1978 Kent came to Sun Valley to visit his sister, who was getting married. He was at the height of his career, yet it wasn’t enough for him. “I remember the moment like a photograph,” he states slowly, recounting the vivid memory. “I was standing in her living room. It was late fall and it started to snow, the first snow of the year, and I knew this is where I wanted to live.”

And that was it. Andy called his business continued on page 117

Andy’s house is a collection of wonderful objects: a credenza full of cameras, albums of all his backstage passes from 1968 to 1978, scrapbooks of his photos cut from magazines and framed art on every wall.

WINTER 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 83

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Living in the shadow of the Sawtooths

BY Mike McKenna PHOTOGRAPHY Craig Wolfrom

Stanley serves up a shot of Old West Idaho

Stanley, ID

(Clockwise from top left) Bridge St. Grill, the hub of Lower Stanley, is just a stone’s throw from the river; Kasino Club serves ’em up in the heart of Ace of Diamonds Street; the Sawtooth Hotel is quickly becoming a favorite of foodies.

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Certainly, all the aforementioned help, but what really makes Stanley special are the hundred or so hearty souls who call the community home. With winter lows that often mark the USA Today map as the coldest place in the contiguous U.S., Stanley certainly isn’t the easiest place to live year-round.

It takes a little more effort, a little more love for the Old West lifestyle … and it helps if you like to drink.

Lower Stanley, (elevation 6,220’)

There are places in Idaho where time slows down. Spots tucked against some mountains here or nestled by a river there, where small communities hang on to the true history and character of rugged, remote and hard-drinking Idaho. Places where the independent and Wild West-essence of the Gem State remains strong, in part because of their remoteness and, in even bigger part, because of their residents.

These are places where it seems like the past and the future have decided to sit down and have a few drinks together, maybe a shot or two, and talk things over a-while. Stanley is just such a place.

Just about an hour’s drive north from Sun Valley on scenic (aka watch out for the wildlife!) Highway 75, Stanley, Idaho, is well known for a few things. For starters, Stanley is the gateway to both the spectacular Sawtooth Mountains, as well as the sweet flowing Salmon “River of No Return.”

But what makes this small mountain town so special isn’t simply the breathtaking views of the Stanley Basin or the stunning alpine lakes like Redfish, Alturas or Pettit sprinkled about. Nor is it the easy access the town affords to numerous mountain ranges, or the fact that the nation’s longest free-flowing river runs by (sometimes filled with sea-run salmon and steelhead), or even because it’s neighbors with the largest wilderness area in the lower 48 states—the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness Area.

Stanley is actually divided into two sections, with the original township, a mile or so upriver and a bit lower in elevation, now referred to as Lower Stanley.

“This used to be the original town site of Stanley. The school, the post office, everything was here,” explained Brett Woolley from across the bar at the “world famous” Bridge St. Grill in Lower Stanley. “They stole the post office. It was on tracks and they just slid it up there and took the damned town with them.”

Brett is a rather woolly man, barrel-chested with a graying goatee and steely blue eyes. The father of two twenty-something girls is a true Stanley local. His cattle ranching grandfather, William Woolley, homesteaded the land across the river shortly before the town became official in 1921.

The bridge that crosses the river to his family’s homestead, which has been rebuilt a couple times over the years, gave name to Stanley’s first official street and is how the restaurant got its name.

In 1937, the Woolleys bought two riverside lots in Stanley for a measly $35 and $40, respectively.

And Brett wound up getting the land where the Bridge St. Grill now stands for free after it had been abandoned by folks who found Stanley to be too much of a challenge.

“I built this place because I needed a job and didn’t want to

1931: Founded Custer: County Motto: “A Playground For All Seasons.”

6220’: Elevation of Lower Stanley

6253’: Elevation of Stanley Proper

1 Mile: Distance between Upper and Lower Stanley 105: Population 39: Average Age 17: Students in the Stanley School (K-8)

0: High Schools (students have to go to Challis or Wood River)

22: Age of former Mayor, Hannah Stauts, when elected (then youngest female mayor in America, 2005) 98°F: Record High Temp -54°F: Record Low Temp (Idaho state record) January: Coldest month (often the coldest spot on the USA Today weather map)

July: Warmest month December: Wettest month August: Driest month

Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 87

Getting There From Sun Valley take Highway 75 north for 58 miles, go an additional mile north to get to Lower Stanley.

Lodging Jerry’s Cabins and Motel: Offering cabins and motel rooms along the Salmon River. www.lowerstanley.com or 208.774.3566 Stanley High Country Inn: Offering standard queen bed rooms to the “Stanley Cabin” www.highcountryinn.biz 208.774.7000 Sawtooth Hotel: Offering two bed rooms with shared bathrooms to king bed rooms with private bath. www.sawtoothhotel.com or 208.721.2459

Food and Drink Backcountry Bistro: Dinner only, reservations recommended. Beer and wine. Eclectic and innovative seasonal menu. 208.774.7000 or www.backcountrybistro.com Bridge St. Grill: Serving lunch and dinner. Burgers, steaks, seafood and famous prime rib.

Beer and wine. 208.774.2208 or www.bridgetsgrill.com Kasino Club: Dinner only.

Wide ranging menu, full bar.

208.774.3516 Sawtooth Hotel: Brunch and dinner. Beer and wine.

Homemade focused menu featuring fresh, seasonal ingredients. 208.721.2459 or www.sawtoothhotel.com

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leave the area. But it ain’t too bad around here, is it?” asked “The Not So Famous” Brett Woolley, as it says on his business cards.

Bridge St. Grill (sometimes called the “Burger and Brew”) has been in business for a decade now and has made a name for itself for a few reasons. Their prime rib is so good it could challenge the legendary version at The Pioneer in Ketchum to a cook-off. The views of the Salmon River as it rushes by just a few feet below the back deck are spectacular and the entire place has a cozy and welcoming Old West feel. The walls are adorned with old photos, ancient firearms and mounted game, including their famous “Horny Beaver.”

Bridge St. is a popular spot for snowmobilers, locals and Wood River Valley weekend warriors in the winter—and not just because it’s the only bar in Lower Stanley. “People know how to have a good time in Stanley,” Bridge St.’s chef and longtime Boise resident, Romain Lochard, said with a deep, scratchy chuckle, after cooking up a batch of garlic-covered buffalo wings.

“Most people, when they come to Stanley, they want to drink. There’s a reason there’s three bars in this small town,” observed local bartender Dee Spear, a big-eyed bubbly brunette.

Of course, winters in a place as small and chilly as Stanley can drive even the biggest teetotalers to want to start sipping some liquid elixir.

“I love the winters here,” said Dee, who like many locals has spent many more busy, touristdriven summers in Stanley than she has quiet winters. But there’s something about the colder offseason that grows on some of the Stanley Basin diehards.

“In the winter, you know everyone and they’re all your friends. So it doesn’t get lonely,” Dee explained, adding, “and I’m a bartender, so it never gets boring.”

“S%&t,” Brett barked in his gruff voice, “we know how to have fun around here!”

A sentiment echoed by Debbie Dunn. A fishing guide and masseuse from the Valley, Debbie grew up, in part, at her family’s home just outside of Stanley. As she shared a beer at Bridge St. with her newly-wed husband, Bryant Dunn (they got hitched in Stanley late last summer), Deb explained with a big smile, “You’ve got to lose your ego, settle in and saddle up to Stanley.”

Stanley Proper (elevation 6,253’) Compared to the relative peace and quiet of winters in Lower Stanley, Upper Stanley can sometimes seem like a bustling city—well maybe a bustling “city” circa 1890 when the area was first settled by a Civil War veteran named John Stanley who found gold in the area. On most weekend winter nights, a short stroll down the snow-covered dirt road known as Ace of Diamonds Street offers up two top-notch spots to eat and a couple of classic Idaho bars.

Perhaps the most well-known place in town is the Rod-N-Gun Whitewater Saloon. It’s a rather simple place where time not only seems to stand still, it sort of sways back and forth. It’s the type of saloon where folks like to drink hard and dance harder. Heck, stories of gals flying across the dance floor after slipping out of the hands of their swing dance partners or tumbling off table tops are as common as elk and deer sightings in the Sawtooth Valley.

Stanley is, after all, a pretty good melting pot for Idaho. What first drew folks for fur trapping and then mining (some of which still remains), has given way to ranching and rafting, snowmobiling, fishing and sightseeing. And one of the most unusual sights Stanley offers

is the Outhouse Race, part of the annual Winter Carnival.

Each winter, a few brave (and perhaps slightly foolish) locals build outhouses on skis and race down Ace of Diamonds. The winning team must not only cross the finish line while one member sits on the throne, they must all chug a beer from the Rod-N-Gun as well. Truly the stuff of champions.

A championship aura can also be found at the Kasino Club. Established in 1938, the Kasino Club has been owned by John and Shauna Graham for the last 25 years, offering a full bar, restaurant and a salad bar. And since John came to Stanley via New Jersey, he brought along his passion for the New York Yankees. The L-shaped bar and its natural wood surroundings are covered with pinstriped memorabilia.

Nonetheless, the Kasino Club even welcomes fans of the Yankees’ arch rivals, the Red Sox. As John explained in his faded Jersey accent, “Boston fans get treated as good as they treat me.”

While the two bars hearken back to Stanley’s rugged past, on either end of “Historic Old-Town,” two restaurants are bringing the remote mountain hamlet into the culinary future.

At the east end of Ace of Diamonds, the Backcountry Bistro is hidden within the log cabin walls of the High Country Inn. Despite serving a pre fixe menu only during weekends in the winter, the Backcountry Bistro has garnered quite a reputation with “foodies” since they first started serving back in 2005. Known for offering up unique culinary fare like Chicken Fried Antelope, Lobster Mac & Cheese and Idaho-bred Cowboy Cut Rib-eye Kobe steaks, the Backcountry Bistro is considered one of the top fine dining destinations in Idaho, according to sources like TripAdvisor.com.

“The winter time here is really fun. Sometimes the entire inn will fill up with one group that all know each other continued on page 121

(Clockwise from top left) “Dangerous” Dan Korth is a cowboy from Challis and just the type of guy you’ll meet while bellying up to a bar in Stanley. Tim Cron does everything from maintain the solar water heaters to help cook up the mouth watering meals at the Sawtooth Hotel. To get there, enjoy the scenic drive along HWY 75. Hearty homemade meals and cozy lodging at the Sawtooth Hotel. Dee Spears welcomes visitors to Lower Stanley. Brett Woolley and Debbie Dunn share a passion for the Stanley Basin.

Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 89

off the beaten path // dog sledding

90 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

BY Hailey Tucker PHOTOGRAPHY Nancy Whitehead

Jonesing

totoRun Run The Wintry Wonders of Dog Sled Racing

to Run to Run to Run It’s early March in Stanley,

and more than 45 people are bundled up in their thickest winter wear and milling about a bonfire.

Rows of flatbed trucks that have been converted into mobile dog kennels stand close by with the Sawtooth Mountains as the backdrop.

The cold morning air suspends everyone’s breath as it freezes and hangs above them like silent comic book speech bubbles, and the smell of fresh coffee wafts out from tightly clutched Styrofoam cups. As people wander around, the dogs fidget and stir inside their kennels.

Slowly, as the sun hikes a little higher, an energy begins to build.

The dogs grow antsy, and the people start to chatter about the day that lies ahead of them.

Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 91

off the beaten path // dog sledding

It’s 2011 and this is the Second Annual Stanley Sled Dog Rendezvous, and competitors and their dog teams have traveled from all over the West for two days of racing on one of the region’s most scenic sled trails. The races begin early in the day and span into the afternoon. Competitors can race 60-mile, 40-mile, 20-mile or 8-mile distances over the two days and can run anywhere between four to 12 dogs depending on their distance.

As each team approaches the starting line, the dogs’ anticipation builds and they begin to bark uncontrollably. Their excitement transfers to the audience as attendees abandon the fire pit and crowd around the gate. Many of the dogs hop with eagerness, frequently jumping high enough to clear the body of another dog standing nearby.

Every minute that passes makes it clearer that these are not typical housedogs. Their yips and howls act as a reminder that they come from the same ancestral bloodline as wolves, jackals and foxes. They ache to run in a pack. They are born for it.

Like junkies jonesing for their next fix, they pull at their harnesses in anticipation of the moment when their musher will lift the snow hook, releasing the sled and setting them free. But until then, they tug relentlessly. Poised. Ready to launch.

Abruptly, everything changes.

As the sleds take off, the piercing cries of the dogs go silent and they instantly focus. Mushers yell commands as the dogs, tongues flapping, navigate across the snow. Although dog sled races can vary greatly in terms of structure,

Archaeology findings place the first evidence of dog sledding in the remote northern reaches of North America.

1000-1600s

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Like junkies jonesing for their next fix, they pull at their harnesses in anticipation of the moment when their musher will lift the snow hook, releasing the sled and setting them free.” length and speed, the animals’ level of drive and eagerness is always the same.

“People always ask me, ‘How do you make them run?’” musher Troy Larsen said. “And I say, ‘Make them? It’s in their blood.’”

Larsen has raced a dog sled for four years and resides with his family and a seemingly ever-growing kennel of canines out Deer Creek, north of Hailey. His original interest had been skijoring with two Malamutes he owned years ago, but as his family grew, so did the number of dogs he owned and his interest in mushing. He and his 13-year-old daughter, Julia, who also races, now own 12 dogs, a group they named “5 Degrees” after Larsen’s favorite temperature to mush in.

Over the decades, dog sledding has shifted from an activity that existed primarily out of necessity into one that is mainly a hobby, although much of the time, a seriously competitive one.

Hailey local D.A. Outzs, who was born in the Valley in 1922, remembers when her father Les Outzs owned a sled dog team in the early 1930s. She said he was continued on page 118

1800s First organized dog sled races in America. Royal Canadian Mounties begin patrolling on dog sleds.

A surprisingly unique mix of canines (not just Huskies) make good sled dogs.

1917 The first American Dog Derby was held in Ashton, Idaho. Reestablished in 1993, it is considered the oldest dog sled race in the country.

Running dog sleds beside the Sawtooth Range.

Julia Larsen, like all mushers, shares a special bond with her dogs.

Slowly, as the sun hikes a little higher, an energy begins to build. The dogs grow antsy, and the people start to chatter about the day that lies ahead of them.�

1925 Nome, Alaska, is saved from a diphtheria epidemic thanks to a sled dog team lead by a Siberian Husky named Balto (the route later became the Iditarod).

Stanley Dog Sled Rendezvous becomes newest member of the Idaho dog sled circuit (Ashton, Fairfield and Stanley), attracting mushers from all over the West.

2010

local heroes // steve & syringa

BY Katie Matteson

Local Heroes Steve Daigh and Syringa

How avalanche dogs help the Sun Valley Ski Patrol be prepared for anything.

Steve and Syringa are ready for a rescue.

Syringa jumps on the chairlift and sits in a rare moment of calm as the high-speed quad flies toward the top of the mountain. She seems perfectly at home, her mini Sun Valley Ski Patrol vest fitting perfectly. Her eager eyes scan the terrain below, pausing only to give a few licks to her neighbor’s cheek. This dog has no hesitation and no fear. At the top of the Christmas chairlift, her energy kicks in again and she jumps off, following her owner and friend, Steve Daigh, down the snow to the ski patrol shack.

Syringa is like an exposed nerve. She is a ball of energy that never stops moving. It is that eager energy and her incredible nose that make her perfect for her job. She was meant to be an avalanche dog.

Syringa, a Pudelpointer, is an upland hunting dog. First bred in the 1800’s, pudelpointers are a cross between poodles and pointers. Pudelpointers are known for the intelligence, human attachment, obedience to owner and natural retrieving abilities of poodles, and the hunting skills, sensitive nose and fiery attitude of pointers.

When 20-year Sun Valley Ski Patrolman (SVSP) Steve Daigh started researching getting 94 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

a bird dog as a hunting partner, a Pudelpointer was the obvious choice. It was a natural progression to train her as an avalanche dog as well.

“It took an initial two months for avalanche training, though it seemed like all winter,” Steve said with a twinkle in his eye. Now six years old, Syringa completed the rigorous training with several other SVSP dogs; Bob Jost’s Murphy, Ryan Yates’ Tucker, and Tim East’s Tilly.

The dogs have two certification processes.

The first is the National Search and Rescue Association and the second is the National Search Dog Alliance. The dogs and their owners learn about points of interest, signals, tracking the dog’s trail and the difference between alerts and distractions. Many of the tests take place in large fields with articles of clothing buried as distractions. The dog then has 20 minutes to find the “victim.” The idea is to train the dog to overlook the distractions and to train the owner to distinguish between when the dog has found a distraction or an actual point of interest. Steve says, “Digging is a basic indicator of an alert for Syringa. Her bark is also a clue. It means there is more than an article of clothing, so she gets excited and aggressive.”

The dogs must be recertified every two years, with the owners logging all training, which includes practice with volunteers on Baldy. Steve works with the other patrolmen to practice at least once a month to keep their dogs fresh and prepared.

Having Syringa and her avy dog counterparts on the mountain is an important part of readiness and preparedness for the Patrol.

According to Steve, “Avalanche dogs on Baldy are useful because of the quick access from the top of the mountain. They have access to almost anywhere. Especially if it is a quick, daytime avalanche and you are unsure if anyone was caught in it, dogs are more than useful.”

Syringa has never seen any real action, but Steve has trust in his dog and in his training.

“I know she is ready. If something happened right now, she would be entirely ready and I know that. I am prepared, she is prepared. I have trust in my dog.” Steve and Syringa are also volunteers for the Blaine County Search and Rescue. With skis, skins, food and water readily packed in the back of their truck, they are always on call and always available, on the mountain or in the backcountry.

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FINAL

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Visit us online at: TrailCreekCrossings.com for a current price list and photo gallery of homes.

For a Private Showing call Rachel Cooper at (208) 720-4146, Mike Murphy or Dick Fenton at (208) 726-3317.

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White Clouds is an exclusive neighborhood in Sun Valley consisting of 30 estate lots and up to 100 townhomes. • Four Townhomes are under construction and all have sold. Four more are planned for Summer 2012. • Special offers available for the first four residential lots for 2012.

Office in the Sun Valley Mall, next to the Sun Valley Deli Open 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday Office in the Sun Valley Club, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Friday through Sunday

w w w . Wh i t e C l o u d s Re s i d e n c e s . c o m Under Construction Summer 2012

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white clouds S u n Va l l e y, I da h o

White Clouds is an exclusive neighborhood in Sun Valley consisting of 30 estate lots and up to 100 townhomes. • Four Townhomes are under construction and all have sold. Four more are planned for Summer 2012. • Special offers available for the first four residential lots for 2012.

Office in the Sun Valley Mall, next to the Sun Valley Deli Open 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday Office in the Sun Valley Club, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Friday through Sunday

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75 body & soul // xxxxxxxxxxx

Years of Sun Valley In honor of Sun Valley’s 75th birthday on December 21, 2011, Sun Valley Magazine’s book publishing division (Mandala Media) teamed up with Van Gordon Sauter to celebrate in style—with a stunning coffee table book, “The Sun Valley Story.” The following pages feature a few highlights from the book to mark the diamond anniversary of the opening of America’s original ski resort.

EXCERPTS FROM The Sun Valley Story

First Ski Lift:

The Union Pacific’s engineering department in Omaha transformed American skiing forever by responding to PR man Steve Hannagan’s insistence for a device to “lift” skiers to the top of the runs. Their inspiration: the hoist used to load stalks of bananas aboard fruit boats. Only for Sun Valley they imagined suspended chairs that would transport skiers, instead of bananas, along a moving cable. Chairlift inventor and UP engineer Jim Curran (driving) takes J.P. Morgan for a test drive at UP headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska.

1930s

1940s

100 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

Gretchen fraser:

Gretchen Fraser (far left) begins a long line of locals launching successful Olympic careers by becoming the first American to win an Olympic gold medal for skiing at the 1948 Games in St. Moritz.

Pictured here with fellow Olympians (from left) Andrea Mead Lawrence, Paula Kahn and Brynhild Grusmoen.

“This book captures the magic and the tradition and a whole lot more.”

—Clint Eastwood

C Union Pacific’s first streamliner train, the M-10,000, was Harriman’s baby— technically innovative and dramatically styled.

1950s Ed Scott:

It was in Sun Valley in 1958 that Ed Scott (pictured at left), a talented engineer and ski racer, pioneered the first tapered aluminum ski pole, which replaced the use of bamboo and steel customary in the sport at the time—thus starting the foundation of what would become the Ketchum-based SCOTT USA company.

snowball special

The Snowball Special (often mistakingly referred to as the “Snowball Express,” which was a Disney movie) provided occasional service from Los Angeles’ Union Station to Sun Valley—with some trains even featuring a dance floor (a converted mail car) with bar cars on both sides. There were also two dining cars. The partying didn’t stop on the 1,100-mile, 26-hour trip to Sun Valley in what was once called “the world’s biggest sanctioned wingding.”

elebrating Sun Valley’s 75th birthday with all the style, grace and beauty that America’s original destination ski resort deserves, “The Sun Valley Story” shares the tale of how an idyllic valley that became the setting for a winter playground that drew the famous, the glamorous and the accomplished.

The first chairlift was invented here.

Hemingway made his home here. Step inside “The Sun Valley Story” and discover the people and places that helped define an American icon.

Written by Van Gordon Sauter, with a foreword by Clint Eastwood, this stunning coffee table book contains previously unpublished vintage images, as well as lavish four-color photographs from the last decade, including the Castle Rock Fire, the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference, Allen and Company Conference and the personalities that define Sun Valley today.

Order Your Copy Now! Standard Edition: $49.95 204 pages of stunning photos—many of them fresh to print! “The Sun Valley Story” captures in images and words, the landscape, the history and the individuals that have and continue to make Sun Valley an American original!

Hardcover • 204 pages Limited Edition: $125.00 This special Limited Edition includes a handcrafted, embossed linen collector’s hard case, ribbon bookmark and a special limited edition DVD package featuring two previously unavailable vintage and restored historical films—“Sun Valley Skiing” and “Moon Over Sun Valley.” Each Limited Edition is signed and numbered by the author. Only 300 in print—order yours before they sell out!

Available at fine retailers and bookstores or online at www.sunvalleyhistory.com To see more photos and trinkets in person, visit the exhibit at The Ketchum Sun Valley Ski and Heritage Museum from December 23-April 14, 2012.

Web Extra: To peek inside “The Sun Valley Story,” visit www.sunvalleyhistory.com.

history // the sun valley story

hot dog’N 1960s

HOT DOGGING:

In the late ’60s, freestyle skiing—or “hot dogging” as it was then called—was pioneered by Sun Valley’s own Bobbie Burns and Jim Stelling on Baldy’s Exhibition, Limelight and Lower Holiday runs. Initially considered too dangerous to be condoned as a legitimate sport, freestyle was put on the map in 1973 when Sun Valley hosted the first U.S. Freestyle Championships.

1956 LEIf Odmark

Long before “hot dogging” or freestyle became popular, there was Leif Odmark.

Inspired by the film, “Sun Valley Serenade,” Odmark made his way from his native Sweden to Idaho. A champion ski jumper in his homeland, Odmark would go on to become an instructor for the Sun Valley Ski School, a U.S. Ski Team coach and the face of Sun Valley for this famous 1956 Union Pacific publicity picture of him catching air while wearing a top hat and tails.

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1970s

Powder Mag:

In 1972 two brothers, Jake and Dave Moe (aka “Captain Powder”), launched the first issue of Powder magazine from an old cabin in Ketchum, after having become disenchanted with the traditional ski media . . . The brothers were living a different kind of ski lifestyle, one they felt was more authentic and community-based.

With Powder, they aspired to create a “portfolio” of the other ski ‘experience’ that included powder hounds, ski bums, and hot doggers.

“Janss, the skier, the mountain man, the planner, began to dramatically change the mountain. As one Sun Valley veteran said, ‘Mr. Janss was for us skiers [a] dream man.’” organic • local • vegan

FEEL AMAZING! Hydrating Organic Juices, Energizing Superfood Smoothies, Live Vegan Entrees, Delicious Raw Chocolates, Decadent Desserts

CLINT eastwood During a period when the wizards were declaring the Western “dead,” Clint Eastwood brought forth a remarkable film, “Pale Rider,” which was rewarding to audiences and financially successful . . . the set, built north of Sun Valley in the Boulder Mountains, was spare but evocative . . . this film radiates the power and majesty of the Boulders.

Part-time Sun Valley resident Clint Eastwood resurrected a genre (pictured above with Mariel Hemingway, Peter Cetera and Scott Glenn).

Classes, Juice Fasting, Nutritional Consultations

1980s Allen and Company:

Herbert Allen is not one to indulge idle blandishments or persuasions.

But this was Sun Valley enthusiast Ray Stark, the legendary Hollywood producer and all-purpose mogul.

‘Visit Sun Valley,’ Stark urged. Allen came for the skiing and relished the community . . . So in the early ’80s Allen gathered in Sun Valley a small group of highly successful friends and their families to play golf, fish, entertain their families and talk about mutual interests. The annual Allen and Company conference has grown steadily since then in size, content and reputation.

Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 103

Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm 380 Washington Ave. #105 Ketchum. Idaho (208) 725-0314

www.glowlivefood.com

❋ Sun Valley Dog Fine Accessories and Treats for Dogs

history // the sun valley story

1990s Holdings:

The Holdings (Earl and Carol) are a stunning American success story. And part of that story is the enhancement of the Sun Valley Resort and its evolution into a smart, profitable business that has revitalized and re-imagined Sun Valley. Besides refurbishing the Lodge and the Inn, the Holding ownership has: built new lodges at Dollar, River Run and Warm Springs, and out Trail Creek; brought state-of-the-art snowmaking and ski lifts to the mountains; added a high-speed gondola.

Mountain Facts: Dollar Mountain: 6,638’ Summit Elevation 628’ Vertical Bald Mountain: 9,150’ Summit Elevation 3,400’ Vertical Original Opening Day: December 21, 1936 19 Lifts Total 29,717 Lift Capacity Per Hour 3,000 Average Skiers Per Day 80 Ski Runs 535 Snow Guns 810 Groomable Acres 120 Days of Sunshine Per Ski Season

sunvalleydog.com isabellacane.com 360 N East Ave #4 Courtyard Bldg, Ketchum 208.725.0455

Sun Valley Dog 104 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

Daily Shuttles between

Sun Valley & Boise

2000s

“People realized the Holdings were steadily improving the lodge and the resort. They were agents of change, taking the achievements of Harriman and Janss and improving upon them.�

Pavilion:

There was a time when major summer concerts in Sun Valley were held in a large white tent on the soccer field with pitiable acoustics and seats that resembled those in a makeshift grandstand for a demolition derby . . . on August 3, 2008, the Sun Valley Pavilion, a remarkable architectural and structural achievement, opened on the Sun Valley Esplanade . . . It is a contemporary, cultural landmark at home in its extraordinary setting.

Get In. Get Moved.

Convenient & Affordable Regularly Scheduled Service Full Fleet of Charter Vehicles 10, 24, 40, 50 and 58 Passenger Coaches

Mountain Bike Nationals:

One of the ways Sun Valley is broadening its appeal to younger generations and boosting its attraction as a year-round resort is by carving out a strong niche in the mountain bike world. As new trails and biking events keep getting blazed all over the Valley, the resort hosted the Mountain Bike National Championships last summer for the first time in over 20 years. The championships saw record crowds and Sun Valley will once again proudly host the biggest event in mountain biking this July.

622-VANS 1.877.622.VANS

Visit our Transportation Counter in the Boise Airport Near Baggage Carousel #1

Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 105

Book on line, check schedules & fares: www.sunvalleyexpress.com or E-mail: vans@sunvalleyexpress.com

profile // ski films

John Jay

Big Air Big Mountains and Big Laughs A history of ski films

Dick Durrance

Paul Ryan

Warren Miller

Greg Stump

Dick Barrymore 106 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

Roger Brown

BY Adam Tanous

In the early frames of Paul Ryan’s film “Ski Racer,” documenting the 1969 World Cup ski circuit, Olympic silver medalist Billy Kidd stands at the top of a slalom course, eyes closed, hands swaying back and forth as he visualizes the position and spacing of the 120 gates before him.

Kidd calmly narrates the methodical process. But his tone changes as he begins to describe his mounting excitement building up to a race and his struggle to contain and focus his energy. The film images cut in and out with increasing speed as Kidd’s voice intensifies, speeds up. By the time he settles into the starting gate, Kidd seems to be at a psychological breaking point. And then he explodes out of the gate in pure silence, his power amplified by the slow motion of the filming.

The starting gate of a World Cup slalom race is rarified air. But artful filmmaking can transport the meek to the platform of the mighty. Granted ski films, in general, have never had a burning narrative to tell. Their genre is one of the experiential. What does it feel like to ski a sun-drenched powder slope? What was the “hot dog” ski scene all about? What do wet t-shirt contests and “snow bunnies” have to do with skiing? How do you translate the experience of skiing a 45-degree slope?

Ski films are windows into worlds that many have never seen, or never will. But the genre has a long history of putting the viewer in places often stunningly picturesque, at times forbidding and always underpinned by fun and freedom.

courtesy rick moulton, keystone productions / courtesy paul ryan

Dr. Arnold Fanck

High in the Alps 1920s-1930s

Given that motion picture cameras and projectors didn’t even exist before 1890 or so, it is remarkable that by 1920 German Dr. Arnold Fanck had taken the technology to the high Alps to make the world’s first ski film, “Das Wunder des Schneeschuhe” (The Wonder of the Skis). It was an instructional film exposing the world to alpine skiing—a relatively obscure sport that had only recently evolved from Nordic skiing and ski jumping.

Fanck made a ski film—sometimes two— every year after that through 1933. Perhaps his most acclaimed was the 1931 film “Der Weisse Rausch” (“White Ecstasy”). Rick Moulton, filmmaker and film archivist for the U.S. Ski Hall of Fame, said that Fanck made his film without radios, chair lifts, helicopters or instant digital feedback, tools taken for granted in modern ski film making. Fanck used a camera weighing nearly a ton, pulled on a sled by horses. “It was a slow motion camera from World War I that the Germans had used to film and analyze shells coming out of barrels,” Moulton said.

Fanck released “White Ecstasy” as a 70-minute feature with dialog and a full symphonic score. What’s more, he weaved humor, dozens of visual and situational gags, and pioneered the “slice of life” aspect to ski films.

It could be argued that Fanck created a model from which few of the hundreds of ski filmmakers following him have deviated.

Artful filmmaking can transport the meek to the platform of the mighty.

Glen Plake, extreme skier, Ski Hall of Fame member, and star of numerous ski films including “Blizzard of Aahhhs,” described Fanck’s seminal film as, “A way to show others not integrated into the sport what is going on in those mountains.”

At the time, alpine skiing in Europe, let alone America, was more of a curiosity than a sport. Fanck’s German mountain films brought the mountains to the masses and sparked an interest in mountain life that until then was unknowable to the great majority of people.

The beauty of the environment, the obvious thrill of riding gravity through airy white powder captivated and inspired all those living below the snow line.

Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 107

profile // ski films

Ski films present a moment to be inspired, a moment to gather … I want to see the community there … I want to hear the hoots and hollering. I want to hear the emotions fly. That’s what a ski film should be like.” –Glen Plake Disciples Go Forth 1940s-1950s

John Jay was one of the disciples of Fanck. According to Moulton, Jay credited Fanck’s “White Ecstasy” for drawing him into ski filmmaking, albeit modestly, with his first efforts being his filming the Harvard-Dartmouth ski races in 1936.

After making a few films, including “Ski Over Skoki,” Jay enlisted in the Army. Curiously enough, he found himself sent to Sun Valley, Idaho, assigned to take still photos of ski instructor Otto Lang’s production, “Principles of Skiing.”

Jay’s next assignment was with the 87th Battalion, which became the famed 10th Mountain Division.

It was here that Jay honed his skills creating ski training and recruitment films for the military, including “Ski Patrol.” In 1945, with the war over, Jay began his career anew, releasing “Hickory Holiday.” From that year until 1975, Jay released a film every year. Jay’s humor— though more wry and ironic than Fanck’s—was a staple of his films.

For most screenings, Jay presented the films in person, narrating with a dry, New England wit.

Also novel at the time, but subsequently emulated by all ski filmmakers to follow, was the use of the exotic locale. Jay exposed his audiences to skiing and ski cultures in the Moroccan mountains, Chile and Japan. And always at the center of these productions was the theme of fun. He poked fun at the clumsy beginner, but always in a way that celebrated a simple joy of playing in the mountains. It is not a stretch to say that thousands of skiers in the 1960s and ‘70s came to the sport intrigued by the films of Jay.

Dick Durrance was also a part of the second generation of filmmakers. A native of Florida, Durrance learned to ski on Germany’s tallest mountain, Zugspitze. He made his name in skiing for his showing at the 1936 Olympics and by winning Sun Valley’s famous Harriman Cup three times. In 1938, at the behest of Sun Valley Resort founder Averell Harriman, Durrance made, “Sun Valley Ski Chase.” This was no doubt a direct descendent of Fanck’s 1923 film “Fox Hunt.” Amidst all of his other accomplishments, Durrance

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courtesy paul ryan / courtesy rick moulton, keystone productions

John Jay

Paul Ryan

courtesy rick moulton, keystone productions

Dr. Arnold Fanck

was the producer and director of 46 ski films.

miller time 1950s-1970s

Fortuitously for the ski film, industry, in the audience of a 1947 Sun Valley Opera House presentation of a John Jay film was a ski bum from California named Warren Miller. Over the next 50 years, Miller went on to become the world’s most prolific and successful ski film producer.

He described how his long career began, “I was fortunate

Otto Lang

enough to live in a small (4’x8’) trailer in the Sun Valley parking lot in the winters of 1947 and ’48, and just skied seven days a week. I saw so many things that I wanted to share with my surfing friends that I took a lot of 8mm films of that beauty and excitement. In Sun Valley in that era, there was always powder to be found from one storm to the next.” Miller cited Fanck and John Fitzpatrick, “the father of the travelogue,” as two key influences on his approach to films.

Like his predecessors, Miller

Warren Miller

had no pretense of deep themes.

“No, my job was to show the kind of skiing that they (people) would like to do someday, realistically.

(Show) romantic resorts all over the world with a lot of humor thrown in to show that skiing is all about freedom and fun . . .

Sharing freedom and fun with my audiences was my goal,” he said.

Much like Miller, longtime Valley local Dick Barrymore was borne of John Jay’s work. Barrymore made dozens of ski films during his lifetime, the most noted of which were “Last of

Glen Plake

the Ski Bums” (1969) and “The Performers” (1971). The former followed three ski bums as they traveled through Europe skiing, going to night clubs, and winning at a Monte Carlo roulette table to fund their fun.

In the latter, Barrymore exposed audiences to a second, previously unknown, ski culture. Starring the legendary K2 demonstration team, “The Performers” put the nascent “hot dog” skiing movement (now more commonly called freestyle) into a bright, sunny spotlight.

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Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 109

Skiing is all about freedom and fun.” –Warren Miller With aerials, moguls and other acrobatic moves set to music and blue skies, the film took the romanticism and fun of the sport to a new level. It was a film that helped fuel the freestyle revolution of the ’70s and culminated in the FIS (the governing board of ski racing) formally recognizing freestyle in 1979.

Big Mountain Skiing 1970s-1980s

Some ski film stars often end up making films of their own. Such was the case of Greg Stump, who skied in Barrymore’s “Vagabond Skiers” and films by Warren Miller. But Stump took ski films into still new terrain— that of big mountain skiing.

No doubt Stump was acutely aware of Roger Brown and Barry Corbet’s classic 1967 film, “Ski the

110 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

Outer Limits,” in which a skier, filmed in super slow motion, does a front flip into what is now called Corbet’s Couloir at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, when he made films like the “Blizzard of Aahhhs” (1988) and “License to Thrill” (1989). These films followed skiers like Glen Plake—with fluorescent orange Mohawk to match the bright ’80s ski clothing—and Valley local Mike Hattrup as they carved couloirs in Chamonix and Verbier and launched over cliffs in the Tetons. It was a window onto the type of skiing few people in the world could (or would) ever do.

And it wasn’t just about skiing. Making ski films required some serious mountaineering.

Plake described how he realized early on that “in order to ski the steep slopes, I had to become a good climber . . . When someone says, ‘I’ll feel a lot better when I have my skis on’ and they are, in fact, standing there in crampons with an ice axe, that’s a trigger for me that tells me, you are in over your head … we need to get you down. So, my friends and I dedicated ourselves to becoming better alpine climbers. We could get to some of these places.”

Stump’s movies were also in

the pre-digital age, so, as Plake explained, they had to be very conscious of the lighting and the lenses they were using. They would shoot the film and not see it for months.

They had one chance to get the shot. For that reason, Plake said, “I took every moment captured very seriously. We had to, we couldn’t afford not to when it cost $1,000 for every finished minute of film.”

too Extreme 1990s-2010s

Today, the mantle of extreme skiing movies has fallen to filmmaking groups like Teton Gravity Research and Matchstick Produc-

courtesy greg stump productions / courtesy rick moulton, keystone productions

profile // ski films

tions. Cameras are small, light and capable of excellent resolution.

Helicopters enable skiers to access knife-edge peaks and filming can be done from a long ways away. It is a trend that Miller is less enamored of than some: “They have morphed from films of skiable terrain and achievable experiences SVR of the104-16-11.Sun average skier intoValley almost Mag impossibly steep hills and a dispro-

portionate amount of screen time devoted to upside down, in the air, acrobatics . . . and after I watch 214 aerials in a row, I want to see something I can relate to.”

Plake, for his part, feels that the ease of capturing the images today has come at a cost. “Not as much thought goes into the cre(Wntr’11)fnl:Layout 1 11/9/11 ative side of actually making the movie,” he said.

As to whether Plake would like to make his own films, continue the thread that started almost a century ago in the Alps, the answer is yes, with a “but.” “I am only interested in making a film that could be shown theatrically,” he said. “In fact, I wouldn’t even make it available on DVD.” Why? 11:53 AM Page Plake explains, “Ski1 films present a moment to be inspired, a

As beautiful inside, as it is outside.

moment to gather . . . I want to see the community there . . . I want to hear the hoots and hollering. I want to hear the emotions fly. That’s what a ski film should be like.”

Web Extras: To watch clips from a selection of these movies, scan the QR code or check out www.sunvalleymag.com.

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food // après

Averell’s reopened in 2010 and not many people even knew the room existed after it had spent nearly a decade as a storage locker wasting those breathtaking views.

Crowd: Frequented by movie stars, housewives, Olympians, regular Joes, tourists and the un-or underemployed, Averell’s will surely leave an imprint as it offers a stroll down memory lane.

Specials: The cheese fondue for two (or more) is tough to top and they offer a solid beer and wine selection. SVM staff is known for making major editorial decisions while enjoying beer and fondue at Averell’s.

Hours: Open daily from 11:30am to 4:45pm.

Noteworthy: Averell’s announces last call to ski down by ringing the bell at 3:45pm. The last gondola back down departs at 4:45pm.

Apples’ gals don dirndls and proclaim “Eins, Zwei, Drei, G’suffa!”

après skiing

The best part of a day of skiing If there’s one thing the fun-loving staff at Sun Valley Magazine (SVM) knows a lot about, besides publishing award-winning magazines, it’s how to après ski. So if you’re looking for a little fun after a day on the slopes (or on the cross-country skis, snowshoes, ice skates or casting for trout), here’s a rundown of some of our favorite après ski spots. apple’s Bar & Grill

Apple’s Bar & Grill is located on the “North Shore of Sun Valley,” as they say, and has been serving kind eats and tasty beverages at the base of Warm Springs for over 25 years. A favorite stop for our staffers who love their tall Tecates served with a lime, Apple’s is known for their homemade lunches like the sesameseared Ahi sandwich and for their friendly and casual atmosphere. As Apple’s Hank Minor said, “The atmosphere is really soulful with lots of good people who like good food and love skiing! Everyone is welcome, just leave your ego at the door and be nice.”

Crowd: Mountain people ages 2 to 80, ski racers, movie stars, snowboarders, tourists, ski bums.

Specials: Après deals include $2 domestic beers and deals on food like their $10 smoked salmon crostini.

112 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

Hours: Open daily from 11am to 6pm. Happy Hour 3-6pm.

Noteworthy: Their annual Hahnenkamm Kitzbühel Party in honor of Austria’s “Super Bowl of Men’s Skiing,” held the third weekend in January, and Apple’s end of the season bash are the stuff of ski town legend.

averell’s

Quite possibly the quintessential spot for après skiing in Sun Valley, Averell’s Bar is located halfway up Bald Mountain on the lower level of the historic Roundhouse Lodge. The octagonal building is filled with loving reminders of Sun Valley’s glory days and Averell’s (named after Sun Valley’s founder, Averell Harriman) hosts the Valley’s most majestic views of the Wood River Valley and Pioneer Mountains. Originally opened in 1940 along with Baldy’s first chairlift,

Started by two ski bums in 1993, Lefty’s Bar & Grill is definitely a Ketchum staple. Located on the corner of 6th and Washington in Ketchum, this casual eatery and local watering hole was named after the owners’ favorite run on Baldy, Lefty’s Bowl. Lefty’s is family friendly with a kids’ menu, pinball machine, several video games and a pool table. It’s also one of the best places in town to watch a game, with five satellite-fed HD TVs. Daily food specials, original hoagies, a great beer selection and their unique hand-cut “Monkey Fries” make Lefty’s a perfect place to relax, grab a quick bite to eat or catch the game.

Crowd: All ages and occupations, from families to firefighters, with plenty of local regulars.

Specials: With burgers and sandwiches starting at under $5, it always seems like Happy Hour at Lefty’s. They also offer special “Beers of the Week.”

Hours: Weekdays open 11:30am, weekends opening at 11am to 10pm nightly.

Noteworthy: There are more than 200 members of the Lefty’s Mug Club and their uniquely decorated beer ware hangs above the bar.

grumpy’s

Located on Warm Springs Road, Grumpy’s sign says, “Sorry We’re Open.” But there’s nothing to be sorry about. This place is wildly popular but don’t be frightened by the name because the surly shtick the bartenders toss around is part of the charm. Grumpy’s is a small, cozy locals’ favorite for their classic décor, including a collection of old beer cans from around the world and for their gargantuan 32-oz. schooners of

courtesy apple’s bar & grill

lefty’s bar & grill

courtesy lefty’s bar & grill / peter molema

SVM’s Julie Molema says “cheers” to après skiing Sun Valley-style.

draft beer. On sunny spring days the most coveted spot is the bench out front, so if you go for it, expect to be joined by locals.

Crowd: Grumpy’s is usually crowded with everything from local skiers to visiting anglers.

Après ski is often shoulder-to-shoulder and the air is filled with epic ski stories of the day, so if you must sit, then you better get there early.

Specials: The best deals are on schooners of domestic beer, and their very affordable fowl, veggie and regular burgers are unbeatable. Be prepared, Grumpy’s is cash only.

Hours: Open daily from 11am to 11pm.

Noteworthy: Sun Valley’s sister ski area in Mammoth Lakes, California, has its own version of Grumpy’s (inspired by Sun Valley’s). The Boss (aka Bruce Springsteen) stops in for a schooner whenever he is in town.

Pioneer saloon

If you haven’t been to the Pioneer Saloon, then you haven’t been to Ketchum. Affectionately called the “Pio,” this local landmark located in the heart of Ketchum on Main Street has been serving up legendary prime rib, and the BIGGEST Idaho potatoes you’ll ever find, for 40 years.

Commonly referred to as the “best steak house in Idaho,” the Pio is definitely world-famous for a reason and a must stop for any visitor. Locals

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Michel’s Christiania

Walk into Michel’s Christiania on Sun Valley Road and you feel a sense of history. Celebrating its 53rd year this winter “The Christy” remains a classic, elegant French restaurant rich with atmosphere and romance. Steeped with the storied tradition of “Michel’s,” the Olympic Bar is adorned with photographs and equipment from Olympic skiers and on most winter evenings offers a cozy spot where you could spot a celebrity or catch up with some longtime Ketchum residents.

Crowd: Old-school Sun Valley at its core.

Specials: Unlike the restaurant, the bar doesn’t require reservations. Don’t miss out on the fries.

Hours: Bar opens at 4:45pm, dinner served nightly 6pm.

Noteworthy: Ernest Hemingway was such a regular at the Christiania’s Olympic Bar that he had his own table.

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Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 113

food // après

and tourists alike crowd the Pio’s dark and inviting saloon for après ski (or work) cocktails.

Crowd: Everyone from age 1 to 101 can be found enjoying themselves at the Pio. Wranglers and mink coats welcome.

Specials: The bar passes out free chips and salsa and the Pio’s steamed artichokes and “Bar Margs” are a couple SVM staff favorites.

Hours: Bar opens at 4pm, dining room at 5:30pm nightly.

Noteworthy: Stepping into the Pio is like stepping back into the Old West. Originally opened in 1950 as a gambling hall, the Pio’s walls are adorned with everything from antique firearms to mounted game to an old fur trapper’s-style birch bark canoe.

river run

Ahhhh, it’s the last ski run of the day—you are schusshing down Baldy with the beautiful River Run Lodge in sight. You can almost hear the wine corks popping and beer bottles clanking. River Run Lodge has a happening après vibe with live music offered on most weekends and holidays and a fabulous outdoor fire pit sitting area to meet new friends or catch up with old chums.

Staying warm by the River Run firepit.

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7 7 1 n o r t H m a i n s t r e e t, B e L L e v u e • 2 0 8 . 7 8 8 . 3 5 3 3 • o p e n y e a r - r o u n d 114 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

courtesy sun valley company / peter molema

Crowd: Happy people of all ages, from locals to visitors, who just went skiing or boarding at America’s original destination resort!

Specials: Sipping tall boys of Pabst Blue Ribbon at the base of Baldy is one of life’s finer moments for some SVM staffers and fans.

Hours: 8am until 6pm.

Noteworthy: Home to the original chairlift on Baldy and, as old-timers will tell you, to a single chairlift until the 1960s, River Run is now serviced by an 1,800-passengers-per-hour gondola which was the largest Doppelmayr project in North America when built in 2009.

The Sawtooth Club

Offering a refined yet rustic Western setting, The Sawtooth Club has long been a great place to do anything from celebrate a special occasion like a wedding anniversary or enjoy a first date, to providing a perfect place to meet your future spouse—as was the case for our managing editor many years ago while sitting beside their two-sided fireplace. Easy to find on Main Street in Ketchum, The Sawtooth Club is known for their mesquite-grilled steaks and seafood and for their legendary Chicken Senegalese.

Crowd: Locals and tourists alike can be found aprèsing, although the twenty-somethings seem to like to take their more rowdy ways elsewhere.

Specials: The Sawtooth Club’s Nightly Happy Hour, sometimes called “$6.00 ‘til 6:00,” includes numerous food, wine and margarita specials all for $6, as well as great deals on beer and well drinks.

Hours: Bar menu 4:30pm until closing, dining room 5:30pm until closing. Happy Hour: seven nights a week from 5pm until 6pm.

Noteworthy: The Main Street fire of 2008 took out two neighboring restaurants, but The Sawtooth Club only suffered relatively minor damage to the north wall and was able to re-open— with a beautiful new brick-front façade—within 100 days.

wiseguy pizza Pie

New York-style pizza in the middle of Idaho?

Sweet! Wiseguy Pizza Pie has two locations from which to choose when planning your après-afternoon (or evening). Many South Valley locals don’t want to drive the gauntlet after partaking in a few après ski drinks in Ketchum, so the Hailey’s Main Street Wiseguy location

New York-style pizza in the heart of Idaho.

is a perfect fit. For Ketchum locals or tourists staying in town, the Sun Valley Road Wiseguy location is convenient and definitely has local flair. Keep your ski gear on (but change out of your ski boots please), and start your aprèsafternoon, New York-style.

Crowd: A real laidback locals’ hangout, both locations are visitor and family friendly.

Hours: 11:30am to 10pm, but later if people are around.

Specials: They offer lunch specials for slices and cheap deals on Rainier and PBR. Noteworthy: Two words, one mouthwatering treat: Garlic Knots!

Web Extras: For more information and stories about these après ski spots, or about any place to eat or drink in the Sun Valley area, check out the dinning section or Yum blog at www.sunvalleymag.com.

Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 115

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along the River of No Return continued from page 70 to get super deep into the woods and access extremely remote areas without having to hike all of your gear in.”

The trip took two months to plan, and Stoecklein went to such lengths as having local pilot, Bob Stevens, fly him over the range to scope out a potential hit list of lines and check the snow levels. Despite all of the planning, including a dry suit pondskim test session in a Sun Valley subdivision pond, Drew knew that no matter how much they prepared, things would change.

In trip planning for any of his expeditions, Stoecklein ultimately just hopes that he has considered enough potential factors to not find himself and the group in an “oh s#%t” situation.

On a chilly April day, after two full days of transporting gear and athletes via snow machines 22 miles into the Boundary Creek put-in of the Middle Fork for what was most likely one of the earliest full descents of the river, Stoecklein and Post found themselves and their three-person support team in undesirable conditions to say the least. All five of them spent the first night nestled into Forest Service outhouses to hide from the slush spitting from the freezing air. Just for perspective, sleeping in an outhouse for a night is not even close to an ‘oh s#%t’ situation for these adventurers. In fact, it may even be a strange sort of luxury, as they typically possess an immense threshold for withstanding discomfort in exchange for doing something extraordinary.

In the morning, the team put on to the longest un-dammed river in the continental U.S., surrounded by rugged, untouched peaks. The primary goals were to hit up Big Soldier (8,970’) and Artillery Dome (9,295’), both of which could be reached in the first 20 miles of the river. Of course, they also just wanted to make it through 12 days of winter whitewater rafting.

Although the rafting-skiing concept is 116 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

exceptional in its attempt to “purely” access remote terrain, it is extremely challenging to make it work in terms of lining up good ski conditions with passable river levels and livable environmental conditions. In the end, you just have to get lucky.

One thing about running rivers in the winter is that most of the water that makes waterways swell in the spring and remain high through the summer is in the snow, so in early April, most of the year’s water is still in its frozen state. Subsequently, in order to go downstream, the team had to jump into the frigid water on countless occasions to push the heavy, wet rafts along the slippery rocks. At one point, the team even had to do a massive portage around avalanche debris that had run across the river.

On the second day of the trip, the skiers put on their climbing skins and the alpine trekking commenced. After only a few steps, the saturated late winter snow began to work itself into thick, concrete platforms of ice on the base of their skis. Ultimately, they slipped and kicked their way up to the ridge with only enough daylight to ski one run directly back to camp.

In the end, the team’s unprecedented trip yielded skiing that was fairly mediocre, but that’s not to say that the adventure was in any way unsuccessful. Both Post and Stoecklein skied worthy, steep lines and affirmed that the terrain is incredible—its magnificence amplified only by the views of endless expansive wilderness. With better snow conditions, the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness has enormous potential for skiing, but any future adventurers hoping to access the terrain by raft will most likely be rolling the dice with snow conditions, just as Drew and Griffin did.

Drew Stoecklein and Griffin Post ski around the world for a living, but long after their raft and ski adventure on the Middle Fork, they keep coming back home to Idaho. When asked why, Stoecklein answers, “The remoteness. My mom gets super concerned about me going to Alaska and South America, but the skiing I’m doing in Idaho is just as remote and gnarly. We have a very rugged backyard.”

Whether skiing, rafting, or simply seeking adventure, may all of those who reside in or visit Sun Valley indulge in its ruggedness with the same ridiculous and extraordinary spirit as these local legends.

The photography of

andrew

kent

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continued from page 83

partner, Neal Preston, from the kitchen of his sister’s house to split up the business. He was ready to escape to the mountains of Idaho.

He did one last tour, as a favor to a longtime friend: the 1978 Black Sabbath tour with opening band Van Halen. Andy traveled with Ozzy Osborn and the heavy metal pioneers down the Eastern seaboard, sharing space in their GMC Eleganza motorhome.

“That was fun,” he casually understates. I can only imagine the antics that took place.

Then, just like that, Andy disappeared from backstage for good. In late 1978, Andy Kent became a permanent resident of the Wood River Valley, shooting only one show over the next 30 years.

Since moving here, Andy has lived comfortably off of royalties and from photographing art, including the extensive collection of Bill and Glenn Janss. He lives a simple life gardening, riding his motorcycle, and fishing—keeping mostly to himself . . . until recently, that is.

Andy has lately become involved in an online gallery specializing in historical rock photos, RockPaperPhoto.com. The website is releasing limited edition prints of Andy’s that were previously unavailable. “Opening nights at galleries were never my thing,” he says. Andy is one of the website’s featured photographers; it is an outlet for him to share his work.

While researching for this interview, I came across Andy’s name in an online forum about Jim Morrison’s controversial death. Andy was the last photographer to shoot Morrison alive. It was for a 1971 interview for the LA Free Press

by Bob Chorush, only several months before the death of The Doors’ lead singer. In a tape recording of the session, which has only recently been made available, Andy is introduced to Morrison. The online group of amateur rock historians discusses Andy’s role in the interview, and the biggest question is, “Is Andrew Kent still alive?” Nobody in the discussion knows for sure. Andy has read the same forum. He laughs, “I had my finger in history.” But the question about his whereabouts doesn’t bother him.

He’s content to be alive, well, and somewhat anonymous in Sun Valley Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 117

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asked to put the team together by World War I veteran Major James McDonald, one of the Valley’s two millionaires at the time. Outzs used it during the winter to bring supplies up to McDonald’s cabin on Pettit Lake.

D.A. recalls one winter when a plane was forced to land on frozen Pettit Lake because of a broken part. Her father’s team then had to traverse the never-plowed Galena Summit in deep snow to deliver the new plane part and rescue the people on board. Although Outzs remembers her dad taking the family on rides occasionally just for fun, his reason for having a team was to travel the otherwise inaccessible, snowy winter roads.

Since then, as snowplowing technology has improved, the necessity of a dog sled team to get around most places in Idaho has decreased. Now the main purpose for teams is to race and enjoy the company of the dogs and the process of training them.

“They’re doing what they love to do,” Larsen says. “Really, for us, we get to be a part of them, and that’s what’s really cool. We get to be a part of what they really love to do. I always look at it like it’s such a privilege to step on a sled and be with them because it is really phenomenal what dogs can do.”

The shift to recreational use has made sled dog racing a sport of specifics. Everything from the breed of the dog to the food they eat becomes a factor in how fast a team will be and how well they will perform.

In regard to the dogs, Larsen says the appearance is usually what surprises people about most teams. Most race dogs are now mutts—combination breeds that come from specific purebred lineages. The Larsens’ dogs have a Northern Husky base, but also have pointer and/or shorthaired and Saluki bred into them. They are somewhat misleadingly called Alaskan Huskies, which is the general catch-all term for most sled dogs, even though they are rarely more than a small portion Husky.

Other mushers choose alternative breed cocktails to try and produce dogs that have a gait, body type and personality suitable to their team. On average, American sled dogs are smaller and leaner than those in colder parts of the world. Depending on the type of racing the dogs do, the speed they run 118 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

varies and so their weight and coat thickness become factors that owners must consider.

Larsen says the healthy weight for most racing dogs is a mere 45 pounds. Lean weight often concerns some spectators, but he explains it in terms of top athletes. “They are like marathon runners, and sprint marathon runners at that,” Larsen says. “And think, if marathon runners were big and overweight, they’d be likely to hurt themselves. So we believe we should see some ribs and some bones, but with that said, we also watch them really closely and if they start getting too thin we start packing food in them.”

Larsen explains that overheating is one of the dangers mushers are concerned about for their dogs, so if the dogs will be running hard, they cannot have a traditional thick Husky coat.

Both Troy and Julia compete in mid-distance and sprint races, which have dogs running averages of 14 to 17 miles per hour. For teams that race long distance events, such as the Iditarod, mushers run the dogs at slower speeds, generally around eight miles per hour, to keep endurance up, which then allows for a thicker-coated breed.

When it comes to the topic of food, many mushers are tight-lipped. Diets range from fish and tripe to red meat and specialty brand athletic dog foods. Each musher tends to use a mix of substances to provide their dogs with the proper nutrients, but few will share details.

Regardless of what exactly goes into a dog’s bowl, Larsen says he is trying to give his dogs as much protein- and fat-packed food as they need to stay healthy with the amount of exercise they get. The exercise the dogs experience is based on each musher’s training regimen, which also can vary greatly. Larsen bases much of his and Julia’s teams’ training on the way he used to prepare for road bike races. They dedicate different days to intervals, speed and distance to try and build on all aspects of the dogs’ athleticism.

In the winter, the Larsens run their dogs 10 to 15 miles, four or five days a week. In the summertime, the dogs train less, but can still be seen towing an all-terrain vehicle out Deer Creek for three-mile runs once or twice a week.

And while some mushers hire trainers to condition and prepare their dogs, the Larsens keep it all in the family. “We do all of our own training,” Larsen says. “And the main reason for that is because, although there are vocal commands, [the dogs] actually learn more from your tone of voice. Tone of voice is more important than actual words. You can give a command and completely say the wrong thing, but if it’s in the right tone, they’ll get it.”

Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 119

Tara Hoff Ooms P.O. Box 81 Ketchum, ID 83340 208.788.4046 www.tarabellaflowers.com

photo: Dev Khasla

photo: Hillary Maybery

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WestAir Charter

888.511.5004 • westair.com/charter

Bring Europe to your door without leaving the Valley.

Pastries Cakes Coffee Bread LunCh take away 520 washington • ketchum 208-720-4096 www.rollingindough.net

Located 12 miles north of Fairfield, Soldier Mountain ski area is just one hour from Hailey or Twin Falls and 1.5 hours from Boise. Soldier Mountain is situated in the Sawtooth National Forest overlooking the pristine Camas Prairie.

photos by Craig Wolfrom

www.soldiermountain.com (208) 764-2526 Thursday-Sunday 9:00am - 4:00pm

Despite the historical image of mushers wielding a whip to direct their dogs, modernday mushers cue their teams solely with verbal commands, body weight transfers and a brake on the sled, so mushers who train their own teams often benefit from practice.

Training also acts as a way for mushers to learn their dogs’ personalities and quirks.

“The training is as much for the dogs as it is for us. You really learn a lot about each one,” Larsen explains.

In training, mushers often find that certain dogs have preferences about which side of the two-by-two line they like to run on or that they may have bad habits like harness chewing. And when a dog wants to switch to a different side mid-run or chews through a section of the harness, the whole team becomes inefficient.

“The bottom line is that your team is only as fast as your slowest dog,” Larsen says, explaining that any habits or hang-ups an individual dog may have can be detrimental, so learning how to mitigate for those issues ahead of time is essential.

And although the sport has become a tribute to the spirit of uniqueness and every musher practices his own versions of the “best way,” they all come together over shared passion and personal reasons for being there.

The Stanley Dog Sled Rendezvous weekend ends with mushers laughing about all the times they have been dragged, desperately hanging onto a sled that has toppled onto its side on a sharp turn, and discussing how to explain to their neighbors that they will be adding two more dogs to their team.

There is a camaraderie among these individuals that they can’t find with people who have never experienced the feeling of escaping into nature with a pack of animals, and a bond they share with their dogs that outsiders just can’t quite seem to grasp. Many of the mushers work full-time jobs unrelated to their teams, but they dedicate every extra hour they have to the sport. They have to.

But despite the serious commitment required for this hobby, most mushers appear to be enchanted by it. As each team pulls across the finish line in Stanley, the mushers smile with shared looks of wonder and exhilaration. Like the dogs, each one buzzes with an adrenaline high.

And while the mushers and dogs would happily retire to trucks and kennels to rest and rehydrate, the next morning, as the sun begins to warm the snow ever so slightly, the energy builds again. Dogs fidgeting. People chattering. Junkies jonesing.

120 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

Living in the shadow of the Sawtooths continued from page 89 and they’ll come down to dinner in their jammies,” explained Melinda Hadzor, a Stanley Town Councilperson and co-owner of the restaurant and inn.

Not to be outdone, on the other end of the dirt road you can find Stanley’s newest sensation, the Sawtooth Hotel and Dining Room. In only its second winter of operation, it’s already earning quite a following.

Building upon the success of their summer business, the Stanley Baking Company, an owner/operator team lead by Tim Cron spent about three years renovating the two-story log cabin hotel and restaurant.

Originally opened in 1931, the Sawtooth Hotel is perhaps best known for its time as a popular greasy spoon breakfast joint, and most recently as being part of Albertson College of Idaho. Offering spectacular views of the Sawtooths, a half-dozen rustic rooms and fresh and creative fare, the Sawtooth Hotel is already a popular stop for couples looking for a romantic getaway or backcountry skiers looking to reward their efforts with a delicious homemade meal.

The menu focuses on “hearty and simple foods,” according to chef Garin Apperson, offering things like freshly made sausages and weinerschnitzel, homemade dressings and desserts.

“We’re trying to do something that hasn’t really been done in this town,” Tim explained, after showing off the wonders of the building’s solar-powered water heating system. “It’s a cool old building and it’s a cool town. Starting this place was basically a means to an end. We just wanted to be able to live here.”

Calling Stanley home, in the winter especially, certainly requires some effort. But living in remote parts of Idaho always has; the challenges just add to the charm.

“True, hard-working Idahoans are what you find in Stanley. We just love it up here,” Bryant Dunn said. Bryant is a hunting and fishing guide and has seen a lot of the Gem State but there’s no place quite as special to him as Stanley.

“There’s nothing more Idahoan than a Salmon River community,” he said, pointing to the ground beneath him at the Bridge St. Grill.

“There’s so much tradition and history in one place, it’s remarkable. It’s the real Idaho.”

Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 121

Change the way you think about investing from fear and greed to motivation and passion.

Weekly workshops creating a fun and provocative environment for becoming financially fluent. visit www.f3blog.com for more info

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208.928.7500

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Whether a passionate collector, a hands-on artist or simply a casual gift buyer, Wood River Valley visitors and residents alike celebrate the arts in all forms. Indulge your senses. See, feel or hear for yourself. Visit the artists and galleries highlighted here, or check our website at www.sunvalleymag.com for a calendar of art classes and special events.

Expressions Galleries 360 East Avenue (In the Courtyard) Ketchum, Idaho 83340 208.928.7728 www.expressionsgalleries.com

GAIL SEVERN GALLERY 400 First Avenue North • Ketchum, ID 208.726.5079 • www.gailseverngallery.com

gilman contemporary 661 Sun Valley Road • Ketchum, ID 208.726.7585 www.gilmancontemporary.com

Presence, Christopher Reilly, encaustic and mixed media on panel, 37.5” x 81.5” framed

Expressions Galleries, features contemporary and traditional works from Nelson Boren, Fran Kievet, Dick Heichberger, DonnaHowell-Sickles, Bill Mittag, Ken Peloke, Jim Rey and Mary Roberson. All capture the unique lifestyle of the American West. These artists are anchored by the internationally renown native american bronze sculpture of Dave McGary who’s historically accurate work is found in collections throughout the world.

122 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

Celebrating 35 years featuring contemporary painting, sculpture and photography: Victoria Adams, Nicolas Africano, Tony Berlant, Bo Bartlett, Squeak Carnwath, Linda Christensen, Jose Cobo, Chuck Close, James Cook, Kris Cox, David deVillier, Betsy Eby, Tony Foster, Raphaëlle Goethals, Morris Graves, Michael Gregory, Jonathon Hexner, Jun Kaneko, Margaret Keelan, Judith Kindler, Gary Komarin, Hung Liu, Lynda Lowe, Robert McCauley, Laura McPhee, Cole Morgan, Kenna Moser, Gwynn Murrill, Ed Musante, Marcia Myers, Carolyn Olbum, Deborah Oropallo, Luis Gonzáles Palma, Robert Polidori, Christopher Reilly, Rene Rickabaugh, William Robinson, Jane Rosen, Brad Rude, Julie Speidel, Jack Spencer, Mark Stasz, Therman Statom, Allison Stewart, Inez Storer, and Theodore Waddell. Visit Severn Art Services for all your custom picture framing, art shipping and art installation needs.

Foxy, Gerardo Hacer, folded steel and powder coating

For centuries art galleries have provided visitors world-wide a gathering place which draws from all walks of life. Patrons not only discuss art, but politics, fashion and everyday events in a unique environment of eclectic culture. Gilman Contemporary is happy to continue this tradition through exhibiting a variety of artists’ works in a relaxed and vibrant setting which inspires thought-provoking and lively conversation. Presenting photography, sculpture, and painting, we continue to fulfill our mission to bring compelling contemporary work to the Valley.

charles arnoldi at ochi gallery

galleries & artists

HARVEY ART PROJECTS USA

Contemporary Indigenous Art from Australia

391 First Avenue, Ketchum 208.309.8676 • www.harveyartprojects.com

Master Framing and Installation Services since 1974

Untitled 2011, Raymond Tjapaltjarri, acrylic on linen, 91 x 46cm

Aboriginal art is Australia’s leading contemporary art movement yet it’s origins are derived from the oldest continuous artistic tradition known to man. Today, contemporary Aboriginal Art provides indigenous Australians significant economic and cultural stability through ongoing connection to family, country and Tjurrkupa (Dreamtime). Harvey Art Projects USA is a unique presence in the USA. Founded by Australian Indigenous Curator Julie Harvey, the organization is dedicated to developing greater cultural awareness, understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal art in America. The Ketchum based gallery represents many of Australia’s leading desert artists and their communities including the renowned Papunya Tula Artists through regular exhibitions and satellite events in New York, San Francisco & Los Angeles.

Kneeland Gallery 271 First Avenue North • Ketchum, ID 208.726.5512 • fax: 208.726.3490 art@kneelandgallery.com www.kneelandgallery.com

Severn Art Services has been the principal framer to collectors and galleries for 35 years. Specializing in quality custom and archival framing, featuring exquisite copies of vintage frames and contemporary frames for fine art, mirrors, and three dimensional objects of all sizes. We provide experienced installation and curatorial services for homes, collectors, and corporations. We also provide cost effective framing and care for prints, posters, personal mementos, and family photos.

Please visit us in our showroom, next to Gail Severn Gallery in the Severn Building at 400 First Avenue North, for consultation and frame selections.

Contact us for both indoor and outdoor installation needs.

Art Hanging & Installation Hardwoods • Leathers • Specialty Mats • Plexiboxes Gold Leaf • Custom Metals • Period Frames Conservation & Restoration

Severn Art ServiceS 400 First Avenue North • PO Box 1679 • Ketchum, ID 83340 208.726.5088 • fax 208.726.5092 artservices@gailseverngallery.com WWW.GAILSEVERNGALLERY.COM

Sun Valley’s Premier Lodge … on Ketchum’s Main Street Autumn: Frank & Jessie James, Thom Ross, acrylic on canvas, 36” x 36”

Exhibiting paintings & sculpture by nationally recognized as well as emerging artists living and working in the West. Featured artists include Steven Lee Adams, Carol Alleman, Virginie Baude, Ovanes Berberian, Cary Henrie, John Horejs, Lona Hymas-Smith, Shanna Kunz, Kent Lovelace, Jennifer Lowe, Robert Moore, Jean Richardson, Thom Ross, Carl Rowe, Linda St. Clair, Sherry Salari Sander, Linda Tippetts, Bart Walker and Andrzej Skorut. Additional artists can be viewed on our website.

Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 123

Walk to Dining, Dancing and Shopping Café on Premises • Indoor Pool/Spa • Fitness Center • Conference Room

208.726.4114 • 800.805.1001

180 South Main Street • Ketchum • www.bestwestern.com/kentwoodlodge

Windmill Ridge, LLC

{

25 Individual Cabins Family Style Restaurant and Bakery Truck and RV Parking Available Pet Friendly Cabins Available

Linda St. Clair 271 First Avenue North Ketchum, ID 83340 208.726.5512 www.kneelandgallery.com

Let Sleeping Bears Lie, Oil on Canvas, 24” x 48”

}

Alamo, Nevada

Windmill Ridge, LLC

775.7 25.3685

office hours: 6:30 am to 9:00 pm

www.wind-mill-ridge.com

The work of internationally acclaimed artist Linda St. Clair is now showing at Ketchum’s Kneeland Gallery, 271 First Avenue North, where members of the public are invited to view her latest paintings that explore wildlife’s vital energy and broad emotional range. Whether the subjects are lions or lambs, horses or hares, or the flamboyant and feisty barnyard rooster, St. Clair’s work is characterized by bold color, loose brushstrokes, and the contrast of light and shade and thin and thick textures.

Themes of parenthood, strength and the soft, silent language of affection can be seen in her work.

SFP Studio 680 E. Sun Valley Road Ketchum, ID 83340 208.727.6803 • www.sfpstudio.com stephanie@sfpstudio.com

"We treat every car as if it were our own."

Service & Repair • Oil Changes World-class Auto Detailing • Mobile Detailing CARcierge Services Airport Pickup & Curbside Delivery Paintless Dent Removal Windshield Repair & Replacement Car Sales & Specialty Searches Heated, Secure Car Storage Two Full-Time ASE Auto Mechanics

208.578.2323 • www.svautoclub.com Attention to Details is now part of the Sun Valley Auto Club Team Aircraft Detailing • Mobile Detailing

Samburu Warrior

Kenya, 2010

“It’s one thing to photograph people; it’s another to make others care about them by revealing the core of their humanness.”

-Paul Strand At SFP Studio, Stephanie Freid-Perenchio, humanitarian documentary photographer, shares her photographs of people and wildlife from places around the world including Africa, Middle East, South America and Southeast Asia as well as Montana, Wyoming and her own private Idaho. Through all of her travels and images captured, Stephanie works to spotlight the dignity of humanity no matter the shape, size, religion or country of origin.

124 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

sun valley center for the arts 191 5th Street E., Ketchum 314 2nd Avenue S., Hailey 208.726.9491 www.sunvalleycenter.org

Combatant Col Camp 2010, Anna McKee, courtesy the artist, acrylic ink on paper on panel, pencil

The Sun Valley Center is at the center of your Sun Valley experience. The Center brings the arts to our community this winter through performances including H’Sao, Flamenco Vivo and Dervish; exhibitions Thin Ice: Journeys in Polar Regions and Urban Lifecycles; lectures and art classes for adults, families and kids.

See website for details and schedules.

Robert McCauley at Gail Severn Gallery.

gallery walk dates 2011 GALLERY WALKS Friday, December 30

2012 GALLERY WALKS Friday, February 17 Friday, March 9 Saturday, May 26 Friday, July 6 Friday, August 3 Friday, August 31 Friday, October 12 Friday, November 23 Friday, December 28

Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 125

Galleries & restaurants // map

(TO IDAHO ROCKY MOUNTAIN RANCH) (TO OCHI GALLERY)

(TO TRAIL CREEK CABIN) (TO SUN VALLEY RESORT) (TO THE RAM)

*

Hailey

(TO GREEN ANTELOPE GALLERY)

to Bellevue

ketchum

(TO ROUNDHOUSE)

Restaurants G6

F7

The Cellar Pub 400 E. Sun Valley Rd. CIRO 230 Walnut Ave.

H13 CK’s Real Food

320 S. Main St., Hailey H6

G7

F6

C4

F4

Cornerstone Bar & Grill 211 Main St. Cristina’s 520 E. 2nd St.

dashi 220 N. East Ave.

The Grill at Knob Hill 960 N. Main St. Globus 291 E. 6th St.

Galleries G5

G4

H4

D10 Power House Glow 411 N. Main St., Hailey 380 Washington Ave. #105 il Naso 480 N. Washington Ave. Java 191 4th St., Ketchum

F12 Java

111 N. 1st Ave., Hailey E5

G6

F6

G5

Ketchum Grill 520 East Ave.

G6

H5

F6

H5

The Kneadery 260 N. Leadville Ave.

H6

Pioneer Saloon 320 N. Main St.

F11

Michel’s Christiania 303 Walnut Ave.

126 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

G6

Roosevelt Grille 280 N. Main St. Sawtooth Club 231 N. Main St.

Sayvour 360 N. East Ave.

Smoky Mountain Pizza 200 Sun Valley Rd. Sushi on Second 260 Second St.

Vintage Restaurant 231 Leadville Ave.

Zaney’s 208 N. River St., Hailey

(TO BRICKHOUSE BAR AND GRILL)

F6

Expressions Gallery 360 N. East Ave. Unit 2&3

G4

SV Center for the Arts 191 5th St E.

H4

Gail Severn Gallery 400 1st Ave. N.

G14 SV Center for the Arts

314 2nd Ave. S., Hailey

E7

Gilman Contemporary 661 Sun Valley Rd.

H4

Harvey Arts 391 1st Ave. N.

H5

Kneeland Gallery 271 1st Ave. N.

H5

Linda St. Clair showing at Kneeland Gallery

F7

sfp Studio­ 680 Sun Valley Rd.

dining guide The Wood River Valley enjoys a wide variety of food for every palate and budget. For the best advice in finding the perfect eatery, check out the tasty offerings shown here in Sun Valley Magazine’s dining guide.

Visit www.sunvalleymag.com for online menus.

Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 127

CK’s Real Food Real meals for real people

We at CK’s believe our business should be part of the solution and not part of the problem. We recycle everything: metals, glass, paper, and cardboard. Our used cooking oil goes to the local science teacher for his bio-fuel car. The vegetable scraps become compost for our garden. Our paper products are made from wheat or recycled paper.

Fifteen percent of our energy is produced by our rooftop solar panels and solar hot water is on the way soon. Many of us commute to work on foot or by bike. Our food comes from several local farms and ranches and we purify our drinking water. Our goal is fresh healthy food that will feed your body and your soul.

GLOW Live Food Café 100% organic and delicious

Health-conscious Ketchumites and visitors looking for high-energy, delicious and healthful foods need look no further than GLOW Live Food Café.

Visitors, locals, and dedicated athletes flock to the always fresh and original GLOW, an organic, vegan, live food café in the heart of Ketchum. Owner Molly Peppo Brown, trained in nutrition by Gabriel Cousens, M.D., and Dr. Bob Marshall of Premier Research Labs, has created a bright and inviting space that serves healthy and nutritious fare using the live food concept (plant-based foods not heated or cooked above 118 degrees)—a way of preparing foods that keeps nutrients, minerals and enzymes intact for the body to utilize.

The menu, which is both innovative and delicious, consists of energizing superfood smoothies, green juices, a rotating daily selection of organic live vegan entrées and delicious desserts that are actually good for you! Every menu item is designed to satisfy the tastebuds and nourish the soul. Dig into the Deep Dish Pizza served on a sunflower-pumpkin-flax-chia-seed crust, or try the Indian Grain Bowl (cooked, vegan), a tasty concoction of diced bell peppers, carrots, kale, steamed quinoa and a creamy Indian-spiced cashew sauce.

Other menu favorites are the Kale Salad with creamy dulse dressing, Sun Valley Wrap (in a collard leaf ) and the GLOW Roll. Also noteworthy are the Chia Porridge and GLOW Buckwheat-goji Granola.

Smoothie favorites are the Chocolate Banana Monkey Love or the Coconut Kiss.

All menu items are wheat, flour, soy, gluten and dairy free.

GLOW supports local farmers and uses local produce when seasonally available. GLOW offers hands-on classes, party platters and custom desserts.

Special thanks to all our suppliers Ballard Dairy Water Wheel Farm King’s Crown Organics Grace Organics A+ Ranch Mountain Fresh Produce Mountain Pride Open Range Beef

Phone: 208.788.1223 Location: 320 S. Main Street, Hailey Hours: Lunch, Mon-Fri, 11 am to 2 pm; Dinner nightly at 5 pm Outdoor dining: Seasonal Beverages: Beer, wine, soft drinks Reservations: Recommended Type of cuisine: Regional Northwest Service: Dinner nightly 5 pm to 10 pm, Catering available Website: www.cksrealfood.com 128 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

Photo: Hillary Maybery

Idaho’s Bounty Co-op Ernie’s Organics Shooting Star Farm Fair Mountain Farm Springs of Life Lava Lake Ranch Canyon Trout Farm Rolling Stone Chevre M&M Heath Farm

Phone: 208.725.0314 Location: 380 Washington Avenue, #105, Ketchum Summer Hours: 10 am to 5 pm daily Outdoor dining: Seasonal Beverages: Shakes, smoothies, tea, lattés, juice Reservations: Not accepted Type of cuisine: Local, organic, raw, vegan Service: Dine in, takeout, party platters, catering, custom desserts Website: www.glowlivefood.com

Java Coffee and Café Wake up and live®

When Todd Rippo trademarked the slogan “Wake up and Live®” for his hip java house back in 1991, he forever sealed a mantra that speaks to every community that gathers in one of his establishments.

With mountainous backdrops from Ketchum to Boise (and Twin Falls in between), nothing says wake up and live better than a stop at any one of Java’s five locations.

The legend began in Ketchum when Rippo moved from San Diego and opened Java on Fourth and introduced the enlightening and addictive “Bowl of Soul®,” a chocolate espresso blend of invigorating substances that put Java on the map.

Menu items that demand equal attention include the Java Benedict, a toasted bagel topped with hickory smoked ham, poached eggs and hollandaise sauce; Huevos Rancheros, two eggs steamed with cheese on black beans and tortillas; Frankie’s Homemade steel-cut Oatmeal served piping hot with brown sugar, steamed milk, cinnamon and banana; Breakfast Croissant filled with scrambled eggs and thick, cheese-topped bacon or, The Dirty Hippie Burrito, a flour tortilla, with two steamed scrambled eggs, cheese, black beans, green chilies, verde crème fraiche, chopped tomato & green onion.

All these scrumptious items are served all day. And delicious baked goods, boasting “ingredients our mothers would be proud of” are made fresh daily.

Coffee is made using only certified, organic Fair Trade Coffee and fresh beans are roasted every Monday.

Fresh juices, blended drinks, herbal and black loose teas are also available.

Stop by Java’s newest location in Hailey in the new Meriwether Building, one block off Main Street at Carbonate, and see why Mountain Living Magazine called Java the “best High Country coffee shop,” Women’s Sport Fitness called “The Killer Muffins at Java,” the best reason to rise, Town and Country Magazine said, “of course it’s Java it’s strong and perfect,” and The New York Times noted people “line up for drinks like the Bowl of Soul®.”

Phone: Ketchum 208.726.2882, Hailey 208.788.2399 Location: 191 4th Street, Ketchum; 111 N. 1st Avenue, Hailey Hours: 6 am to 6 pm, daily Outdoor dining: Seasonal Beverages: Cafe and Bakery Reservations: Not Accepted Type of cuisine: Café, full breakfast and lunch menu, fresh baked goods Service: Breakfast served all day, lunch, dine in take out.

Website: www.javabowlofsoul.com

Power House Pub and bike fit studio

Bikes, burgers, and beer. The Power House has created an environment to nurture these interests. The fusion of these three integral parts of our community explains why it is hard to get a seat at the Power House.

With over 150 bottled beers and 20 on tap, there is something to quench the most basic thirst and challenge the most critical palate. The eclectic hand-picked selection focuses on beers from Belgium, Germany, and England. Cocktails are equally as enticing with a full bar, highlighting an array of premium tequila and whiskey.

It’s common routine to ask the knowledgeable staff to match a beer to your taste, order a locally-sourced dinner, and watch the bike mechanics massage your ride. The Power House is a destination bike fit studio where you benefit from owner Billy Olsen’s 20-plus years of experience. Check out what Bike Magazine describes as “a marriage counselor for you and your bike.”

Made from scratch with the best ingredients, sourced locally whenever possible, the menu showcases the virtue of less is more. From the housemade ketchup to the hand-patted burgers to the locally made organic challah buns, the menu delivers. A few of the popular offerings include fresh salads, mahi-mahi tacos, fresh-dipped corn dogs, steak chili, and hand-cut fries. Breakfast is the newest Power House feature, where they were able to raise the bar yet again.

Billy’s innovative integration of bikes, burgers, and beer has earned him the attention and praise of many industry leaders. Outside Magazine dubbed the Power House “one of their favorite watering holes.” Followed

by Bicycling Magazine’s nomination of being one of the Top 100 bike shops in the nation. What is the Power House? From the moment you walk in the door, it’s a great place to be.

Phone: 208.788.9184 Location: 411 North Main, Hailey Hours: Monday – Friday: 11:30 am to 10 pm—The latest food available in town.

Saturday – Sunday: 8:30 – 10 pm - breakfast ‘til 11:30 am Outdoor dining: Seasonal Beverages: Beer, wine, full bar Reservations: Not accepted Type of cuisine: Locally sourced, totally normal pub food made exceptional by quality.

Service: Dine in, take out Website: www.powerhouseidaho.com Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 129

Sayvour Café and Catering Café, cooking classes and catering

Smoky Mountain Pizzeria Grill Fun place . . . seriously good food

Located in the heart of Ketchum, Smoky Mountain Pizzeria Grill is a comfortable, casual and dynamic family restaurant. We pride ourselves on a well-trained staff, attention to service and quality food. Our menu features unique pizzas and pastas enhanced with ingredients of varying cultures and cuisine. We also offer incredible salads, sandwiches, grilled steaks, hamburgers and desserts as well as an extensive beer and wine selection, a kid’s menu, catering and a fast, friendly delivery service. In addition to our extensive menu, you’ll always find an exciting selection of seasonal appetizers, entrées and desserts, as well as great lunch specials daily. Warm up in Smoky’s cozy fireplace room.

No translator needed, just open your mouth and slip away. “The language of cuisine is a great way to travel without leaving home,” says chef Nadina Keller of Sayvour Café & Catering. She’ll come right inside your home and set the stage for your tour of delights. Nadina’s first love is the catering side of the business because of the opportunities to create unique dishes for every party. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Nadina spent two decades developing her own language of cuisine while traveling and training through South America and the United States.

Originating in the local Farmers Markets, Nadina was joined three years later by sisters Beatriz and Martha Avila. The trio combined their training (Martha attended culinary school in Cournavaca, Mexico), their passion for great food and service to open the brick and mortar Sayvour Café & Catering located at 360 N. East Avenue in Ketchum. Their Argentinian and Mexican heritages create a unique epicurean flair.

Sayvour Café is a reflection of the joy found in the challenges that come with running a successful catering business. The Café sort of just fell into place and has become a great location to hold cooking classes.

Tucked in the East Avenue Courtyard, the Café is cozy yet light and airy with seating for as few as two or a moderately sized party, or sit barside right at the edge of their immaculate kitchen.

Don’t leave without trying their signature house-made Idaho Potato Chips, which are sinfully delicious (even for vegetarians) and made with a unique blend of lavender and salt or the more subtle flavors of salt and parmesan.

The fun doesn’t stop there, Sayvour has cooking classes for kids and adults that are on a regular schedule or you can grab your friends and create your own class—covering Mexican, Argentinean, Thai, Sushi and flavors from around the world.

Sayvour specializes in catering special events, private dinners and parties from two to more than 100. If you need dinner on the run, however, they won’t let you starve, offering appetizers and dinners to go.

Phone: 208.720.9061 / 208.928.7774 Location: 360 N. East Avenue (adjacent to Soundwave) East Avenue Courtyard Hours: Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm; Weekends for Tapas Nights, Seasonal Dinners and Private Events Outdoor dining: Seasonal Beverages: Coffee, tea, beer, wine Reservations: Recommended for cooking classes Type of cuisine: House-made pasta, paninis, sandwiches, soups, salads Service: Breakfast and lunch, cooking classes, catering Website: www.sayvourit.com 130 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

Phone: 208.622.5625 Location: 200 Sun Valley Road, Ketchum Hours: Mon-Thurs 11 am to 9 pm, Fri-Sat 11 am to 10 pm, Sunday 12 pm to 9 pm Outdoor dining: Seasonal Beverages: Beer, wine, soft drinks Reservations: Recommended for groups of 10 or more Type of cuisine: Pizza, pasta, grill menu including steaks and burgers, homemade soups and salads Service: Dine in, takeout, delivery Website: www.smokymountainpizza.com

Vintage Restaurant Delightfully distinguished

Zaney’s River Street Coffee House The community’s gathering place

Eclectic, upscale, peasant food.

Vintage Restaurant is proud to be primitive. If anyone can spin grass and berries into a platter of delights, Jeff Keys can. Along with his wife Sheila, the couple produces a unique menu that changes daily with the whims of the owner/chef, the available produce and the freshness of the locally farmed seafood, meat and poultry.

“Vintage is not a machine-driven restaurant,” Jeff says. “We don’t have the fanciest equipment. We have very little space. We are handmade in every sense of the word.”

Menu highlights include Delights of the Naked Stranger, rock shrimp tamales, crispy skin roast duckling, pecan crusted chicken and spicy Cajun oysters.

Housed in the restored historic Burt Cross cabin, Jeff and Sheila combined the best of their popular previous restaurants—Soupcón and Bellevue Bistro—to create Vintage.

The environment reflects their sensitivity to elegance and comfort.

A rustic and warm interior gives the visitors a cozy feeling as they await their meal.

Jeff says his creativity is guided by the ingredients he uses.

“The natural beauty and intrinsic value of the ingredients tell us what to do,” he says.

Those who want to attempt to replicate their experience at home, or at least do so vicariously, will enjoy perusing the recently published book, Vintage Restaurant: Handcrafted Cuisine from a Sun Valley Favorite.

Phone: 208.726.9595 Location: 231 Leadville Avenue, Ketchum Hours: 6 pm to closing Outdoor dining: Seasonal Beverages: Beer, wine, soft drinks Reservations: Recommended Type of cuisine: Eclectic world Service: Dine in

When is a coffee shop more than just a coffee shop?

When it’s Zaney’s River Street Coffee House. From the moment you walk into Zaney’s, you feel the difference. There is something more to this place. That something is the sense of community that pervades the little red house in downtown Hailey. People come here to take in the rich scents of house-roasted coffee beans and to get their daily jolt, but they find themselves lingering for conversation and debate. Zaney’s is an unofficial, sometimes unintended, gathering place. Perhaps it’s the comfort of knowing that the owner/coffee roaster Sue Martin has lived and raised her children in this Valley for over 20 years. Perhaps it is because Sue has the “best family and employee team in Hailey.” Certainly, the wholesome breakfast creations such as huevos rancheros, breakfast burritos and everyone’s favorite, the fried egg sandwich (with pesto mayo and bacon), help set the tone. For lunch and weekend brunch specials, you can expect to find daily chef’s creations utilizing Wood River Organics’ produce and seasonal finds from Hailey’s Farmers Market.

At its heart, Zaney’s was started with coffee and delicious food as its goals, but it has become something more. The inspiration behind this small shop on River Street came from Zane, Sue’s youngest son who had started a career as a connoisseur coffee roaster and international bean purchaser. Zane was adamant about finding the best quality beans from the most respectable plantations and using wellresearched methods for roasting. Sadly, Zane had a fatal motorcycle crash two years after opening the business with his mom. However, Zane’s inspiration lives on and his memory is honored by the hum of espresso machines and in the customers’ lively conversations.

If you haven’t already experienced Zaney’s, come by and learn why the locals who care about coffee and community care about Zaney’s.

Photo: five B studios

Phone: 208.788.2062 Location: 208 N. River Street, Hailey Hours: Weekdays 6 am to 4 pm, Weekends 7 am to 4 pm Outdoor dining: Seasonal Beverages: Coffee, tea, smoothies, Italian sodas Reservations: Not required Type of cuisine: Coffeehouse and café Service: Dine in, takeout

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Galleries & restaurants // chart

Restaurant The Cellar Pub CIRO restaurant & wine bar CK’s Real Food Cornerstone Bar & Grill Cristina’s Restaurant & Bakery

Location

Contact

Cuisine

WRFD Member

400 E. Sun Valley Road, Ketchum

208.622.3832 www.thecellarpub.com

American Pubfare

230 Walnut Avenue, Ketchum

208.727.1800 www.cirosunvalley.com

Seasonal menu using local producers; woodburning oven; family friendly

320 S. Main Street, Hailey

208.788.1223 www.cksrealfood.com

Regional Northwest

211 Main Street, Ketchum

208.928.7777 www.cbgketchum.com

Urban Western Cuisine

520 E. 2nd Street, Ketchum

208.726.4499

Casual European Bakery, catering, and take-away

dashi

220 N. East Avenue, Ketchum

Globus

291 E. 6th Street, Ketchum

208.726.1301 www.globus-restaurant.com

Gourmet Asian

380 Washington Avenue, #105, Ketchum

208.725.0314

Live Food Café

GLOW Live Food Café

208.928.7703 www.dashisunvalley.com

Modern Asian/ New American

960 N. Main Street, Ketchum

208.726.8004 www.knobhillinn.com

480 N. Washington Avenue, Ketchum

208.726.7776

Italian

191 4th St., Ketchum 111 N. 1st Ave, Hailey

208.726.2882 208.788.2399

Breakfast, lunch, fresh baked goods

Ketchum Grill

520 East Avenue, Ketchum

208.726.4660 www.ketchumgrill.com

New American with an Idaho emphasis

The Kneadery

260 N. Leadville Avenue, Ketchum

208.726.9462

Idaho American

Michel’s Christiania

303 Walnut Avenue, Ketchum

208.726.3388 www.christianiarestaurant.com

Traditional French

Pioneer Saloon

320 N. Main Street, Ketchum

208.726.3139 www.pioneersaloon.com

American Steakhouse

Power House

411 N. Main Street Hailey

208.788.9184 www.powerhouseidaho.com

Healthy American and Artisan Beers

Roosevelt Grille

280 N. Main Street, Ketchum

208.726.0051 www.rooseveltgrille.com

American bistro and steakhouse

Sawtooth Club

231 N. Main Street, Ketchum

208.726.5233 www.sawtoothclub.com

Creative American dining/casual bar

360 N. East Ave., Ketchum

208.928.7498

200 Sun Valley Road, Ketchum

208.622.5625 www.smokymountainpizza.com

The Grill at Knob Hill iL Naso Java Coffee & Café

Sayvour Smoky Mountain Pizzeria Grill Sushi on Second Vintage Restaurant Zaney’s River Street Coffee House

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Northwest

Catering, Gourmet Food Store & Gifts, Deli. To Go Food, Cooking Classes Pizza, pasta, grill menu including steaks, burgers, homemade soups and salads

260 Second Street, Ketchum

208.726.5181 www.sushionsecond.com

Asian Fusion

231 Leadville Avenue, Ketchum

208.726.9595

Eclectic World

208 N. River Street, Hailey

208.788.2062

Coffee House/Cafe

View listings in the Wood River Fine Dining Guide and at www.woodriverfinedining.com

Fine Dining Wood River

www.woodriverfinedining.com

}

Italian American European Asian Fusion French Steakhouse

Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 133

Dear Friends,

Since our inception five years ago, the 15 restaurants that make up the Wood River Fine Dining Association have endured many challenges and changes. This past year was no exception; food prices rose drastically, along with fuel prices, and the restaurant industry is facing one of the most discouraging economic outlooks to come—and yet, the diversity of the food we offer, our devotion to our craft and our customers, and passion for presenting great food, has only deepened.

Why do we dine out in restaurants? At its most basic, food provides for our survival—but you don’t need restaurants to survive.

Restaurants though, provide more than food. Restaurants are social gathering places. Restaurants provide memories for friends and traditions for families. Restaurants can inspire new trends and new ideas, and a great restaurant can be the finger on the pulse beating from the heart of a community­—a place to encounter regionally inspired dishes and experience the flavors created and grown right at your own feet.

The 15 restaurants in the WR Fine Dining Guide are the heart of our community. We have embraced a locavore approach, sourcing from within 100 miles for our local organic produce; potatoes, lettuces, herbs, dozens of squash varieties, dried legumes and edible and decorative flowers. We use local dairy—farm-fresh milk, artisan cheeses and organic farm fresh eggs. We savor our local organic lamb, organic free-range chicken and farm-raised trout, and though all of these ingredients might not be found in every one of our restaurants, we all work to avail ourselves of local product, as it is available and economically feasible. Many of us even grow our own vegetables.

We share ideas. We share customers. We share a friendship that comes of our work together. We share generous donations with our communities and non-profit organizations. We have even moved forward as a cooperative to negotiate reduced credit card merchant fees, which then helps us keep our menu prices affordable.

At its inception, the WR Fine Dining Guide began with the idea that the best restaurants in Ketchum would create a publication providing information about each of their eating establishments, so customers could make informed choices about where to spend their money, and more importantly, their valuable time. In three short years we have become so much more than that—a family, a force, a significant contribution to our regional farm communities and the heart of a community.

We are passionate about creating and bringing new experiences to our customers, and we will strive to find ways to stay in business when all economic indicators point otherwise. We are strong because we love what we do, and together we will continue to find a way to do what we love.

Sincerely,

Jill, Roger, Paige, Tracey, Mark, Meg, Erik, Cristina, Tyler, Wendy, Alyson, Sean, Scott, Anne, Duffy, Bob, Jolie, Ellie, Michel and Tom

Cover Art: Ann Yoder. Showing at Green Antelope Gallery, Bellevue.

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The Cellar Pub Where Valley folks say “cheers!”

Support local restaurants that support local farmers

The Cellar Pub, boasting the Valley’s best Alaskan Cod Fish and Chips, is nestled below Sun Valley Road, just a stone’s throw from Main Street. Reminiscent of the legendary Cheers bar, where everybody knows your name, The Cellar Pub is a favorite with locals seeking the perfect après-ski atmosphere. It provides a convenient venue for catching up with friends, old and new.

The Cellar Pub features traditional pub fare, in addition to its more unique entrées. The beloved bangers and mash, flat iron steak salad, and Idaho Lamb or Kobe sliders are just a few examples.

The variety of cuisine is sure to please every appetite. In addition to the menu favorites, The Cellar Pub offers its patrons a full bar and features a selection of draft beers, fine wines and spirits from around the globe.

Bigger than a nook, yet intimate and cozy, The Cellar Pub is a warm and inviting pub that ensures fun times with every visit.

It also offers the competitor in all of us a venue to cheer for your favorite team, or to challenge friends to a game of shuff leboard.

Run by pillars of the Ketchum food service community, The Cellar Pub is owned and managed by a team of local all-stars. This family-like group pays close attention to quality service and the overall experience for every visitor to The Cellar Pub. Please check our website to view The Cellar Pub’s complete Food and Drink menus at www.thecellarpub.com.

LIVE EAT LOCAL

Idaho Preferred® is a program of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture.

For more information go to www.idahopreferred.com.

Phone: 208.622.3832 Location: 400 E. Sun Valley Road, Ketchum Hours: Open daily, 4 pm Outdoor dining: Seasonal Beverages: Full bar, beer, wine, shots Reservations: Not accepted Type of cuisine: American Service: Dine in, takeout Website: www.thecellarpub.com

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CIRO restaurant & wine bar market & wine merchants “don’t cook tonight”

photo: paulette phlipot

CIRO restaurant & wine bar is a Valley favorite for casual, affordable, fine dining. Offering a seasonally and regionally inspired menu, we strive to use local, natural and organic produce—some of which we grow ourselves. We’re celebrated for our innovative daily specials using fresh, direct-shipped seafood, organic lamb; our signature breadsticks, handcrafted desserts, and ice creams—and the best thin crust pizza in town! We offer the largest wine-by-the-glass selection in the Valley, and more than 100 bottles—personally selected for value and quality.

Warm, modern-alpine design, mountain views, open kitchen, and an apple-wood burning pizza oven set the stage. Gracious, longtime staff, hosts and owners Tracey and Mark Caraluzzi offer engaging and genuine hospitality. Bar-side bistro tables and a rustic limestone fireplace provides an inviting space to ‘uncork & unwind ’ with friends, or is very comfortable as a single. Voted ‘Best Wine Bar’ in the Valley, and listed in Sunset Magazine’s ‘Where to Eat & Drink’ when visiting the Sun Valley area.

CIRO market & wine merchants next door offers take-home freshly prepared foods, ‘Best Cheese Selection in the Valley,’ specialty items, and a carefully chosen, well-priced wine selection with something for everyone and any wallet. Open table seating and wines available by-the-glass makes this a cozy place for friends to meet.

Free wine and cheese tasting every Wednesday from 4-6pm.

CIRO catering is one of the most sought after in the Valley, offering full-service catering of exceptional quality and value, for events of any size, whether small and causal or large and elaborate.

Phone: Restaurant & Catering: 208.727.1800, Market 208.622.4400 Location: 230 Walnut Avenue, Ketchum Hours: Lunch: Mon-Fri, 11:30 am to 2:30 pm/Open everyday for dinner 5:30 pm Market: Please call for seasonal hours Outdoor dining: Seasonal Beverages: Extensive wine list, organic beer, soft drinks Type of cuisine: Seasonal, contemporary Italian Service: Catering, takeout, deli, discount wine sales Website: www.cirosunvalley.com 136 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

Cornerstone Bar & Grill Urban western cuisine

It’s wild west meets haute cuisine at Cornerstone Bar and Grill. Longtime locals, Meg and Erik Vorm, welcome you to a Main St. venue as stimulating to the eye as it is to the taste buds.

Recipient of the prestigious AIA Honor Award, the Cornerstone (built in 1884) remains the only building in Ketchum listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. Inside its modern décor, you’ll enjoy a seasonally changing array of game, seafood and vegetable dishes, complemented by hand-crafted cocktails and a list of beer and wine that’s both familiar and eclectic.

It’s a local twist on the city-style grill, with an open kitchen featuring buffalo strip loin encrusted with coffee and cocoa nibs, nightly fish specials and the famous mac and cheese. Regular items also include vegan and gluten-free dishes and a better than you’d expect children’s menu, all with a Main Street price point, so there really is something for everyone.

Call to reserve the Mafia Table downstairs in the intimate stonewalled Grotto, or watch the action from above in the spacious Skybox, surrounded by historic bricks fired in old Ketchum, or make a night of it in the bustling main level bar with its comfortable banquette and Main St.-Watcher-Booth. Check out the guest bartender every Wednesday and bring the kids for Happy Hour Playdate in the Skybox. Watch the calendar for Pirate Night, Abba vs. The BeeGees, and Use Your Words: an original poetry, prose and music event and other themed party nights.

The Cornerstone Bar and Grill always serves up a night to remember, making it the new Ketchum tradition.

Phone: 208.928.7777 Location: 211 Main Street, Ketchum Hours: Bar: 5 pm - midnight; Dining: 5 pm –11 pm, seven days a week Beverages: Full bar, excellent wine list, favorite beers Reservations: Recommended and encouraged Type of Cuisine: Innovative American with French blessing Service: Bar, dining, above-average children’s menu, private parties Website: www.cbgketchum.com

Cristina’s Restaurant and Bakery European-style trattoria and pasticceria

For 20 years, Cristina’s Restaurant and Bakery has been serving up a delicious array of seasonally-inspired recipes for a devoted clientele who come to the charming, salmon-colored house in Ketchum to enjoy the company of friends, good conversation and satisfying food.

“Food is really about people and friendship,” says Cristina. “In Tuscany, it’s not just about the food. We sit at the table for four hours, but we don’t eat for four hours. We talk, we laugh, we cry.”

From her signature soups to her freshly baked breads and breakfast pastries, everything Cristina offers in this cozy, European-style trattoria is steeped in her Tuscan heritage. Choose from traditional Tuscan recipes such as Scampi al Dragoncello, Tortellini in Brodo and Zuppa di Farro, along with homemade pastas, fresh salads, thin crust pizzas and a variety of daily specials. And don’t forget the deli, which overflows with a tantalizing assortment of hot and cold entrées, salads, appetizers and imported and domestic cheeses, salami and olives.

Cristina’s two cookbooks, Cristina’s of Sun Valley and Cristina’s Tuscan Table, have garnered raves from sophisticated reviewers to legions of local regulars. Cristina’s Tuscan Table was selected as one of Food & Wine Magazine’s favorite 25 cookbooks of the year and appeared in their annual Best of the Best cookbooks in 2008. All the cookbooks are available at the restaurant.

If you dream about the perfect meal, you can find it by following Cristina into the pages of her books or . . . you can come to Cristina’s Restaurant. As Cristina says, “At my table, there is room for everyone!”

Phone: 208.726.4499 Location: 520 East 2nd Street, Ketchum Hours: Breakfast, Mon-Sat, 7 am to 11 am Lunch, Mon-Sat, 11 am to 5:30 pm Sunday Brunch, 9 am to 4 pm Outdoor dining: Seasonal, plus sunroom dining Beverages: Beer, wine, soft drinks Reservations: Recommended Type of cuisine: Casual European Service: Dine in, takeout, bakery, private dinners

dashi

Casual, local, independent Focusing on local, organic and sustainable products, dashi is the newest addition to the Ketchum dining scene. The new restaurant, opened by Chef Tyler Stokes, who has a spontaneous, open minded approach to food, has built a reputation the last five years in the Valley as someone who cooks with passion, integrity and respect for food and the diner alike. Focussing on modern Asian cuisine with a strong New American influence, dashi is committed to local products and farmers.

The menu at dashi is dictated by the seasons and the inspiration that each one brings. The freshest, most sustainable seafood is presented in sushi rolls, sashimi, salads and plated entrées designed to show the qualities and versatility of each individual fish. Local, organic and natural meats are featured, as well as wild game and fowl. Regular features at dashi include homemade ramen noodles in long-established Japanese traditions with our homemade stocks and broths.

Enjoy our popular steamed pork buns, local elk carpaccio, wagyu beef shabu shabu, tartares, foie gras, dungeness crab dumplings or miso soup to start then move onto an entrée of black cod, diver scallops, baby back ribs, organic chicken, grass fed beef, local lamb or our daily fresh fish specials. Everything is made in house at dashi including our desserts and assorted ice creams.

The atmosphere at dashi is modern, clean and casual, large windows encase the dining area with some of the best views of Baldy in town. We are in the new “bistronomic” school of restaurants, juxtaposing three star cuisine with humor and accessibility. By doing away with the Old World dress codes, white table clothes, elaborate floral displays and replacing them with hip music and a lively relaxed atmosphere, we are helping to redefine what fine dining means. The formal service and wine list is overseen by certified sommelier Robert Jensen and focuses on the best that the Pacific Northwest and California have to offer as well as some Old World selections. The beer list is not to be overlooked featuring the best craft beers available and a large selection to choose from. Sake is a must at dashi as we have a large selection of the finest premium Japanese sakes to enjoy.

Phone: 208.928.7703 Location: 220 N. East Avenue, Ketchum Hours: Lunch (summer only) 11:30 am-2 pm; Dinner 5 pm-10 pm Outdoor dining: Seasonal Beverages: Beer, wine, sake Reservations: Recommended for dinner Type of cuisine: Modern Asian/New American Service: Dine in, take out Website: www.dashisunvalley.com Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 137

Globus

Local • organic • sustainable • world cuisine

photo: paulette phlipot

If your palette demands flavorful and adventurous cuisine, then a unique dining experience awaits you at Globus. Located in downtown Ketchum since 1992, Globus serves delectable and satiating world fare where patrons often come more than once a week to try Executive Chef Ryan Stadelman’s fresh and creative daily specials.

In the summer, outdoor deck seating is a treat, and if there’s a chill in the air, Globus owner Wendy Muir has you covered with a selection of pashminas. Muir’s choice of bold colors in the dining room adds vibrancy to the chic mountain town dining scene.

Chef Stadelman, with the assistance of Sous Chef Bryon Bain, prepares seasonal menus using regional products and premium ingredients to create exceptional dishes. Included are Lava Lake Lamb Dumplings, Wild Alaskan Salmon with Charred Artichoke Puree and Cider-Soy Marinated Pork Tenderloin. Alongside Chef Stadelman’s original dishes are the ever-popular Globus mainstays of Crispy Fish, Green Thai Curry and Pad Thai, which are always prepared to satisfy a craving.

Salads bursting with flavor include the seasonal Butter Leaf with Asparagus and the delicious menu staple of Cucumber “Noodle.” Inventive soups, tasty vegetarian dishes and a range of pork, beef, chicken, and fish fill the diverse Globus menu. All desserts are made in house, offering a sweet ending to a meal of bold flavors and tangy spices. A celebrated and superior wine list hand-selected by Muir also features flights of premium chilled Japanese sake and an exceptional list of craft beers to accompany the array of world cuisine Globus offers.

Internationally renowned photographer Laura McPhee, a frequent visitor to the Wood River Valley, equates Globus with the likes of Ming Tsai’s Blue Ginger. And upon the Food Network’s Rachel Ray’s visit to Globus she said the calamari is “the best on the planet.” Discover for yourself why Globus is one of Ketchum’s finest.

The Grill at Knob Hill Northwest cuisine with a European influence

Come enjoy a meal at The Grill at Knob Hill in the newly remodeled Knob Hill Inn. Restaurant owners and long-time locals Bob and Jolie Dunn, formerly of Warm Springs Ranch Restaurant and The Bigwood Grill, have created an environment that is casual and comfortable, yet sophisticated. Distinctively Northwest cuisine, with a variety of American and European classics, makes for anticipated highlights such as Idaho ruby red rainbow trout, prime steaks, local lamb, wild game and “Felix’s” calamari.

Chef Mark “Sparky” Anderson produces a simple yet refined menu with a Rocky Mountain influence using the highest quality meats, poultry and seafood available. Every evening the restaurant also offers creative specials to round out a menu sure to please Sun Valley guests and locals alike.

Our newly renovated Sun Valley hot spot utilizes natural materials and rich earth tones that complement the barrel-vaulted ceiling.

Enjoy lighter fare or dinner in the lobby by the fireplace or at the cozy wine bar. A new addition to the space is the semi-private fireplace room which allows for additional dining for groups or individuals and access to an intimate outdoor patio. The summer space is spectacular with a covered and heated terrace and lawn seating with views of Baldy and to the north… one of the best outdoor spots in the Valley.

cider glazed wild alaskan salmon

Phone: 208.726.1301 Location: 291 6th, Ketchum Hours: Winter, 5:30 pm daily; Summer, 6 pm daily Outdoor dining: Seasonal Beverages: Beer, wine, sake, soft drinks Reservations: Recommended Type of cuisine: World Cuisine Service: Dine in, takeout, kids’ menu, catering Website: www.globus-restaurant.com

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Phone: 208.726.8004 Location: 960 North Main, Ketchum Hours: 5:30 pm nightly Outdoor dining: Seasonal Beverages: Beer, wine, soft drinks Reservations: Recommended Type of cuisine: Northwest Service: Dine in, takeout, private events Website: www.knobhillinn.com

Ketchum Grill

il Naso

Among the best ski restaurants in America

A taste of Italy

This urbane restaurant with gourmet Italian fare is special whether you drop by après-ski to dine at the bar or enjoy the candlelit dining room to persuade romance or to celebrate a special occasion. il Naso pleases on every level.

Owners Alyson and Shawn Tierney insist on an environment that is as aesthetically pleasing as their fare. The restaurant is visually appealing for its glow at dusk, and the smells of herbs and garlic lure you in where you will find meals that are fresh, organic and comprised of local ingredients.

Enjoy calamari, veal scallopini, spaghetti and meatballs, homemade ravioli and nightly fresh fish specials and risotto made daily by Executive Chef Kate Metzger.

The wine list is extensive, and the knowledgeable staff will help you choose just the right bottle to make the experience complete.

If you want to dine next to a celebrity, best get a reservation at the restaurant run by Ketchum’s celebrity chef. That would be Scott Mason, whose Ketchum Grill is in one of the charming old houses left standing in the face of demand for grand accommodations.

And the bonus is the fabulous food, featuring Mason’s famous innovations, ultra-fresh ingredients and service that combine to earn Ketchum a nod one at of the eight best ski-town restaurants Open 7Grill nights a as week 5 p.m. in America by Snow Country Magazine.

Online The cuisineReserve is “New American, with Idaho emphasis,” which means such entrées as Grilled Black Canyon Idaho Elk, Braised Idaho Lamb Shank and Duck with Mountain Huckleberries.

Mason and his wife Anne (pastry chef for the restaurant) are supporters of the movement to promote local, seasonal food, with a dedication to healthy, natural and homemade. There is an excellent wine list, as well.

The boyishly handsome Mason is usually seeing to the fish, the steaks, all the great stuff that comes out of the kitchen. But on occasion he’ll come out to meet and greet. Asked what celebrity customer made the Masons know they had “made it,” they replied: “Lance Armstrong. But JFK Jr. was a regular in his day.” Oh, did we forget to mention Mason bikes to work most days, even in the winter?

“When the weather turns cool the Ketchum Grill Remains HOT!”

Phone: 208.726.7776 Location: 480 N. Washington Avenue, Ketchum Hours: 6 pm nightly Outdoor dining: Seasonal Beverages: Beer, wine, soft drinks Reservations: Recommended Type of cuisine: Italian Service: Dine in, takeout

Phone: 208.726.4660 Location: 520 East Avenue, Ketchum Hours: 5 pmIdaho to 10-ish nightly◆ 208.726.4660 ◆ ketchumgrill.com 520 East Avenue ◆ Ketchum, 83340 Outdoor dining: Seasonal Follow us on twitter “ketchumgrill” facebook “Ketchum Grill... the thrill of the Grill” Beverages: Beer,and wine, soft drinks Reservations: Recommended at www.ketchumgrill.com Type of cuisine: New American with Idaho emphasis Service: Dine in, takeout, kids’ menu, catering Website: www.ketchumgrill.com

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The Kneadery

Best breakfast in the Northern Rockies

Michel’s Christiania 1959 “The Christy” 2011

No other restaurant is as steeped in ski history as Michel’s Christiania.

Since 1959, “The Christy” has set the standard for fine dining in Sun Valley. On the walls are photographs from owner Michel Rudigoz’s time as Coach to the U.S. Women’s Olympic Ski Team during the golden years when a number of Sun Valley locals became ski champions including Christin Cooper, Abbi Fisher-Gould and Maria Maricich. Olympic Gold Medalist Picabo Street gave a signed pair of skis to adorn the wall as did Italian Champion Alberto Tomba. But you don’t have to be a ski aficionado to enjoy a meal here–Ernest Hemingway came so frequently he had his own table! Salmon with sorrel sauce, filet mignon with morels, lamb shank and fresh Idaho Ruby Trout are just a few of the tantalizing entrées that keep locals and tourists coming back year after year.

Michel’s authentic recipe as well as superior Idaho potatoes makes “pommes frites” an unforgettable treat! Classic French dessert selections include crème brulee, fresh fruit sorbets, profiteroles and tarte tatin.

Rudigoz, formerly of Lyon, France, made Sun Valley his home in 1972 and the restaurant his creative expression since 1994. Every evening you will find him lighting from table to table in the dining room warmly greeting guests.

The Olympic Bar’s warm, casual atmosphere encourages patrons to enjoy a wide selection of classic specialty cocktails as well as the full dining menu. Executive Chef Laurent Loubot leads the culinary team at your service nightly.

photo: five b studios

The Kneadery has been the locals’ and visitors’ favorite spot for breakfast and lunch for over 30 years. Established in 1975, this establishment combines wholesome fresh food with a rustic Idaho atmosphere.

Whether you’re headed out for a day of hiking, or spent the morning skiing the slopes, you’ll want to fuel up with a wholesome nutritious meal at The Kneadery.

All meals start with the freshest ingredients—locally baked organic breads, fresh whipped eggs, seasonal fruit and top quality meats. From the huge omeletes and pancakes, to the fresh salads and burgers, there’s something for everyone.

Great food is just the beginning at The Kneadery. Service with a smile and the authentic décor complete the package. Owners Duffy and Sheila Witmer have been collecting the Western artwork that has filled The Kneadery and The Pioneer Saloon for decades.

Come see why so many have made The Kneadery Ketchum’s best restaurant for breakfast for 15 years.

Phone: 208.726.9462 Location: 260 N. Leadville Avenue, Ketchum Hours: 8 am to 2 pm daily Outdoor dining: Seasonal Beverages: Beer and wine Reservations: Not accepted Type of cuisine: Idaho American Service: Dine in, takeout, kids’ menu, catering

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Phone: 208.726.3388 Location: 303 Walnut Avenue, Ketchum Hours: Bar 4:45 pm, dinner 6 pm nightly Outdoor dining: Beautiful, seasonal patio dining Beverages: Beer, wine, full bar Reservations: Recommended Type of cuisine: Traditional French Service: Dine in, bar service, private parties Website: www.christianiarestaurant.com

Pioneer Saloon Old West meets new

photo: paulette phlipot

No visit to Ketchum is complete without a stop at the steakhouse affectionately known as “The Pio.” Owner Duffy Witmer has been working door to floor for 30 years to make sure everyone who comes into his saloon has a memorable meal.

Prime rib, steaks, fresh seafood, ribs­—you won’t leave unsatisfied.

The Pio is typical of an earlier Idaho when ore wagons rattled down Main Street and business was done with a handshake over a beer. An interior décor of natural woods, mounted game and period firearms helps create an authentic saloon atmosphere.

You can stop in for a drink at the cowboy bar any night and choose from a wide variety of beers, wines and liquors. Mosey on in to the dining room where most seats give you a view of a busy kitchen cranking out delicious, tender beef, grilled trout and overstuffed Idaho bakers.

The Pioneer Saloon sits in the heart of Ketchum, the gateway to the Sawtooths and a mile from Sun Valley, the oldest and most elegant ski resort in America. The surrounding area is a recreation-lover’s paradise year-round and, since 1950, The Pioneer has become a traditional stop.

This is the place for tourists, locals and anyone with a big appetite for history and great food.

“If you haven’t been to The Pio,” says Duffy, “you haven’t been to Ketchum.”

Phone: 208.726.3139 Location: 320 N. Main Street, Ketchum Hours: 5:30 pm nightly Outdoor dining: No Beverages: Beer, wine, full bar Reservations: Not accepted Type of cuisine: American steakhouse Service: Dine in Website: www.pioneersaloon.com

Roosevelt Grille

Classic ski town restaurant and bar Tom Nickel already had a successful endeavor on Ketchum’s Main Street, so for his second offering to the downtown dining scene, he went back to the well and created the wonderful and always original Roosevelt Grille.

Fifteen years later, this popular establishment appeals equally to both locals and tourists with an enticing menu, professional staff and comfortable vibe. Guests can enjoy an ice-cold brew at the popular bar, relax with a cocktail around the cozy fireplace, or settle into a comfortable table on their amazing rooftop deck where they will have the very tough job of choosing from the eclectic menu that Nickel characterizes as “creative interpretations of classic bistro fare.”

“We’re inspired by our guests, our staff, our personal travel and our colleagues from other restaurants to keep the menu fresh, varied and interesting. And increasingly we recognize the need to offer food that is healthy and to source it from close to home. All of our beef is hormone and antibiotic free from a family of ranches in Idaho and Oregon. And we’re working hard to serve only sustainably harvested seafood,” Nickel explains.

Customer favorites include the Pan Broiled Ruby Red Trout, Grilled Flat Iron Steak brushed with savory chimichurri sauce, Seared Alaskan Sea Scallops with jalapeño-cream sauce, New Orleans-Style Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya, Braised Idaho Lamb Shank with Pinot Noir reduction and Honey-Glazed Chicken basted with soy, ginger and orange zest. And their extensive bar menu serves up the best burgers and small pizzas in town!

Whether your outing means enjoying a bowl of homemade soup by the fire, a quick brew at the bar or a special dinner with friends, this place is not to be missed. The Roosevelt . . . Ketchum’s classic ski-town restaurant and bar and the local’s favorite for more than 15 years!

Phone: 208.726.0051 Location: 280 N. Main Street, Ketchum Hours: Bar and dining room at 5 pm nightly Outdoor dining: Rooftop deck Beverages: Beer, wine, full bar Reservations: Recommended Type of cuisine: American bistro and steakhouse Service: Dine in, takeout, kids’ menu, private banquet room Website: www.rooseveltgrille.com

Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 141

The Sawtooth Club Downtown Ketchum at its best

Whether window shopping, gallery hopping or just gathering to meet good friends, The Sawtooth Club, a mainstay in Ketchum’s downtown scene, has been a Valley favorite for more than 25 years. Always busy with a great mix of locals and visitors, The Sawtooth Club offers a unique blend of American steakhouse classics and fresh seafood and pastas, all prepared with their signature creative flair.

“Our mesquite-wood fire generates the tremendous heat which sears in the natural flavors and juices and imparts a variety of subtle tastes and aromas to whatever we’re cooking,” explains owner Tom Nickel.

From the Mesquite-Grilled Ribeye Steak brushed with smoked chipotle reduction to the superb Chicken Senegalese, their famous Rack of Spring Lamb, Flame-Broiled Breast of Duck or the WoodGrilled Pork Tenderloin, everything on this irresistible menu is distinctive and delicious. One taste and you’ll know why—in five different years a local readers’ poll has recognized The Sawtooth Club as the “Valley’s Best Overall Restaurant.”

After dinner, or all on its own, the long and welcoming bar, cozy fireside couches and eclectic “café menu” make The Sawtooth Club’s bar just about the most popular watering hole in town. Here you can relax around the large central fireplace and enjoy an order of their amazing fresh steamer clams or delicious spring rolls with one of 20 wines by the glass or 10 international microbrews on tap. The Sawtooth Club really does have everything you could ever want for your night on the town. Don’t miss it. The Sawtooth Club . . . Still and always, this is downtown Ketchum at its best!

Phone: 208.726.5233 Location: 231 N. Main Street, Ketchum Hours: Bar, 4:30 pm; dining room, 5:30 pm nightly Outdoor dining: Spacious deck Beverages: Beer, wine, full bar Reservations: Recommended Type of cuisine: Creative American dining/casual bar Service: Dine in, takeout, kids’ menu Website: www.sawtoothclub.com

142 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

Sushi on Second Modern global cuisine

Sushi on Second is second-to-none in Ketchum for creating a magical evening of food, friends and fun. Established in 1994, it is the Valley’s oldest sushi restaurant. But don’t let age fool you. Head Sushi Chefs Zack Venzon and Cuyler Swindley are at the center of a talented crew of young sushi chefs that delight in creating dishes that are as appetizing to look at as they are to eat, like their famous, “Who’s your Daddy” roll.

See why Bon Appétit Magazine wrote, “Sushi on Second, the best sushi I’ve had in years.”

The menu consists of global cuisine mixed with a healthy dose of Northwest experimentalism that creates a truly unique culinary experience. Chefs John Rust and Ashley Weber are behind their nightly specials, which keep local diners coming back, often twice a week. Be sure to try the sushi, of course, but some of John and Ashley’s current creative dishes include Grilled Alaskan Halibut with a chili lime glaze over curry rice pilaf and a cucumber yogurt salad, Hawaiian-style Kalibi Baby Back Pork Ribs, Alaskan Sockeye Salmon with a citrus cream sauce over rice with an avocado salad, Scallop Ceviche with wonton crisps, Idaho Kobe Beef Carpaccio, Seared Ahi Tuna and Avocado Tartare, and SOS style Cioppino with Clams, Halibut Cheeks and Calamari, to name a few.

The full wine, champagne, beer and sake bar is fitted with a flatscreen television to see the latest scores, snow and fishing reports. But whether you are sitting in one of the two private, screened tatami rooms or at the 20-seat sushi bar itself, all eyes in the restaurant invariably wind up on the sushi chefs. Knives a-blur, they chop and slice the finest seafood available, which is flown in fresh from locations such as Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji and Japan by their own seafood import company, Idaho Seafood. Come in and taste why Sushi on Second has been consistently over the years voted Ketchum’s best restaurant for sushi and seafood. To take a virtual tour of the restaurant or to check out our full menu, please go to www.sushionsecond.com.

Phone: 208.726.5181 Location: 260 Second Street, Ketchum Hours: 5:30 pm nightly Outdoor dining: No Beverages: Wine, beer, sake, soft drinks Reservations: Recommended Type of cuisine: Asian fusion Service: Dine in, takeout Website: www.sushionsecond.com

Restaurant

Location

Contact

Cuisine

The Cellar Pub 400 E. Sun Valley Rd., Ketchum

208.622.3832 www.thecellarpub.com

American

CIRO Restaurant & Wine Bar 230 Walnut Ave., Ketchum

208.727.1800 www.cirosunvalley.com

Cornerstone Bar & Grill 211 Main St., Ketchum

208.928.7777 www.cbgketchum.com

Urban Western Cuisine

Cristina’s Restaurant & Bakery 520 E. 2nd St., Ketchum

208.726.4499

Casual European bakery, catering, and take-away

dashi 220 N. East Ave., Ketchum

208.928.7703 www.dashisunvalley.com

Modern Asian/ New American

208.726.1301 www.globus-restaurant.com

Gourmet Asian

208.726.8004 www.knobhillinn.com

Northwest Cuisine with a European influence

208.726.7776

Italian

208.726.4660 www.ketchumgrill.com

New American with Idaho emphasis

208.726.9462

Idaho American

208.726.3388 www.christianiarestaurant.com

Traditional French

Globus 291 E. 6th St., Ketchum

The Grill at Knob Hill 960 N. Main St., Ketchum

iL Naso

480 N. Washington Ave., Ketchum

Ketchum Grill 520 East Ave., Ketchum

The Kneadery

260 N. Leadville Ave., Ketchum

Michel’s Christiania 303 Walnut Ave., Ketchum

Seasonal menu using local producers; woodburning oven; family friendly

Pioneer Saloon 320 N. Main St., Ketchum

208.726.3139 American steakhouse www.pioneersaloon.com

Roosevelt Grille 280 N. Main St., Ketchum

208.726.0051 www.rooseveltgrille.com

The Sawtooth Club 231 N. Main St., Ketchum

208.726.5233 www.sawtoothclub.com

Sushi on Second 260 Second St., Ketchum

208.726.5181 www.sushionsecond.com

American bistro and steakhouse Creative American dining room/casual bar Asian fusion

Winter 2012 | sunvalleymag.com 143

Ketchum G

I B

K

F L H

M N C O

A J

E

D

A

The Cellar Pub 400 E. Sun Valley Rd.

B

CIRO 230 Walnut Ave.

C

Cornerstone Bar and Grill 211 N. Main St.

D

Cristina’s 520 E. 2nd St.

E

dashi 220 N. East Ave.

F

Globus 291 E. 6th St.

G

The Grill at Knob Hill 960 N. Main St.

H

il Naso 480 N. Washington Ave.

I

Ketchum Grill 520 East Ave.

K

Michel’s Christiania 303 Walnut Ave.

L

Pioneer Saloon 320 N. Main St.

M

Roosevelt Grille 280 N. Main St.

O

Sushi on Second 260 Second St.

J

N

The Kneadery 260 N. Leadville Ave.

Sawtooth Club 231 N. Main St.

Visit our website at

www.woodriverfinedining.com 144 sunvalleymag.com | Winter 2012

McLAUGHLIN & ASSOCIATES ARCHITECTS_CHARTERED, AIA PO BOX 479_SUN VALLEY, ID 83353

PH_208.726.9392

FAX_208.726.9423

WWW.MCLAUGHLINARCHITECTS.COM

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