Sun Valley Magazine | Winter 2021-2022

CLINT EASTWOOD | SIGI + SEPP | WINTER OLYMPICS | HYDRATION TIPS | YOUTH HOCKEY

Winter 2021/2022

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contents // features 84 EARLY PUBLICITY

SUN VALLE Y POSTER & SIGI ENGL: COURTESY SUN VALLE Y STORY

92 SIGI & SEPP The dynamic duo—two Austrians whose names have become synonymous with the Sun Valley Ski School, having ruled that institution for more than two decades starting in 1952.

BY KAREN BOSSICK

Sigi Engl

72 GOING BIG From Bald Mountain to the pinnacle of skiing, Sun Valley’s big mountain skiers conquer the world! Kent Kreitler, Lynsey Dyer, McKenna Peterson, and Karl Fostvedt provide some insight into a tradition of extreme skiers in the Valley.

BY BEN BRADLEY

A young Alan Pesky with his son, Lee

78 PROFILES ALAN PESK Y How heartbreak and loss led to hope and understanding

BY PA M EL A K L EIB R IN K THOMPSON

BRENT HANSEN The “Foot Guru” gives the Valley happy feet

LYNDSE Y DYER: BL AKE JORGENSEN

Local big mountain skier Lynsey Dyer sends it!

AL AN PESK Y: JANE MCCANN / COURTESY AL AN PESK Y

Posters and memorabilia from the opening days of Sun Valley Resort, when PR genius Steve Hannagan spun the tale of a sparkling mountain retreat promising “winter sports under a summer sun”—capturing the imagination of celebrities and aristocracy from California to New York and Europe!

BY JAKE MOE

ON THE COVER Ketchum local Karl Fostvedt appears alongside other Valley locals in two new criticallyacclaimed ski films.

JANE AND CODY SEIM How Sun Valley inspired their women’s ski brand, Cordova B Y H AY D E N S E D E R

P H O T O B Y R AY J . G A D D

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sunvalleymag.com | WINTER 2021/2022

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LYNDSE Y DYER: BL AKE JORGENSEN SUN VALLE Y POSTER & SIGI ENGL: COURTESY SUN VALLE Y STORY AL AN PESK Y: JANE MCCANN / COURTESY AL AN PESK Y

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contents // departments

64 106 100

SUN VALLEY RESORT’S NEW GM Why Pete Sonntag relishes the “realness” of Sun Valley

120

WINTER OLYMPIANS A long tradition of Sun Valley medalists

MIGRATORY PATTERNS By air, land and water, Idaho’s wildife is on the move

NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH Fourth-grader climbs all of Idaho’s 12,000-foot peaks

46 nexgen

100 inthearts HOMEGROWN TUNES

HOCKEY HEROES First Shift program removes barriers to trying the sport

48 body&soul LOVE THE SKIN YOU’RE IN Hydration tips to avoid winter dryness

58 getoutthere HOWLING AT THE MOON Full moon dinner adventures

SLEDDING THE WHITE GOLD Snowmobiling pushes past the limits

THE LAST FRONTIER Bringing powderhounds closer to nirvana

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Local artists create the Sun Valley soundtrack

CLINT EASTWOOD The Hollywood heavyweight is not slowing down

STORYTELLING IN BLACK AND WHITE

 also in this issue 28

FROM THE PUBLISHER

David Yarrow’s iconic images of the American West

30

CONTRIBUTORS

SQUIRREL IN THE HAND

52

FAVORITE FINDS / GIFT GUIDE

Touching writer David Cale’s heart might just make you famous

68

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

114

GALLERY BUZZ

124

DINING LISTINGS

128

WHY WE LIVE HERE

120 food&drink DRINKING WITH THE STARS Cocktails with a (historic) twist

CLOCK WISE FROM TOP LEF T: HELICOPTER VIEW: DREW DALY, IFMGA MOUNTAIN GUIDE; BAND IN TRUCK : COURTESY THE PISTEN BULLYS; COCK TAIL: COURTESY SUN VALLE Y RESORT; CLINT E AST WOOD: WARNER BROS . PICTURES

34 localbuzz

sunvalleymag.com | WINTER 2021/2022

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BRUNELLO CUCINELLI ELEVENTY FORTE FORTE MAX MARA FIGUE ULLA JOHNSON PESERICO LA PRESTIC OUISTON THEORY VERONICA BEARD DVF NILI LOTAN CITIZENS OF HUMANITY MOUSSY REDONE MOTHER GOLDEN GOOSE PENELOPE CHILVERS PEDRO GARCIA

PHOTO KIRSTEN SHULTZ

CLOCK WISE FROM TOP LEF T: HELICOPTER VIEW: DREW DALY, IFMGA MOUNTAIN GUIDE; BAND IN TRUCK : COURTESY THE PISTEN BULLYS; COCK TAIL: COURTESY SUN VALLE Y RESORT; CLINT E AST WOOD: WARNER BROS . PICTURES

FABIANA FILIPPI

PANACHE SUN VALLEY Sun Valley Village + PARK CITY 738 Lower Main panachesunvalley.com

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online // sunvalleymag.com  PAST ISSUES

OWLS | SAWTOOTH STEWARDSHIP | CAMPING | RIVER FLOATS | PICKLEBALL | BACK YARD BBQS

Summer

2021

MARIEL HEMINGWAY Secrets to a Life Well Lived

 MORE STORIES The Sun Valley Magazine website, at sunvalleymag.com, is user friendly and incorporates responsive design so that you get the same award-winning content on phones, tablets or desktop computers. On our site you will find all of our print stories, as well as a wealth of additional online content, including resource guides, videos and online features. Look for the best of Sun Valley life in our Arts, Food & Drink, Community, Health, Adventure,

WINTER 2021 | 2022

Home & Design, and Wedding sections.

To explore our magazine archives, dating all

You can also enjoy

the way back to 1974, visit sunvalleymag.com/

digital editions of Sun

magazine. On our digital magazine page, you

Valley Magazine in our

can enjoy back issues of Sun Valley Magazine.

extensive archives and

Travel back in time to see what we were covering

access all of our social

at the turn of the century (21st!) and beyond.

media sites.

Looking for an old article? Spend some time in our archives—an ongoing, living record of life in the Wood River Valley. Also check out our digital edition of TASTE of Sun Valley on the Food & Drink page!

 FOLLOW US: #sunvalleymag FACEBOOK

@Sun Valley Magazine

PINTEREST @sunvalleymag

TWITTER @sunvalleymag

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Follow us, like us, and hashtag us for a chance to end up in the next Sun Valley Magazine!

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Dedicated to the Art of Living

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Clockwise from top: Deborah Martell (deborahmartellart.com) - Ethereal Sunset | Rachel Teannalach (www.teannalach.com) - Spring Walk in the Foothills Shirley Sweeney (shirleysweeney16@gmail.com) - In the Clouds | Lisa Cheney (www.lisacheney.com) - Endangered | Terry Sauriol (tsauriol.fineartstudioonnline.com) - Dog Days of Summer MMXIX Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC. All Rights Reserved. Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated. Sotheby's International Realty and the Sotheby's International Realty logo are registered (or unregistered) service marks licensed to Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC.

©

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R

ising through the layers of stories in this issue of Sun Valley Magazine are qualities and attributes of intuition and instinct— that unconscious reasoning that propels us to do something without telling us why or how. Pretty much everyone has experienced a gut feeling. It arrives suddenly as an absolute, that certain something that can’t be explained and can’t be ignored. Intuition is different from thinking, with great minds from Steve Jobs to Albert Einstein stating that it is more powerful than intellect.

Call it what you will—a gut feeling, a hunch, a certain knowing without knowing why—intuition is a constant companion to many and is always there, whether we’re aware of it or not. Defined by Merriam Webster as “something you know without learning it or even thinking about it,” intuition either whispers quietly through the blood or is reported as something that appears in a flash of understanding, but interestingly, it is a common thread for what both informs and guides many of the faces and characters featured on the pages of this issue.

Clint Eastwood talks about intuition in his exclusive interview with Sun Valley Magazine (“Clint Eastwood’s Feeling Lucky” on page 106). Eastwood asserts that making movies is an “emotional” art form that comes more from instinct and feel than from formula. “A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing, and a lot of knowledge could be a really dangerous thing,” Eastwood says. “Sometimes if you are too intellectual about it, you can ruin everything.”

Instincts, sharp and immediate, are also a necessary component of daily competition for athletes like Kent Kreitler, Lynsey Dyer, Karl Fostvedt, and McKenna Peterson, who compete (or competed previously) on the national and international stage of big mountain skiing (“Going Big” on page 72). Big mountain or “freeride tours” are all about taming the

28

wild untouched steeps of a mountain at high speed and with big air. Skiers must make lightning-fast decisions during their run, avoiding obstacles and staying on their feet on extremely steep, forbidding slopes. Instinctive decisions are both critical and essential.

Destiny, and a dose of fate after an encounter with Adolf Hitler, are what brought Sigi Engl to Sun Valley and, eventually, as head of the famed ski school for more than 22 years (“Sigi & Sepp” on page 92). And it was the savoir-faire of Union Pacific chairman Averell Harriman, PR man Steve Hannagan and their scout, Count Felix Schaffgotsch, who felt something inimitable in the snowy mountains of Central Idaho that led them to build a grand lodge and market a resort under the name Sun Valley. Instincts that were based on knowing something special was nestled between these peaks, without knowing why. The name Sun Valley was a fabrication of Hannagan’s PR savvy, and marketing a ski resort at the end of the line, far from any other outpost, as a paradise of “winter sports under a summer sun” helped launch America’s premier ski destination brand in 1936 (“Sun Valley Through the Years” on page 84) and make history.

Here is a winter toast to all the readers and visionaries who have followed an inspiration when it didn’t seem to initially obey reason—because, in the words of Albert Einstein, “It is not intellect but intuition which advances humanity.”

PHOTO: FIVEB STUDIOS

fromthepublisher // insight

Laurie Sammis publisher / editor-in-chief

sunvalleymag.com | WINTER 2021/2022

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PHOTO: FIVEB STUDIOS

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FINE ART WITH A F I N E A R TOUCH T WITH A PERSONAL PERSONAL TOUCH 12/2/21 12:11 PM

BEN BRADLEY

KAREN BOSSICK

RAY J. GADD

TAL ROBERTS

Originally from the great state

Karen Bossick discovered the

Ray J. Gadd is a born-and-

Tal Roberts got his start

of Washington, Ben Bradley is

rich treasure trove of stories

raised Idahoan but an equal

creating still images by hitting

a proud dad, avid (read: hack)

that reside among the people

opportunity adventurer with

the pause button when the

mountain biker, and lifelong

of the Wood River Valley

a hankering for documenting

tricks looked just right on the

fan of the generally hapless

after a 23-year stint with

the journey no matter the

classic skateboard videos

Seattle Mariners. Always

the Idaho Statesman. When

location. Uncovering unfamiliar

of the mid-1990s. Though

ready to share a pint, he is a

she isn’t checking out the

smiles, stories, mountaintops,

he didn’t use a real camera

firm believer in beer’s intrinsic

Valley’s happenings, you’ll find

and backyard businesses,

until years later, the desire to

ability to foster joy, laughter,

her hiking with her tiny Lab

in search of preserving that

document his passions was

resolution, and understanding,

retriever, Shiloh, or skate skiing

emotion with each frame,

still intact. Originally from Gig

and he has never once been

the valley’s fabulous trails.

are his favorite parts of

Harbor, Washington, Tal has

accused of taking life too

Her secret wish? That Sun

the journey. He is happiest

lived in Ketchum, Idaho, since

seriously. Having spent the last

Valley’s Proctor Loop could be

enjoying post-ride beers,

2005 and continues to focus

11 years as a proud resident of

refrigerated for summer skiing.

coming up for air on deep days

on making pictures of his

of storm skiing, overcoming

friends having fun.

the Wood River Valley, there are few things that bring him

“Sigi & Sepp,” page 92

the trials and tribulations of

greater joy than the perfect

casting to educated fish and

day in the mountains with his

sprinkling in the occasional

family.

type II fun. Stalk him on

“Going Big,” page 72

BEN BRADLE Y: RAY J. GADD

featuredcontributors // writers & photographers

“Sledding the White Gold,” page 60 and “Going Big,” page 72

Instagram at @rayjgadd.

“Brent Hansen: The ‘Foot Guru’ gives the Valley happy feet,” page 80 and cover photo

 in this issue writers Ben Bradley, Karen Bossick, Lori Currie, Dick Dorworth, Aaron Hill, Kate Hull, Jennifer Liebrum, Sarah Linville, Jake Moe, Laurie Sammis, Hayden Seder, Van Gordon Sauter, Pamela Kleibrink Thompson

30

photographers Karen Bossick, Sam Cannon, Chris Corwin, Jodane Christoffersen, Brian Dalthorp, Drew Daly, Benjamin Ditto, Ray J. Gadd, Blake Jorgensen, Liz Lauren, Michael Martin, Albie Mitchell, Hillary Mayberry, Jane McCann, Amanda René Nagy, Jason Quigley, Kaleigh Rae, Tal Roberts, Mike Schirf, Stellar Media

sunvalleymag.com | WINTER 2021/2022

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BEN BRADLE Y: RAY J. GADD

208-726-5276 5 1 1 S u n Va l l e y Ro a d Ketchum, Idaho 83340 barrypeterson.com

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12/2/21 12:11 PM

flySUN

Winter 2021-2022 publisher/editor in chief

Laurie C. Sammis

managing editor Lori Currie

Nonstop to DEN, LAX, ORD, SEA, SFO, SLC.

creative director

Roberta Morcone

guest art director

Kristina Mitchell

guest art director

Kate Elgee

design assistant Svetlana Mitchell sales & marketing director Mona Warchol digital marketing Makayla Chappell copy editor controller circulation director

Patty Healey Sage Bookkeeping Inc. Nancy Whitehead

Sun Valley Magazine Online: sunvalleymag.com email: info@sunvalleymag.com Sun Valley Magazine Awards 2018 MAGGIE AWARDS Finalist, Best Feature Article - “Primal Necessity” 2017 MAGGIE AWARDS Finalist, Best Feature Article - “The Long Journey Back” Finalist, Best Profile - “A Life in the Sky” 2016 MAGGIE AWARDS Finalist, Best Feature Article - “The Great Migration”

TAK E IT E A SY!

2015 MAGGIE AWARDS Finalist, Best Annuals & One-Time Custom Publication/Consumer Finalist, Best Cover/Consumer

W h e r e v e r in t he wo r l d l ife ’s adv entures tak e you, w e make it e a sy t o g e t there and bac k .

2014 MAGGIE AWARDS Finalist, Best Annuals & One-Time Custom Publication/Consumer 2013 MAGGIE AWARDS Finalist, Best Semi-Annual & Three-Time/Trade & Consumer Finalist, Best Special Theme Issue/Consumer 2012 MAGGIE AWARDS Winner, Best Semi-Annual & Three-Time/Trade & Consumer 2011 MAGGIE AWARDS Finalist, Best Semi-Annual & Three-Time/Trade & Consumer Finalist, Best Special Theme Issue/Consumer 2010 MAGGIE AWARDS Finalist, Best Semi-Annual & Three-Time/Trade & Consumer Finalist, Best Special Theme Issue/Consumer

Check SUN fares first.

2010 OZZIE AWARDS Gold Winner, publication fewer than 6 times per year 2010 EDDIE AWARDS Gold Winner, publication fewer than 6 times per year 2010 IDAHO PRESS CLUB Best Magazine Serious Feature & Best Blog 2010 MAGGIE AWARDS Finalist, Best Semi-Annual & Three-Time/Trade & Consumer 2009 MAGGIE AWARDS Winner, Best Semi-Annual & Three-Time/Trade & Consumer Sun Valley Magazine® (BIPAD # 074470772330) is published three times a year by Mandala Media LLC. Editorial, advertising and administrative offices are located at 313 N. Main St., Hailey, Idaho 83333.

Telephone: 208.788.0770; Fax: 208.788.3881. Mailing address: 313 N. Main St., Hailey, Idaho 83333.

Copyright ©2021 by Mandala Media, LLC. Subscriptions: $24 per year, single copies $7.95.

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The opinions expressed by authors and contributors to Sun Valley Magazine are not necessarily those of the editor and publisher. Mandala Media LLC sets high standards to ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable manner. This issue was printed on recycled fibers containing 10% post consumer waste, with inks containing a blend of soy base. Our printer is a certified member of the Forestry Stewardship Council, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and additionally meets or exceeds all federal Resource Conservation Recovery Act standards. When you are finished with this issue, please pass it on to a friend or recycle it. Postmaster — Please send address changes to: Sun Valley Magazine, 313 N. Main St., Hailey, ID 83333

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localbuzz localbuzz // article name

PHOTOS: COURTESY PETE SONNTAG / SUN VALLE Y RESORT

Meet Sun Valley Resort’s New GM Why Pete Sonntag relishes the “realness” of Sun Valley

BY DICK DORWORTH

U

Pete, Charlotte, Carol, Katie, and Wallace Sonntag enjoy a lovely evening at Sun Valley Resort in summer 2021.

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ntil Pete Sonntag, a life-long skier, moved to the Wood River Valley last June to be the new general manager of Sun Valley Resort, he had never set foot here, though skiing Baldy was on his bucket list for several years. It has been a long, convoluted journey from upstate New York to Idaho for the 56-year-old Sonntag, but he brings impeccable credentials and a deep passion for skiing to his new job. After living here for a few months, Sonntag was asked, “What’s your favorite aspect of living here?” He replied, “Real mountain town, real mountain, real people, no BS.” He grew up in upstate New York in a family of skiers (his father was a ski patrolman). “My brother and sister (10 and 8 years older than me) were very good skiers, but we only skied sporadically, roughly 10 days a

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PHOTOS: COURTESY PETE SONNTAG / SUN VALLE Y RESORT

year,” says Sonntag. “After high school, I went to one year of college in Buffalo, but I was immature, unfocused, and wasting my parents’ hard-earned savings. My dad suggested I go to Colorado and live with my brother, who by then was firmly entrenched in Eagle. My first job was working grounds maintenance at Beaver Creek Golf Club, and my winter job was rental tech at a shop in Vail. I skied 120 days that winter. I fell in love with skiing, big mountains and the people who loved it like I did.” After three years, the discipline and purpose he’d been lacking kicked in, and he made his way back east to pick up his studies.

He earned a degree in Economics at the University of Albany and taught skiing part time at West Mountain, an experience he says changed his life. “The ability to share my passion for skiing with others, help them improve their skills and see the effect it had on them was so fulfilling for me,” says Sonntag. “I felt like it was my calling in life.”

Shortly after Sonntag graduated, he packed up his car and moved back to Eagle where he

reflecting on this time.

With some well-timed mentoring, Sonntag has been lucky to have spent time at some incredible resorts and in some incredible roles that have ultimately landed him here, in Sun Valley. “From Beaver Creek to Copper Mountain, to Keystone, back to Beaver Creek, to Vail, to Heavenly, to Whistler Blackcomb, to a corporate office and then Sun Valley,” says Sonntag, “I’m grateful for all of it as it’s made me who I am.”

The Sonntags have three children: Katie, age 21; Wallace, age 19; and Charlotte, age 17. They are all avid skiers whose true passion is playing ice hockey. Katie is a senior hockey player at Union College in New York, Wallace is a freshman at Colorado State, and Charlotte is currently a senior at Shattuck-St. Mary’s School in Minnesota where she plays hockey, but she recently signed to continue her hockey and studies at College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts next year.

Sonntag intends to ski as much as possible this winter. “I can’t be effective in my job if

“

After living here for a few months, Sonntag was asked, “What’s your favorite aspect of living here?”

He replied, “Real mountain town, real mountain, real people, no BS.”

continued summer golf maintenance work and became a full-time ski instructor at Beaver Creek. After eight years of this, he felt he was ready for a change, one that would push him to grow personally and professionally. With his wife Carol’s support, Sonntag pursued the MBA program at University of Vermont.

“During my time at UVM, I had to trade my skis for my studies, and while I’m proud of my MBA, I knew I wanted to take a more non-traditional path and go back to the ski industry,” says Sonntag. “My heart is in this business.”

Once again, with Carol’s full support after graduating with his MBA, Sonntag packed up and moved back to Eagle where he became the ski school supervisor. “I quickly realized an MBA can only offer so much when I was trying to schedule 500 instructors to work over the Christmas holidays. That was quite the Tetris puzzle!” remarks Sonntag while

I don’t have a handle on what our guests are experiencing,” says Sonntag. “Getting on the mountain and around the resort allows me to connect directly with guests and see how our team is doing and thank them for their hard work. It’s an amazing thing to see this complex operation come together.”

As for the Sun Valley Resort’s future, Sonntag reflects, “One of the things that appealed to me about Sun Valley was the very unique character of the resort. It is truly a gem. In this day and age, I believe it’s our competitive advantage. We’re not like other resorts. And you can see by the SKI Magazine Reader’s Poll that our guests feel the same way, so we need to be careful about change. We’ll always work to get better and stay relevant but want to do it in a way that honors our heritage and stays true to what Earl and Carol Holding envisioned when they acquired the resort over four decades ago.”

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Wood River Insurance

A Member of Asset Protection Group

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localbuzz // winter olympians

Sun Valley Winter Olympians 1930

A breeding grounds for world-class athletes

itz o n p o r Mo r o i l l r p .

Be Sa St Os

Sq

1952

BETTY (BELL) WEIR 1952 Games in Oslo, Norway. At the Olympics, she was exposed to Nordic skiing and eventually introduced the first pay-to-use Nordic trails and cross-country ski school in Sun Valley.

u

aw

ll Va

ey

1960 CHUCK FERRIES 1960 & 1964 Olympics. Became the first American to ever win a European classic gate race at Austria’s famous Hahnenkamm slalom. He was also named the 1963 Sports Illustrated “Best U.S. Skier.”

Sa

o pp

k o uc b r a jev s r n Sa In

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1972

SUSIE CORROCK Ran what is considered the best run of her career to win the bronze medal in downhill, 1972 Olympic Games.

Ca

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ry

1984

CHRISTIN COOPER Born in California but raised in Ketchum.

Won the silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Sarajevo.

1940

BILL JANSS 1940 Olympic Team (canceled when Germany invaded Poland and ingnited WWII). Janss bought Sun Valley Resort in 1963.

1976

1948

1936 DICK DURRANCE A 17-time national skiing champion, Dick was a member of both the 1936 and 1940 Olympic teams. Considered one of America’s skiing pioneers, Durrance helped cut trails on Bald Mountain.

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GRETCHEN FRASER The Godmother of Olympic skiers, Gretchen Fraser was the first American to win a gold medal in skiing at the 1948 Games in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Raised in Washington, Gretchen moved to Sun Valley in 1939 and is still the second oldest woman (28) to ever win an alpine Olympic event.

SUSIE PATTERSON Born and raised in Sun Valley, Susie was a member of the U.S. Ski Team from 1971 until 1979. Competed at the 1976 Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria.

1976

1988

SONDRA VAN ERT A teenaged national ski racing champion turned snowboarder, Sondra boarded in both the 1988 Games in Calgary, and the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City, Utah.

PETE PATTERSON Competed with his big sister at the 1976 Winter Games (at only 19 years old). Also 1980 Olympics, Lake Placid, New York.

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years

85

er e ill amm o v t n h r be ille aga N L Al

S

MEGAN GERETY Originally from Alaska, Megan trained in Sun Valley and competed at the 1994 Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway.

eC

it y To

r in

er o c o uv i n ch So Va

2002

1998

MUFFY DAVIS One of the top junior skiers in the country when a freak skiing accident paralyzed her from the chest down.

Undeterred, the Sun Valley native went on to win medals at both the 1998 and 2002 Winter Paralympic Games.

1994

a lt

k La

LARS FLORA 2002 Games in Salt Lake City and the 2006 Games in Torino, Italy. Both Lars and fellow Olympian Morgan Arritola were originally from Oregon, but trained in Sun Valley.

2014

KAITLYN FARRINGTON grew up in Bellevue, Idaho. She won the gold medal in the women’s half-pipe competition at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

1998

PICABO STREET The first American woman to win a World Cup downhill title. Picabo was a three-time Olympian. Claimed gold in the Super G at the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan.

2006

GRAHAM WATANABE 2006 Games in Torino, Italy, and 2010 Games in Vancouver, Canada.

Graham was also the first American to win a World Cup event in snowboardcross in 2004.

2010

MORGAN ARRITOLA 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada.

2010

1992

REGGIE CRIST Skied the men’s downhill at the 1992 Winter Games in Albertville, France.

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ver since Sun Valley’s Gretchen Fraser became the first American woman to win Olympic gold in alpine skiing at the 1948 Olympic Games in Switzerland, Sun Valley has had a long history of training Winter Olympic athletes. To date, 56 former and current Olympians hail from Sun Valley and many more have trained here—did you know that every alpine Olympic medalist from Sun Valley is awarded their own run on Baldy?

Here are some highlights from the past 85 years!

SIMI HAMILTON Competed in cross-country events in the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada.

1998

NTALA SKINNER Sun Valley native Ntala competed in the 1998 Games in biathlon.

2006

CHRIS COOK Was on the United States ski team at the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Italy.

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localbuzz // big mountain skiing

What is Big Mountain Skiing?

The origins of extreme skiing and how it has evolved

BY L AURIE SAMMIS

B

ig mountain skiing—also known as extreme skiing or freeride, and even freeski—has been around since the first adventurer edged a pair of straight skis over the tip of a cornice and bagged their first descent off piste. The reward then: bragging rights. The reward now: sponsorships, a cash purse, and… bragging rights.

Names like Sun Valley local Mike Hattrup, Glen Plake, and Scot Schmidt helped introduce Americans to the idea of extreme skiing in Greg Stump’s 1988 classic ski film “The Blizzard of AAHHH’S” and the sport officially took off in the U.S.—with names like Doug

Coombs, Bill Briggs, Seth Morrison, Shane McConkey, and Ketchum local Kent Kreitler as early pioneers, and growing since then (read about a handful of local skiers making an impact in “To the Extreme” on page 72 of this issue).

“I believe Sun Valley may have more U.S. extreme competition winners and pioneers than any other ski town in the nation,” says Kreitler (Griffin Post, Lynsey Dyer, Will Burks, Karl Fostvedt, Lexi Dupont, Banks Gilberti, Collin Collins, McKenna Peterson, Kreitler himself, and others come to mind).

Bec des Rosses (and Mont Blanc massif) in the Swiss Alps, site of the Freeride World Tour Xtreme Verbier competition.

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ESCAPE TO BOISE ROAD TRIP FROM SUN VALLEY TO THE TREASURE VALLEY THIS WINTER Receive 10% off your stay and one $25 Dowtown Boise Association Gift Card with our Winter Promotion Find comfort and luxury in Downtown Boise with our hotel bar, library, fully-equipped health club, and indoor pool & spa.

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localbuzz // big mountain skiing

Spectators wait at the bottom of the ski run at the 2012 Freeride World Tour final on March 24, 2011, in Verbier, Switzerland.

THE FIVE CATEGORIES  DIFFICULTY OF LINE

THE HISTORY

The first extreme skiing competition, the World Extreme Skiing Competition (WESC), was organized in Valdez, Alaska, in 1991 by Karen McCune. The goal: to help revitalize the area after the Valdez oil disaster and bring some pioneers in the sport together to show off their talents. Hattrup, Plake, and Schmidt (from Stump’s famous movie “The Blizzard of AAHHH’S”) were all judges at that first competition. The U.S. Extremes started two years later in Crested Butte, Colorado, and through the visionary marketing of Gina Croft became one of the longest-standing big mountain competitions of the time.

Hailey resident Michealann Lee, who worked as an intern for Croft at the U.S. Extremes, organized the South American Extremes with Argentinian Martina Diaz in 1994, and then the European Extremes in 1996 with the help of Anselme Baud (one of the godfathers of extreme skiing— pre-helicopter lifts, when climbing and ski mountaineering were an essential component of first descents).

“Back then, there was no money in the sport,” Lee said. “I was waitressing all year to save money to put on the competitions and have extra cash on hand to bribe customs.”

It was a small circuit in those days. Doug Coombs, who won the first World Extremes in Valdez, helped judge and pre-run lines at Lee’s South American event. “Steve Jones and an Argentinian ski patroller helped pick the

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lines for our first South American event,” said Lee, recalling Jones as a shy kid who had been living in Argentina for the winter and just knew the terrain. Jones went on to ski film fame after launching Teton Gravity Research (TGR), with his brother Todd and a few other partners.

MTV filmed the first South American Extremes and Lee secured Red Bull as the title sponsor for the first European Extreme … and the rest is history. Today, there are roughly 50 elite athletes competing on the Freeride World Tour (FWT) circuit—competing in five events on some of the steepest and most challenging mountain faces in the world.

THE JUDGING CRITERIA

The Freeride World Tour culminates annually with Xtreme Verbier, held on Bec des Rosses, in Verbier, Switzerland. Bec de Rosses is big, scary and steep; carrying a 40- to 60-degree slope for 2,600 vertical feet that is littered with chutes, cliff faces, mandatory drops (air) and more than one dead-end.

Here is how the FWT describes the scoring: Five criteria—control, fluidity, jumps, technique and difficulty of line—and “the overall impression” are taken into account to determine the riders’ final score. Competitors are judged on multiple runs (usually over three days of faces of increasing difficulty), and judges use a point system from 0 to 100 to score each run in the five categories.

This is all about the path (route or line) a competitor chooses to take down the mountain. What’s the danger factor like on his or her line? How does the rider link up the tricky passages along the way? How unique, imaginative, is their route compared to other riders? Is it a cool line?

 CONTROL Needs no explanation. Without, the consequences can be dire. Or as FWT states: “Lose it, and you can die,” which is why judges can be ruthless with those who don’t show enough of it during their competition run.

 FLUIDITY No hesitation, confusion, or stops and starts—in other words, no uncertainty during the line or “chickening out” midroute. Flow is what it’s about.

 JUMPS The excitement of freeride competitions: the air. But like any other aerial sport, style and aggression are key components. How big was the jump?

How did the rider enter the jump? What happened in the air? Did he or she stick the landing? The FWT describes it like this—Was s/he like a cat thrown out a speeding car’s window? Or did s/ he know exactly where s/he was at all times?

 TECHNIQUE Technique encompasses many of the other categories but from more of a technical aspect—for example, a competitor can lose points for side slipping down a section where other fellow competitors were carving turns.

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ELEVATE YOUR EXPERIENCE. ELEVATE YOUR PERFORMANCE. stu r t e va n t s

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Hockey Heroes First Shift program removes barriers to trying the sport

BY KAREN BOSSICK

T

heir hockey jerseys stretch nearly to the ice. And some resemble penguins as they waddle on their skates. But there could be future Wayne Gretzkys or Hillary Knights in the bunch. And they’ll never know until they try.

That’s the premise behind The National Hockey League(NHL)/ National Hockey League Players’ Association(NHLPA) First Shift hockey program, for children ages four through 11. The program is designed to break down the barriers to playing hockey for youngsters who would like to try the sport, without incurring the expenses that normally come with such an endeavor.

For $250, they get black helmets, white jerseys, black pants, shin

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guards, elbow guards, skates, sticks, gloves, and socks—equipment that otherwise could cost as much as $500. They also get six one-hourlong coaching sessions at Hailey Ice, something that could cost several hundred dollars or more.

“It can be expensive to get into hockey, so this allows parents to get the gear and a little bit of ice time for their kids, without having to spend a lot of money. Then, if the kids like it, they can move on to Sun Valley Youth Hockey,” said Chris Corwin, who coaches his nine-yearold twins on the 10-and-under Sun Valley Youth Hockey team.

Corwin learned of the NHL/NHLPA First Shift program and talked the Canadian program into launching a pilot program in

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PHOTO: COURTESY CHRIS CORWIN / BAUER FIRST SHIF T

nex en

NEWLY BUILT

711 North Main Street Hailey, Idaho 83333

(208) 788-8500

PHOTO: COURTESY CHRIS CORWIN / BAUER FIRST SHIF T

WH ERE

partnership with Sun Valley Youth Hockey in 2019. It is one of just four such programs in the United States.

“I grew up in Jamestown, North Dakota, where I played hockey on outdoor ponds using gear friends had outgrown. But my family wasn’t wealthy, so I didn’t get a chance to play organized hockey until sixth grade, and by then, I was behind the curve,” said Corwin, who went on to play in college recreation league and on B-League teams.

Representatives of Hockey Canada and Bauer hockey gear founded First Shift in 2013 after learning that nine out of 10 children in the hockey bastion of Canada did not play hockey. The NHL and NHLPA began collaborating with the program in 2018. To date, nearly 25,000 Canadian boys and girls have participated in the program.

Thirty-two Wood River Valley youngsters took part in 2019. After the program was shelved in 2020 because of the pandemic, 40 kids signed up this year, and eight had to be turned away.

Kids learn how to skate by playing Red Light Green Light, as they slide on the ice and crash into the boards. They weave around cones set up on the ice, step over hockey sticks and squat as they sail under bars. They learn how to handle a puck, pass it and shoot it. Excited parents take video from the stands, putting numbers and names on their children’s jerseys so they can figure out which kids are theirs.

“It’s pretty much organized chaos,” said

Corwin. “In the beginning, there’s a big blob of kids dancing around the puck. But near the end, we have mini scrimmages of threeon-three and five-on-five on half ice. And it’s amazing to see how much they’ve improved.”

John Kearney’s 8-year-old son, Griffyn, took part in the inaugural First Shift program.

His 6-year-old daughter, Morghan, is participating this year.

“This is a great way for children to try a sport that’s not cheap,” said Kearney, director of recreation for the City of Ketchum. “It’s nice to expose kids to different activities at a young age, and hockey is a game where kids learn a lot of life skills, like integrity and honesty.”

Erin Kosach’s 8-year-old daughter, McKinley, participated in the program in 2019; her 6-year-old daughter, Olympia, asked to try it this year.

“We weren’t sure how Olympia would take to the ice, as she’s our girly girl,” said Kosach.

“But she’s loving it and doing really well. The kids have so much fun and pick it up so easily, and they stay engaged, moving the entire time.

They’ve inspired me to play in the women’s league this year!”

Ten of the 2019 First Shift participants have gone on to play Sun Valley Youth Hockey, which is fielding 300 players this year, 30 more than last year.

“We hope the First Shift kids fall in love with the game,” said Corwin. “Even if they don’t go on [to play], they learn things like coordination that can help them in other sports.”

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D REA M

VAC ATI O NS

BEGI N

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body&soul Love the Skin You’re In Hydration tips to keep winter dryness at bay

BY LORI CURRIE

Y

our skin does not like winter.

Biting winds and frigid air, combined with heated indoor air, can suck the life out of dry winter skin.

Living in a subarctic, high-altitude environment like Sun Valley—at 5,945 feet above sea level—means the lower humidity dries out your skin. Combine that with extreme temperature swings in short periods of time (ski slopes straight to toasty après – yes please!) and less oxygen in the atmosphere, and you’ve got a recipe for skin damage.

NOTE: If you don’t live at altitude or in a cold climate, your skin will dry out more dramatically going from a humid environment to the dry mountain air, so you’ll definitely need a game plan to tackle cold-weather woes. No one wants to come back from a ski weekend with a goggle tan and a flaky nose.

“We are so lucky to live in such a great place: unfortunately, the climate is not especially friendly to our skin,” says Callie Jones, esthetician at Pure SV. “It’s important to stay hydrated and use products that help to hold moisture in your skin.”

Most estheticians recommend you invest in top-quality, medical-grade skin care for maximum effectiveness (see the sidebar for some great products from local spas). In general, the thicker and greasier a moisturizer, the more effective it will be. Surprisingly, one of the most effective (and least expensive) is petroleum jelly. “Slugging,” as the Internet calls is, involves coating your skin in a layer of Vaseline after moisturizing before going to sleep. You’ll wake up with a more nourished complexion. Yup, that’s right — Vaseline is actually good for your face. It helps your skin seal in all the moisture from the serum and creams you topped it with and lock in hydration.

“The best advice I can give for those suffering from dry skin is to exfoliate,” says Chandler Moore, owner of Simply Skin. “Skin peels or microdermabrasion are a great way to aid in your skin’s cellular turnover— something that happens every 28 to 40 days. When

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body&soul // winter skin care

our cellular turnover slows, dead skin cells can build up on the skin, making it difficult for skin care products to absorb. This causes the skin to lack luster and moisture and lead to an overall unhealthy appearance.”

“Some people feel the need to change their skin care routine during the winter,” says Jones.

“I always caution my clients to make sure they try and keep their skin balanced; that might mean exfoliating a little more or a little less depending on how dry their skin is feeling. I definitely would discourage taking extra hot showers as too much steam can dry and irritate the skin.”

On a cold blustery day, sometimes a hot shower is the only remedy for tingling toes but try to limit yourself to one quick (five to 10 minutes, tops!) bath or shower daily.

If you bathe more than that, you may strip away much of the skin’s oily layer and cause it to lose moisture. Use lukewarm water rather than hot water, which can wash away natural oils. Minimize your use of soaps and alcohol products, and instead choose moisturizing preparations such as Dove or Olay or consider soap-free cleansers like Cetaphil. Apply moisturizer immediately after bathing. This helps fill the spaces between your skin cells and seal in moisture while your skin is still damp.

The human body is 60 percent water, so ensuring proper hydration is one of the key things you can do to combat dry skin in the winter months. When you’re touring or skiing, you are losing lots of fluid by sweating during exercise. “Many think that, without the sweltering hot sun, it’s hard to get dehydrated,” says Ryland Mauck-Duff, founder of Elevated 50

Hydration. “Well, it’s actually very common to get dehydrated during the winter months.

This is due largely to the blunted thirst many people experience in colder temperatures.

Without thirst, we often forget to drink water, which leads to dehydration.”

There are a few tricks to keeping up on your hydration during the winter. “Set water drinking goals. Have realistic goals while keeping in mind your body’s hydration needs, which can vary depending on activity level,”

“

Biting winds and frigid air, combined with heated indoor air, can suck the life out of dry winter skin. ”

says Mauck-Duff. “An individual should drink approximately their body weight in ounces every day. In the colder months, drinking room-temperature water can help prevent the dreaded brain freeze. Also, watch consumption of diuretic-containing drinks such as heavily caffeinated beverages and alcohol.”

“At Elevated Hydration, we have two IV drips that can help individuals stay hydrated and combat dry skin. We offer our Rehydrate drip, a liter of fluid with sodium, to help

individuals reset their hydration status. Our Ageless drip, also in a liter of fluid, has vitamin C, B vitamins and glutathione, all of which can help skin health. Optimizing hydration with IV therapy is a great way to give your body a boost in the fight against pesky dry skin.”

Mauck-Duff also recommends supplementing electrolytes to help prevent dehydration and optimize your hydration, especially during exercise.

Electrolyte-enhanced waters have become all the rage lately, and with good reason: they take your simple H20 and give it a boost.

A leader in this category is NanoHydr8, developed by athletes, Olympic coaches, and scientists in Salt Lake City. NanoHydr8 uses nanotechnology to break down essential amino acids, vitamins, and nutrients, up to 600 times smaller than competitors. These nutrients are then capable of being absorbed into your body in one to two minutes, significantly faster than the electrolyte packets that dissolve in water. “Not only is the absorption much faster, but it absorbs into every cell, compared to partial absorption from traditional electrolyte drinks,” says Adam Legas, one of NanoHydr8’s founders. Fans of NanoHydr8 swear by the product’s ability to keep them not just hydrated but performing at the top of their games. (And some say it’s a great cure for a hangover!)

If you are on a mountain that is 9,000 feet above sea level, like Bald Mountain, you are getting 35 percent more sun than at sea level.

This means the consistent use of sunscreen is paramount to prevent photoaging. The white snow also acts as a mirror, so you’re not only getting ultraviolet rays that come from the sky – you’re getting extra exposure when those rays reflect back up from the ground. Reach for a sunscreen with a sun protection factor of at least 30 and reapply often, especially when using sunscreen with a natural sun protection agent, such as zinc oxide. Never go out without your lip balm (SPF 15). Lips don’t have oil glands, and they can dry out easily, causing chapped lips. When ski touring, for example, try not to lick your lips, and protect them as most as possible behind a scarf or buff.

Finally, every self-respecting mountain home has at least one humidifier (if not one per room). Get yourself one and keep it set to around 60 percent, a level that should be sufficient to replenish the top layer of the epidermis. Also, keep your house between 68and 75-degrees Fahrenheit. Any hotter, and you’ll unravel the benefits you gained from following the advice in this article.

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SUN VALLEY SKIN CARE 101 We asked some local experts for their top product picks to help you combat winter weather.

EXFOLIATE “Our high-mountain desert climate is extremely challenging. Exfoliating is a wonderful way to expose fresher, brighter, and softer skin. With the correct products, exfoliating can be done daily. Our African Black Soap gently exfoliates and is a very effective daily facial cleanser. Our ABS powder comes from Ghana and is made by cooking down a mixture of water and the ashes of plantain skins, palm leaves, and/or cocoa pods. Our Himalayan Salt Scrubs have a heavier grit and are appropriate for the rest of the body. We offer scrubs made with Pink Himalayan Salt, Jojoba oil, and organic Essential Oils. You can choose from nine different aromatherapy blends. For a facial moisturizer, we offer Silky Smooth, a moisturizer made with silk peptides, silk amino acids, aloe vera, and organic rose oil.” -Alison Rosen, owner of Sun Valley Remedies

FACIALS “A good home care routine is half the battle when it comes to taking care of your skin. I love Chantecaille's Hibiscus Smoothing Mask to exfoliate, followed by their Bio Lifting Mask to nourish and lift. My all-time favorite product is Vintner's Daughter Active Botanical Serum.

At Pure, we offer the Hydrafacial, which is a hydrating, non-irritating treatment that is designed for all skin types. It leaves your skin feeling soft, supple, and very moisturized.” -Callie Jones, esthetician at Pure SV

SERUMS “If struggling with lack of moisture, find a great antioxidant or vitamin C serum, like Skin Better Science's Alto Defense Serum. This will protect your skin from free radical damage such as environmental stressors, blue light, and pollution.

Next, choose a good retinoid. Retinoids are key to helping the skin slough off those dead skin cells and help to create new ones. But choose wisely as some retinoids can cause more dryness.

Skin Better Science's AlphaRet Overnight Cream has the benefits of a strong retinoid but restores moisture simultaneously. And finally, choose a moisturizer best suited to your skin type. Skin Better Science's Trio Rebalancing Moisture Treatment is a great option for both men and women. It provides heavy hydration without the weight, while improving the look of fine lines and wrinkles.” -Chandler Moore, owner of Simply Skin

Sun Valley Ketamine Clinic SVKetamine.com WINTER 2021/2022 | sunvalleymag.com

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Breakthrough treatment for depression and anxiety

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y air, land and water, Idaho’s wildlife is on the move. Look to the skies or watch the mountains and valleys to see evidence of different critters on their annual or seasonal migrations from summer habitats to winter habitats. Idaho is still a predominantly rural state and the large tracts of forest, riparian, woodlands, wetlands and shrub habitat, along with agricultural lands, means that many migrations still thrive. Here are a few highlights by hoof, fin, and wing.

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CHINOOK SALMON AND STEELHEAD

Chinook salmon and steelhead migrate over 900 miles from Stanley / Redfish Lake down the Salmon, Snake and Columbia rivers to the Pacific Ocean. These amazing fish then change their body chemistry to adapt from freshwater to saltwater, spend several years feeding in the Pacific Ocean, often swimming thousands of miles to their feeding grounds, before traveling 900 miles and 7,000 feet in elevation back to Idaho to spawn.

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MONARCH BUTTERFLY

The Idaho official state insect. Every fall, monarch butterflies make the 2,500-mile trek south to Mexico where they live in hibernation for six to eight months. Monarchs that live west of the Rockies travel a thousand miles to Pacific Grove, California, where they hibernate in eucalyptus trees.

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SANDHILL CRANES

One of the oldest living birds on the planet, Sandhill cranes winter in California, Texas and northern Mexico, and migrate to Idaho in the spring, traveling as far north as the Arctic coast of Canada. They fly at a speed of 25 to 35 mph and typically travel 200 to 300 miles per day, but can reach 500 miles in a day with a good tailwind.

PRONGHORN ANTELOPE

Fossil evidence suggests that pronghorn have been roaming North America for up to 20 million years—they are the only large mammals remaining from the Pleistocene Era (the time period of woolly mammoths). Pronghorn have one of the longest land migrations in the continental U.S.—typically about 150 miles but can reach as many as 300 miles. In Idaho, they migrate from Craters of the Moon National Monument and the Boise basin through the Pioneer Mountains and into Challis or over the border to Montana—about 160 miles.

MULE DEER

Mule deer are the most common large mammal in Idaho, and the largest of the two deer species in the state. Migration patterns tend to be from their summer habitat higher up on mountain slopes to lower-elevation valleys during the winter months. Mule deer may migrate 50 to 75 miles—although, in 2016, a female mule deer was recorded as migrating 242 miles from Wyoming to Island Park, Idaho.

RAPTORS

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Raptors travel from their summer breeding grounds in Idaho to Mexico and Central AND South America in the fall, returning again in the spring.

The Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area (right outside Boise) has the largest population of nesting raptors in the contiguous U.S.

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localbuzz // camden patrie

No Mountain High Enough Fourth-grader climbs all of Idaho’s 12,000-foot peaks B Y K AT E H U L L

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Patrie says he loves living and growing up in Idaho, where access to exciting climbs and fun mountains are just outside his backdoor.

And while summitting all of Idaho’s 12,000-foot peaks is a bucket-list accomplishment, the young mountaineer is already planning his next great adventure—this time, all of Idaho’s peaks over 11,000 feet (there are 123). “I’ve already climbed 10 of them,” he says.

He’s well on his way.

PHOTO CREDITS: COURTESY CAMDEN PATRIE

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daho is home to nine 12,000-foot peaks (“12ers”) spread out across three mountain ranges. Seven of these steep peaks are scattered throughout the Lost River Range, and the Lemhi and Pioneer ranges each are home to one. For any eager climber, tackling all 12 peaks is a lofty goal, and one that might take a bit of time. But for Ernest Hemingway STEAM School fourth-grader Camden Patrie, all it took was research, commitment, and a summer goal—and supportive parents.

On Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, Patrie, who turns 10 on New Year’s Day, became the fourth person 10 years old or younger to accomplish this mammoth feat. “A few years ago, a few friends of Camden’s told him they had climbed the 12ers, and it got him interested in climbing,” says Patrie’s mother, Amanda Breen. Once the idea took hold, Patrie dove into research, spending his free time mapping the routes and studying the steepness of each climb.

“I spent the winter before, researching,” he says. “I researched on Google Earth. I could see the steepness and terrain and see if it was a nice ridge or not.” After studying the routes and each climb, Patrie set off on his first expedition on Saturday, June 26, alongside his parents, Amanda and David, trekking up Hyndman Peak in the Pioneer Range.

“It became a huge summer,” says Breen. “We didn’t think we’d get them all done this summer, and it was this fun, overriding goal. It was so fun to plan it together, to plan out our routes, and experience some of the highs and lows together. We learned a lot about perseverance and pushing yourself.”

The climbs usually began at 4 a.m., long before the sun had risen, and were each an all-day expedition spent on the move, climbing up steep trails, maneuvering loose scree, and navigating different types of exposure and some technical aspects—a physical and mental feat for any adult, let alone a then-nine-year-old.

The young family was met with solitude on almost every hike.

“Except for Mount Borah and Hyndman Peak, which can both be quite busy, we saw people only occasionally on the other 12ers,” says Breen. “And pretty much everyone on those remote peaks was working on the 12er goal—but not usually in one summer!”

For Patrie, the most memorable climbs were the final two summits: Mount Church and Lost River Mountain. “They were extremely difficult but also really fun,” he says. “They both had nice ridges, and they both had loose rock gullies to climb up.”

The Mount Church summit took the family two attempts after first finding snow along the way in August. They knew the right decision was to turn around and come back another day.

“I really learned that the mountains won’t always give you an easy way up,” Patrie says. “I learned to expect anything, and if you don’t make it the first time, you can always come back and try again.”

Camden Patrie with his parents, Amanda and David, hiking the 12,009 feet to the top of Hyndman Peak.

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PHOTO CREDITS: COURTESY CAMDEN PATRIE

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SU N VA LLE Y MAG A Z I N E ’S

favorite finds...

Silver baroque pearl or peacock baroque pearl pendants with a diamond and 14k gold cross or crescent moon provide the perfect complement to any outfit RudyBlu | rudyblu.com

As celebrated French designer Hubert de Givenchy famously stated, “Luxury is in each detail.” Enjoy the stylish accents and one-of-a-kind treasures gathered on these pages—all our favorite things found locally!

A Barry Peterson original creation, this 18K white gold ring features 3.52CTW of pink purple cushion-cut spinel from Burma surrounded by two halos of 1.25 CTW white diamonds.

Barry Peterson Jewelers | 208.726.5202

PHOTOS: AMANDA NAGY

Treat yourself to the warmth and softness of these furry slides from ROAM—and you may never leave the house.

Panache | 208.622.4228 Hand-beaded hat bands, in an array of colors and patterns, pair beautifully wiht these custom made hats from Crown & Brim, Jackson Hole.

Panache | 208.622.4228

Soft buttery suede from Jerome Dreyfuss and a gorgeous silk scarf help accessorize any outfit—bringing style and flair to your look.

Panache | 208.622.4228

Wrap yourself in luxury—cashmere scarves, hats and jewelery from SISTER are handcrafted from the finest fibers and jewels, and each one-of-a-kind.

Sister | 208.726.5160

Custom rings from the Maria collection feature 14k gold woven wide bands and rare Arizona Peridot with amethyst accents or diamond and sapphire gemstones.

RudyBlu | rudyblu.com

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Cuddle up in this genuine Australian sheepskin throw blanket, made for luxurious warmth.

Overland | 208.726.3588

A pop of color—this knitted mink beanie hat with a plush fox fur pom is all charm and exceptional warmth.

Overland | 208.726.3588

Smooth lambskin leather gloves with Toscana trim and shearling lining keep fingers stylishly toasty.

Overland | 208.726.3588

PHOTOS: AMANDA NAGY

Chic carryalls, in a mix of luxury finishes like mink fur and supple cowhide, are perfect for the gal on the go.

Overland | 208.726.3588

Brave the coldest of temps in the soft coziness of a shearling-lined jacket, gloves and boots—lux meets toughness.

Overland | 208.726.3588

Turn heads in this richly hued rabbit fur felt outback hat, featuring grosgrain band with bow, braided leather cord.

Overland | 208.726.3588 WINTER 2021/2022 | sunvalleymag.com

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SU N VA LLE Y MAG A Z I N E ’S

lovely things …

Whether headed out on the trail, pedaling single track, or paddling the lakes or rivers of Idaho, you want gear that keeps you at the top of your game. Browse this round-up of the best gear, curated by the experts at our local outfitting stores, and be prepared for your next adventure!

The perfect gift—The Stylish Life: Skiing, by Gabriella Le Breton—is a nostalgic and insightful joiurney through alpine history and culture.

Brass Ranch | 208.622.2021

PHOTOS: AMANDA NAGY

Look stylish and stay warm on the slopes in this fur-trimmed “Tami” quilted women’s shell ski jacket and matching t-zip from Toni Sailer.

Brass Ranch | 208.622.2021

Toni Sailer’s “Spike” pants and “Matty” layer shirt are first-class performers on every piste and in any weather.

Brass Ranch | 208.622.2021 A Toni Sailer beanie to swoon over—high-quality wool mix is topped off with shimmering Swarovski® crystal pattern.

Brass Ranch | 208.622.2021

Stop ‘em in their tracks with these cheetah print waterproof ankle boots, by La Thuile.

Brass Ranch | 208.622.2021

This Toni Sailer jacket combines performance with lightness, thanks to ultra light four-way elastic material..

Brass Ranch | 208.622.2021

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Always in style—a diagonal knit weave adds an element of lux to this wool/ cashmere ski sweater, paired with the perfect winter boot and fur-lined gloves Silver Creek Outfitters | 208.726.5282

PHOTOS: AMANDA NAGY

Two coats in one!

Vegan teddy wool reverses to faux shearling with shirt collar and large patch pockets.

Silver Creek Outfitters | 208.726.5282

Adding color to your closet has never been so easy and stylish with the duck down Parajumpers jacket.

Silver Creek Outfitters | 208.726.5282

Spanish leather is married with distinctively soft Valencia suede for a bag that is at once arresting and sophisticated..

Silver Creek Outfitters | 208.726.5282

Add some winter sparkle!

For the gents, a sterling oval handengraved Clint Orms trout buckle.

For her, a signature Paula Rosen diamond padlock and chain—with any charm that suits her fancy.

Silver Creek Outfitters | 208.726.5282

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SU N VA LLE Y MAG A Z I N E ’S

gearing up …

Pray for snow! A signature Barry Peterson design—featuring 3.23 CTW of blue sapphires and 1.90 CTW of white diamonds set in 18K white gold.

Barry Peterson Jewelers | 208.726.5202

Functional can still be stylish. Use this DB Backpack to carry all your gear—on and off the slopes.

Brass Ranch | 208.622.2021

PHOTOS: AMANDA NAGY

Whether headed out on the slopes, gearing up for a backcountry yurt expedition, or just hitting the town for some aprés, you want gear that keeps you at the top of your game. Browse this round-up of the best gear, curated by the experts at our local outfitting stores, and be prepared for your next adventure!

Mixing metal with an abundant rocker, and 93mm waist, the new Black Crows Serpo plays like a much wider all-mountain ski.

Sturtevants | 208.726.4501

Stay warm in technical outdoor gear from Stio—designed to layer for any type of weather winter throws your way.

Sturtevants | 208.726.4501

Lathe turned stainless steel beads on leather bands—engraved with the U.S. Flag (or non-engraved)— make the ideal gift for any man.

RudyBlu | rudyblu.com

The Dynafit Radical Pro Alpine Touring Boot makes it easy to do another lap—with 60° range of motion and JOJI lock closure.

Sturtevants | 208.726.4501

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PHOTOS: AMANDA NAGY

The Chaos Snowpatch Hat, is a stylish beanie with crystal embellishments and a classic fur pom that is sure to turn heads.

Backwoods | 208.726.8818

The Indyeva Poplun Down Sweater is a fashion forward piece with an insulate body and fleece knit sleeves— and is RDS certified with social ecological and ethical responsibility at the forefront.

Backwoods | 208.726.8818

All the best gadgets and gear.

Performing through lightness, the ATK Raider Bindings set the bar for alpine touring bindings, BaryVox beacons help ensure safety and an essential utility knife is functional and smart—with a handy replaceable blade Backwoods | 208.726.8818

Rossignol X-Ium Premium Skate Skis provide race-proven technology that excels in a wide range of conditions.

Backwoods | 208.726.8818

Superlight and 100% waterproof, the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest Pack is built to play rough.

Backwoods | 208.726.8818

The Men’s Swix Strive Jacket is in a series of products that focuses on weather protection, movement and breathability.

Backwoods | 208.726.8818

Wrap yourself in the warmth of KrimsonKlover, a functional line designed to take you from the slopes to the bar.

Backwoods | 208.726.8818

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etoutthere Howling at the Moon Enchanting dinner adventures powered by moonlight

THE ROUNDHOUSE: PHOTO CREDITS COURTESY SUN VALLE Y RESORT

BY L AURIE SAMMIS

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The Roundhouse, Bald Mountain

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he moon, the only celestial body to have hosted human visitors, has been a source of awe and wonder since time began. The moon is earth’s only natural satellite and the fifth largest moon of the more than 200 moons orbiting planets in our solar system. NASA scientists credit the presence of the moon with helping to make earth more livable by moderating how much it wobbles on its axis, affecting gravitational pull, and cycles of time, tides, and migratory patterns.

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THE ROUNDHOUSE: PHOTO CREDITS COURTESY SUN VALLE Y RESORT

The cycles of the moon, from the darkness of the new moon to the full reflection of the sun in the full moon, have made it a symbol of time and change in cultures around the world—a reminder of the constant cycle of death and rebirth found in the natural world. Early methods for recording time were not by using the months of the Julian or Gregorian calendar, but by tracking the lunar months, and fullmoon rituals around the world vary from the Native American “moon dance” in Mexico or the Hindu “Purnima” full-moon fasting ritual to the simple act of harvesting crops beneath the extra light from a full moon— hence the Farmer’s Almanac reference to the “Harvest Moon,” the name for the September full moon.

Whether you feel the need to howl at the moon or mark its passing with ceremony, there is no denying that Earth’s closest celestial body has a powerful effect on the human experience—from the tides to tracking the months of year—and, as any local knows, some of the most magical mountain adventures are those lit by moonlight reflecting across a field of snow.

Galena Lodge, a community-owned day lodge nestled in the Boulder Mountains 23 miles north of Ketchum, offers special full-moon dinners throughout the winter months. There is nothing quite like the silent crunch of snowshoes on a moonlight night or the swish of Nordic skis on a freshly groomed track beneath a full moon, and Galena is surrounded by some of the best cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the nation. Over 50 kilometers of immaculately groomed Nordic trails (for both skate and classic skiing) and 25 kilometers of snowshoe trails surround the lodge. Trail options include everything from a gentle loop beside the river and through open meadows with views to the 10,000-foot peaks above, to steep climbs up through open forests of pine, spruce and fir.

Galena Lodge was originally founded as a mining town in 1879 and was the largest community in the Wood River Valley during its heyday, boasting several hotels, stables,

a meat market, and the Daisy Saloon. All that remains today is Galena Lodge, which was constructed in 1960 using remnants of the old townsite for much of the interior construction, adding to the authentic oldworld feel. Seating for the three-course fullmoon dinners is communal style, so bring a festive attitude and be prepared to make some new friends. Make sure you reserve early, though, as dates sell out fast. Check

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As any local knows, some of the most magical mountain adventures are those lit by moonlight reflecting across a field of snow.” out the calendar of dates offered and make reservations at GalenaLodge.com.

Looking for something a bit closer to home that is drawn by horse power instead of your own two legs? Then plan a memorable dinner at Sun Valley’s historic Trail Creek Cabin. Originally built in 1937, this rustic, mountain-style cabin is rumored to have once belonged to Ernest Hemingway.

Located above the winding curves of Trail Creek, the four-course seasonal menu offers gourmet selections from the Sun Valley Resort culinary team. Diners begin the evening with a horse-drawn sleigh ride over snowy trails with breathtaking views of Baldy Mountain. No specific full-moon dinner is offered, but Trail Creek Cabin is open for dinner from Wednesday through Sunday, with two seatings offered, at 5p.m. and 9p.m., so diners can choose a full-moon date of their own or simply enjoy the sparkling expanse of the Milky Way almost any winter night. Call Sun Valley Resort for reservations at 208.622.2135.

Another truly magical full-moon option is a ride up the Sun Valley gondola beneath a moonlight sky for dinner at The Roundhouse, perched at 7,700 feet midway up Baldy. The ride up offers spectacular 360-degree views of the Pioneer, Smoky and Boulder Mountains, as well as the twinkling town lights of Ketchum and Sun Valley below. Originally built in 1939 by Sun Valley’s founder Averell Harriman, chairman of the Union P,acific Railroad, The Roundhouse features a massive stone centerpiece fireplace and elegant linen table service featuring a six-course prix fixe menu prepared by chef Dustin White, with seasonal dishes inspired by Sun Valley Resort’s European heritage. Diners who want to work up an appetite before dinner can consider strapping on backcountry gear and skinning up the mountain after the lift has closed at 4 p.m. and then skiing down after dinner under a spectacular night sky (don’t forget your extra layers and a headlamp). You can even snowshoe or skin up for dinner and then ride the gondola down if your dinner plans feature a bottle of wine or cocktails with friends. Dinner at The Roundhouse is by reservation only and open Friday and Saturday evenings from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Call Sun Valley Resort at 208.622.2012 for reservations. ï

PLAN AHEAD

Full Moons Winter 2022

Dec. 18 Cold Moon

Jan. 17 Wolf Moon

Feb. 16 Snow Moon

Mar. 18 Worm Moon

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Sledding the White Gold Snowmobiling L pushes past the limits

BY SARAH LINVILLE

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ike many outdoor recreational sports, snowmobiling popularity is on the rise, and yes, it is a sport. We’ve managed to turn every mode of transportation into some form of recreation, and snowmobiling is no different. According to the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association (ISMA), last season saw the highest new snowmobile sales recorded since 2008.

“It’s a fun and different way to get out,” says Reggie Crist. “If you want to break away and get into the backcountry, a snowmobile is an amazing tool to make that happen.”

Reggie is an Olympic ski racer and a fivetime X-Game podium finisher in the sport of skiercross. He is also a recognized big mountain skier and helicopter ski guide. His

brother Zach was also a member of the U.S Ski Team, X-Game skiercross athlete and backcountry ski guide, and he is the owner of Sun Valley Guides. To add to this impressive collective résumé, they are also the new owners and operators of Smiley Creek Lodge in the Stanley Basin.

Smiley Creek Lodge sits on Highway 75, 35 miles north of Ketchum, over Galena Summit. Originally built as a sawmill in the 1950s, the lodge now provides accommodations including camping and RV sites.

There’s a rustic restaurant, a general store, and a gas pump as well as snowmobile rentals and guide services.

“We’ve always loved going to Smiley Creek,” says Reggie. “It was something we

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SMILE Y CREEK LODGE: STELL AR MEDIA

SLEDS: TAL ROBERTS

getoutthere // snowmobiling

SMILE Y CREEK LODGE: STELL AR MEDIA

SLEDS: TAL ROBERTS

Exploring the terrain near Smiley Creek Lodge

grew up with in our backyard. Smiley Creek is a backcountry access point to all the things we love to do.” So, when the opportunity to buy the property presented itself, they jumped on it.

Smiley Creek Lodge is in a unique position, situated between the Sawtooth and the White Clouds Wildernesses. It also sits in the heart of the Sawtooth Valley “mechanized zone,” meaning an area open to motorized off-road and over-the-snow vehicles. The zone reaches into the backyard

of the Smoky Mountains and extends past Redfish Lake and the town of Stanley.

Smiley Creek Lodge offers guided and non-guided snowmobile rentals. The Crist brothers have acquired all new machines made for different objectives, and they have assembled a team who will be able to provide a safe, guided experience.

The best benefits to hiring a guide include a tailored experience, whether its a scenic groomed trail ride to have lunch on a frozen Redfish Lake or off-trail powder face

CLINICS + COURSES Smiley Creek Lodge has two clinics in January 2022. Sled Sisters will run

every Thursday for all levels of female riders. The Ride With a Pro Multi-day Clinic is for intermediate to advanced riders looking to hone their skills.

shots on a high-powdered sled. The point is that a guide knows where they’re going and can help you get there safely.

Snowmobile avalanche fatalities have actually decreased by 50 percent over the last decade, despite increased popularity, according to a report published by Backcountry Access. However, the 20202021 season saw the highest number of avalanche fatalities in the last 70 years across all user groups in the U.S.; 11 of the victims were snowmobilers, and three took place in

Avalanche education courses for motor-specific users are

provided by Sun Valley Guides locally but search for upcoming courses in and out of state through the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE). Always check the latest avalanche information at sawtoothavalanche.com.

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getoutthere // snowmobiling

Guided trip with Smiley Creek Lodge beneath the Sawtooth Mountains

TRAIL MAPS WOOD RIVER VALLEY For the trail map at right, visit SawtoothSnowmobileClub.org and click on Wood River Valley Winter Recreation Map. These maps highlight trails and terrain open to snowmobiles and are also available at the Ketchum Ranger District and Sawtooth National Recreation Area headquarters (north of Ketchum).

day I got up a steep hill into an open powder field, I was hooked,” David recalls.

Today, David is a Polaris snowmobile ambassador and is excited to start teaching avalanche education to motorized users. She MAP: COURTESY BCRD

professional skier and outdoor adventure athlete living in the Sawtooth Valley, David wanted to learn to ride so she could access more backcountry skiing. But she quickly become enamored with the machines. “The

SAW TOOTH MOUNTAINS: STELL AR MEDIA

Idaho. The fatalities occurred for a myriad of reasons, but one broad explanation offered in the report stated, “Riders are choosing not to be educated. We are riding more capable machines, have better riding skills and have increased our exposure to avalanches, and many riders’ exposure surpasses their avalanche training.”

Amy David started taking up snowmobiling about five seasons ago. As a

SAWTOOTH VALLEY Go to fs.usda.gov and search under Maps and Publications for Winter Visitor Map. Or use the Winter Recreation Map provided by Stanleycc.org

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SAW TOOTH MOUNTAINS: STELL AR MEDIA

MAP: COURTESY BCRD

recommends anyone new to snowmobiling should enroll in similar courses, even competent backcountry skiers. “Motor education is tailored for specific users. The courses are made for you. You don’t have to change who you are and what you like to take this course.”

Along with the right education, David suggests also having the right machine for what you want to do. Join a snowmobile club and get to know some partners. It’s normal and common to get stuck and when that happens, you’re going to want some help. Sign up for some skills clinics. And before going out, always check closures that are due either to avalanche conditions or wildlife.

Like all the other transportation sports, from dogsledding to race car driving, the addictive objective with snowmobiling is that it is challenging and never boring, whether you’re honing skills or finding new terrain with a guide or reliable partners.

So, get out, stay safe, go fast and have fun.

Brap, brap. ï

OPTIMIZE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL FUNCTION WITH IV HYDRATION!

New “Tiny Home,” Smiley Creek Lodge

ROOM WITH A VIEW New for summer 2022, Smiley Creek Lodge will have brand new luxury tiny homes available for nightly rentals.

Choose from the Luna, which sleeps two, or the Orchid, which sleeps four. Both unit types have a living area, full kitchen, washer/dryer, and en suite bathroom, with panoramic views of the Sawtooth Mountains. In addition to the tiny homes, Smiley Creek offers several other lodging options: lodge rooms, rustic cabins, yurts, teepees, and RV sites, all with amazing views of the majestic Sawtooth Valley.

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DRIP LOUNGE + HOUSE CALLS S U N V A L L E Y | K E T C H U M | B O I S E

ELEVATED HYDRATION

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630 E. Sun Valley Rd. Ketchum, ID 1113 S. Broadway Ave. Boise, ID 208.309.8079 elevatedhydration.com

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getoutthere // heli skiing

The Last Frontier

Started in 1965 by former Sun Valley Resort owner Bill Janss, Sun Valley Heli Ski was the first operation of its kind in the lower 48 states.

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Heli skiing gets powderhounds closer to nirvana

BY AARON HILL

COURTESY SUN VALLE Y HELI SKI

C

all me a small-town Idaho hillbilly (many do), but there are a few things in life I never thought I would do, and heli skiing is one of them.

Taking a helicopter to remote mountaintops for the chance to ski untracked powder runs is often seen as something reserved for the most daring, like those legends in Warren Miller movies, navigating only the most extreme terrain.

But after sitting down with our local heli-ski operation, the kind folks at Sun Valley Heli Ski, I came away with two big takeaways: 1) heli skiing is attainable for any intermediate skier (you don’t have to be a King or Queen of Corbet’s Couloir to partake); and 2) sometimes in life it’s best to not tell yourself something is out of your league.

Sun Valley Heli Ski has deep roots in the Valley. Bill Janss started the operation in 1965, making it the first of its kind in the lower 48. In contrast to the highly regulated industry today—where everything revolves around risk mitigation, various conflicting interests of other backcountry users, and scrutinizing daily avalanche data—the best way to describe the early “cowboy” days is simple: the insurance policy was for paying guests to be able to ski out to the highway if the “ship” (a.k.a. the helicopter, a Bell 47 in those days—think M*A*S*H) had any problems.

The terrain skied over the years has changed considerably; the early days saw Durrance Peak—about eight miles north of Ketchum, just north of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area headquarters—as the cream of the crop for its great pitch and

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easy access. Durrance is now only accessible for backcountry skiers and today, the heli-team focuses a lot of their time at Paradise, a region west of Baker Creek (way north of Fairfield) that typically gets 30 to 50 percent more snow than Sun Valley due to the way storms “stack up” on their approach to the Valley. Sun Valley Heli Ski has a lodge in this region, where skiers can spend a night totally immersed in the solitude of a heli-skiing experience. With travel to Canada curtailed over the last couple of seasons, this lodge has captured the interest of diehards from the lower 48.

The year 2020-2021 was tough for backcountry skiers, with three different avalanche cycles and locally more avalanche activity than most people have ever seen in Sun Valley. The drive north from Hailey in early February was littered with slides.

Persistent weak layers kept those skiers who know how to play safe in the woods out of 66

“

Sun Valley Heli Ski has a permit with the U.S. Forest Service for 750,000 square acres, which gives them exclusive helicopter access to a massive playground. them. Sun Valley Heli Ski was running full flights a few mountain ranges to the west, where conditions were much more favorable, and providing avalanche data to the Sawtooth Avalanche Center. In addition to all the snowpack data Sun Valley Heli Ski provides

the backcountry community, they also have a long history of assisting with search and rescue operations. Today, they have a formal partnership with Blaine County to provide search and rescue services when necessary.

Sun Valley Heli Ski has a permit with the U.S. Forest Service for 750,000 square acres, which gives them exclusive helicopter access to a massive playground with spectacular terrain, covering three mountain ranges. A day in their four-passenger A Star B-3E chopper will set you back approximately $1,800 per person. This might seem like a lot until you consider the adventure that awaits: you, giddy with excitement as the bird takes off, heart pounding as you’re dropped on a snow-capped ridge, the silence and majesty of all those nearby peaks paling only in comparison to the lines of untracked snow before you, with no competition from friend or foe. People say it never gets old. ï

SUN VALLE Y HELI SKI: COURTESY SKIERS: DREW DALY, IFMGA MOUNTAIN GUIDE

getoutthere // heli skiing

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FROM PRACTICAL TO PAMPERED.

HELI + CAT SKIING IN IDAHO When your favorite runs start to make you snooze, it’s time to tackle new territory.

Take an early morning heli lift or snowcat trip to Idaho’s backcountry for some adrenaline-pumping powder.

SUN VALLEY HELI SKI Sun Valley, Idaho This vast area covering three mountain ranges provides unparalleled access to legendary powder and terrain for all abilities, including beginners.

SOLDIER MOUNTAIN: CAT SKIING Fairfield, Idaho Jump in a snowcat with 11 others to ski or snowboard 10,000-15,000 vertical feet of steeps, glades, chutes, bowls, and powder glades.

TETON SPRINGS LODGE: HELI SKIING Victor, Idaho Get the ultimate deep-powder experience in the Tetons, with access to beautiful open bowls, steep chutes, couloirs, enchanted forests, and perfectly gladed trees.

SUN VALLE Y HELI SKI: COURTESY SKIERS: DREW DALY, IFMGA MOUNTAIN GUIDE

GRAND TARGHEE: CAT SKIING Alta, Wyoming Home to over 500 inches of annual snowfall and Wyoming’s only cat skiing operation—right on the border of Idaho. Enjoy 602 dedicated acres of untracked light, dry Teton powder and 18,000 vertical feet in one day.

BRUNDAGE MOUNTAIN: CAT SKIING McCall, Idaho Unlimited freshies await on over 17,000 acres of snowy steeps, tree-lined glades, and powdery bowls on three separate mountain peaks.

PROFESSIONAL LO CAL DRIVERS FOR ALL O CCASIONS.

From small, intimate groups to large corporate or community events, our local team will take you there. Whether it’s a few hours, or a few days, our fleet of luxury SUVs, full sized vans and coaches offer exceptional transportation, comfort and safety.

SELKIRK POWDER COMPANY: CAT SKIING Sandpoint, Idaho The birthplace of snowcat skiing in 1975, Selkirk offers alpine cirque bowls and huge powder fields to narrow rock-lined chutes and the famous snow ghost-covered runs from treeline.

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• Weddings • Executive Transportation 208-726-9351 • info@mtnrct.com • mtnrct.com Groups

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2021-2022 WINTER EVENTS Come December, the Sun Valley area is a winter wonderland. Outdoor activities abound, from ice skating, snowshoeing, alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, riding fat bikes, and even fly fishing.

But there are also plenty of indoor events to delight the whole family. Here are a few of the highlights from the upcoming months.

Suns Hockey

The Sun Valley Suns host games at the Sun Valley Ice Rink in Ketchum and the Campion Ice House in Hailey. The games with teams from Jackson, Park City, Bozeman, Missoula, and Vail are full of action and family fun. svsunshockey.com

Dec. 29, 2021 – Dec. 30, 2022

Dec. 26, 2021

SVGA Gallery Walks

Zoso • The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience As one of the longest tenured Zeppelin tributes, Zoso’s 2,400 live shows around the world have established them as one of the most traveled and successful bands in the market. Each band member’s mastery of authentic vintage instruments coupled with their compelling stage persona and distinct Led Zeppelin sound recreates the music, magic, and mystery of a Zeppelin concert. theargyros.org

Eddie Ifft

Zoso, The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience

The Sun Valley Gallery Association hosts evenings of art and discussion at Ketchum’s many world-class galleries. Artists are often in attendance. Enjoy a glass of wine and discuss the latest in the art world. Upcoming Gallery Walk dates are: Dec. 29, Feb. 18, March 11, July 8, Aug. 5, Sept. 2, Dec. 30. svgalleries.org

Jan. 2, 2022 and Feb. 1, 2022

New Moon Dinner Enjoy the Sawtooth Botanical Garden in winter! New Moon Dinner events feature a “farm to greenhouse” catered meal with wine for 50 people in their heated greenhouse, a “snow bar” and warming fire pits outside the greenhouse, and night sky viewing telescopes outside on the darker, north side of the Visitor Center. From 5:30 to 8 p.m. sbgarden.org

Jan. 14, 2022

Anthony Doerr

Caption

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Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anthony Doerr joins us to discuss his new book, Cloud Cuckoo Land, which has been shortlisted for the National Book Award. Cloud Cuckoo Land is “a paean to the extraordinary human capacity to transmit stories from generation

to generation and a novel about stewardship— of books, of our shared planet, and of the human heart.” comlib.org

Jan. 14-15, 2022

Eddie Ifft Comedian Eddie Ifft returns to Ketchum after two sold-out shows in 2019. Ifft is the host of one of the most successful podcasts in the comedy world, “Talkin’ Sh*t.” He has released his own 30-minute special for Comedy Central and made numerous TV appearances on shows such as Showtime’s the Green Room with Paul Provenza, Tommy Chong 420 Show, Chelsea Lately, Last Comic Standing and the Joe Rogan Show. theargyros.org

EDDIE IFF T AND ZOSO: COURTESY THE ARGYROS

Dec. 2, 2021 – March 11, 2022

Jan. 15-16, 2022

Annual Pond Hockey Classic The Pond Hockey Classic is one of the most anticipated events of the year in Sun Valley, and the whole town comes to celebrate! The Classic is a four-on-four double elimination hockey tournament. No goalies are allowed. Six people are allowed per team. All players must be over 18 years old. There will a maximum of 25 games per day. Games are played at Christina Potters Ice Rink and will begin at 9 a.m. booksunvalley. com/event/annual-pond-hockey-classic

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SKI THE RAILS: DEV KHALSA / COURTESY BCRD NOAH STEWART: COURTESY SUN VALLE Y OPERA TERESA CASTILLO: K ALEIGH RAE / COURTESY SUN VALLE Y OPERA

getoutthere // calendar

Noah Stewart

Jan. 22-29, 2022

TERESA CASTILLO: K ALEIGH RAE / COURTESY SUN VALLE Y OPERA NOAH STEWART: COURTESY SUN VALLE Y OPERA SKI THE RAILS: DEV KHALSA / COURTESY BCRD

EDDIE IFF T AND ZOSO: COURTESY THE ARGYROS

Ancient Skiers Sun Valley Reunion The Ancient Skiers group is back for the 36th annual Sun Valley Reunion. The Ancient Skiers are a community of over 1,000 snow skiers, all age 55+, from the Pacific Northwest who join to celebrate the snow ski industry and are dedicated to continuing their enjoyment of skiing as they move into their “Golden Years.” booksunvalley.com/event/ancient-skiers-sunvalley-reunion

OF SUN VALLEY

The Valley’s premier dining & menu guide Noah Stewart and Teresa Castillo

Jan. 26-30, 2022

Join them at 10:55 a.m. for a showing of “Rigoletto.” sunvalleyopera.com

The Silver Cup is a fun group gathering for friendly ski competition, held every other year at different ski resorts. Mike and Linda Markkula founded The Silver Cup in 1992 in celebration of their silver wedding anniversary. Mike is the former CEO and a co-founder of Apple Computer, and it is a tribute to him, Linda, and the ski community that The Silver Cup has happened every other year since its inception. silvercupraces.com

Feb. 1, 2022

Silver Cup 2022

Jan. 29, 2022

Ski the Rails Blaine County Recreation District invites you, your friends, and family and even your dog to join a free cross-country ski tour along the former Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way. The Ski the Rails ski tour will take place Saturday, January 29th from Ketchum to Hailey on the BCRD Wood River Trail. bcrd.org

Jan. 29, 2022

Mimosas & Muffins Sun Valley Opera hosts “Mimosas & Muffins” to celebrate the return of the MET HD Live Simulcast Screenings of Metropolitan Opera Productions at the Bigwood Cinemas in Hailey.

Boulder Mountain Tour Join this world-class Nordic event for pros and amateurs alike. The full Boulder race is 34 kilometers and draws elite skiers; the halfBoulder is a more relaxed event and clocks in at 15 kilometers. bouldermountaintour.com

Feb. 10, 2022

Jonah Hoskins Join Sun Valley Opera for their Signature Salon Wine and Light Hors d’oeuvres Reception and Concert at the Argyros starring the 2021 second-place winner of the International Operalia Competition, Jonah Hoskins. sunvalleyopera.com

Feb. 15-16, 2022

International Guitar Night International Guitar Night (IGN) has become a fan favorite for local students and evening concert goers. As the group celebrates its 21st year of touring the U.S., IGN’s founder, Brian Gore, has put together another brilliant lineup of musicians—this year with two men and two women! Returning to the Wood River Valley is guest host Lulo Reinhardt, Germany’s Latin Swing master, joined by contemporary classical guitarist Stephanie Jones (Australia), two-hand “tapper” Alexandre Misko (Russia) and jazz classicist Eleonora Strino (Italy). svmoa.org

March 2, 2022

Teresa Castillo and Noah Stewart Ski the Rails

Join Sun Valley Opera for a concert featuring soprano Teresa Castillo and tenor Noah Stewart at the Argyros. The Costa RicanAmerican Castillo has been hailed by the San WINTER 2021/2022 | sunvalleymag.com

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

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Francisco Gate as a “standout, bringing [vocal] power and florid elegance,” and by Opera News for exhibiting “a clean, concentrated sound, and a lovely, intelligent musicianship.”

Stewart’s tenor has been said to “have a clarion edge to it, reminiscent of Pavarotti in his glory days.” sunvalleyopera.com

breathtaking command of the emotive power of fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and banjo. These two sets of brothers write and perform with emotion, incalculable brio and inventiveness, power, subtlety, and intelligence. The Argyros. svmoa.org

March 15-16, 2022

Diva Party and Concert

We Banjo 3 One of the best live acts to come out of Ireland in recent years, the award-winning We Banjo 3 combines supergroup credentials with a

We Banjo 3

March 20, 2022 Join Sun Valley Opera for their Diva Party and Concert starring Broadway star Allison Blackwell as she presents “First You Dream” at the Argyros. The award-winning

Philadelphia native has distinguished herself as a force of nature in the theatre and concert world. Her versatile voice and outgoing personality on stage make her a legendary performer. sunvalleyopera.com

March 30-April 3, 2022

Sun Valley Film Festival Since 2012 the Sun Valley Film Festival has invited fans and filmmakers to America’s first ski resort to celebrate the magic of storytelling. The year-round Sun Valley Film Initiative develops professionals and illuminates the process of filmmaking, propelling emerging voices with grants and education. sunvalleyfilmfestival.org

April 9-10, 2022

PURPLE REIGN: JASON QUIGLE Y / COURTESY SVMOA

Portland Cello Project’s “Purple Reign”

WE BANJO 3: BRIAN DALTHORP / COURTESY SVMOA

getoutthere // calendar

Portland Cello Project’s “Purple Reign” What started in 2006 as a one-off with a group of nine cellists onstage at Portland’s Doug Fir Lounge has evolved into a nationally recognized performing, recording and educational group with a revolving cast of cellists. Portland Cello Project (PCP) has developed a three-part philosophy: Bring the cello places you wouldn’t normally see it; perform music on the cello you wouldn’t normally associate with the instrument; and build bridges between different musical communities. The Argyros. svmoa.org

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PURPLE REIGN: JASON QUIGLE Y / COURTESY SVMOA

WE BANJO 3: BRIAN DALTHORP / COURTESY SVMOA

Live your luxury.

GO BIG AND GO HOME. From the slopes of Baldy to finding your home and sales agreements, I can help bring the luxury of Sun Valley to you.

Create a winning strategy. Beat the crowds and book me for an early-up, “Legends” 3 hour ski experience through the Sun Valley Company and have your write off real-estate business meeting on the lifts.

Please call me for a 3 hour, “Legends” lesson, mountain tour, for early ups on a powder day and to talk local real estate and life in Sun Valley.

Kent Kreitler Engel & Völkers Sun Valley +1 415-444-6610 kent.kreitler@evrealestate.com www.kentkreitler.evrealestate.com

Scan to see Kent’s 11 closings in the last year.

Engel & Völkers Sun Valley • 291 First Avenue North • Ketchum, Idaho 83340 © 2021-2022 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage is independently owned and operated. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.

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PHOTO CREDIT: YANCY & W YAT T CALDWELL / STELL AR MEDIA

Karl Fostvedt skiing in Haines, AK, with the Stellar Media crew in 2019. Shot from a drone, this is on the Willard glacier zone, in the Chilkat mountain range.

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PHOTO CREDIT: YANCY & W YAT T CALDWELL / STELL AR MEDIA

G OI NG

BIG

Sun Valley’s ski elite master the world’s big mountains

BY BEN BRADLEY

W

hen skiers sleep, they dream of steep, powder-laden slopes, puffy pillows, and untracked, gladed bowls. In their dreams, they ski it all effortlessly, feeling no nagging pain in their joints, jumping and twisting through the air, never missing a landing.

Upon waking, however, most must make peace with the fact that their bodies will never permit them to experience this level of sublime joy on skis in real life. They must instead rely on inspiration drawn from the exploits of ski heroes, who take to the screen, providing ski-dream fodder through the sport’s most extreme manifestation: big mountain skiing.

While ski racing, moguls, and park competitions take place on manicured courses, designed specifically to ensure that all competitors are judged against an identical course, big mountain skiing is all about taming the wild untouched steeps of a mountain. Competitors must not only possess flawless technique but also a keen vision and awareness as they must select their own lines to make best use of a slope’s natural features, transposing a route drawn with their mind’s eye while staring up at the mountain from over a thousand feet below. As they execute their run at unnerving speeds, big mountain skiers must also incorporate huge air and tricks into their runs.

Since its advent in the early 1990s, big mountain skiing has shared a symbiotic relationship with ski movies. Looking back over the

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years, it is hard to imagine each progressing to where they are today without the other’s influence. Known in the early years as “extreme skiing,” big mountain skiing not only changed the game for the ski films themselves, but it also turned immensely talented daredevil skiers into household names. And as each season passed, the bar was set for the next crop of skiers and filmmakers to top. Meeting the insatiable appetite for the next bigger, faster, crazier ski feat took an athlete with a very particular skillset, and few places have consistently turned out more exceptionally gifted big mountain skiers than Sun Valley.

At first glance, one might not notice many similarities between Bald Mountain and the towering white spines that feature prominently in today’s ski movies. While Baldy is certainly less extreme, it is steep, and it is long. Dedicated skiers that call Sun Valley’s slopes home build foundational skills essential to becoming a world-class skier: technique, speed, and stamina. The steep pitch and seemingly endless vertical of Bald Mountain, along with access to world-class side country and backcountry, have made Sun Valley a perennial producer of premier ski talent.

Over the course of two decades of big mountain skiing, Sun Valley locals continue to find themselves at the top of the skiing world, skiing the impossible and going bigger and better than ever before.

12/2/21 3:33 PM

Kent Kreitler in Engelberg, Switzerland, in 2008.

One of the earliest members of big mountain skiing’s elite to hail from Ketchum, Kent Kreitler was part of a group of skiers who changed the notion of what is possible. Along with other legendary names like Shane McConkey and Doug Coombs, Kreitler explored and skied a ludicrous number of first descents. Prior to the explorations that he and his cohorts documented, the now famous ski mecca of Haines, Alaska, was a complete unknown.

“Of all the things I’ve accomplished over my career, pioneering those peaks and lines in Haines is still the highlight that stands out for me,” Kreitler says.

Kreitler describes one of the biggest progressions he saw was the major shift from straight airs and drops to the long, extreme lines and huge tricks we associate with big mountain skiing today. “Earlier ski films were all mini golf shots,” Kreitler says of the shorter takes that made up the ski films 74

when he started climbing the ranks. “Once [Teton Gravity Research] started making their movies, we saw that change to scouting and shooting super long lines.”

Accessing these new lines and aspects meant becoming well versed in mountaineering skills and avalanche terrain navigation. Kreitler points out that “everyone involved had to develop a whole new set of skills and get super savvy in avalanche safety and technical climbing.”

Today, Kreitler is still proud to call Sun Valley home, and he notes that few other mountain towns can compete with the backcountry options and the solitude that can be found here. And though skiing in the movies is better left to the youth, Kreitler still feels the drive to find the line no one has ever skied. “I still look for the occasional first descent, even just down through some of the cliffs [on Baldy] into town.”

PHOTO CREDITS THIS PAGE: COURTESY KENT KREITLER

The Pioneer

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PHOTO CREDIT TOP TO BOT TOM: BENJAMIN DIT TO / COURTESY SUN VALLE Y MAGA ZINE

KENT KREITLER

Lynsey Dyer skiing in Jackson Hole.

PHOTO CREDIT TOP TO BOT TOM: BENJAMIN DIT TO / COURTESY SUN VALLE Y MAGA ZINE

PHOTO CREDITS THIS PAGE: COURTESY KENT KREITLER

LY N S E Y D Y E R The Groundbreaker A product of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation (SVSEF), Ketchum native Lynsey Dyer credits the training she received in the program for giving her the skills to take on the biggest mountains. “Raised as a ski racer, I honed my technique with the absolute best coaches in the world,” says Dyer.

Her rise to the top was somewhat circuitous and included an extensive break from skiing, during which Dyer traveled to Italy to study art. “I took a break from skiing, and being away from the sport really helped to reinvigorate my passion,” says Dyer. With the encouragement of her cousin, fellow big mountain skiing legend A.J. Cargill, Dyer decided to jump into the sport, winning her first Big Mountain Freeski Tour as a senior in college.

Early in her career, the ski film industry was still mostly devoid of female athletes, with the only feminine presence being that of the over-sexed ski bunny. The only exception at that time was Ingrid Backstrom, and

Dyer made it her goal to get into ski movies.

Enter the familiar story line of so many women, elite in their fields: be told no, fight discrimination, break down the walls, and finally achieve. Dyer did just that, becoming one of the first women featured in a ski film while also becoming the first female athlete to grace the cover of Freeskier Magazine. And she didn’t waste her chance. “I just went out and found the biggest thing I could jump off of.” After breaking in, Dyer’s line stylings became a mainstay.

Today, Dyer is always looking for ways to give back. She co-founded SheJumps, an organization dedicated to increasing the accessibility of the outdoors for girls and women from all backgrounds. She isn’t done skiing either. With a recent successful drop off of “Fat Bastard,” a famed 75-foot cliff in Wyoming’s Tetons, Dyer has other huge cliffs in her sights as she continues to lay waste to the belief that “women can’t do that.”

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Karl Fostvedt doing a sunset 360 in the southern Idaho backcountry.

KARL FOST VEDT

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Fostvedt says, “It’s all about freedom. Once you taste it, you get hooked.” He is also quick to point out the inherent dangers that come with skiing the stuff of dreams. When we watch a skier at the top of their game descending in some far-flung location, it’s easy to forget how many other people are involved in making that happen. Teamwork and avalanche terrain navigation skills are mandatory when it comes to skiing the untamed steeps. When attempting to accomplish any new skiing goal, Fostvedt says patience is paramount: “You have to respect the mountains. They will be there long after we’re gone.”

Growing up in Ketchum, Fostvedt describes how he can always look out from the top of Bald Mountain at all the peaks and bowls of the Pioneer and Smoky Mountains, imagining all the infinite lines out there to be skied. It’s that limitless freedom of the alpine that keeps him always looking for the next great challenge to be scouted and subsequently shredded in style.

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PHOTO CREDITS TOP TO BOT TOM: MIKE SCHIRF / HILL ARY MAYBERY

During an early morning of working with his teammates to prepare the bumps on the mogul course, Karl Fostvedt came to the realization that freestyle skiing wasn’t his calling. At that time, Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation (SVSEF) hadn’t begun to offer a formal Big Mountain/Freeski program. So, at the age of 13, Fostvedt ventured to Steamboat Springs, Colorado, to train in Steamboat Mountain School’s Freeski program and master the art of the big mountain line.

Fast forward 17 years to today, and Fostvedt is the current crowned King of Corbet’s, Jackson Hole’s legendary big mountain competition that features athletes hucking their bodies into a mercilessly steep chute, flipping and twisting with reckless abandon. To be named the best at that task among a field of so many other talented skiers is no small feat, and for Fostvedt, this is the second time he’s donned the crown.

Asked to define big mountain skiing,

PHOTO CREDITS THIS PAGE: TAL ROBERTS

The King

McKenna Peterson on a late afternoon ski mission in the West Fjiords of Iceland.

MCKENNA PETERSON PHOTO CREDITS TOP TO BOT TOM: MIKE SCHIRF / HILL ARY MAYBERY

PHOTO CREDITS THIS PAGE: TAL ROBERTS

The Captain Another proud SVSEF alum, McKenna Peterson grew up racing, which imparted in her skiing perfect form and a supreme comfort with speed. Though once she discovered big mountain skiing competitions in college, it cemented her love of life off-piste.

For Peterson, the joy of skiing was passed down to her by her parents and has been the common thread that has kept her family bound tightly together over the years. “My family is incredibly important to me,” says Peterson, “and we all love to ski.”

Like so many others, Peterson is quick to credit SVSEF for the prowess she has developed into a professional skiing career. “My favorite part about growing up skiing in Sun Valley was skiing with SVSEF and getting the opportunity to travel all over the West.” She adds, “The ski community everywhere is special, but here in Sun Valley, people truly dedicate their lives to skiing.”

In summer, Peterson can be found navigating the swells of the Inside Passage aboard her

family’s fishing vessel Atlantis, hot on the trail of the season’s salmon run. When the physical abuse of life at sea becomes nearly overwhelming, she shifts her gaze from the foaming sea up to the jagged peaks that flank her fishing grounds.

“I just imagine dropping in and which lines I will shred next season,” she says. In a few short months, she will be standing on top of those peaks, shielding her eyes as the sun reflects off the very same water she navigated all summer.

To see some of these skiers in action, check out these recent ski films screened in Sun Valley in the fall of 2021: Karl Fostvedt’s debut independent film “Brap Ski Volume 1,” featuring McKenna Peterson, Collin Collins, Harlan Collins, Dirt Franco, Matt Guyer, Barrett Cincotta, Lexi Dupont, Thayne Rich, Blaine Gallivan, and Olympian Chase Josey Matchstick Productions’ “The Stomping Grounds,” featuring Karl Fostvedt, McKenna Peterson, Banks Gilberti, Collin Collins, and Wing Tai Barrymore

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SUN VALLEY

How a sleepy ranching town became one of the world’s most famous ski resorts

n a word … marketing. Sun Valley Resort was the brainchild of Union Pacific Railroad Chairman, Averell Harriman, who thought that creating a ski resort that rivaled those in Europe—St. Moritz, Chamonix—might help reinvigorate passenger service for the railroad. An Austrian count was hired to find the perfect mountain and, once discovered in the midst of remote central Idaho, Harriman immediately began work on creating a destination ski resort worthy of his vision. Architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood was commissioned to build a lodge to equal, or best, his previous projects in America’s National Parks (the original Grand Canyon North Rim Lodge, Old Faithful Lodge in Yellowstone, and many others) and Harriman sought out the marketing genius of the times—Steve Hannagan—to complete his vision. And the rest is history. Here is the rest of the story, as told by Van Gordon Sauter in the award-winning coffee table book, The Sun Valley Story (2011):

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Hannagan abhorred snow and cold. He correctly presumed that many potential visitors had no real knowledge of skiing, at that time an esoteric winter sporting activity. Given his preference for spending winter afternoons on sunny beaches with a covey of models in twopiece bathing suits, Hannagan knew that there would be significant resistance by guests to trudging through knee-deep snow up a hill only to turn around and slide–if not uncontrollably tumble–back down on two long pieces of insanely polished kindling. So Hannagan told Harriman the resort required a comfortable conveyance for lifting people up the hill.

Harriman agreed and cogs began to turn. A people conveyance became just another item on the corporate “to do” list.

The railroad would, within a year, from scratch, assemble a large, full-service hotel in the middle of nowhere. It delivered to the backwoods of Idaho construction equipment, workers and housing, dinner plates and sheets and oranges and cement and steaks and windows and a swimming pool and musical instruments and potato peelers. Everything found in a normal upscale hotel was hauled to Ketchum, Idaho. Including a people lifter.

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“

Following another Hannagan recommendation, celebrities were lured to Sun Valley, affirming to the popular press its claims of sophistication and convenience.

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For Harriman, the wily PR man, Steve Hannagan, took a noname valley in the shadow of the remote Sawtooth Mountains and spun forth a story of fun, elegance, and exclusivity. He even gave the valley a name: Sun Valley, though in later years others unsuccessfully laid claim to that distinction. Hannagan created the magic for the premiere American ski resort.

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“

There is a saying that the last workman exited the lodge’s back door as the first guest entered the front door.

Steve Hannagan was best known as the public-relations man who played a critical role in elevating a beach with outsized aspirations near Miami into a sexy, ritzy tourist mecca called Miami Beach.

Hannagan had a canny sense of catching the public’s attention and then conveying seductive images of fun and comfort. And they brought in customers. Miami Beach was quickly elevated from the slightly mundane into a glamorous, vivacious place, a place to feel smarter and better looking and more compelling than you actually were.

By visiting Miami Beach you could thrill your family with sun and warmth, feel better about your status in life, and win the envy of neighbors back home shoveling two feet of snow from the front walk. It was blunt legerdemain without deceit.

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ALAN PESKY How heartbreak and loss led to hope and understanding

W

hen longtime Wood River Valley resident Alan

child. It’s everybody around the child who doesn’t understand. Don’t

Pesky was approached by a friend, who was also the

blame the child. Understand the child.”

president of MacMillan Publishing, to write a book,

“Lee grew up when ‘learning disability’ was not in the English

Pesky thought he’d share the wisdom he gleaned

language,” says Pesky. With few resources available at the time,

from his years in the advertising industry. Pesky’s publishing friend

Lee’s family struggled to find the support Lee needed to overcome

even introduced him to two possible co-writers, one an Emmy-

his obstacles to learning. Lee graduated from Lafayette College and

winning TV writer. But Pesky did not feel inspired to write about

became a business owner. “One of my favorite memories of Lee,”

business. Then Jenny Emery Davidson, the executive director of

says Pesky, “was watching him at the Buckin’ Bagel—loving what he

The Community Library, told Pesky she’d like him to meet a writer

was doing, how happy he was—he was experiencing success.” Lee,

friend of hers. He never expected to meet his future co-author,

the founder of the Buckin’ Bagel chain, had opened two branches

Claudia Aulum. He teamed up with Aulum,

in Boise and was planning to expand when

who had never written a book before, and

he became ill. Another favorite memory is

their collaborative effort was released this

Lee bending over to kiss his pregnant sis-

past September. More to Life than More:

ter’s belly and saying, “Hi baby, this is your

A Memoir of Misunderstanding, Loss, and

Uncle Lee.” In the last picture of Lee, he is

Learning reveals the importance and value

wearing his Buckin’ Bagel hat, holding his

of relationships.

sister’s baby.

Emotionally

riveting,

Pesky’s

book

When asked what message he wants

examines the layers of his often-difficult

readers to take away from his memoir,

relationship with his eldest son, Lee, who

Pesky says, “Love the child you have, not

had to overcome dysgraphia, a prob-

the child you want.” He notes that some-

lem with organizing letters, numbers, and words on a page. A Kirkus Review described the candid and moving mem-

Alan and Lee at their home in Connecticut in 1973, when Lee was nine years old.

child—they want the child to have an interest or talent in an area that interests the

parent. Pesky wanted Lee to be athletic like him, but Lee had motor

brimming with joy, heartbreak, and love.” The memoir opens with

control problems. “If you want the child to be something and that

the painful account of Lee’s illness and death. At the age of 30, Lee

child doesn’t fulfill that dream, that’s something you should under-

was diagnosed with brain cancer and passed away 10 weeks later on

stand—you should not be upset by how that plays out. Have the

November 6, 1995.

freedom to understand the child you have.”

To honor Lee’s legacy, Pesky and his wife, Wendy, established

Pesky continues, “Love comes in different forms. It manifests

a facility for kids with learning disabilities in 1997. The Lee Pesky

itself differently. I have enormous love for all three of my children

Learning Center, located in Boise, helps children with learning dif-

(Heidi, Lee, and Greg). I wish Lee was here today so I could put my

ferences in ways that weren’t available to their son. “Our interest is

arms around him and say, ‘God, I love you. You’re pretty terrific.’”

all of the tools they need under one roof.”

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times parents have expectations of their

oir as “an articulate, unflinchingly honest, and touching account

to help kids fulfill their potential in life,” states Pesky, “to give them

JANE MCCANN PHOTOGRAPHY

B Y PA M EL A K L EI B R I N K T H O M P S O N

At a BSU commencement, Pesky addressed Idaho teachers and said, “Although I have always had an interest in education, it wasn’t

Pesky says that each child who comes to the Lee Pesky Learning

until we opened the doors of the Lee Pesky Learning Center that it

Center has his or her own unique identity, or fingerprint. Remedia-

became the focal point of my life. It has given me a totally different

tion for each can be different. “Our job is to find the fingerprint and

perspective of the important role education plays in the life of an

then adapt the tools to suit that child,” says Pesky.

individual and on the broader scale for our society.”

“When you have a learning disability, it has nothing to do with

“The biggest thrill I can get in life is to see a kid who wants to

your intelligence,” says Pesky. “It’s the way your brain is wired. If it’s

come to the Learning Center because we’re making progress,” says

not wired exactly right, it manifests as a learning disability. You can-

Pesky. He noted that the Learning Center has impacted not just the

not cure a learning disability, but what you can do is explain it to the

lives of the children it serves, but also the families of which they are

person who is diagnosed with it.” This eases some of the frustration.

a part. To have a parent tell him that he’s changed their lives or saved

“The problem with the child who has a learning disability isn’t the

their child’s life, “that is what ‘more’ means to me.” ï

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JANE MCCANN PHOTOGRAPHY

Alan Pesky at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College as a visiting Executive in Residence for a case study discussion on the Lee Pesky Learning Center.

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BRENT HANSEN: RAY J. GADD

Brent Hansen holds a pair of soft orthotics custom made in his shop, Ski Tek, established in 1987 and hailed as the place where “boot (or shoe) fitting becomes an art.”

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BRENT HANSEN The “Foot Guru” gives the Valley happy feet

BY JAKE MOE

“

T

he average human takes 225 million steps in a life-

but also prevents unnecessary pain and injury. Who among long-

time; however, due to the activity level of folks in the

time alpine skiers doesn’t remember cranking down the two-sizes-

Wood River Valley, that total would easily be 300 to

too-small Lange boots just to get a better feel of the skis on the snow?

400 million steps. Just one trip up to Pioneer Cabin

No wonder Hansen counts skiers’ feet as the most damaged he’s seen

BRENT HANSEN: RAY J. GADD

can easily top 25,000 steps.”

in his nearly 50 years of his foot fetishes.

That’s Brent Hansen, the chief cook and bottle washer at Ski Tek,

What is Hansen’s secret? How has he become the Foot Guru for

a jubilant fellow that has had a lifetime of athletic excellence. Name

athletes throughout the Wood River Valley and beyond? Why do

any sport, and it is likely that Hansen has not only experimented

top athletes such as cross-country skier Katie Feldman sing Han-

with it but also excelled. Skiing has obviously been his number one

sen’s praises? “He really cares, not only about our performance on

sport since his family built the Pomerelle Ski Area decades ago. He

the circuit all season long, but in the off season, as we are running

has raced downhill nationally and in Europe and even dabbled in

mountain trails and road courses, his focus is on prevention of

speed skiing (with a top speed of 119 miles per hour).

injury,” says Feldman.

In addition to alpine skiing, Hansen has been a kayaker, climber,

The easy answer is the passion that Brent has for feet and com-

paraglider, Nordic skier, and cyclist. And, in each pursuit, his strive

bining that passion with 50 years of activity. He literally has seen

towards excellence was the norm. He won the very first Boulder

every possible foot problem and injury. And in collaboration with

Mountain Tour, spent countless days kayaking the Payette River

Professor of Orthopedics Michael Coughlin of Boise, Hansen has

and paraglided here in the States and in Europe. It was in Green-

been able to learn from the very best in the field of foot and ankle

horn Gulch where death almost came knocking when his paraglider

care. Professor Coughlin has co-written Surgery of the Foot and

failed, and he crashed. That injury and his resulting rehab turned

Ankle, considered the “bible” of the craft.

his attention to how the body really functions and how to perform

When visiting for the first time at his shop on Sun Valley Road,

at the top of your game. As he describes his life back in the 1970s and

Hansen and his expert team will dive into a ton of questions such as

’80s, he calls it a “smorgasbord of sports” that were rugged and raw.

what sports, activities, and recreational pursuits you like, what pain

During the early 1970s, Hansen worked part time in the back

you have in your feet and, most importantly, what shoes you wear.

rooms of the Scott Boot plant. He experimented with the moldable

He will carefully examine your feet and look especially for any

liner foam to mold footbeds with the intention of allowing the foot

callouses and loss of the under-foot padding. Then, he will tell you

to feel the ski and the ski’s edge in the most sensitive manner. His

about his cousins living in Hawaii, cousins with the healthiest feet he

goal was to create the connection between the foot and the ski that

has ever seen because they spend their life shoeless walking in the

would resemble the sensitivity similar to a Porsche in a high-speed

sand on the beaches. The sand, Hansen explains, forms the perfect

turn, rather than the squishiness of a 1975 Chevy Suburban. With

support for the arch under foot and is soft enough to not pound

his experience as a downhill racer, Hansen discovered that the bet-

the natural padding we all have under our feet. Years of time spent

ter the connection between foot and ski edge, the faster he went. He

walking on cement gradually eliminates that natural padding, and

likes to describe the action as a “soft touch,” making it possible for

we end up with bone contacting the ground.

the downhill skis to float without any restriction. Too much friction, and everything slows down.

Next, Hansen will have you step into his sand-and-beeswax box, and a cast is made of your feet. The soft sand could fill the

Fast forward to today, and Hansen predicts that World Cup

metatarsal pad under the foot. With that cast, Hansen starts to

alpine racers will eventually transition to custom boots made using

work making the ultimate SOFT orthotics. Soft is capitalized

3D printing, so that their boots will mimic every curve, bone, and

because one of Brent’s most strident opinions is that hard orthot-

muscle in their foot. Currently, skilled boot technicians like those at

ics make no sense when the bottom of the foot has greatly reduced

Hansen’s shop, Ski Tek, sculpt thick-walled plug boots to follow the

natural “fatty pad.”

athlete’s anatomy. This is very time consuming and therefore costly.

Once your cast is complete, then all your shoes can be outfit-

The price for these custom ski boots for World Cup competitors can

ted with an insert that fits your foot and all its imperfections like

easily top $2,000 per pair. This “glove-like” fit not only provides

a glove. Pain gets vastly reduced or eliminated, and performance

incredible performances on the icy racecourses of the World Cup

excels. Good enough for another hundred million steps perhaps. ï WINTER 2021/2022 | sunvalleymag.com

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JANE AND CODY SEIM How Sun Valley inspired their women’s ski brand, Cordova

S

kiing has a sense of playfulness and costume; whether

In April of 2016, Jane quit her job and devoted herself full time

it’s spring skiing when people are wearing vintage

to her new project, which launched in December of the same year

onesies and dinosaur costumes or a powder day when

with three styles and 120 units, all of which completely sold out.

people are whooping from the chairlifts, any ski day is

Something that Jane had considered a test of the market had proved

cause for celebration. It is this same joie de vivre that the

wildly successful and meant the creation of a second season. Today,

luxury women’s ski brand Cordova seeks to inject into its imagina-

Cordova is now designing for its seventh season. As someone without

tive, tailored ski clothes.

any design or fashion background, Jane says she often questioned

Founded by Jane and Cody Seim, Cordova is a passion project

whether she could call herself a “designer.” But the success of her

that evolved into a full-blown career over the course of a few years.

brand has proved that she is as much a designer as any. “I didn’t go to

Longtime visitors to Sun Valley from their hometown of Seattle,

school for fashion design; I just had to teach myself, and I had some

the Seims got married at The Round-

really good mentors and people who

house in 2014. That same year, Jane

believed in me,” says Jane.

made the switch from snowboarding

Eager to be immersed in ski

to skiing, a move that made her feel

culture and have access to the slopes

true power in her body as she cut

on a daily basis, Jane and Cody

turns in the snow—and she wanted

moved to Sun Valley full time in

that feeling embodied in her outfits.

January 2020. Living in a rental in

“I tried to find new clothes to ski in

Board Ranch, the Seims feel truly

and wasn’t super stoked on what was

inspired in this location, whether

available,” says Jane. “It felt a lot like

they’re sitting on their porch in the

men’s brands taking a men’s cut and

morning,

trying to fit it to a woman.”

looking at color samples or taking in

Jane, a consultant at the time with no prior design experience, began to experiment with putting together her

coffee

while

lunch laps on the hill.

Model is wearing the Banff sweater with Wildcat ski pant and Eyak shearling hat by Cordova.

own playful outfits. When women

“There’s something about Sun Valley,” says Jane. “You have a feeling of home here. I really appreciate the

began chasing her to the bottom of runs to ask where she had gotten

low-key nature of Sun Valley as a resort town. We’ve been lucky to

her outfits, she realized she had struck a chord.

travel to a lot of different places and sure, they’re fun places to go ski,

As she brainstormed and began researching the history of ski

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enjoying

SAM CANNON / COURTESY CORDOVA

B Y H AY D E N S E D E R

holiday and party. But that’s not a place that we want to live.”

fashion, Jane felt inspired by the ’60’s and ’70s “ jet set” era. Ski

With an office above The Cellar Pub, Cordova’s small team of

nostalgia is something Sun Valley has in spades, and Jane and Cody

10 works collaboratively to make each season’s designs a reality.

found themselves inspired by the history of ski culture here.

Available at stores in Sun Valley, Aspen, Vail, and Park City (as well

“This is the first ski resort in North America, and it has a very

as many international and online retailers), Cordova doesn’t have

nostalgic cache that Jane was initially inspired by,” says Cody.

its own brick and mortar storefront, something that the Seims were

“We’ve traveled to other resorts, but they didn’t have this connection

grateful for when the pandemic hit. Going forward, Jane plans

to ski culture that drove the initial brand story of Cordova.”

to figure out new ways to design and to expand the collection to

As Jane used her vacation time from her consulting job to attend

include pieces that accommodate a woman’s whole experience,

trade shows and learn aspects of the industry, she was developing a

from on the mountain to off. “I think we’re always trying to think

firmer idea of her ideal fit and aesthetic for an initial one-piece ski

about who [our customer] is, what her daily experience looks like,

suit prototype. She also secured the name “Cordova,” the town in

and how we can build into that,” says Jane. “What is going to make

Alaska where her mother and oldest sister were born.

her feel good?” ï

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SAM CANNON / COURTESY CORDOVA

Husbandand-wife team Cody and Jane Seim are the masterminds behind luxury women’s ski apparel brand, Cordova.

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The dynamic duo who took Sun Valley Ski School to world-class fame

BY K AREN BOSSICK

D

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estiny would have had Sigi Engl following in

had run Sun Valley’s ski school for nearly a quarter century.

his father’s trade as a stonemason build­ ing

Siegfried Engl went to the University of Innsbruck to

tombstones for the Catholic Church in the

hone his artistic skills. And he did create one tombstone,

tiny medieval town of Kitzbuhel, Austria. But

according to his daughter Nina Carroll. But he also excelled

fate, in particular an encounter with Adolph

in ski racing, even taking ballet classes to finetune his skills.

Hitler, had other designs. And so, the 5-foot-11 blonde Aus-

He won the Italian downhill and slalom championships

trian went on to turn the Sun Valley Ski School into the finest

at Cortina in 1931, the slalom championships at Garmisch-

in the world.

Partenkirchen in 1932, the famed Hahnenkamm combined

“No question it was the top ski school in the world under

and the Marmolata downhill in 1935 and the Austrian sla-

Sigi and Sepp Froehlich,” said Ketchum resident Ralph

lom and downhill championships twice, earning a spot on

Harris, who grew up with Engl’s children and went on to

the Austrian FIS World Championship team.

become a ski instructor under Engl. “Sigi and Sepp were

At age 15, he learned to teach the Arlberg method of par-

total icons, building the biggest and best ski school in the

allel skiing under Hannes Schneider, the father of modern

world. People came to Sun Valley from all over the world

skiing. And he found himself teaching the Prince of Wales

to learn to ski because of Sun Valley’s reputation. And,

and other celebrities, including impatient Americans whom

of course, Dollar Mountain provided absolutely splendid

Schneider noted wanted to “go-go-go” and learn faster than

learning terrain.”

Europeans.

It was Harris who designed the bronze statue of Engl and

After winning the German combined national cham-

Froehlich that stands in Sun Valley Village. Modeled after a

pionship slalom and downhill, Engl went up to accept his

photograph of the two men walking side by side, it was insti-

medal. When he refused to return Hitler’s “Heil Hitler”

gated by the ski instructors who revered the two men who

salute, knowing that doing so would turn him into a propa-

SIGI ENGL AND SEPP FROEHLICH: COURTESY SUN VALLE Y RESORT

SIGI & SEPP

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SIGI ENGL AND SEPP FROEHLICH: COURTESY SUN VALLE Y RESORT

Sigi Engl and Sepp Froehlich, ski instructors who brought the Sun Valley ski school onto the world’s stage

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ganda piece, he was essentially blacklisted, said his

fight with the Nazis. Froehlich didn’t want to fight

son Michael Engl.

against his countrymen, so he opted to fight in the

“He couldn’t ski, couldn’t teach. And when the

Pacific, where he was awarded a Bronze Star for Engl avoided incarceration by enlisting right

instructed him to move certain graves outside the

away. But before he went, he married Peggy. They

church graveyard to make room for high-class

held their reception in the Duchin Room at the

citizens who paid good money to be buried there,”

Sun Valley Lodge, honeymooned all of one night

said Michael.

in a Shoshone hotel, then Engl headed to Colorado

Donald Tresidder, the fourth president of Stanford University, learned of Engl’s predicament and invited him to America to help start a new ski school at Badger Pass Ski Area in Yosemite National Park. Tresidder had led the construction of the ski area, the Ahwahnee Hotel and park roads.

Engl arrived at Ellis Island in 1936. He didn’t have a middle name as required, so authorities opened the Bible and assigned him the name his finger fell on: Joseph. He crossed the country by train, playing Christmas carols for passengers on his small Austrian accordion. “He was very musical, a good singer and a good yodeler,” said Carroll.

After spending a year working at Badger and scouting the Eastern Sierra for a site to build his own ski resort, Engl jumped on the chance to come to Sun Valley in 1939 to teach skiing.

He made a name for himself in Sun Valley, winning the 1941 Harriman Cup downhill, tying his trousers with string to cut down on air drag. He became one of a rare group to win the Diamond Sun award for a harrowing race that started at the top of Baldy and went down Ridge, Rock Garden and Exhibition. And he met a girl, Peggy Emery, a co-ed at Sarah Lawrence College, who had come to Sun Valley to ski.

“My father had a date with actress Norma Shearer, who wasn’t a skier but liked the Hollywood culture of Sun Valley. And my mother was dating a Basque ski instructor,” said Michael Engl. “They had dinner together in the Duchin Room, switched dates, and not long after that, Norma took the ski instructor back to Hollywood, straightened his teeth and they went on to have a fabulous time.”

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gallantry.

father was forced out of his job by Nazis who

After winning the German combined national championship slalom and downhill, Engl went up to accept his medal. When he refused to return Hitler’s “Heil Hitler” salute, knowing that doing so would turn him into a propaganda piece, he was essentially blacklisted.

where Sun Valley’s ski instructors comprised the core of the Tenth Mountain Division.

From there, Engl headed to Sicily where he accompanied American troops the length of Italy, serving under General Mark Clark as an interpreter for German prisoners of war. He and his Austrian comrades were also able to guide American troops through the mountainous area of northern Italy because they’d hiked and skied in those very mountains.

When the war was over, Engl and Froehlich were among the many Austrians and Germans who returned to Sun Valley, where they earned more money than they could at home. Engl even had a chance to ski Sun Valley before it reopened when he was summoned to escort Gary and Rocky Cooper, Clark Gable, and Ingrid Bergman around Ruud Mountain, which Gary Cooper had rented so they could use the chairlift.

Engl was promoted to head of Sun Valley’s ski school in 1952. And Austrian ski jumping champion Froelich joined him, the two always kidding each other in a good-natured rivalry because they’d come from different parts of Austria. Together, they expanded the ski school from 50 instructors to 200 with three of the biggest names in international skiing: Stein Eriksen, Christian Pravda, and Jack Reddish.

“When I got to New York City in my late 20s, I was astounded at how the Irish and Jews and other nationalities were always looking down on others because the Germans, Austrians, Swedes, Canadians, and Americans at Sun Valley had all worked together after a horrendous conflict,” recounted

As the United States entered World War II,

Michael Engl. “My father told his instructors, ‘If I

authorities took some of Sun Valley’s German and

hear anybody talking about the war, you’re going

Austrian ski instructors to Twin Falls and Salt Lake

to be sent back home. This is a new start. This is not

City to interrogate them about their allegiance.

reminiscing. Let’s hold ourselves in the present.’”

“I was treated well. I have no complaints. I was

Skiing on extraordinarily long skis in leather

released and then I volunteered for the Army,”

boots, Engl made long sweeping turns across the

said Froehlich, who was in custody for 16 months,

snow, always wearing the white driver’s cap pio-

charged with being an enemy alien. “I knew, if I

neered by Hannes Schneider to distinguish him

wanted to stay in the country, I should do the job.”

from his instructors.

Count Felix Schaffgotsch, who had recom-

“He was very good at hiring good instructors.

mended that Averell Harriman build a ski resort

He’d go to Kitzbuhel every year to interview can-

in Sun Valley, elected to return to Germany and

didates. He liked Austrian teachers because they

SIGI ENGL PHOTOS: COURTESY THE ENGL FAMILY SEPP FROEHLICH: COURTESY OF THE COMMUNIT Y LIBRARY JE ANNE RODGER L ANE CENTER FOR REGIONAL HISTORY

church fell into the hands of the Nazis, my grand-

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SIGI ENGL PHOTOS: COURTESY THE ENGL FAMILY SEPP FROEHLICH: COURTESY OF THE COMMUNIT Y LIBRARY JE ANNE RODGER L ANE CENTER FOR REGIONAL HISTORY

Sepp teaching class

Sigi with wife Peggy, and their daughter Nina and son Michael

Sigi skiing

All former ski school directors: Otto Lang, John Litchfield and Sigi Engl

Sigi with Averell Harriman, who later signed the photo

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Sepp and Sigi with ski instructors, 1963-64

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SIGI ENGL WITH CARY GRANT AND AT THE GOLF SHOP: COURTESY THE ENGL FAMILY SKI INSTRUCTORS: COURTESY OF THE COMMUNIT Y LIBRARY JE ANNE RODGER L ANE CENTER FOR REGIONAL HISTORY

Sigi in a publicity shot with Cary Grant Sigi in a Sun Valley golf shop promo

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SIGI ENGL WITH CARY GRANT AND AT THE GOLF SHOP: COURTESY THE ENGL FAMILY SKI INSTRUCTORS: COURTESY OF THE COMMUNIT Y LIBRARY JE ANNE RODGER L ANE CENTER FOR REGIONAL HISTORY

all taught the same way,” said Carroll. “And he was

of whom could ski. Four ski patrollers were given

very good at matching students to instructors.”

guns and enlisted to accompany him. Engl insisted

He was also a firm disciplinarian, a man so

on skiing ahead of the Shah, but the Shah did not

focused his family had to beg him to stop for gas on

want to be taught. He just wanted to ski and ski fast.

the drive to see relatives in Pasadena.

And occasionally, he would zoom by Engl.

He required instructors to meet for 4:30 p.m.

“I will be a hero in my country if I’m hurt ski-

ski school meetings seven days a week at the Sun

ing,” the Shah told Engl, when Engl cautioned he

Valley Opera House. He would give the weather

was skiing beyond his ability. “I will be a bum in

forecast. And he sometimes turned purple, shout-

mine if you’re hurt,” Engl replied.

ing in a staccato voice, if some instructors had done something to earn his wrath that day, said Bert Cross, who decided that teaching skiing was easier than swinging a pick for $1.50 a day to build the highway over Galena Pass.

“He was very Germanic. He talked with military precision. And he was very organized—you couldn’t get away with anything,” Harris said. “Sigi would get on stage and put on a tough guy performance with his Austrian accent, making sure everyone knew he was in command, and there was no messing around.”

Those who crossed the line were tasked with raising the ski school flag in the morning.

“He was strict, but he had both the love and respect of the 200 people underneath him,” said Carroll. “He was severe on them when they did wrong, but he offered total protection if anyone attacked him.”

“He was an authority, and he needed to be,” said Jed Gray, a lifelong resident of Sun Valley. “These were mostly young men, and Sigi laid down the law and stuck with it.”

Engl and Froehlich met every skier as they got off the big yellow buses at the turnaround in the village ahead of a week of ski lessons. They’d assign them to a group of ski instructors. And by 9 a.m., there would be a thousand skiers lined up Baldy and Dollar Mountains, taking turns skiing so instructors could determine which group they belonged in.

Engl was in high demand among such celebrities as Jackie Kennedy, Claudette Colbert, Betty

Four ski patrollers were given guns and enlisted to accompany [the Shah of Iran]. Engl insisted on skiing ahead of the Shah, but the Shah did not want to be taught.

He just wanted to ski and ski fast. And occasionally, he would zoom

by Engl.

On another occasion, Michael Engl said, the Shah wanted to ski down Canyon from The Roundhouse following a party of caviar and champagne.

Engl arranged for ski patrol members to hold lighted torches for him on one side of the run, but the Shah skied down the other side in his wide snowplow. When the Shah insisted on doing it again, the ski patrol followed with a toboggan. But they only needed it to fetch a ski patrolman out of a snowbank.

Mammoth Mountain skier Travis Reed asked Engl to teach him after he realized he needed instruction if he were to keep up with his wife. “I looked all over, and everyone said there was only one place to learn to ski, so I got an outfit made in Beverly Hills, blue with racing stripes. Sigi looked at me up and down, an astonished look on his face.

He said, ‘Can you stem on steep hill?’ And I said, ‘I hope not.’ And he went, ‘Ohhhhhh,’” Reed said, mimicking Engl’s frustrated look at realizing his would-be student knew nothing.

As the 1950s evolved, skiing became less of a sport for celebrities and more of a sport for families, and Engl was quick to embrace the change.

“You don’t see any children in the movie ‘Sun Valley Serenade.’ But when Lucille Ball came to shoot her show here, it was proof that family skiing was in the spotlight, that that would be the future of the sport,” Michael Engl said. Engl started a program on Saturdays for school kids in Blaine County to get free ski lessons.

“I always went on Saturdays when the classes

Hutton, Groucho Marx, Clark Gable and Janet

were not full because, after six days of class, people

Leigh, who didn’t want to ski with anybody but the

wanted to ski on their own, or they were exhausted

ski school director.

or partied out. Sigi always put me with the best

“Follow me,” he’d say as he danced through the snow on a non-stop run of swinging turns known as christies. “Look always forward,” added Froehlich.

instructors,” said longtime Sun Valley resident Peter Gray.

Engl was one of the first to use video, mounting

“I think skiing with these people made him feel

a camera in a tower where the Quarter Dollar lift

important, but he didn’t brag about it,” said Carroll.

sits now. Skiers would then watch themselves on a

“Even though the celebrities were always around,

large TV at the bottom of the mountain where they

we weren’t overly impressed with them because

could slow the action and stop it as they analyzed

we didn’t know to be impressed. Dad didn’t come

their moves. The Community Library has a video

home and tell us, ‘Guess who I skied with today…’”

of Engl teaching people to ski, making pizza shapes

One of his toughest challenges was the Shah of Iran who had come with 16 bodyguards, none

with his skis, then drawing the skis closer together, making a little hop as he prepares to turn.

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He also instituted races on Dollar Mountain on

“He loved doing the jitterbug with me and an

Thursdays and races on Warm Springs on Fridays,

Austrian dance called the Kiss Waltz, where you

with the top three people in each class winning pins

form a window with your arms, then the man tries

at parties in the Limelight Room.

to kiss you through that window,” continued Car-

“He promoted a camaraderie between instruc-

roll. “He had a firm grip when he danced, his hand

tors and students so that, by Wednesday, everyone

in the middle of your back. He knew how to lead.

was exchanging business cards, and by Friday, stu-

And he loved hugs—always bear hugs.”

All the instructors were encouraged to mingle

City and elsewhere,” Harris recalled.

That said, Engl could be a little protective of his turf when it came to ski racing, said Dick Dorworth.

“Sigi was of the mind that European skiers were much better than Americans. In 1963, when he learned that Ron Funk, Tammy Dix, Betty Bell, and I were planning on skiing the Diamond Sun, he tried to put a stop to it. Fortunately, Walter Hofstetter was mountain manager at the time and overrode Sigi’s edict. Ron, Tammy, and I all qualified and got our Diamond Suns, and I have to admit that my pleasure and sense of accomplishment was enhanced by Sigi’s chagrin and unhappiness with us.”

In the 1950s, Sun Valley Resort was surrounded by a sea of sagebrush. Engl’s family was allocated room and board in the Sun Valley Lodge and later the Challenger Inn as part of his contract. The children ordered off a children’s menu or selected items from the cafeteria buffet.

“I remember being served by a waiter in a dark suit and white gloves. We ate adult food—I don’t remember having a hot dog, ever,” said Carroll.

“We attended preschool for Sun Valley employees’ children at Trail Creek Cabin. And when the hotels closed for painting and maintenance during slack, we’d play hide and seek, jumping up and saying ‘Boo!’ when someone showed up.”

Engl was a popular guest at parties organized

by Sun Valley Resort. He would ski all day, lead his 4:30 p.m. meeting, then attend cocktail parties and dinner from 6 to 9 p.m. before dancing in the Duchin Room. Sometimes, he would attend parties at the home of Win and Anita Gray, who were

Froehlich, who spoke with a much more pronounced accent than Engl, worked as a hunting and fishing guide during summer. He used to take Anita Gray and her sons trolling for trout on Sun Valley Lake and pheasant hunting along Silver Creek.

the Regional History Department. “I was kissing my girl by The Roundhouse, and Sigi said, ‘You’re not supposed to neck with the employees. Save that for the guests!’ He was a good director. He tried to be father/confessor. He thought of himself as a father figure.”

Froehlich, who spoke with a much more pronounced accent than Engl, worked as a hunting and fishing guide during summer. He used to take Anita Gray and her sons, Jed and Peter, trolling for trout on Sun Valley Lake and pheasant hunting along Silver Creek.

“He was a no-nonsense guy,” said Peter Gray. “I was 8 or 9 and a pheasant got up in my feet, and I was startled, and he laughed at me and said, ‘That’s exactly how it’s supposed to go.’”

Engl worked as a tennis pro for Pete Lane’s and accompanied Lane on shopping trips for ski goods.

“I was a tennis ball gatherer, but I made my money hunting golf balls in the rivers and selling them to guests,” said Michael Engl. “I made so much money, my mother was certain I would never learn the value of money.”

When Bill Janss bought Sun Valley Resort, he and Engl clashed over their vision for the ski school. Janss, whose bid to ski in the Olympics was thwarted by World War II, wanted to turn Warm Springs into a racing mecca, and Engl wanted to continue to focus on traditional instruction.

Promoted to Director of Skiing in 1972, Engl continued to keep an eye on his ski instructors but from a distance. Eventually, he retired but he

only too happy to pitch in and entertain Sun Valley

always continued to ski with those people who’d

guests.

been coming for years, such as the editor of the

“All the celebrities wanted to meet locals, and

Chicago Times.

Sun Valley arranged that,” said Jed Gray. “The

“He took up golf after belittling it for many

resort would provide the food and staff, and Mom

years and became totally addicted to it,” said

and Dad would invite locals to attend.”

Michael Engl. “He got down to a three handicap.”

Engl and his wife loved Broadway musicals and

Engl died in 1982 at 71 years of age. Froehlich

were always playing such albums as “The King and

died the same year at age 73. By then, Engl had

I” at home. “My dad also liked to dance,” said Car-

been elected to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall

roll. “My mother had Parkinson’s, so she could not

of Fame and awarded Austria’s Golden Medal

be very active, but she enrolled me in dance lessons

of Honor for distinguished service. Sun Valley

with a teacher from Boise to learn the foxtrot and

renamed No Name Bowl to Sigi’s Bowl in his honor.

ballroom dancing. Once I learned those steps, my father would take me dancing.”

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with guests, said Cross in an oral history given to

GROUCHO MARX: COURTESY SUN VALLE Y STORY SIGI WITH JACKIE O. AND GARY COOPER: COURTESY ENGL FAMILY SEPP WITH HEMINGWAY & SIGI AND SEPP WITH AMBASSADOR: COURTESY OF THE COMMUNIT Y LIBRARY JE ANNE RODGER L ANE CENTER FOR REGIONAL HISTORY

dents were inviting us to their homes in New York

“He loved Sun Valley,” said Carroll. “And he made it a better place.” ï

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GROUCHO MARX: COURTESY SUN VALLE Y STORY SIGI WITH JACKIE O. AND GARY COOPER: COURTESY ENGL FAMILY SEPP WITH HEMINGWAY & SIGI AND SEPP WITH AMBASSADOR: COURTESY OF THE COMMUNIT Y LIBRARY JE ANNE RODGER L ANE CENTER FOR REGIONAL HISTORY

Sigi with Jackie O.

Sigi with Groucho Marx

Sigi with good friend Gary Cooper and Clark Gable

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Sepp with Ernest Hemingway

Sigi and Sepp with Austria’s ambassador

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inthearts The Hurdy Gurdy Girls (from left: Annie Maude Bradish, Natalie Rose Ertz, and Joy Lee Spencer) on the prairie in Magic City, Idaho, during the video shoot for their song “Too Rowdy.”

Homegrown Tunes Local artists create the Sun Valley soundtrack

BY BEN BRADLEY

T

he Wood River Valley boasts a vibrance and love of the arts that is unmatched by other small towns. In many ways, Sun Valley really has no business having such a worldly arts scene given its geographic isolation and modest population.

But in every corner of every town from Bellevue to Stanley, art in all its forms is being created and enjoyed. Of all the artistic circles that abound in Sun Valley, few are as tightly knit and universally beloved as the local music scene.

Hardly a day goes by that doesn’t offer the chance to gather with friends and neighbors to enjoy the frenetic, communal joy of live music.

Be it a summer afternoon on a crowded deck with cold beers and the ever-present smell of a deep frier working overtime, or a snowy winter

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evening cozied up fireside with a cocktail and a palpable pre-powder day buzz, there’s always somewhere the music is happening.

Though the pandemic put concerts on hiatus, locals’ insatiable appetite for live music combined with unwavering support from local businesses, venues, and event producers has helped it to bounce back in full force. And while just about any musician will find a supportive audience here, it’s the homegrown bands that garner a special brand of support, laced with small town pride and neighborly love.

Like undercover guitar heroes that walk among us, local musicians have day jobs, take the kids to school, and shop at the grocery store just like the rest of us. But when we need to party, they assume their secret identities and proceed to kick out the jams. With an extraordinary number of musicians per capita, the Wood River Valley continually spawns incredible musical acts. There is an unending cross-pollination of collaborative mojo, with local musicians continually catalyzing the creative process of other groups or creating a new band altogether.

Following in the footsteps of past mainstays like Old Death Whisper and Scotch Pines, these current favorites are among the latest talents laying down the Sun Valley soundtrack in venues large and small:

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inthearts // local bands

Track to lis ten to: Howlin’ at the Sun

MOONSHINE SCHUBERT A relative newcomer to the scene, Moonshine Schubert recently relocated to Ketchum from Denver and his unique sound has been a bit of a departure from the prevailing Americana and Country flavors of Idaho.

“I grew up listening to a ton of hip hop,” says Schubert. “As for bands that I think really influenced my sound, I would say Citizen Cope, 311, and The Beautiful Girls.” His hip hop upbringing is readily apparent as many of his songs feature spoken lyrics ranging from slow to fast and strong rhythmic element. His music radiates positivity and sunshine and conveys a beach-meets-mountains vibe.

Using a loop pedal, Schubert combines his multi-instrument talents into a full-band sound as he weaves multiple loops together at the same time. Recently, he’s been joined by local violinist, Alyssa Joy Claffey. “She came and sat in with me on a set, and we both just really loved it and are definitely looking forward to keep on performing together.”

Moonshine Schubert with Alyssa Joy Claffey

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With six years of rock under their belts, High Mtn Heard have become a familiar favorite. They describe their music best: “folky punky honky tonky slushy rock n’ roll that will leave you smiling ear to ear and probably a wee bit drunk.” Anyone who has partaken in the High Mtn Heard experience can attest that there is no better way to sum up their sound. They bring contagious energy to every stage they grace, and you never know who you might see playing alongside them next.

Founding members Luc McCann, Charles Gordon, James Tautkus, and Chase Cleveland jam-sessioned their way into existence High Mtn in a garage on Wanderer’s Heard, from Way. Since then, they have left: Kyle Moore, Cam had a revolving door of Bouiss, band members and have Alyssa Joy played with dozens of Claffey, Olivia special guests over the years, Grinder, exemplifying the open and and Luc supportive culture of the McCann Wood River Valley music scene. High Mtn Heard’s current lineup features Alyssa Joy Claffey, Kyle Moore, and Skylar Herbert.

“The best part of being a musician here is being a part of such a caring community of fellow musicians,” McCann said. “We all support each other, whether it’s going to each other’s : shows or sharing the stage, to listen Track to it really is like being part of e n Coastli one huge family.”

HIGH MTN HE ARD: JODANE CHRISTOFFERSEN

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inthearts // local bands

HURDY GURDY GIRLS

sten to: Track to li e ’ Doin Fin

After meeting at an open mic in 2012, Joy Lee Spencer, Natalie Rose Ertz, and Annie Maude Bradish joined forces, creating a band strongly influenced by Tennessee bluegrass and classic country music. After hearing a song performed by fellow local musician Spike Coggins titled “Hurdy Gurdy Girls,” Maude Bradish’s curiosity was piqued. “I had to know what a hurdy gurdy girl was,” she said. In the old mining days, troupes of female musicians called hurdy gurdy girls came from Europe to tour the American West, playing shows for the miners. “I thought, ‘well hey, we’re hurdy gurdy girls,’ and that became our name.”

Many of their original songs are built from the framework of old fiddle tunes, imbuing them with an authentically old-fashioned Americana sound. Add in a double bass, some great rhythm guitar and catchy original lyrics, and the Hurdy Gurdy musical formula needs only the addition of some boot-stomping fans.

Recently, the members of the Hurdy Gurdy Girls teamed up with longtime local favorite Spike Coggins, Metal Marty Chandler of Supersuckers, and Cam Bouiss of Finn Riggins to create an all-new Wood River supergroup called Spike Coggins and the Accused. This winter season should offer plenty of chances for the new group to take to the stage, and the locals will certainly be there to raise a glass and get on down. ï Hurdy Gurdy Girls

Track to listen to: Too Rowdy to Ramble

The members of Pisten Bulleys (from left: Chris Zarkos, Robin Sarchett, James, Drew Kirk, and Sean Kovich) out for a cruise.

THE PISTEN BULLYS Another band born out of garage jams, The Pisten Bullys used the pandemic-induced downtime to hone their craft, and they came out firing on all cylinders last summer, taking the stage at festivals and even headlining a gig at Ketchum’s Argyros Center.

Bandmates James Tautkus, Chris Zarkos, Robin Sarchett, Drew Kirk, and Sean Kovich put a unique spin on typical alt country.

Frontman James Tautkus says each band member’s musical leanings have been melded together to forge the Pisten Bullys sound: “Each of us has a musical background of different influences that comes together to create a kind of musical mosaic.”

Tautkus also notes that “being in a band is a lot like having a second marriage, and we’ve been through the challenges and are committed to getting better and better.”

One of the hardest working acts in town, The Pisten Bullys have a new album coming this winter and a second album already in the works on top of a growing calendar of winter shows, leaving fans plenty of things to be excited about.

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MORE LOCAL FAVORITES BLUE FLAMES – Known for wearing Star Trek suits while cranking out punk-surf-rock licks and conspiracy theory mayhem

SPIKE COGGINS – a.k.a. Chewy, this chain-toting, banjo-playing solo act also played banjo for Old Death Whisper

MARK MUELLER – Mueller plays his custom-built Prescher guitar at various taprooms and coffeehouses in Sun Valley

SECUESTRADO – Proud purveyors of Latin Americana, a new kind of mountain music out of Southern Idaho

DOGHAUS – This four-man band melds their backgrounds in rock, blues, and jazz from the Seattle/Boise rock scenes

TRAVIS MCDANIEL – Boise-based McDaniel’s signature sound is smooth, soul-drenched neo-jazz, baby

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inthearts // clint eastwood

Clint Eastwood’s Feeling Lucky The Hollywood heavyweight is not slowing down

C

lint Eastwood, a longtime friend of Sun Valley Magazine, is not the sort of man you would immediately think of as emotional. It has been eight years since we last spoke to Eastwood, when that famous stare—part invitation and part threat—gazed out at us from the cover of the Summer 2013 issue. That stare is legendary, helping to cement his position as an enduring cultural icon of masculinity and machismo.

And yet, sitting down this past November to speak with the man whose character Dirty Harry delivered one simple line—spoken in a gravelly voice with the same intensity of gaze, “You’ve gotta ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya, punk?”—reveals instead a man who is candid and thoughtful, forthcoming and accessible, almost too modest and maybe a bit contemplative.

After more than 66 years in the business and over 96 major award nominations and a staggering number of wins—from the Academy Awards, BAFTA Awards and Clint Eastwood on the set of Cry Macho (2021)—as director, producer and actor.

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Golden Globes, among others—Eastwood has earned the right to be reflective. He has earned the right to speak about the art of acting and filmmaking in any damn way he likes. And that’s exactly what he does—and some of it might be unexpected.

Time changes things and perhaps the mystique of Clint Eastwood, the actor, has become so intertwined with his iconic characters that expectations presume that, in person, he is actually more like the Preacher from Pale Rider (which was filmed in the Boulder Mountains in 1985, just north of his home in Sun Valley). Eastwood rose to fame and notoriety by playing tough men of few words accustomed to violence—which is why it comes as a bit of surprise, initially, when he speaks of the emotional craft of filmmaking.

“It’s not an intellectual art form; it’s an emotional art form,” Eastwood says. “If you start intellectualizing, sometimes you can think about it too much to the point where you lose the feeling of it.”

When considering what he wants to leave audiences with when the credits roll, Eastwood contemplates the importance of

following instincts and listening to intuition.

“You go through many more scripts than you really make, but then every once in a while, you get one and you think you like the characters, you like the drama, and you’ll kind of go for it,” says Eastwood. “So, it’s all instinctive. You kind of have to do what you feel like at the time and hope you’re lucky enough to do it well.”

Running on instinct has certainly worked for Eastwood, who has contributed to more than 50 feature films over his career—as actor, director, producer, and composer. His work has met with staggering commercial success, and he is one of only two people to have been nominated twice for Best Actor and Best Director for the same film (Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby). Both films won four Academy Awards, with Eastwood winning Best Director and Best Picture, as well as receiving nominations for Best Actor, making him one of just a handful of directors best known as an actor to win the Academy Award for directing. And he did it twice. He has also directed five actors in Academy Awardwinning performances in his films Unforgiven, Mystic River, and Million Dollar Baby.

It would be safe to say that Eastwood knows a good story when he sees it. It doesn’t always happen right away and sometimes the timing isn’t right, but Eastwood says he envisions the movie—and the characters in it—long before he makes it.

“You see the movie, and you see it being a movie in your mind,” Eastwood says.

“And then you go ahead and make it. And sometimes it comes out okay, and sometimes not. But basically, you like the project, you like what it stands for, with the various feelings it carries, right when you first read it.”

That doesn’t mean you always have the perfect script, he reflects. Or even the perfect plot. Sometimes it takes numerous rewrites and revisions, and Eastwood asserts that even

PHOTOS COURTESY WARNER BROS .

BY L AURIE SAMMIS

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PHOTOS COURTESY WARNER BROS .

Eastwood as William Munny in Unforgiven, which was nominated for more than 19 major awards.

with all that work, there is no guarantee that the movie will be a success. “You make the film and then it’s given out to the audience,” Eastwood says, “and it’s up to the audience to say whether it’s any good or not from their perspective.”

“The most challenging thing is to try to visualize everything and know it when you see it,” he continues, “You have to do it in your mind first before you can put it out for other people to look at it. If you don’t really see it right away, you have to see it at some point in the process, because otherwise you’re just going down a blind alley.”

Eastwood uses his revisionist Western Unforgiven (1992) as an example of a project where the timing was off initially. He couldn’t see it in his mind when he first read the script.

“I held onto that for 10 years before making it,” says Eastwood. “I read the script and liked it a lot, but at that time, I had done some other things of that nature, so I just decided to sit

on it, and I actually forgot about it for a while.

And then one day I said, ‘I’m going to revisit that.’ I don’t know what the reasoning was. But 10 years later, I took it out of the drawer and looked at it and said, ‘I’ve got to make this.

This is pretty good.’”

Unforgiven was nominated for more than 19 major awards, winning four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Film Editing, one BAFTA and two Golden Globes. Clearly, the timing was right.

Eastwood, always modest and honest about his projects, doesn’t seem overly concerned with the critics but clearly revels in the joy of his audience successes. He recognizes that, despite going with your gut, luck has something to do with it. “You have to believe the story would be interesting for you. But you’re just guessing because you don’t know if it would be interesting until you make it,” Eastwood says, “and then you don’t know that

it will be interesting until people decide to go see it. So, it’s kind of a guessing game all the way around.”

And this seems to be what keeps Clint Eastwood working at the age of 91. “The ultimate joy is when people want to see your film, but it’s fun to make it,” he asserts.

“They’re all little adventures.”

The adventure continued this past fall with Eastwood’s newest release Cry Macho (September 2021) from Warner Bros.—a story of being lost… and found. The plot tells the tale of a former rodeo star (Eastwood) who is fed up with macho posturing and is dealing with age and the possibility of change.

Eastwood directed, produced, and acted the lead in the film, which are the same positions he held in his 2018 Warner Bros. release The Mule—proving that Clint Eastwood is not slowing down.

He still has stories to tell. And audiences are thankful for it. ï WINTER 2021/2022 | sunvalleymag.com

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IN THE ARTIST’S WORDS

inthearts // david yarrow

Earlier this month, I took this photograph of the legendary West Texas cowboy—Ty Mitchell—on a sandbank on the Rio Grande. Ty stands six-foot five-inches tall, and my general assessment is that not much fazes this guy. Meanwhile, the location is about as good as it gets, and is rather wonderfully named Contraband Creek.

I was standing in Mexico, and 20 yards across the river was the U.S. Every time I walked knee deep across the river to change a lens or camera, I entered America, and then on my return, I re-entered Mexico. I think I actually entered America four times in a morning—all rather surreal with this talk of a wall.

I would like to thank the U.S. Border Patrol in Texas for being so accommodating to our crew that day in Big Bend National Park. They, like me, must think “The Wall” is now a long way off because in 2020 the U.S. has a real crisis on its hands.

Coronavirus does not discriminate and does not recognize fame, borders, passports, race, or religion.

It is the ultimate leveller and rams home our mortality and our fragility. There is little good news right now, but one eventual positive is that we should emerge from this as less selfish and less discriminating people.

“Living Without Borders” by David Yarrow at Broschofsky Galleries, pigment print photograph, 37 in. x 42 in., or 56 in. x 63 in.

Storytelling in Black and White David Yarrow’s iconic images of the American West

BY L AURIE SAMMIS

E

vocative and immersive, stark and revealing, the extraordinary photography of British fine-art photographer, conservationist, and author, David Yarrow, has a story to tell. Yarrow’s large-scale pigment print photographs offer a unique perspective on the world, and nowhere is this more evident than in his recent series using the themes, iconic images, and Old West nostalgia as a foundation to stage photos with recognizable people and sentiment but with a distinctive and bold twist in plot.

Cindy Crawford traveling across a snowdusted and deserted Montana landscape in a convertible with a gray wolf as companion.

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A weathered and aged cowboy and his horse walking towards the viewer form the very edge of Canyonlands, Utah, as if by chance. These are the images within this series.

Yarrow has long traveled the world, shooting wildlife in Namibia, Kenya, Rwanda, Alaska, and other remote outposts of wild natural beauty, but rarely has he dedicated an entire series to a single region—in this case, the American West. In the process, he not only deconstructs the myth and mystique of our ideas of the American West, but he builds a new narrative and story ends. It is no easy feat, yet Yarrow accomplishes it with stunning clarity and precision of craft.

“‘Wild West’ imagery is such a heavily populated genre that creatives run the risk of falling down a trope canyon, no matter their earnest endeavor,” says Yarrow. “It is challenging to transcend or be authentic. The legacy of Edward Curtis and Ansel Adams throws a heavy shadow over any contemporary photographer trying to pay homage to the American West.”

And yet, each image in Yarrow’s “Wild West” series captures pieces of the American spirit. It is as if the viewer has stepped onto the silver screen or inside the page of a storybook—the moment captured on film and immortalized in each large-scale print stands

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inthearts // david yarrow

“The Unusual Suspects” by David Yarrow at Broschofsky Galleries, pigment print photograph, 37 in. x 61 in., or 56 in. x 93 in.

“

America has endured a challenging year on many levels, but it remains that same land of opportunity it was for settlers and prospectors 170 years ago.”

—DAVID YARROW

as a slice of time and emotion, a vignette of a much larger story.

The creative and imaginative genius of Yarrow is that the story he tells through his art form somehow manages to reference facets of pop culture while simultaneously echoing elements of the mythic, historical, and iconic.

Brazilian model Alessandra Ambrosio sitting with Chief John Spotted Tail of the Lakota Sioux on a train outside Alder, Montana, or model and actress Cara Delevingne standing in an old mining village in the Southern Rockies to celebrate the heavily mythologized story of Bonnie and Clyde.

It is not without effort, however. Rudi Broschofsky, director of Broschofsky Galleries, where Yarrow’s “Wild West” work is being exhibited, points out that dozens of variables and forethought go into planning each image 110

in order to have the end result match the artist’s vision.

“Most of these shots are really time sensitive and involve a lot of large up-front costs that are not guaranteed to work out: closing down entire streets, paying models, trained animals, weather, and light,” Broschofsky says.

“An entire year of planning might come down to only a few moments where every detail needs to be absolutely perfect for David to attain his intended photograph. I think understanding all of these variables and all the planning that goes into a single photo tells a story in itself.”

A story within a story that becomes part of a much larger iconic narrative. That is the genius of David Yarrow and his stunning largescale fine-art prints. ï

IN THE ARTIST’S WORDS Of course, we have worked in this room many times before and I know my light, my angles, and the minimal depth of focus.

We called the photograph of mountain men at the bar “The Usual Suspects” as that is exactly what they were. Some of those men rarely leave the warmth of The Pioneer Bar in Virginia City throughout winter—in fact, they hibernate there. It proved such a popular image and has sold out across the world—in some cases, raising huge sums for charity.

So, when we went back last year, we thought it would be fun to have an additional crew member—Cindy Crawford.

The word juxtaposition is over-used in narrative, but I think we can get away with it here. The old boys may drink a bit and smoke a bit of weed, but they were on their very best behavior that day, which is essentially still medieval. An international icon joining their party was not something they bargained for, and at least one cowboy convinced himself it was the weed.

We had to call the image “The Unusual Suspects” as a nod to her presence.

The composition, which I could control, had to be spot on, but there is no way that I could control the wolf. It is a low percentage game this, and we only came away with one shot—but we got it. Cindy looks fantastically glamorous and a little “bad ass” in her role, but, as always, it is the mountain men that take away the Oscars. Roxanna Redfoot did a grand job too.

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C E L E B R AT I N G 4 5 Y E A R S

Oil on canvas

L I N DA C H R I S T E N S E N

60” x 60”

Lynda Lowe • Hung Liu • Jun Kaneko • Michael Gregory • James Cook • Kathy Moss • Laura McPhee Pamela DeTuncq • Chris Maynard • Theodore Waddell • Ed Musante • Morris Graves • Marcia Myers • Gwynn Murrill Cole Morgan • Gary Komarin • Robert Helm • Jane Rosen • Raphaëlle Goethals • Margaret Keelan • Judith Kindler David deVillier • Laura Wilson • Deborah Butterfield • Lisa Kokin • Luis Gonzáles Palma • Robert Polodori • Pegan Brooke

G A I L SE V E R N G A L L E R Y 400 First Avenue North • PO Box 1679 • Ketchum, ID 83340 • info@gailseverngallery.com www.GailSevernGaller y.com • 208.726.5079

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inthearts // david cale

Squirrel in the Hand DAVID CALE: LIZ L AUREN

Touching writer David Cale’s heart might just make you famous

BY JENNIFER LIEBRUM

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DAVID K ALE: ALBLIE MITCHELL

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ith coronavirus, some of us went to the dogs, while others, well, at least one witty Englishman in New York, went to the squirrels.

“All my theatre productions and live performances around the country had been canceled. I was feeding the squirrels in Tompkins Square Park almost every day. They were easy to write about and photograph because they became so tame and were so engaging. Such little characters.

The squirrels kept me writing daily because they had gathered an audience on social media who expected daily updates.”

David Cale used his cell phone along with pithy commentary to turn “The Smiling Squirrels of Tompkins Square Park” into a hit. The photos turned into a fundraising exhibition while he juggled myriad creative projects before landing in Sun Valley in October.

The Obie award-winning playwright (“We’re Only Alive for a Short Time”) and performance artist was a guest of The Community Library for a month as the first playwright in residence.

He was put up in the former home of Ernest Hemingway where he spent 30 days incubating ideas beside the Big Wood River.

He workshopped a sampling for a delighted audience at the Argyros Performing Arts Center, which he described as “some pressure” but “energizing and encouraging.”

Roughly 48 hours after putting Ketchum in his rearview, Cale reflected, “I came with a view of working on a specific idea that took place in Idaho, but actually being in the area, I was inspired to write a completely different idea, which would never have

dawned on me. I write very intuitively, and I don’t generally know where I’m going.

This new play has a plot twist coming that I’m a little giddy with excitement about.”

The untitled play, expected to be ready by the end of 2021, is about a New York

writer’s relationship with an Idaho ranch hand and his dog.

“Everything I do is, on some level, emotionally autobiographical. If I meet someone and I think I’d love to try and represent that person on stage, I think there’s

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inthearts // gallery buzz

MAP TO THE GALLERIES 1) Aurobora 415.546.7880

6) Friesen + Lantz Fine Art 208.726.4174

12) Sun Valley Museum of Art 208.726.9491

2) Boulder Mountain Clay and Art Gallery 208.726.0773

7) Gail Severn Gallery 208.726.5079

13) Wood River Fine Arts 208.928.7728

8) Gilman Contemporary 208.726.7585

often something within them that resonates with something within me, that if I explore it through them, I’ll gain some kind of understanding of myself,” says Cale. “I’m drawn to portraying people who move me, or who are overlooked. I’m looking for the human bottom line.”

Cale delights in trying on different genres for his creations, as most of his career has developed along a whimsical road of redirected energies. He found his way to playwriting after being advised his songs were better as poetry, which then evolved to monologues.

“I’m very, very fortunate to be able to make a life expressing myself in whatever form on stage. I don’t take that for granted. Like any occupation, writing can be hard. Sometimes you feel like giving up. Sometimes you feel you’ve run out of ideas. Sometimes you want to walk away from the business side. Sustaining a long career is not easy. Sometimes putting very personal, vulnerable work into the world and having it assessed by the critics can be emotionally difficult.”

He’s intensely interested in how important an animal can be to a person’s wellbeing. Companion dogs in the Valley were noted, but it was magpies that may be center stage for Cale next.

“I was feeding the magpies, and they also became very used to me. One was eating out of my hand. The black and white photos I took of them in flight are curiously abstract looking. I may ultimately project some of them in a second Idaho-located piece, one I’m about to start work on,” says Cale.

“In a way, the magpies were my Idaho squirrels.” ï

GALLERY WALK DATES 2021/2022

10) Kneeland Gallery 208.726.5512

Enjoy free evenings of art viewing and conversation at the Sun Valley Gallery Association’s “Gallery Walks.” Galleries are open from 5-7:30 p.m. with artists often in attendance.

11) OCHI Gallery 208.726.8746

Wed., December 29, 2021 Fri., February 18, 2022 Fri., March 11, 2022

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5) Frederic Boloix Fine Arts 208.726.8810

9) Harvey Art Projects USA 208.309.8676

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4) Davies-Reid 208.726.3453

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DAVID K ALE: ALBLIE MITCHELL

DAVID CALE: LIZ L AUREN

3) Broschofsky Galleries 208.726.4950

Online only

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inthearts // gallery buzz

WINTER GALLERY BUZZ

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

“Oysters After WCH”

by Paulette Tavormina at Gilman Contemporary, archival pigment photograph, 20 in. x 30 in.

DEC/JAN EXHIBITIONS

GAIL SEVERN GALLERY August 27, 2021 – May 30, 2022 SOLO EXHIBITION – HUNG LIU “RETROSPECTIVE” We are proudly celebrating the accomplishments of internationally recognized painter Hung Liu, whose major large-scale retrospective, “Portraits of Promised Lands,” is currently on display at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

GILMAN CONTEMPORARY December – January “SEIZING BEAUTY” This December, Gilman Contemporary will exhibit “Seizing Beauty” featuring photographer Paulette Tavormina’s carefully crafted tableaux, informed and inspired by 17th-century painting. Often using a rich, dark backdrop and subtle

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lighting, Tavormina captures the depth and nuance of these paintings in her photographs. Drawing on her personal experience as well as an understanding of art history, the artist’s hand is present throughout the compositions.

Sourcing from farmer’s markets around New York City, Tavormina must shoot within the constraints of the seasons. Her images hold an understanding of time— the flowers, food, and creatures have a finite expiration. Originally taking inspiration from the work of 17th-century masters of still life such as Giovanna Garzoni Francisco de Zurbarán, Adriaen Coorte, and Maria Sibylla Merian, Tavormina creates work that continues upon the tradition of still life as an artform. Each of her photographs is the result of careful consideration of light and placement. The directness of her work exposes the connection between humans, nature, and time. Tavormina was awarded the Pollock-Krasner Foun-

dation grant in 2016. Her monograph book, “Paulette Tavormina: Seizing Beauty,” was published

by The Monacelli Press in 2016 and reviewed by The New York Times and Architectural Digest.

Also on view in December will be a group exhibition that demonstrates the range and scope of mediums of Gilman Contemporary’s artists.

KNEELAND GALLERY December – January ROBERT MOORE, SETH WINEGAR, CALEB MEYER Renowned plein air painter Robert Moore serves as inspiration and mentor to many accomplished painters. His technique involves applying a multitude of oil hues onto his canvas and then working a palette knife with both hands until his composition emerges from the apparent chaos of texture and color.

The process is even more extraordinary given the fact that Moore suffers from partial color blindness.

A native of Hailey, Idaho and graduate of Boise State University, Caleb Meyer has always enjoyed the rugged beauty the Northwest has to offer. Meyer continued his education through an apprenticeship with Moore, and he compares his time in Moore’s studio to the laying of a strong foundation. “The painting process is like building a house; a painter must understand the principles of design to create a strong painting, much like a carpenter must understand the principles of architecture to build a strong house.”

Meyer is now an established artist in his own right and features in public and private collections nationwide.

Utah artist Seth Winegar paints unique tonalist landscapes of the West, marked by broad brush strokes and subtle colors. Having overcome severe health challenges in his youth, he has immersed himself solely in his artwork. When asked why he paints, he responds, “That’s like asking me why I breathe... it’s instinctual.”

OCHI July 24, 2021 – January 29 BEN SANDERS – SOLO EXHBITION This exhibition features a chimneyshaped bar that will be periodically activated this winter. To satisfy his childhood affinity for collecting bottle caps, Sanders scavenged caps from his father’s metal shop— the shop technicians drank Miller Genuine Draft and tossed liberated bottle caps into a trombone bell that funneled them into a bin. Of the several gallon bags of caps that Sanders amassed, he still keeps a few favorites in a cigar box in his studio. The decontextualization of found imagery has become one of Sanders’ standard strategies, and these humble surfaces provided a crinkle-edged portal between fine art and commercial design. This immersive installation will host events through the winter.

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FRIESEN + LANTZ FINE ART December – January LAWRENCE FODOR – “INCRESCENT” Artist Reception & Opening: December 29, 2021, 5-7:30 p.m.

At first glance, Lawrence Fodor’s large-scale mixed media oil paintings are intense, lyrical, and wholly abstract works of art.

Hidden behind the surface of these abstractions, however, is a vast archive of historic masterpieces, meticulously executed homages to icons including Peter Paul Rubens, Jean Etienne Ramey, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Leonardo da Vinci, Théodore Géricault, JMW Turner, the Laocöon, and ancient Greco-Roman sculpture. Old World masters haunt and vibrate through Fodor’s richly layered surfaces.

With a deep reverence for these icons and a fascination with re-interpretation, Fodor draws the past into the thoroughly contemporary present. The images, themes, and conceptual content of these historic works are obscured, revised,

“On the Road Again” by David Yarrow at Broschofsky Galleries, pigment print photograph, 37 in. x 52 in.

and re-contextualized for the 21st century in a highly personal visual language of intuitive mark making.

The paintings’ directness, raw energy, and de/re-construction resonate and reiterate the artist’s worldview while their historic sources reflect the world at large.

“These paintings are about gathering, accumulating, and integrating diverse visual elements to fuel expansive growth and infinite possi-

“Annunciation after Pontormo” by Lawrence Fodor at Friesen + Lantz Fine Art, oil on canvas, 46 in. x 44 in.

bility,” Fodor says. “Increscent is cumulative, deepening, waxing—the act of becoming full. It is multifaceted, referring not only to an extension of the premise with which I have worked since 2015 but also my methodology in painting.”

BROSCHOFSKY GALLERIES

“Big Puff,” 2019, by Devin Farrand at OCHI, oil on wood panel, artist’s blued steel frame, 48-3/8 in. x 34-1/4 in. x 2 in.

either side exuding a sense of calm and solitude. No other country in the world offers road trips as visually rewarding as the USA, and they are integral to the fabric of the American Dream.”

OCHI December 31, 2021 – February 12, 2022

December – March Works by gallery artists throughout the winter include Russell Chatham, Ewoud DeGroot, Billy Schenck, Rudi Broschofsky, Russell Young, Joellyn Duesberry, David Yarrow and others. Shows will highlight recent acquisitions of paintings by Russell Chatham, who died November 10, 2019. In viewing a Chatham painting, one typically gets a feeling of recognition of place. What is actually revealed is a feeling, a sense of emotion that goes deeper than the visual mind. Chatham’s last painting, “Moon Over Marshall Ridge,” and other works on view quietly evoke this emotion.

David Yarrow’s large-scale photographic works often bring curiosity, laughter, and awe. The British artist continued his ”road” series that he initiated in 2018. The print, “On the Road Again,” shows Cindy Crawford and Companion enjoying the freedom of the vastness of the American West. As David says of this piece, “The sense of place is palpable. This is the America that so many know and love, with its long roads running to the horizon with

DEVIN FARRAND – “WARM UP” OCHI is pleased to present Warm Up, Devin Farrand’s second solo exhibition with the gallery, on view from Dec. 31, 2021 – Feb, 12, 2022.

GAIL SEVERN GALLERY December – January GROUP SHOWS “Color as Metaphor” examines artists working in both abstract and non-representational forms whose work employs color in myriad ways: to add narrative, provide symbolic meaning, and elicit visceral or emotional sensations for the viewer. Working in acrylic and mixed media, Cole Morgan’s richly colored surfaces tease the viewer through trompe l’oeil techniques as amorphous shapes seem to float across the painting’s surface. Pegan Brooke’s oil paintings capture the sensation of light on water, taking the viewer on a visual journey through the many tints and shades of a single hue. As the viewer moves around her paintings, the surfaces appear to move as the light shifts

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inthearts // gallery buzz Carver, G. Russell Case, Tim Cherry, Len Chmiel, Jeremy Lipking, Lars Jonsson, Richard Loffler, James Morgan, John Moyers, Terri Kelly Moyers, Ralph Oberg, Dan Ostermiller, Daniel W. Pinkham, Grant Redden, CAA, Cary Schwarz, TCAA, Tim Shinabarger, Amy Sidrane, Kathryn Stats, Skip Whitcomb, and Wayne Wolfe.

“HMS Blossom in Pacific Waters 1827 “by Christopher Blossom at Wood River Fine Arts, oil, 20 in. x 30 in.

and bends. Known for his large canvases and bold colorful style, Gary Komarin is a master of postpainterly abstraction. Marcia Myers’ fresco surfaces bring forth ancient surfaces and ancient times.

“Honoring Our Landscape” explores the artistic interpretation of our lands by nationally renowned painters and photographers. This exhibition includes work by Victoria Adams, whose carefully rendered oils recall the majesty and unadulterated landscapes of long ago as seen in the paintings of the Hudson River School. Sumptuously rich in color, James Cook’s thickly painted oils are a monumental and expressive interpretation of our landscapes.

The exhibition also includes work by Michael Gregory, whose iconic paintings with barns and homesteads as subject matter reflect on our migration westward and the beauty and isolation found in the Western American landscape. Nationally renowned artist Theodore Waddell’s sophisticated modernist paintings depict abstracted cattle and horses dotted against landscapes of thick paint and recall his time as a former cattle rancher in Montana. Nationally recognized and beloved local pleinair painters Sheila Gardner and Divit Cardoza create watercolor paintings that are both vibrant and energetic interpretations of the Wood River Valley and beyond.

“Flora and Fauna” celebrates the changing seasons and the beauty found in nature’s vibrant palette.

The exhibition features both large paintings and sculpture as well as

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smaller intimate works on panel.

Inspired by native botanicals, Kathy Moss’s paintings explore the suggestiveness and symbolic meaning of flowers. Ceramicist Margaret Keelan whimsically portrays the childlike sense of wonder in our relationship to nature and intimate companionship with the many creatures found there. Rooted in the tradition of 19th-century American Romanticism, Robert McCauley’s narratives are both timely and relevant and address a variety of contemporary themes and issues, including cultures in collision, environmental ethics, and humankind’s impact on the planet.

Highlighting both the art of glassblowing and stone carving, Jane Rosen breathes life into each sculpture she creates, carefully balancing the contrasts of color and texture intrinsic to the materials nature of glass and stone. Derived from daily observations, Rosen’s sculptures are elegant and statuesque interpretations of the Birds of Prey that roost by her ranch and studio.

Wood River Fine Arts is an online gallery with private in-person appointments available on request for visitors to and residents of the Wood River Valley. The work of represented artists can be viewed at woodriverfinearts.com. For more information contact owners Tom Bassett and Sandy Gregorak at 208.928.7728 or email tom@ woodriverfinearts.com.

FEBRUARY EXHIBITIONS

KNEELAND GALLERY February DOUGLAS AAGARD, SILAS THOMPSON, BART WALKER Douglas Aagard draws on the Utah landscape as his source of inspiration. His subjects vary from the mountain pines and cedars to the farmland in between, and all are linked by his intriguing use of texture and light combined with a vibrant color palette.

One of the gallery’s youngest artists, Silas Thompson, has quickly become a familiar name amongst

collectors. On annual backpacking trips with his father, he began to treasure the distinct birthmarks and icons of beautiful rivers, valleys, and mountains that carve through the high desert and farmlands of the West. His desire to create work that evokes a memory continues to be a driving force, which pushes Silas to be innovative in his choice of subject matter and composition.

Bart Walker paints the allure of the wild land. He uses oil sketches done in the field to recollect nature’s beauty on the finished canvas.

His radiant plein-air paintings are reminiscent of the early California impressionist landscapes, alive with deft brushwork and nuances of light.

He and his wife, Tracy, have made their home in the dramatic setting of Teton Valley, which forms the inspiration for much of his work.

Opening Reception: Friday, Feb. 18, 5-7:30 p.m.

GILMAN CONTEMPORARY February PHOTOGRAPHER MICHAEL MASSAIA With luminous lighting and rich deep blacks, Michael Massaia explores the ordinary through a large-format camera lens. From portraits of pinball machines and phone booths to the empty expanses of Central Park, each image highlights an intimate encounter. Often set in vacant

“Woodland Hills” by Douglas Aagard at Kneeland Gallery, oil on canvas, 23 in. x 32 in.

WOOD RIVER FINE ARTS November 14, 2021 – January Entering its tenth year, Wood River Fine Arts is pleased to continue its presence in Ketchum and Sun Valley, serving clients across the United States and Canada with major sculpture installations and important paintings for collectors seeking the finest in Western art.

The gallery proudly represents the following artists: Christopher Blossom, George Carlson, Jill

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CREATING ART WITH FIRE

620 Sun Valley Road | Unit D101 A | Ketchum, ID 83340 stejerstudio.com | @jstejer.encaustic | 509.993.1213

ROBERT MO OR E

“Exuberance”, oil on canvas, 35” x 47”

K N E E L A N D

G A L L E R Y

271 First Avenue N, Ketchum, ID 83340 www.kneelandgallery.com • 208.726.5512

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inthearts // gallery buzz overpainting. I find that I am able to establish a color palette that is appealing with the idea that I may use the complimentary colors to this base with the figurative work to come … I am also using painted works from my past as reference to the idea of visiting old friends.

Nostalgia plays an important part in my work and most often includes family members. With the absence of real-life interactions, I have created my own network in the studio and it’s been rewarding.”

“Swirl” by Lisa Kokin at Gail Severn Gallery, paperback book covers, wire, thread, mull, 27 in. x 27 in.

and liminal spaces, Massaia gives us a glimpse into how the “inanimate becomes a living, breathing thing.

Paths stretch out before us as an open invitation to wander through the night, video arcades house the nostalgic sounds of clacks and dings of a pinball machine, an empty corridor below Grand Central splits and directs. We are drawn into an intimate encounter between Massaia and his subject.

A master of the science and craft of photography, Massaia’s meticulous silver gelatin and split-toned contact prints are unmistakable.

FRIESEN + LANTZ FINE ART February 11 DAVID HYTONE – SOLO EXHIBITION Constructed from an improvisational blend of painting and collage, Hytone’s work examines human frailty and the mechanisms that we employ to cope and compensate for our limitations—imagined and otherwise. Using themes of theatre and still-life, he explores the space between the veneers of projection, façade, and the actuality of things.

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ANNA SKIBSKA - SOLO EXHIBITION Anna Skibska is an innovator in the world of glassmaking, utilizing her signature technique to capture, bend, and stretch light through the medium of glass. The artist is fascinated by the paradox of light’s inherent traits, creating the ability to see yet also holding the potential to blind. Skibska explores this phenomenon, creating a dynamic play between darkness, light, and shadow.

GAIL SEVERN GALLERY February – March LINDA CHRISTENSEN – SOLO EXHIBITION Depicting abstracted female figures in moments of repose, Linda Christensen’s carefully chosen color palettes and use of line and texture reference the Bay Area Figurative Movement. This exhibition features new work by the artist, who looked to painting as a way to cope with the current pandemic.

Christensen explains, “I’ve slowed the work down. I am working on the underpaintings for weeks before I even think about what will be the

LYNDA LOWE – SOLO EXHIBITION Ideas that are central to Lowe’s artistic practice include the frontier’s edge between what is recognizably known and observable, and what is mysterious and beyond understanding. There are experiences with no causal explanation that connect the inner and outer worlds. Images are utriusque capax (capable of both), matter and spirit, light and dark, rational and intuitive. During the pandemic, Lowe spent a lot of time in her garden. There are paintings that reference attention to these spaces.

For Lowe, the garden is a meditative place, a teacher, a reminder that the world, despite all of its turmoil, is a generous place even in seemingly small ways… a passing bird, a curled leaf, a kaleidoscope of butterflies. In Lowe’s series of six vertical scrollformatted paintings titled Offerings, a singular bowl is featured at the bottom of a large area of layered color field. These are contemplative works where a bowl, often used in her work, is a symbolic reminder that giving and receiving are fluid acts of generosity.

the wall like colorful vines. Vintage books become colorful maple leaves strung on wire branches and her newest sheets of metal with delicate punched patters can stand alone or grace walls. On close inspection of her work, the viewer sees careful and scrupulous attention to detail in these delicate masterpieces.

KNEELAND GALLERY March STEVEN LEE ADAMS, SHANNA KUNZ, SEAN WALLIS Reception: Friday, March 11, 5-7:30 p.m.

MARCH EXHIBITIONS

A longtime favorite of our clients, Steven Adams strives in his work to portray the elusive feeling of timelessness beneath objects that might otherwise seem commonplace. Preferring to paint a broken fence or a ditch to a majestic mountain, he endeavors to communicate the beauty in his subject matter and to haunt the viewer. Utah artist Shanna Kunz offers different interpretations of the landscape of her area through the use of a warm palette and the play of mood, light and color. Each location she paints is an encounter with the land, the trees, and the waters that give her a sense of connection and order. A recent addition to the gallery, Sean Wallis uses a combination of brush and knife work to build a texture that creates an abstractness that blends into an impressionistic style. He defines his work as impressionistic romanticism. His style has been honed through an apprenticeship under his well-known father, Kent R. Wallis, rather than formal instruction at an institution.

GAIL SEVERN GALLERY

FRIESEN + LANTZ FINE ART

February – March

March 11

LISA KOKIN – SOLO EXHIBITION Using found objects, self-help book covers, wire, sheets of metal, mull, and a range of fibers, Lisa Kokin creates mixed-media sculptures.

Both of the artist’s parents were tailors, which undeniably influenced Kokin’s choice of medium and sensibilities. Her content-driven, conceptual work sprawl across

MIA BROWNELL – ZOONOTIC TONIC Mia Brownell uses the conventions of painted food still-life as a means to comment on contemporary issues surrounding food. Her paintings simultaneously reference 17th-century Dutch Realism and the coiling configurations of molecular imaging.

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food&drink Drinking with the Stars Cocktails with a (historic) twist

Hemingway Special Daiguiri

I

t had been an unseasonably dry and warm winter in the Valley in 1936, and the anticipation of a day spent enjoying “winter sports under a summer sun,” as famed East Coast PR man Steve Hannagan had spun it, seemed like a pipedream to the hundreds of revelers gathered at the Sun Valley Lodge. The guests became restless and quickly turned to their favorite pastime, drinking. Diversions and celebrations

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HEMINGWAY SPECIAL DAIQUIRI & HOT BUT TERED RUM: COURTESY SUN VALLE Y RESORT IDAHO LEMONADE AND WESTERN OLD FASHIONED: AMANDA RENÉ NAGY

BY LAURIE SAMMIS

were planned to distract the guests, and the Lodge footed the bill until the snow fell, but the partying got a bit out of hand. It is rumored a fist fight broke out among the impeccably dressed guests, and while the details are fuzzy and unsubstantiated, the incident officially cemented Sun Valley’s reputation as a fun-loving “party town” at the same time that it became known as America’s first destination ski resort.

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HEMINGWAY SPECIAL DAIQUIRI & HOT BUT TERED RUM: COURTESY SUN VALLE Y RESORT IDAHO LEMONADE AND WESTERN OLD FASHIONED: AMANDA RENÉ NAGY

Idaho Lemonade Hot Buttered Rum

Western Old Fashioned It has been nearly 90 years since that gala celebration, but the promise of “winter sports under a summer sun” has remained. To go back to the O.G., where it all began, head to the Duchin Lounge—referred to by locals as the “Duchin Room” or “Wrinkle Room.” Located in the lobby of the Sun Valley Lodge, the Duchin Lounge hasn’t changed much since Ernest Hemingway took a break from writing For Whom the Bell Tolls and descended the steps from room 206 to grab a cocktail. Although the design has been revamped several times since Marjorie Duchin (for whom it is named) first decorated it in the 1920s, much of the dark-wood trim and old glamour remain. Here you can grab a “Hot Buttered Rum” made with fresh batter from the onsite bakery. Don’t miss the “Hemingway Special Daiquiri,” a nod to the Lodge’s once famous guest and, later, Sun Valley resident.

Crafted after one of Hemingway’s favorite drinks from his time in Cuba, the “Hemingway Special Daiquiri” is made with fresh lime and grapefruit juices and Heering Cherry Liqueur (a craft cherry liqueur from Copenhagen). Both sweet and refreshingly tart, the drink transports revelers to sunny days and balmy nights, or, as Hemingway describes it best in a passage from Islands in the Stream, “Hudson was drinking another frozen daiquiri and when he raised the frostrimmed glass, he looked at the clear part below the frappéed top, and it reminded him of the sea.”

Another popular watering hole on Main Street in Ketchum, The Sawtooth Club, was the local hangout of legendary actor and motorcycle and race car enthusiast, Steve McQueen. One of the original ski town bars and restaurants, The Sawtooth Club, formerly known as “The Yacht Club,” has been serving cocktails to locals and tourists since the 1930s when it first opened. McQueen, who was nicknamed the “King of Cool,” was an icon of 1960s and 1970s counterculture for his antihero persona and daredevil personality. He did many of his own stunts and famously won the 12 Hours of Sebring race in 1970 in the three-litre class, narrowly missing the overall title by about 21 seconds, losing to Mario Andretti and his team who were driving a five-litre Ferrari. McQueen was known to hop behind the bar at The Sawtooth Club now and then to pour drinks and tell stories.

His reported drink of choice was a can of Old Milwaukee, but The Sawtooth Club has a wide selection of signature cocktails made with craft regional liquors to choose from like the “Idaho Lemonade,” made with Idaho Blue-Ice huckleberry vodka, Sprite and lemonade, or the “Western Old Fashioned,” which is a mixture of small-batch Yellowstone Select Bourbon Whiskey, bitters, fresh orange, and a splash of Gran Marnier with a cinnamon-sugar rim.

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food&drink // winter cocktails

“

The really cool thing about the ‘The Christy’ is that guys like Clint Eastwood will sit down and have a drink and share stories like everybody else, and it’s not a big deal.”

— BARTENDER JAN HEGEWALD

RIVER OF NO RETURN: AMANDA RENÉ NAGY

Bar hopping for a winter après-ski adventure would not be complete without visiting “The Christy” on Sun Valley Road— officially named Michel’s Christiania. Here, former U.S. Women’s Ski Team coach and Frenchman Michel Rudigoz has created The Olympic Bar, the quintessential ski town bar and lounge, complete with candid photos of Olympic medalists Picabo Street and Christin Cooper, signed skis from Italy’s Alberto Tomba and memorabilia from a veritable who’s who of alpine racing elite.

Signature drinks at The Christy are the “French 75,” a light and lively traditional cocktail of gin (or vodka) lemon juice, simple syrup, and champagne—basically, a champagne martini, that dates to World War I, by barman Harry MacElhone at the New York Bar in Paris (later Harry’s New York Bar). The combination was said to have such a kick that it felt like being shelled with the powerful French 75mm field gun.

“The really cool thing about the bar,” recalled former bar manager, Jan Hegewald, “is that guys like Clint Eastwood will sit down and have a drink and share stories like everybody else, and it’s not a big deal.”

There, you might even see Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steve Miller or Justin Timberlake.

The French 75

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RIVER OF NO RETURN: AMANDA RENÉ NAGY

River of No Return

In a nod to one of Sun Valley’s more famous movie stars, The Warfield Distillery and Brewery features a drink called “The River of No Return,” after the 1954 film starring Marilyn Monroe and Robert Mitchum.

Monroe, who graced the Winter 2015 cover of Sun Valley Magazine, clad in an Idaho potato sack and dripping in diamonds, filmed on location in Canada and the Salmon River in Idaho, where the story actually takes place. Just five years later, she returned to film Bus Stop just north of town at the site of the former North Fork Store as one of the first films under Hollywood’s first female film companies, MMP (Marilyn Monroe Productions). She was a woman ahead of her time, although that part of her story—her complete reversal of the Hollywood power structure and inspiration for stars like Clark Gable and Frank Sinatra, who followed her lead and created their own production companies—is not as well known.

You can sip the drink “River of No Return” five miles from where Marilyn Monroe filmed her second Idaho movie and ponder what might have happened if she hadn’t died in 1962 at the height of her fame.

Just remember that if you DO spot a celebrity enjoying a cocktail on the barstool next to you, follow the local’s creed and treat them like anybody else. Don’t gawk or gape, and for heaven’s sake just enjoy the drinks of the stars and don’t ask for an autograph or a selfie.  WINTER 2021/2022 | sunvalleymag.com

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

PROMOTIONAL SECTION

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

BIG BELLY DELI Homemade soups, salads, and a variety of great sandwiches. Serving the Valley for over 15 years and rated #1 Best Sandwich Deli. Let us prove it, and your belly will thank you.

171 N. Main St., Hailey. 208.788.2411.

BIGWOOD BREAD Visit us at one of our spectacular locations, both featuring beautiful outdoor views, fantastic food and outstanding service. Fresh and homemade is how we do it!

271 Northwood Way, Ketchum. 208.726.2035.

BLACK OWL CAFÉ Locally roasted, custom blended coffee brewed to perfection. Large selection of loose-leaf tea.

Home-baked scones, muffins and breads.

Breakfast and lunch.

208 N. River St., Hailey. 208.928.6200.

CAFÉ DELLA Café, bakery, and market located in the heart of Hailey. Our market offers prepared dinners to-go, housemade provisions, grocery essentials, local produce, dairy, meats, fish, beer and wine. Stop in to shop our daily “Dinner Tonight” offerings and more, or order from our weekly dinner and grocery menu online for Friday pickup or FREE delivery.

103 S. Main St., Hailey. 208.913.0263.

GALENA LODGE The perfect place for a winter or summer outing.

During the winter months Galena is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lunch served daily from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

15187 State Hwy. 75, Ketchum. 208.726.4010.

GLOW LIVE FOOD CAFÉ Glow is a plant-based and organic café and health food store. Glow specializes in delicious, plantbased foods, emphasizing locally grown produce.

380 Washington Ave. #105, Ketchum. 208.725.0314.

GRETCHEN’S Adjacent to the Sun Valley Lodge lobby, Gretchen’s Restaurant welcomes you with a relaxing indoor/ outdoor feel with easy access for Terrace dining all

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Hailey Coffee Company

day long. Enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner and full bar service.

Sun Valley Lodge. 208.622.2144.

HAILEY COFFEE COMPANY Our café serves delicious gourmet espresso drinks and fresh-baked goods from our on-site bakery. All of our coffees are fresh roasted in Hailey and our baked goods are served fresh from the oven.

219 S. Main St., Hailey. 208.788.8482.

611 Sun Valley Rd., Ketchum. 208.928.7955

HANK & SYLVIE’S We are a bakery, floral design and gift shop offering fresh-baked sweets, custom cakes, flower arrangements, and a large array of party goods and gifts. Specialty coffee drinks available and a selection of fresh-baked goods handmade from scratch daily.

471 N. Leadville, Ketchum, 208.726.0115; and 91 E. Croy St., Hailey, 208.928.4088.

JAVA COFFEE AND CAFÉ Truly a great coffeehouse! Baking from scratch daily. Serving the finest Fair Trade and organic coffees. Sound like a local and order the “Dirty Hippie Burrito” and a “Bowl of Soul.”

191 4th St. W., Ketchum, 208.726.2882; 111 N. 1st Ave., Hailey, 208.788.2297.

JERSEY GIRL Best sandwiches in town! Jersey Girl is home of Trenton, New Jersey-famous porkroll, egg and cheese sandwich, the locals favorite “Bacado” (house roasted turkey, bacon, Swiss, avocado), a bangin’ lineup of homemade soups and a mean biscuits and gravy. Now with two locations— Hailey and a new spot on the north end of Ketchum’s Main Street!

640 North Main St., Ketchum 14 E. Croy St., Hailey. 208.788.8844.

KONDITOREI Lunch dishes range from pumpkin spaetzle with sausage and apples to roasted chicken crepes with spinach and spicy Liptauer cheese. The café offers a full complement of artisanal coffee and hot chocolate drinks, plus house-baked European pastries.

Sun Valley Resort, 208.622.2235.

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

131 West 4th St., Ketchum. 208.726.7703.

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MAUDE’S COFFEE & CLOTHES Maude’s is a coffee shop and a clothing store that serves traditional espresso, small eats, and is a purveyor of unique vintage contemporary clothing for women and men. The husband and wife team, Jacob and Tara, who started Maude’s, believe in products made with integrity and intention.

391 Walnut Ave., Ketchum. 208.726.6413.

NOURISHME Julie Johnson opened NourishMe in June 2010 in order to bring her love of nutrition and local food to the community in which she lived. This light-filled store on Main Street in Ketchum features everything from seasonal produce and bulk seeds, nuts and fruits, to a wide variety of supplements, homemade sandwiches, salads and soups, wellness products, gluten-free foods and organic cosmetics.

151 Main St., Ketchum. 208.928.7604.

RASBERRYS Callie and Maeme Rasberry believe all the senses must be involved in meal preparation; therefore, the menu is eclectic, just like the chefs, with dishes prepared with fresh local ingredients when available and their own take on comfort and ethnic food.

411 Building, 5th St., Ketchum. 208.726.0606.

SMILEY CREEK LODGE. Under new ownership, Smiley Creek Lodge is located near the headwaters of the Salmon River at the top of the Sawtooth Valley, 37 miles north of Ketchum/Sun Valley. A full restaurant serves delicious homestyle food for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and a newly renovated market features fresh and wholesome take-away meals and provisions. The connecting retail store is small, but well-stocked with provisions and gear for all your outdoor adventures.

16546 N. Hwy. 75, Sawtooth City (over Galena Summit). smileycreeklodge.com.

STANLEY BAKING CO. Set amidst Idaho’s majestic Sawtooth Mountains and the mighty Salmon River lies the sublime mountain town of Stanley … And in the heart of Stanley lies a bakery where homemade meals are served, the baked goods are legendary, and the atmosphere is humming. Open seasonally for breakfast and lunch from mid-May through October.

250 Wall St., Stanley (over Galena Summit). stanleybakingco.com.

THE KNEADERY The Kneadery combines wholesome fresh food with a rustic Idaho atmosphere. All meals start with the freshest ingredients: locally baked organic breads,

farm-fresh, cage-free eggs, seasonal fruit and topquality meats.

260 Leadville Ave. North, Ketchum. 208.726.9462.

hot sandwiches, wings, salads and the house specialty, fresh-cut French fries. And the outdoor deck can’t be beat in the summer!

231 6th St. East, Ketchum. 208.726.2744.

DELIS

LIMELIGHT LOUNGE

ATKINSONS’ MARKETS Atkinsons’ Markets, serving you and your family at our three locations in the Wood River Valley with deli sandwiches made to order, hot soups, graband-go meals and desserts, and a full deli case of freshly made main dishes and sides.

451 E. 4th St., Ketchum, 208.726.2681; 93 E. Croy St., Hailey, 208.788.2294; 757 N. Main St., Bellevue, 208.788.7788.

JOHNNY G’S SUB SHACK Serving the best subs in the Great State of Idaho!

Family owned and operated since 1998, and serving up hot subs like the popular “5B” (turkey, bacon, cream cheese, mayo, lettuce, tomato) or the “Mama Sass’s Meatball” (Italian meatballs, marinara, parmesan). Homemade soups, salads, smoothies and build-your-own round out a solid menu of delicious sandwiches.

371 Washington Ave., Ketchum. 208.725.7827.

WRAPCITY Wrapcity serves up creative wraps and salads, homemade soups, and unique quesadillas. Wrapcity also serves breakfast wraps all day with special breakfast creations on Saturdays and Sundays.

180 Main St., S., Ketchum. 208.727.6766.

PUBS, GRILLS, & LOUNGES

APPLE’S BAR & GRILL For 33 years, Apple’s Bar & Grill has been a popular spot for lunch and aprés-ski and it is still the best spot to fuel your body after a long day ripping turns on Baldy! At the base of Baldy near Warm Springs Lodge, the restaurant is decorated with local ski memorabilia and is known for mouthwatering grub and as the locals’ #1 post-ski destination. Only open in the winter months, available for private events in the off season.

205 Picabo St., Ketchum. 208.726.7067.

GRUMPY’S Grumpy’s is a favorite of locals and visitors alike.

We are a little hard to find, but not hard to find out about. 860 Warm Springs Rd., Ketchum. No phone.

LEFTY’S BAR & GRILL Lefty’s has a great casual dining menu, including killer burgers served on fresh-baked bread, monster

When late afternoon hits, we swing our doors wide open for guests and locals to dig into our friendly après food and drink specials. Our full dinner menu is available evenings in the Lounge, for in-room dining, or take-out.

151 South Main St., Ketchum. 208.726.0888.

MAHONEY’S BAR & GRILL Mahoney’s offers a full bar, a terrific patio that’s just a short stroll from Bellevue’s Howard Preserve and a tasty menu featuring their famous “Juicy Lucy” cheese-filled, grilled-onion-topped hamburger.

104 S. Main St., Bellevue. 208.788.4449.

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

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

200 S. Main St., Bellevue. 208.788.1034.

SAWTOOTH BREWERY 25 taps with beer, wine, cider, and kombucha on tap! Join us for the game on one of our big-screen TV’s. We fill growlers, crowlers, and have kegs, bottles, and cans to go! Two locations—Hailey and Ketchum—with seasonal outdoor seating at both spots.

110 N. River St., Hailey; 631 Warm Springs Rd., Ketchum. 208.726.6803.

THE CELLAR PUB From traditional pub fare such as buffalo burgers or fish & chips to original dishes such as our flat-iron steak salad, we have something for everyone in your party. We have a full bar and feature a great selection of draft beer and fine wines.

400 Sun Valley Rd., Ketchum. 208.622.3832.

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

107 Hwy. 75, Hailey. 208.788.5048.

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PROMOTIONAL SECTION

MEXICAN

BARRIO75 TACO LOUNGE & TEQUILA BAR Tucked into the edge of downtown Ketchum with patio views of Baldy, Barrio75 offers a lively and decorative take on a beloved culinary duo … tacos and tequila. Every day, they grind organic heirloom corn, crafting housemade tortillas—the base of everything they do—while paying homage to the traditional street tacos of Mexico and South America. And don’t miss the list of over 40 tequilas, draft beers and wines, and a cocktail menu designed to accentuate the bold and bright flavors of each dish.

211 4th St. E, Ketchum. 208.726.3068.

Rickshaw

CHAPALITAS GRILL THE SMOKEY BONE BBQ Featuring award-winning, authentic barbecue right here in Idaho. Featuring Texas-style brisket cooked with applewood smoke, ribs, pulled pork, turkey, chicken, sausage and a selection of mouthwatering sides to fill up any plate.

315 S. Main St., Hailey. 208.788.0772 210 2nd Ave. S., Twin Falls. 208.733.3885

TNT / TAP ROOM TNT / Tap Room is a craft beer and wine bar focusing on organic, sustainable and biodynamic wines. We’re located in a piece of Ketchum history in the dynamite shed. We have 12 rotating taps of independent craft beer along with bottles and cans as well as a unique and younger approach to wine. We don’t serve food but we welcome and encourage guests to bring in their food of choice, grab some drink and play games with friends! Open Wed.-Sat. 271 Sun Valley Road E., Ketchum.

VILLAGE STATION Enjoy a wide selection of cocktails and craft beer on tap, as well as a crowd-pleasing menu of classic American favorites: hearty cheeseburgers, chicken wings, pizza and family-style salads.

Sun Valley Village, Sun Valley. 208.622.2143.

WARFIELD DISTILLERY & BREWERY The ever-changing menu brings you the best provisions from across the Northwest in our comfortable neighborhood pub setting. The best summer deck in town with fire pits and rocking chairs for comfort and conversation.

280 N. Main St., Ketchum. 208.726.2739.

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A family Mexican restaurant serving authentic dishes, including specialties such as pollo a la chapala, chicken carnitas, and huevos con chorizo.

200 S. Main St., Hailey. 208.928.7306.

DESPO’S Despo’s is committed to authentic, delicious Mexican dishes that respect your desire for a healthy meal without compromising flavor.

211 4th St. E., Ketchum. 208.726.3068.

KB’S This cheerful, laid-back burrito joint serves delicious fish tacos and offers a make-your-own burrito, with a choice of 27 fillings.

260 N. Main St., Ketchum. 208.928.6955; 121 N. Main St., Hailey. 208.788.7217.

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

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

Indian cuisine. We have traversed the length and breadth of the country to create our distinct seasonal menu, which will introduce you to unique Indian ingredients, combined with the freshness of produce in fresh, seasonal dishes that are an interpretation of customary Indian sensibilities through international techniques and inspirations.

230 Walnut Ave., Ketchum. 208.913.0609.

ITALIAN & PIZZA

ENOTECA Ketchum’s newest gastronomic addition, with its upscale pizzeria and wine bar. Enoteca has a plethora of small plates to choose from.

300 N. Main St., Ketchum. 208.928.6280.

IL NASO Il Naso is special whether you drop by to have a burger and beer at the wine bar, or to relax in the candlelit dining room. The extensive wine list and knowledgeable staff will help you choose just the right bottle to enhance your dining experience.

480 Washington Ave., Ketchum. 208.726.7776.

ROMINNA’S Since 2013, we have been offering contemporary Italian cuisine prepared to the highest standards.

Our premium wine selection includes more than 150 wines to pair with any course.

580 Washington St., Ketchum. 208.726.6961.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN PIZZERIA & GRILL Our fresh, handcrafted food is what brings people in, and our service is what keeps them coming back for more. We pride ourselves on creating a “nourishing and memorable neighborhood experience that people love!”

200 Sun Valley Rd., Ketchum. 208.622.5625.

WISEGUY PIZZA PIE

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

14 W. Croy St., Hailey. 208.578.1700.

Serving New York-style, hand-tossed pizzas topped with whole-milk mozzarella, and baked to perfection in our stone deck ovens.

Large selection of local and regional bottled and draft beer.

460 Sun Valley Rd., Ketchum, 208.726.0737; and 411 N. Main St., Hailey. 208.788.8688.

INDIAN

ASIAN/SUSHI

SAFFRON INDIAN CUISINE

DANG’S THAI CUISINE

A communal space for relaxed social dining, Saffron draws its inspiration from the vibrancy of the culture and art, as well as the innovative spirit of authentic

Dang’s offers a wide selection of popular dishes ranging from sushi, green papaya salad, pad thai, and their famous green curry with chicken! Highly

LAGO AZUL

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recommended as an affordable, flavorful and fun experience in Hailey!

310 N. Main St., Hailey. 208.928.7111.

RICKSHAW Serving “ethnic street foods,” inspired by the flavors and foods in locales such as Thailand, Vietnam, China, and Indonesia.

460 N. Washington Ave., Ketchum. 208.726.8481.

SUSHI ON SECOND Sushi on Second is the Valley’s oldest sushi restaurant. But don’t let age fool you. A talented crew of Sushi Chefs are in the center and delight in creating dishes that are as appetizing to look at as they are to eat.

260 Second St., Ketchum. 208.726.5181.

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

416 N. Main St., Hailey. 208.788.3310.

REGIONAL NORTHWEST

COOKBOOK This cozy place was built in 1932 as a church and then later on was an architect’s off ice, daycare, butcher shop, BBQ restaurant and bakery. Vita and Burke Smith fell in love with this cute building and decided to give it a new life.

271 7th St. East, Ketchum. 208.720.3260.

DUCHIN LOUNGE All new and inviting, this legendary lounge serves up cocktails, imported beer and an extensive wine list. Now you can also duck in for a quick bite from our lounge menu.

Sun Valley Lodge. 208.622.2145.

GRILL AT KNOB HILL The environment at the Knob Hill Inn is casual and comfortable, yet sophisticated, with distinctively Northwest cuisine, and a variety of American and European classics. A top local favorite!

960 N. Main St., Ketchum. 208.726.8004.

KETCHUM GRILL For nearly 28 years, Ketchum Grill has brought your dining experience to the highest gastronomical level, and the best Idaho has to offer.

520 East Ave., Ketchum. 208.726.4660.

REDFISH LAKE LODGE

THE SAWTOOTH CLUB

Taste a true Idaho mountain brand of comfort food—cuisine that will pleasantly surprise you in the shadow of the Sawtooths. Starting with local, Idaho-grown ingredients and adding in their own blend of flavors from the Northwest’s wild resources, the dining room at Redfish Lake Lodge specializes in salmon, trout, wild game and other regional favorites, alongside wines from acclaimed local, domestic and international producers. Serving dinner nightly and hearty, traditional breakfasts daily.

401 Redfish Lodge Road, Stanley (over Galena Summit), 208.774.3536.

Always busy with a great mix of locals and visitors, The Sawtooth Club offers a unique blend of American steakhouse classics, fresh seafood, wild game, unique pasta dishes and much more. Many entrées are cooked over the live, mesquite-wood fire, and all are prepared with a singular creative flair. The award-winning wine list offers a diverse selection of reasonably priced wines to compliment any of the delicious menu offerings.

231 North Main St., Ketchum. 208.726.5233.

ROUNDHOUSE Perched midway up Bald Mountain on the River Run side, the Roundhouse is a culinary destination not to be missed. Serviced by the Roundhouse Gondola, the restaurant offers spectacular views of the Valley.

Bald Mountain, Ketchum. 208.622.2012.

SUN VALLEY CLUB Among the most popular places in Sun Valley to eat, drink and relax, the wraparound terrace at Sun Valley Club offers stunning views of Bald Mountain, Dollar Mountain and the 18-hole Sawtooth Putting Course. The Sun Valley Club brings exciting, contemporary dishes that are focused on local ingredients and big flavors.

1 Trail Creek Rd., Sun Valley. 208.622.2919.

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

300 Trail Creek Rd., Sun Valley. 208.622.2019.

VINTAGE A favorite of the locals, chef Rodrigo Herrera is tuned into the best of the season’s offerings. With a lovely ambiance, both inside and seasonally outside, Vintage offers a dining experience like one would have in France: leisurely, lively, and without pretension. 231 Leadville Ave., Ketchum.

208.726.9595.

THE COVEY Offering an intimate ambiance with an alwaysevolving menu. The relaxed atmosphere is a place to enjoy good friends, fine wine, and delicious meals.

520 Washington Ave., Ketchum. 208.726.3663.

THE PIONEER SALOON The Pioneer Saloon, renowned for perfectly aged, tender and flavorful beef, is typical of an earlier Idaho where ore wagons rattled down Main Street and business was done with a handshake and a drink. Natural woods, mounted game, and period firearms help recreate an authentic saloon atmosphere.

320 N. Main St., Ketchum. 208.726.3139.

THE RAM Sun Valley’s original restaurant, The Ram has been warming and welcoming diners since 1937.

Travel back in time with the nightly “Heritage Menu”—a series of historic dishes such as pork tenderloin schnitzel, Hungarian goulash, and the famous Ram fondue.

Located in the Sun Valley Inn. 208.622.2225.

WINTER 2021 | 2022

Pick up a copy of TASTE OF SUN VALLEY for menus and more!

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

WINTER 2021/2022 | sunvalleymag.com

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FIRST PLACE Congratulations to Michael Martin, the winner of our Winter 2020 Photo Contest. Martin, who was 18 at the time, took this incredible shot while snowshoeing with his family up at Galena Summit last winter. “I had my 360° camera with me with the intention of capturing this photo,” he said. “I take my Ricoh Theta S1 camera everywhere I go, so I don’t miss any opportunities like this one.”

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