WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2017
Volume 42 | Number 26 S U N
E LK HUNT Fish & Game explains plans
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C A R E Y
IDAHO MOUNTAIN 1
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Bill opposes salmon plan Page 2
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Robots are coming to Hailey
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BCRD moves ahead on Aquatic Center Page 7
AND GUIDE R A N K E D N O . 1 F O R L O C A L N E W S B Y T H E N AT I O N A L N E W S P A P E R A S S O C I AT I O N A N D I D A H O P R E S S C L U B
Slide mostly buries car on highway Backseat shovels go to the rescue B y M A D E LY N B E C K
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Express Staff Writer
ailey resident Mari Wania first thought she hit a snowbank on state Highway 75, but wasn’t sure given the poor road conditions. Her dog, Sita, seemed just as confused, she said. “I think she thought the same thing, like what the heck just hit us?” Wania said. She said she couldn’t see light through the passenger side of the vehicle, so she rolled down the driver’s side window and crawled out. Wania, 59, had been traveling north Sunday to visit a friend at Galena Lodge. She said it was about 2:30 p.m. when the slide hit her vehicle from the right side just south of South Cherry Creek, picking the car up about 10 inches and moving it off to the side. She said she didn’t find that bit out until later. Mari Wania She said her first inclination when she climbed out was to make sure the dog stayed in the car; she didn’t need Sita running out onto the highway. Once she was outside the car, her first thought was to grab a small backcountry avalanche shovel from the back seat and try to get the car out of the way for other travelers. By herself, that likely would have been very difficult. “Makes you go, well, I could use a bigger shovel,” she said. First on the scene were Kristen Kaiser Riemann (who works at the Idaho Mountain Express) and her husband, David Riemann. Kristen Riemann said they were traveling south from Galena when they came around a bend to find the slide. “It was about 40 feet wide and up to 6 feet deep,” she later wrote in an account of the incident. “It also picked up a CR-V heading northbound and shoved it around and was clearly stuck.” Kristen said David checked on Wania and Sita before waiting back at the car to make sure unaware traffic didn’t crash into them. Then, she said, they grabbed their shovels to help dig. “In less than a minute after, a few other fellas were there with their little car shovels. Then more. And a guy with a push shovel,” Kristen said. “Pretty soon, I’d bet there were 40 people,” Wania said. “It was amazing how many people showed up.” Soon, vehicles going both ways down the highway were parked in two lines and people helped dig the car out—but it wasn’t just the car. The people dug through the entire slide, making a lane for traffic. The Washington State Department of Transportation does warn motorists that, in the case of See AVALANCHE, Page 4
“It was amazing how many people showed up.”
RIDE AND GLIDE
Express photo by Willy Cook
Cowpoke Scott Ping riding Kona Koffee pulls skier Cody Smith to a third-place finish in a two-day skijoring event held over the weekend in Quigley Canyon east of Hailey. More than 850 spectators witnessed two days of action combining cowboys, cowgirls, skiers and horses going through a 700-foot course complete with two jumps, six gates, two sets of skier rings, a testy finish area and a 400-foot runout. Sixty-five twoperson teams came from Oregon, Washington, Montana and Idaho to compete in the Wood River Extreme Skijoring event. Divisions included Open, Sport, Novice, Women, Youth and Pee Wees. Precipitating weather all weekend led longtime event organizer Bill Bobbitt to liken this sport to post office delivery mailmen, saying, “Rain, sleet, snow, whatever, skijoring goes on.”
Rainy weather puts damper on holiday business Snowpack indicates strong spring season By TONY TEKARONIAKE E VA N S Express Staff Writer
Rain and slush may have slowed some businesses during Presidents Day weekend, but as snow continues to pile up on Bald Mountain locals are expecting a banner spring season. “We had a strong Presidents Day weekend, meeting our projected numbers of guests staying with us and hitting the mountain,” Sun Valley Resort spokeswoman Kelli Lusk said. “We are anticipating that trend to continue through the remainder of the holiday week.” Lusk said the resort recorded an average of 5,000 skiers per day during the long weekend, and bookings at both
and it still is,” Miller said. the Lodge and the Inn were “When the mountain closes, strong. they come here. It hasn’t been But Andy Bell at Ski Tek boring at all.” said weather closures at the Sturtevants owner Olin Sun Valley Resort had an Glenne said the rainy weather impact on businesses in town. in town brought a mixed “It was down a little bit Olin Glenne blessing. from last year,” Bell said. “It Sturtevants owner “Rentals and tunings are was so rainy and there was no down due to the weather, but visibility. I saw people standing on little corners everywhere and not there were plenty of people in town. It wanting to cross the street. But we typi- was good shopping weather,” Glenne said. “We are super optimistic about the cally stay pretty busy through March.” Atkinsons’ Market had comparable upcoming spring. With good conditions visitor numbers, compared to last year, we’ll have good business.” Limelight Hotel General Manager Wit Atkinson said. Java Cafe on Fourth Street in Ketchum was particularly John Curnow said the new, mostly open busy, according to Assistant Manager hotel was completely sold out. “The lounge has been pumping along Sydney Miller. “Business has definitely been strong See BALDY, Page 4
“It was good shopping weather.”