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For the week of Dec. 1, 1999 through Dec. 7, 1999

River Run only skiing on Bald Mountain

Skier numbers a fraction of last year’s holiday


By GREG STAHL
Express Staff Writer

A bit symbolic, but nevertheless off and running, Sun Valley Co. opened its 64th year of operation the River Run side of Bald Mountain on Thanksgiving Day--Baldy's only open run that day. Among the first to show up were, left to right, Dan Levy, JoAnn Levy, both of Sun Valley, Julie McArthur; and professional golf star David Duval. (Express photo by Willy Cook)

Too bad it’s not a joke.

"Acres open: Lower River Run.

Groomed Runs: Lower River Run.

Best Skiing: Lower River Run.

Special Messages: Lower River Run and the Kinderspielplatz will continue to operate with good skiing conditions."

Those are messages posted on Sun Valley Co.’s on-line ski report yesterday at www.sunvalley.com.

Unseasonably warm temperatures are continuing to wreak havoc on Sun Valley’s ability to make snow, and Mother Nature has yet to dump a significant snowfall on the Wood River Valley.

After Sun Valley general manager Wally Huffman announced last week that there was 100-percent certainty that the Greyhawk chairlift on the Warm Springs side of Bald Mountain would open Saturday, there wasn’t enough snow on Lower Warm Springs to make it possible.

"Because of the warm temperatures, the snowpack on Warm Springs has not set up," states a press release dated Friday, Nov. 26. "In these current conditions it would be possible for skiers to go through the snowpack to the ground.

"We were very close, but because of the warm temperatures we were unable to cover the slope adequately to make it safe for skiing."

There’s still hope for the coming weekend, however.

Sun Valley snowmaking crews and mountain personnel are going to take another shot at opening the Greyhawk chair and Lower Warm Springs this Saturday, Sun Valley spokesman Jack Sibbach said.

Sibbach said the Thanksgiving weekend’s skier numbers totaled 1,972, which is less than the total for Thanksgiving Day last year. Last year’s Thanksgiving weekend skiers totaled 8,715.

Last year, however, top-to-bottom runs on River Run and Warm Springs were open for Thanksgiving.

Most of those who booked Thanksgiving vacations with Sun Valley still came despite the lack of snow and the warm temperatures. Sibbach said the resort called those with reservations to tell them of the poor skiing conditions, but only about 15 percent of them canceled.

Unfortunately, aside from two weak storm systems that will move through the Sun Valley area this week, the warm temperatures and lack of precipitation will continue, at least for the short term, predicts Vernon Preston, National Weather Service warning coordination meteorologist in Pocatello.

The two storm systems may drop up to six inches of snow on Sun Valley.

Next week, however, another ridge of high pressure will begin to build, he said, keeping temperatures above normal.

The long-term outlook, Preston said, is still for above-average precipitation and below-average temperatures.

 

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Copyright © 1999 Express Publishing Inc. All Rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Express Publishing Inc. is prohibited.