For the week of December 12 - 18, 2001

Fluff fans revel 
in early snows

Bald Mountain nears 100 percent open

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"Look at the way she’s walking around with that beaming smile—and with all this negativity going on in the world. It’s just what the doctor ordered," said John Olson, of Hailey, as he and Stacy Gilden lounged in the Lookout Restaurant. "It was ‘Hee haw.’ This is an epic day. I can’t remember early season skiing like this. It doesn’t get any lighter or better," agreed Stacy Gilden, of Ketchum.

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By GREG STAHL
Express Staff Writer

This year’s early season abundance of snow is contributing to skiing and riding that’s been unparalleled in years.

After 11 inches fell overnight and another 7 dropped during the morning hours, frosty ear-to-ear grins emerged Thursday afternoon from the silent whiteout on Baldy.

Following Thursday’s storm, Sun Valley reported that nearly 70 inches of snow had fallen on the mountain’s summit. That’s more than half of last year’s 122-inch season total and approaches half of Baldy’s 165-inch average season total. The summit base already exceeds last year’s 64 inches, with a 68-inch carpet of fluff.

And it happened in the span of a week.

"I’ve never had this many powder days in a row," said Ryan Sullivan, a River Run bartender, who had ridden Baldy’s "freshies" Thursday. "This is the most fun I’ve had in the five years I’ve been here. This is well-deserved for anyone who’s stayed the past two winters."

Sun Valley first opened Bald Mountain Nov. 30 with limited skiing on Lower River Run only. But as consecutive storms pummeled the Northwest and Rocky Mountains, much of the rest of the mountain was rapidly opened. With the opening of Seattle Ridge and the bowls over the weekend, almost 100 percent of Baldy’s offerings are skiable, including the mountain’s acclaimed south slopes.

"It was ‘Hee haw,’ " said Stacy Gilden, of Ketchum, while taking a break at Lookout Restaurant Thursday afternoon. "This is an epic day. I can’t remember early season skiing like this. It doesn’t get any lighter or better. To come up here this late in the day and have it so light, it was just epic."

Gilden and other Marketron service department employees were given half-days Thursday and Friday to take advantage of "this incredible powder."

Shawn Caine, a San Diego lawyer and part-time Ketchum resident, said he believes last week could be the best skiing of the winter.

"I’ve been riding my whole life, and I can’t, for the life of me, remember a better week," he said.

Add to the snow the sparse, early season crowds, and a recipe to delight even the most finicky epicurean was complete.

"No one’s up here," said Sean Davis, a Ketchum resident originally from New Zealand. "It’s crazy. It’s great to get out before tourist season hits."

Taking a break from shredding pockets of soft snow on Old Olympic, Craig Roth and Brent Diehl, both of Hailey, also agreed that the skiing is the best they can remember in early December.

"I went to high school here, and I can’t remember this much snow, not this early," Roth said.

To illustrate his point, Hailey horticulturist John Olson simply pointed to "hee haw" Gilden.

"Look at the way she’s walking around with that beaming smile—and with all this negativity going on in the world. It’s just what the doctor ordered."

 

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.