For the week of Nov 27 - Dec 3, 2002

Baldy open top-to-
bottom on both sides

Nightlong wait reaps first chair

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By GREG STAHL
Express Staff Writer

Camping at the Warm Springs base of Bald Mountain in November probably isn’t on most people’s to-do lists, but the eve before a dawning ski season comes but once a year.

After enduring a 13-hour, overnight wait in the Warm Springs lift line, while the temperature plunged into the teens, Colin Collins reflected, "I’ve had better nights sleep."

Collins, Will Roth, and Alex Nelson arrived at Warm Springs at 8 p.m. Monday night to wait for the 9 a.m. Tuesday opening of the lifts. Former Sun Valley Mayor Jo Anne Levy arrived at Warm Springs at 7 a.m. Tuesday to join the three teens for the first chair of the season.

"It was cold, but not too bad," said Roth. "We each had double bags."

Sun Valley kicked off its 67th season Tuesday with machine-groomed snow and top-to-bottom runs on both sides of the mountain. Upper College, Flying Squirrel, Lower Picabo Street and Lower Warm Springs were open on the Warm Springs side of the mountain. On the River Run side, Upper College, Roundhouse Slope, Lower Canyon, Mid River Run and Lower River Run were open.

Sun Valley General Manager Wally Huffman, who watched as the first skiers loaded at Warm Springs, said he’s glad the weather turned wintry again.

"If you’d asked me two days ago, I’d have said, ‘Welcome to the beach,’ " he said. "It’s really remarkable. We’ve had about 14 days of snowmaking, and we’re opening top-to-bottom on both sides."

 

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.