Dollar Mountain and its luxurious new base lodge will open on Monday, Dec. 20.
Jack Sibbach, Sun Valley Resort director of marketing and public relations, announced Thursday that Dollar Mountain's Quarter Dollar and Half Dollar lifts will begin operation at 9 a.m. Monday.
The mountain's luxurious new 26,000-square-foot base lodge—christened Carol's Dollar Mountain Lodge, after Carol Holding, wife of resort owner Earl Holding—will open for full service at 8 a.m. The lodge will offer ski and snowboard rentals, repair services and retail sales at a new branch of Pete Lane's Mountain Sports.
The Sun Valley Ski and Snowboard School will also begin operations Monday at the new lodge.
To celebrate the completion of Carol's Dollar Mountain Lodge, the resort will host a gala open house inside the lavish facility Monday evening, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Free food, refreshments and champagne will be served to anyone wishing to see the new structure.
The new day lodge is primarily designed to be a state-of-the-art sanctuary for families and children. Much of the building's south end is devoted to the children's ski and snowboard school, which boasts child-sized restrooms, dryers, a kitchenette and an entertainment area.
On the lodge's north side, opposite the ski school, a large dining room offers expansive views of Bald Mountain.
The two-level lodge has been built in seven months, less than half the time typically needed to complete similar structures.
Sun Valley Co. had planned to open the lodge and Dollar Mountain on Friday, Dec. 17, but was forced to delay the opening for three days to ensure all of the mountain's services were in order.
Meanwhile, on Bald Mountain, Sun Valley is opening five more lifts Saturday morning. This will bring a total of 10 lifts in service on Bald Mountain. Seattle Ridge, Mayday, Exhibition, Sunnyside and Greyhawk lifts will all open at 9 a.m. tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 18. The bowls and the Seattle Ridge Day Lodge will also be open.
Bald Mountain has a 54-inch snow depth at the summit and 30-inch snow depth at the base.
