Sun Valley Co. representatives this week proposed an ambitious set of projects for enhancing skiing and snowboarding facilities on Bald Mountain, including installing two new bottom-to-top gondolas, expanding the ski-area boundaries and adding considerable amounts of new snowmaking equipment.
The most significant aspects of the plan call for installation of a gondola from the River Run base area to Roundhouse restaurant, development of new beginner ski terrain in Turkey Bowl—south of Seattle Ridge—and construction of a new expert trail on Guyer Ridge, on the western edge of the Warm Springs face.
The River Run gondola would displace the existing Exhibition chair lift and would eventually be extended to the Lookout summit, replacing the existing Christmas chair lift.
The plans were presented Tuesday, Feb. 15, in the Limelight Room of the Sun Valley Inn, as part of a proposal to the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management—the managers of Bald Mountain's public lands—to extend the ski area operating permit and update the Bald Mountain Master Development Plan.
Sun Valley Co.'s ski-area use permit for Bald Mountain is set to expire in December 2007. The resort operator is now seeking to extend the permit for 40 years and to gain approval for a 10-year update of the mountain's development plan.
Wally Huffman, Sun Valley Co. general manager, told a crowd of approximately 150 Wood River Valley residents that installing the River Run gondola and completely remodeling the Roundhouse restaurant are two high priorities for the company.
"We feel a gondola is the next step for service on Bald Mountain," Huffman said.
The gondola would not only give novice skiers easier access to the Seattle Ridge area of Baldy, he said, it would allow the resort to offer year-round dining at Roundhouse, in the day and the evening.
The projects in the proposed 10-year plan are divided into three phases, with those in Phase One comprising the highest priorities for Sun Valley Co.
Phase One of the plan proposes:
· Constructing a new expert trail on Guyer Ridge, located immediately west of the existing ski area boundary. The trail would run from International ski run along the ridgeline and into Cozy ski run, requiring a boundary adjustment and cutting and filling of the landscape.
· Constructing a new intermediate ski trail on Seattle Ridge, covering 6.1 acres between Christin's Silver and Broadway ski runs.
· Gaining approval to use existing snowmaking facilities in the Frenchman's Gulch area.
· Installing new snowmaking facilities on Olympic Lane, Roundhouse Slope, Upper and Lower Broadway, Upper Cozy, Upper Hemingway, Christmas Bowl and Brick's Island ski runs.
· Installing the River Run gondola to the Roundhouse and removing the Exhibition triple chair lift.
· Remodeling the Roundhouse building and expanding its operating period.
· Developing a terrain park on Lower Greyhawk, in the Warm Springs area.
Huffman said development of the terrain park could start as early as next year because it might not require the same lengthy environmental-impact studies that the rest of the projects would.
In addition, Huffman said he is committed to converting the existing Warm Springs half-pipe—which has drawn complaints from users about inadequate maintenance—into a so-called "super pipe."
"We're going to solve that problem and we're going to make a commitment to have a serious terrain park on Lower Greyhawk on Baldy," Huffman said.
Phase Two of the 10-year plan proposes:
· Developing a set of new beginner trails in Turkey Bowl, on a 72-acre parcel located adjacent to the southern edge of the ski area boundary. A new detachable quad chair lift and snowmaking would service 483 vertical feet of terrain off the top of Seattle Ridge.
· Replacing the Cold Springs double chair lift with a detachable quad chair lift.
· Replacing the triple Mayday chair lift with a detachable quad chair lift.
· Removing the Lookout lift across the top of the mountain.
· Upgrading and expanding—or replacing—the Lookout Restaurant.
Phase Three of the plan, the final phase, calls for:
· Replacing the existing Christmas quad chair lift with the second section of the River Run gondola.
· Developing new ski terrain in a 100-acre area called "Pod G," located east of the Cold Springs lift and south of Olympic Ridge. The area—which is within the currently permitted ski-area boundary—would include several intermediate and advanced ski trails serviced by snowmaking and a detachable quad chair lift.
· Replacing the existing Challenger detachable quad chair lift on the Warm Springs side with an eight-passenger, high-speed gondola.
Huffman said Sun Valley Co. has considered developing new ski terrain off the back side of Bald Mountain, to the west of the summit, but determined it should wait until proposing any expansion there.
"There's no reason, if we need the capacity, we couldn't go off the back side," he said.
Huffman said Sun Valley Co. has not calculated the cost of developing all the projects in the plan but has determined that it must increase its number of annual skier visits, which for 10 years has hovered around 400,000.
"We have to build our business so this makes some economic sense," Huffman said.
Ecosign Mountain Resort Planners, based in Whistler, British Columbia, developed the Bald Mountain Master Development Plan update. The last update of the plan—which was approved in 1989—is considered to be mostly built out.
Currently, Bald Mountain is developed with 14 ski lifts, 65 ski runs and five restaurants.
Kurt Nelson, Sawtooth National Forest Ketchum District ranger, said the Forest Service will conduct an environmental-impact study of the projects proposed in the plan after a 60-day public-comment period closes April 18. A final decision on whether to approve the proposed 40-year permit extension and master plan update will likely be made by August 2006, he said.
Nelson indicated that Sun Valley Co. owner Earl Holding is eager to get the plan started.
"It might be done in three years if Earl Holding had his way," Nelson quipped.
Public response to the presentation Tuesday was generally favorable.
When asked why Sun Valley Co. would install a gondola up Baldy from Warm Springs Village—an area that skiers are using less and less—Huffman said it is his long-term goal to have at least 40 percent of skiers access the mountain from the Warm Springs side.
Also presented Tuesday were plans for Dollar Mountain and a proposed gondola from Sun Valley Village to River Run via Dollar Mountain, something Huffman has said is a "dream" but insists is a "great idea."
The phased development plans for Dollar Mountain include replacing the Quarter Dollar, Half Dollar, Dollar and Elkhorn lifts with detachable quad chair lifts, installing permanent snowmaking equipment across the mountain, and installing the Sun Valley to River Run gondola. The Dollar plan also includes a new snowboarding half-pipe and a new terrain park.
Public comment
The U.S. Forest Service will accept public comments on the proposed update to the Bald Mountain Master Plan until April 18. The full plan or an executive summary can be viewed at the Sawtooth National Forest Ketchum Ranger District office, at 206 Sun Valley Road, or on the Internet at sunvalley.com. For information on how and where to submit comments, call Forest Service project coordinator Joe Miczulski at 622-5371.
Scores of Sun Valley-area residents this week viewed an ambitious set of plans proposed by Sun Valley Co. to enhance skiing and snowboarding facilities on Bald Mountain. Photo by David N. Seelig
