Those looking to avoid hiking up or down Bald Mountain's steep slopes this summer can once again enjoy the comfort of the Sun Valley Co. chairlifts, which will begin service from the base of River Run on Saturday, June 28.
Sun Valley spokesman Jack Sibbach said that because of a U.S. Forest Service mandate protecting elk during calving season, mountain bikes will not be allowed on the lifts until Tuesday, July 1.
Lift operation will be from 9 a.m. to the last round-trip at 3:15 p.m.
Cost of a single adult ride will be $15 and an all-day pass $20; children ages 3 through 12 can ride all day for $10 or once for $7.
When mountain biking commences, all riders must sign a waiver and wear helmets. All downhill mountain bikes rented from Pete Lane's, a sports store at the base of Baldy, will include a free chairlift ticket, trail map, lock and helmet.
Sibbach also announced that the new Sun Valley White Clouds hiking and biking trails have opened, giving outdoor recreationists free access to five miles of trails surrounding Sun Valley Co.'s new nine-hole White Clouds Golf Course, located across from the Sun Valley Lodge entrance on the northwest side of Trail Creek Road.
Sibbach said these new trails, construction of which began last year, afford hikers and bikers spectacular 360-degree views of the Wood River Valley.
These trails can also be accessed by a trailhead near the intersection of Saddle and Sun Valley roads, as well as by an older trail that begins at the end of Telemark Road.
