Friday, July 31, 2009

Sunbeam Village sees new life

New owners of historic destination near Stanley considering site’s future


By JASON KAUFFMAN
Express Staff Writer

Two Wood River Valley couples—Doug and Nancy Fenn and Greg and Sheri Thomas—recently purchased Sunbeam Village, a popular destination located at the confluence of the Yankee Fork and main Salmon rivers near Stanley. They’re now in the process of considering the future of the historic site. Photo by Jason Kauffman

Former Community School math teacher Doug Fenn has jumped headlong into an ambitious new project that will keep him and several business partners quite busy over the next few years. Last winter, Fenn and his wife, Nancy, together with Greg and Sheri Thomas of Hailey, purchased a rich piece of central Idaho history: the Sunbeam Village.

The historic cabin and trading post is situated above the confluence of the Yankee Fork and main Salmon rivers, about 14 miles downriver from Stanley. For years it's been a popular destination for river rats, campers and other outdoor enthusiasts.

But maintenance headaches and the dilapidated condition of most of the 11 or so buildings at Sunbeam Village made it difficult for previous owners to keep the site open to the public. The rustic store in the main lodge had closed. Gone too were the music shows, melodramas and other public events that were once held on the lodge's front deck overlooking the juncture of the two scenic rivers.

The Fenn and Thomas families want to change that.

Their decision to purchase Sunbeam Village followed Fenn's purchase of White Otter Outfitters, a whitewater rafting business that's been operating on the upper Salmon River since 1983. Fenn, a longtime guide with White Otter, bought the business after the tragic death of its owner, Randy Hess.

Hess, from Ketchum, was killed in April of 2008 while apparently scouting a section of the Snake River below the Hansen Bridge near Twin Falls.

Not long after the accident, the Hess family asked Fenn if he would come back and run the rafting business for the summer. Getting the business up and running was hectic, Fenn said.

"We had to throw everything back together," he said. "When it happened I had broken both my heels. I was in a wheelchair."

Despite the challenges, it just seemed to make sense to combine White Otter and Sunbeam Village. The owners of White Otter had been renting the old site as the summer headquarters for the rafting business. The village had been foreclosed on and was owned by Zions Bank.

"I went to the bank and made them an offer," Fenn said. "They ended up taking it."

The new owners of Sunbeam Village are now in the process of cleaning up the site and considering what its future should be. Last Friday, more than 132 cubic yards of trash were hauled away. The village is operated on Sawtooth National Recreation Area land under a special use permit.

Ideas for the village include re-opening the store and holding barbecues, music events and other public activities. They might also host salmon recovery meetings and ecology courses for students. Fenn said the site would be ideal for first aid, wilderness first responder and swiftwater rescue courses. Later this fall, the Wood River football team will arrive for several days of team building.

"They're going to bring 80 boys, grades 9 through 12, up here and camp for three days," Fenn said.

The sky, he said, is the limit.

"We're trying to size things up," Fenn said. "What do we save, what do we not save?"

Jason Kauffman: jkauffman@mtexpress.com




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