Skiing and boarding Baldy is going to get easier this winter.
Runs will not be re-engineered, but a new gondola from River Run to the Roundhouse is going to have benefits that weren't apparent at first.
Yes, the gondola will serve the historic Roundhouse and potentially open it for evening meals and fancy social events like summer weddings. But there's more.
Baldy is not a super easy mountain to ski or board. It's steep and long, and that's its beauty for many.
But beginner and intermediate skiers and boarders—the ones who pay a lot to visit Sun Valley and ski Baldy—are often taken aback by the easy runs marked with the big green circle, but which locals know to be "Baldy Green." Baldy Green and Baldy Blue intermediate runs are easily distinguished from many runs in other areas marked with the same signs—by a lot more incline.
Seattle Ridge is Baldy's saving grace for vacationing skiers. Its runs are consistent, wide and relatively mellow. It's the most popular place to ski on Baldy.
But at the end of the day, tired skiers either face a 3,000-foot trail down from the top or the leg-burning narrows of Canyon, Mid River or Olympic Lane.
No more. With the new gondola, Sun Valley Resort should be able to transport people down the mountain as well as up. That would make Baldy a friendlier place for skiers of all abilities. Not to mention those who would like to have a great lunch and just take in the views from the historic Roundhouse—no exertion required.
Ahhhh. A lovely mountain experience.
