It could have been the last time they ever planned a vacation to Sun Valley. Last week, friends from California brought two other couples with them who had never been to Sun Valley for a four-day ski trip.
While driving in a rental vehicle from Boise airport, they were contacted by the property management company with bad news. The ski-in, ski-out condo they had planned to stay in had plumbing problems. A substitute property had been arranged, but it was not going to offer the mountain access or views they had been looking forward to for months. Welcome to Sun Valley.
On the second day, someone ran into the rental vehicle, and the damage was such that they needed another vehicle. While getting the rental car and police accident reports done and going to Hailey to pick up another vehicle, a few of them missed a day of skiing.
On the third day, the trauma surgeon in the group unintentionally became airborne on a run and fractured his ankle. Thanks to quick and skillful ski patrolmen, he was soon in line at our hospital ER with numerous other injured skiers.
We also took time one afternoon to snowshoe across a rancher's property in Bellevue to visit the site of the Cessna Caravan crash in 2004. The aircraft had been piloted by our friend's brother, a pilot for Salmon Air, which had a contract with United Parcel Service to transport cargo to Hailey from Salt Lake City. Icing on the aircraft surfaces was believed to have caused a stall and the fatal crash with two pilots on board.
There were sufficient reasons for this to be the last time anyone from this group came to Sun Valley. However, as they were leaving, they said they looked forward to a return visit because everyone they had encountered here—from police officers, ski patrolmen and doctors to rental car agents, ranchers and restaurant hostesses (who gave them priority seating because of the crutches)—were amazingly friendly, helpful, and proud of this community. Well done, everyone!
Juli Miller
Sun Valley
