We have only a few miles to go to reach Sun Valley. We are planning on spending a couple of days with old friends from the "fish" days. This couple we met at a seafood conference in Spain, and a quasi disastrous side trip to Morrocco in a November in the early 1980's. Our mutual experiences with 14 hours bus rides through the wet rainy Morroccan countriside resulted in a friendship that has lasted over 30 years.
Sun Valley is another one of those communities created by a railroad tycoon looking for wealthy passengers. Only this time, the tycoon was Averell Harriman and the year was 1936. Harriman commissioned this European Count, Felix Schaffgotsch, to find a place that would rival the Austrian and Swiss Alps. He stumbled on the mining town of Ketchum, Idaho, and Harriman bought 4300 acres there. Within seven months,a grand lodge and a ski slope was ready for Hollywood celebrities and the rich and famous. Among the frequent visitors were Errol Flynn, Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, Ingrid Bergman, June Allyson, Claudette Colbert, Bing Crosby - the list goes on.
|
About a third of the private airplanes parked at Hailey, 15 miles away. |
The current population of Sun Valley is 1,427. And nearby Ketchum is 3,003. This is definitely a seen and be seen place, with more recent stars like Demi Moore, Clint Eastwood, Richard Dreyfus, Tom Hanks, Mats Wilander, Adam West -- all having homes here.
This was a favorite haunt of Ernest Hemingway, who loved the hunting and fishing. He ended his life here and is buried in Sun Valley.
|
Top of original ski lift on the closest hill. |
The original mountain where the first ski lift was created was only 600 feet tall. Today, the slopes are carved in Mt. Baldy.
I was surprised at the lack of trees on most of the hills, I had envisioned this as a pine forested area.
|
Chuck and John on Prospect Loop looking at Silver Mine remnants |
|
Sun Valley Lodge |
Every afternoon at five, there is a free showing of the movie Sun Valley Serenade, starring Sonja Henie, and featuring Glenn Miller and his orchestra.
And I wish I could have heard this concert. John Denver's music really personifies this area.
Our friends have owned a condo here since 1988, and Chuck owns a publication called Local Favorites that is distributed around the Valley, in hotel rooms, etc. He publishes it once a year. It is large and laminated and built to last. Paige does landscape design both here and in their home base area near Boston.
|
The area was known for its sheep and Basque herders and was the largest sheep grower in the U.S. |
|
Indian Paint Brush |
We took a hike on the Prospect Loop and enjoyed the scenery and wild flowers.
|
Can autumn be on its way? |
|
Do I really see turning leaves? |
A poor hot dog come along with his owner-hikers and promptly walked into this little pond to cool off.
We drove around the area. We also had several wonderful meals at the Trail Creek Cabin, Knob Hill Inn, and Cristinas. But mostly we enjoyed seeing this couple that we hadn't seen for a long time. Sun Valley isn't exactly on the beaten path, and we are glad we had the time to include a stop for a visit.