Sun Valley review

[dparz]

Arrived Wednesday night - skied past two days - staying at Sun Valley Lodge

Impressions

- Longest constant pitch runs I've ever seen - Warm Spings is 3400 feet of thigh burning - 10min back to the top - ouch!

- Great grooming alll over the mountain

- perfect Weather - 25 degrees - brilliant sunshine - they say 330 days of sunshine/yr

- Great snowmaking capability - area could use 1-2 feet of additional natural snow - the non-snomaking runs (which nobody skies) are better than the conditions in the east 90% of the time - 1/2 runs covered by man-made

-1st class Day lodges - food prices are high (no surprise) - nicest/cleanest bathrooms I have ever seen at ski area

- some of the runs get little Sunshine this time of year

- People Ski Fast here - groomers/cruisers are perfect conditioned and some folks just fly down -

- Beautiful town, nice eaterys - plenty of shopping

- Older crowd - many have retired here

- Half Pipe - but no terrain park

- Looking forward to the next three days

 

[Gpaul]

Told ya! Enjoy!

 

[Tony Crocker]

I think that Sun Valley is the ultimate Gpaul mountain. Though he also needs to check out Mt. Bachelor.

 

[schubwa]

Tony Crocker said:
"I think that Sun Valley is the ultimate Gpaul mountain. Though he also needs to check out Mt. Bachelor."
I agree with the first part, from what I remember of what Gpaul digs. I firmly believe that Baldy is the ultimate leg-burning, high speed, groomer-ripping destination for alpine skiers. Those great fall lines and gorgeous views, combined with all the history make it the Dowager Queen of American skiing. A true skiers' mountain.
We made the mistake of bringing only our snowboards the first trip, and despite the fact we ride well, it was a disaster. Skidding sideways on firm manmade, amidst thundering alpine skiers had us looking for escape routes in the trees! No luck there either, the trees on Baldy are tight. We only pack narrower waisted carvers and our Nordic skate skis after that trip.
Don't forget the Roundhouse Restaurant. It's like stepping back in time to a more elegant and slower-paced era. The art deco posters of yesteryear say it all!
Things I still haven't done in Sun Valley:
- Hike and ski Dorrance
- Stay at "Sun Valley"
- Podium in my AG at this year's Boulder Mountain Tour
- Wear a fur coat while shopping
- Ice skate at the Lodge
- Own a nice 5000 Sq ft home upvalley
- Have a beer with Bruce in Hailey
- Go AT skiing at the yurts
So would Gpaul be happy here at Mt Bachelor? I think we're almost totally opposite of Sun Valley. We have: natural snowfall, great trees, OR funk and, well...less intimidating terrain. Sun Valley has: Great snowmaking, lousy trees, world-class ambiance and killer fall lines. And the Roundhouse.

 

[Tony Crocker]

I refer mainly to the continuous vertical fall lines up to 3,000 vertical. The groomers on Summit and Northwest are certainly comparable to Sun Valley's in pitch.

Both have high speed lifts, rarely have lines, and are surely the 2 most promising mountains in North America if you want to try to do something like 50K in one day.

Bachelor is a better overall mountain IMHO because it has twice as much snow and better alpine and trees. I did not find intimidating terrain at Sun Valley. But the relentless fall lines will wear you down fast if you have poor technique or conditioning.

Resort ambience is about as opposite as can be.

 

[snowave]

I might hit SV next year. My buddy in Mammoth used to live there, and still gets the early/late season pass for $100ish bucks.. and goes for a week in early and late season.

Looks like a fun place, with a neat town and other interesting things to do and see!

 

[ChrisC]

Bend is not Sun Valley.

Generally, Go Bend! -- but the growth in Bend is out-of-control.

Bend is getting weird. I mean every NW retiree is building condos/homes in the dessert when I was there in 2002.

Bend proper was totally cool - the little town on the river - but exurbs in Oregon Dessert - that is Bend too. It's LA sprawl on (used-to-be) dirt-cheap land with greater payments going to the giant truck in the front yard than the house. Sprinklers too. Yeah, super cool. Economically/environmentally sustainable?

I love Mt. Bachelor back bowls....and NW Passage chair. But I would tip Sun Valley over Bachelor for cruising - primarily because the Summit lift is so iffy.

 

[Tony Crocker]

the Summit lift is so iffy

... in winter.
But the Summit corn machine in April and May, I've never skied anything quite like it. If Mammoth loses its spring this year, it might be worth flying up to Bachelor late April.

 

[schubwa]

Bend is getting weird.

I'm taking this as a compliment from a guy who lives in San Francisco.

Bend was totally cool-the little town on the river-Economically/environmentally sustainable?

This Chris, is the $64T question. I've lived here 12 years and the change has been shocking! But it seems all the nice places in the West are facing a similar fate. We are different in that we're a real town (actually a small city) rather than a resort town. Folks here live and work, raise kids, play baseball, etc. that could care less about what's happening 20 miles away at Mt Bachelor. The ski area could close and Bend would still prosper. In the days before the "boom", that statement would not be true. Tomorrow I start as a board member of the Building Green Council which is part of 3EStrategies. We promote sustainable building and Bend has become a showplace for this type of housing. I live in a master planned neighborhood and all the homes are "Earth Advantage" certified.
I'm currently having plans drawn for my next house, a passive and active solar home on an infill lot. No, not all is well but this remains an awesome place to live.

the Summit lift is so iffy

This is the crux of having Mt Bachelor as your ski destination. Sure I've been off the top this season, heck, it was open today in great bluebird conditions. But I haven't got the south bowls (in powder snow) yet this year and it's been a great season. And I can pick my days. It's always closed due to wind.