Sun Valley Idaho 2021 Ski Trip
Sun Valley Ski Resort – one of the premier ski resorts in the United States, hosted the Far West Ski Association this February, Jan. 30 to Feb 5, 2020. Los Angeles Council attended, as always, with 16 very intrepid and enthusiastic skiers, of our total of 105 participants on the trip. Most of my group are those that Always Attend – they are the racers, and family and friends that Just Love To Ski.
This was such a different ski week with an assortment of challenges – no welcome party, no council night dinner, no Thursday dinner dance, no aprés party on Friday, no cocktail hour, all to meet the resort’s and Idaho state requirements. BUT, we all had a great time in spite of all of the things we could not do. Looking at the positives, no racing meant more skiing time, so skiers were looking for more lift tickets, or were thrilled they had their Epic passes, because the snow was Dynamite. A storm the week prior dumped some wonderful powder and a lot of snow, a night time storm during our week dumped a bit more, and it was cold enough to hold that snow for some beautiful and fun skiing. Personally, I finally got up to ski on Seattle Ridge which had great conditions, so I spent 2 full hours just looping around a couple of runs there – and skiing like I have not skied in a long time. And I enjoyed the heck out of it. (I do wish my speed tracker was working – give Mikaela Shiffrin a run for her money – Sure!! In my dreams!).
A few of other oddities of this trip: reservations for the heated pool (never did that before), and it was fun to see most of us strolling around in the robes going over to the pool. The mountain picnic held at River Run Lodge – it came in a box to go. The Thursday night banquet – that dinner came in a box too. The Resort kitchen and Concierge staff did a great job of putting this all together, and the food was fabulous. This was as much a problem for the resort staff as for us, but they came through and it worked out. FWSA staff - Nancy Ellis, and her husband, Bob Ellis, and Marilyn Sigler worked hard at this, as there were changes to events almost every day. What I noticed all week, despite what we could not do, despite event changes and issues, through all of this, and not just from my group, but from almost everybody, was Everyone Was Having A Great Time! Everyone Was Gracious! Everyone Was Patient. All of these qualities from the entire group made this such a wonderful week!
Most of us at one time or another ended up in the beautiful Duchin Room, the lounge/bar at the Lodge. So warm, inviting, the beautiful woods and the great pictures along the walls as you enter make it a lovely way to spend some time having a drink or a nightcap.
I did a small cocktail party type get together in the apartment for my Council group, and, as I was also helping San Diego Council, a few of their guests came to. It was fun with wine, cheese – usual faire, but it was great to see everyone talk about their ski day and the next. My thanks to roommates Earl Mitchell and John Schultheis for helping me set up the party, and everyone had a wonderful time. My LAC group (Rick Harrington, Veronica Schultz, Joyce Hedlund, Nikki Rubio, Michele and Don Shafe, Liz Broen and Peter Broen, Dave Mashaw, Earl Mitchell, Art Pressel, Cheryl Estrella and Larry Gowing, and our returning ladies Suzette Wheeler and Berry Wilkerson), most of this group typically goes out to dinner every evening, so Ketchum was perfect for that as it was open for indoor dining. After Los Angeles being outdoor dining only – what a relief to get to eat INSIDE THE RESTAURANT. Pioneer Steakhouse, Ketchum Grill, to name a few, offered really nice dining experiences.
Our Friday night evening event was an ice skating party. The sun was still out for a bit but the wind was howling, so it was REALLY Cold. Some hot cocoa and hot apple cider were a welcome warm treat. Many had never skated before, some had their own skates. A few spills, some fabulous spins, and lots of fun and laughter. I especially liked watching when someone that never ice skated before - Got it, that wonderful feeling of flowing on the ice on those tiny thin blades, it just made their smiles light up. Such a great idea as it was truly a wonderful way to end the week.
Lastly, I wanted to thank everyone for their very generous donations to the Far West Ski Foundation, which I was running in Dave Krupp’s absence. With so few participants at this ski week, I could only hope for the best, and YOU ALL CAME THROUGH for the Foundation. The donations raised during this week will help some of our upcoming skiers over the next few years, and our sponsor - KARBON ski apparel - graciously gave us 2 of their beautiful jackets as raffle prizes. Jacket Winners were Katie Mauldin of Sierra Council and Becky Berry of Arizona Council.
See you all next year at Aspen Snowmass!
Sandra Blackwell, LAC President and Sun Valley Trip Leader