Check out these hikes in Utah, Colorado, California, and Idaho

BY MICHAEL SCHRANTZ APR 20, 2016, Curbed Ski Magazine

It's waterfall season in the mountains, and that also means that soon the wildflowers will be popping up throughout ski country. Altitude is the biggest determining factor for when the wildflowers peak, but whether you're in Utah or Idaho, they are worth the effort. We've rounded up five of the best wildflower hikes in ski country to get you moving.

Albion Basin: Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah (above)

This 1.6-mile loop starting from the Albion Basin campground is a popular wildflower hike in the Wasatch. From the campground, hikers make their way through meadows full of blue Wasatch Penstemon and white Nuttall’s linanthus. Plan to make this hike in mid-July for the full effect or wait until August to get a glimpse of the meadows in bloom.

Alpine Loop: Ouray, Colorado (above)

Part of the Alpine Loop scenic byway, this part of the San Juans is host to spectacular wildflower scenes. The byway's 63 miles of unimproved roads require a high-clearance, four-wheel drive vehicle, but once on the trail, there are multiple places to stop and hike out into the wildflowers.

Mammoth Mountain Trail: Mammoth Lakes, California (above)

Climbing up the Mammoth Mountain Trail offers wildflower views from the state's highest ski area. While the mountain is also open to mountain bikers, the trail to the summit also welcomes hikers who abide by their trail markers. Once at the top, hikers can go back the way they came or take the gondola down.

Pioneer Cabin: Sun Valley, Idaho (above)

There are a couple ways to get to Pioneer Cabin, but each goes through prime wildflower country. In the spring, expect 40 to 50 different types of blooms on the way to the cabin, which can be used as a base camp on a first-come, first-serve basis. Or, tents can be pitched in the blooming meadows.

Santa Fe Basin: Santa Fe, New Mexico (above)

The Santa Fe Basin is prime wildflower viewing for those infatuated with wild orchids. The forests around the ski area are home to the Calypso orchid, spotted coralroot orchid and rattlesnake orchid. July is prime viewing time for these wildflowers, and riding the ski areas chairlifts can get hikers onto even higher ground.

As prices have soared in areas such as Aspen, Miami and the Hamptons, some buyers are seeking out alternatives that offer luxury for a (relatively) affordable sum.

Instead of Aspen… Try Sun Valley

With its world-class skiing and mountainous natural beauty, Idaho’s Sun Valley has long attracted celebrities like Bruce Willis, and plays host to the annual Allen & Co. conference that draws media and tech moguls. But partly due to its remote location in the narrow Wood River Valley, hours from a major airport, the area remains far less developed—and less expensive—than other luxury Western ski enclaves like Aspen, Colo., or Jackson Hole, Wyo.

“You can really get a good value up there if you know what you’re doing,” said Claudia Graham, a Los Angeles-based biomedical company executive who recently paid $1.8 million for a three-bedroom log cabin on over an acre in Ketchum, where most of Sun Valley’s restaurants and nightlife are located. Last winter, Minneapolis resident Ranee Jacobus and her husband Randy, together with Mr. Jacobus’s business partner, bought an 85-acre property in nearby Hailey for $3.85 million. The property contains a roughly 7,300-square-foot log frame house and a guesthouse, both with mountain views.

Prices in the Sun Valley area (which generally refers to Sun Valley resort and surrounding towns) are a half to a third of those in Aspen, according to real-estate agent Sue Engelmann of Sun Valley Sotheby’s International Realty. The catch: getting there. Flights to Hailey’s tiny airport face challenges landing in bad weather, diverting travelers to Boise or Twin Falls, where they are bused two or three hours to Sun Valley. And there are no non-stop flights to Hailey from major hubs like New York City, Boston or Chicago, although the airport has recently added non-stop flights from San Francisco and Denver.

Sun Valley’s market hasn’t yet recovered from the real-estate downturn; two devastating wildfires in recent years also kept prices in check. In Ketchum, the 2015 median for a luxury home was $1.5 million, a 25% decline from 2005, according to Realtor.com. In contrast, the median sales price of a luxury home in Aspen rose 29% to $4.38 million in 2015, compared to a decade earlier. SEE FULL ARTICLE HERE

When the snow melts, the trails open up.

If you’re a skier or snowboarder, you may have heard of the world class slopes in Idaho’s Sun Valley, but for the other three seasons of the year, this area flies relatively under the radar. That’s good news for anybody who likes open trails and peace and quiet in the great outdoors. There are endless spots to explore and the drive from town to any of these locations is just as beautiful as the destinations themselves. So start making your plans to explore Idaho today and put Sun Valley at the top of the list!

1. Hike to Devil’s Bedstead West

Want to catch incredible panoramic views? Ready for a challenge? This hike is a local favorite that is typically free of the crowds you might find on more popular hikes in the area. Every step will be worth it when you reach the top. Learn more.

2. Hike to Johnstone Pass

If a summit hike isn’t really your speed, you’ll enjoy this hike through wildflowers in Johnstone Pass. You’ll need a vehicle with four wheel drive to get there…you know what that means? Yet again, less people on the trail. Learn more.

3. Camp at the Coyote Yurts

Need an epic basecamp for all your adventures? The Coyote Yurts are the perfect destination for hiking, mountain biking, and chillin’ around the campfire with your favorite people. Learn more.

4. Hike to Hyndman Peak

If you didn’t catch enough 360 degree views of Idaho’s amazing mountains on the hike to Devil’s Bedstead West, here’s another opportunity. You’ll have a great view of Idaho’s tallest peak, Mount Borah and if you’re feeling really ambitious, you can make the ~2.5 hr drive from Sun Valley and knock that off your bucket list too. Learn more.

5. Hike to Kane Lake

Just 20 minutes from town, this mellow hike takes you through open meadows to a gorgeous alpine lake surrounded by rocky peaks. Get up there early and spend the day exploring, you won’t regret it.Learn more.

River Run side scheduled to close April 10

Sunday, April 17, will be the last day of skiing and riding on the Warm Springs side of Bald Mountain, Sun Valley Resort announced Monday. Dollar Mountain’s last day of the season will be Sunday, April 3, and the River Run side of Bald Mountain will close Sunday, April 10.

Plenty of activities are planned to celebrate the 2015-16 winter season. Getting the weekend rolling March 31 to April 2 will be the 19th annual Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation JANSS Pro-Am Classic with a gala dinner, hospitality tent at Warm Springs, cocktail reception, live music and costumed ski racing.

Dollar Mountain will host the Dollar Dayz and Pond Skim on Sunday, April 3. This spring tradition celebrates antics, costumes and daring skiers and riders trying to make it across the “cold bowl.” Participants can register for free the day of the event starting at 9 a.m., with the competition starting at 11:30 a.m. There will be a barbecue and specials on the deck of Carol’s Dollar Mountain Lodge.

PARK CITY, Utah – Leading eastern resort Sugarloaf, Maine and historic Sun Valley, Idaho will host the 2016-2018 U.S. Alpine Championships on alternating years beginning next winter with Sugarloaf. The announcement continues the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association’s long-term plan to move the annual celebration of American ski racing to top resorts around the United States.

“Moving the U.S. Alpine Championships around the United States is vital to directly engaging with strong ski racing communities that are instrumental in growing and maintaining a strong developmental pipeline. It allows us to showcase the excitement of high level alpine skiing to new generations of young athletes and fans,” said U.S. Ski Team Alpine Director Patrick Riml.

The dynamic Narrow Gauge run last hosted the U.S. Championships at Sugarloaf in 2008. Sun Valley last hosted the event in 1951.

“Both Sugarloaf and Sun Valley have a strong tradition in building and showcasing events that celebrate the excitement and culture of ski racing,” noted USSA VP of Events Calum Clark. “The Narrow Gauge race hill is [renowned in the East] for testing and training the best in the world like Bode Miller. Sun Valley has helped produce its share of legends like Picabo Street, who found her love for speed on Warm Springs and Greyhawk.”

Each of the resorts boasts a rooted history and heritage of ski racing in America and continues that tradition through their strong USSA club programs of Carrabassett Valley Academy at Sugarloaf and the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation. The 2015 U.S. Championships will mark the events first trip to the Eastern United States since Lake Placid, N.Y. and the 1980 Olympic mountain of Whiteface hosted the event in 2010.

2016-2018 U.S. Alpine Championships

2016 – Sun Valley

2017 – Sugarloaf

2018 – Sun Valley

“Where Vision Comes Into Focus”​

Sun Valley, Idaho has been welcoming the film industry since Averell Harriman opened America's first ski resort in 1936. To celebrate the area’s Hollywood heritage and bring it into the 21st century, the inaugural Sun Valley Film Festival was launched in March 2012 and was an immediate success. Heading into its fifth year in 2016, the Sun Valley Film Festival continues to build on that success with over 60 films including world premieres, networking dinners, unique panels, passionate discussions and memorable parties. The Sun Valley Film Festival brings together over 3,500 festival goers for five unforgettable days where industry insiders and movie lovers alike, gather to celebrate the art of filmmaking in a majestic setting.

USA Today agrees, naming Sun Valley one of the Top 10 “Greatest Places for a Fabulous Film Festival.”  

Learn More at: www.sunvalleyfilmfestival.org

Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation freestyle skier Henry Cherp is all business and all creative energy carving his way down Baldy’s Roundhouse Slope during Sunday’s sunny final day of the sixth annual Sun Valley Freestyle Spectacular. The two-day event featured 192 runs for Saturday’s single moguls, 91 runs for Sunday’s singles and 100 runs in duals.

The El Niño winter stoke is alive in well in Sun Valley! Nearly 7 FEET!! of snow has fallen so far this season with no sign of letting up. Skiers and boarders are reaping the benefits of deep powder days and all-time coverage. This season is shaping up to be one you'll want to add to your highlight reel!

El Niño or as Chris Farley referred to in simpler terms as, “The Niño“, brought about a mixed bag of early season predictions from meteorologists far and wide. Skiers and boarders throughout the west became overnight skeptics serving up their own myriad of prophesied forecasts as to whether it would be a lack luster winter or flashback to being like the “good old days”. At the end of the day, no one could put any weight behind their hunches for what the 2015/2016 season would bring.

Fast forward to the first actual day of winter and we have a bit of empirical data to suggest that this El Niño is coming through huge, bringing those good old days back to Sun Valley. As of December 22nd, Bald Mountain has seen nearly 7 feet of crowd-pleasing snowfall. We’re savoring all-time conditions that have opened up access to certain terrain that hasn’t been rideable in years past. Enough hyping up the winter we’re having here – we’ll let the photos below do the talking for us.

IT’S HARD TO GET AWAY from it all these days. With sprawling cities and ever-expanding cell networks, it’s more difficult than ever to disconnect from technology and reconnect with nature. That’s where Idaho comes in. The Gem State is still largely wild, rugged, and mostly left alone, while tourists flood the bigger names nearby: the Tetons, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite Valley.

And that’s a really fantastic thing for the rest of us. Because unbeknownst to the masses, this mountain state has a river gorge deeper than the Grand Canyon, a granite mountain wilderness area larger than Yosemite, and Teton-caliber trekking without all the tourists. It’s a place to get off the grid — to revel in the remoteness.

Here’s a little bit more on what that looks like. 

For nearly 80 years the Sun Valley Lodge has been recognized as an icon of architecture, hospitality and comfort in the Wood River Valley. Last September the Lodge was closed and a total renovation was undertaken. Last week I got a tour of the remodeled facility and new spa, which is set to open to the public on June 15, 2015. Suffice to say, I was very impressed.

All the guest rooms and restaurants have been remodeled down to the studs, as well as the hotel lobby and lounge. All The smaller guest rooms have been combined to create suites with fireplaces and expanded bathrooms with large showers, vanity areas and air conditioning. The new 20,000 square foot spa sits adjacent to the new saline pool and patio area. The spa will offer relaxation treatments, health and wellness activities, salon services and more. There are private treatment rooms, a yoga studio and a large fitness facility. For more information on the new Sun Valley Lodge, please visit their website at http://www.sunvalley.com

Are you planning a trip or vacation to Sun Valley, Idaho this summer? Please let me know the dates so I can put it on my calendar. I would welcome the chance to meet and answer your questions about the Sun Valley area and current real estate trends in Blaine County. I hope to hear from you soon.