STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
After picking up nearly two feet of snow in the past three days, Sun Valley Resort is ready to celebrate spring.
The resort will introduce the Dollar Holler rail jam competition followed by a high-energy Big Air Exhibition on Saturday, March 4, at Dollar Mountain.
Athletes 12 and older are invited to compete in the Rail Jam from 3 to 4 p.m. The Big Air Exhibition from 4:30 to 5 p.m. will feature some of the valley’s best tricksters hoping to incite big cheers.
The event kicks off at 2:30 p.m. with live music by DJN8. Party-beat masters Canadian DJ duo SKiiTour will follow, concluding the evening with a dance party.
A shuttle will run from the Pavilion lot, or party goers may take the Mountain Rides bus from town.
Rail Jam registration is required in advance at https://forms.zohopublic.com/sunvalleysnowsports/form/SunValleyDollarHucknShred2023/formperma/x23apQ2rQ-t63vczl6in1sCJnwwxpp4ccWZAWUfyi64
There will be competitions for ages 12-17 boys, 12-17 girls, 18+ men, 18+ women, pro open men and pro open women. Prizes will be awarded to first, second and third place in each category.
Sun Valley plans to keep Bald Mountain open through April 16. In an unusual twist, the River Run area of the Bald Mountain will be the last to close as the Resort is anxious to get started on taking out the Challenger and Greyhawk lifts on the Warm Springs side to make room for a two new Doppelmayr chairs.
Bid adieu to the old chairs during the Baldy Bash on April 8 with live music on the Warm Springs patio, costumed festivities and barbecue.
Dollar Mountain will close on March 26 with the Dollar Days Pond Skim.
SNOW TRIGGERS AVALANCHE
The 15 inches that fell on Bald Mountain early Wednesday morning resulted in an avalanche in Ketchum’s Warm Springs. The avalanche covered both sides of the roadway between Gates Road and Jane Lane.
Crews were still assessing when it would be safe to reopen the area as of Wednesday afternoon.
Avalanche danger is “considerable” in the mountains between the Wood River Valley and Banner Summit west of Stanley, according to the Sawtooth Avalanche Center. Blowing and drifting snow on Tuesday also created sensitive slabs in the Soldier Mountains.
US Highway 20 from Carey to Arco was closed Wednesday morning but had reopened by the afternoon.Ditto for Highway 20 between Mountain Home and Fairfield, which was closed for eight hours due to windy conditions which created snow drifts on the road.