BY KAREN BOSSICK

144 days.

And Sun Valley’s 2017-18 ski season is in the bag.

Hundreds of skiers and boarders thumbed their noses at the weatherman’s gloomy predictions and celebrated a perfect end to the season under sunny skies as the Emily Stanton Band rocked out on Warm Springs Plaza.

The season launched on Thanksgiving Day with gobs of snow and unseasonably warm temperatures that made it seem like Sun Valley was picking up where it left off the April before.

Those clinging to meterologists’ forecasts of another snowy winter were disappointed. Baldy got only 154 inches—well below its average 220 and even further below last year’s total of 337.

But it began dumping in February, giving powderhounds a chance to rejoice.

And the nation’s fastest skiers were thrilled with the conditions as they tested their skills in the 2018 U.S. Alpine Championships and the U.S. Junior Championships.

And, when it was all said and done, the final week of skiing couldn’t have been more perfect.

Soft but not too soft. Not a single patch of ice underfoot. Even four inches of powder for the fat boys.

Now—fingers crossed—on to the new Cold Springs quad and Turkey Bowl!