STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Sun Valley Resort bid adieu to the running of the Roundhouse Gondola and Christmas lift for the summer on a pitch perfect Sunday afternoon Sept. 10.

Chris Leman, who is retiring after a storied career as BCRD trail reporter for the Blaine County Recreation District, rode down the mountain’s flow trails, taking advantage of a mountain bike pass he’d won.

Paragliders took to the sky and joggers ran up the Bald Mountain Trail, their dogs in tow. And vacationers lounged on top of the mountain looking over a skyscape that was slightly hazy due to a just-extinguished fire south of Timmerman Hill and a wildfire near Magic Mountain.

The rabbitbrush is abloom on top of Bald Mountain, along with red Indian paintbrush, silvery lupine, arnica, Oregon sunshine and purple penstemon. Rabbitbrush, a member of the aster family, provided Native Americans with materials for yellow die, medicinal tea and chewing gum.

Sun Valley Resort now has 73 days before it cranks up the chairlifts again on Thanksgiving Day—67 if Mother Nature allows the resort to field a race training camp the week before.

If all goes according to plan, the resort will introduce the public to the new Challenger six-pack and Flying Squirrel lift a few weeks later.

The new terminus atop the mountain dwarfs the Lookout Restaurant.

Those who journeyed to the top Sunday afternoon found a relaxing view.

A lot of trees have been removed from the area near the site of the new Flying Squirrel chairlift.