STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Sun Valley Nordic Center is now open for the 2024-25 winter season.

The center, set against the gorgeous backdrop of Bald Mountain and Trail Creek, rolled out the corduroy for the Trail Creek and White Cloud loops, as well as Leif’s Loop, Practice Loop and Putt Putt on Monday.

That’s 12 kilometers of skiing, or about 7.2 miles if you crunch the numbers.

The Hemingway, Bridges and Glenn’s Loop snowshoe trails also are open providing 6.7 kilometers or 4 miles of snowshoeing.

The Nordic Center had packed trails after the first big snowfall before Thanksgiving and packed them again over the weekend as about nine more inches fell. Sun Valley got two more inches of snow by lunchtime on Monday and a light fine snow continued to fall.

When fully operational, Sun Valley Nordic Center offers more than 40 kilometers of cross-country ski and snowshoe trails just a 5- to 10-minute drive from Bald Mountain for those who want to get in some downhill first.

"This is the first time I can remember grooming the tracks with a snowcat, rather than a snowmobile, on the first day," said Steve Haims.

One of the first Nordic centers in the West, Sun Valley Nordic Center’s trails meander across the Trail Creek golf course, across a bench above Trail Creek and up a canyon near the Gun Club. Hyndman View offers nice views of Hyndman Peak, while Boundary Trail parallels Trail Creek, offering snowscapes that look as if they belong in a Norman Rockwell painting.

The Sun Valley Nordic and Snowshoe Center located inside the Sun Valley Club has Nordic under- and outerwear for sale, along with gloves, sunglasses, skis and other gear. It also offers waxing and tuning services.

And the Sun Valley Club offers lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with an array of menu items, including a Tomato Basil Grilled Cheese with gruyere and white cheddar, a Wagyu Corned Beef Reuben, Enchiladas de Pollo with pumpkin seed mole and Beer Battered Fish and Chips.

The opening of the Nordic Center comes just ahead of Sun Valley’s plans to open Seattle Ridge on Friday—just in time for the Christmas crowd.

Meanwhile, the Blaine County Recreation District opened the North Fork Trail behind SNRA headquarters this weekend. BCRD Executive Director Mark Davidson says Quigley Nordic needs a foot of snow to begin grooming there. And, guess what! Hailey got that!

The Quigley trails have been track-packed and will be groomed soon. They are not open yet, however.

The Lake Creek Trails at Ketchum’s north end are also open, although they’re not being groomed daily as are the rest of the trails.

The only trail system awaiting more snow is Billy’s Bridge, a much beloved eight-shaped loop for doggie skiers 17 miles north of Ketchum.