COVID-19 UPDATE

March 15, 2020

Today, the Sun Valley Company made the difficult decision to cease mountain operations for the season.  While downhill skiing and snowboarding are not the only winter activities in the Sun Valley area, we are aware that many of our guests looked forward to being on the mountain.

Over the next few days, we will be calling all of guests scheduled to arrive over the next few weeks.  Of course, we would be happy to still host you at an Alpine Lodging property this spring.   However, we have relaxed our cancellation policy for the remainder of the winter season to accommodate a change in plans.  In addition, we have waived all re-booking charges if you would prefer to visit sometime later in the next 13 months.  This flexible re-booking policy will remain in effect for all new reservations made at least until May 1.  Feel free to call us with questions.

In order to protect our guests and employees, our Main Street office will be locked.  While we will maintain some staff in the office, we are encouraging staff to work from home if possible.  We will be contacting our guests with information on how to check-in. Someone is always available for emergencies at 208-726-5601.

Of course, some jobs, such as housekeeping and maintenance, require us to be in the field, and the safety of our employees is our top concern.  We have always been proud of our cleaning team and the thorough job they do throughout the year.   Beyond the heighted focus on extra cleaning of high-touch areas, we are making and effort to “rest” the properties between stays.

This is a challenging time for all of us.  As full-time residents in the Sun Valley area, we feel blessed to be surrounded with opportunities to enjoy nature.  Perhaps, that why we are so optimistic that we will make it through this crisis.

We look forward to seeing you soon.

 

 

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SEASON SNOW TOTALS HIT 270 INCHES!

The winds of winter (huge Game of Thrones Fan) have blown through our little mountain town, and the snow is finally starting to melt some. It seems like this Saturday was the first time that we have seen the sun in about five years. It has really only been three weeks, but when there is no sun, who can tell? So, let’s recap this year of snowfall.

In the 12 years that I have been living in this winter wonderland, this is the most snow I have ever seen. Since 2006, the levels of snowfall have been falling and falling to the point that each year we have asked ourselves if we would see a single flake fall to the ground in 12 months’ time. Whether this is due to global warming, or just some weird trend in the weather, it was happening.

Thankfully, Old Man Winter heard my prayers and came back to the valley with a vengeance.

This year alone, we have seen over 270 inches of snow, which is almost unheard of in Sun Valley’s 80 year history. This has created awesome ski opportunities, both Nordic and downhill. It seems like every weekend we have had fresh powder to shred, and three feet of snow to clean off of our windshields every morning. On the Nordic side of things, conditions have never been better. You have never really felt true peace until you have spent a Sunday afternoon gliding in between the trees of a high mountain forest, with fresh, huge flakes falling around you.

The snow has also caused a massive benefit to our economy. Tourists have been flooding to Sun Valley, and personally, I think it’s great. I hate it when the town is all quiet and no one is walking the sidewalks, or eating at the restaurants, or looking in at the shops. It really does get quite dull. The snow really has been fantastic this year.

And don’t worry, we’ll all soon be making our prayers to old man winter to double the load next year.

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SUN VALLEY SNOW DAY!

The last couple of weeks, Sun Valley has been in the middle of what we like to call a “snowmageddon.” Or, as most people like to say, a “snowpocalypse.” We’ve had some of the biggest winter storms that this valley has ever been through. Streets have been clogged, temps are consistently below zero, avalanches are flooding rivers, and the mountains of snow have been falling through my roof (bit of an exaggeration, but still). But, there has been one great thing that has come from this “snowpocalypse.” And being a high school student, I really love these: SNOW DAYS. The valley has gotten three whole snow days the last couple of weeks. To put this into perspective, we haven’t had a single one for about a decade. Snow days are a huge deal for us kids here.

Trust me. There is no better feeling than waking up early in the morning, finding out you have a snow day, and then sleeping for about 5 more hours ;).  But, most kids do try to seize the day when given a snow day. The mountain becomes absolutely flooded with kids, and the slopes become extremely crowded.

I love to head out to breakfast with my friends and return to the best times of my childhood. We head over to one of our houses and first, put on our snow pants and gloves. Then, we spend the rest of the morning sledding down the hill behind my friend’s house. We make a snow fort, and have an epic snowball fight for the rest of the day. There’s nothing better than a good snowball fight with your best pals. Then, we finish the day sipping piping hut cups of hot chocolate, wrapped in our furriest of blankets, watching some of our favorite movies. Snow days really are my favorite days of the year.

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