Sun Valley, Idaho

Sun Valley is an affluent resort community located in Blaine County, Idaho, very near the city of Ketchum. Tourists come from around the world to enjoy its skiing, hiking, ice skating, trail riding, tennis, and more. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 1,427. Very few of its residents stay there year-round, with many people having second homes in Boise, Twin Falls, or out of state (with many from California).

Sun Valley additionally refers to the downhill ski area, which consists of Bald Mountain, the main ski mountain, and Dollar Mountain, which is primarily geared toward novice and lower intermediate skiers. Bald Mountain is popularly referred to as Baldy.

The term Sun Valley is also used more generally to speak of the region surrounding the city, including the neighboring cities of Ketchum and Hailey. The region has been home to the rich and powerful, including Walter Annenberg, Ernest Hemingway, Teresa Heinz Kerry, Demi Moore, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

It was featured in the 1941 movie Sun Valley Serenade, starring Sonja Henie and John Payne.

History
The area was first developed into a ski resort by W. Averell Harriman and purchased by the Union Pacific Railroad in 1936. It was later sold to the Janss Corporation, a major Southern California real estate developer headed by Olympic skier Bill Janss. Janss is described as a visionary manager of the resort who was often seen on the slopes with his family. Earl Holding purchased Sun Valley in 1977 through his company Sinclair Oil, which operates the Little America Hotels and Resorts.

The world's first chairlift was installed near Sun Valley on Proctor Mountain in 1936. (Proctor Mountain is to the east of the current Sun Valley Ski Resort, located on Bald Mountain.) The chairlift design later went on to outnumber other technologies used at ski resorts at the time, such as the rope tow. It also claims to have opened the world's first ski school.

On September 11, 2005, His Holiness the Dalai Lama visited Sun Valley to give a speech on the importance of understanding and friendship. This was done in remembrance of the September 11, 2001 attacks that had taken place exactly 4 years earlier. His Holiness also offered condolences to the many thousands affected by Hurricane Katrina about 2 weeks earlier. The event was carried on CNN live.

One City, Two Sections
A small mountain saddle splits the city of Sun Valley into two sections. The northern section is centered around the famous Sun Valley Lodge and its surrounding village complex of shops and condominiums, as well as a golf course, which winds its way throughout the town. This area is referred to as simply Sun Valley. The southern area, called Elkhorn, has its own shopping/golf/hotel/condo complex and is in many ways quite distinct and separate.

See Also
Sun Valley Ski Areas  

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Uses material from the article Sun_Valley, Idaho.