Sun Valley Resort Announces Improvements On Bald Mountain For Enhanced Guest Experience
Sun Valley Resort, North America's first destination ski resort, established in 1936, is embarking on a multi-year improvement plan focused on an enhanced guest experience.
The proposed projects in the first phase will benefit the recreational experience on Bald Mountain by improving skier and rider circulation, increasing the accessible skiable terrain and improving both lift and snow quality.
Pending project approval by the United States Forest Service, work will begin in April 2023 to replace and realign the Challenger Chairlift, construct the new Flying Squirrel Chairlift replacement, and extend the Flying Squirrel trail and snowmaking. The new lift project will remove the Greyhawk lift and replace the existing Challenger lift with a Doppelmayr high-speed 6-pack. The lift will connect Warm Springs base to Bald Mountain summit in 8 minutes, 35% faster than the current Challenger lift.
The bottom terminal of the new Challenger lift will be shifted to the location of the current Greyhawk bottom terminal, and the new Challenger lift will have a mid-unload station located near the current top terminal of Greyhawk, allowing skiers and riders easy access to the popular Greyhawk terrain and race venues. Flying Squirrel lift, the second out of Warm Springs base, will be a Dopplemayr high-speed quad and will link to the top of Upper Picabo’s Street trail. Flying Squirrel lift is designed to improve guest circulation and access to Frenchman’s terrain network, from the Warm Springs base area, as well as mid-mountain access to surrounding areas on the mountain including Seattle Ridge (via Roundhouse Lane to Guntower Lane) and River Run Basin.
This lift will also provide repeat skiing and riding on Picabo’s Street and Flying Squirrel trails. The bottom terminal will be located in the Warm Springs base area, adjacent to the bottom terminal of the new Challenger Chairlift replacement. The top terminal will be located southwest and upslope of Frenchman’s Chairlift top terminal, at the top of Picabo’s Street trail. The two new lifts anticipate being open by the winter 2023-24 season, together creating a new guest experience in the Warm Springs area of the mountain. Further on-mountain enhancements include the extension of Flying Squirrel trail down to lower Warm Springs ski trail which will provide additional repeat-ski terrain serviced by the new Flying Squirrel Lift.
The new Lower Flying Squirrel trail with extended snowmaking will provide a high-quality snow surface for intermediate skiers and riders and allow reliable and consistent access on this new guest experience to Flying Squirrel lift. Snowmaking coverage will span the width of the new terrain and water for the snowmaking will be drawn from the existing water supply system. Access to additional gladed terrain in the Little Scorpion area will be accessible to skier’s right of the new Lower Flying Squirrel. This new gladed terrain, along with Sunrise Expansion and many other areas on the mountain, are the result of the Bald Mountain Stewardship Project, a partnership with land and environmental agencies to improve overall forest health and decrease fire risk on Bald Mountain.
“Warm Springs is a beloved part of the Sun Valley experience,” explains Sun Valley Resort Vice President and General Manager Pete Sonntag. “To honor this legendary terrain, we are embracing a new generation of lift technology, which will serve to enhance the overall guest experience—from quicker lift rides and new runs to expanded base area amenities—this project will allow us to showcase more of what our Sun Valley community already loves about Baldy.”
