Life is good at Sun Valley, where, as one reader attests, “everything is first class.” The snow is as fluffy as eiderdown, natural ridges drop from the summit in a skier’s version of the perfect wave, and fresh whipped cream atop each hot cocoa makes everyone feel like the A-lister at the next table. It doesn’t hurt that the grooming is so smooth you barely notice when you approach terminal velocity on your 3,400-vertical-foot descent. Life gets even better when the Roundhouse gondola debuts this season, shortening the trek from River Run to Roundhouse into an eight-minute hop. From there it’s an easy skip to the summit to jump into the bowls on a powder day. After that, follow the sun, first to Seattle Ridge for a snack on top of the Sawtooths. Then migrate to Warm Springs for long groomers that will “make your legs scream,” or if it’s stormy, seek shelter in Frenchmen’s. At day’s end, enjoy après-ski at Apples or any of the cozy Ketchum establishments—free shuttles will take you home before you can click your boots three times.
/ What’s New / Eight passenger gondola from River Run to the Roundhouse Restaurant
/ Mandatory Run / Limelight, top to bottom. Nonstop if you have a defibrillator.
/ Don’t Miss / A sleigh ride and dinner at Trail Creek Cabin
/ Local Tip / Put the kids in ski school at sunny Dollar Mountain, the perfect teaching hill with two high-speed quads and the cushy Carole’s Dollar Mountain Lodge.
Photo by Will Wissman
