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A Decade of Wilderness: Boulder-White Clouds Hiking Series

Ten years ago this summer, the Boulder-White Clouds were permanently protected – a historic achievement that took the efforts of Idaho Conservation League and its supporters decades to make a reality. In celebration of a decade of protections for this special place, we’d like to invite you to join ICL on a summer hike! Thursday, August 7th, 8:30am – 4:00pm: Born Lakes For the true anniversary of the signing of the Wilderness bill, we’re taking you into the heart of the Cecil D. Andrus White Clouds Wilderness: Born Lakes and the Ants Basin. This is a challenging, 8.3-mile out-and-back hike with about 2,000 feet of elevation gain and loss and a section of exposed sidehill. Please come prepared for an all-day hike in the sun and across uneven ground and shale slopes. You’ll be rewarded with incredible views and a true sense of wilderness. Meeting place: Fourth of July Creek Trailhead (about 1.5 hours from Ketchum) Space is very limited due to Wilderness regulations (maximum group size is 12 people), so please sign up in advance and note that the start time is the time we will be meeting at the listed trailhead.

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A Decade of Wilderness: Boulder-White Clouds Hiking Series

Murdock Creek Hike with Idaho Conservation League Ten years ago this summer, the Boulder-White Clouds were permanently protected – a historic achievement that took the efforts of ICL and its supporters decades to make a reality. In celebration of a decade of protections for this special place, we’d like to invite you to join ICL on a summer hiking series throughout the protected areas. Wednesday, July 9th, 8:30am – 10:00am: Murdock Creek This 3-mile out and back trail along Murdock Creek is absolutely stunning, and one of the most accessible ways to experience the Hemingway-Boulders Wilderness area from the Wood River Valley. The trail is flat and wide, and we expect round-trip timing to be about 1.5 hours. Meeting place: Murdock Creek Trailhead (about 15 minutes from Ketchum). Space is very limited due to Wilderness regulations (maximum group size is 12 people), so please sign up in advance and note that the start time is the time we will be meeting at the listed trailhead.

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Dinner/Nightlife

Kasino Club

The Kasino Club, opened in 1938, is an iconic Idaho restaurant, bar, and music venue. Located in downtown Stanley, with breathtaking views of the Sawtooth Mountains, we serve up an authentic western experience of great food, refreshing drinks and an eclectic mix of live music. Something amazing happens when you travel over Galena Summit and drop into the Sawtooth Valley. Everyone slows down, becomes friendlier and more open, and stresses dilute into the wide-open spaces and mountain skies. People smile more. With that in mind, we’re looking forward to this summer being one to remember.

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Sawtooth Salmon Festival

Join us for the 24th annual Sawtooth Salmon Festival in Stanley! Get ready to celebrate Idaho’s most incredible athletes in the heart of the spectacular Sawtooth Valley for a weekend packed with adventure and education. This free, family-friendly festival celebrates the epic 900-mile journey of Idaho’s iconic salmon and steelhead, traveling all the way from the Pacific Ocean to the headwaters of the Salmon River. FRIDAY, AUGUST 22: Kick Off The Weekend! A River Runs Through It (And We Want to Restore Its Flow!): Swing by the Sawtooth Interpretive & Historical Museum to hear from our own Wild Fish & Hydropower Conservation Manager, Stephen Pfieffer. He’ll give you the inside scoop on the opportunity to restore 140 miles of the Lower Snake River — a vital migration corridor for salmon — and what it’ll take to bring our salmon and steelhead back to healthy, harvestable numbers. Stick around to hear amazing personal stories of Idaho’s historic salmon runs. Then, Salmon Trivia! Put your knowledge to the test at the Kasino Club. An afterparty with live music from Good Friends. SATURDAY, AUGUST 23: The Main Event! The festival kicks into high gear at Mountain Village Resort and across the Sawtooth Valley! …

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Dining, What We're Made Of

Cool Off in Sun Valley, Idaho: Your Guide to Local Ice Cream

written and photographed by Hayden Seder For a small town, Sun Valley has a wide variety of ice cream options, from year-round shops to seasonal stands to locally made flavors available for purchase. With the summer heat in full swing, it’s time to learn about the best spot for grabbing a scoop, cone, or shake to satisfy your ice cream cravings. The Sweet Spot Located next to Ramen Cowboy (and under the same ownership) is The Sweet Spot, a Japanese-inspired ice cream shop serving taiyaki ice cream and a variety of imported candies, treats, novel beverages, and savory snacks. Taiyaki ice cream is a popular Japanese style of ice cream that uses a crispy, mochi fish-shaped cone to hold the ice cream rather than a traditional waffle cone. These delightful-looking cones are made on a griddle behind the counter, so you can see your fish-shaped cone coming to life as you wait. The shop offers classic flavors as well as more adventurous Japanese ones, like ube, and non-dairy options are available as well. From the ice cream cone–shaped lights to the cone itself to the shop’s outdoor courtyard, practically every moment of eating ice cream at this shop is memory …

Outdoor Traveler

fat bikingIt is rare in the world of winter sports for a new activity to gain a foothold alongside alpine skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. But over the past couple of years, fat biking has managed to do just that.Learn More nordic skiingIt’s not tacky, dated sweater fashion that’s being celebrated when Sun Valley is hailed as “Nordic Town USA.” This is some of the best and definitely most immaculately groomed Nordic ski terrain in the US.Learn More Boulder Mountain TourThe 51st annual Boulder Mountain tour is February 3, 2024! This is the premier cross-country race in the Western United States, the Tour is staged on the historic Harriman Trail located in the pristine Sawtooth National Forest Area.Learn More Heli SkiingHop in a helicopter and head out to get some of the lightest powder in the Rocky Mountains while Heli Skiing with Sun Valley Heliski Guides in the land where American heliskiing began. Oh yeah, they can even pick you up on top of the resort, which really is a 007 way to fly.Learn MoreWinter in Sun Valley, IdahoWinter in Sun Valley, Idaho is unlike any mountain town out there. Sure, there’s a myriad of traits that are similar …

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Preparing for an Unexpected Illness or End of Life

Join Wendy Norman, Founder of Worry-Free Wednesdays, for a practical, in-person workshop on preparing essential end-of-life documents and sharing your wishes with loved ones. You’ll learn simple steps to create Advance Directives, Living Wills, and other key plans to ensure you’re prepared for a health crisis or unexpected death. Registration is required and space is limited.

Wanderers

BackcountrySkiingA gateway to endless, powder-filled backcountry terrain with awe-inspiring views. Accessible by helicopters, hut systems, snowmobiles, and by human powered means, enthusiasts will revel in the area’s expansive mountain ranges.Learn More SkiingsnowboardingRanked the #1 Ski Resort by Ski Mag, Sun Valley is the place to be. We have it all – Bald Mountain’s vertical lines, Dollar Mountain’s family-oriented terrain, and limitless backcountry access.Learn More BreweriesAfter a long day in Sun Valley, whether spent hiking, biking, or skiing, there’s nothing like a good drink with some friends. While we’re no Boulder or Bend, Sun Valley holds its own with breweries producing craft beer.Learn More RotarunSki HillLocated just three miles east of downtown Hailey, Idaho, Rotarun Ski Area has been a community hub for local snowsports enthusiasts since 1948.Learn More IkonPassStray from the beaten path and discover Sun Valley, where extraordinary is a step in any direction. With the Ikon Pass, you can now discover everything Sun Valley has to offer.Learn MoreWinter in Sun Valley, IdahoWinter in Sun Valley, Idaho is unlike any mountain town out there. Sure, there’s a myriad of traits that are similar to other destinations but it is the feeling that you get here that is hard to duplicate. The people, …

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Ernest Hemingway Seminar

This year’s seminar centers on A Moveable Feast, Hemingway’s posthumously published sketches about his life in 1920s Paris, exploring the people, places, and atmosphere that shaped his early writing. Over two and a half days September 4–6 participants will engage in talks, discussions, and film screenings that examine both the Paris years and the later period in Ketchum where Hemingway revised the work. The seminar begins with a keynote on Thursday evening, continues all day Friday and Saturday, and concludes with a closing reception; tickets are $95 and space is limited, with registration opening May 12.

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The Wood River Valley Mining Legacy

As part of the Wagon Days celebration, lawyer, author, and historian John W. Lundin will present a fascinating talk on the Wood River Valley’s mining heritage and how it paved the way for the creation of Sun Valley Resort America’s first destination ski resort. Mining began in the Valley in the 1880s with the discovery of Galena ore, sparking a silver rush that led to booming towns and major industrial development, including the Philadelphia Smelter and the Union Pacific Railroad branch line. By the mid-1880s, the region had become one of the country’s largest silver producers. When mining declined, the sheep industry sustained the local economy and the railroad, keeping the Valley connected. Then, in the 1930s, Averell Harriman of Union Pacific repurposed the existing rail line to Ketchum to launch a new kind of industry: skiing. The result was Sun Valley Resort, opened in 1936 and quickly dubbed “America’s St. Moritz.” Lundin’s talk will trace this evolution from mining and freight wagons to chairlifts and luxury lodges, revealing how the Valley’s industrial past laid the groundwork for a recreational future that changed American skiing forever. Registration recommended to attend in person.