Ketchum, ID

Ketchum is one of our favorite summer stops, been here several times.  Drop dead beautiful scenery, cool architecture, moderate summer weather and good friends Gary and Nancy to hang with.  They have a lovely home in LHC where they spend the winter.

I've done previous posts about the Ketchum-Sun Valley area (5.31.14) but haven't really covered the history.  Now, the rest of the story.

Sun Valley was developed in the 30s by Averell Harriman, CEO of the Union Pacific Railroad, governor of New York, and twice-defeated US presidential candidate.  He was an avid skier and wanted to build a ski resort similar to those he'd seen in Europe.  Ketchum was selected and, through clever promotion, it quickly became a mecca for the rich and famous.

The first chair lift, above, was built here.  Not just the first chair lift in Idaho or the USA.  No.  The first in the entire world!  An engineer got the inspiration for the chair lift design from the conveyor system used to load banana boats.  Nowadays, chair lifts and gondolas are commonplace in many countries.  And, they're not just used for skiing anymore.  Mountain bikers use them a lot in the warmer months, using lifts designed for carrying bikes.  Most ski areas now have numerous bike trails.

Trish and I planned to take the gondola up to the Sun Valley restaurant and have lunch there but had to bag it.  Too much smoke from wildfires.  Not much sense of paying for a ride up the mountain if you can't see squat when you get there.