Check out these hikes in Utah, Colorado, California, and Idaho

BY MICHAEL SCHRANTZ APR 20, 2016, Curbed Ski Magazine

It's waterfall season in the mountains, and that also means that soon the wildflowers will be popping up throughout ski country. Altitude is the biggest determining factor for when the wildflowers peak, but whether you're in Utah or Idaho, they are worth the effort. We've rounded up five of the best wildflower hikes in ski country to get you moving.

Albion Basin: Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah (above)

This 1.6-mile loop starting from the Albion Basin campground is a popular wildflower hike in the Wasatch. From the campground, hikers make their way through meadows full of blue Wasatch Penstemon and white Nuttall’s linanthus. Plan to make this hike in mid-July for the full effect or wait until August to get a glimpse of the meadows in bloom.

Alpine Loop: Ouray, Colorado (above)

Part of the Alpine Loop scenic byway, this part of the San Juans is host to spectacular wildflower scenes. The byway's 63 miles of unimproved roads require a high-clearance, four-wheel drive vehicle, but once on the trail, there are multiple places to stop and hike out into the wildflowers.

Mammoth Mountain Trail: Mammoth Lakes, California (above)

Climbing up the Mammoth Mountain Trail offers wildflower views from the state's highest ski area. While the mountain is also open to mountain bikers, the trail to the summit also welcomes hikers who abide by their trail markers. Once at the top, hikers can go back the way they came or take the gondola down.

Pioneer Cabin: Sun Valley, Idaho (above)

There are a couple ways to get to Pioneer Cabin, but each goes through prime wildflower country. In the spring, expect 40 to 50 different types of blooms on the way to the cabin, which can be used as a base camp on a first-come, first-serve basis. Or, tents can be pitched in the blooming meadows.

Santa Fe Basin: Santa Fe, New Mexico (above)

The Santa Fe Basin is prime wildflower viewing for those infatuated with wild orchids. The forests around the ski area are home to the Calypso orchid, spotted coralroot orchid and rattlesnake orchid. July is prime viewing time for these wildflowers, and riding the ski areas chairlifts can get hikers onto even higher ground.

HB570, the Local Innovation School Act, passed nearly unanimously this legislative session, and nothing like it has ever been seen here in Idaho. It was the law's intent that excited and fueled the Syringa School Board's recent actions seeking dialogue with the BCSD Board of Trustees (Serving Ketchum, Sun Valley, Elkhorn, Warm Springs, Mid Valley, Hailey, Bellevue, and Carey). HB570's raison d'etre was to drive improvement in Idaho’s public education system by paving the way for and facilitating education innovation to occur at the local level and with local control. The Act invited Idaho School District Boards and local  innovative schools  to consider ways to innovate together, in partnership, and for the benefit of their youngest patrons, their students, in what ever ways they saw fit. The Act created the possibility of new and different local conversations about harnessing the value of different public school choices for families by all occurring under one roof.

The outcome of the BCSD Board meeting last night was not surprising, even if unpalatable for Syringa, considering the great pressure the BCSD Trustees are under to cut 1.5 million dollars from their coffers, to realign their spending to live within a balanced budget, and to represent the competing interests of their diverse constituency of 500+employees, 6000 tax payer patrons and 3200 students. We all can understand the complexity and challenge they grapple with as trustees and public servants.

Ultimately, a sobering future most likely awaits BCSD, and other financially well endowed school districts, as the national and state discourse continues to focus on the inequity of public school funding, as the richer districts acquire all the newest educational trappings, and everyone else struggles to pass a local bond levy to repair a leaking roof or to raise teacher salaries enough to attract the kind of educators their students deserve and demand. It is no surprise our Governor and Legislature have formed a task force to examine Idaho's antiquated public school funding formula amidst the public concern and even outrage at the inequities found even in our state. It will be an interesting couple of years, as Idaho joins the majority of states who are grappling with this very issue-equity, fairness, adequacy of public school funding. And it is as it should be, that these issues are being debated on behalf of our children.    

The Syringa Board was seeking dialogue with BCSD, but was never afforded that opportunity. Syringa is thriving as an innovative,  rigorous and balanced public school choice in our valley. Now only completing their second year, it has been challenging to provide the truly enriched curriculum within the confines of the state $6,000 per student allocation. But they have prevailed, and flourished even under the financial burden. Community members have marveled at the quality of their program, their lean/mean infrastructure, and their early success, all accomplished within the constraints of their inadequate funding.

And they are not alone. Every charter school in the state faces the same reality of having to fundraise to close the gap between what the state funds and what it actually requires to provide a quality education. Our parents are not alone in questioning the state restriction that prohibits charter schools from accessing the local tax base, a base that parents and employees support yet their children do not  benefit from. We understand that it is just a matter of time until that changes here in Idaho. And we look to other states like Colorado and Minnesota who have been and continue to be in the forefront of fueling local innovation and choice,  and cracking the code of old school, entrenched bureaucratic practices and expenditures that no longer serve our children and families.

Unfortunately and inevitably, the conversation immediately lept to "our funding versus yours", and that's where it stayed. So unfortunate when there was such potential for discourse and fodder for collaboration. Just sharing the BCSD transportation system alone would have been a ripe starting place, to work collaboratively to reduce the carbon footprint, the traffic, and benefit from the economies of scale when both education agencies pooled there state transportation monies. But alas, the conversation ended before it even started.         

Board service is a noble calling, and requires the ultimate sacrifice and selflessness to do the work as it is intended and for the greater good. The Syringa Board appreciates the circumstances underlying the BCSD's Trustees decisions, but mourns the missed opportunity for both the BCSD and SMS Boards to create something truly different and innovative together for the benefit of our Blaine County Students and Families.  

The current education landscape is changing, albeit slowly, and public school choice will continue to be the sirens call both in Idaho and nationally. No doubt both of our local public education organizations will continue to thrive. Soon to enter its third year, Syringa will continue to stabilize its roots in our community, and flourish, and pursue collaborations where none have existed before. And most probably, valley students will continue to explore the "other" education choices our valley has to offer, to find their best fit in the array of quality education choices we all enjoy. And that is as it should be.

As prices have soared in areas such as Aspen, Miami and the Hamptons, some buyers are seeking out alternatives that offer luxury for a (relatively) affordable sum.

Instead of Aspen… Try Sun Valley

With its world-class skiing and mountainous natural beauty, Idaho’s Sun Valley has long attracted celebrities like Bruce Willis, and plays host to the annual Allen & Co. conference that draws media and tech moguls. But partly due to its remote location in the narrow Wood River Valley, hours from a major airport, the area remains far less developed—and less expensive—than other luxury Western ski enclaves like Aspen, Colo., or Jackson Hole, Wyo.

“You can really get a good value up there if you know what you’re doing,” said Claudia Graham, a Los Angeles-based biomedical company executive who recently paid $1.8 million for a three-bedroom log cabin on over an acre in Ketchum, where most of Sun Valley’s restaurants and nightlife are located. Last winter, Minneapolis resident Ranee Jacobus and her husband Randy, together with Mr. Jacobus’s business partner, bought an 85-acre property in nearby Hailey for $3.85 million. The property contains a roughly 7,300-square-foot log frame house and a guesthouse, both with mountain views.

Prices in the Sun Valley area (which generally refers to Sun Valley resort and surrounding towns) are a half to a third of those in Aspen, according to real-estate agent Sue Engelmann of Sun Valley Sotheby’s International Realty. The catch: getting there. Flights to Hailey’s tiny airport face challenges landing in bad weather, diverting travelers to Boise or Twin Falls, where they are bused two or three hours to Sun Valley. And there are no non-stop flights to Hailey from major hubs like New York City, Boston or Chicago, although the airport has recently added non-stop flights from San Francisco and Denver.

Sun Valley’s market hasn’t yet recovered from the real-estate downturn; two devastating wildfires in recent years also kept prices in check. In Ketchum, the 2015 median for a luxury home was $1.5 million, a 25% decline from 2005, according to Realtor.com. In contrast, the median sales price of a luxury home in Aspen rose 29% to $4.38 million in 2015, compared to a decade earlier. SEE FULL ARTICLE HERE

When the snow melts, the trails open up.

If you’re a skier or snowboarder, you may have heard of the world class slopes in Idaho’s Sun Valley, but for the other three seasons of the year, this area flies relatively under the radar. That’s good news for anybody who likes open trails and peace and quiet in the great outdoors. There are endless spots to explore and the drive from town to any of these locations is just as beautiful as the destinations themselves. So start making your plans to explore Idaho today and put Sun Valley at the top of the list!

1. Hike to Devil’s Bedstead West

Want to catch incredible panoramic views? Ready for a challenge? This hike is a local favorite that is typically free of the crowds you might find on more popular hikes in the area. Every step will be worth it when you reach the top. Learn more.

2. Hike to Johnstone Pass

If a summit hike isn’t really your speed, you’ll enjoy this hike through wildflowers in Johnstone Pass. You’ll need a vehicle with four wheel drive to get there…you know what that means? Yet again, less people on the trail. Learn more.

3. Camp at the Coyote Yurts

Need an epic basecamp for all your adventures? The Coyote Yurts are the perfect destination for hiking, mountain biking, and chillin’ around the campfire with your favorite people. Learn more.

4. Hike to Hyndman Peak

If you didn’t catch enough 360 degree views of Idaho’s amazing mountains on the hike to Devil’s Bedstead West, here’s another opportunity. You’ll have a great view of Idaho’s tallest peak, Mount Borah and if you’re feeling really ambitious, you can make the ~2.5 hr drive from Sun Valley and knock that off your bucket list too. Learn more.

5. Hike to Kane Lake

Just 20 minutes from town, this mellow hike takes you through open meadows to a gorgeous alpine lake surrounded by rocky peaks. Get up there early and spend the day exploring, you won’t regret it.Learn more.

River Run side scheduled to close April 10

Sunday, April 17, will be the last day of skiing and riding on the Warm Springs side of Bald Mountain, Sun Valley Resort announced Monday. Dollar Mountain’s last day of the season will be Sunday, April 3, and the River Run side of Bald Mountain will close Sunday, April 10.

Plenty of activities are planned to celebrate the 2015-16 winter season. Getting the weekend rolling March 31 to April 2 will be the 19th annual Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation JANSS Pro-Am Classic with a gala dinner, hospitality tent at Warm Springs, cocktail reception, live music and costumed ski racing.

Dollar Mountain will host the Dollar Dayz and Pond Skim on Sunday, April 3. This spring tradition celebrates antics, costumes and daring skiers and riders trying to make it across the “cold bowl.” Participants can register for free the day of the event starting at 9 a.m., with the competition starting at 11:30 a.m. There will be a barbecue and specials on the deck of Carol’s Dollar Mountain Lodge.

PARK CITY, Utah – Leading eastern resort Sugarloaf, Maine and historic Sun Valley, Idaho will host the 2016-2018 U.S. Alpine Championships on alternating years beginning next winter with Sugarloaf. The announcement continues the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association’s long-term plan to move the annual celebration of American ski racing to top resorts around the United States.

“Moving the U.S. Alpine Championships around the United States is vital to directly engaging with strong ski racing communities that are instrumental in growing and maintaining a strong developmental pipeline. It allows us to showcase the excitement of high level alpine skiing to new generations of young athletes and fans,” said U.S. Ski Team Alpine Director Patrick Riml.

The dynamic Narrow Gauge run last hosted the U.S. Championships at Sugarloaf in 2008. Sun Valley last hosted the event in 1951.

“Both Sugarloaf and Sun Valley have a strong tradition in building and showcasing events that celebrate the excitement and culture of ski racing,” noted USSA VP of Events Calum Clark. “The Narrow Gauge race hill is [renowned in the East] for testing and training the best in the world like Bode Miller. Sun Valley has helped produce its share of legends like Picabo Street, who found her love for speed on Warm Springs and Greyhawk.”

Each of the resorts boasts a rooted history and heritage of ski racing in America and continues that tradition through their strong USSA club programs of Carrabassett Valley Academy at Sugarloaf and the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation. The 2015 U.S. Championships will mark the events first trip to the Eastern United States since Lake Placid, N.Y. and the 1980 Olympic mountain of Whiteface hosted the event in 2010.

2016-2018 U.S. Alpine Championships

2016 – Sun Valley

2017 – Sugarloaf

2018 – Sun Valley