Overall Rating: 79/90
I feel I have been to a lot of ski resorts and I must say that by far and away, Sun Valley is my favorite!
Terrain: 20/25
Vertical Drop: 3400 ft
Base Elevation: 5750 ft
Summit Elevation: 9150 ft
Skiable Area: 2154 acres
Average Snowfall: 220 in
Total Trails: 121
Total Lifts: 18
(Gimmicks) Gondolas: 1
Express Quad Chairs: 9
Slow Triple Chairs: 3
Slow Double Chairs: 2
The terrain here is… awesome! Not the greatest mountain for beginners (nearby Dollar Mountain is). Blues here are like Diamonds back home! But the entire mountain feels… German! Precisely engineered, groomed to perfection, geared much more towards skiers (although snowboards are allowed), and set up for controlled high-speed runs! This is the place where I can hit 60mph+!
So what happened to the last 5 points? Well, there is always room for improvement, right?
I understand why they don’t have night skiing – an army of grooming machines come out shortly after 4pm and are up there sometimes into the late night hours! But I do enjoy night skiing and they don’t have it.
It’s not the tallest, not the biggest drop, not the most terrain, not the most runs or lifts. But on the aggregate, an amazing mountain, clearly ran by professionals and used by advanced skiers.
Usual Snow Conditions: 10/12
This isn’t something that the operators can do much about, but it is a factor!
Due to the fact that the valley is (duh!) sunny, they do not get as much natural snowfall. High elevation means good snow retention. Combined with the fact that tree cover was specifically engineered to retain snow and reduce drift. And finally, Sun Valley has the biggest artificial snow-making setup in the world!
2017 and 2018 were the first times in the past 12 years that I’ve been going there, that I heard of legitimate complaints about snow. I was lucky enough to come in right after big snow storms both years, but I could certainly see brown where brown ought to have not been! But generally, one of the good things about this mountain is that snow conditions are consistently good.
Snow quality is second to none.
Value: 6/10
Lift ticket prices have hit the $200/day mark, which is insanity! And a Diet Coke at base camp, will cost you $4. But on the aggregate and given how well the mountain is ran, the fact that the parking lots are free and they generally don’t nickel and dime you at every step, I am still giving it a better than average score.
Lines & Crowds: 10/10
I’ve heard that the week between Christmas and New Year as well as the week following, can get a bit busy. But outside of that, you rarely see lines at lifts. I’ve never seen a line to get food or beer! I will also say that the demo shop is VERY efficient in swapping out your skis or tweaking settings. I’ve bought 2 sets of skis here and it was absolutely worth it to do a demo day and try everything you want in every length and setup you can think of!
Parking: 10/10
All parking lots at Sun Valley are free!! There are two base areas to spread the load and free shuttles come by every few minutes to pick you up from the farther lots. You can pull up closer to load/unload if you have kids or a big group. Courtesy carts are provided by those who feel the need to bring luggage with them skiing.
If anyone out there is reading this and cares – if you want to see how to run a ski resort, please come to Sun Valley.
Village & Amenities: 8/8
Because Ketchum is a legit town with a year-round population there is no shortage of places to eat, or stay and it is not all a corporate trap. This keeps the corporate owned hotels in check with their pricing and generally you can find nice accommodations in town for around $100/night! Restaurant and bar prices are also super reasonable – the stuff on the mountain is getting a bit out of hand price-wise.
The town has a library, breweries, a gym and stuff to do during day and evening.
I’d give it an extra point for the local hot spring, but that would be cheating!
Access: 6/6
Never had an issue getting here form Boise. Bits of Highway 20 can get sketch, but you can drive around if needed. Roads are well plowed and not super hilly.
The local Haley Airport is serviced via turbo-prop plane by Alaska Air with direct flights from Seattle, Salt Lake and Burbank.
Friendly-Snooty: 5/5
Despite the fact that I have seen many celebrities here, the atmosphere here is very-very down to earth.
Camping: 4/4
Unofficially, short-term parking is allowed in the lots of the resort and is free of charge. Just please don’t be a jerk. Pick up your trash and help keep this tradition alive!