Chocolate Gulch • September 11, 2010

The Boulder Mountains from the road

Since it was so chilly Friday night (37° in Hailey), my friend Chris and I waited until 9:15 to drive to the Chocolate Gulch trailhead, just north of Ketchum. (Once the sun rises, the temperature can rise more than 30° in a few hours.) On the way, we were treated to glimpses of the snow-covered Boulder Mountains.

Chris brought her two dogs, a German shorthair, and little white mixed-breed rescue that has bright blue eyes! The dogs are accustomed to hiking and probably know every trail within 50 miles of here. Most hikers have one or two dogs with them. The dogs always run loose. When they meet other dogs, there is the requisite momentary sniffing, and then they continue on with their owners. Chris's dogs took off the minute we started hiking. Occasionally you could see a flash of white and a darker shadow flying through the forest or underbrush. That was Belle (the shorthair) and Skye (the rescue). They checked back occasionally, but spent their time chasing creatures and exploring, and when all was said and done, probably put in three times the mileage than we did!

Bridge over the Wood River at the Trailhead

Through a break at the beginning of the ascent

The beginning of the trail follows the Wood River, winds rather steeply through a beautiful conifer forest and crests at the top of a ridge that looks north to the Boulder Mountains and east to the Pioneers. The view was spectacular yesterday due to the contrast of the distant snow and the bright blue sky. From the crest, it is all downhill through rocky out-crops and meadows, where you follow a stream that eventually feeds into the Wood River near the trailhead. The hike is a little more difficult than the Adams Gulch hike because of its early, steep ascent, although it seemed much shorter. We were on the trail close to two hours, but that included time for me to stop and take photos. It was so beautiful, I didn't want it to end. Before I leave this area, I'll take Baxter and do it again.

(See earlier post for more photos.)

Chocolate Gulch Photos • September 11, 2010

View of The Boulder Mountains from the top of Chocolate Gulch

Chocolate Gulch Trail on the way down

View on the way down

The end of the trail

Snow on the Mountain • September 10, 2010

Boulder Mountain Range from the back of our RV

Wow! It was chilly this morning. We were supposed to have record breaking low temperatures during the night, but I don't think that happened here. By the time we got up, it was 40°. Dick came in and told me that there was snow on the distant mountains. Sure enough, the Boulder Mountains, the range just north of Ketchum, are completely covered with snow. What a sight! I am glad it is there, and not here. I am just not ready for that!

Biking

This is a paradise for cyclists. The bike trail comes within 1000 feet of our motor home. Last Sunday afternoon we biked south to Hailey. The trip is approximately 10 miles, one-way. On the way down, I thought I felt a cross-wind coming from the southwest, almost a head-wind. Since there is an elevation decrease of 600 feet or so, I thought, Wow! I am going to get help going back home. I was sure the gusts were blowing right in my face, and was really looking forward to riding back, pretty much with the wind at my back. Wrong! When we turned around, the wind was even stronger, and definitely in my face. I made it back without a single stop, but felt justified in having a big, fat dessert Sunday night!

The ride takes you through rolling farmland, past many beautiful horse ranches, with a backdrop of soft hills and rugged peaks. Everything looks so golden this time of year. 

The trail south to Hailey

Yesterday, we headed north to Ketchum/Sun Valley. Dick challenged me to do the Elkhorn loop. This is the first year I would even attempt it because it is long and hard. The trail goes up a hill (mountain) that is more than a mile long at a 5-6% grade. Thankfully, the wind wasn't blowing! Dick was right behind me, coaching me on what gears to use. I don't know how I got to the top, but I did! Flying down the other side was fun. The trail goes past Dollar Mountain ski slope and lodge and loops around to the road where we viewed the parade, then into downtown Ketchum. I really dislike riding in traffic, but drivers in Ketchum seem to grant cyclists the right of way. We stopped at our favorite sandwich shop, Perry's, for the usual egg salad (Dick) and veggie (JoAnne) sandwiches. We love to go there, sit outside, eat our sandwiches, and watch the world go by!

After lunch, we finished the loop, going along and under the highway in two different tunnels, winding over and back from the Wood River on old railroad bridges. What a ride!

Twin Falls

We decided to go shopping in Twin Falls on Tuesday. Located 70 miles south of Ketchum, it takes approximately 2 hours on two-lane roads to get there. Twin Falls and Boise are the best places to shop if you live in the Sun Valley/Ketchum area. Each time we visit this city, we visit Centennial Park in the Snake River Canyon.

Bridge over Snake River Canyon

Centennial Park in the Snake River Canyon

The Boys on the Boat Dock

Sunday Night at daVinci's

daVinci's in Hailey

We have a bucket list of restaurants that we visit every time we come to this area. At the top of the list is daVinci's in Hailey, a town 10 or so miles south of Ketchum. We have been here less than two weeks, and we have already been to daVinci's twice. Sunday  night we dined with our friends who are neighbors of the owners.

This restaurant caters to locals, serving "New York style Italian". It opened in 1996, and has had the same servers since the 90's! The building is 100 years old, and according to locals "has been everything from a flop house to a free store to a restaurant."  The owners claim that there is not a single right-angle left in the building and it finished settling 50 years ago. Needless to say, the dining room is very cozy.

Most of the dishes they serve are made in their own kitchen; each meal is served with salad and crusty bread. Everything is always wonderful, but the desserts are the best! My favorite is Mountain High Mud Pie, "a mountain of cookies and cream and mocha almond fudge ice cream in a homemade chocolate cookie crumb crust on a bed of hot fudge topped with whipped cream and dusted with cocoa--it's huge!" Dick and I shared one! Yum!

Wagon Days! Scenes from The Big Hitch Parade

It seems that Wagon Days would be mentioned every time we visited Sun Valley. For years we have been hearing how great the parade is. Last year when we decided to come back here for a month we made sure that the time would include Labor Day weekend so we could finally see what everyone has been talking about. As you can see, we had perfect weather!

The celebration included live music, paragliding displays, rubber duck race, a concert featuring one of the world's premier classical pianists, a pancake breakfast, and the Big Hitch Parade--one of the largest non-motorized parades in the US.

Stage Coach from Black Jack Ketchum Shoot Out

Cast members of the Black Jack Ketchum Shoot Out

Rotary Rubber Ducky Wagon