Black Friday at Sun Valley
BY ISAIAH FRIZZELL
You’ve had your turkey, pumpkin pie and a warm night under the blankets. Now for the good stuff: Did you spend Black Friday buying stockings or stocking stuffers? You may not want to miss those deals but it’s important to note that Sun Valley had its official opening on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 23.
Now, while the mountain itself is open to fanged fauna and hearty, cold-weather flora, every day all year the humans among us have to wait until we get the go-ahead from the staff and workers who make these recreational adventures possible. But adventure is now available as the 2023-2024 season has begun.
If you made it to the Thanksgiving buffet in the Limelight Ballroom, hot cocoa in hand, you had plenty of things to do. There was Sacred Sound Yoga, virtual golf, bowling, plenty of live music and, well, not much snow.
While the Farmer’s Almanac has suggested a “seasonably cold and wet” winter, as of yet the snow has been fleeting with perhaps a tiny flurry here and there. Officially beginning on the winter solstice, December 21, 2023, this season is predicted to be heavily influenced by El Niño in the South, bringing precipitation and cold to the lower regions of the lower 48. Meteorological winter starts on December 1, however, and with tricks up their sleeve, we could soon see snow at the resorts.
Black Friday at Sun Valley gave a much better option than a day on Amazon by offering the Bald Mountain Open, more virtual golf, and the delights of Happy Hour. Live music played all week into the weekend and memories were made to kick off the new season. Should we do a snow dance?
But perhaps most important, did you win a Sun Valley opening day mug?
In the meantime, it’s good weather for a chilly hike, a ski-lift adventure or the good old joys of Magic Mountain. What will you do this winter?