Carey Thaxton
BY ISAIAH FRIZZELL
Did you know that Base Camp Hailey (BCH) is one of the best wine shops in the Valley? Indeed, it is. The quaint little station is not just for gas and coffee, although they usually have the Valley’s best petrol price on lock. BCH actually specializes in proffering affordable wines with a merry rotation of top sommelier picks. They carry hard-to-find gems at a price tier you’ll appreciate. But something not everyone knows is their hours: Base Camp Haily is open from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. You have time to grab that late-night bottle of vino to keep the evening somber while you scroll social media or perpetuate the party.
The carrying is helmed by Carey Thaxton, lifelong Sun Valley resident, mother of two, and avid lover of people. Carey manages the Hailey location with a tight team who keep the place clean, cheerful and well stocked. Anyone who’s been to BCH around 6 a.m. knows the score – hot coffee, Mexican pan and long lines. In spite of the rush, Thaxton and team keep the mood hype and happening with perhaps the biggest collection of regular customers in the Valley and Thaxton knows them all.
“You know, we have a really close relationship with a lot of our customers, especially our regulars that we see all the time. All the time! Like even sometimes three times a day! You know, they’ll come in for their coffee, then their lunch, and then they’ll come in for a bottle of wine, and it’s just such a nice little community store.” Thaxton expresses gratitude for being in the center, the live-action role of creating community.
Community is what the Wood River Valley is known for. Happy people helping one another enjoy the day; it’s the very fabric that holds us all together. Seeing each other and taking a moment to chat.
Thaxton graduated from Wood River High School, moving to Seattle, Wash., for college, pursuing the arts. An artist in many mediums, from illustration to painting to sculpture, visual expression is in her soul. Having traveled extensively in Europe, Mexico and the U.S., Carey relishes the advantage of expanding one’s perspective. Currently, her oldest child is a senior. After graduation, the plan is for a family trip to Europe to luxuriate and breathe cultural empathy into the minds of her children. From her first job at the old Gurney’s restaurant to bartending to a current passion for property management, Thaxton is well known and loved across the Valley.
She jokingly refers to her ‘kick-me’ terrier, named Bella, as her third child. A trail dog at heart, the two are known to frequent some of the lesser known trails together. She’s also hyper-healthy—working out five days a week between trail hikes.
Firmly dedicated to Base Camp Hailey, Thaxton emphasizes, “We just want to welcome more people in, because we’re a super-friendly atmosphere and we definitely take care of anyone’s needs. You know, if somebody wants to order a case of wine, that’s one of our specialties. We’ll do that.” Running a tight ship is Carey’s well-played passion.
“I do everything. So, managing, you do A to Z and, you know, you try to make everyone feel welcome. And just having happy customers. And with my team. You know, I couldn’t do it without my team, for sure. They definitely make me look better.” With a bubbling personality, Thaxton makes the morning commute worth it.
Every single day people line up outside for their exquisite Mexican pan, sourced directly from Don David’s Bakery in Bellevue. “People come in just for that. And we sell out all the time. And we just have the best hours! We’re open from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. and I wouldn’t call us just a gas station, because we sell so much affordable wine, which is changing all the time.”
Morning, noon or night, pop in and joke with Thaxton. She’s affable, fun to speak with, knowledgeable and apt. If you get the notion, remind her to finish that next art piece!
Base Camp Hailey can be reached via phone at (208) 788-4095 and found at: 600 N. Main St., Hailey, ID 83333. They have a decent-sized parking lot but it fills up fast!