Bald Mountain (Idaho)


Bald Mountain is a mountain in south central Idaho, adjacent to the city of Ketchum in Blaine County. "Baldy" has one of the higher summits of the Smoky Mountains of Idaho, that are located in the Sawtooth National Forest. The forested Smoky Mountains were named for their propensity to summer forest fires.

Sun Valley Skiing

It is the primary ski mountain of the Sun Valley ski resort, and renowned for its lengthy runs at a uniform gradient, at varying levels of difficulty, and with little wind.
In the Sun Valley's fourth year of operation, Bald Mountain was opened for lift-served skiing, with a series of three chairlifts, unloading at an elevation of 9020 feet,.
With a base elevation of 5750 feet along the Big Wood River at River Run, Baldy's vertical drop is 3400 feet along its northeast face. It is served by 14 ski lifts ; Baldy has more uphill capacity per skier than any other ski area. It has 75 runs with 2054 acres of on-piste skiing, 645 acres of which have snowmaking. The slope ratings are 36% easiest, 42% more difficult, and 22% most difficult. These ratings are relative, not absolute; much of the "easiest" terrain on Bald Mountain would be rated as "intermediate" at most ski areas, as the beginner areas are on the gentler and smaller Dollar Mountain.
Sun Valley's Bald Mountain is independent of the Bald Mountain Ski Area, a modest ski hill near Pierce in Clearwater County in north central Idaho.

Ski Runs

Easiest
More Difficult
Most Difficult
In the NBC-TV miniseries, , this mountain was believed to be an extinct volcano, until it erupted with devastating force. An avalanche of hot gases and ash cascaded down the mountain and buried everything, including the mountain's ski areas, and the towns of Sun Valley, Ketchum, and Hailey. Multiple rescue teams arrived at the scene and dug through the debris caused by Bald Mountain's eruption, looking for any survivors.