Solider Mountain Shadows

by Robert Bales

Title

Solider Mountain Shadows

Artist

Robert Bales

Medium

Photograph - Photo

Description

Soldier Mountain Ski Area is an alpine ski area in south central Idaho in the Soldier Mountains of Sawtooth National Forest. It is 12 miles (19 km) north of Fairfield in very rural Camas County. The elevation of its summit is 7,177 feet (2,188 m) above sea level and the vertical drop is 1,425 feet (434 m). The area has two chairlifts in series on its east-facing slopes. A handle tow is near the base.
After watching the 1948 Winter Olympic tryouts in nearby Sun Valley, Bob Frostenson and his friend, Harry Durall, decided they couldn�t turn their backs on the sport of skiing. That summer they raised $10,000, began work on a base lodge, and purchased two rope tows, the first powered by a 1938 Chevrolet engine. They cut timber, installed lifts, and built lodges by hand.
The first chairlift was installed in 1971, and the upper chairlift (Bird's Eye) was added in 1974. Soldier has 1150 acres (4.65 km�) of variable terrain including a terrain park, glades, bowls, and tree skiing. Soldier maintains snowmaking capabilities, although it has not operated since 1996. Soldier Mountain is open from Thursday through Sunday, except for the Christmas holiday season when it is open daily.
Actor Bruce Willis,is an owner of Soldier Mountain. Willis' company has submitted a comprehensive plan for the ski area to the U.S. Forest Service. [2]
Four miles (6.4 km) west of Soldier's summit is Smoky Dome, with an elevation of 10,095 feet (3,077 m). In between there are several peaks well over 9,000 feet (2,740 m): Peak 1 at 9,147 feet (2,788 m) and Peak 2 at 9,529 feet (2,904 m) are used in Soldier's backcountry skiing operations, served by snow cat. Speculation is that Willis plans lift service to some of these areas.

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December 13th, 2012

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