Soldier Mountain made
headlines in 1996 when Actor Bruce Willis bought the 1948 ski area. Soldier
Mountain is located in central Idaho on the way to
Sun Valley from Boise, in the serene and
scenic town of Fairfield.
Despite the Hollywood mogul’s ownership, Soldier remains a humble ski resort
with 1,150 un-crowded, under-appreciated acres. Three dozen runs from the
7,177’ Soldier Peak range from surprisingly well groomed cruisers to
spacious bowls and glades.
Two long fixed grip double chairs serve up a
variety of terrain, from undulating well groomed trails Stagecoach and Pony
Express to black diamond Braveheart and Snow King. Lift attendants here wear
Carhartts and tell jokes as they load the two consecutive chairs (1,425’
total vertical). The panorama of the surrounding Idaho Rockies is worth the
price of admission.
Soldier Mountain is great for families, with affordable ticket prices
($33/adults and $23 for kids) kids six and under ski free.
Soldier is open Thursday through Sunday. A new base lodge serves homemade fare with a smile on the side. The upstairs pub
offers a perfect view of Soldier’s slopes. There is a master plan for four new lifts and
added terrain, but small skier visits don’t support Soldier’s expansion.
You can hit some of the backcountry bowls with a traverse.
If you want to reach
10,095' Smoky Dome's awesome acreage, then Soldier’s Snow Cat skiing at $275
a day promises private powder. You can take your kids cat skiing, if they
are experts. You will get about 15,000’ vertical of backcountry bliss with a
guide, and lunch at a mountaintop yurt. Word is Willis bought the
If you are traveling to Sun Valley, you owe it to yourself to stop at
Soldier Mountain Ski Area. The skiing and riding here is in complete
contradiction to nearby glitzy glamorous Sun Valley. Soldier is homespun,
unhurried, unpretentious. There is no Hollywood crowd here, trust me... I
was looking for Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher and Diehard skier Bruce Willis.
Idaho ski
area for the cat skiing.
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