What’s a flying squirrel got to do with it?

The first lifts were rushed in and opened in 1939. In the ensuing 66 years, the names of the runs on Sun Valley’s cherished Baldy have been inspired by a variety of sources and events, many of which serve as bookmarks to the country’s skiing history.

Information for many of the names’ origins listed below was obtained from the late Nelson Bennett, who worked at the Sun Valley resort from 1940 to 1960 as ski patrol director and mountain manager, and from the late Walter Hofstetter, who worked from 1949 to 1965 as a ski patrolman, mountain manager and ski instructor.

RIVER RUN

The runs first developed on Baldy, which opened in December 1939, were named after geographical features. Those include Ridge, River Run and Canyon.

COLLEGE—Shortly after it was developed, Sun Valley began to host