Season ender by KAVU
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Season ender

by: Sofia Jaramillo - Photos: Sofia and Patrick Branham

KAVU
By KAVU

Tradition

Having grown up in Sun Valley until I was 15, I've always had a special place in my heart for this "not-so-secret" gem located in Ketchum, Idaho. Ski and snowboard culture has a deep and rich history there. Opened in 1936 by a pair of Austrians, Averell Harriman and Count Felix Schaffgotsch, Sun Valley Lodge quickly became the place to go for celebrities and champion skiers alike to find amazing runs with no crowds. That culture, and definitely the passion for skiing and snowboarding, remains strong today and every season, locals and visitors laugh down runs on the daily!

One of the annual traditions which helps to define that ski culture in Sun Valley happens on the last, closing-day weekend of each season. Being that I moved away at 15, it's a tradition I'd not yet experienced as an adult so, although we'd planned a back-country ski touring trip into the Pioneers, my friends and I made the last minute decision to head to the resort and celebrate the last days of the season in classic Sun Valley style before making our way into the Pioneer mountains for our Yurt trip.

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End-of-season tradition includes showing up in all forms of costume, ready to make turns, party down and laugh your guts out! You'll often find the Greyhawk Parking lot packed with cars, trucks and campers (some from the night before) with people dressed up ready to ski, snowboard and celebrate. Usually, there's even some grills (and maybe an occasional Margarita bar) to visit before hitting the slopes.

To us, it was obviously going to be a KAVU day!

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Mt Baldy was shining in the sun and the mix of tan tights, pink tutus, slushy turns and blue bird skies made everyone on the mountain smile. Crazy costumes, vintage ski clothes and good turns had us laughing out loud, all day!

Definitely time for some "human slalom"!!

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Aryn Tuinzing (in the pink tutu) weaving through the course of laughing humans;-)

My San Blas overalls turned out to be a perfect pick to ski in. They did a good job of shedding the water from the slushy snow, breathing well, but most of all..... it was the funky pattern which kept me slathered in KAVU style that I loved most!

There were literally parties all over the mountain and, we had too much fun skiing and riding between groups, meeting different people and cruising down the sunny slopes with all of the other people out celebrating the last days of the season! Definitely what it's all about;-)

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A photo in this story
A photo in this story

Even though the snow was quickly melting......

along with everyone else, we loved every last minute of it.

The weekend was enjoyed by families, twenty-somethings, and parents alike and I couldn't help to feel like our last-minute decision was a good one.

KAVU days were indeed had!

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Sofia Jaramillo

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© 2025 KAVU

KAVU is an aviation acronym for “clear above visibility unlimited,” when there isn’t a cloud in the sky and you can see to the horizon. That limitless feeling is our guiding philosophy. It means treating every day like it’s special, and then getting out and doing whatever brings on the perma-grin. That’s KAVU.
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