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.