SNOW SPORTS JOURNALISTS ENJOY THEIR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

The annual meeting of the North American Snow Sports Journalists was supposed to take place at the newest ski area in the country. But when Tamarack Resort, ID, ran into financial difficulties, the nation's oldest ski area - Sun Valley - hosted the event with all the class one would expect from a grande dame.

Far from showing her age, Sun Valley for the most part is high-speed lifts and elegant modern lodges with warm welcoming fireplaces and outstanding food. The vestiges of an earlier era still exist, though. The Sun Valley Lodge with its hallways festooned with photographs from the 40s, 50s and 60s; the Round House on the mountain, built in the 1930s, with formal dining upstairs, a pub atmosphere below and spectacular views in every direction; and the Trail Creek Cabin - also built in the 30s - a wonderful restaurant in the woods that many guests access by horse-drawn sleigh - to name a few.

A pre-trip put on by the Idaho Tourism Bureau in conjunction with Brundage Mountain and Bogus Basin was a huge hit with participants. Brundage and Bogus Basin are both worthy ski areas with excellent terrain and a laid-back vibe. Both offer an endless array of drops into glades and open bowls, as well as views in all directions.

Brundage Mountain, in McCall, also boasts Payette Lake, a hotspot for summer recreation. Despite low snowfall, the mountain is having one of its best year's ever. A few inches of powder made the glades a pleasure, and the views were spectacular. The hospitality and luxurious comfort of the Shore Lodge were a definite plus.

Bogus is a non-profit that provides inexpensive skiing and riding close to Boise. But unlike many feeder ski areas, Bogus is huge - the second largest in the state. It was one of the first to offer very affordable season passes, and this season more than 20,000 people bought them. It too offers glades and wide groomers as well as gorgeous views.

A scheduled trip to Soldier Mountain failed to materialize and Plan B, a trip to Idaho Ice World, didn't get any of the writers too excited. But an excellent dinner at Bardenay Restaurant and Distillery in Boise, and a tour of the distillery and rum tasting, helped ease the pain. The next morning, it was Curling 101, which turned out to be educational and a lot more fun than anyone expected.

The skiing at Sun Valley lived up to its reputation even though there wasn't enough snow to ski some areas of the mountain. The resort's grooming provides real ego snow and the bumps sometimes softened enough to be enjoyable. Most of the writers were on rented Stockli skis, but for those who wanted to try something different, Anton Skis were available.

The full-suspension skis are attention grabbing and performance enhancing - the fact that famed freestyle skier Wayne Wong is their spokesman doesn't hurt. His enthusiasm was contagious and even skeptics were converted. The system keeps the ski tip and tail in contact with the snow and makes for easier carved turns. Check them out at www.antonskis.com.

There were several touching moments at Saturday's awards banquet at the Sun Valley Inn. A photomontage and tribute by Martin Griff memorialized NASJA Executive Secretary Mitch Kaplan who succumbed to cancer earlier this month.

Tom Meyers of Wachusett Mountain, MA, accepted to Bob Gillen Award which honors an individual NASJA corporate member for contributions to the advancement of snow sports through public relations and communications. He credited all those with a passion for snow sports, including his wife, who just completed nine months of cancer treatment and was thoroughly enjoying the skiing at Sun Valley, and Bernie Weichsel, who is wrapping up an epic tour of ski resorts, with Sun Valley one of his last stops before the U.S. Ski Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Beaver Creek, CO.

Carole Campbell, widow of ski legend Stu Campbell, accepted the Carson White Golden Quill Award on her husband's behalf. The award honors an individual or individuals who have made a significant contribution to the advancement of snow sports in North America. She spoke, seemingly on the verge of tears, of her husband's love of the land and the mountains.