Right on, Curbediverse- you know your American ski resorts, and correctly guessed the answers to round 8 of our weekly trivia game. We asked you to name the ski resort, and explain the hint, which pertained to bananas (yes, you read that right).
Sun Valley, the nation's first ski resort, was established in 1936 by W. Averell Harriman, the CEO of Union Pacific Railroad, after he fell in love with Ketchum (the mountain hang of one Ernest Hemingway).
Although rope tows were in existence at the time, Harriman wanted visitors- including stars like Clark Cable and Errol Flynn- to be ferried up the mountain in style and comfort. After conceptualizing the idea of a "chair lift," he commissioned James Curran, a Union Pacific engineer, to build one. Curran was inspired by one of his earlier designs, a conveyor belt that transported bananas from plantation to railroad cars without bruising the fruit. America's first chairlift was established on Proctor Mountain.
And there you have it. From the tropics and Old Hollywood to funky former mining town, the history of Sun Valley is as fascinating at the town and characters who still inhabit it.
Tune in for next week's Skispotter, and don't forget to send us your photos or ideas.
· All Skispotter Coverage [Curbed Ski Archives]
· Take a Look at Sun Valley's Trail Map from 1974 [Curbed Ski]
· Sun Valley to Get New $53M Five-Star Hotel [Curbed National]