We took a few days away from the gloom and gray of Portland and headed over to visit some friends in Sun Valley, Idaho. Since lift tickets at the mountain are so outrageously expensive ($79!), we mostly stowed a few bottles in the snow rather than buy at the lodge. However, on our last day, we went nordic skiing at Galena Lodge north of town and found some delicious beer: River Bend Brewing.
Granted, any beer after XC skiing is pretty amazing. But the stout and pale were especially delicious. Smoky and chocolatey, and just a hint of sweetness made sipping the stout on the deck of Galena Lodge a highlight of my trip.
The best part is that Chris, the brewer, apparently decides which establishments in this tony valley may serve his beer. And when he’s got a keg ready, he throws it in the trailer of his bicycle to deliver it (except to Galena Lodge, because it’s like 25 miles out of Ketchum).
After skiing, we headed over the Galena Pass to Stanley, where we hopped in an Idaho hot tub next to the Salmon River, drank our beers, and watched a bald eagle swoop past and nestle into some trees. 