Sara Sheehy

Mike works on Saturdays.  Sigh.  This cuts down on our weekend time, but with the weather so beautiful, and summer officially here, we decided to make the most of it.  Saturday started off with a *bang* when I broke down and bought a new mountain bike. Isn’t she so pretty?  I don’t have a name for her yet (suggestions welcomed) but you’ll learn all about her orogeny in a forthcoming blog post about my weekend at the Dirt Series.

After taking her for a nice ride out Corral Creek I frantically packed up the car so we’d be ready to hit the road when Mike got home.  We decided earlier in the week to check out the Amber Lakes Trail this weekend.  Amber Lakes’ trailhead is nestled in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA) on the North Fork of the Big Wood River.  Because we were arriving in the evening on a Saturday, all the sweet creek-side campsites appeared to be taken.  As we were doubled back, heading for a sage-filled campsite instead, we just caught a fisherman leaving a campsite.  What luck!  As we started to settle in the dogs immediately began grazing on fresh grass like they had four-chambered stomachs.  They do not, and this isn’t the end of the grass eating story.

After a delicious meal of chili-mac, Fat Tire’s Skinny Dip, and a baguette, we hung out by the water for just long enough to watch the sun slip down.  After snuggling into my sleeping bag with Franconia next to me, I was rudely awoken by Mike jumping frantically next to me.  I gave him a weary eye just as I stuck my hand in something liquid.  Franconia, who had puppies before we got her, has a tendency to leak sometimes.  Naturally, one of those times would be when she’s sleeping soundly on both our sleeping bags, and both our Thermarests.  Ah, the joy of dogs.

After the leak (and subsequent clean-up) the night passed in relative peace.  The creek was high and fast with spring run-off and we were camped right next to it (to all my LNTer’s out there, it was a impacted site), and the near deafening roar made for a nice lullaby.

The morning dawned with Lemhi hopping spastically throughout the tent.  This behavior isn’t unusual in itself, and I judged that it was heightened by the sleeping out on open ground.  Boy was I wrong.  As I wrestled him down inbetween Mike and I, he was still for a couple minutes.  Then, suddenly, he kicked himself free and spit up a perfectly round (and very large) ball of grass next to Mike’s head.  I have to tell you, living with dogs is a wild ride.  Thank goodness they are adorable.

After a breakfast of scrambled eggs we headed up the Amber Lakes Trail.  The official mileage is 8.5 miles, but we did some cross-country trekking in addition to reach another alpine lake that doesn’t have trail access.  All the drainages were flowing hard with spring run-off, and we had to take off our shoes for wet crossings more than once.  In another interesting twist, there were a few snow-and-tree slides from the winter that had wreaked serious damage on portions of the trail.  Not to mention that the snow was still attached to the ground.  We safely picked our way across all the hazards, and reached our two destinations (Amber Lake, and the additional alpine lake).  Lemhi found them both delightful, and took to swimming laps.  I couldn’t much blame him – today was hot.

The hike took up the good majority of the day, after which we headed home.  After unpacking the car and doing a bit of house-cleaning, Mike looked at me with a straight-face and said “Want to go mountain biking?”  If I didn’t know Mike better, I’d have thought he was kidding.  We had already hiked 10+ miles with a 2000 foot elevation gain.  Next thing I know, I’m on my mountain bike heading to Adams Gulch.  But as my friend Jenna would say – “It’s the Sun Valley lifestyle!”

A pretty deluxe campsite with table and chairs (thank you John and Buz!)

The North Fork running next to our campsite.

The North Fork.

Mike and Lemhi during a wet crossing.

In the basin of Amber Lakes.

Lower alpine lake.

Mike and I.

Lemhi and I on the search for the perfect swim spot.

The two beasts and I.

Until very recently, my life was governed by the rain.  For the past thirty plus days, it has rained.  Not all-day rain (though there have been a few days of that), but definitely not Sun Valley sun.  The upside of this incredibly wet weather is that it is uber-green everywhere you look.  Adams Gulch is no exception.  I happened to grab my camera one day last week when we were heading there for an evening dog walk.  I assure you, when looking at the images below, it’s not supposed to be that green.  Nor is the grass supposed to be so high.  It’s quite the sight!

www.sarasheehy.com

I have been insanely busy the past couple weeks. Between the Food and Wine Festival, the Dirt Series, a few freelance jobs I’m doing (oh, and my actual full-time job) I’ve been unable to focus on anything for too long.

As such, I have a backlog of blog posts to put up. They are going to come comically out-of-order, but (apart from me spilling the beans there) you won’t likely notice. Ready, go!

Last Thursday my co-workers and I packed up and headed south to the Hagerman Valley for a team retreat. We call ourselves the “P-Team” (Philanthropy Team, we are so clever). That consists of Jan, our Director of Philanthropy, Perry, the Director of Major Gifts, Elizabeth, the Philanthropy Coordinator, me (Major Gifts Manager), and Rob, our newest addition, who is a Major Gifts Officer. We spent the morning working away in a conference room at Carmela Winery, then headed to Three Island Crossing State Park for a lunch and sun.  Three Island Crossing is where the Oregon Trail crosses the mighty Snake River. We walked through the museum, and I have to say it was pretty awesome. Elizabeth and I, who are the same age, immediately started quoting from the original Oregon Trail game (click this link, you won’t regret it!), which we both played on Apple IIE’s. Our older co-workers, however, had no idea what we were talking about.  The shame! After lunch and sun, we headed back to Carmela Winery to wrap up and do a little tour and wine tasting. A pretty great way to spend a team retreat, if you ask me!

Day two of the Sun Valley Food and Wine Festival was just as eventful, cold, and delicious as the first. Ever had baby back ribs for breakfast? I learned today that there is a first for everything. It will take me a day to two to digest the weekend (figuratively, and literally), after which point I’ll have a blog entry for real about the event. For now, here are some images from today’s demonstrations.

Updated 6/22/09: Here is my post for day two!

Sunday morning dawned rainy and cold, but the lure of baby back ribs for breakfast pulled me out of my still-full stupor.

Ken Pratt, chef for Sun Valley Resort, humorously demonstrated his imperfect methods of creating the perfect ribs.  As a concession to the earliness of the hour, he also threw together potato hash with eggs.  I fearlessly jumped right into the ribs first, then had the more breakfast-y meal of hash with eggs.  Both were very good.

Chef John Tesar presented Modern Steak and Sustainable Seafood to a full house.  Living up to his reputation, Tesar was an engaging presenter with a delicious food demonstration.  Koenig Winery & Distillery, from Caldwell, Idaho, made a wonderful pairing with their Syrah.

Let me say right now that I am a bit obsessed with Chris Kastner’s CK’s Real Food in Hailey.  By the time his presentation came up, I was stuffed.  After a break during Chris’ demonstration, I returned for John Turenne’s Grilling Pizzas. Hosted by the St Luke’s Wood River Foundation, John emphasized local ingredients, healthy meals and fast prep times.  Unbelieveably, Snake River Winery paired four different wines with John’s four pizzas.  I’m tempted to try and choose a favorite of the wines, but my tastebuds can’t decide between their 2006 Barbera and 2007 Grenache.  Both were excellent.  John Turenne wrapped up his demonstration with a dessert pizza – Strawberries and Aged Balsalmic.

Paul Dean from Knob Hill Inn Restuarant prepared grilled shrimp and asparagus followed by pan smoked quail with huckleberry vodka sauce.  In another appearane by Koenig Winery & Distillery, vodka and huckleberry vodka was served.  Quail was definitely a stretch for my non-adventurous eating ways.  Surprising myself, I really enjoyed it.  A simple taste, yet more flavorful and better textured than chicken.

My weekend ended on a high note – to the tune of Rhubarb Fool and Bing Cherry Betty.  What could be songs from the 50’s were actually two delicious desserts from Julie Richardson of Baker & Spice in Portland, Oregon.  Julie, who spent a few years living in the Wood River Valley, has a weakness for fresh fruit and mixing ingredients with her bare hands.  The two desserts were out of this world.  I had seconds, no wait, thirds.  I’m not afraid to admit it.

And thus my first food and wine festival came to a close.  Not quite knowing what to expect, and with my non-adventurous food ways in the back of my mind, I went in with curiosity and an empty stomach.  I was definitely not disappointed.  I met food photographers, food critics, wine lovers and amateur chefs.  As a self-proclaimed non-foodie, I was surprised to learn quite a bit about cooking, and even more about wine. The weekend may have created a secret desire to try wine-making someday.  While the weather certainly put a damper on the weekend, the event was bustling with people clearly full of passion for food, wine, or both.

To check out more about this year’s Sun Valley Food and Wine Festival, visit the Sun Valley/Ketchum Chamber and Visitor’s Bureau.  Can’t wait to come next year?  (me too!)  Sign up for the Chamber’s newsletter, and be the first to know for 2010!

See this post on my PlumTV Blog.

Today was the first day of the Sun Valley Food and Wine Festival. As a blogger for PlumTV, I am attending the event to photograph and write. The real-deal blogging won’t happen until after the event is over, but I thought I’d share a few images from today. Even though the weather has been cold and raining (the event is held outside in a large tent) the festival-goers seemed spirited, and, well, festive. I am back from day one with a very full stomach and a dizzy array of wines running through my system. The highlights of today? I’d say the “Gelato di Limoncello con Fragole” from cook Christina Ceccatelli, and Phantom Hill Winery’s Pinot Grigio – but not paired together. More to come tomorrow!

Updated 6/22/09: here is my post from day one!

I am not an adventurous eater.  I’ll put it right out there and say that chicken fingers and macaroni and cheese are right up there on my list of favorite foods.  This fact lingered in the back of my mind as I contemplated a weekend of true foodery – the 3rd Annual Sun Valley Food and Wine Festival.

The Sun Valley Food and Wine Festival consists of two days of chef demonstrations, tastings and wine pairings.  It draws chefs both locally and nationally, descending on Sun Valley with their favorite recipes and their mad chopping skills.  This year’s festival had a little surprise on the menu – rain.

The weekend kicked off on Friday night with a VIP Sponsor Reception at the Knob Hill Inn. Delicious steak and mushroom sandwiches were complimented by selections from Idaho’s 3 Horse Ranch Vineyards. While waiting in line for my first glass of the weekend, I chatted with the event coordinator from the Sun Valley/Ketchum Chamber of Commerce. ”Try the Rose,” she suggested. ”Everyone’s talking about it.” After my first sip I smiled broadly over the pink liquid. It was dry and not too sweet – my idea of the perfect Rose.

On Friday evening a heavy rainstorm knocked out power to much of Ketchum – including those restaurants serving Vintner Dinners. Festival-goers laughed about the minor issue as the demonstrations began Saturday morning. The event was held in a large tent on the lawn of Sun Valley’s Dollar Lodge. Folks sipped coffee and huddled around ground heaters while struggling to hear the first chef, Riccabona’s Brent Rasmussen, over the pouring rain. Not the best weather for the event, I’ll grant you, but once the food and wine started flowing it hardly seemed to matter.

Chef Rasmussen’s delightful Morel Mushroom Quiche was followed by Dungeness Crab dishes created by Portland chefs Vitaly and Kimberly Paley. The dishes were paired with wines from Phantom Hill (OR) and their Pinot Grigio hit my taste buds just right. This usually white wine had a pink tint thanks to the “cold soak” on dry ice as the grapes made their way from Idaho to the Oregon winery.

Next, il Naso’s chef Doug Jensen taught me a useful cooking lesson while preparing summer bruchetta. After heating bread, peeled garlic gloves can be rubbed directly onto the surface – and the garlic melts right on. ”Now this,” I thought to myself, “is my kind of cooking.”

The afternoon continued with Rack of Lamb from local restaurateur Tom Nickels, and Wild Mushroom Strudel with Wild Watercress Salad from Ketchum Grill’s Scott Mason. I particularly enjoyed the taste contrast of the watercress (picked from the creek near St Luke’s Hospital in Ketchum) with the sweet strudel. After being jokingly mocked for claiming that strudel is a breakfast food, I am ready to concede that it has other places at the dinner table.

Cristina Ceccatelli, cook and owner of Cristina’s Restaurant, took the demonstration stage in front of a rapt audience. With an offering like “Gelato di Limoncello con Fragole,” who wouldn’t be excited. Speaking in a thick Italian accent, Cristina led us through the process of creating the perfect gelato. Once it was done I gladly helped myself to seconds. It was heavenly.

Wrapping up day one, Viking chef Vaughn Hobbs took us through four courses. As he took the stage, the Viking emcee remarked “Never trust a skinny chef!”  Chef Vaughn, as he is known, is a portly chef with a flair for showmanship.  Viking, which was a major sponsor of the event and provided all the cooking equipment, really put on an entertaining show.  The final demonstration included the ability of a Viking range to melt chocolate chips…on a paper plate. We were rewarded with help-yourself chocolate covered strawberries for dessert.

As other festival goers headed to a night of Vintner Dinners, I headed home to rest my stomach for day two.

See this post on my PlumTV Blog.

Dr. Heidi Woog, DVM, pulls a large partially de-limbed dog toy from her backpack. “So,” she asks, “who wants to practice stapling flesh lacerations on one-armed Steve?”

This is all in a days work for veterinarian and search and rescue professional Heidi Woog. Dr. Woog, who practices traditional and holistic veterinary methods at the Sun Valley Animal Center in Ketchum, recently held a Canine Wilderness First Aid class for backcountry enthusiasts.

With my dog Franconia in tow, I joined a small group of other dog owners in the Sun Valley Animal Center lobby.  Franconia immediately began investigating the contents of Dr. Woog’s extensive doggie first aid kit, which were spread out invitingly on the carpet.  As we all settled into a wide circle on the floor, Dr. Woog began by describing and demonstrating how to check our dogs “normals.”  This part, which included assisted stretching with the dog and a good deal of massage, was undoubtedly Franconia’s favorite part of the evening.

After covering normals, Dr. Woog led us on the wild (and sometimes humorous) ride of common, and not-so-common, injuries and illnesses to dogs in the backcountry.  She thoroughly covered the more likely situations (hyperthermia, injured paws) as well as the less likely (puncture wounds, “cold tail”).

Dr. Woog then gave an informative tour through a well-stocked doggie first aid kit, and moved on to demonstrating various methods of wound wrapping and care (enter one-armed Steve and the medical stapler). As a great relief to Franconia, there was not a live demonstration on flesh stapling. We did, however, practice different wraps and bandages on our furry friends. The dogs were patient enough for their reward – a generous helping of dog bones.

Recreating in the backcountry poses risks for humans and pets alike. The Canine First Aid class encouraged me  to contemplate more carefully what is needed for a backcountry trip, what dangers may lurk there for my dogs, and how I can treat any mishaps in the field. Thank you, Dr. Woog, for sharing your skills and knowledge!

Zeke looks on patiently as a class participant wraps his hypothetical paw wound.

Dr. Heidi Woog demonstrates wound wrapping techniques on Franconia.

Tasman, a Portuguese Water Dog, shows off his two well-wrapped front paws.

…for nice long hikes, that is.  While the snow on the valley floor and on the smaller peaks has disappeared, full hiking season isn’t quite upon us.  For the last two weekends I have attempted two long-distance hikes, only to be turned around by early afternoon thunderstorms.  So I’m sharing just a few brief images from a failed hike up Bald Mountain today.  No, not failed – I still got in about six miles.  By adding another four I would have made the summit.  Oh well.  Soon, summer will be fully upon Sun Valley and I’ll be wishing for rain!

In other brief news, I am heading to New Hampshire in July to visit friends and family. If you are one or the other and would like to hang out while I’m there, email me! Also, keep your eyes peeled for a photo essay of the cowboy poet, Ernie Sites, coming soon to the blog.

Lemhi doesn't usually wear a leash, but the dropoff on this lookout was intense!

The Big Wood River snaking through Ketchum.

A few weeks ago I had the chance to travel to east Idaho with my employer, The Nature Conservancy. The trip was to give Legacy Club members the opportunity to experience strutting sage grouse up close on one of our preserves. As with many trips, I went expecting one kind of image, and come out with something very different.

Don’t get me wrong, sage grouse strutting for the ladies is nothing to shake your finger at. It was incredible. For a month or so each spring, male sage grouse “dance” to woo females. To see such a sight involves getting up WAY before the crack of dawn and sitting in very chilly bird blinds. The show starts before sunlight, and all around the blind is a very distinctive aqueous popping noise. Once the sun rises, and if the blind’s in the right spot, you will be surrounded by sage grouse males puffing up their white chest “ball sack” and letting the air go. If a lady wanders in they will puff themselves silly trying to catch her affections. When a lady is not around, they will fight and scuffle amongst themselves, while letting out intermittent pops to let everyone know where they are. Think singles bar – bird style. (To see this in action – go check out this video.)

What really caught my attention at this location, however, was a side-trip to an abandoned homestead on The Nature Conservancy’s property. This property was occupied until approximately the 50’s, then presumably the family moved onto another location, or another lifestyle. At this site was a large two-story house surrounded by old farm machinery, cars, and pens for livestock. The homestead was surrounded by rolling hills, a seasonal spring, and in the further distance, the mountains of Idaho and Wyoming. While it wasn’t hard to imagine living in such a picturesque place, it was hard to imagine living so remotely. With no electricity or plumbing, and a very long and bumpy access road to the location, the life must have been a hard one. Here are a few images of the location that caught my attention and held it tight.