| abstract
| - Soldier Mountain first opened in 1948 with a rope tow. The first chairlift was installed in 1971, and the upper chairlift was added in 1974. Soldier has 1150 acres (465 hectares) of variable terrain including glades, bowls, and tree skiing. Soldier has some snowmaking and operates a limited schedule, open from Thursday through Sunday, except for the Christmas holiday season. Actor Bruce Willis, a resident of nearby Hailey, is a co-owner of Soldier Mountain. Willis' company is expected to submit a comprehensive plan for the ski area to the U.S. Forest Service in September 2006, according to staff at the Fairfield Ranger Station. Four miles (6.4 km) west of Soldier's summit is Smoky Dome, with an elevation of 10,095 feet (3077 m). In between there are several peaks well over 9000 feet (2743 m), and several are used in Soldier's backcountry skiing operations, served by snow cat. Speculation is that Willis plans lift service to some of these areas.
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