Jan 292015
 
Welcome the heart of the Sawtooth

Welcome the heart of the Sawtooth

We have just returned back to the village after a few days exploring deep into the Sawtooth. When local skier/mountaineer (Chris) invited an old childhood friend (Matt) out from New York City to Idaho for a backcountry ski trip, Matt pictured fields of mellow powder and easy hikes. The journey Matt embarked on was something a bit different. Good thing Matt had years of experience in the inner city punk scene…

Beach break at Redfish Lake on the way to Bench Hut

Beach break at Redfish Lake on the way to Bench Hut

Approaching the Bench Hut

Approaching the Bench Hut

Arriving at the Bench Hut

Arriving at the Bench Hut

Early starts mean beautiful sunrises

Early starts mean beautiful sunrises

approaching the land of the Grendel

approaching the land of the Grendel

Climbing above the 5th Bench Lake

Climbing above the 5th Bench Lake

atop the 1st pass of the day (a couple more to go!)

atop the 1st pass of the day (a couple more to go!)

beneath the west summit of Heyburn

beneath the west summit of Heyburn

The first descent of the day into the Monolith Basin

The first descent of the day into the Monolith Basin

ripping turns down into the Monolith Basin

ripping turns down into the Monolith Basin

welcome to the deep Sawtooth

welcome to the deep Sawtooth

Joe, happy to be back

Joe, happy to be back

climbing

climbing

gap tooth grin

gap toothed buddy

granite backdrop

granite backdrop

the sneak onto Braxon Peak

the sneak onto Braxon Peak

now where are we going?

now where are we going?

Chris, at home in the mountains

Chris, at home in the mountains

There is a lot of trust here...

There is a lot of trust here…

rappel into the Bird Cage

rappel into the Bird Cage

Just a couple more steps and then skis on...

Just a couple more steps and then skis on…

and now we are skiers

and now we are skiers

and now the skiing

and now the skiing

Upper Bowl#2

Upper Bowl#2

The upper bowl of the Bird Cage

The upper bowl of the Bird Cage

Stoked to be off a rope and on skis!

Stoked to be off a rope and on skis!

Chris ripping the Bird Cage

Chris ripping the Bird Cage

the lower bowl of the Bird Cage

the lower bowl of the Bird Cage

Matt ripping under the Monolith

Matt ripping under the Monolith

Niels dropping

Niels dropping

Chris keeping strong form

Chris keeping strong form

Matt, skiing out under the Monolith after a descent of the Bird Cage

Matt, skiing out under the Monolith after a descent of the Bird Cage

the final traverse back toward home

the final traverse back toward home

after 10 hours on the go

after 10 hours on the go

Chris in space

Chris in space

beauty

beauty

Stretching the legs as the clouds break

Stretching the legs as the clouds break

Enjoying a sunny beer with a view of our ski tour from Stanley

Enjoying a sunny beer with a view of our ski tour from Stanley

The mighty Sawtooth rising above the clouds

The mighty Sawtooth rising above the clouds

Powder tours continue!

 Daily Powder Tours  Comments Off on Powder tours continue!
Jan 232015
 
Fun

Fun

And the beautiful January ski days continue in the backcountry of Sun Valley! We are finding excellent conditions out there. Enjoy these pics from SVT Guide, Joe St.Onge, over the past couple of days.

Ridge skiing in the Salmon River headwaters

Ridge skiing in the Salmon River headwaters

Climbing above the Salmon River

Climbing above the Salmon River

Sun and Shadow

Sun and Shadow

Powder #1

Powder #1

Powder#2

Powder#2

BC Skiing is a team sport

BC Skiing is a team sport

The first direct sun of the winter hitting this slope

The first direct sun of the winter hitting this slope

Pow!

Pow!

mmmm

mmmm

Ancient trees

Ancient trees

Stoked

Stoked

Great Week in the Sun Valley Backcountry

 Daily Powder Tours  Comments Off on Great Week in the Sun Valley Backcountry
Jan 182015
 
Jack and Elizabeth on the peak

Jack and Elizabeth on the peak

What a week it has been in the backcountry! Its been a couple weeks since our last big storm, but we were able to take advantage of good stability and great weather to ski some big alpine lines with the Jewels Group. When the storms began on Friday, we shifted to the below tree-line terrain to find untracked powder and experience a beautiful frontal passage. Conditions are rapidly changing with the current storm, giving us a welcomed fresh coat of powder, but some serious stability issues. Enjoy the images of the recent adventures in the backcountry!

Storm skiing

Storm skiing

Climbing through the frontal passage

Climbing through the frontal passage

Spires and Powder

Spires and Powder

Dropping in 1

Dropping in 1

Dropping in 2

Dropping in 2

Finishing in the sun

Finishing in the sun

Climbing high in the sun

Climbing high in the sun

Stoked for the 1st big line

Stoked for the 1st big line

perfect powder, weeks after the last storm

perfect powder, weeks after the last storm

nice...

nice…

climbing among the ancient White Barks

climbing among the ancient White Barks

The climb back toward home

The climb back toward home

Smiles in the storm 1

Smiles in the storm 1

Yurtika 2014

 Huts and Yurts, Tornak Hut  Comments Off on Yurtika 2014
Jan 012015
 
Phoebe

Phoebe

It’s become a holiday tradition. Gather the friends from near and far for an annual hut trip deep in the Idaho backcountry. Everyone was obviously good little boys and girls, as Santa delivered the treats with epic powder conditions at the Tornak Hut in the Smoky Mountains.

yahoooo

yahoooo

Mike, feeling the float

Mike, feeling the float

fieds of untracked powder

fieds of untracked powder

smiling happy people

smiling happy people

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arriving at the Tornak hut

arriving at the Tornak hut

Stoked for the next line

Stoked for the next line

Tornak at night

Tornak at night

what happens at the hut....?

what happens at the hut….?

the facility

the facility

happy hour

happy hour

spoonin fun

spoonin fun

hard not to smile

hard not to smile

freeride

freeride

yeah, that's how it goes!

yeah, that’s how it goes!

getting ready for the 1st run

getting ready for the 1st run

the team

the team

pretty tracks

pretty tracks

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tea-time

tea-time

Mike

Mike

Ben2

Ben2

Ben

Ben

Hilary

Hilary

getting ready for the next drop

getting ready for the next drop

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Barebreasted basin

Barebreasted basin

What goes up

What goes up

stoked after a nice warm up run

stoked after a nice warm up run

Ben, dropping

Ben, dropping

The boys, looking for trouble

The boys, looking for trouble

Phoebes and the warm-up run

Phoebes and the warm-up run

the girls on the Mighty Tornak Peak

the girls on the Mighty Tornak Peak

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what a crew

what a crew

End of day 2, skiing back to the Tornak hut

End of day 2, skiing back to the Tornak hut

post Ben.

post Ben.

Hilary and fields of pow

Hilary and fields of pow

Joe, dropping in

Joe, dropping in

beats a lunch date in the city!

beats a lunch date in the city!

photo bomb

photo bomb

Chris Powder Trail

Chris Powder Trail

Fun day on Durrance

 Daily Powder Tours  Comments Off on Fun day on Durrance
Jan 012015
 

nothing like long runs of powder

Its been a couple of years since this Iconic Sun Valley ski feature has been in condition.  A beautiful ridge with long runs and lots of diversity makes Durrance a favorite. Fun times skiing beautiful lines in the Sun Valley Backcountry. What a way to end the Year!

beautiful light on the ridge

beautiful light on the ridge

climbing the ridge

climbing the ridge

skiing powder on the east bowls

skiing powder on the east bowls

pulling into the 1st break after a lot of turns

pulling into the 1st break after a lot of turns

 

skiing the lower slopes

skiing the lower slopes

fun vadels

fun vadels

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