Expeditions – Sun Valley Trekking

Skiing in Antarctica!

Nov 192017

Sun Valley Trekking guide, Joe St.Onge, has just returned from another truly epic journey to ski in Antarctica. This is the second expedition that we have undertaken with our partners at Ice Axe Expeditions to take skiers down to the icy continent. Each year, Ice Axe has contracted the 330′ Ocean Adventurer to take a group intrepid skiers and guides to explore the fairy-tale mountain landscape of the Antarctic Peninsula. We began this journey with skiing in Tierra del Fuego and then boarded the boat to cross the notorious Drake Passage and made landfall in the stunning setting of Charlotte Bay. Each day we navigated through the icebergs and pack ice of the Gerlastch Straights and found landing points between the precipitous ice cliffs to shuttle the skiers via zodiacs. Once on land, we explored a magical landscape of peaks, massive glaciers and stupendous ski lines. We encountered penguins by the thousands, seals by the hundreds: including close encounters with the elusive Leopard Seals, Humpback Whales and even watched as a pod of 13 Orcas cruised through the massive ice bergs in search of seals! The wild life experience in Antarctica is truly breath-taking!! And the skiing? It was phenomenal! We found snow conditions ranging from perfect corn to legitimate powder skiing. We had 6 solid ski days including 2 days exploring the beautiful peaks on Livingston Island and King George Island in the South Shetlands. This is truly THE MOST AMAZING SKI TRIP on our planet. There is no place more wild, inspiring, stunning to behold and in peril than the continent of Antarctica. If you are a skier and have ever dreamed of visiting this amazing landscape, this is the trip for you. Don’t wait. Drop us a line if you would like to join Joe next year on the cruise, space is limited to a lucky few!

This gallery contains 100 photos

Sun Valley on Ice: 2016 Antarctica Ski Cruise

Antarctica, Expeditions, Uncategorized Comments Off

Nov 252016

Stoke level was high after this glorious ski and zodiac tour of the bay

On the morning of November 9th, 2016 the election in the United States was decided and we boarded a boat heading South from Tierra del Fuego. The Beagle Channel led the way to the great Southern Ocean and the infamous Drake Passage, known for the roughest seas in the world. Our goal was the great white continent of Antarctica, the largest wilderness on the planet and the only landmass not governed by a single nation. We left as skiers embarking on an adventure and returned forever touched by a land of un-imagined beauty and wildness.

Below are selection of pictures from the lenses of Sun Valley Trekking guides: Joe St.Onge and Christopher Marshall. Please click on the upper left photo to click through the pictures in chronological order with captions or simply scroll down to enjoy the collage from this magnificent expedition.

Sun Valley on Ice: 2016 Antarctica Ski Cruise

This gallery contains 130 photos

Wild Gift Deep Wilderness Experience

Expeditions, SVT Scene, Trekking Comments Off

Aug 282016

For the past 13 years, we have had had the great privilege of guiding the Deep Wilderness Experience for the Wild Gift, a local non profit dedicated to supporting better world entrepreneurs through mentor-ship, project funding and instilling a deep ethic of the wild. Each year, a class of recipients (known as Gifters) is selected from an ever growing pool of inspirational applicants who have begun social and environmental ventures. The 2016 class included 5 Gifters with varied and amazing projects across the globe and all related to this year’s theme on Climate Change including:

Dr. Arun Gupta: Who is developing ground breaking solar panels with his company, Skyven Technologies designed to capture thermal energy used to heat, process foods and for industrial applications.

Bryce Andrews: Rancher, writer and deep thinker, Bryce is beginning a non-profit educational institution: Swallow Tail Foundation, dedicated to critical evaluation of how to better ranching and farming in the West.

Tsechu Dolma: Growing up in a Tibetan refugee camp in Nepal, Tsechu Dolma recognized the need for developing sustainable solutions for the mountain people of the Himalaya. Her venture, the Mountain Resiliency Project , is dedicated to creating viable communities in these rugged and remote landscapes.

Sam Teicher: Has founded a company: Coral Vita, dedicated toward restoring threatened coral reefs by growing and replanting local endangered corals on degraded reefs worldwide.

Alex Wankel: Has begun a new social enterprise, Pachukuti Foods, to create markets for rare Andean superfoods while supporting farmers and protecting agro-biodiversity. Alex strives to tap into the huge potential of rare and underutilized crops by creating innovative new products that are uniquely natural, delicious, healthy, and good for the world.

Enjoy these pictures of our 18 days trekking deep in the wilds of Idaho with SVT guide, Joe St.Onge, and Wild Gift Facilitator, Raj Vable, and click on the links above to find out more about the Wild Gift and these phenomenal ventures:

This gallery contains 86 photos

Boulder Mountains Ski Camp

Daily Powder Tours, Expeditions, Huts and Yurts, SVT Scene, Uncategorized Comments Off

Apr 212016

Arriving into the basin with all you need on your back

When the days are long, the nights are cold and the peaks are covered under a thick blanket of snow it’s time to traverse the big mountains. Every year we choose a destination from the plethora of beautiful mountains that surround our valley. The Sawtooth, White Cloud, Smokey, Pioneer and Boulder Mountains all hold phenomenal potential for wilderness ski traverses and ski camps. This year we decided to take advantage of perfect melt/freeze conditions and good high elevation coverage to explore the southern Boulder Mountains around the ghost town of Boulder City. While a bit sunburnt, we were not disappointed.

This steep south facing ridge-line held many beautiful lines like this one named “Jose Cuervo”

A room with a view

The Egret arcing the coombacks

fun turns back to camp

What a place to call home for a few days!

Nothing like a fire to warm the soul while winter camping

Comfy after the sun set around the fire

Artsy Alex shot

Lunch break at 11’000′ while waiting for the corn to soften

many aesthetic ridgelines surround the Boulder Basin with tons of ski lines

Alex in his Idahome

Alex carving

The Egret laying into the corn

Niels dropping

A happy crew

Whoop!

Spring fun

Climbing couloirs

Even found some powder on high elevation north shots, like this one dropping into the newly created Boulder-White Clouds Wilderness

The exit is getting a little thin in the low country

Chainsaws, Powder, Peaks and Cave Skiing at the Annual Sawtooth Woodcut

Bench Hut, Fishhook Yurts, Huts and Yurts, Sawtooth Monolith, SVT Scene Comments Off

Apr 152015

Oh Yeah!

It’s been a tradition for over 30 years now, where every April, a few hearty souls embark on an adventure deep in the Sawtooth. Huge loads are packed up to huts that include great food, cold beer, chainsaws and gas. Over 8 cords of wood are cut (4+ at each Bench and Fishhook huts). One by one, we drop the abundant beetle killed pine trees and haul in the logs on shoulders and in sleds while on skis. The piles of logs can be intimidating, but every year we get it all in, bucked up and stacked in preparation for the following season. When the cut is done, the focus turns to skiing. We build the huts, cut the wood and haul the loads because we are skiers, inspired by the magic of the mountains that we live and work in. The Sawtooth smiled upon us this year with perfect conditions for both the cut and the skiing. Some cool new lines were explored, like the “skilunking” adventure in the “Bat Cave”, as well as some true classics in perfect conditions. Enjoy the pics!

Alisa schralping the powder ribs toward the 4th Lake

crossing the 4th Bench Lake

Heading toward the Bat Cave on Mt Heyburn

JP, psyched

Getting ready for some skilunking

JP climbing toward the light to see whats above

Niels finds the passage

JP on the upper couloir, leading toward the Bat Cave

Steep traverse above the cave

Dropping into the cave with a little added security

JP exiting the cave onto the 1000′ powder slope below

Toby, ripping through the cave

take a deep breath and let ’em rip!

Alisa inspired to spread her bat wings

Burning slash after cutting and hauling 5 cords of wood, on skis.

Dinner time at the Fishhook Hut, rustic comfort deep in the Sawtooth

Bluebird. Fresh snow and splitter weather

Approaching the top of Silver Saddle

Toby with the final turns into the Monolith

Toby, stoked after skiing perfect powder on Silver saddle bowl

James, entering the Monolith Valley

Sawtooth Beauty: The Monolith stands proud above this hanging valley, where aesthetic ski lines abound

making the ascent toward Braxon Peak

The Wily Coyote Col

The final steps toward Braxon Peak

James

The heart of the Sawtooth

Making our way from Braxon Peak toward the Birdcage

Aysha, dropping the sneak route into the Birdcage

Bridcage looking pretty sweet.

Joe drops in

Neils, stoked

Toby, stoked

Skiing the final slopes below the Monolith

Alisa mid powder carve

Oh Yeah!

The team working back toward the Silver saddle and the Bench Hut

and more powder brings us back to the 5th Bench Lake and closer to the Bench Hut

ahhh…

quite nice

JP, having fun

Sweet, and its not over!

Chris, slashing some more powder on the way back to the hut

Niels and the afternoon back light

Why is Toby smiling so much?

What we were really doing up at the Sawtooth Huts

Going Deep into the Sawtooth

Bench Hut, Sawtooth Monolith 1 Response »

Jan 292015

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

Approaching the Bench Hut

Arriving at the Bench Hut

Early starts mean beautiful sunrises

approaching the land of the Grendel

Climbing above the 5th Bench Lake

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

beneath the west summit of Heyburn

The first descent of the day into the Monolith Basin

ripping turns down into the Monolith Basin

welcome to the deep Sawtooth

Joe, happy to be back

climbing

gap toothed buddy

granite backdrop

the sneak onto Braxon Peak

now where are we going?

Chris, at home in the mountains

There is a lot of trust here…

rappel into the Bird Cage

Just a couple more steps and then skis on…

and now we are skiers

and now the skiing

Upper Bowl#2

The upper bowl of the Bird Cage

Stoked to be off a rope and on skis!

Chris ripping the Bird Cage

the lower bowl of the Bird Cage

Matt ripping under the Monolith

Niels dropping

Chris keeping strong form

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

the final traverse back toward home

after 10 hours on the go

Chris in space

beauty

Stretching the legs as the clouds break

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

The mighty Sawtooth rising above the clouds

BBC Mountain Training in the Pioneers

Expeditions, Huts and Yurts, Pioneer Yurts Comments Off

Jan 202014

Joe St.Onge, Patrick Graham and interns: Niels Meyer and Alisa Mcgowan have just returned from 7 days in the Pioneer Mountains on a winter mountaineering training with a production crew from the BBC. An action packed week focused on learning skills related to avalanche safety, forecasting and rescue as well as backcountry skiing and mountaineering skills. the Pioneer Yurt served as base camp and the team also put in a high camp at 10,500 for a alpine ascent of Hyndman Peak. Conditions included a generally low snowpack and wind affected snow with hazards related to widespread wind slabs. The less then optimal ski conditions were balanced by the phenomenal setting and wonderful crew from the BBC. We look forward to seeing the ambitious and sure to be amazing footage to be produced by this intrepid film crew over the next couple of years!

Climbing above the Pioneer Yurt to the Peanut

Getting ready for a movie night at the Pioneer Yurt

Entering into the Throne Room of the Mountain Gods

Duncan’s Basin

Alpine glow on Cobb

the Team

Stoked after carving turns on the wind buff

finding soft-ish snow in the Hyndman basin

What a place to learn to ski!

and phenomenal light

Spindrift and sunset= mountain magic

ahh, freedom of the hills!

Climbing toward high camp

squeezing the last light out of each day with a ski

The snow kitchen at high camp

High camp beneath among the giants

High camp 2

climbing on Hyndman Peak

The Team high in the mountains!

Ski Mountaineering Course in the Pioneer Mountains

Expeditions, Pioneer Yurts Comments Off

Apr 242013

Joe St.Onge and Patrick Graham (with assistant guides Toby Citret and Sam Felch) just returned from 4 days in the Pioneer Mountains. The goal of the trip was to teach the skills and techniques used in ski mountaineering and to apply those skills climbing and skiing the spectacular peaks of the Pioneers. This area holds fanatstic opportunties for ski mountainnering, with big peaks (up to 12,000′), large vertical relief (3,000’+ runs), aesthetic mountain features and a cozy yurt in the middle of it all. While we found good to excellent conditions at the mid elevations, the highest peaks were still holding transitional snow that was good for climbing, but a bit challenging for skiing. Long days, great tours/climbs and lots of learning in a beautiful setting made for a fun trip!

Men of the North in the Sawtooth

Bench Hut, Fishhook Yurts, Huts and Yurts, Sawtooth Monolith 9 Responses »

Mar 262013

A foot of new snow, cold temps, low wind and a hardy group of men from the north provided the necessary ingredients for a phenomenal week in the Sawtooth Mountains. Guides: Joe St.Onge and Chris Marshall and apprentices Toby Citret and Sam Felch led the group from Bench Hut to Fishhook Yurt climbing and skiing and average of 6-7000′ a day and crossing many high passes, dropping many a perfect powder run and climbing a few peaks along the way including Thompson Peak, the highest in the range. This fun group of skiers ran High and Wild in the beauty of these mountains!

Trekking :: Wild Gift :: Boulder and White Cloud Mountains, Idaho

Expeditions, Trekking Comments Off

Sep 132012

Wild Gift backpacking in the Boulder and White Cloud Mountains of Idaho

Joe St.Onge just returned from a 14 day traverse of the Boulder/White Cloud Mountains in Central Idaho with a special group of young leaders from the Wild Gift. While forest fires raged in the mountains near our route, we were fortunate to find clear skies as the so called “doughnut hole” followed the group through its entire trek. Many rugged passes were crossed and beautiful alpine basins and lakes visited on this primarily off trail route through the spectacular Idaho backcountry. Please check out our friends at the wildgift.org to find out more about this unique program and these amazing young entrepreneurs with a mission.

Wild Gift backpacking in the Boulder and White Cloud Mountains of Idaho

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