Bench Hut – Sun Valley Trekking

Early December Report from the Huts

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Dec 102017

Steep Powder in the Bench Lakes Basin

We are just returning from a 4 hut tour on the annual Apprentice Orientation. Every year, we spend the first 2 weeks of December skiing from hut to hut with the goal of opening each hut for the winter season and conducting training with the new apprentice guides. Here’s a report for what we are finding out there:

Sawtooth: We began the orientation in the Sawtooth where we skied from the Fishhook Yurt to the Bench Hut. The approach to both Fishhook and Bench are characterized by relatively thin but very supportive snow pack in the lower elevations allowing for fairly easy skinning. At Bench Hut, we were seeing 95cm snow pack that rapidly deepened to 140cm in the Bench Lakes Basin above. While we were there 30cm of snow fell and we found excellent powder skiing and good stability.

Boulder Yurt: The approach track is in and provides easy skiing through the meadows on the way in. It’s still a bit thin in the bowls above the yurt, but careful route-finding can reward skiers with powder turns.

Pioneer Yurt: As of today, you can drive to the summer trailhead and ski all the way to the yurt. The rain crust from a couple weeks ago as made for an extremely supportive snow pack that resembles a thin spring snow pack more than an early December snow pack. Once at Yurt level (8700′) the coverage is actually pretty good for this time of year (60-100cm depending on location). We generally found widespread wind affect on the surface. Once we get a resurfacing with the next snowfall, we hope to find some excellent conditions on a supportive base.

Coyote and Tornak: We are heading up there next and will report back with conditions later in the week.

We hope you are enjoying the early season and getting out with your friends. All the huts are looking great and we are excited for the awesome season ahead!

Snowboards always seem to get more faceshots!

All smiles after the first powder shot in the Sawtooth

ah, that wonderful feeling of laying down arcs in the dry powder!

Skinning above the Bench Hut on a cold December morning

Cranking turns through the fresh on the Triangle

The Apprentice team at Fishhook Yurt

Arriving at Bench Hut to open her up for the season

4th lake above Bench hut

Climbing to Yo Yo Ma

Welcome to the Sawtooth!

Climbing toward Dave Dog Peak with the Monolith Basin in the background

a solid strike at the Boulder Yurt

Fun and games at the Pioneer Yurt

Apres ski in a cozy Pioneer Yurt

Climbing to the moon

Felt like spring-time up in the Pioneers over the past couple of days

Coverage in the Pios

What a place!

Julie, stoked to discover the Pioneers

Skiing the beautiful meadows on the way to the Boulder Yurt

All Hands on Deck

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Oct 122017

As part of their 11th grade Sawtooth Trip in late September, Community School students helped Joe and Niels prep Bench and Fishhook huts for another busy winter. This is a new addition to the Community School’s Outdoor Program, and we’re so happy to have their help! Led by former SVT guide Patrick Graham, who is now the Outdoor Program Director for Community School, the students helped rebuild the hot tub wood shack at Fishhook, as well as clean both Fishhook and Bench Huts inside and out, stack firewood, and more.

Sun Valley Trekking has had a long-standing relationship with Community School, which rents our huts annually for outdoor education. Students from 4th grade to 12th grade get to experience winter backcountry life in the local mountains with the added support (and fun!) of saunas and hot tubs, kitchens, outhouses, and a roof over their heads. Winter trips range from learning basic winter travel and safety skills at Boulder Yurt in the fourth grade to outdoor winter camping near Fishhook Yurt in ninth grade to avalanche safety and backcountry skiing at Bench Hut in eleventh and twelfth grade. And while Community School students go everywhere from the Olympic Coast to Glacier Park to Canyonlands on school outdoor trips, the 11th grade fall “Sawtooth Trip” is a chance for students to see and value the incredible playground that’s right out their back door here in Sun Valley through climbing, biking, and hiking – and they’re now giving back to that playground by helping us out at the huts.

Over the course of four beautiful fall days, different student groups hiked into either hut, where they put in some seriously hard work, demonstrating solid teamwork and leadership, and then hiked back to their base camp at Redfish Lake. It’s a great chance for the students to see what goes on behind the scenes at these huts they’ve visited many times and we can always use some help getting ready for the busy winter season.

Thanks Patrick and Community School! We can’t wait to see your staff and students in the backcountry this winter.

This gallery contains 6 photos

Sawtooth Spring Woodcut and Ski Extravaganza

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Apr 112016

Getting ready to open it up

It’s a tradition, a physical ordeal and a right of passage. We call it the “woodcut” but it is much more than just a wood-cut. Every spring, we take advantage of the solid snow pack to fell trees and skid/carry them over the snow to the huts in preparation for the following winter. Like a squirrel, collecting nuts for the winter ahead, we cache the life giving fuel for the Bench and Fishhook Huts, deep in the Sawtooth. While there is a very practical purpose to what we are doing (prepping firewood for ski huts) at heart we are skiers and the woodcut typically occurs when the ski conditions are prime. So we work especially hard felling, bucking, hauling and stacking to finish the job, so we can get to the skiing. This year we accomplished all the objectives, putting up over 6 cord of wood at each hut and skiing many big, steep and authentic lines.

Thanks to the stellar SVT crew: Chris Marshall, Andrew Kieffer, Niels Meyer, Chris Cullaz, Jess Simon, Alex Gemme, Everett Coba, and the veteran of many woodcuts: Joe St.Onge

Over 6 cords, felled, carried, bucked and stacked at the Bench Hut. now its time to go ski!

The Sawtooth in all their spring glory

Kiefer psyched for a day of steep couloir skiing above Bench Hut

Kieffer psyched for a day of steep couloir skiing above Bench Hut

heading into the upper basins

Jess, working his way up the lower slopes of the Hunk

Climbing mid way on the Hunk, a classic spring steep corn descent above Bench hut

Cranking warm-up turns before the steeps on the Hunk

Jess, working his way through the surface sluffs on the Hunk

The lower rolls of the hunk are pure beauty

Loving the final roll on the Hunk

Yahoo!

Heading toward the Heyburner

Lunch break in the 5th lake basin

Chris, cranking turns on the upper north couloir of Heyburn

Snowboard carving out of the Orbit Couloir

Everett climbing to the darkside on the Bat Cave

Jess working his way toward the light in the Bat Cave

Chris, climbing out of the cave and into the light

Climbing out of the Bat Cave

Alex, loving the steep exit of the Bat Cave

Alex riding toward the light

Crouching tiger

Dawn Patrol out of the Fishhook yurt

Our days objective: the Sickle Couloir. One of the many splitter couloirs in the Sawtooth

Everett and Chris loving the steep climb

nearing the top of the Sickle

Chris, opening his wings while making a jump turn on the 50+ degree couloir

Using an ice axe for security on the firm entrance

Everett laying them down mid couloir

stoked after a stellar couloir

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

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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

Exploring the Sawtooth

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Mar 212015

Brent admiring tracks

SVT guides, JP Preuss and Toby Citret, are just returning from 5 days in the Sawtooth traversing from Bench to Fishhook Huts. The trip began in far from ideal conditions with warm temps and rain to 10,000′. These weather conditions are almost unprecedented for this time of year! Fortunately, the weather turned colder and new snow fell, allowing the group to explore some of the amazing terrain that make up the heart of this spectacular range.

5th Lake group shot

Bench Lakes from 5th saddle

JP 5th Lake Saddle

Kye Monolith side valley

Silouette 5th lake Saddle

Skinning & tracks

Summiting the Hunk

Tracks on Silver Saddle

Willy skiing

Going Deep into the Sawtooth

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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

The Sawtooth Huts are Open and the Skiing is Fantastic!

Bench Hut, Fishhook Yurts, Huts and Yurts, SVT Scene 1 Response »

Dec 082014

We are just returning from the Sawtooth Huts: Bench and Fishhook where we were conducting the annual intern/apprentice training and orientation as well as opening the huts for the season. We found excellent early season coverage and snow depths in the Sawtooth, ranging form 50+cm in the valley bottom to over 190cm in the alpine. The snowpack itself is relatively dense providing a great early season base for both skiing and stability. Both the Sawtooth Huts are in excellent condition heading into the season and the skiing is great (see pics). Bench is booked pretty solid starting around the Christmas holiday, but there are still many free nights available in December and the skiing is on. So if you want to experience the awesome ski terrain and cozy accommodations at Bench, now is the time to sneak in before it is too late!

190cm at 88OO’-top of Surprise!

Winter beauty on the way to Fishhook Yurt

Fishhook Huts look great and are ready for your enjoyment

Heyburn looms above the approach to Bench Hut

Dumping above Bench Hut

Love it when it snows!

The crew above the Gun Barrel

mmmm…..

New intern, James, testing the powder above 3rd lake

Returning apprentice, Alisa, stoked to be back in the Sawtooth

Coverage into the alpine is good, on the way to Yo Yo Ma

A goat in his home

Returning apprentice, Niels, stoked to be high in the Sawtooth

New intern James, discovering the beauty of his new office.

Alisa squeezing the waning light out of the day.

hard to beat…

Full moon rising above the Bench Hut

Early Summer at the Sawtooth Huts

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Jun 082014

A unique and beautiful way to start the ride to Bench Hut

When the snow melts, we start the process of prepping, repairing and improving the huts. This summer season, hutmeisters: Niels and Aysha are riding from hut-hut working on projects. We cut out the downed timber on the Fishhook Trail, so its is clear and smooth now. The following photos are from a recent trip into the Sawtooth with owner/guide/backcountry carpenter: Joe St.Onge. Sure is pretty out there!

The Arrow Leaf in full bloom

Sweet Sawtooth Single Track

One of the rockiest trails around

yehaw

Taking the corner toward the Fishhook Yurt

Bike as utility vehicle, Niels riding with the hut repair supply

Fishhook Creek is raging

ahh, the beautiful Fishhook Hut

Doesn’t get much more buff than this

Sawtooth Woodcut and Ski Fest

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Apr 182014

We are just back from the annual Sawtooth Woodcuts: 4 days of cutting wood and skiing couloirs. Hard labor and Fun Stuff.

Heading out for a day of skiing couloirs from Fishhook

the Sickle above Fishhook Yurt

The Shovel Couloir

climbing an unnamed couloir

Still finding dry snow of steep, sheltered upper elevation norths

Toby looking good

Niels psyched for the Drop

The team

Always great to be out with Irie

stoked intern

Chris leading the way up the Shovel couloir

Alisa in the steeps

getting ready for the next drop

Trudy

Nothing like the granite hallways of the sawtooth

Hope turn

ah, a cold beer and popcorn after a great day of skiing

making the approach to Bench hut

great effort by a tough team

heading home

Cold Powder at the Sawtooth Huts!

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Dec 062013

We are just back from the Sawtooth where SVT guides: Joe, Pato, Chris, Ed, Toby and new Interns: Trudy, Alisa and Niels braved the extreme cold temps (-22f) and fresh powder to prep the huts for the winter season. We found 16+” of new storm snow and close to 3′ of total snow at Bench Hut and some great (if cold) ski conditions. The pictures below should give you a good idea for what it is like out there right now. The ski trails are in and the powder awaits you! Give us a call if you want to get out and enjoy this beautiful early December.