Celebratory toast
For over 12 years, Sun Valley Trekking has run an internship program during the winter season. The goal of the program is to provide training and mentorship to aspiring ski guides. The “job description” is to : Ski from hut to hut throughout the winter, maintain hut supplies, gather snow and stability information, develop personal backcountry ski technique and experience, assist on guided trips as porters and tail guides and seek mentorship and skill development with the SVT Guide Team. Over the years, many interns have returned for a second year to continue this progression and many graduates of the program are working as professional ski and mountain guides today. We often finish the season with an “Intern Final Exam” designed to test the skill and experience developed over the season. There are two styles of exam open to the interns: to guide the guides or to be guided by the guides. Both styles can help push the learning envelope and provide a rewarding experience. This years team: Trudy, Toby, Niels and Alisa chose to guide SVT guides: Joe St.Onge and Chris Marshall on a particularly snowy late April tour in the alpine Smokey Mountains. Powder, white-out navigation, steep skiing and a Chinese Downhill tested the interns’ skill and grit and was followed by the end of the season Guide Games back in town. Good stuff!
April white-out
Stoked Toby, taking the lead.
Heading toward Peak
Chris giving feedback on route finding and group management
The higher you get…
Into the Alpine
Trudy, taking over the lead for the third descent of the day
April Pow!
Yehaw!
Alisa guiding a particularly challenging (and sweet) ski line
the Team
wow!
Francie opening the “Guide Games”
Making the Toast!
Fun for all ages!
Brian, showing grit.
Chris and Pato were an unbeatable pair!
