
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:
- Yahoo, the team atop the summit!
- Climbing toward the magical land of peaks, lakes and the ancient White Bark Pines in the White Cloud Mountains
- Climbing toward the last rays of sun
- Focus on the final climb to the pass
- Taking a break on the loose descent off the pass
- presenting new ideas
- Many fish were caught, providing tasty nutrition along the trek.
- Arun, lunch contemplation
- Stoked to make the pass, Castle Peak in the background
- Blazing their own trails, Bryce and Sam point the way toward the future
- The team after crossing the last of 7 passes on the route
- Reflection on the day
- Climbing from one place of magic to another
- Arun, psyched to to be high and exposed
- Lake contemplation
- heading for the summit of D.O. Lee Peak
- The magic of a secluded camp deep in the mountains
- Tsechu, bargaining with the bars
- Serene beauty in it’s natural form
- Straight from the source, Tsechu fills a bottle from the snout of a rock glacier
- the team, deep.
- We began the trek at Coyote Yurt, deemed the “air lock”, serving as the acclimatization zone for the wild ahead
- Unbridled Joy!
- The 1st steps up into the Boulder Mountains
- Bryce, in his element
- Heading over into Karma Basin on the dark side of the Boulder Mountains
- Joe, employing a rope for the descent
- Adrift in thought
- Sam collapses under his book
- The “Board Room” at Sapphire Lake
- Pass #4
- Our 1st trail sign in 16 days was found at the very end of our trek, how fitting.
- Evening light
- The team, above Boulder Chain Lakes
- Gazing toward our home for the night
- YES!
- Dropping down into the Boulder Chain lakes
- Each evening, ideas related to the wild, entrepeneurship and making of a better worls were shared, discussed and debated
- Pass #3
- Most mornings began with yoga and/or a meditation
- heading toward “Cheese Grater” pass
- The rock glacier above Cirque Lake is one of the few living glaciers left in Idaho
- Tsechu, always smiling
- 2 legs and a pack among ancient sea beds and a living rock rock glacier at 11,000′
- morning beauty
- mmm, a swim and then a some fish for dinner…
- The Doctor, back in his element
- Boulder hopping between the Boulder Chain Lakes
- 8 hours into an 11 hour trek on day 6
- Looking toward the peak ahead
- Climbing out of Little Boulder Basin
- Summit Stoke!
- The team, atop White Cloud Peak #9
- morning Yoga
- Summit brain storm
- Morning yoga
- Climbing above Cirque Lake
- Rugged country, no trail and lots of potential
- Entering the Chamberlain Basin
- Sharing humor
- Sam likes his fish al dente
- Joe and Bryce discussing options for the day ahead
- Alex, grazing on route
- Bryce, siesta at the 1st pass
- Loving the exposure high on the peak
- Climbing the final granite slabs toward the “Cheese Grater” pass
- Lunch break siesta on a big day
- Contemplating the wild, deep in the Boulder Mountains
- Alex, feeling the immensity of it.
- Camp at sunset
- a point in nature
- Arun, enjoying the exposure
- The beauty of each camp was unique
- Castle Peak Board Room
- Foot wash mid day
- Long shadow trek
- Clean lines in the White Clouds
- Sam, adrift in the wild
- Sunset/moonrise
- Tsechu, feeling the air beneath her feet
- The team atop Cheese Grater
- Arun, enjoying an alpine bath
- The team, heading for the Peak!
- Wild, Sublime, Beauty
- Castle Peak





















































































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