Ski mountaineering – Page 3 – Sun Valley Trekking

Chainsaws and Peaks in the Pios

Huts and Yurts, Pioneer Yurts, SVT Scene Comments Off

Mar 262014

nice view on the descent on Hyndman

We are just back from a 3 day mission into the Pioneer Yurt with goal of supplying the yurt with cords of firewood and other supplies for the next season. We transitioned from snowmobiles to chainsaws to skis and alpine axes, cutting lots of wood and climbing and skiing some classics in the process. Conditions are spring like on the big peaks and skied great.

Skier and snowboarder unite, its a happy world

sure, lets go ski that!

up, up and…

still smiling

Niels discovers that a Pick-omatic works when one forgets the alpine ax

summit of the Pios

Niels working out the jump turn

hard to beat this setting

carve

playful skiing/boarding through the basins on the way back to the yurt

ahh, relaxing on the fresh rounds cut for next season

après 1

après 2

après/après, burning the slash piles after the woodcut

heading to the Dorsal Fin

Trudy working the pick-omatic for an ascent/descent of the Dorsal Fin

jerky girl

stoked

working the machines in the low country

Powder Day in Central Idaho!

Daily Powder Tours Comments Off

Jan 312014

We live in a beautiful world!

Wednesday’s storm brought 10-20″ of fresh powder to the mountains of Central Idaho. With storms few and far between this season, the fresh snow brought big grins to all (skiers and farmers alike). Stability varies with the new storm and sensitive wind slabs can be found in exposed areas. Check the local advisory for the details: sawtoothavalanche.com and enjoy!

A pleasure to break trail in fresh snow

Fresh snow taking some heat on the solars

Heli-Guide day off, Pat carving the alpine

Fresh+ powder + big peaks + a little sunshine= smiles

A pretty day in the backcountry

Daily Powder Tours Comments Off

Jan 042014

3″ of new snow, high winds, grouse, good partners and remote mountains. Ingredients for a good day in the Idaho backcountry.

Easy slider on the DPS

Grouse snow cave

bc art

Hiding from the wind

Alpine spirits

Figures on a landscape

Last powder turns of 2013!

Daily Powder Tours 1 Response »

Dec 312013

We are closing out 2013 with 53% of average snowfall, which makes finding the awesome ski tours a bit of a challenge. But we are working overtime to find the best snow and most fun tours and would love to share some of our hard work with you! Check out some pics from yesterday to see what we are up to.

Finding the goods when the goods are hard to find.

Following the Sun Dog

Alpine Sculptures

Now that’s what were looking for!

mmmm…

The climb

Soft and beautiful light

ahhhhh…

Camas Prairie inversion creates beautiful light

Mix techniques

yes.

Couloir skiing

Apron powder

Hansi doing the vadel

Happy Hansi

Guide Training – Early Season

SVT Scene, Tricks of the Trade Comments Off

Dec 122013

Francie, Chris, Marc, Pato and JP: an awesome collection of ski guides!

Every winter the guides of SVT gather to run training seminars and workshops. Typically we focus on particular goals at each training, dusting off skills, sharing lessons and tricks and evaluating how to do things better and more efficiently. This years early season training was focused on winter rescue. We discussed and practiced avalanche rescue, emergency shelters and stoves, 1st aid and then ran 3 separate sled evacuations off Titus Ridge to the trailhead. Check out the photos below to get ideas for different possibilities and approaches to addressing a forced bivy or having to evacuate a partner with a broken leg.

The familiar and always beautiful ski up Titus Ridge in the morning cold

Niels hauling the SKED rescue sled

Brooks Range tarp emergency shelter as a pyramid

Francie using a Mega-Light, a deluxe emergency shelter. Note the hot brews made with a sterno and ski poles.

Ed nailing a spacious and comfy emergency shelter with an 8x10 tarp and some trees.

Ed nailing a spacious and comfy emergency shelter with an 8×10 tarp and some trees.

Chris checking out Pato’s shelter, beta-mid style.

Pato’s emergency stove. Simple: a sterno, tin can and metal water bottle will get the job done.

JP using the brooks range tarp in another configuration

Looking almost like a planned camp.

Chris showing how a Alpine Threadworks tarp/sled can work for a simple shelter.

Brooks Range all-in-one tarp/sled in a simple trough structure.

Joe, demoing this simple emergency shelter and stove.

Kyle with the 8×12 trap as a mid.

Niels, improvising with no extra gear or tarp.

Chris and Marc packaging Francie in an Alpine Threadworks sled. Simple, quick and a guide favorite on the tests.

Ed and Niels constructing the standard Brooks Range sled.

Packaged and descending in a SKED litter/sled.

Fairly tight and comfy in the SKED.

The SKED slides the best.

The SKED requires good braking on steep slopes.

Introducing the New Fishhook Hut!

Fishhook Yurts, Huts and Yurts 4 Responses »

Sep 062013

Ahhh, the new hut at Fishhook is closing in on completion. We are just returning from a few days in the Sawtooth, dodging thunder and lightning storms while working to complete the latest addition to backcountry lodging deep in the beautiful mountains of Central Idaho. Every piece of wood in the new hut (except the door) came from within a 100 yards of the site. Chainsaw carpentry at work. The new hut is a wall tent design, similar to the Bench Hut but 1/2 the size. This hut creates a spacious but cozy layout for gathering a large group to cook, eat and enjoy the views from the 20′ long window gazing up at the highest peaks in the Sawtooth. We kept the old yurt, changing the orientation, giving it some much needed love and turning it into a cozy sleeping hut. We look forward to many a stoked skier gliding into these huts in the coming season!

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!

Newer Entries

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: