Backcountry Ski Idaho – Page 6 – Sun Valley Trekking

Weekly Ski Tour Magic!

Daily Powder Tours Comments Off

Jan 172014

Pato, Francie and JP caught up with some of the Sirens and Bros this week to explore some of the goods to be found high on Galena Summit north of Ketchum. Recent snowfall and cold overnight temperature have kept shady slopes soft and deep above 8500′. Our guest could not have asked for more as the sun warmed our faces and the powder soothed our souls! It was all smiles as we linked ridge after ridge on both of these classic Sun Valley Trekking ski tours. To book a trip with one of our expert ski guides, give us a call, and we’ll help you drop in proud!

Know before you go! The Bros all get on the same page with Patrick with a quick orientation before striking out for the day.

Wolf is all smiles after making beautiful turns

Looking good and making turns!

Stoked to be heading back up for more powder!

Divas trekking to find a some great lines.

Up they go, making laps on a gorgeous Sun Valley day!

JP guiding the group into some great terrain for fun turns.

Well deserved beverages and good company

Skiing above the Boulder Yurts today

Boulder Yurts, Daily Powder Tours, Guides Day Off, Huts and Yurts Comments Off

Jan 052014

SVT guides Joe St.Onge and Chris Marshall went for a recon tour above the Boulder Yurts today to check conditions for future tours. Good ski conditions were found above 9000′ and some stability issues including: new wind slabs (30cm deep) which were producing easy failures and planar shears in isolated areas as well as triggering a fairly large loose snow/sluff avalanche in the deep facets in steep terrain. Have fun and heads up out there!

Yes!

Boulder Mountains

Skinning Light

Alpine Smokies

Skis pretty good!

Fall-line facets

Skiing among the ancient White Barks

D2 avalanche triggered in the full depth facets, ran fast.

Chasing shadows

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

Coyote Yurt Winter Solstice Ski

Coyote Yurts, Huts and Yurts, Tornak Hut Comments Off

Dec 232013

SVT guides: Joe and Ed just returned from a quick trip into the East Fork of Baker Creek to check conditions around Tornak and Coyote Yurts. Despite a thin snowpack, they found soft powder conditions and endless new ski lines in the Beaver Creek fire.

Thin snow powder skiing

New Burn lines on Fox Peak

New eyes as Ed scopes all the new burn skiing in familiar terrain

Lots of beautiful new ski lines around Coyote

Dropping in to a new line

Skiing among the ghosts

Beaver Creek Fire

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.

Cold Powder at the Sawtooth Huts!

Bench Hut, Fishhook Yurts, Huts and Yurts Comments Off

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.

The crew, getting the huts ready under -22f temps

The crew, getting the Fishhook Hut ready under -22f temps

Heading into the Teeth!

Pato hard at work cutting over 30 trees that blocked the trail

Ahh, the cozy new Fishhook Hut at -22f

Warm and cozy, the 1st winter night in the new hut

My new favorite bunk in the mountains!

The trees were popping with the cold temps

As beautiful as ever

Touring through the old growth

Approaching Bench Hut

Redfish Lake still ice free…

Toby doing what an intern does.

Action

Ski time

Lots of fresh snow!

Ed laying into the powder

Chris, styling

Cold Smoke

Toby hard at work

Alisa testing Idaho powder

Pato, treetop flying

Early Season Powder Tour

Daily Powder Tours, Guides Day Off, SVT Scene Comments Off

Nov 242013

Not bad for a low snow November!

SVT guides: Joe St.Onge, Patrick Graham and Chris Marshall went for a tour out in the Smoky Mountains yesterday to check the early season conditions. Despite a relatively thin snow pack, good turning conditions were found and a beautiful tour was had. Careful route finding and conservative choices are key to avoid the many thin snow hazards that are present right now. With that in mind, there is some fun skiing to be had right now!

Ah, good to be back on skis!

SVT Guides Chris Marshal and Patrick Graham

Charlie Brown powder

as beautiful as always

Lots of sharp nasties out there, especially at the entrances

Shade line pow

The Huts are Ready for a BIG WINTER

Huts and Yurts, SVT Scene Comments Off

Nov 192013

We’ve been busy traveling to the different Huts and Yurts to get everything ready for a BIG winter and for you! Below are some images from the past week at the Pioneer Yurt and Coyote Yurts.

The New Coyote yurts!

Aspens and Snow welcome to Autumn!

Moon-rise above the Pioneer Yurt

Dumping at Coyote!

Coyote Yurts Resurrected!

Coyote - Summer, Coyote Yurts, Huts and Yurts 9 Responses »

Oct 162013

Rising from the flames, the new Coyote Yurts!

We Did It!! Less than two months after the Beaver Creek Fire incinerated the Coyote Yurts, we have built a beautiful new Coyote. Two yurts connected by a covered breezeway, new sauna and outhouse are ready for backcountry travelers.

Just in time for the snow

This situation was extreme. There was the worry and anticipation of a major wild fire burning around three of our huts. The confirmation that Coyote was gone was rough. On our first visit to where the yurts were, the fire was still burning and the shock of the impact of the fire on a place we know and love was heavy. But it was the recognition that it is all OK. These mountains and forest depend on fire. We can rebuild, the skiing will be phenomenal and the burned forest will bloom again soon. It will just take hard work, some money and time.

In a two week push and cold snowy weather broken by spectacular blue sky days we built the new Coyote yurts. This effort truly took a village to realize, and THANK YOU to all who helped!

The new Coyote is a unique and beautiful hut and we hope it is enjoyed by many in the years to come!