sawtooth yurts – Sun Valley Trekking

Early December Report from the Huts

Bench Hut, Boulder Yurts, Huts and Yurts, Pioneer Yurts, SVT Scene Comments Off

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

Peaks, Wild Flowers, Water Falls and Wild Life: The Pioneer Yurt is Open for the Summer!

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Jun 172016

The new firepit provides a cozy gathering place to catch the evening alpinglow

We have just returned from the lofty Pionneer Mountains, high above Sun Valley. SVT guides: Joe St.Onge, Jon Preuss and Everett Coba trekked into the Pioneer Yurt to open the hut for it’s inaugural summer season. The trail in was cleared of downed timber, outdoor benches and a beautiful fire-pit were built and the yurt was set up for summer living.

After the work was completed, the peaks called for a journey into the alpine. We completed a mixed ascent/traverse of Cobb Peak, climbing perfect frozen snow/neve and aesthetic alpine rock. A classic alpine climb!

We hope the word gets out out about the Pioneer Yurt and the world class opportunities for wilderness, beauty and adventure that await visitors. The Yurt is open for reservations to both guided and self guided (DYI) groups throughout the summer and autumn seasons (and winter of course!). This is the ultimate adventure base-camp with cozy accommodations in the midst of pure alpine awesomeness.

Everett finding fun fluid movement on the west ridge

Choose your line on the plentiful holds high on Cobb

The summit of Cobb Peak offers beautiful quartzite for over a 1000′

From hand jams to in-cut face holds

The quartzite high on Cobb Peak is some of the oldest exposed rock in the state of Idaho

Stoked to summit after a fun mixed climb

It’s not uncommon to find lady bugs, gathered by the 100’s at the very summits of these 11-12,000′ peaks.

Descending the NE Ridge on the way toward Old Hyndman, a long and very exposed ridge traverse that is part of the “Triple Crown”, connecting Hyndman, Old Hyndman and Cobb

The new tables and benches look great in the yurt

This old porcupine has been chewing on the wood exterior of the sauna for years. I caught him in this photo when he was on his way over for his evening chew….

A yurt in it’s place

Hyndman Peak towers above the yurt: a perfect base-camp for climbing the tallest peaks in the Pioneers

The deck gathering spot for breakfast and evening coktails

The deck gathering spot for breakfast and evening cocktails

trekking above the yurts past waterfalls and slot canyons allows access to the alpine basins above

the snow has been rapidly melting, but there is still significant snow for climbing and glissading

Purple cliff dwellers on the ancient quartzite

Cramponing toward the north couloir on Cobb

JP, high in the North couloir

Everett, finding the flow on neve with one tool and crampons

Everett, finding the flow on neve with spikes on the feet and a ax in hand

What a setting

Sawtooth Spring Woodcut and Ski Extravaganza

Bench Hut, Fishhook Yurts, Guides Day Off, Huts and Yurts, SVT Scene Comments Off

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

The Sirens of Snow in the Pioneers

Daily Powder Tours, Huts and Yurts, Pioneer Yurts Comments Off

Feb 282016

Climbing into the alpine above the Pioneer yurt is always inspiring

SVT guide, Joe St.Onge and apprentice Chris Cullaz, led a group of local ladies into the Pioneer Yurt this week. Perfect powder conditions, big peaks and the sublime beauty of the Pioneers worked its magic. What a place we call home!

Approaching the Pioneer Yurt on day 1 with beautiful weather

Climbing the Peanut above the yurt with amazing backdrop

We call this zone “Little Alaska”

Perfect powder above the yurt

Skiers and snowboarders playing happily together

#puremountainstoke

The final turns back to the yurt with the setting sun

good to the last drop

schussing into cocktails, appetizers and a nice sauna after plentiful powder

a little light reading after a sauna

sometimes things can get a bit…… at the yurt

Hyndman Peak, the tallest of the Pioneers commands the view above the yurt

The gals looking back toward Sun Valley and noticing how small Baldy looks

The final steps toward the col du Hyndman

Carving turns beneath the big peaks

Powder, friends and a beautiful setting

It’s getting hot…

The final turns end a prefect 2 days in the Pioneers

Sun and Fun at the Coyote Yurts

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Feb 122016

It’s hard not to smile when carving settled powder on the north burns

SVT Guides, Chris Marshall and Joe St.Onge, are just back from a quick 2 day trip into the Coyote Yurts with a fun group of local skiers. Sunny skies, warm temps, settled powder and some of the first corn turns of the season were enjoyed by all. What a place to call home!

What a day to climb a high ridge on the way to Coyote

Carving the first corn turns of the season

Lunch break on the way to the yurts

Arriving at the Coyote yurts after a great day of skiing

Nothing like good friends, good meat and great wine at a yurt high on secluded ridge

Soft evening light at the Coyote yurts

From hot to cold: the sauna dash

From cold to hot, the dash gets faster!

Alpin glow mantra

The team!

Burn beauty

Dropping into the burn

Climbing above the yurts on the second morning to ski the burn

It can be a world of black and white contrast when skiing the burns

and final tow back home…

Winter is here!

Boulder Yurts, Daily Powder Tours, SVT Scene, Uncategorized 1 Response »

Nov 082015

ULLR!!!

At the start of every winter season, we celebrate the coming of winter with a BIG fire. Unlike people who love spending their time inside their rooms in the warmth of their furnaces operating constantly with an abundant amount of propane (which can be sourced from kellypropane.com), we prefer to honor the change of the season and the coming days of arcing down mountains on skis by a bonfire. We honor the Norse God Ullr, known as a great skier who would leave trails of stars behind his skis and drink to his health with hopes he will smile upon us. This year we had the annual Ullr fire up at the Boulder Yurts, where we had a giant pile of slash from recent woodcuts. Friends, family and guides came to celebrate the new snow and the joy of the coming ski season. Considering this fire was going to one of the biggest we’ve had so far, and we knew small children and families would be attending, we made sure to get as much information on fire safety and the different extinguishers we’d be able to use to douse the flames. Fire safety is still imperative in the snow!

And an early season it has become. On November 1st, we were riding bikes in the spitting snow and by the 4th, we were floating down fields of powder on skis. The recent storm dropped snow to the valley bottoms but favored the upper elevations in the Smoky and Boulder Mountains with over 20″. This storm snow has settled significantly this week, hopefully creating a good base for our next storm predicted to drop 5-10″ in the next 48hrs.

Hopefully this portends the start of an epic ski season where we can all celebrate with Ullr!

Friends, families, sleds, fire and FUN

November 1st and the start of the storm, perhaps the last mountain ride of the year…

3 days later on November 4th

Ahh, back on skis. Francie breaks trail with a smile.

Fun in the snow with sleds and snow-skates at the Boulder Yurts

The Ullr Fire burning bright

Francie, dropping in to a powder field, November 4th, 2015

Joe, enjoying some early season powder

We LOVE snow!

Joe, stoked to be back on skis

Sucking the marrow of Autumn while we prepare for Winter

Huts and Yurts, Mountain Biking, SVT Scene Comments Off

Oct 232015

Autumn beauty riding out from Coyote Yurts

Autumn is transition time. It’s a time of long shadows, cold nights and anticipation of the winter to come. It is the time when we at SVT are prepping the 6 backcountry ski huts and prepping our legs and lungs for the ski season ahead. While we cut wood at three huts using trucks, much of the work we are doing at the huts requires access via human power. For us, that typically means riding our bikes. We are blessed with an awesome network of trails in our local mountains that allow us to spin our bikes, often with awkward loads, from hut to hut. The bikes have an added benefit of prepping our bodies for the ski touring season while providing the feeling of “flow” that is so vital to our souls.

SVT owner and guide, Joe St.Onge and partners, are just back from a big day (26 miles and over 7,000′ of riding) yesterday while checking in at Coyote, Tornak and Boulder Yurts. The trails were frozen solid and covered in frost in the morning and melted to “corn dirt” by mid-day. What follows are a collection of pictures from yesterday as well as from the past month of hut projects in the mountains.

Here’s to sucking the marrow from a beautiful autumn in anticipation of an awesome ski season!

Dave, riding up to Coyote Yurts

Endless mountains and trails in the Smokey Mountains near the Coyote and Tornak Huts

What an office we have!

Brian, dirt carving on the scenic way out of Coyote Yurts

The newly relocated Boulder outhouse: with a view of Boulder Peak

Boulder yurts looking ready for the first skiers

The Pioneers above the Pio Yurt in all their glory

Friends help insulate the Pioneer yurt for the coming season

Coyote Yurts, ready for the snow to fly

SVT guides, Joe and Toby, buck up the sauna wood at Boulder Yurts

SVT guide, Niels, braves a awkward load in style on the way to Fishhook Yurts

Retired SVT guide/intern, Brian, finds some air coming into the Coyote Yurts

The crew, biking through Tornak Huts on the way to Coyote Yurts to button up the huts for the snow to fly

SVT guides, JP and Toby, proud of the tight stack at Boulder Yurts

SVT guide/owner, Joe St.Onge, bucking up a big tree at Boulder Yurts

Family Fun in the Sawtooth

Fishhook Yurts, Guides Day Off, SVT Scene Comments Off

May 242015

What a beautiful place to hike!

It’s late May in the mountains, ski season is over and the hint of summer is in the air. This is the time of year when we check in at all the ski huts to store them for the summer season. It’s a beautiful and quiet time in the mountains, with life springing forth. It’s a great time for SVT owners/guides, Joe and Francie St.Onge, to get out with their young children for fun adventures while taking care of this unique system of backcountry huts. Sometimes those “chores” require firing up the wood fired hot tub to check it’s function…

The girls starting out on the 2 mile hike into the Fishhook Yurt

Neve, cruising

Neve, boulder break

Riding in style

Creek-side trail break

Meadow trail break (strategic and fun stops are key while hiking with young kids!)

Boulder break #2

Crossing the Fishhook Creek can be interesting

The girls, stoked after finding a Sandhill Crane in the meadow

Neve, testing the waters…

mmm.

Ahhh, the Fishhook Hot Tub sure is sweet!

Nothing like a hot tub on coll and rainy evening!

Nothing like a hot tub on cold and rainy evening!

Dinner time!

Smores!!

Silly time!

All packed up and ready to head back to the village

The Team

Francie, stepping carefully…

Family Yurting at the Boulder Yurts

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Mar 282015

Training ’em young

It’s Spring Break for the local school kids and what better way to celebrate the changing of the seasons than to ski into a backcountry yurt! The Boulder Yurts are a great choice for families with younger kids as the approach is pretty easy, the sledding and skiing is super accessible and FUN and the yurts provide an amazing venue to get away. This week has seen a bunch of local families heading up to the Boulder Yurts with lots of adventures and fun had! Check out these pics of an overnight with SVT owners/guides (the St.Onge family) and friends. Good times!!

Family train

Break time

Sister love

exploring the shed like a Pine Martin

Donna Julia and family

as one family leaves another arrives, Spring Break at Boulder Yurts

girls exploring cozy nooks

Fun Girl

Beer/milk cave

Spring Break!

Sledding action #1

sledding action #2

Sledding action #3

Sledding action #4

Sledding action #5

Dinner time!

the Lei

Smores!

mmmm…..

Morning light

Story time

Yurt art!

on the way home

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.