We could be skiing at Bogus Basin by Thanksgiving! Wendy on Paradise.
Hi all,
In case you haven't noticed, winter weather has been moving into the Idaho Mountains in the last week or so. On Tuesday, 7-9" of new snow fell at Bogus Basin, Tamarack Resort and Brundage Mountain Resort, and there's another major weather system coming in on Friday and Saturday. It's an atmospheric river system, so it's expected to be a hum-dinger!
Atmospheric river weather system is forecast to bring 200% of normal precipitation. Courtesy Idaho Daily Snow, OpenSnow.com
Weekend forecasts through Monday are calling for 14" at Bogus, 17" at Tamarack, and more than 24" at Brundage. Sun Valley is projected to get 10" by Monday.
These snowfall amounts will land on top of an existing base above 6,000 feet.
Suffice it to say that winter is coming, and right now, it's coming fast!
And the question is, Are you ready?
It may be possible to begin snow-shoeing, xc skiing or backcountry skiing by mid-November, certainly Thanksgiving, if the existing pace continues!
Do you have a pair of snowshoes and ski poles ready to roll? How about xc ski gear? Backcountry set up? Skis, boots, bindings, skins, ski pack, avalanche gear, etc. Make sure everything is dialed and ready to go!
I recently sprung for a new pair of backcountry boots ... can't wait to try them out! Very expensive, but I think they'll be really light and comfortable.
BTW - The BBSEF Ski Swap is this weekend! Great place to find the best deals on ski gear and clothing. Plus the reps from Bogus, Tamarack, Brundage and Soldier will be there to answer questions and sell season passes.
I find excellent deals on clothing, skis and equipment almost every year. I highly recommend going to the swap ... plus it's always fun to run into your friends while looking over the goods. They serve beer, wine and food at the swap as well.
Mike Erlebach on the shoulder of Beaver Dam Peak. Snow was rugged, but cool adventure. (Courtesy Jim Pace)
Chris Reino making tele turns in sweet sugar-like *pow* in the Burn Line area above the Lick Creek yurts.
We had great weather for the duration of our trip, and great snow! Beaver Dam peak in the background. L to R, Wendy, Jim Young and Steve at the top of the Burn Line, ready to make another run.
Hi all,
I had the privilege of taking a 4-day backcountry ski trip to the Lick Creek yurts near McCall recently with a bunch of friends from Boise and McCall.
Timing-wise, we lucked out with a string of gorgeous bluebird days, a foot of fresh snow, and top-shelf food every day. We felt blessed amid the glory of all of those big mountain peaks lording above us, sometimes lit up by a brilliant sunrise or sunset.
"It was the high point of my winter," says my partner, Wendy Wilson.
"It's nice to ski soft powder in the sunshine," adds Mack Lyons of Boise. "There's an enormous amount of terrain to ski up there. I've been up there two times, and I can see why you keep going back."
"It's pretty amazing to step outside the yurt, jump into your skis and enjoy some of the best skiing in the world, right off the deck," adds Jim Young of Boise and McCall.
Beer-30 after our last full day of backcountry skiing ...
On Day 1, picture Wendy, Mack, Jim and the rest of our group climbing up a skin trail to a spot snowcat driver Gregg Lawley calls "No Complaints," where there's some sweet north-facing fields of powder waiting below, just a 15-minute climb from the yurts. We de-skin and pick our own personal line of virgin snow through shin-high sugar. That brings a big smile and whoops of joy from everyone as they make perfect signatures in the snow.
After a few of those runs that afternoon, I looked at the slopes above and saw a lot of blank fields of snow below the peaks, and some that had been shredded by the guys who were there for several days before us. Still, it looked there'd be a ton of terrain we could ski close to the yurts for the next two days! Fun thing to ponder as we enjoyed some brewskis and wine on the deck in the waning hours of sunshine.
Playing cards in the evening after dinner.
This was my fourth or fifth trip to the Lick Creek yurts over the last 10 years. The yurts are owned and operated by Payette Powder Guides. McCall skier, river guide and kayaker Marty Rood worked with the Payette National Forest to obtain a special use permit to provide guided backcountry ski trips and avalanche courses at Lick Creek. It sure is a great amenity to enjoy in the winter months! Marty also allows people to rent the yurts if they've gone with a guide before at Lick Creek and have at least a Level 1 avalanche certification. That's what we did.
As I've written before, yurt trips are a deluxe way to enjoy the mountains in the winter. Yurts typically are equipped with wood stoves to make things warm and cozy, bunks for sleeping, double-burner cook stoves, lanterns, pots and pans, plates and silverware, etc., everything you need to cook up a big feast. Marty also has a propane BBQ outside on the deck, a very nice touch. He even has fold up deck chairs available if they weather is nice.
Jim Young apres ski
At Lick Creek, there's two yurts -- one of them is the cook yurt with a larger wood stove and cook stuff, and the second yurt is for extra sleeping space with a smaller wood stove. For our group of 8 people, half slept in the cook yurt, and half slept in the other one. There's also a very nice sauna building to enjoy after a day of sweating up and down the mountain. And of course, there's an outhouse and a pee tree.
The yurts are located at the top of Lick Creek Summit (elevation 6,700 feet), about 12.5 miles from the east side of McCall. You either pay $800 for a roundtrip snowcat ride to the yurts and back to town, or you can go in by snowmobile, if a bunch of the people in your party own or have access to 'biles. We did the snowcat route this time, with my old Tamarack friend Gregg Lawley at the helm. It takes about 2 hours to get to the yurts.
The snowcat provides several big benefits. You don't have to climb multiple miles with a heavy pack to reach the yurt, like you do at most yurts in Idaho. You can bring coolers full of food and drink, another benefit. No restrictions on bringing extra clothes to stay warm. So all of that is pretty deluxe! Our friend Jim Pace brought a two-up snowmobile to the yurts, just in case we might need it for an emergency, or to access more ski terrain nearby.
One of the big highlights for Wendy and me, along with most of our group, was to farm an area called "The Burn Line," above the yurts. The Burn Line was full of fabulous untracked snow. We skied it in the afternoon of Day 2 and a full day on Day 3, picking a new virgin line each run, while enjoying clear skies, almost no wind, and temperatures close to 30 degrees. Just about perfect!
Getting ready to take the snowcat into the yurts with Gregg Lawley. L-R, Mike Erlebach, Deb Glazer, Mack Lyons, Steve, Chris Reino and Wendy.
On Day 3, Jim Pace went over to the north ridge of Beaver Dam Peak with Mack Lyons and Mike Erlebach of McCall to ski a chute or the bowl below the ridge. As they skinned up to the serrated ridge on the shoulder of the mountain, Erlebach said it was pretty obvious that the skiing would be marginal -- everything was breakable crust and windblown. But they thoroughly enjoyed the adventure.
"There's great opportunities for adventure skiing up there," Lyons says. "That was fun!"
I highly recommend booking some nights at the Lick Creek yurts with a group of your ski buddies, if you haven't done so already!
We've been blessed with a great winter so far with regular new doses of powder every week ... I hope you are getting out and getting your share of turns and grins in the *pow*!
- SS
Mike skiing the breakable crust below Beaver Dam Peak.
L-R, Mark Utting, Roberto Negron, Mark Anderson and Steve at the conclusion of our big ski tour
from the top of Deer Point to the Corrals Trailhead in the lower Boise Foothills.
Hi all,
Well, this has been quite the winter so far! We've got more snow on the ground in Boise -- approximately 15 inches or more, depending on where you live -- than any time since records were first kept in 1940, according to the National Weather Service.
My friend and backcountry skiing pal Mark Anderson decided to ski from Bogus Basin to the city of Boise last week in much less snow, and he made it. When he mentioned the idea to me on Monday, I thought, I've always wanted to do that! But in 30 years of living in Boise, it seems the conditions have never been quite right. It rarely stays cold enough in Boise for the snow to stay around that long in the lower Boise Foothills, but this year, it's at least 15-20 inches deep! So I started calling backcountry skiing friends and earmarked Wednesday (yesterday) to do the big tour.
Mark, a computer science lecturer at Boise State University, was able to go with us along with friends Roberto Negron and Mark Utting. We rode the Deer Point ski lift to the top of Deer Point (elevation 7,100 feet), and started the long trek through lots of light, fresh powder snow to Boise.
Our route would take us "down" the Boise Ridge Road to Hard Guy trail, and then down Hard Guy to the Corrals Trailhead. We parked a rig at the bottom of Bob's Trail, hoping we'd have time to ski down the Highlands Trail to finish up the tour, but as things turned out, we made it to Corrals Trailhead at 5:45 p.m., and it was close to getting dark. So we asked our friendly shuttle driver, Molly Negron, to pick us up.
It took us 4.5 hours to make the trek because of all the new snow. Travel distance was about 11.5 miles, but it felt much longer than that. Vertical drop was 4,500 feet. It took us 2.5 hours just to travel along the Boise Ridge Road to Hard Guy trailhead. Three of us used backcountry skis and climbing skins. Mark Utting had a pair of lightweight backcountry skis with fish scales and metal edges, and that worked just fine for him.
Taking off at the gate at the top of Deer Point at Bogus Basin
The Boise Ridge Road has so many ups and downs that I left my skins on for most of that segment of the trip. There were a couple of downhill pitches where we de-skinned. On the way down Hard Guy, we had to pole or walk in between the steep downhills because of all the new snow. It would go much faster after the trail is packed down by a number of skiers.
But still, the novelty of the whole trip made it totally worthwhile. All of us had scaled the Boise Foothills on our mountain bikes many times, riding up Hard Guy or Corrals-Scotts-8th Street, and it's always a thrill to zoom down Hard Guy or Dry Creek from the ridge road. It usually only takes me about 20 minutes to descend Hard Guy on my bike. Yesterday, it took us almost 2 hours to ski down the trail.
Making our way down Hard Guy ...
In the steeper sections, we were able to make turns in the soft fluffy snow in the trail corridor, and then poled, pushed and walked to the next hill. We had to put on our skins at the Crane Creek crossing to climb up to Corrals, and we were home free from there, but still had to pole and push with all the new snow.
Roberto's wife, Molly, was our hero yesterday, driving us up to Bogus in snowy road conditions to drop us off, and then picking us up at the end of the day. Thanks Molly!
If you decide you'd like to do the tour, make sure you go with someone who knows the Boise Ridge Road route ... it's a major dirt road in the summer, but right now, it can be hard to follow. After it stops snowing for a few days, it will have more snowmobile or skier tracks on it. We found that it was pretty easy to follow the Hard Guy trail corridor because we know the trail so well from mountain biking on it.
-------------------------------------- Free cross-country ski day at Idaho State Parks
On Saturday, Jan. 7th, Idaho State Parks will offer free trail fees, plus demo equipment and hot chocolate at Lake Cascade State Park in Cascade and at Ponderosa State Park. IDPR officials also will lead a snowshoe trip up to the Stargaze yurt on Saturday, starting at 9 p.m. You must provide your own snowshoes and ski poles.
See the IDPR web site for details about free xc ski day. This is a great time for folks to get acquainted with the sport of cross-country skiing and snowshing. Chadd Cripe of the Idaho Statesman wrote a nice article in the last week about what it's like to learn how to xc ski at Bogus Basin.
Hardly a human print anywhere after all that new snow!
Beaver Creek Summit is next to the trailhead
Almost there ... Stargaze is on top of the mountain directly ahead.
Hi all,
I went up to Stargaze Yurt last Monday on MLK day with my 18-year-old son Quinn and Wendy. Quinn plays on two hockey teams, Boise High and the Boise Hawks AA U-18 Midget travel team, so it's always challenging to find a free day with that lad when he doesn't have practice, dry-land training, games or tournaments.
Here's my radio segment about this trip on 94.9 The River (9:15 a.m. on Fridays).
The backcountry around Stargaze Yurt, located 1.2 miles from Idaho 21 at Beaver Creek Summit between Idaho City and Lowman, is a perfect place for playing in the snow, whether you want to take your kids sledding, snowshoeing, xc skiing or backcountry skiing. It's got some rolling terrain near the highway, and steeper slopes directly below the yurt and on a north- and east-facing mountain next to the yurt.
The best part about this area is the accessibility. It takes 1.5+ hours to reach the trailhead from Boise. But once you're there, you park next to the highway, and within an hour, you're on top of the mountain, ready to ski down. Or you can take the kids sledding. Or you can cruise around on snowshoes and make your own adventure.
This is why we took all four of our kids up there about 4 years ago over a long weekend, and we had the yurt booked for the duration. That's definitely the optimum way to go, but as everyone knows, the yurt is popular and hard to book. Check the calendar here.
On Monday, we had a bluebird day after finally driving out of the fog in Idaho City. That was half the reason we wanted to go to the mountains -- to get out of the gray foggy crud layer hanging over Boise for much of last week. We were greeted by warm sunshine at Beaver Creek Summit. What a pleasant afternoon of skiing!
There was a ton of new snow at the trailhead -- at least a foot of new had snowed-in the cars in the pull-out. Fortunately, some snowshoers had broken the trail up to the saddle next to the yurt, making our climb much easier than it could have been. We met some folks staying at Stargaze; they said it snowed 8 inches overnight. Plus in the previous week, it had snowed at least several feet. I poked my pole into the snow about 2-2.5 feet before I hit the next layer. It was pretty much bottomless snow. I was excited to take some turns.
We skied up to the yurt and took off directly below. The deep snow was pretty thick ... but it was still great to cruise through virgin snow to the bottom of the slope. My Solomon Guns cruise on the surface nicely. Skinning back uphill for a second run was very taxing because of the thick snow, but we had Quinn to break trail! Perfect!
The people staying at the hut had some extra PBR's when we got back on top. How sweet to hang out at that beautiful perch looking over at the Sawtooths while munching a sandwich and sipping a beer. Our new friends had a big bunch of kids with them who were sledding up and down a slope next to the yurt. Love it!
Anyway, I highly recommend visiting the Stargaze yurt area for a day trip or overnight experience. Once you've been there, I promise you, you'll go back.
----------------------------------- Reminder: A couple of big winter events are coming up ...
The McCall Winter Carnival starts next weekend, Jan. 29 and runs through Feb. 7. I've heard that lodging is filling up fast. Check with InIdaho about getting a cabin or a condo reserved.
The Boulder Mountain Tour, a 34K event from Galena Lodge to the Sawtooth NRA headquarters, is Feb. 6th.
The Hagerman Bird Festival is coming up on Feb. 12-14. It's a perfect event to learn how to identify birds or expand your birding knowledge. \
Galena has some of the best xc skiing in North America!
Bear Basin is the main xc venue in McCall right now
Boot hiking the Five Mile-Orchard Gulch loop in the Boise footies
Hi all,
Now that we have a little bit of snow, and we can enjoy some downhill skiing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the mountains, it's time to fire up the weekly outdoor tips for the winter season.
We've had a slow start in terms of snow, that's for sure. Snowpack levels in the Payette and Boise basins are about 64 percent of normal so far. The Big Wood is 59 percent, and the Weiser is 45 percent. I'm hoping that winter storms really pick up in the coming weeks. It looks as if a significant storm is coming in on Friday, and that will allow Brundage Mountain to open for the ski season. Yay!
Here's the latest conditions at popular alpine skiing destinations:
Sun Valley has the most skiing of any downhill area in the SW Idaho region, with top-to-bottom groomers available. We're talking leg-burners down Warm Springs or College and River Run. Lift tickets are discounted at $69/day right now, and if you combine a ski day(s) with lodging, you can probably do better than that.
Bogus Basin has some terrain open on the front side, and they will likely open the backside when they get more snow. Lift tickets are $25 at the moment.
Brundage opens on Friday. Lift tickets cost $36 on opening day.
Tamarack Resort is operating on Thursday-Sunday, with skiing on the Summit Chairlift. I've heard the skiing is quite good in the upper part of the mountain. They're charging $49/day for adults.
Grand Targhee has the best skiing in the southern Idaho, with the full mountain open and a 54-inch base. Lift tickets are $59 through Dec. 20; $72 during the holidays. Not sure if they have any rooms left for Christmas break, but I bet Targhee will be busy!
As for cross-country skiing ...
Bogus Basin Nordic has about 15Ks of groomed xc ski trails at the moment. The main trail from the Nordic Lodge is groomed past the Shafer Butte picnic area turnoff. Several shorter loops are open as well. Day tickets cost $11 for a full day, $8 for a half day after 1 p.m.
Bear Basin has 9 inches of snow, with all of the main trails open. The web site doesn't specify exactly how many K's are open in total. Cost is $10 for adults.
Ponderosa Park doesn't have enough snow depth to open right now, but after Friday's storm, they may open by the weekened. Ditto with Jug Mountain Ranch.
Galena Lodge, north of Ketchum/Sun Valley is reportedly skiing great. They have 30Ks of trails open at the present time. Many of the trails around Galena Lodge are open, plus the Harriman Trail down to Prairie Creek, and the Prairie Creek system is open. Down-valley trails are closed until they get more snow. The cost to ski at Galena is $15 for adults; $5 for kids, and kids 12 and under ski free.
The Idaho City Park n' Ski Trails are open but not groomed yet, because they need more snow for grooming. The snow phone reports 1.5-2 feet of snow in places. The parking lots are plowed. So you could head up there with your snow boots and go for a hike or go snowshoeing. Banner Ridge and Beaver Creek Summit and Stargaze Yurt areas should have the most snow being at the highest elevation. Be sure to get a Park n' Ski parking pass on your way at the gas station in Idaho City.
Backcountry skiing is decent at Mores Creek Summit, I hear. But it's going to be thin in places. Watch out for hazards. Drive to the Mores Creek Summit parking lot above Idaho City, and hoof it up to Pilot Peak, Freeman Peak or Sunset Mountain from the Mores Creek parking lot. Skins on skis or snowshoes work great!
Closer to home, one thing I've been doing a lot of lately is boot-hiking in the foothills with my dog. The trails have been frozen, with a few inches of snow on top, and it makes for great walking in Sorels or the equivalent. Enjoy while you can. A lot of the trails out of Camelsback Park are great for this, as well as Corrals Trail, Five Mile Creek Trail and Orchard Gulch.
Before I sign off, I should mention that the new Owyhee Canyonlands guidebook by yours truly and Mark Lisk has been popular since it was released in early December. You can find them in Boise at Lisk Gallery, Idaho Mountain Touring, George's Cycles, World Cycles and Rediscovered Books, (Boise REI and Barnes & Noble will stock them soon) Sierra Trading Post in Meridian, Flying M coffee house in Nampa, Cafferty's Cycles in Nampa, Hastings in Nampa, the Owyhee County Historic Museum gift shop in Murphy, Homedale Drug in Homedale, Logan's Market in Marsing, Gus's gas stop in Grand View, and more, plus at stevestuebner.com and amazon.com!
Here's Steve skinning up the slope in the first couple miles.
Clear windows on one side make for fantastic views ...
The dining area inside the hut.
Todd Haylett and Paul Hilding hang out in the sunshine inside the hut.
Looking across to some north ski glades.
Peeling out to ski for the day.
Hiking up to the knob above the hut.
Mack Lyons and Paul Hilding on the trail.
Hi all,
We had the privilege of spending three days at the Tornak Hut north of Sun Valley on a sunny and warm March weekend. Most of our group of 7 brought Hawaiian shirts for the spring skiing occasion, and it was totally appropriate.
Tornak has been one of my favorite huts for a long time. It's owned and operated by Sun Valley Trekking, which has a total of six huts and yurts in the Smoky, Pioneer and Sawtooth Mountains. Since I make a point of doing yurt/hut trips every winter, I've had the privilege of staying at all of S.V. Trekking's huts and yurts over the years, and I can tell you that Tornak is positively deluxe! Think about trying to reserve it for a group of your friends next year.
The hut is a super-long double-wall tent. It's really spacious. It sleeps up to 14, but a party of 10 would be perfect. We had a party of 9 until two of our friends had to bail, so we went with 7. There is a wood stove on each end of the hut. One end is reserved for sleeping, and the other for cooking. The kitchen area is nice and roomy with a large dining table and chairs for hanging out, and a comfy space for cooking.
One entire side of the hut has clear plastic windows for looking at the Boulder Mountains from inside the hut. That's a great feature. Tornak also has one of the best saunas you'll find anywhere. We fit nearly all of our group in the sauna at once. It takes about 1.5 hours to get the stove in the sauna really cranking, and then you'll sweat away all of the impurities from your day of skiing, and then you can dive in the snow, towel off in the chilly evening air, whatever.
Tornak also has excellent skiing or snowshoeing terrain very close to the hut. It's located at 8,400 feet in a protected nook just below a saddle. After breakfast, you climb for 5 minutes to a little knob behind the hut, and marvel at a huge number of bowls that you can ski, depending on what aspects have the best snow. And then go for it!
Because we were there on a warm and sunny weekend, with highs in the upper 40s, we had to hit the east and south slopes as soon as the crust was softened by the morning sun. The west slopes warmed up a little later in the day. The north slopes still had good powder on them in the shade, but breaking trail in the deep, sugar-like snow was kind of a bear in places. That's the breaks.
Getting into Tornak is probably the biggest challenge. It's only four miles, but the climb features 1,400 vertical feet of gain. You park at Easley Hot Springs, about 10 miles north of Ketchum, ski over to a canyon, and start an abrupt climb up a steep slope. You feel the weight of your backpack right away. Several of our crew members got really bad blisters on the climbs.
After the first 30-45 minutes of climbing, the steepness moderates, and you follow a ridge to a snowmobile road, and then climb gradually for another 1.5 miles to the hut on the snowmo road. My friend Mark and I made it to the hut in less than 3 hours. I remember when I was younger we used to get in there in about 2 hours.
Because of the snowmobile road access, it's possible to have Sun Valley Trekking carry some of your gear or all of it to the hut via snowmobile. The hut also is a popular destination for people with disabilities because of the snowmobile access, and they've redone the floor in the hut, so it's nice and flat for moving around in a wheelchair inside. How cool!
A lot of folks in the Treasure Valley focus their attention on renting the Idaho City Park n' Ski yurts during the winter. I'm suggesting to the backcountry skiers/riders and snowshoers out there that you might try spreading your wings and consider the Sun Valley Trekking huts and yurts as well. They're popular, but they don't fill up as fast as the Idaho City yurts. I booked Tornak for my group last November.
The Boulder yurts are close to the highway, with decent skiing close by. Probably the best option of all of them for taking young kids or people who can't go very far. SV Trekking will bring a catered dinner to your door at this yurt.
The Pioneer yurt in the Pioneer Mountains is a long trek, about 7 miles if I recall. Snowmobile assist is available. Skiing terrain is somewhat limited because of west aspects next to the yurt. But if you look hard, you'll find good snow. Spectacular mountains, Hyndman and Cobb Peaks, loom above the yurt.
The Fishhook Yurt is an easy to get into from the turnoff on Idaho 75 to Redfish Lake. Another good option for kids and people who can't travel too far. You have to ski quite a ways to find good skiing above the Fishhook Yurt.
The Bench Lakes hut is about 5 miles from the same trailhead as Fishhook. It's a pretty tough climb in there, but once you're there, it's awesome. There is great skiing directly above the hut, more skiing on "the triangle" on a flank of Heyburn Peak, and more skiing above the upper Bench Lakes. SV Trekking reports that Bench has been redone, and now it sleeps 20. If it's anything like Tornak, it will be stellar.
Coyote Yurt is 7 miles in from the same trailhead as Tornak, so it's about 3 miles farther to go than Tornak. Snowmobile assist is available to carry some of your gear. That's a nice feature because it can be a long slog to Coyote. Once you're there, it's got great skiing all around the yurt.
If you'd like to reserve any these huts for winter or summer, contact Sun Valley Trekking. Guide service is available, and you also could put together a hut-to-hut trip in several locations.
Eric Young and Eric Schneider take us and our gear to Lick Creek with their sleds
Typical powder field scene ... quite nice!
Hi all,
I felt like a lucky guy last weekend. It was one of those rare times when the combination of impeccable weather, luscious powder, great people, smooth logistics and fine backcountry accommodations all blended together into an awesome three-day trip near McCall, Idaho.
Après ski, sitting in the afternoon sunshine on the wooden deck of a fine yurt provided by Payette Powder Guides, and sipping on a beer, I felt my cheeks radiating the feeling of good times all around.
Three days previous, I was doing logistical backflips getting my kids situated at my moms for the weekend, finding a baby sitter for our new puppy, and getting all of my business affairs squared away so I could leave town. Now I can say it was all well-worth the hassle.
We had a nice party of 7 for the trip. My friend Marianne Nelson, with whom I backcountry ski and mountain bike with a fair bit, was our trip leader. Her son, Tim, a 20-something hard-bodied ski-flier, came along with us. A recent hire at Hewlett Packard, Tim had met Eric Schneider, an HP engineer who happens to be an avid backcountry skier and an experienced hand with the whole snowmobile-supported backcountry skiing routine. Eric has a partner in crime, another HP engineer named Eric Young, who has two snowmobiles and not only rips it up on skis, but also climbs with a splitboard and snowboards for variety.
So we had a great crew, and with the participation of the two Erics, we avoided paying $160/person for a snowcat or snowmobile ride 11 miles from McCall to Lick Creek summit. Instead, we loaded our packs and food into snowmobile sleds, and rode on the snowmobiles (well, three of us got towed) up the hill. And paid the Erics gas money. Lucky!
It took us less than an hour to reach Lick Creek Summit. Once on top, the scene is truly magnificent. Big mountain peaks surround the summit area, and you can see beautiful ski slopes for miles in every direction. So then it's a question of hummm, where to go first?
The Erics took us over to Hum Lake the first afternoon. We skinned up to the Hum Lake saddle, and then to the peak above. From the bottom, the climb involved 1,800 vertical feet of zig-zagging up the mountain in full sun. We all had to strip down to minimum layers to avoid sweating buckets. Just a gorgeous afternoon. The southwest slope skied beautifully, being near 8,000 feet, the snow was plenty cold and nice and fluffy. Wendy and I did two runs there.
Part of the group skied into Hum Lake on a northeast slope, and they said it was like skiing super-light sugar.
The snow was fantastic everywhere in all three days of our trip. Marianne Nelson was whooping it up while carving perfect signatures in the snow, and her cheeks were positively glowing in the yurt in the evenings. "I thought it was the best backcountry ski trip ever," she says. "It was my Canada."
Marianne hasn't been backcountry skiing in Canada yet, but I have, and I would say that the skiing terrain around the Lick Creek area is positively world-class. If you skied with Payette Powder Guides or other people who know the area well, they could take you out for a week and never cross your tracks twice.
PPG has two yurts at the summit -- a primary yurt with all of the kitchen and cooking stuff in it, plus enough bunks to sleep 6 or more. The second yurt is a sleeping yurt, also capable of sleeping at least 6. PPG says groups of 10-12 are probably as large as you want to get. So we had plenty of extra elbow room with a smaller group of 7. The cost to stay in the yurts is $40/person/night, 6-person minimum on weekends. Very reasonable! Here are PPG's prices for guide service and snowmobile support, etc.
The yurt set up at Lick Creek is pretty similar to all the yurts in SW Idaho (meaning deluxe), but PPG also has a first-class sauna. And that's a bonus! It really makes it nice to do a sauna after dinner or after the ski day and clean out the pores. You don't need a suit, but remember to bring a towel! I had to use a long-sleeved T-shirt. Guys will be guys.
Plus ... PPG has an outside propane BBQ grill. We brought salmon fillets for one night, and flank steak (marinated for 4 days ... thanks Marianne!), which were cooked to perfection by Eric Young.
To set expectations appropriately, skiing in the Payette National Forest around Lick Creek seems like you're in the wilderness, similar to being in the Sawtooths. But the area is managed as a multiple use area -- that's why we're able to snowmobile into the yurt. The country to the north of Lick Creek Road is open to backcountry snowmobiling, so you may hear sleds out there high-marking in the high peaks while you're skiing. There are a bunch of very-skilled riders from McCall. Once you're away from the road, however, and skiing behind the yurt, you can't hear a thing.
If skiing/riding in the Lick Creek area sounds appealing, PPG has a couple openings on a guided trip coming right up over President's Day weekend in the Feb. 17-20 time frame, and they've got some spots available on a guided trip March 16-18, and there's a private yurt rental opportunity on March 24-25.
Check with PPG for details. You can reach co-owners Marty Rood at 208-634-3189 or Chuck Rea at 208-634-4263.
I took an Avalanche Level 1 class from Marty and Chuck a number of years ago, plus I worked with them at Tamarack Resort. They're both extremely competent backcountry skiers and avalanche safety experts, but most of all, they know how to find great snow and big fun!
Galena Trails in late November (courtesy Galena Lodge)
Bear Basin trails (courtesy Steve Jones/McCall Nordic)
Bear Basin (courtesy Steve Jones/McCall Nordic)
Hi all,
Well it's time to fire up the outdoor tips again now that the big game hunting seasons are pretty much over, and the mountains are cloaked in snow ... well, not a lot of snow, but at least it's a start!
This week I'll focus on places where you can go to recreate in the snow in SW Idaho ... either snow-shoeing, cross-country skiing, backcountry skiing or alpine skiing.
Galena Lodge, located 23 miles north of Sun Valley, has 35 kilometers of cross-country trails open with an average 12-inch groomed base. "The skiing is pretty fricking good considering," says Erin Zell, co-owner of Galena Lodge. "The days are nice and the nights are cold, so that's good for snow retention."
On Saturday, Galena is hosting a free demo day featuring Backwoods Mountain Sports, the Elephants Perch and Idaho Mountain Touring from Boise will be there as well. This is a great chance to try out the latest and greatest xc skis and boots from all the major sports reps. If you participate in demo day, the $15 trail pass is waived, and demos are free as well!
Zell mentioned that even the Harriman Trail is being groomed from Galena clear down to the Sawtooth National Recreation Area headquarters north of Ketchum, so if you like to xc ski on the Harriman Trail, that's available too. Please see the Blaine County Recreation District web site for details on xc trail conditions in the Wood River Valley.
Don't forget that Galena has three very cool yurts that you can rent during the winter. Check their calendar if you'd like to book one.
Bear Basin is pretty much the only place where you can go cross-country skiing on groomed trails in the McCall area right now. The latest grooming report from McCall Nordic indicates that there is a 7-inch base with 15K's open for skiing right now. Longtime Nordic skier Gregg Lawley of McCall skied Bear Basin on Sunday. "It was actually surprisingly good!" he says.
While you're in McCall, stop at the Hub and check on yurt dates available with the Payette Powder Guides at Lick Creek Summit.
The Idaho City Park 'n Ski Areas are open for snow-shoeing and xc skiing, but the skiing is pretty marginal at this point with only 12-18 inches of snow, according to Leo Hennessy, non-motorized trail coordinator for Idaho Parks & Recreation. He recommends snow-shoeing as the best bet. Banner Ridge and Beaver Creek Summit/Stargaze areas will be the most promising because they're above 6,500 feet and have the most snow.
If you're into backcountry skiing, I've heard good reports about skiing in the Pilot Peak/Sunset Mountain areas near Mores Creek Summit. I've also heard that backcountry skiing at Brundage Mountain is pretty good in higher elevations. Near Stanley, I've heard the skiing is excellent on the slopes above Williams Peak Yurt in the Sawtooths. Be sure to bring climbing skins, an avalanche beacon, shovel and probe if you venture into the backcountry.
If you go to Sun Valley or McCall, look for low-cost lodging deals at this time of year. Check with the Sun Valley chamber or McCall chamber for lodging options.
And if you're thirsting for some lift-served downhill skiing action, you could head to Sun Valley, Pomerelle, Grand Targhee, Schweitzer, Silver Mountain or Lookout Pass in Idaho. I skied Solitude in Utah last weekend on a 27-inch base. There was some great skiing in Sunshine Bowl and some other high-speed groomers. Here's some video from our outing last Sunday.
Even if you get out in the snow this weekend, we need more snow! Do the snow dance thing and do it good!
Elk grazing on winter range (courtesy NPS); Kirkham Hot Springs, below (courtesy Sunset mag)
Hi all,
Last Sunday, Wendy and I and our friend Amy Haak wanted to find some fresh powder in the mountains, even though it hasn't snowed significantly for weeks. So we went up to the Stargaze Yurt area in the Idaho Park n' Ski system to check out the skiing terrain. We've got the yurt rented in the first weekend of March, so we wanted to pre-scout the area.
It was well worth the trip! Here's a video from our outing. Note how Wendy practically skis over the videographer (me)!
From the looks of the topo map, there appeared to be some nice, long north slopes that take off from the top of Stargaze Point, just a few hundred yards from the yurt. As things turned out, the northeast slopes were filled with sugary nice *pow*, so that's where we skied. The north slopes were too crusty.
We also saw quite a few folks who were up there to go snowshoeing for the day. The Stargaze area has lots of potential for snowshoeing. The terrain is moderate - not very steep - so you can pretty much go wherever you want, especially on a clear day. A 3-mile loop trail has been created by users, so you can try to find that or just go out and back to the yurt.
The trail to Stargaze Yurt climbs at a very moderate pace for 1.3 miles to the yurt. It features about 500 vertical feet of gain. It took us less than an hour to get there. We had lunch on the deck of the yurt and enjoyed the 360-degree view of the Boise National Forest and the western edge of the Sawtooth Mountains. Idaho Department of Parks & Recreation officials found a perfect spot for the yurt. Thanks Leo!
Everyone was all smiles on Sunday. We were thrilled to be out of the guk (foggy gray inversion) in Boise, and it was a pleasant surprise to be blessed with a full day of warm sunshine. We were really skeptical that we'd find virgin snow to ski, but we were pleasantly surprised.
We took two runs on the northeast slope of Stargaze Point in the afternoon and shot some video. There is a groomed snowmobile trail at the bottom of the ski slopes, so we followed that around to the ridge, and climbed back to the Stargaze Trail for a second run.
Since the trailhead to Stargaze Yurt is just short of Beaver Creek Summit, we decided to head down ID 21 to Lowman, and go to Kirkham Hot Springs, which is about 8 miles east of Lowman next to the highway. Kirkham has dependable hot water pools even in the cold of winter. You just never know how many people will be there. Because the springs are so close to the highway, swimsuits are recommended.
Once in the hot springs pools, we kicked back and relaxed while watching elk graze on the opposite mountainside, their brown butts and thick winter coats reflecting in the full sun.
To me, a day of skiing sweet powder in the sunshine, topped off with a hot springs soak and elk-watching adds up to an all-Idaho day.
Mark Anderson, a super human who loves to break trail
(Map courtesy Mores Creek Summit backcountry blog)
Hi all,
This week's tip is for the more adventurous souls who seek to find readily accessible good-quality virgin powder close to Boise. But not at a ski resort.
Your trailhead is Mores Creek Summit, 15 miles northeast of Idaho City. This is the jump-off point for accessing a trio of peaks, Pilot Peak, Freeman Peak or Sunset Mountain -- all peaks in the 8,000-foot range that offer multiple aspects for great powder skiing.
When it snows hard at Bogus Basin, smart and experienced backcountry skiers know that the powder skiing and riding at Pilot, Freeman and Sunset is going to be fantastic.
Check out this video from a group of guys who were skiing Freeman Peak last spring (courtesy Ande1717 on YouTube). Yeow!
A group of six of us went up to ski some east-facing shots at Pilot Peak last weekend, and we had a great time. We climbed the mountain three times, and had untracked snow the whole way. By the end of the day, we were tired and chilled to the bone from all of the sweating, but it's nothing that a nice, soothing soak in a hot tub won't fix in a matter of seconds.
Before you go, you need to gear up with backcountry equipment, brush up on your avalanche know-how and study some maps. Ideally, you should go with someone who has been there before. After several trips, you'll get familiar with natural landmarks and learn where the best turns can be had. It's a good idea to dig a snowpit and gauge the avalanche danger before your first run.
Thanks to Chago and a group of guys who have created a great blog about skiing out of the Mores Creek Summit area. Check it out for photos, snowpit information and maps.
From a gear perspective, backcountry folks ski with either telemark gear or alpine touring (randonee) gear. Both have a free heel for climbing. You bring climbing skins to put on your skis for the way up the mountain, and then stow them for the way down. Snowboarders either bring a split board with climbing skins or they climb with snowshoes and stow them for the ride down.
Be aware that the Mores Creek Summit area is a mixed-use zone, meaning that snowmobile riders use the area as well as backcountry skiers. Several years ago, we all worked together to delineate some areas that are best for skiing close to the road, and snowmobile riders have agreed to leave those powder slopes for skiers. But the main haul road up to Pilot Peak and Sunset Peak often have snowmobile traffic. Try to be courteous and step off to the side of the trail when snowmobiles approach.
If you want to avoid snowmobiles, Freeman Peak is the best place to get away from them. You'll need to park in the large pullout on Idaho 21 before you get to Mores Creek Summit, and watch for the ski trail heading up the gulch.
Backcountry skiing isn't for everyone. But one of the beauties of the sport is that it's hard enough that you can always find a great powder stache to enjoy. If it were easy, the whole mountain would be carved up in seconds. So get out there and try it sometime.
Read all about Steve's outdoor trips in Idaho, including hiking, mountain biking, backpacking, camping, trail-running, whitewater boating, canoeing, SUP’ing, skiing and snowshoeing.
I love being outdoors and hanging out in the mountains. It's my favorite place to be. I love to explore new places and experience different outposts in the Idaho backcountry.
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