An Adventure Living: January 2016

Not me, but fellow intern Chris Cullaz turned the page into a new year high in the Sawtooth Mountains this year. It was our first trip where we had a full day set aside for exploring and skiing and we decided to take a trip up to profile lake.

Alarms went off early in the cold, early morning hours. Within minutes the stove was crackling and water was boiling for coffee. After a hearty breakfast of eggs and potatoes, we skinned up and were out the door in the predawn light.

We started the trek up to the alpine not knowing what we would find, but excited to be exploring a new zone. After 2-3 hours of climbing we crested the ridge above profile lake right as the clouds cleared away to reveal what we had been climbing towards.

Mt. Thompson in the clouds

Mt. Williams stood prominent to our north and Thompson to our south. We were surrounded by jagged peaks with occasional couloirs descending to the lake. With eyes on the first major couloir dropping off Thompson to the NW down to profile like, Chris, Ryan and I crossed the lake to get a closer look. After a thorough snow pit analysis, we decided it was a go and Chris and I started the long bootpack up.

A long way to the top

Checking in on the radio with the rest of our crew
Photo: Chris Cullaz

After moving through variable windslab and pockets of powder we hit a section that narrowed to 20 feet and steepened to 50 degrees. Above this section we hit more windslab and steeper 55+ degree bulges. We decided this was one we would have to come back for. Turning around is still one of the harder things for me to do. After spending so much energy and time pushing up, climbing further and putting one foot in front of the other, making a decision to turn around within sight of the top takes more will power than every other step. But its this decision that will keep me coming back for more and with this thought in mind we turned around, strapped in and waited for our weather window.

Ascending the apron
Photo: Everett Coba

Conversations topics rarely travel past skiing, climbing or snowpack. Its easier to count the days that I don't put on my snowboard boots than the days that I do.

Our team in the Sawtooth Mountains. L to R, Everett, Chris, Alex and Jess
Photo: Ryan McKinley

I arrived here just about 5 weeks ago with the other three interns of Sun Valley Trekking. (Apprentice guides when we want to sound official) A guiding company here in the Wood River Valley that owns and operates six different backcountry huts in the area. We wasted no time getting down to business and after a brief meeting at the SVT office, began prepping for our 4 day hut trip leaving the next morning.

The smokies were our first destination and after a brisk 3 mile snowmobile tow in, we began our trek up the side of little round top to Coyote Yurt. We immediately get to work, clearing paths, chopping wood and going through basic hut maintenance. The next day we go out for a tour to get some terrain familiarization, skiing some popular shots around the hut and obtaining baseline data on the snowpack. We return to the hut as the daylight dwindles with big appetites and smiles on our faces. As the sun sets behind the Boulder Mountains in the distance we sit around the wood stove drinking whiskey hot chocolates and taking in the fresh mountain air.

The next day was much of the same, as was the day after that.

Jess, Chris and Kiefer chopping wood at Pio yurt

Trips ensued throughout the month of December, with a typical 1 day turnaround in the front country. Time has been spent hauling in loads on sleds, chopping wood, telling stories, doing beacon drills, digging snow pits, going through chainsaw usage, cooking, shoveling out endless snow and of course; skiing.

We've seen maybe three days of sun throughout the whole month as we got hammered with storm after storm. Breaking trail through knee deep snow was routine as we set the tracks to each of our 6 backcountry huts.

As the year comes to an end, the sun has started poking its head through the clouds and we began to settle into a routine. Minutes blend into hours blend into days and the day of the week no longer matters. We're now on mountain time. Business has picked up for the guides and our team of 4 is full steam ahead - or rather as fast as we can walk with sleds full of propane tanks.

Its not your typical job (we get paid in powder) but it sure beats sitting in an office!