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SMG E-News Issue #1
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February 2009
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Greetings!
This
edition of the Sawtooth Mountain Guides E-News welcomes you to a number
of 'newsworthy' developments at SMG. Since our last outreach to our
friends from our 'old' website format we have been busy guiding with
lots of great adventures summer and winter. Erik Leidecker, SMG
co-owner and Chief of summer operations wrapped up a great season with
a variety of distinctive trips and our best summer of activity in SMG
history. Thanks to our great professional staff of summer mountain
guides!
Winter
is well underway with the wood stocked up at the Williams Peak Hut
where we have a revolving door of backcountry ski enthusiasts visiting
our premiere hut and its incredible terrain as you read our news! Our
Avalanche Education program and Mountain Skills courses continue to
prove popular, with great reviews on the quality of the courses and
professional guides. We are continuing with custom avalanche programs
as well as guided skiing through the season. Check our slate of
activities on our 'new' website!
Speaking
of new website, we are pleased to have Clark Corey back helping out
with our ski hut, assisting
with guiding , snowboarding specialties
and a solid set of technology and office skills. Clark is to be thanked
for the transformation of our website which he designed to better meet
the needs of the SMG patrons and friends.
We
hope you will check out all the new features on-line, which will get
everyone psyched to stay in touch. Also see the current activities and
conditions, both winter and summer, here in the Sawtooths. Link up with
us this winter and join us for some great adventures, whether for a
guided backcountry tour, a stint at the hut, or for a avy class or
mountaineering course.
Come and join us! .
Winter's Best,
Kirk Bachman
Co-owner
Winter Program Director
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 Upcoming Courses
This winter has been very busy, including numerous of our popular Level 1 avalanche courses, an Avy 1 Refresher and several REI Avy Awareness Courses. We've also gotten to take some training ourselves, which have included Heli Ski Guide Training and an AIARE Instructor Training Course. Although our Level 1 avalanche course is by far the most popular, we still have 2 of our 'core' courses coming up (Level 2 Avalanche and Ski Mountaineering). Click here for a review (trip report) on our courses thus far.
Level 2 avalanche - Feb 12-15. Instructors are Kirk and Steve Conger. Steve is an avalanche forecasting consultant, coming down from Canada and the course is 4 days covering metamorphism processes, travel techniques, rescue, SWAG standards and focusing on tour leadership.
Ski/Snowboard Mountaineering Camp - April 23-26 & April 29 - May 3. This is a course for skiers who would like to learn the skills necessary to simply climb mountains and ski off of them. Backcountry Magazine wrote up an article on last years camp in their latest issue.
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 Guided Skiing
Guided Backcountry skiing is also on the agenda including hut trips
and day tours based out of Stanley, Galena Pass and Copper Mountain. The NAVY seals
based in Virginia Beach did a trip/training with us as well as the
Carabasset ski academy out of Maine.
Backcountry ski trips can be day tours at the passes or extended stays at our famed Williams Peak Hut. Objetives can be skiing the steeps, tips and tricks, or just finding the pow stashes. See our Williams Peak Yurt page or our Guiding page for more details.
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New Features on Website
Any of you who have been involved with SMG in the past year have probably noticed that we have a new website. We figured after 10 years it was time for a new one. I just wanted to point out a couple new features and where pages from the older site are now located.
Winter section: Our avalanche education page has been reorganized so specific courses are grouped by type of class (ie Level 1) and will be updated throughout the winter as needed. Our winter guiding page describes various yurt and day touring options available in the area.
General Info section: We now have 2 photo gallery sections; one for winter and one for summer. Expect to see new photos as the season continues.
Resources section: is a new addition. One useful feature is our weather and snow info page. You can think of this as a "one stop shop" for any weather, snow and avalanche info on the Sawtooth area. Includes NOAA forecast, snotel sites, remote weather stations, Sawtooth webcam, the Avalanche center and weather models, for all you snow nerds like us. We use this page all the time because all the info is right there, specific to the Sawtooths...so no searching around. Last, but not least, is our trip reports page. This is a blog compiled by guides at SMG and is updated on a regular basis. Includes guided trips, "guides day out" and conditions report.
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Chute Patrol - Featured Line: Resurrection
By Mike Hatch
Last March, Dan Meeker and the United Pipe gang had a fantastic guided yurt trip at Williams Peak Hut. They got to ski numerous classic Sawtooth lines like 'Big Fatty', 'There and Back Again', and 'Resurrection' in fantastic powder conditions. Dan had some reservations about Resurrection, but once he started down the 45+ fall line he was quickly converted and booked two trips for winter 09. Join the conversion and book a guided hut trip with SMG.
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 Sun Valley Heli Ski Guides and SMG join forces
Sun Valley Heli*Ski and Chugach Powder Guides formed a new company called EpicQuest. Erik Leidecker is now the Operations manager for SVHS. In conjunction with Sawtooth Mountain Guides, Sun Valley Heli*Ski will be offering a new ski touring program this year for skiers who still want to get into the backcountry on days when the helicopter can't fly. No previous backcountry experience required. Read more here...
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 The Burrito Deal (AKA Day & 1/2 Guide)
The Burrito deal (as Kirk likes to call it) is basically like having the local yocal as part of your group for a day and 1/2. Starting at the trailhead the guide will help carry some of your supplies up to the yurt. Once at the yurt, you'll get brought up to speed on ski and snowpack conditions, and then take a run. The following morning the guide will lead you to an area where he can point out some quality runs, with a good variety of terrain (and maybe even show you a couple stashes).
Whether your group is experienced or not, having somebody give you beta on the terrain and conditions is a great way to make your trip more efficient. Plus, it will make your hike to the yurt at little lighter which anybody can appreciate. Its like having a guide, porter and local all rolled into one...the burrito deal.
Our Special ''Recession'' Price: $350
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| View from the top... |
Thanks for checking in...we hope to get a couple of these out each season. Until next time ski ya later.
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| Contact Information |
Sawtooth Mountain Guides
PO Box 18
Stanley, ID 83278
www.sawtoothguides.com
(208)-774-3324
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