2004/2005 Winter E-News
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Photo courtesy of Kirk Anderson. |
Thanks for checking out another edition of SMG’s E-News! This winter marks at least one
big change at SMG (read on below!), which return visitors to the Williams Peak Hut will be sure to notice.
We wrapped up our summer season by mid-October and some of the highlights included the return of Terry
Tillman’s 22/7 Wilderness trips, which we run in the Sawtooths and on the Middle Fork, as well as a guided
ascent of “High Anxiety,” a tricky Grade III, 5.10 on the Black Buttress in Redfish Canyon.
The arrival of 2005 makes SMG 20 years old. Kudos go out to Kirk Bachman, SMG’s founder and co-owner, for his vision and success in making SMG a longstanding Idaho fixture. |
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Goodbye Mads
It was with much sadness that we said goodbye to our friend and fellow guide Mads Aulum, who died unexpectedly in October from an aneurysm. A native of Denmark, Mads moved to the Ketchum/Sun Valley area in 1995 and started working for SMG in 2000. Mads was a PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America) Level III certified instructor and was in the second year of designing a PSIA backcountry program through Sawtooth Mountain Guides. Mads’s good friend Kirk Bachman spoke at his memorial service and said that he could see Mads in the skylight of the Williams Peak Yurt, of which Mads was smitten. We’ll miss Mads deeply and will celebrate his life as often as we can by skiing Danish Butter, a classic, south-facing corn shot off the Skier’s Summit. Kirk and Mads named the run last April when Mads guided a group of excited skiers down the then unnamed route in perfect corn conditions. |
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The new 20 footer is the left hand hut, with Kirk standing in front. |
New Yurt for 2004/2005
For the ‘04/’05 ski season SMG has added a new 20 foot diameter yurt at the Williams Peak Hut site. The new yurt replaces the existing 14 footer (previously the “sleeping” hut) and is complete with the existing wood burning stove, a new center table and kitchen lay-out, and bunks for eight people. The former “kitchen” hut (the 16 footer) is now the overflow hut with plenty of pack storage and bunks for an additional eight people. The new yurt adds much needed elbow room for big groups (especially SMG’s avalanche classes) and marks a new era at the Williams Peak site. Appropriately, the new hut was christened over the first weekend in November for Kirk's 50th birthday party. |
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Avalanche Education
Last year’s avalanche education program was a huge success. We ran five full courses (four Level 1’s and one Level 2) and the demand for this service continues to surprise us. We have five courses scheduled this year Click here for more information and will almost certainly add more as the inquiries continue to pour in. Among the offerings include a new Level 3 course, dates and details t.b.a. |
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First Turn Jitters? by Erik Leidecker
Note: this story first appeared in The Wood River Journal, in which Leidecker writes a twice-monthly column called "Peak to Peak." Erik is co-owner of SMG and approaching his thirteenth year of guiding in the Sawtooths. From the top of a ski run called Jerry Garcia I stare attentively down slope as if I’m trying really hard to pick out my line. In reality I’m procrastinating. Jerry Garcia is a low-angle slope and there’s only one fall line. In good conditions this is easy skiing. But I’m here with five other guys, all experienced backcountry skiers, and the turns that wait below will be the first of the year. I think we all sense the low-grade anxiety. It takes everyone an inordinate amount of time to strip off skins, adjust boots, and change clothing for downhill mode. I don’t think I’m the only one wondering who is going to ski first? |
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2003 Spring/Summer E-News
2003 Autumn/Winter E-News 2004 Spring/Summer E-News |
