“Is it possible these mountains are more beautiful than the Sawtooths?” I wonder aloud. It feels like I’m speaking sacrilege, but the view from where I am standing put the debate in my head. Jagged peaks, wide open bowls, and steep couloirs spread out before me in a real-life panorama. Hyndman Peak, Old Hyndman, and Cobb Peak dominate the horizon. From my perch atop Moose Lips, I am enraptured with Idaho’s Pioneer Mountains.
I finish my beer, shoulder my pack, and click into skis. My buddies and I worry that we had overstayed at the top of this mountain, and the snow may have become overly soft. But that view captured us. We were trapped by the sight. Taking one last look, I tap my ski poles together and drop into Moose Lips, spreading turns on what turned out to be perfectly-cooked corn.
Backcountry Skiing from the Pioneer Yurt
The Pioneer Yurt is home base in these spectacular mountains. Operated by Sun Valley Trekking, this yurt is an ideal shelter for excursions in it’s namesake mountain range. At 24-feet in diameter, the yurt itself is nice and big, sleeping up to 16 people. We have a crew of six, which left us plenty of room to spread out. The yurt has everything I come to expect in a backcountry hut: fully stocked kitchen, bunk beds with thick Paco pads, wood stove, solar-powered lanterns, and most important of all, a wood fired sauna.
Located near the bottom of Hyndman Basin, the Pioneer Yurt is situated in an ideal spot for ski-touring parties to maximize their time. Just above the yurt are three small mountains. Peanut, Elk Lips and Moose Lips are their locally-used names and each offers lower-angle, open bowls for quick powder or corn turns. Further up the basin, skiers can test their mountaineering skills on several peaks. Duncan Ridge, Hyndman Peak, and Cobb Peak are big, steep, and have serious avalanche potential. These mountains are great objectives for spring skiing and mountaineering when avalanche danger is low and corn snow allows for soft descents.
Adventure from Beginning to End
The Pioneer Yurt adventure begins right from the car. We hired a guide to snowmobile us and our gear (and beer) up to the yurt. By taking out 6 miles of skinning under heavy packs, the extra cost for this service was well worth it. Plus, being towed behind the sled was fun on its own.
Once at the yurt, we scoped out our objectives by skinning to the top of Peanut. Unfortunately, our timing for good snow was bad as warm temperatures dampened the snow. Clouds and wind arrived at the same time we did, leaving us with breakable crust and bulletproof slopes. Still, we found soft, protected powder of a north-facing aspect on Peanut.
The next morning, we went to check out Hyndman Peak despite the crusty snow and overcast skies. A long skin up Hyndman Basin put us at the base of the peak. But the snow was not soft enough for safe travel in steep terrain, and the sun showed no sign of making an appearance. So we had lunch at the saddle and skied styrofoam snow back to the yurt. Ansty, Jon Strickland and Adam Symonds played around on a natural kicker behind the yurt, while the rest of the gang skied what we could on Peanut and Elk Lips.
Day three dawned sunny and warm. Excited, we climbed Moose Lips where the main face looked ideal for corn farming. After the disappointment of the day before, we chose to maximize turns today instead of going for objectives farther afield. I think we made the right choice as we got several corn runs above the yurt before the clouds and wind came back to crust the snow surface one again.
First Impressions
As I finish my run down Moose Lips, spreading corn beneath my skis like butter on toast, I’m even more impressed with the terrain around the Pioneer Yurt. While we did not have the best conditions to ski the big lines on the upper peaks, it is clear that the Pioneer Mountains have Sawtooth-style, drool-worthy lines to explore. I’m okay with not ticking Hyndman Peak off the list because it means I now have a reason to come back, perhaps in April when corn season is in full swing.
While spring may be the best time to visit the Pioneer Yurt, you really can’t go wrong any time of year. The yurt is clean and well stocked, and the sauna is a must-do every evening to ease sore muscles.
If You Go
The Pioneer Yurt can be reserved through Sun Valley Trekking.
The cost is $45 a person per night. Weeknights (Sun-Thu) there is a minimum of $180/night required (covers 4 people in the yurt). On weekends (Fri-Sat) & Holidays there is a minimum of $360/night required (covers 8 people in the yurt).
In addition there is a 6% lodging sales tax and 3% US Forest Service Fee.
According to Sun Valley Trekking, booking for at least 8 people guarantees a private reservation. Any reservation for fewer than 8 people includes the possibility of sharing the hut with other skiers. If you would like to guarantee a private hut, you must reserve for 8 people.
Sun Valley Trekking requires that at least one member of your group be familiar with the route into the hut and correct operation of the facility. If no one in your group has been to this hut before, we require that a Hut Rent Guide accompany your party on day one of your trip. Cost of this service is a flat fee of $250.
To make getting to the yurt easier, you may hire a snowmobile to tow skiers on the first 5 miles. You also have the option of hiring a porter to carry up your provisions to the yurt. There are options to be helicopter dropped at the yurt as well for you high-dollar folks.
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