TR: Coyote Yurt, ID 2/23 - 2/25/07

**mtnjam** · 03-07-2007, 05:49 PM

2/23/07:
Left the Baker Creek trailhead on 2/23/07 and had fresh tracks across the meadow until the group going into Tornak on their sleds passed us thus making it easier to get up to the East Fork Baker Creek. Just after the gate we got onto the ridgeline and made our way through an old clearcut which had some great skiing on the way back out on Sunday.

It took our group about 5 hrs to get up to the Coyote yurt. Patrick and Kyle, our guides pretty much broke trail through all the new snow that had fallen the previous few days the whole way up through the clearcut across the ridge and down to the yurt, snowing off and on the whole 2200 verts up to the yurt. It was a great relief to get the pack off when we arrived and start drinking the wine and booze we all brought up

After making dinner of spicy italian sausage and brocolli risotto that night and drinking a bit of scotch on new snow and a few glasses of wine I went outside, saw it clearing up a bit with some hazy stars and a 1/2 moon to light my way. I made it known that I was gonna go out and get some 9:00PM turns. Climbed to just above the yurt and skied back down getting only about 8 turns in before the terrain flattened out too much. Saw some lights from the Tornak area, clicked my light off and on and got a response from across the valley. Kinda cool....

Skintrack stoke

Wind affected snow

Looking toward upper Baker Creek and "The Professor" on the right

2/24/07:
Awoke on Saturday morning after a night of restless sleep ready to go get some turns in all the new snow. After a breakfast of hashbrowns, eggs and sausage and of course coffee and a little hot chocolate with some schnapps we went out to ski. We made our way over to half way between Fox Peak and the yurt and skied a NW slope after determining the stability was good with only a small amount of collapsing of the new snow on the old facet layer, no slabs.
After our first run we went back up near the yurt and skied a NE slope in some nicely spaced trees.
Our third run was back down a west face with a little crust under the new snow.
Fourth and fifth run were on a N area of Fox Peak

After our 3rd run the sky was starting to get grey and snowy again and lost a lot of good lighting for photos.
Here's a few from Saturday morning:
Glassford Peak?

Hyndman Peak area

2/25/07:
After a wonderful vegetarian dinner on Saturday night of falafel, millet, cabbage, carrots, raisins, and Annie's Goddess dressing we rested well, talk was made of a dawn patrol over to Fox Peak, my alarm went off at 6:20 AM, looked around, no one else was up and fell back asleep for an hour. Breakfast of oatmeal, fruits, nuts and sausage was consumed and we headed out to ski the north area of Fox Peak again. This time it was even better, after making one lap on Fox and not quite finding the area I had scoped the day before I went back up the skintrack about halfway and skied a really nice short slope. We made our way back to the yurt, packed up and made our way out. Skied the clearcut back down to the road which was interesting with moderately full packs. The way back out the East Fork was OK, but once we got to Baker Creek I wished I had bought that sled from Conundrum

Thanks again svtrek for a great time and some great turns. Hope to make it back again soon.

Anyone who's ever been to Boise has seen this. The "patch" on Boise Peak near the top of one of our bike trails. There were some turns on it last spring, but not by me. This is the year for my chance at turns.