Fatal mountaineering accidents are rare in Idaho, but they do occur. Rarer still are fatalities from Summertime avalanches. Most people associate avalanches with Wintertime, and Winter is when most avalanches do occur. However, for climbers, it’s the Summertime avalanche that can be an overlooked risk. Stanley, Idaho resident Jared Spear died on Castle Peak in a rare Summertime avalanche. His … Continue reading
Andy Henning was the author of the first Idaho backcountry ski guidebook, “Sun Valley Ski Guide,” which was published in 1948. Unfortunately, the guide is long out of print and is hard, if not impossible, to find. There is a preserved copy at the Ketchum library. Henning moved to Sun Valley prior to WWII to work as a guide for … Continue reading
Wayne Boyer was a compatriot of Lyman Dye and one of the founders of the EE DA HOW Mountaineers, an Eastern Idaho climbing club. Boyer, along with Dye and Art Barnes, climbed many difficult routes in Eastern Idaho including his first ascent of the East Face of Mount Borah in 1962. … Continue reading
[Editor’s note: Robinson Bar Ranch holds a unique spot in Idaho’s climbing history as it became the home of the first guide service in the United States dedicated to backcountry skiing. Joe Leonard tells its fascinating story below. Joe is an amazing human being. Be sure to read a bit about his life at this link: Joe Leonard and about … Continue reading
[Editor’s Note: Joe Leonard is a man who spent his first 5 years living in the Idaho backcountry in his grandparents’ cabin. From that point, his life just got more interesting each year. He was behind many “first” accomplishments in Idaho, including the first Winter ascent of Mount Regan, the first backcountry skiing guide service in the United States, the … Continue reading
Lyman Dye was one of the giants of Idaho climbing. Lyman was a major contributor to the Sawtooth Range chapter in the book where his familiarity with the range, based on his many first ascents and leading clients to the tops of many peaks as part of his operation of the first guide service in the Sawtooths (discussed on Page … Continue reading