Frog Lake Huts
Explore Incredible terrain and enjoy plush accommodations with the finest hut-based skiing experience outside of BC!
- Ski the best zone in the area that day, based on weather and snow conditions
- Refresh gear and technique skills
- Avalanche safety skills review throughout the day
- Enjoy delicious meals, great company, and living that backcountry hut life!
Here's the schedule for your trip:
- Day 1 - Arrival & Tour to the Huts - Enjoy skinning and riding along the way. Upon arrival we'll unpack our small overnight kits and get out for a tour before dinner. After we've had our fill of riding for the day, we'll settle back into the huts and prepare for dinner. Dinners are deluxe meals prepared by our guides.
- Day 2 - Ski Touring from the Huts - We'll get an early start on the day, with a hot breakfast, fresh coffee, and tea. Next, we'll prepare food for the day before gearing up and heading out to explore the Frog Lake area. We'll spend full days ski touring, covering roughly 3,000-5,000' vertical each day with lunch eaten in the field. After skiing to our hearts content, we'll regroup at the huts, set our gear out to dry and prepare for dinner.
- Days 3 & 4 - Ski Touring from the Hut / Departure Depending on the length of your trip (3 days or 4 days), we'll either be up for another day of skiing and riding, or we'll pack up and head back to the trailhead.
Here are the skills and fitness you'll need for your course:
- Advanced Resort Riding Skills - Including off-piste terrain in challenging snow conditions.
- Intermediate Backcountry Experience - Including efficient gear management and skinning, transition technique, with 20+ days spent in the backcountry.
- Moderate Fitness - Able to spend an active day outside, moving uphill at 1,000’ per hour for durations of roughly 1 hour between breaks. Participants should be able to hike 4-6 miles and climb 1,500-2,500 vertical feet throughout the course of the day.
Here's what's included with your trip:
- Modern, comfortable sleeping accommodations in the tradition of European backcountry huts
- Experienced AMGA/AIARE Trained Guide
- Deluxe breakfasts and dinners prepared by your guide. Guests provide their own lunch and snacks.
- Group Safety Gear - your guide will be equipped with snow science tools and a first aid kit
- Wag Bags - for human waste disposal in with compliance 'Leave No Trace' principles
- Ski/Splitboard Gear
- Avalanche Gear
- Alcohol - Beer can be purchased at the huts
- Guide Gratuities
Ski/Split Touring Gear
- Alpine Touring Ski or Splitboard Setup - No snowshoes
- Alpine Touring or Splitboard Boots
- Climbing Skins
- Touring Backpack - with pockets for avalanche gear
- Adjustable Touring Poles
- Avalanche Beacon
- Avalanche Shovel
- Avalanche Probe
- Headlamp
- Sleeping Bag - Provided by Blackbird, sleeping bag liner required
- Sleeping Pad
- Hut Slippers - Provided by Tahoe Donner Land Trust
- Technical Outerwear (jacket, bibs/pants)
- Multiple Midlayer Options
- Gloves
- Helmet
- Goggles
- Beanie
- Baseball Cap
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Water Bottle / Hydration Pack (2L)
- Lunch and Snacks
Know Before you go
Blackbird Mountain Guides offers both scheduled group programs and private programs.
Private programs are simply above and beyond what Blackbird Mountain Guides currently has scheduled. Scheduled courses are not always less expensive. Before booking a trip with Blackbird Mountain Guides, clients are encouraged to review the differences between these types of programs, and to decide what works best for them.
SCHEDULED PROGRAMS
Scheduled Programs have fixed dates, itineraries, objectives, curriculum, and costs. They typically appeal to solo individuals or small groups or who are looking to share the cost of their program with a larger group. Correspondingly, scheduled programs are less expensive for smaller groups (1-2), and they provide the opportunity to meet others with similar interests. If you have a large group (3+), Scheduled programs will often be more expensive. They can fill up quickly, and scheduling flexibility is obviously limited.
Scheduled programs will have advertised dates. All scheduled programs can be run as private programs with private dates/rates as well.
PRIVATE PROGRAMS
Private programs have scheduling freedom. They typically appeal to those who would like some flexibility in planning their own trip or course. In this regard, Itineraries and objectives can be tailored to suit current conditions as well as client goals. Private programs are normally less expensive for larger groups (3+). If you have a small group (1-2) private programs will be more expensive.
The Frog Lake Huts operate on a fixed weekly schedule for the season. Trips run throughout the winter as follows:
Sunday through Tuesday
Tuesday through Thursday
Thursday through Sunday
Friday through Monday
For example, if you book a weekend option, you arrive on Thursday and spend Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at the hut before leaving on Sunday.
Day 1 (Arrival & touring): Tour to the huts, enjoying fun skinning and riding along the way. Upon arrival we'll unpack our small overnight kits and get out for a tour before dinner. After we've had our fill of riding for the day, we'll settle back into the huts and prepare for dinner. Dinners are deluxe meals prepared by our guides.
Day 2 (Ski touring from the hut): We'll get an early start on the day, having a hot breakfast with fresh coffee and tea and prepare snacks for the day before suiting up and heading out for a day of exploring the Frog Lake area. The backcountry holds numerous options and based on fitness and capabilities of your group, we can range far and wide to find the best snow and explore new terrain. After skiing to our hearts content, we'll regroup at the huts, set our gear out to dry and prepare for dinner.
Day 3(Ski touring from the hut)/ Day 4(Departure and short tour): Depending on the length of your trip (3 days or 4 days), we'll either be up for another day of skiing and riding, or we'll pack up and head back to the trailhead.
Explore Incredible terrain and enjoy plush accommodations with the finest hut-based skiing experience outside of BC!
- Ski the best zone in the area that day, based on weather and snow conditions
- Refresh gear and technique skills
- Avalanche safety skills review throughout the day
- Enjoy delicious meals, great company, and living that backcountry hut life!
Here's the schedule for your trip:
- Day 1 - Arrival & Tour to the Huts - Enjoy skinning and riding along the way. Upon arrival we'll unpack our small overnight kits and get out for a tour before dinner. After we've had our fill of riding for the day, we'll settle back into the huts and prepare for dinner. Dinners are deluxe meals prepared by our guides.
- Day 2 - Ski Touring from the Huts - We'll get an early start on the day, with a hot breakfast, fresh coffee, and tea. Next, we'll prepare food for the day before gearing up and heading out to explore the Frog Lake area. We'll spend full days ski touring, covering roughly 3,000-5,000' vertical each day with lunch eaten in the field. After skiing to our hearts content, we'll regroup at the huts, set our gear out to dry and prepare for dinner.
- Days 3 & 4 - Ski Touring from the Hut / Departure Depending on the length of your trip (3 days or 4 days), we'll either be up for another day of skiing and riding, or we'll pack up and head back to the trailhead.
Here are the skills and fitness you'll need for your course:
- Advanced Resort Riding Skills - Including off-piste terrain in challenging snow conditions.
- Intermediate Backcountry Experience - Including efficient gear management and skinning, transition technique, with 20+ days spent in the backcountry.
- Moderate Fitness - Able to spend an active day outside, moving uphill at 1,000’ per hour for durations of roughly 1 hour between breaks. Participants should be able to hike 4-6 miles and climb 1,500-2,500 vertical feet throughout the course of the day.
Here's what's included with your trip:
- Modern, comfortable sleeping accommodations in the tradition of European backcountry huts
- Experienced AMGA/AIARE Trained Guide
- Deluxe breakfasts and dinners prepared by your guide. Guests provide their own lunch and snacks.
- Group Safety Gear - your guide will be equipped with snow science tools and a first aid kit
- Wag Bags - for human waste disposal in with compliance 'Leave No Trace' principles
- Ski/Splitboard Gear
- Avalanche Gear
- Alcohol - Beer can be purchased at the huts
- Guide Gratuities
Ski/Split Touring Gear
- Alpine Touring Ski or Splitboard Setup - No snowshoes
- Alpine Touring or Splitboard Boots
- Climbing Skins
- Touring Backpack - with pockets for avalanche gear
- Adjustable Touring Poles
- Avalanche Beacon
- Avalanche Shovel
- Avalanche Probe
- Headlamp
- Sleeping Bag - Provided by Blackbird, sleeping bag liner required
- Sleeping Pad
- Hut Slippers - Provided by Tahoe Donner Land Trust
- Technical Outerwear (jacket, bibs/pants)
- Multiple Midlayer Options
- Gloves
- Helmet
- Goggles
- Beanie
- Baseball Cap
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Water Bottle / Hydration Pack (2L)
- Lunch and Snacks
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Awesome Experience
“Taking this course with Zeb was the best decision! He was extremely friendly, relaxed and knowledgeable and answered all our questions with great patience.
An Exceptional Course
“I took an AIARE 1 with Blackbird and couldn't recommend it more. The knowledge gained was well-worth every penny, and then some."
Too Good For Words
Just took the "lift-assisted" Avalanche Rescue course, and it was a fantastic opportunity to act out more realistic rescue scenarios. It was a great refresher and learning experience. Our instructor Evan was knowledgeable and a lot of fun. Highly recommended!
An Incredible Weekend!
Completed AIARE 1 w/ Blackbird. Instructors were very knowledgeable, experienced, patient, attentive, and down-to-earth in relating to clients across a wide spectrum of ability. Highly recommended. Great group of people!
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