When I started climbing in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains in 1970, there was no guidebook for the range, or any other range in Idaho. There were no modern USGS maps of the Sawtooths until 1972, but we did have Forest Service maps which showed trails and the approximate locations of some of the highest peaks. There was some printed information on … Continue reading
The Summer of 1949: Fred Beckey, Pete Schoening and Jack Schwabland went into Idaho’s Sawtooth Range to finish “some business” with two peaks that had repulsed their climbing attempts the previous Summer. They also had a shopping list of other unclimbed peaks in the Sawtooths. Their “Idaho adventure” may well be the most exciting epic in Idaho’s climbing history. Fred … Continue reading
Editor’s Note: Sawtooth Mountaineering was Boise’s first climbing shop. It was founded by Lou and Frank Florence. The shop was an important link between many of Idaho’s premier climbers and the development of Idaho’s technical climbing scene. Bob Boyles (quoted on Page 23 of the book) noted the shop’s importance as a hub for local climbers, stating “The thirty or … Continue reading
This December 4, 1938 Idaho Statesman published a Sun Valley promotional article written by the resort’s manager which discussed Ski Mountaineering opportunities in the mountains surrounding the resort. The article predates the publishing of Andy Henning’s definitive guidebook for backcountry skiing around the resort, the Sun Valley Ski Guide, in 1948. As lift skiing gained popularity and adherents, the resort … Continue reading
The Union Pacific Railroad’s Sun Valley Resort was a leader in ski resort development, including designing and installing the first ski lifts. It seems that the resort was also a leader in establishing a climbing school. In 1947, the resort hired Walter Prager to teach climbing techniques to the resort’s guests. The climbing classes, with typical Sun Valley flare complete … Continue reading
The following account of an early ascent of Freeman Peak in the Beaverhead Range was published in the Idaho Statesman on October 8, 1903. … Continue reading