Tiny Town Guided Ski week

This information package is for clients already booked on this trip. If you landed on this page via an internet search then you may contact me for more information on ski trips that we offer.

If you have already signed up for the trip please read this information package carefully. It should answer all your questions but if not you can contact me.

This trip is run by alpinism.com in conjunction with Skookum Backcountry Adventures. Skookum owns the Tiny Town and is run by my good friend James Minifie who is an ACMG certified Ski Guide.

Click here if you are looking for a gear list.

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The trip price includes:

  • Two lead guides (Mark and James)

  • Transfer by vehicle between Whitehorse and Tiny Town

  • Lodge accommodation

  • Food

  • Powder skiing!

The following information is included in this package:

  • Risk discussion

  • Mountain Rescue and Rescue Insurance

  • Medical Insurance

  • Food and Medical Issues

  • Pricing and Payment

  • Important Dates and Times

  • Delays

  • Getting to Whitehorse

  • Whitehorse accommodations

  • Daily schedule

  • The lodge

  • Communications from and to the lodge

  • The skiing

  • The staff

  • Booze

  • Luggage

  • Tipping

RISK

It is important to understand that no matter how well prepared we are there is still an element of risk to backcountry skiing.

You will all need to sign a guiding waiver and Skookum Backcountry Adventure waiver when you arrive for the ski week. Please read the waiver before the trip so you understand what the risks are and what you will be signing when you begin the trip.

Safety is our number one priority. You all trust the guides to be dialed in and to be able to rescue you in case of an accident, but it goes both ways. We need to trust you to be able to do the same for us! Our risk is shared, and if you prepare even just a little bit beforehand it is very helpful and the guide’s families thank you.

The most important person in managing your personal risk is YOU. There are a variety of ways you can manage risk on this trip:

  • Listen to the guides’ instructions and if you are uncertain of what is expected of you please ask!

  • Take an avalanche course with me! Click here.

  • Take the online avalanche course at the Avalanche Canada website. Click here.

  • Practice avalanche rescue prior to the trip. At the very least understand all of the functions of your avalanche transceiver and how to search for multiple burials. We would really appreciate if you practice with the entire kit before the trip: transceiver, shovel and probe. A full rescue practice where you work as a team and recover a couple of buried packs with transceivers in them would be best, but even working in the backyard doing a simple transceiver search, and making sure your shovel and probe are in good working order is helpful. Please practice before the trip, the safety of your fellow skiers and the guides rely on YOUR skills.

  • Speak up. If you see something you feel is hazardous, mention it to the group and the guides. If you feel uncomfortable with what you perceive is a risk, mention it to the group and the guides. The only way we can address your concerns is to know about them, discuss, and if necessary change what we are doing.

Skiing together as a group is all about trust in each other’s abilities. The more we trust each other the more fun we will have because that means that we can ski the most interesting terrain available to us with the current conditions.

Mountain Rescue

In nearly thirty years of guiding I have only had three evacuations from the field for minor injuries or illness.

Mountain rescue on British Columbia provincial lands where this trip takes place may be performed in two ways:

  • The guide calls outside resources directly for help. These resources may be a helicopter company or an adjacent guiding operation. This type of call-out is often the fastest way to get help in an emergency situation, such as an avalanche accident. If this occurs the group will be responsible for all costs. These costs would be in the many thousands of dollars.

  • The guide calls for help from the local volunteer search and rescue team. This type of call-out takes longer to get a response, but may be used for non-emergency evacuations such as an injured knee. As a general rule this type of call-out (helicopter expenses etc.) is paid for by the provincial government but that may not always be the case. Whether a party is charged for the cost of a rescue is decided on a case by case basis by the provincial government (Emergency Management British Columbia); unfortunately it is not clear what parameters they consider when making this decision. Costs may run into many thousands of dollars.

  • Evacuations from a lodge or camp for issues that do not require immediate emergency medical attention, such as a minor injury or illness, may not be paid for by the government as a search and rescue team is normally not involved. Costs may run into many thousands of dollars.

You need to decide for yourself whether to buy rescue insurance for the small chance that we require a call out for outside resources and that you will be charged if those services are required. It may be appropriate to purchase mountain rescue insurance for this trip.

Here are some options for coverage. Make sure to research options carefully to make sure they are appropriate for your situation, listed in terms of preference:

  • If you own a satellite messenger there is an option to purchase insurance through your device. Investigate coverage carefully. Here is information for SPOT and InReach devices. The rescue needs to be initiated from your device for the insurance to be in effect. This option may be the least expensive, I use the InReach insurance which costs about $60/year. They will organize your rescue with local resources.

  • Tugo. This may be less expensive and may be appropriate for trips in Canada. You will need the optional adventure sport coverage. Travel medical insurance options are also available. Maximum $6000 coverage, which may not cover the entire cost of a complex rescue.

  • American Alpine Club Global Rescue package. For the cost of a membership in the AAC (US$80) you get US$7,500 mountain rescue insurance. This would probably cover most (perhaps not all) of the cost for many incidents. They will organize your rescue with local resources.

  • Global Rescue. US$500,000 coverage. This is the most expensive option. You need to be more than 100 miles from your home for this to kick in. They will organize your rescue with local resources. If purchasing Global Rescue insurance you can buy the IMG TRAVEL INSURANCE option at the same time in the “ADDITIONS” section (not the “Total Care” option), this covers medical bills after the rescue.

Go to our Mountain Rescue Insurance page for more information.

MEDICAL INSURANCE

Travel health insurance is required if you live outside Canada. Health care in Canada is not free. Even a simple hospital visit could incur thousands of dollars in bills. American health care plans may cover foreign travel, consult your provider.

Travel health insurance should be considered even if you are from Canada. If you live outside British Columbia your provincial health care plan may not cover all of your expenses in BC. This is especially true for Quebec residents. Research what your provincial plan will cover. Even a simple hospital visit could incur thousands of dollars in bills. Beware of plans that claim to cover mountain rescue as they may have a different definition of the term, make sure you question a representative carefully.

If purchasing Global Rescue insurance you can buy the IMG TRAVEL INSURANCE option at the same time in the “ADDITIONS” section (not the “Total Care” option), this covers medical bills after the rescue.

See options on my Cancellation and Health Insurance page.

FOOD AND MEDICAL ISSUES

If you have any food allergies or strong preferences, or any pertinent medical issues, please ensure we know about these issues ahead of time.

Important dates and times

All times are Pacific Standard Time.

Day 0

You will need to stay in Whitehorse the night before the trip as we meet very early on Day 1.

Day 1

Please bring a snack/sandwich on this day in case we are delayed getting into the lodge.

Once arriving at the lodge we will move in, have lunch, and then participate in a ski safety briefing and rescue practice. If everything goes on schedule we are able to do a run before dinner.

Day 2-6

Skiing!

Day 6

Delays

There is always the possibility of delays getting into or out of the lodge. Be prepared for this, especially on the last day of the trip. I don’t recommend you try to make a flight out of Whitehorse that day!

Getting to Whitehorse

James recommends Air North.

Whitehorse Accommodations

There are many options for accommodations in Whitehorse, from inexpensive motels, pricier hotels, Air BnBs etc. A Google search will get you the best results. 

The schedule

The schedule over the week is simple: eat, ski, eat, sleep!

The ski days generally start with breakfast at 7.30 AM and we try to be on our skis and traveling by 8.30 AM. We plan to be back at the lodge between 4 and 5 PM. Then there are après ski snacks, sauna time, dinner at 7 PM, and then hit the sack.

Tiny Town

Tiny Town is a series of cabins built as a base for skiing, near the road over White Pass between Whitehorse and Skagway. Although we start the trip in Whitehorse, Yukon, the lodge is in the sliver of British Columbia between Yukon and Alaska.

Cabins are double occupancy, with a separate kitchen and dining cabin. Heat is propane and wood. There is a sauna, basic shower, and outhouses.

Communications from and to the lodge

We will have radio communications during the day between the guides, the lodge and the local helicopter and guiding companies.  There is no internet available at the lodge for guests. The guides have internet access to help keep track of weather and avalanche conditions.

Satellite communicators like SPOT or InReach devices work well if you would like to keep in touch with your family.

In case of an emergency we will always be able to get word out by radio, satellite phone, or satellite text message. But all backcountry communications can be subject to disruptions so there is a chance your personal communications while at the lodge may be sporadic. It is best to tell your families “no news is good news”!

You can tell your families that in an emergency they can contact you by calling the Sorcerer Lodge base and they can contact us on the radio.

The Skiing

Ski trips are predominantly in the alpine. We will start either right from the cabins or drive snowmobiles to get us into terrain further away. Some guests will drive the sleds and others will tow behind. The snowmobile driving is straightforward on old roads.

Trip lengths are typical of other lodge trips you may have been on, 1000-1500 m elevation gain with touring days usually being between 6 and 8 hours long.

With two guides there are options to split the group if some folks want shorter days and others want a longer one. Often we can do this by part of the group going home early or we can also have two separate objectives. It will be up to the conditions we encounter over the week combined with what you would like to do.

The staff

You can find out more about me at Mark Klassen - ACMG Certified Mountain Guide. I’ve been working as a ski patroller, avalanche forecaster and guide since the mid 80’s. In the summer I guide mountaineering and rock climbing. I’ve been a fully certified ACMG/IFMGA mountain guide since 1996.

James Minifie is owner of Skookum Backcountry Adventures and an ACMG certified lead guide. James will facilitate all our logistics and also guide during the week.

Booze

You will need to organize beer, wine and other alcohol yourselves. Feel free to talk to each other to figure this out. Beer in cans works best.

Luggage

For your incoming luggage please try to keep things to three packages:

  • Your skis and poles (strapped together) . Two ski straps work best to keep skis and poles in one tidy package.

  • Your day pack with all your gear for the ski days.

  • As small a duffle bag you can get away with to put the rest of the gear into (or two small duffles). Small bags are easier to load into the helicopter.

Some pointers on packing:

  • Keep your ski pack and duffel (excluding your skis) to about 15 kg/35 lbs.

  • We will not accept very large duffels (like hockey bags) or bags/luggage with hard sides or wheels as they are too difficult or impossible to pack into the helicopter. You need to bring smaller, soft duffel bags.

  • No ski bags.

Tipping

Gratuities are not included in the price. Tipping is not required but is appreciated. If you feel the staff gave you a great experience then a cash tip is happily accepted.

The bottom line

If you get nothing else from this information package, please do the following:

Questions?

If you have any questions let me know! Email me.

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