At Sawtooth Mountain Guides, your experience is what matters most. We pride ourselves on providing a mountain adventure that exceeds your wildest expectations. Don't take our word for it, read what others have to say!
It's hard to articulate how awesome this company is, but I'll try! I hired SMG to take me on a "traveling light" 4-day backpacking trip. I was traveling to the area for sabbatical and while I've done overnight "car camping," I'd never done a multi-day backpack trip. From the very first phone call to their office to the actual trip, every single person I interacted with was professional, friendly, and helpful. To book one of these trips as an individual is NOT inexpensive, and a few times prior to arriving in Idaho, I wondered if I'd lost my mind....but I can honestly say that it was worth every single penny and much more! Sara (co-owner) was my guide, and from the moment I met her I felt completely comfortable and like I'd known her for a lifetime. She knows those mountains backward and forward. I love that she offered me adventure and challenges (crossing raging creeks and roping in to her to traverse snowy mountain trails) -- I trusted that she would not lead me into any situation that she didn't feel I could handle. The food that she prepared for each meal - oh my word!!! So delicious and not your standard "freeze dried" fare. Fresh, tasty, and healthy. The entire experience was fun, challenging, personally meaningful. I came away feeling confident and incredibly proud of myself. I can't wait to return for another adventure in the future!!
We booked a 4 day backpacking trip with Sawtooth Mountain Guides. I feel that the owner & guide helped us choose the best routes for our skill level. We had been backpacking in the past but needed to get acclimated to the altitude. The equipment was good and our guide worked hard to make it a great trip. Unfortunately he got sick and we had to hike out a day early. The owner Chris set us up in Stanley & arranged a climbing trip on our last day; so everyone had a great experience. I really appreciate the effort on the part of Chris & our guides Randall & Caleb.
Sawtooth Mountain Guides is without a doubt one of the best guide services in the country. I just finished my second ski mountaineering camp with SMG and they are the greatest. I learned valuable skills in mountaineering techniques and had the chance to apply them in many different settings. As a former examiner and ski instructor in Colorado, I have been around the best instructors in the business. SMG guides and staff are a cut above in every way. If you want the adventure of a lifetime, seek out these talented folks.
I took my AIARE Level 1 course with SMG and couldn't have been more impressed! Chris, Sarah, and Matt were professional, welcoming, and true subject matter experts. I honestly didn't want the course to end, wanted to keep learning!! Will be back for more refreshers and my Level 2 in the future for sure. I will definitely be referring friends to them.
My wife and I took a AIARE Level I course from SMG in January. The course took place at the Williams Peak hut. The level of knowledge and experience the guides had was impressive and made the course. As ex outdoor guides ourselves, it was great to see how well the guides all meshed together and were able to accommodate to each of the varying personalities of the group. The amount of information that was packed in to the 3 day course was extremely impressive. They have made the course information concise and presented in a manner that keeps your attention. My wife and I feel we have learned invaluable information to keep us safer in the backcountry. Additionally, the meals at the Williams Peak Yurt were all amazing and the hut itself was impressive. The yurt felt like home after the first day. Sarah, Mark, Drew, and Skyler were rock stars.
Took this course with my 16 year-old son. We're both good skiers but haven't done much back-country touring and want to take advantage of our vast Idaho backcountry. I couldn't recommend this course any higher. Erik & Randall were fantastic. The classroom portion was well thought-out and we felt prepared when we headed over to Moore's Mountain. If you're considering learning about backcountry skiing, this is an fantastic introductory course.
Second year doing a backcountry trip with the family. It was a bitter cold day, but sunny. Chris and Sara took us out of Galena Lodge and we spent the whole day on the mountain. Chris and Sara helped us and kept everyone laughing all day. Great guides, wonderful day. Very highly recommend using them to anyone. Looking forward to our next trip.
Sawtooth Mtn. Guides are amazing. They are true pros and experts and have been some of nicest people to work with that I have come across. Chris was a pleasure to work with setting up an outdoor activity for our entire team. He was always available for questions during the planning stage and was just a huge help and flexible to meet our time, number of participants and provided a heads-up on what to wear, even the weather. I initially emailed and heard very quickly from Eric and he was very helpful and encouraging that we could pull this off late in the season! They have planned a great team building experience and everyone is really looking forward to it. Sun Valley is an amazing destination and we will most certainly be using Sawtooth Mtn Guides in the years to come.
Our family of four (kids ages 15 and 11) went on a guided overnight trip with SMG in August. It was the highlight of our two-week trip to Montana and Idaho. After the boat ride across Redfish Lake, we hiked to SMG's canyon camp,where our guide, Drew, showed us around. Then Drew led the kids and I on a hike to an alpine lake. My husband opted to stay back and enjoy the hammock that Drew had set up for us.
I can't say enough about how wonderful our guide was. I am out of shape and our 11 year old had never hiked before. Drew helped us over rocks, provided fresh filtered water and was patient and fun.
After the hike, Drew set us up with snacks while he made dinner. We opted to sleep under the stars to catch the meteor shower - but Drew set a tent up for us just in case. He made coffee and breakfast the next morning. The view of the Sawtoooths from the canyon camp was incredible. If you are on the fence because of the cost - this trip was worth every penny.
We were an active family with 2 boys 10-12 looking for an exciting guided backpacking trip. SMG suggested we stay in their canyon camp for 3 nights and do daily excursions including climbing the Super Slabs the last day. The trip was awesome. SMG provided all the gear except our clothes, cameras and day packs (they provided bigger packs for getting to the Canyon Campsite. The hike in was pretty easy and we had no trouble getting set up. Matt cooked all the food and helped us keep the kids entertained and engaged. Our hikes up to the Alpine and Saddleback lakes were tough, but not too hard as we felt like we could have pushed more - but Matt was right in encouraging us to enjoy the time there and be less focused on grueling climbs. Climbing the Super Slabs a fantastic way to finish the week. My wife and I have done very much technical climbing outside of a gym and found the slabs challenging and exhilarating. The boys did great and only wished they could have cleaned their gear on their own.
Overall, the Sawtooth mountains are fantastic! SMG is a very professional and organized guide company that we would definitely use again if we are back in the Sawtooths.
