Question 1

Do you run set departures or private trips?

Accepted Answer

Private, almost entirely. The exceptions are the AIARE avalanche safety courses, the season-long women's mentorship program and its camp, and the spring ski mountaineering camp — those run on set dates. Everything else is built around your group and your dates.

Question 2

How big are the groups?

Accepted Answer

Three guests per guide. Bigger parties add a second guide, which changes the trip price — you'll see exactly where that step happens in your quote.

Question 3

Where can you take us?

Accepted Answer

The Uinta Mountains and the Wasatch next to Park City Mountain Resort, Solitude, Brighton, Alta, and Snowbird, on Special Use Permits issued by the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache and Ashley National Forests. Where you go on a given day depends on the snow, not on convenience.

Question 4

What's the difference between a guided yurt trip and renting one?

Accepted Answer

A guided and catered trip is handled tip to tail — a snowmobile ride in, all meals, and two guides with you throughout, three days and two nights minimum. A rental gives you the whole yurt to yourselves with no guide, with add-ons available: snowmobile ride-in support, gear portering, human portering, and demo gear. You rent the whole yurt, not individual beds.

Question 5

Do you guide anything other than skiing in the winter?

Accepted Answer

No. In winter it's all backcountry skiing or splitboarding (backcountry snowboarding) — no snowshoeing or Nordic skiing. You can add a mentorship focus or a private avalanche course at the yurt if you want the trip to be about learning.

Question 6

What does a summer trip include?

Accepted Answer

A guided and catered summer hut trip covers guided hiking, all meals, all transportation, and inflatable paddleboards — every one of the yurts sits on a lake. Rock climbing, fly fishing, and hut-to-hut legs (traveling on to another yurt) are add-ons.

Question 7

I've never skied in the backcountry. Is that a problem?

Accepted Answer

Not at all, and it's a great reason to go private. Inspired Summit is an AIARE education provider as well as a guide service, so a first day can be as much learning as it is skiing. Tell us where you're starting from and your guide will pitch the day right there.

Question 8

How do I book?

Accepted Answer

Send your dates and what you have in mind, by the form, email or phone. You'll get a plan built around you, quoted with everything that's included spelled out up front, so you know exactly what you're getting before you commit.

Jeff Minnema

The guides you'll be out with