FAQs
Tam Rim Alpine Yurts FAQs
What time do hut guests meet? 9:00AM at the Upper Three Creeks Sno-park on the first day.
What time do hut guests return to the parking lot? Our normal return shuttles leave the huts at 2:30 and return to the parking lot around 3-3:30. This time can often be adjusted, we will check in with your group when arriving at the yurts.
How do we pay the balance? 60 days before your trip we will collect the balance. We accept: Venmo (add 2%), Check (no fee), Cash, (no fee)
Coffee? We have french press’ in each yurt.
Water? Most of the winter a fresh water spring is flowing near the huts. If it’s not flowing we melt snow. Bring water purifier if desired.
Where can I rent or demo backcountry skis? Mountain Supply in Bend.
Dogs? No dogs…even well behaved dogs with big floppy ears are not allowed, sorry.
Kids? Minimum age is 13.
How should we pack our food? Please put all your food in coolers or plastic tubs. Please avoid using grocery bags for gear/food transport.
One of group members can’t make it till the next day, can he get a shuttle in? We only run shuttles once for each group arriving, and each group returning. It is also important that the group all arrive at the same time so they don’t miss the avalanche/snow safety meeting. If we must run an extra shuttle it will be based on availability and there will be an extra charge.
Can we ski ourselves into and out of the yurts? Absolutely, its 6 miles and an elevation gain of 1,1ooft. There is a boring snow packed road, or you can take the more interesting, but longer Nordic trail route. The shuttle is included in your total price whether you use it or not. You are welcome to throw your gear in the shuttle and ski in light.
Can we bring our own snowmobile? You can, however by the time you gas/oil it up, trailer it, break some parts and deal with dragging in all your group’s gear, you might as well just use our equipment. If you do bring your own sled, we ask that you do not rip around in the vicinity of the Yurts for the sake of peace and quite and to comply with your permit.
Is there cell reception at the huts? The coverage is very spotty and unreliable. Turn the phone off and ski!
What do we do for emergency communication? We have an emergency satellite beacon devise at the yurts.
What are the best maps to bring? The “Broken Top” USGS Quadrant has most of the terrain. We also have laminated maps of the terrain available to borrow at the huts.
What if the snow conditions are awful, can we cancel or postpone our trip? We rent out the huts, not the snow pack. For us to operate sustainably we have to be very strict with our no cancellation policy. We say that 85% of the time, the skiing is great, 10% not so great, and 5% awful. For those that end up in the 5% category the focus must change from skiing to simply enjoying spending time in the woods with friends. If you think you might need or want to cancel, please consider travel insurance because we are not in a position to be flexible with our no cancellation policy. Some guests have successfully used www.travelguard.com.
Avalanche Course FAQs
What is your instructor ratio? 5 : 1, and we have a maximum class size of 10 students with 2 instructors. Many other course providers have 12, 13, 14…20 students. The smaller the class size, the better the experience.
Hut Based course vs. the Standard Course format? We feel that during a hut based course, you learn more, you ski more and you have more fun. We primarily offer hut based courses. By waking up in the backcountry we have more time, the information has time to sink in. By eliminating the logistics of traveling back and forth from the classroom to the ski slopes, we are able to offer more time touring and less time in-front of Powerpoint.
What is Tam McArthur Rim like? Tam Rim is a fantastic avalanche classroom. The terrain varies from simple to complex. Its a great place to learn travel techniques. There are multiple ways to travel through the terrain, some safer than others which provides a tremendous learning opportunity. Unlike many of the Cascade Volcanoes that are above treeline and ripped with wind. The protected North facing drainage of Tam Rim provides for a very interesting snowpack. Each season we encounter all types of avalanche problems (storm slabs, wind slabs, persistent slabs, wet slabs, loose wet, loose dry, deep slabs and cornices)You need to be in real avalanche terrain to truly learn about avalanches!
Can I take a Level 2 course if my Level 1 was not an AIARE course? Non-AIARE Level 1 courses vary widely in quality and content, and this is why we hope that you took an AIARE L1. If not, we will supply you some reading material prior to the course so you can get up to speed with the lingo. If you are still not sure if you are ready for the L2, just let us know you personal experience and we’ll give you our recommendation.
Is there a test to pass the course? No tests.
Do you provide private courses? Yes we do, but please reach out to schedule early - info@threesistersbackcountry.com.
Do you rent gear? We rent beacons, shovels and probes. We have a variety of brands so, if you are still deciding what to buy, you can rent from us and see what you like. Other backcountry equipment: skis, skins, boots etc can be rented at Mountain Supply in Bend.
Why take a course with us? We have the best instructor/student ratio, smallest class size, real avalanche terrain to work with, experienced instructors, we focus on field time and the location is beautiful.
What time do avalanche courses meet? 9:00 AM on the first day
What time do avalanche courses finish? Usually 4:00pm on the final day.
Can I snowshoe on the courses? No, sorry. Our courses are very ski tour based and we cover avalanche education from the perspective of a backcountry skier/splitboarder ascending and descending slopes.