tkuss
TY 4 Stroke Junkie
I am planning a trip out west for next year and I would like a little feed back on Togwotee mountain lodge. How is staying there? It appears they have alot of different types of sleds to rent which is great. I am interested in there guide service. I would be going out there with a group of 5 or 6 and after getting a guide last year at the snowies, we all feel getting a guide is the only way to fly. Also note that this will only be our second time in the Mountains sledding. Any way it appears that togwotee puts together about groups of 10 or so. Will we be able to get a guide for just our group of 5 or 6? Getting paired up in groups of 10 is not very appealing to me. Anybody able to comment on this as well as your Togwotee experience in general. Any feed back is greatly appreciated.
tkuss said:
You will love Togwotee. We had more snow there than Ive ever seen in my life. Last day there we woke up to 4 FEET (yes Feet) of fresh snow. Incredible riding. The lodge is very nice, and would recommend getting a suite. We slept 6 comfortably in a suite. Not sure if they have new cabins out back that sleep more than 4, but if they do, that would be better. Regarding the guides. We had Jason, a fantastic rider all to ourselves for 3 days, then the last day, they put 4 more in the group. I think if you guys are willing to pay the guide for a private group, they would be more than accomadating. Have a great time, and dont forget your beacon/probe and shovel kit.
challenger
Newbie
Been there the last two winters and had a blast. If you talk to them ahead of time and tell them what kind of riding you want to do they are pretty good at getting you the appropriate guide. This year we had the same guide all three days and had him to ourselves. I thought that was pretty nice to have only 4 people assigned to one guide but I'm sure that doesn't happen all the time. We stayed in a suite last year which was O'kay but this year we stayed in a cabin which was a little nicer. The food was very good but not a lot of choices on the menu. The riding is awesome you can ride anything from wild to mild. They have a decent rental fleet of current year sleds but I got a chance to ride our guides personal sled and had me wishing for more HP. The elevation really takes a toll on stock motors.
Shaf
Expert
I have been there twice and the worst part of the trip was leaving, the food is outstanding try the prime rib sandwich.
They have a 24hr gas pump all ya need is a credit card , we always rode the CDT trail south , try the ride down to Mackenzie Highlands Ranch , Sawmill Lodge or Line Shack Lodge down by Dubois.
If you are on a budget and have a group of around 5 the Line Shack has the bunkhouse , that was were we stayed.
It seems that Togwotee caters to the rent a sled 1st ride crowd that was why we stayed down south also , they have big crowds that either stay at the lodge or they are bussed up from Jackson Hole for a day ride on a rental with a guide.
It is your choice were you want to stay but we noticed that the closer you get to Togwotee the more sleds you and the rougher trails start showing up.
The food at the Sawmill is second to none and they have a real chef not some kid on hiatus from college.
I would avoid the crowd and stay on Union Pass it is also closer and you do not have to go up Togwotee Pass either, it can be tough if you run in to bad weather they will close the pass and thats it you either spend the night or turn around and go back to Dubois.
One last note if you are driving out bring your tire chains for your truck you may need them ,also if they close the freeway on the way out due to a blizzard which happens a lot it will shorten your trip , If i go back I will fly out and rent a car and a sled.
I see you are from the Milwaukee area take Interstate 80 out here do not go I-90.
Good Luck
Brian
They have a 24hr gas pump all ya need is a credit card , we always rode the CDT trail south , try the ride down to Mackenzie Highlands Ranch , Sawmill Lodge or Line Shack Lodge down by Dubois.
If you are on a budget and have a group of around 5 the Line Shack has the bunkhouse , that was were we stayed.
It seems that Togwotee caters to the rent a sled 1st ride crowd that was why we stayed down south also , they have big crowds that either stay at the lodge or they are bussed up from Jackson Hole for a day ride on a rental with a guide.
It is your choice were you want to stay but we noticed that the closer you get to Togwotee the more sleds you and the rougher trails start showing up.
The food at the Sawmill is second to none and they have a real chef not some kid on hiatus from college.
I would avoid the crowd and stay on Union Pass it is also closer and you do not have to go up Togwotee Pass either, it can be tough if you run in to bad weather they will close the pass and thats it you either spend the night or turn around and go back to Dubois.
One last note if you are driving out bring your tire chains for your truck you may need them ,also if they close the freeway on the way out due to a blizzard which happens a lot it will shorten your trip , If i go back I will fly out and rent a car and a sled.
I see you are from the Milwaukee area take Interstate 80 out here do not go I-90.
Good Luck
Brian
we stay at Togwotee in the cabins and love it. We usually go as a group with wives and take our own sleds. Guys I go with have been doing this for years and know the mountains well. We spend most of our time on the trails but do go off trail to places like Austins Peak, and some of the play areas near by.
Togwotee is a bit pricey, but the cabins are nice, you can cook in them some nites if you wish and having your own bar is good.
Togwotee is a bit pricey, but the cabins are nice, you can cook in them some nites if you wish and having your own bar is good.
baknblk
Extreme
Great place and unbelievable riding ! We stayed in the 2 man cabins which worked out well, there were around 15 of us and went with 2 guides. They had Polaris and Cats which both were very nice machines however the Cat was a little better because it weighed less. I know someone that went with a small group and was able to get a guide, just takes money. If one of you gets stuck often a larger group may be better for more helpers lol . Buffet was great . I had a hard time with the altitude and training myself to hammer it instead of braking when in doubt.
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Just got back from there!! We went on a package deal. Room in the Lodge, breakfast and anything on the menu for dinner. Free happy hour, with appetizers and drinks every night. $20 discount on rental sled every day, with 10% discount on fuel and gift shop purchases. Guide everyday. We had Nathan alll 3 days. And with a 3 day stay they pick you up at Jackson Hole Airport and return you there for your flights. Now the riding. I have a few pics I just put up in the photo section. Not enough adjectives to describe the riding. Our guide set the pace and waited for us to cry UNCLE LOL! We rode from the lodge through Sublett Pass to Brooks Lake Lodge for lunch! NOT for a rookie to attempt LOL! We left the Lodge after lunch and ascended to Austin Peak. Even less a ride for a rookie. Once there I was told we were at 12,000+ ft.!! AWESOME VIEW!!. I highly recommend this as a first time trip destination. Everyone was friendly, helpful, and courteous. Food was OUTSTANDING!! Can't say enough good things about our entire experience there 
tkuss
TY 4 Stroke Junkie
When renting from Togwotee Mountain Lodge do you pay for your own Gas you use?
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First tank each day is full. After that you pay your own way. We only bought fuel 1 day, the last, after a 115 mile day.Realistically, a tank a day is a LOT if you aren't in mountain riding shape. Used 8 gal. the first day , 7 the second and about 12 the last day.
tkuss
TY 4 Stroke Junkie
Thanks for the reply, so when you went back for more gas did the whole group and guide come with you? Just curious.
sandrews
Newbie
I would also do a search on Snowest. There is a lot of info on Togowee on that site.
tkuss
TY 4 Stroke Junkie
I have posted my Togowotee Questions on this site, dootalk and snowest and have have got all kinds of great info. Looks like I will be going to togwotee mountain lodge next year. Likes others have said, it is slightly more expensive than other lodges or places. But it puts right in the middle of great snowmobiling country, no trail riding to get to decent off trail riding. Also the guides are included with the rental, so I believe it is worth it.
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tkuss, Keep in touch through the summer. Myself and a few others here are planning to go next year. I enjoyed the trip tremendously!! Nothing like waking up and seeing mountains out your room window! Doing the Package deal is the way to go IMHO. Door to door service, no guide charge, discount on sled rental ,fuel and giftshop purchases, and breakfast and dinner included. Our experience was NOTHING like the guys on Snowest that were dissapointed. Talk to you this summer
tkuss
TY 4 Stroke Junkie
So is the guide only included if you get the package deal or do you only have to rent sleds from them to jump in a group with a guide? From what I was thinking if rent a sled you get a guide. I was not planning on doing the package, I was planning on three days of riding, staying in a cabin and we would just probably buy a couple frozen pizzas and make a whole bunch of burgers and brats and just warm them up and eat them there. We did this last year out west and everybody enjoyed it. Also ViperDave if you don't mind me asking how much did it cost you total to do the trip per person? You can PM me or not respond at all if you are not comfortable posting it. Thankyou
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Well, I have no problem sharing that info LOL. Total for the trip was $1900. That is higher than last year because of airfare almost doubling. This was four 4 nights lodging, transportation to and from the airport, sleds for 3 days, a guide each day and 2 meals, breakfast and dinner. We figured if we were eating in the Lodge, it would run us 50-65 a day for 2 meals. We also had to rent beacons and we took the ?35/day insurance as well. I am not sure of the guide being included with the rental. Pretty sure when I looked last year it was extra, but I could be wrong. It was a stress free vacation, well, except for some of the terrain we had to cross or climb LOL. Staying in the cabins would be cheaper I'm sure. I feel we recieved excellent value for what we spent though. Hope this helped in some way!
