Backcountry skiing Circle All Peak
Mason Diedrich tree skiing on Circle All Peak. Photos: Jared Hargrave
Circle All Peak, located at Butler Fork in Big Cottonwood Canyon, is the first place I went backcountry skiing in Utah. As a result, it is still one of my favorite places to go, especially when the avalanche danger is high. Butler Fork has few large terrain traps, is at a lower elevation and there are large aspen groves that anchor the snowpack.
Mason Diedrich skinning up Butler Fork.
The whole Butler Fork drainage is enjoyable to be in as one skins up through a quiet forest to ski protected powder that can last for days after a storm. The terrain isn’t very steep, but it’s the perfect place to go for a short tour. Unfortunately, it does see a lot of traffic as it is easy to access.
To ski Circle All Peak, park at the Butler Fork trailhead located 8 miles up Big Cottonwood Canyon. Begin skinning up the bottom of the drainage on a track that crosses over a (sometimes) frozen stream. Half a mile into the ascent, there is a fork in the trail. Hike the left fork that goes west up a small valley to a series of switchbacks leading up to the top of the ridge.
From here, go left (south) to the top of Circle All Peak where very good tree skiing can be found on the north face. I usually yo-yo the trees, then ski a final run down the obvious ridgeline that goes southeast back down to the car. It’s an awesome way to end the tour as you can ski right to your car without having to deal with a bobsled style descent through the drainage as with other popular tours in the Wasatch.
On the whole, Circle All Peak in Butler Fork provides quality tree skiing with a short uphill effort. Perfect for morning tours before work, it’s a place my friends and I like to ski several times per season.
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