On days when the avalanche danger is considerable or high, there are few places to go backcountry skiing where it is safe. Generally, low angle slopes with lots of trees that anchor the snowpack are the only option. One place that is a good choice for a safe tour is in the aspen groves that are found in Beartrap Fork in Big Cottonwood Canyon.
To get to Beartrap Fork, you have to park on the side of the highway in Big Cottonwood Canyon in the Silver Fork area, just down from the Silver Fork Lodge. As long as your tires are inside the white line, it is a generally safe place to leave the car and you won’t get a ticket or towed. From there, look for a steep driveway to the north. Pick up the skin track here and ascend through a thick aspen forest into Beartrap Fork.
Once inside Beartrap, there are several touring options on both the east and west facing slopes. The “safer” low-angle trees are west facing, on the right as you skin up. Beartrap Fork goes all the way to Desolation Lake and the Park City/Millcreek ridgeline, where good skiing can be found when avalanche danger is moderate or low.
A good option is to follow the skin track that branches off to the right and goes up from the drainage bottom through the aspen trees. This route avoids any terrain traps or open faces that may slide.
Once at the ridgeline, cut across the slope to avoid the open faces that sit below a cliff band that are known to slide. Staying in the trees, scope out your line, de-skin, and enjoy a 1,000 foot vertical tree run that rivals anything Steamboat Springs has to offer.
Perfectly spaced trees, lower angle slopes, and deep powder is the recipe for what may be the best backcountry run of the year.
Once finished skiing the trees in Beartrap Fork, it’s easy to pick the skin track up at the bottom so you can do it all again, making laps all day long (or until your legs give out.) Check out the GPS track below to get an idea of typical ski tours of lower and upper Beartrap Fork.
Excellent! Can’t wait to go check this out soon. I like the GPS track. Im kind of a geek that way.
Bear Trap Fork is one of my favorite spots… and seems is often overlooked by fellow powder seekers. The easy access from Canyons Resort makes it a no-brainer for an afternoon tour. See my recent backcountry ski brief from Bear Trap – http://alexdeckard.com/skiing-bear-trap-fork-big-cottonwood-canyon/
Yep, Bear Trap remains one of my favorites, even if the approach can be long from BCC. Checked out your blog. Nice pics of the area!
How are the glades for skiing when the avy danger is high or considerable? As predictable as the Aspen runs?
The evergreen glades further up canyon are more open, but generally lower angle.