Park City Ridge separates Big Cottonwood Canyon from its namesake town and the Canyons Resort, and is like a backcountry ski resort in its own right. The ridge runs from east to west for over six miles from Brighton to the top of Mill Creek Canyon at a consistent elevation of 10,000 feet. Both sides of the ridge feature bowls and trees that can be lapped all day, and the Park City side is known for backcountry skiing open bowls like West and South Monitor.
Backcountry skiing South Monitor can be touchy at times, as it’s a north-facing bowl that sees lots of avalanche activity. This area is a windy place where the snow is constantly scoured, creating cross-loaded slabs and dangerous cornices. In fact, The Monitors is a favorite place for avalanche forecasters to test slope stability because slides are so predictable on the rollers in the upper bowls. As a result, South Monitor is best skied only when avy danger is low and the slope proves to be stable.
If conditions are good, then South Monitor is a fun place to make laps. It’s easy to get to the top of the bowl from Willow Fork in Big Cottonwood Canyon, and after taking a run, a short skin through the trees up either side of the bowl will get you back to the top for another go. But again, avalanche danger is tricky here, so dropping cornices and making ski cuts before skiing is good policy.
And the skiing is oh-so-fine. The north faces in South Monitor see little sunshine, meaning that the snow remains sheltered and cold. Wind can greatly affect the quality of your turns, especially in the exposed upper bowl, but the snow always improves as you make your way down. Overall, South Monitor may be a short shot vertical-wise, but the steep angle and wide open space allows you to make sweeping turns on classic Utah powder.
To get to South Monitor, drive up Big Cottonwood Canyon and park at either the Willow Heights trailhead or at Solitude Mountain Resort. Skin up the aspen-covered ridge that separates Willow Fork from USA Bowl. This ridge will take you to the top of South Monitor. It’s a great place to stop and enjoy the 360-degree view while grabbing a sip of coffee before dropping in. It’s also a good time to assess the snowpack and make a decision as to whether to ski South Monitor at all. If conditions aren’t ideal, there is safer terrain on the Big Cottonwood side, especially in the trees around Willow Fork.
As always, bring a beacon, probe, shovel and a buddy when venturing into the backcountry, and go with a knowledge of avalanche safety. South Monitor is seriously dangerous avalanche terrain and can be deadly during unstable snowpack conditions. Check the Utah Avalanche Center’s daily report before heading out.
2 thoughts on “Backcountry skiing South Monitor”