Skiing returned to the Tushar Mountains in Southern Utah when the defunct Elk Meadows ski resort was resurrected as Eagle Point a few years ago. But really, skiing never went away in the 10 years that Elk Meadows was an abandoned museum of unmoving lifts and unoccupied condos. Backcountry skiing has always been there, and still is, on City Creek Peak, Mount Holly and Lake Peak. We took the “yurt on wheels” down there to ski and explore this little-known range and discovered the secret of ski touring the Tushars – there’s nobody out there.
We began our journey at the end of the plowed road at Puffer Lake, a small body of water just south of Eagle Point. Our destination was City Creek Peak, an 11,161-foot mountain that’s highly visible towering over the land to the south. Unsure of the approach, we skinned around the lake’s northwest shore to the other side, checking out abandoned cabins along the way. A short mission of finding the Puffer Lake Yurt was a failure (Tushar Mountain Tours moved it four years ago) so we meandered up the Cullen Creek Road until it intersected with Cullen Creek, and started skinning up a pine-covered ridge.
It was a beautiful day to ski tour. The sun was out, temperatures were comfortable, and there was very little wind. We switchbacked up through the pines, ending up on a sub-peak of City Creek Peak. A short traverse across the mountain’s western face and an unecessary, spicy climb with skis on packs to the top put us on the summit. The view of the Tushars opened around us in all directions. Big Flat practically glowed in the sunlight to the south, the west revealed the mountains around Brian Head, and to the north, the massive chunk of stone that is Mount Holly dominated the horizon.
After lunch, we switched our bindings to ski mode, and chose the open west face as our descent. The warm temperatures had ruined much of the snow, but we found good pockets of powder in the open, low-angle glades that spilled back down to Cullen Creek. A short slog through the creek bottom led us back to Puffer Lake where navigating back to the camper made quick work of the day in time for brats and beer on the tailgate.
The next day promised even more sun and warmer temperatures, so we got an early start for our next objective – Lake Peak. Following the same route around Puffer Lake as the day before, we passed the old cabin but headed north instead up an unnamed drainage filled with an impressive aspen grove. Following the barely-there stream bed, we made our way up to the shoulder of Lake Peak, despite the warm snow sticking terribly to our skins. A thorough waxing of our skins solved the problem, as we soon were standing on Lake Peak far above Eagle Point (it sounds easy but the approach was actually difficult due to the snow conditions.)
Beautiful-looking ski lines fell from the top on all aspects, but we couldn’t make turns on any of them. A biblical, 4-day windstorm had scoured the upper mountain until nothing was left but scree and tattered scrub. Not to be discouraged, we down-climbed to some snow, skidded on wind-affected buff, and traversed on alpine grass to a smaller peak to the east that seemed to have snow-filled couloirs. Dropping in, we were delighted to find soft, corn snow between some red cliffs that narrowed at a band of rocks, and opened up again into the aspen forest we skinned through earlier in the day. Dodging trees like a slalom course, we skied back down to the lake and poled back to the trailhead where, once again, brats and beers awaited.
Despite the shallow, warm snow, the Tushar Mountains delivered.
Jared,
Nice to meet you guys at the base of City Creek. Since we were up there the same day, it was fun to read your report! Once I read your La Sal entry, I put two-and-two together and figured your “yurt on wheels” was that big camper y’all were rockin’
Hey Andrew! Damn, you’re a astute guy being able to put two and two together like that! Yep that camper is the famed “yurt on wheels.”
It was good to meet you too that day. We’re planning on staying at the Snorkeling Elk Yurt in a few weeks, so hopefully we’ll have some good snow by then.
Hope your season is treating you well!
I love the Tushars !!I spent quite a bit of time down there when it was a closed ski area. My friend had a condo and was basically the only one there except Alec with the yurts. He was just starting, my not if even had them going. It was areal quite place back then. We would see the Mt goats one top eating the grass that was scoured off the ridges. What a cool sight. Just wanted to say that was some good times 20 years ago. Nice and quite back then. We would even ski out the old resort. This winter is all time, just like the good ole days. 2023 Rocks. Headed back down there for some spring corn or Pow!!
-cheers Jennilee