Utah’s Central Wasatch is often referred to as “Wasangeles.” Traffic jams in skin tracks, fighting for freshies, and even competing against guided skiers shuttled up to mountaintops by helicopter are all par-for-the-course here. This is especially true in Little Cottonwood Canyon. LCC is arguably the hub of ski touring in Utah, thanks to easy access from Alta and Snowbird. The canyon’s popularity is bolstered by terrain that is vast and steep, all with short approaches. But if you’re willing to brave the crowds along Highway 210 on a powder day, and you know where to go, you will be rewarded. So here are my 5 favorite backcountry ski routes in Little Cottonwood Canyon.
PINK PINE RIDGE
A little bit of white and a little bit of red makes pink. Anyone who remembers their preschool lessons knows this simple fact, so it is that Pink Pine Ridge is a moniker given to the spine that separates both the White and Red Pine drainages. It’s an excellent, quick tour for those skiers and snowboarders who are short on time. One run can be done car to car in less than three hours, maybe two if you’re a spandex-clad rando dude. Pink Pine is also a relatively safe place to ski as low-angle shots spill from the east/northeast slopes with a snowpack anchored by aspen and pine trees.
To ski Pink Pine Ridge, park at the White Pine Trailhead, located 5 miles up Little Cottonwood Canyon, and traverse west beyond the bottom of White Pine Canyon to the toe of Pink Pine Ridge, and follow the ridge to the top.
LAKE PEAK (NO NAME BALDY)
Lake Peak is a mountain with many names. The USGS map marks it as “Thunder Mountain,” while the Wasatch Backcountry Skiing map refers to it as “No Name Baldy.” But these days many backcountry skiers and guides prefer the term Lake Peak due to its proximity to both White Pine and Red Pine lakes, so that is the name I use as well. This 10,718-foot high point is actually part of the “Pink Pine Ridge” that connects to White Baldy. While not a true summit in itself, this peak looks impressive enough from afar to be a magnet for powder seekers. Excellent skiing and snowboarding is found on the north side into Boulder Basin, while the signature line is a descent down Lake Chute that goes from the top all the way to White Pine Lake. Touring access starts from the White Pine Trailhead, while Snowbird skiers can easily traverse there from the resort’s Gad Valley.
To ski Lake Peak, park at the White Pine Trailhead, located 5 miles up Little Cottonwood Canyon, and skin up White Pine Canyon to the base of the mountain at White Pine Lake. From there, boot pack to the top. You can also get there from Snowbird by skiing down into White Pine Canyon from the backcountry gate at the top of the Gad 2 lift.
MOUNT SUPERIOR
Mount Superior is the monarch of the Central Wasatch. Like a doting mother, she stands watch over Alta, providing a dramatic backdrop for resort photos and an irresistible lure for backcountry skiers attracted to her aesthetic south face that spills like a queen’s robe 3,000 feet from summit to road. A relatively short approach and knife-edge ridge to the top makes for an excellent adventure in itself, and is a good way to access Cardiac Bowl from her north side via the north chutes. But skiing or snowboarding that steep, cliff-strewn, south face is a rite of passage which demands respect and should only be skied on a stable snowpack.
To ski Mount Superior, park at Alta just beyond the Shallow Shaft restaurant at large pullouts on either side of the road. Skin to Cardiff Pass, then follow the ridge west to the Superior Summit.
FLAGSTAFF MOUNTAIN & UPPER DAYS FORK
Upper Days Fork is the place to see and be seen on a powder day when the snowpack is stable and the sky is blue. The upper cirque of Days Fork is part of the Valhalla that is the Alta backcountry, so it tends to get crowded and tracked out, but provides some of the best bang for the buck when farming turns. Short chutes, wide open bowls and tree-covered aspects that provide plenty of descent choices are on the menu in Upper Days. In fact, when standing below the upper cirque, you can scan your eyes from east to west and discover dozens of skiable lines in a row stretching from Emma Ridge to Reed and Benson Ridge. But the most popular lines are the ones that fall from Flagstaff Mountain. These north-facing shots are the first to be poached in Days Fork, and the lines are steep and tasty.
To ski here, park at Alta just beyond the Shallow Shaft restaurant at large pullouts on either side of the road. Skin toward Cardiff Pass, but trend right (east) up Flagstaff to the top.
CATHERINE PASS & SUNSET PEAK
The Catherine Pass area, just outside the Alta ski area boundary, is one of the first places of the season you can tour in Utah thanks to predictable early-season snowfall in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Autumn is also the best time to visit for first tracks because once the Supreme lift at Alta starts running, the whole place becomes tracked-out sidecountry terrain with easy return runs back to the resort. Even so, it’s a popular route between Alta and Brighton, and has touring options from easy glades to steep chutes.
To ski Catherine Pass, skin up the Albion Road at Alta, and connect with the Catherine Pass summer trail route. From the top of Alta’s Supreme Lift, traverse north through the backcountry gate and over to Catherine Pass.
For detailed information including driving directions, specific route-finding info, maps, photos and more, purchase my new book, Backcountry Ski and Snowboard Routes: Utah