Utah’s remote desert ranges, like the Stansbury Mountains, Henry Mountains and Abajo Mountains, are not generally thought of as backcountry skiing destinations. They can be hard to get to, there is little beta available, and snow conditions can be sketchy. But if you time your trip right and have the gumption (and 4×4 vehicle to get there) the following ski tours are some of the most memorable in Utah.
DESERET PEAK
Deseret Peak is the highest in the Stansbury Mountain range, located on the west side of the Tooele Valley. It’s a superb, big-mountain ski destination for its three chutes, including the North Twin Couloirs and the East Couloir. Each allow 1,300-feet of fun skiing between summit cliffs on snow that lasts well into summer. Access can be difficult as the road in South Willow Canyon closes in the winter, requiring snowmobiles or a 13-mile round trip skin. Most parties wait for the road to open halfway to Scout Camp where bikes can be used to dispatch road miles, or you can wait for the full road opening to the Loop Campground, usually around Memorial Day Weekend. However you get there, a tour on Deseret Peak is a must-do on any backcountry skier’s check list.
To ski Deseret Peak, drive west to Grantsville from Salt Lake City, and take Mormon Trail Road south to South Willow Road. Go west up the canyon and start skinning when you hit a road closure.
The Oquirrh Mountain on the west border of the Salt Lake Valley and Utah County, is an interesting range. Most of it is locked up in private property, but one mountain you can actually ski is Lowe Peak. This corn skiing mecca requires a hike-in-your-ski-boots approach over dozens of creek crossings in Ophir Canyon, but the trouble is worth it as both Lowe, along with neighboring Rocky Peak, sport massive southeast, south and southwest-facing headwalls and bowls that catch the morning sun, which softens the snow into al-dente corn so you can carve crescent curves for thousands of vertical feet. If conditions are prime, you can easily link both peaks together for an epic, late-season day.
To ski Lowe Peak, drive from the town of Tooele south on SR 36 until it intersects with UT 73. Go left and travel 4.6 miles, then turn left again on Ophir Canyon Road. In about 3 miles, you’ll reach the tiny community of Ophir. The road becomes dirt and is unplowed at the end of town and may be impassable. Drive the remaining 1.5 miles to road’s end where you can park at a small turnaround. Otherwise, go as far as the snow level allows, and walk the remaining miles to the trailhead.
MOUNT ELLEN SOUTH SUMMIT
The Henry Mountains are perhaps the most remote range in southern Utah, and Mount Ellen is the highest peak. The south summit ridge is likely the most popular area for ski touring (though popular is a relative term as not many people make the trek to ski here). If you do successfully arrive at the McMillan Spring Campground on the range’s west side, you’ll find efficient access to ski and snowboard-friendly lines that stack up all along the west face. The terrain here is more open and exposed than the east-facing canyon and tree shots of the North Summit, and (depending on how far you’re able to drive) can be a playground for short day tours. The trip alone is worth making for turns above expansive views of Utah’s southern desert and Capitol Reef National Park.
To ski Mount Ellen’s South Summit, drive 28 miles west on Highway 24 from Hanksville to Notom Road. Go south for 13.5 miles to Sandy Ranch Junction. Turn left onto Bull Creek Pass Backcountry Byway. Follow signs to McMillan Spring Campground. In spring, you may be able to drive past the campground and park at Dry Lake Flat or Nasty Flat at the base of the South Summit.
DELANO PEAK
Delano Peak is the highest mountain in the Tushar Range east of Beaver, Utah. Despite it’s height, this mountain is one of the easiest to get to as long as you’re staying at the Snorkeling Elk Yurt. In two hours you can reach the summit from the yurt, otherwise you’re looking at a full day in the skin track if starting at Highway 153. You can also reach it from the Eagle Point ski resort. Powder tours and spring corn are par for the course on Delano Peak, depending on the season, and you can ride it on either low-angle bowls on her west face, steep chutes to the south, and moderate runs into Poison Creek on a northwest aspect, all of which allow an easy return to the yurt. Beware though, that timing is everything as the notorious Tushar winds can scour the upper summit, leaving behind bare rock on many aspects.
To ski Delano Peak, drive drive east on 200 north in Beaver as this street becomes State Route 153. Follow the road for 16 miles to the start of Big John Flat Road and park in a plowed pullout on the north side of the highway. Skin up Big John Flat Road to the yurt and the base of Delano Peak.
HORSEHEAD PEAK
The Abajo Mountains of Monticello in southeastern Utah are home to Horsehead Peak, which is a bit of a local landmark. The mountain gets its name from a formation of evergreen trees on the northeast aspect that forms the shape of a horse’s head. As far as skiing and snowboarding on the mountain, access is straightforward from North Canyon. Long, 2,000 vertical-foot descents are found on enormous, open bowls with perfect fall-lines. If you time your trip right when snow conditions are prime, you’ll have a run of a lifetime by riding the Horsehead.
To ski the Horsehead, drive from Monticello west on North Creek Road (County Road 101.) Follow it up into the foothills for 4.3 miles to the Hart’s Draw Winter Trailhead, right across the road from Dalton Springs Campground. There is a large parking area and Forest Service outhouse. Skin further up the road and go left into North Canyon to the base of Horsehead Peak.