The Pipeline at Snowbird is among the most difficult runs to ski in Utah. Not because it’s particularly hard or technical, but because it’s never open. As such, making turns down this iconic chute on American Fork Twin Peaks is a bucket list run for any skier or snowboarder who’s ever laid eyes on it.
Pipeline is a 700-vertical foot couloir that spills down from the Twin Peaks summit to the Road to Provo in upper Gad Valley. Because of exposure to skiers below, Pipeline is open only when avalanche conditions are extremely safe. This usually happens in late spring after a good melt/freeze cycle.
Red Tape
If you arrive at Snowbird and discover that Pipeline is open, you better have your avalanche beacon, shovel and probe. Ski patrol won’t let you through the gate without them. You also have to be skiing with a partner.
If you’ve thought ahead and grabbed your backcountry-ski gear and a buddy, head to the ski patrol office at the top of Hidden Peak. There they will check your gear and make you fill out a waiver.
The Climb
Once you’ve jumped through all the hoops, ski partway down the Road to Provo to a backcountry gate. Take off your skis and boot-pack up a steep face to the top of a sub-ridge. Follow this ridge all the way to the top of Twin Peak’s east summit. It’s a mostly easy climb, but a few steep spots can be iffy, especially if the snow is still hard. Some skiers like to bring crampons just in case. The ridge takes about an hour to ascend.
Once on the summit, soak in the 360-degree view and eat a snack because the big challenge is yet to come. To get to the top of Pipeline from here, ski or walk to the west twin summit.
The Descent
The first part is the most scary. To get to the Pipeline entrance you must go down a sketchy, rock-filled section that has edge-of-the-world exposure below it (read: big cliffs). Once you navigate down to the entrance, the Pipeline falls 700-vertical feet beneath your skis back into Snowbird. Time to drop in.
As far as couloirs go, Pipeline isn’t as difficult as it looks from a distance. Yes, with a 45-degree slope angle it is consistently steep. But it is also wide, allowing for big turns and speed. I suggest getting there early in the day because it can get tracked out, which only increases the difficulty level.
At the bottom, Pipeline spills into a huge apron where you can really open up with some speed.
The Verdict
Andrew McLean calls Pipeline “Forbidden Fruit” in his book, The Chuting Gallery. Ski Utah includes it in their Top Ten Trophy Lines. For me, it was definitely a bucket-list ski run achieved. So if you’re going to ski Snowbird in the late spring or even early summer, bring your backcountry gear, a partner, and your John Hancock so you can ski Pipeline when the rare and short window opens to tag it.