In my opinion, a backcountry touring jacket needs a few things: simplicity of style, a large hood, light weight, moisture resistance and excellent breathability. So when I found out that Salomon made a jacket called the “Tour” my ears perked up like a German Shepherd who’s owner just said the “W” word. When I...
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Easton Mountain Products showcased their 2013/14 snowshoes and trekking poles at a media event this past weekend, and I was lucky enough to be there. The day started with a meet-up in the parking area near Grizzly Gulch at Alta, where the EMS reps greeted us with fresh bagels slathered in cream cheese; a...
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Utah has the best ski terrain and snow quality in the country, but when it comes to backcountry huts, we’re sorely behind other states. Sure, we have a spattering of yurts in our mountains, but when compared to the 10th Mountain Division hut system in Colorado, Utah’s backcountry shelters might as well be plywood...
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Boy, what a way to end a year. After a relatively dry autumn start to the ski season, the latter days of 2012 have been blessed by our god Ullr (or is it Skadi?) Since Christmas Eve, Utah’s mountains have been hammered by snow measured in feet, as in more than one. This has...
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The Black Diamond Quadrant Alpine Touring Boot has been around for a few years now, and during that time it has proven itself to be a stiff, light, and capable workhorse in the backcountry. Some AT skiers have complaints about fit and the stock liner, but a new version of the Quadrant is being...
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Little Water Peak is a nondescript summit between Mill Creek and Big Cottonwood Canyons that rises to an elevation of 9605 feet. But what it lacks in stature, it more than makes up for in honest-to-goodness killer backcountry ski lines. North, south, east and west, you can make tracks off the summit of Little...
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The Wasatch Powderkeg celebrates its 10-year anniversary this year. The 2012 event will once again take place at Brighton Ski Resort and will be held on an 11-mile course with six climbs and 6,000 feet of vertical. Better have your touring legs under you! The 10th annual Wasatch Powderkeg happens on March 10. New...
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The Utah Avalanche Center is always in need of donations from the backcountry community to “keep you on top,” and they’ve come up with a lot of creative ways to collect the fundage they require to give us the daily avalanche forecast we rely on. Right now, you can bid on several outdoor gear...
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Backcountry skiing is all the rage right now, but sometimes you just want to ride the lifts and find untracked powder beyond a resort’s boundaries. In those instances, you don’t need a full, heavy pack filled with tons of gear to get you through an entire day of touring. Enter the Karve 11 pack...
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In general, skiing has two options: resort and backcountry. But what some skiers may not know is that you can combine the two and ski the “sidecountry.” In essence, when you’re sidecountry skiing, you ride a ski resort’s chairlifts to the top of the mountain, but then ski down out-of-bounds back to the base....
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