Shhh…come closer, I have to admit something terrible to you: I’m not a backcountry snowboarder. I know, I know…the horror! I have been in Utah for nine amazing winters, and before this season have rarely strayed from the boundaries of our fantastic resorts. Impossible, right? I assure you it is all true. However, I decided…
Tag: Skiing
Backcountry skiing Box Elder Peak
Years ago, on a mission to ski/rappel down the Northwest Couloir of The Pfeifferhorn, I first laid eyes on Box Elder Peak. After a long ascent up Red Pine Canyon in Little Cottonwood, my touring partners and I crested the ridge above Dry creek Canyon, and beheld I sight I didn’t know existed. If you’ve…
The Snowbird Freeride World Tour comp that almost wasn’t
During the throws of a powerful winter storm in March, the top riders from around the globe gathered in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah to test their might against the formidable steeps of Little Cottonwood Canyon. After an abysmal snow year in the Sierras, the fourth stop of the Swatch Freeride World Tour by The…
Get tilted at Sundance Banked Slalom
The Banked Slalom returns to Sundance Mountain Resort on Saturday, March 15th. What is a banked slalom? History tells us it’s the predecessor to boardercross and started at Mt. Baker Ski Area in Washington State. Competitors ski or board around slalom gates, but the difference is that all the turns are banked. Jumps are also…
Backcountry skiing from the Castle Peak Yurt
Utah has dozens of mountain yurts, and I’ve stayed at many of them. From the Snorkeling Elk Yurt in the Tushar Mountains, to the Steam Mill Yurt in the Bear Rivers, I’ve sampled both the good and bad in terrain and yurt amenities. But my favorite yurt of all, by far, is the Castle Peak…
First Annual Vertfest Backcountry Celebration at Brighton
The Wasatch Powderkeg has been happening at Brighton for years now, but the whole shebang got a lot bigger with the addition of the 1st annual Vertfest Backcountry Celebration. According to the Utah Avalanche Center, the Vertfest has been a yearly shindig in the Northwest for 10 years, but will be coming to Utah for…
Brian Head Resort Finishes Triple Crown with Big Air Competition
Brian Head is going big this season, at least when it comes to big air. The last installment of the Triple Crown series will take place on March 8. Prizes will be awarded three deep in each of the five categories. Registration will be from 9:00am-11:00am at the Last Chair Saloon and is free with…
Salomon Q BC Lab backcountry skis review
Salomon is seriously getting into the backcountry game. They showed off new boots and apparel with backcountry DNA at this year’s Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, and most impressive to me were the Q BC Lab skis. They are super light despite an impressive 114 underfoot because of a unique construction made from a poplar wood…
Embrace the up at the Backcountry Film Festival
There’s a purity in “earning your turns” and more people are backcountry skiing than ever before. In fact, ski touring off the beaten path has blown up so much that entire films are being made on the subject. Enter the Backcountry Film Festival. Celebrating the Human Powered Experience, this year’s event will feature ten new…
Freeride World Tour comes to Snowbird
The Swatch Freeride World Tour is coming to Utah. Due to a lack of snow at Kirkwood in California, organizers were forced to move the event to Snowbird. Lucky us! Snowbird’s first possible day of competition is scheduled for March 1, 2014 with an open weather window through March 5, 2014. So if you’re a…