Willow Heights or “the Willows,” is a backcountry ski area across the highway from Solitude Mountain Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon. It’s a lesser known but awesome place for either a short tour or all day yo-yo fest. Open, low-angle bowls next to steep tree runs covered in well spaced pines is the main course…
Author: Jared Hargrave
Utah skiers celebrate seven feet of snow in seven days
Of course this happens in April. After an extremely dry winter, most skiers and snowboarders had written off the season. Then… BAM! The biggest storm of the 2010 ski season slammed into the Wasatch Front, dumping seven feet of snow in seven days… in April. The week-long storm started small but created consistent snowfall every day. Skiers rejoiced but still hit the resorts…
“Plinko!” A new first descent on the Pfiefferhorn?
“Busy Saturday in the Wasatch backcountry, but we weren’t too worried anybody would be on this particular line.” -Noah Howell The Pfiefferhorn in Little Cottonwood Canyon may be the most recognizable peak in the Wasatch Mountains of Salt Lake. From Snowbird, the view of this pyramid of rock earned it the moniker, “The Little Matterhorn.”…
Congressman Matheson introduces Wasatch Wilderness and Watershed Protection Act
Utah Congressman Jim Matheson introduced federal legislation that would expand wilderness areas and further protect watersheds on over 26,000 acres in Mill Creek and the Cottonwood Canyons of the Wasatch Mountains. Named the “Wasatch Wilderness and Watershed Protection Act,” the bill will create a new 7,759-acre wilderness area around Grandeur Peak and Mount Aire, and will add an additional…
Outdoor industry unhappy with Utah Governer Herbert’s signing of HB141
The 2010 session of the Utah Legislature saw a battle between the rights of private property owners and a person’s right to access public waterways for receation. Two bills were proposed. HB80 would allow unrestricted access to Utah’s waterways regardless of whether it flowed through private property. The opposite, HB141, would reverse a Utah Supreme Court…
Intermountain Cup Mountain Bike Race 2010 schedule
The Intermountain Cup Mountain Bike Racing Series schedule is out and the summer looks jam packed. Competitive and leisure races will take place all over the state, from the red rock of St. George, to the mountains of northern Utah, and even a race in the Teton Mountains of Wyoming. With colorful names like Hammerfest…
Utah resident Apa Sherpa to make 20th Everest ascent
Apa Sherpa holds the world record for summiting Mount Everest an incredible 19 times. This May, he’ll go for number 20. Apa, originally from Thame, Nepal, now lives in Draper with his wife and children. He moved to Utah in 2006 to live with his business partner, Jerry Mika, after they founded the company Sherpa…
Beers and brats: tailgate barbecue a spring skiing tradition
Spring skiing, with its warm weather, blue skies and corn snow, is the perfect reason to get into the mountains while the rest of the masses break out golf clubs and mountain bikes. Skiers instead choose to revel in the high country while wearing t-shirts and sunglasses as they seek out that short window where…
Bohemian Viennese Lager now in outdoor-friendly cans
Viennese Lager, from the Bohemian Brewery in Midvale, is now available in outdoor friendly cans. Their previous canned brew, the Czech Pilsner, has become a staple among Utah rafters, mountain bikers, climbers and skiers (who drink), and now the popular lager will join its aluminum encased brethren in coolers across the state. I brought a…
Camelbak Vantage 35 backpack review
Camelbak has seriously expanded their product line in recent years, releasing a pack for just about every outdoor pursuit. From backcountry ski packs to backpacking haulers, Camelbak has a hydration pack for pretty much everything. New this year is the Vantage 35, a 2400 cubic inch pack made for long day hikes or overnight trips….