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…
Category: Backcountry
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…
Ski touring from the Steam Mill Yurt in Logan’s Bear River Range
It’s our third day in the Bear Rivers, and the sun finally comes out. I’m standing on top of an east-facing headwall near Steam Mill Peak at the head of Hell’s Kitchen Canyon, about to make what are the best turns of the trip. After watching Lexi Dowdall and Adam Symonds drop in, I let…
Thoughts on the Freeride Avalanche Workshop at Snowbasin
The Snowbasin Freeride Avalanche Workshop happened over the last few days, and I was lucky enough to be able to attend Tuesday’s session while on assignment for KSL Outdoors. When I wasn’t busy shooting video for a TV story, I soaked in all the good avalanche and safety information I could, which was invaluable. The…
New Backcountry Enthusiast Magazine Announced
Backcountry skiing and snowboarding has exploded in popularity in recent years, both in user numbers and sales of backcountry-specific gear. In response, a new backcountry skiing and splitboarding-centric magazine will hit newsstands later this year. Ascent – Backcountry Snow Journal will be distributed all across the west, for free, starting fall of 2014. Our good…
Out of Boundary: Backcountry Yurt Skiing in the Uinta Mountains
The smell of gasoline fills my nostrils, a high-pitched whine fills my ears, and a bumpy vibration fills the space between my legs. I’m riding on the back of a snowmobile down the Mirror Lake Highway toward the Ridge Yurt in the Uinta Mountains, thanking God that we don’t have to haul our gear and…
SheJumps and UAC offer Women’s Backcountry 101
Backcountry skiing is at an all-time high right now, as more and more people buy AT gear and skin into the mountains. But things like avalanches can be intimidating or even a deal-breaker, so education is key. The Utah Avalanche Center, along with SheJumps, are teaming up to offer the Women’s Backcountry 101 course. If…
Packing for a backcountry ski hut or yurt trip
Backcountry skiing and snowboarding is fun, sure. But the pinnacle of the activity, the frosting on the cake if you will, is taking your boards and skins high into some remote mountain range for a hut or yurt trip. There’s nothing better than reducing your life for a few days and nights to doing nothing…
Soulful Skiers Seek Soft Snow on La Sal’s South Mountain
December 2013 will go down as a bleak month for backcountry skiing in Utah. After a few good storms, the powder faucet shut off, leaving high pressure and rotting, wind-blasted snow in the Wasatch. Southern Utah, however, has been buried in white. Utah is a state divided, and skiers starved for powder have to choose…
Arva Neo avalanche transceiver review
Arva, the European avalanche transceiver company, is making a big push into the U.S. market, and evidence of this is the brand new Neo, an intuitive, user-friendly, and affordable beacon that will appeal to the average backcountry user, which is pretty much all of us. The Arva Neo is packed full of features, including: 100%…