Utah saw its first 2016 avalanche fatality on Thursday, January 21st, when 49-year-old Douglas Green perished in a slide on Gobblers Knob. According to the Utah Avalanche Center, Green was skiing with another skier on a south-facing run called White Snake. This run is steep and open, and descends into Mill A Basin near Baker…
Category: Backcountry
A Canuck in the Wasatch backcountry
One of the most gratifying aspects of backcountry skiing in the Wasatch besides actually skiing, is showing off the awesome terrain and snow to people from out of town. It’s even sweeter when a visitor comes away with a full dose of stoke. It’s easy for Utah to provide, but timing on snow conditions can…
New Voilé skis for 2016 at Winter Outdoor Retailer
Voilé always has new skis to show off at Outdoor Retailer, and 2016 is no exception. You can bet whatever they churn out from their factory here in Salt Lake will win the company some more Editor’s Choice awards from ski magazines. My money is on the Voilé SuperCharger and the skimo/touring hybrid, the Objective….
Backcountry BASECAMP kicks off at Solitude
Backcountry Magazine is traveling around to North American resorts as part of their Backcountry BASECAMP 2016 Tour, and Solitude Mountain Resort is where the fun begins. From Saturday, January 16 through Monday, January 18, the editors of Backcountry Magazine, along with local avalanche forecasters, ski guides, AIARE instructors, and gear experts will be hanging out…
New skis from DPS at Outdoor Retailer 2016 Winter Market
Salt Lake City’s own DPS Skis has a whole new construction coming out for the 2016/17 season – Foundation. The Foundation skis were the highlight of the DPS booth at the 2016 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market. According to DPS, Foundation is a totally rebuilt ski that they designed from under the foot, spreading outward to…
Arva introduces new airbag pack system at Outdoor Retailer
Arva, well known for their avalanche beacons, has just entered the airbag pack market. They unveiled the new Reactor System line of packs at the 2016 Outdoor Retailer Winter All Mountain Demo. I got an in-person demonstration, which I later found out was the very first North American deployment of this totally new airbag system….
A backcountry skiing search for pow on Millvue Peak
After a massive snowstorm that dumped 5 feet of powder in the Wasatch on Christmas week of 2015, hordes of backcountry skiers tracked everything out that was low angle and safe. (High avalanche danger kept the smart ones off open bowls.) A week later, without any new snow, untracked slopes in the Wasatch became scarce….
5 favorite backcountry ski routes in Little Cottonwood Canyon
Utah’s Central Wasatch is often referred to as “Wasangeles.” Traffic jams in skin tracks, fighting for freshies, and even competing against guided skiers shuttled up to mountaintops by helicopter are all par-for-the-course here. This is especially true in Little Cottonwood Canyon. LCC is arguably the hub of ski touring in Utah, thanks to easy access…
Become a “Dirtbag Meteorologist” with Drew Hardesty
Ever wonder how weather geeks predict storms and snowfall in the Wasatch? Want to learn how you can do it yourself? With the Interwebz at our fingertips, and wise men to show us the way, you too can become what Drew Hardesty calls a “Dirtbag Meteorologist.” On Wednesday, December 16th, you can join the Utah…
5 favorite backcountry ski routes in Big Cottonwood Canyon
The Central Wasatch is undoubtedly the hub of backcountry skiing in Utah. There is an amazing amount of backcountry ski terrain despite the range’s relatively small size, and much of it can be found in Big Cottonwood Canyon. Dozens of quality ski tours spread throughout the drainage and I love them all, but these are…