Backcountry skiing from yurts is among my favorite things to do in the winter months. And my favorite place to go isn’t in Utah, but in Idaho at one of the Sun Valley Trekking yurts in the Sawtooth National Forest. This year, we booked the Coyote Yurt, known for its access to 2,000-foot descents through…
Category: Backcountry
Video: Snowboarding from the top of Hayden Peak
The Provo Brothers are at it again. These guys have been exploring the Uinta Mountain backcountry for years, and have released edits of their adventures killer enough to make me want to throw down thousands of dollars for a snowmobile so I can access these peaks in the winter months. Well, they’ve gone and descended…
Backcountry Report: Beartrap Fork
Winter finally returned to the Wasatch! With 13 inches falling over three days in the upper Cottonwood Canyons, myself, along with Mason Diedrich and Adam Symonds, skinned up Beartrap Fork in Big Cottonwood Canyon in hopes of fresh lines with no crowds. We found what we were looking for. It felt so good to break…
Wasatch Splitfest 2015 kicks off at Brewvies
The end of February and beginning of March will belong to splitboarders in the Wasatch. The 2015 edition of Wasatch Splitfest goes down February 26 to March 1 and it will be full of raffles, backcountry snowboard movies, gear demos, clinics, and of course, splitboarding. Splitfest starts out at on Thursday, February 26 at Brewvies…
First Look: Salomon MTN LAB backcountry boots
The Salomon MTN LAB backcountry boots have gotten a lot of press lately. From Outdoor Retailer, SIA, and ISPO, the boots have won awards and are probably soaking wet from all the people salivating over them. What’s the big deal? Word is that these boots have blurred the line between light weight touring boots for…
Backcountry turns on Super Bowl Sunday
It’s pretty much tradition at UtahOutside to go skiing on Super Bowl Sunday. This year was no different as we joined Ron Hall and Jamey Parks from Salomon to make some backcountry turns at Alta, and test out the new Salomon MTN LAB touring boots. It seems Juneuary is continuing into February, which mean we…
Atomic and Salomon create online Mountain Academy courses
Avalanche education is expensive. Level 1-3 professional courses cost hundreds of dollars, pricing out many backcountry users. Well, Atomic and Salomon have partnered to create the Mountain Academy, an online avalanche safety course. It’s designed to be a supplement to traditional, in-the-field courses that will cost a lot less money. Designed in collaboration with wePowder,…
Snow drought skiing on North Reynolds Peak
Damn has it been warm. Crazy warm. With our last shot of snow a distant memory, and record breaking temperatures making January feel like April, it’s a depressing time to be a backcountry skier in Utah. Even worse, no fresh snow in a while means that even the backcountry is tracked out, and you have…
Black Diamond Evac 7 Shovel review
Avalanche shovels are pretty utilitarian. You have a shovel blade, a telescoping handle and a grip. As long as your avalanche shovel is metal and not plastic, there’s nothing to see here… move along. Unless of course, that shovel is the Black Diamond Evac 7. Why is this shovel so special? Because it’s more than…
First Look: DPS Wailer 112RP2 Tour1 Skis
Big name, low weight. Salt Lake City’s DPS Skis are already known for their light weight sticks, which has made them a favorite for backcountry skiers. Well, next season, the company will release a new backcountry touring-specific version of the popular Wailer 112RP2, called the Tour1. I was able to get the Wailer 112RP2 Tour1…