Utah has the best ski terrain and snow quality in the country, but when it comes to backcountry huts, we’re sorely behind other states. Sure, we have a spattering of yurts in our mountains, but when compared to the 10th Mountain Division hut system in Colorado, Utah’s backcountry shelters might as well be plywood forts…
Category: Skiing
Going “Bonkers” in Broads Fork
There are many classic backcountry ski descents in the Central Wasatch. Routes like the South Face of Superior, the Pfeifferhorn’s Northwest Couloir, and Coalpit Headwall come to mind. Well, Bonkers most certainly belongs on that list. This massive ramp of snow is located in Broads Fork, and features a 2,500 foot ski or snowboard descent…
Take a snowcat ride at Powder Mountain
Powder Mountain is one of the hidden gems of Utah. While the Cottonwoods get all the hype and Park City shines with star power, PowMow quietly dazzles skiers and boarders with over 7,000 acres of varied and impressive terrain. It also happens to be a hiker’s playground: some of the best terrain is only accessible…
Backcountry skiing “Plan Q” on Mount Timpanogos
The best laid plans can sometimes be laid to waste, especially when it comes to travel in the mountains. Such was the case on a recent trip to backcountry ski Mount Timpanogos, where my objective, along with Mike D, was to ski the famed East Ridge. Warm, spring-like temps, along with lots of recent sun,…
Snowbird joins Mountain Collective
The Mountain Collective, a collection of ski resorts around the western U.S. and Canada, has added several new resorts to the mix including Whistler/Blackcomb, Mammoth Mountain and Utah’s own Snowbird. This is big news because buying the Mountain Collective pass lets you ski a ton of resorts for half the price. With the Mountain Collective…
Friday Video: “Tiny House Tour Episode 3”
The tiny house tour is exactly what it sounds like. Three backcountry skiers load up in a mobile log cabin and travel around the mountains of the west in search of fresh snow. It’s all sponsored by Outdoor Research, and the company’s ambassadors Zack Giffin, Molly Baker and Neil Provo are chasing storms and looking…
Backcountry skiing at Snorkeling Elk Yurt
Water drops landed on my face and woke me up from a deep sleep filled with dreams of skiing in a rain storm. Confused, I wiped my face and sat up in my sleeping bag to make sure I was still inside the Snorkeling Elk Yurt, located in Utah’s Tushar Mountains. Earlier that night my…
Snowbird now offering snowcat ski tours
Backcountry skiing in the Wasatch just got a bit easier. Snowbird just announced that they are now offering guided snowcat ski tours, called “Snowcat Skiing for Nature.” Why? Because proceeds from the operation will go to benefit the Cottonwood Canyons Foundation. It’s the first time since Mineral Basin was brought into Snowbird’s boundaries that they’ve…
Powder turns on Logan Peak
Utah was blessed with some of the deepest snowfall of the season over the last weekend of February, when Snowbasin got buried in 26 inches in two days. After pigging out on powder Sunday, Adam and I headed north on Monday in search of backcountry turns untouched by the masses on Logan Peak in Dry…
Wasatch Powder Keg now a “triple crown”
So you’ve been backcountry skiing since October, and you’re legs are in damn good touring shape. So why not show off your redwood thighs and enter to race in the 2013 Wasatch Powder Keg. This year is special because it’s the first time the Wasatch’s premiere ski mountaineering event will be a 3-race format. The…