Location: Solitude Mountain Resort, Utah Activity: Skiing the first time in over a year. If you’re a fair weather skier, read on. If you ski no matter what the conditions, stop now or you might want to throw your old rear entry boots at me. I could lie and say I’ve done tons of skiing…
Category: Skiing
The Dude abides at The Big LePowSki 2010
The Big LePowSki, despite the creative reference to the cult-classic movie, “The Big Lebowski,” can’t be any further from what “The Dude” would probably consider a good time. Something tells me the Jeff Bridges character would rather go bowling with a White Russian in hand than go skiing, although the bath robe may be an awesome-looking outer layer for skiing…
Backcountry skiing the north face of Mount Superior
Mount Superior is a beautiful peak that towers over Alta on the north side of Little Cottonwood Canyon, and the massive south face is one of the most classic backcountry descents in Utah. Often times, when getting a late start on a sunny day, the south face gets baked and wet slide activity becomes a visible concern. So the other option is…
‘Signatures’ film review
“Signatures,” the second film from Sweetgrass Productions, is a ski movie that I’ve wanted to see for a long time. I finally had the chance to sit down and watch it recently, and the wait was totally worth it. “Signatures” is the polar opposite of your typical ski movie. It’s like a breath of fresh…
Tree skiing in Beartrap Fork: A photo essay
On days when the avalanche danger is considerable or high, there are few places to go backcountry skiing where it is safe. Generally, low angle slopes with lots of trees that anchor the snowpack are the only option. One place that is a good choice for a safe tour is in the aspen groves that…
Snowbird offers free backcountry awareness clinics
Considerable avalanche danger in the Wasatch, along with three fatalities just this week, means it’s time to step back and rethink how to travel safely in the backcountry. One way of doing this is to attend one of Snowbird’s free backcountry awareness clinics. Whether you’re a newbie or a backcountry veteran, it’s always a good…
Black Diamond shows off new Efficient Series of backcountry gear at Winter OR
Black Diamond showed off tons of new and exciting gear at the 2010 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, and the buzz around the Salt Palace floor was the company’s new lineup of backcountry skis and boots called the Efficient Series. In Fall of 2010, four new boots and six new skis will join the already impressive…
Photo essay: Creamy turns in Cardiff Fork
When it hasn’t snowed in weeks, many skiers (myself included) avoid resorts like the plague. When in-bounds skiing consists of scraping down styrofoam ramps and bruising the knees on icy moguls, the backcountry holds the only soft snow that can be found. Sheltered north-facing slopes were promising, but all other aspects were covered in sun…
Two days in Mill D: A ski tour photo blog
Skiers like to say, “even when the skiing’s bad, it’s good.” In the case of backcountry skiing in Utah during a low snow year, a little creativity and knowing where to go can yield nice results; such as soft snow weeks after the last major storm. Even if there isn’t a face-shot in sight, being…
A contrast of conditions in Grizzly Gulch
After backcountry skiing in Grizzly Gulch twice in the last week, the difference in snow conditions was stark. The lack of snow, coupled with both sunny and cloudy days, wreaked havoc on the quality of the snowpack. The first day was bluebird with fine, recrystalized powder that was days old. There were a few sun-crusted…