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…
Enter to win the Ultimate Alta Experience
This season, Alta Ski Area and Jackson, Wyoming-based Stio have joined forces. To celebrate this holy union, Stio is presenting the Ultimate Alta Experience sweepstakes. According to Stio and Alta, two lucky winners will be whisked away to the Wasatch Mountains to experience what those of us who live here already know – that Alta…
Legendary Utah skier, Stein Eriksen, passes away
One of Utah’s most legendary skiers, Stein Eriksen, has passed away. The news was announced by Deer Valley late Sunday, December 27, 2015. If you’ve ever skied in Park City, you know how iconic the name is. Eriksen is a father of Utah skiing, a lodge at Deer Valley bears his name, and his accomplishments will…
Utah hit with biggest snowstorm in five years
It’s the storm that Utah skiers and snowboarders have been dreaming about… for years. After several below-average seasons, the biggest snowstorm to hit Utah in five years arrived Christmas week, 2015. According to Ski Utah, some ski areas reported snow totals of over five feet, and even more is on the way. The event was…
Black Diamond Liquid Point shell review
Minimalist, light weight, and protective – these are elements I want when shopping for a backcountry ski shell. So far this season I’ve been touring in the Black Diamond Liquid Point shell. It’s an outer layer made from Gore-Tex Paclite, which is a fairly new, two-layer version that keeps the weather out, but breathes better…
Ski Utah invites you to first ever POW Day
POW Day is coming to Little Cottonwood Canyon in January. Of course, there’s a pow day at Alta and Snowbird every time it snows, but this POW day is a bit different. Back in September, 2015, Ski Utah announced a partnership with Protect Our Winters (POW) to help raise awareness about climate change and the…
Utah Outdoor News Roundup 12/18/15
Here are the top outdoor news stories in Utah for the week of December 18, 2015: DRAFT EPA PLAN PROMISES CLEAN AIR FOR UTAH NATIONAL PARKS The Environmental Protection Agency may finalize a proposal included in a draft plan issued on Wednesday, December 16 that would require the installation of industry-standard pollution controls on the…
Black Diamond teases new gear for 2016
Utah’s own Black Diamond Equipment is teasing us with new gear that won’t be available until autumn of 2016. There are new ski, climbing and mountaineering lines to look forward to, including climbing gym-specific equipment and apparel, and innovative skis, shells, harnesses and packs that focus on technical ski mountaineering. It was all revealed in…
The big powder storm of December, 2015
Man, it feels like it’s been a very, very long time since Utah has received a snow storm as big as the one that slammed the state on December 20th through the 22nd. After a dismal ski season last year, and a slow start this fall, it’s seemed like forever since I felt a series…
Demo Days at Brighton Resort: Smokin, Sims and Never Summer Snowboards
Saturday and Sunday were great days to be at Brighton Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon. It wasn’t the fresh dusting of snow (though that helped), but the free snowboard demos that had people stoked. Smokin, Sims, and Never Summer snowboards were all posted up in tents at the bottom of the Crest Lift with stacks…