There’s a new captain at the Utah Avalanche Center cruise ship, and his name is Mark Staples. In August, longtime UAC Director, Bruce Tremper, announced his retirement. That same week, Tremper’s replacement was revealed, and the guy has some serious avalanche chops. Since Staples is now in charge of the organization that works to educate…
Gear you need to backcountry ski
If you are a resort skier looking to expand your boundaries, then you’ve surely thought about jumping on the backcountry skiing bandwagon. But you can’t just take your alpine setup and start hiking mountains. You need to purchase (and learn how to use) specialized backcountry skiing and snowboarding gear. Below is a list of essential…
New Utah backcountry skiing guide book now available
It’s November, which means we will be skinning and skiing in just a few weeks (hopefully). Start making backcountry plans with your friends right now with my new guide book, Backcountry Ski and Snowboard Routes: Utah. Inside you’ll find 99 backcountry touring routes all over Utah from the Abajos and La Sals, to the Tushars, Oquirrhs, Wasatch, Uinta,…
Utah Mountain Biking Guide: Lambert Classic
Lambert Park in Alpine is a complex network of trails that’s among the best places in Utah County for a quick ride. Most trails are intermediate in difficulty, and the spiderweb of singletrack means there is a dizzying amount of options. Lambert Park is truly a “choose your own adventure.” To avoid confusion, UtahMountainBiking.com teased…
Utah ski resort upgrades for 2015/16 season
Utah’s ski industry is about to have it’s biggest year ever, at least in terms of infrastructure upgrades. What does this mean for everyday skiers? More of everything – more lifts, more terrain, and more lodges. According to SkiUtah, over $100 million in on-mountain capital improvements will debut at Utah’s 14 resorts. Of course the…
White Sierra Camp 4 Shorts review
As we bid a fond farewell to this year’s extended summer season, I’m reminded of two things: it hasn’t snowed yet, and I wore shorts a lot during the past several months. Alas, there is nothing to be done about the first item. At least I had a good pair of shorts to help ease…
Video: The Forecaster
Black Diamond TV released its second webisode this week, titled, The Forecaster: A Message from the Backcountry. This time around it features Utah’s own Drew Hardesty, an forecaster for the Utah Avalanche Center. While we get to know the guy who’s voice we hear on the daily avalanche report phone message, the real thrust of…
It’s October, time to get ready for winter
October 26th, 2010. It looked more like February than early fall. That year, in the waning days of October, a three-day storm dropped 45 inches of snow in the Devil’s Castle and Sugarloaf area at Alta. Although it was weeks before the resort’s scheduled opening, a mad rush of backcountry skiers descended on Little Cottonwood…
Therm-a-Rest Treo Chair review
For as long as humans could stand upright, they have yearned to sit. Yes, there’s nothing quite like taking a load off after a hard day of recreating in the outdoors. Toting a comfortable seat along for your outdoor adventures presents a few challenges: some are bulky and awkward requiring a separate trip to the…
Video: Salomon Freeski TV Dream Trip
PREPARE TO BECOME INSANELY JEALOUS! The latest episode of Salomon Freeski TV dropped today and it’s all about the little guy. Last year Salomon held a contest asking viewers to reveal their dream trip. The contest was that simple. Thousands of skiers submitted their dream location and who they would want to ski with, and…