Lake Desolation is surrounded by quality backcountry skiing, from south-facing open glades, to tree skiing on north and east aspects. The area draws all kinds of backcountry types – from weathered telemarkers out for a long tour, to modern twin-tippers barreling down from the Canyons ski resort next door. They all come to this tiny…
Tag: backcountry
Backcountry Film Festival at Brewvies
Utah is the the grip of deep winter, which means backcountry skiing is at its peak. But if your backcountry experience has been lacking, or you need inspiration to just get out there, then maybe the Backcountry Film Festival will give you a kick in the pants. The Backcountry Film Festival is touring to ski…
Voile Charger backcountry skis review
Voile is a local ski company that has long been on my radar since they manufacture their backcountry skis right here in Utah. They also make some damn-fine skis, as evidenced in the awesome Voile Charger backcountry skis. Awesome? Hell yea. The Voile Charger are my favorite new ski that I’ve been able to test…
Backcountry skiing Greens Basin
When it comes to backcountry ski terrain, it’s good to have those go-to places for any eventuality. On a powder day with a stable snowpack, you can ski pretty much anywhere. But sometimes the avalanche danger is too high for open slopes, or it hasn’t snowed in so long that the mountains are covered in…
Black Diamond issues AvaLung recall
Black Diamond has issued a recall of certain 2010 model AvaLung backpacks. They sent out the recall notice on Tuesday, December 14th and encourage anybody who owns one of the affected packs to immediately return it to Black Diamond for a replacement. Below is the recall notice as found on Black Diamond’s website: Salt Lake…
Backcountry skiing Upper Days Fork
Days Fork, located in Big Cottonwood Canyon, is the place to be on a powder day when the snowpack is stable… but you have to get there early. The upper cirque of Days Fork is part of the Valhalla that is the Alta backcountry, which includes Cardiff Fork, Silver Fork, Grizzly Gulch, etc. Because of…
Backcountry skiing Flagstaff Mountain
Flagstaff Mountain (also called Flagstaff Peak) is right across the road from Alta, is very visible to everyone skiing there, and is accessed by a skintrack that begins right in town. All of this makes Flagstaff arguably one of the most crowded backcountry ski areas in the country. But that’s okay, because the terrain you…
Bid on Black Diamond Drift Skis and help the Utah Avalanche Center
Looking for new backcountry touring skis this season? Well, you can buy some new sticks and help out the Utah Avalanche Center (UAC) at the same time. A shiny new pair of Black Diamond Drift skis with custom Utah Avalanche Center graphics are on auction at Ebay. These skis are brand new, still in the plastic, are…
Get real time Utah Avalanche Center info on your phone
Imagine you’re skinning up for some backcountry skiing in Days Fork near Alta. You checked the avalanche report in the morning and feel good to go as the day is forecast to be a moderate, level 2 rating. Just as you enter avalanche terrain in a high elevation area, your phone chirps with a new…
Wasatch Touring/Alta Ski Resort Telemark and AT Demo
Buying new skis is a big decision. Like any expensive item, you want to know if a ski is right for you before pulling the trigger. However, the only way to know for sure is to try a new pair of skis out for yourself. But in order to demo skis, shops usually charge $40…