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…
Tag: Big Cottonwood Canyon
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…
100 inches of snow falls at Utah resorts before Thanksgiving
Skiers and snowboarders at Utah resorts are enjoying early season snow conditions that haven’t been seen in years. The start of the 2010/2011 ski season will go down in history as over 100 inches of natural snowfall has covered the Big and Little Cottonwood Canyon resorts before December, and there’s even more on the way….
Utah ski resort 2010 opening dates
Winter is here in Utah, and hopefully for good. Alta is getting slammed with snow and people are already hiking and skinning up for those first season turns. Looking at the Wasatch from the Salt Lake Valley reveals snow, snow, and more snow that has been falling for days straight, and the cold air has…
Rock climb Ascent of a Man at Above and Beyond Wall
The Above and Beyond Wall is your typical quartzite Big Cottonwood Canyon climbing area, found just past the S-Curves about 4.5 miles up the canyon. It’s a south-facing series of cliffs that get hot like an oven in the summer, but is best for climbing in the spring or fall on sunny days. The climbing…
Brighton offers ski season child care
Brighton Child Care – this may be the saving grace for skiers and snowboarders who are married with children. It’s a sad fact of mountain life, but nothing kills the ability to ski or snowboard whenever you want like having kids. You may think you can swing it, but inevitably one spouse has to watch…
Hike the Honeycomb Cliffs
The Honeycombs Cliffs are a popular spot for backcountry skiers to find fresh lines when the resorts are tracked out. The cliffs tower over the boundary line between Solitude and Brighton ski resorts, and make a great summer destination as well. The high altitude starting point translates to moderate temperatures; when the valley is still…
Celebrate summer at the 2010 Wasatch Wildflower Festival
Summer in the Wasatch mean the powder snow is replaced with fields of wildflowers. In celebration of this explosion of color, the Cottonwood Canyons ski resorts host the Wasatch Wildflower Festival every year. The 2010 event takes place on July 16th through the 18th, and will give everyone interested a chance to learn about the…
Rock climb the “S-Curves” of Big Cottonwood Canyon
Moderate routes, easy access, and nice climbing on blocky quartzite, means the S-Curves in Big Cottonwood Canyon is among the more well known climbing areas along the Wasatch Front. The S-Curves have a wide variety of bolted routes from easy, to Jedi Master-only roofs. Among the buffet table of grades at the S-Curves, there is…
Hike Mount Raymond
Mount Raymond is a classic Wasatch Mountain hike; the pyramid-shaped summit can be viewed from many points both in the Salt Lake Valley and from high in the Cottonwood Canyons. Rising to 10,241 feet, Raymond’s peak is a lofty perch that provides spectacular views of the surrounding summits. The best part about it? All that…