Shhh…come closer, I have to admit something terrible to you: I’m not a backcountry snowboarder. I know, I know…the horror! I have been in Utah for nine amazing winters, and before this season have rarely strayed from the boundaries of our fantastic resorts. Impossible, right? I assure you it is all true. However, I decided…
Tag: Utah
Backcountry skiing Box Elder Peak
Years ago, on a mission to ski/rappel down the Northwest Couloir of The Pfeifferhorn, I first laid eyes on Box Elder Peak. After a long ascent up Red Pine Canyon in Little Cottonwood, my touring partners and I crested the ridge above Dry creek Canyon, and beheld I sight I didn’t know existed. If you’ve…
Get high at the 7th Annual Ogden Climbing Festival
Winter has passed us by it seems, which means rock climbing season in Northern Utah is here! So now is the time to get ready and sign up for the 7th Annual Ogden Climbing Festival on Thursday, April 10 through Saturday, April 12th. The fest kicks off on Thursday with a special event featuring guest…
The Snowbird Freeride World Tour comp that almost wasn’t
During the throws of a powerful winter storm in March, the top riders from around the globe gathered in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah to test their might against the formidable steeps of Little Cottonwood Canyon. After an abysmal snow year in the Sierras, the fourth stop of the Swatch Freeride World Tour by The…
Get tilted at Sundance Banked Slalom
The Banked Slalom returns to Sundance Mountain Resort on Saturday, March 15th. What is a banked slalom? History tells us it’s the predecessor to boardercross and started at Mt. Baker Ski Area in Washington State. Competitors ski or board around slalom gates, but the difference is that all the turns are banked. Jumps are also…
Backcountry skiing from the Castle Peak Yurt
Utah has dozens of mountain yurts, and I’ve stayed at many of them. From the Snorkeling Elk Yurt in the Tushar Mountains, to the Steam Mill Yurt in the Bear Rivers, I’ve sampled both the good and bad in terrain and yurt amenities. But my favorite yurt of all, by far, is the Castle Peak…
First Annual Vertfest Backcountry Celebration at Brighton
The Wasatch Powderkeg has been happening at Brighton for years now, but the whole shebang got a lot bigger with the addition of the 1st annual Vertfest Backcountry Celebration. According to the Utah Avalanche Center, the Vertfest has been a yearly shindig in the Northwest for 10 years, but will be coming to Utah for…
Brian Head Resort Finishes Triple Crown with Big Air Competition
Brian Head is going big this season, at least when it comes to big air. The last installment of the Triple Crown series will take place on March 8. Prizes will be awarded three deep in each of the five categories. Registration will be from 9:00am-11:00am at the Last Chair Saloon and is free with…
Freeride World Tour comes to Snowbird
The Swatch Freeride World Tour is coming to Utah. Due to a lack of snow at Kirkwood in California, organizers were forced to move the event to Snowbird. Lucky us! Snowbird’s first possible day of competition is scheduled for March 1, 2014 with an open weather window through March 5, 2014. So if you’re a…
On the hunt to shoot a mountain lion
I’m on a hunt to shoot a mountain lion… of course not with a gun, but with my camera. I’m on assignment for KSL Outdoors to get video of these elusive predator cats, when I get the call one morning to head to the Uinta Mountains where local houndsmen spotted fresh tracks in the snow….