Skiers like to say, “even when the skiing’s bad, it’s good.” In the case of backcountry skiing in Utah during a low snow year, a little creativity and knowing where to go can yield nice results; such as soft snow weeks after the last major storm. Even if there isn’t a face-shot in sight, being…
Tag: Utah
A contrast of conditions in Grizzly Gulch
After backcountry skiing in Grizzly Gulch twice in the last week, the difference in snow conditions was stark. The lack of snow, coupled with both sunny and cloudy days, wreaked havoc on the quality of the snowpack. The first day was bluebird with fine, recrystalized powder that was days old. There were a few sun-crusted…
Building perfection one slope at a time
I grew up near Lake Tahoe So, of course why wouldn’t I learn to ski 600 miles away in Park City ? Even Utah’s license plate boasts the state has ‘the greatest snow on Earth.’ I’m nowhere near an expert skier, but come on! How hard can it be? Even if I fall I’ve got…
Buy discount lift tickets and help the UAC
The Utah Avalanche Center, or UAC, is a vital, life-saving organization for anyone who enjoys winter recreation in Utah’s mountains. With an experienced team of expert avalanche forecasters, they work out in the field analyzing snowpack, making judgements about avalanche danger, then reporting back to all of us via their website and telephone hotline. Without…
Utah has no snow and it’s Mason Diedrich’s fault
Things are looking grim in the Wasatch for skiers right now, as we’re nearing the end of the first week of December and the primary color in the mountains is… brown. Sure, most ski resorts in Utah are open, and that’s great if you’re okay with ripping it up on thin ribbons of man-made ice. But for us powder hounds, the dry conditions are equal to being blindfolded in a strip club.
First day photos from Snowbird
Snowbird officially opened today! They’ve started up the chairlifts at 9am and skiers can now start making turns under the Gadzoom and Chikadee lifts. Snowbird officials hope to open even more terrain before Thanksgiving weekend, depending on any storms and colder temperatures in the forecast. Snowbird is currently charging an early-season price of $52 dollars…
First snow of the season in Utah
It is a time of celebration for some people in Utah, as the first real snowfall of the season has hit the Salt Lake Valley. The mountains have been pounded a few times already, but it just doesn’t feel like winter until there’s snow on the ground in the backyard.
Get mountain weather to go at NOAA website
Skiers and snowboarders across the state probably have more knowledge about the forecast than most people, since their favorite winter hobby revolves around the weather. We keep our eyes glued to the television when there is a big storm coming, in order see if the local weather man will bless us with the words we all long to hear.
Autumn winning seasonal tug-of-war
Winter can wait. Autumn is a schizophrenic season where sometimes the weather doesn’t know what it wants to be. Summer and winter play tug-of-war over the months of October and November, and we’re all caught in the middle. For those of us who recreate in the outdoors, the highs and lows of the temperature roller…
Solitude to be crowned first Utah ski resort open for 09/10 season
Every winter, ski resorts pray for enough snow to be able to open before their competitors. Whether it’s for promotional purposes, to please hardcore skiers who are chomping at the bit, or just for bragging rights, saying you were able to open for business before any other ski mountain is a feather in a resort’s cap.