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.
Tag: Wasatch Mountains
Solitude wants to consume Silver Fork Canyon
As a skier who enjoys riding both in the backcountry and at resorts, I have mixed feelings when stories are told of resorts trying to expand their acreage by overtaking pristine mountain landscapes. On one hand, I think it would be awesome to have new in-bounds terrain to explore. On the other hand, I’d hate to see lift towers and crowds swarming what was once a favorite area for backcountry enthusiasts.
Alta opens on Wednesday, November 25
Alta has closed itself to all uphill traffic, which can only mean one thing: they’re preparing the mountain for downhill traffic. In fact, Alta has announced that they will be opening on Wednesday, November 25, thanks to Sunday night’s storm that brought colder temperatures and dropped 10 inches of snow on the Wasatch.
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.
New Wasatch Canyons Master Plan may limit recreation use
The canyons of the Wasatch Mountains may look a bit different in the years to come as new land-use policies are being drafted to replace the Salt Lake County 1989 Wasatch Canyons Master Plan. The plan essentially is the Bible for how we use the land in City Creek, Emigration, Red Butte, Parley’s. Mill Creek, Big Cottonwood and Little Cottonwood Canyons.
Re-educate at Utah Snow and Avalanche Workshop
A good way to re-educate is to attend events that benefit the Utah Avalanche Center, which is the non-profit organization that works hard to save lives in Utah’s backcountry. They analyze the snow pack on a daily basis and report their findings to the masses so we can all make informed decisions before entering avalanche terrain. However, one problem Utah Avalanche Center faces is they are always operating on the financial edge, so fund-raising events are critical. In order to keep their heads above the fiscal snowpack, they have to rely on fundraising events throughout the year.