Ever wanted to speed down an Olympic-style luge course, but didn’t have the guts (or access to the venue in Park City) to make it happen? Well, why not build you own? Karl Meltzer, a Utah ultrarunner, built his own handmade sledding luge in the Wasatch Mountains as part of his off-season training. Damn does…
Tag: Wasatch Mountains
Outdoors 101: Where to find detailed Utah weather forecasts
Television weather forecasts are okay for knowing if there’s a huge dump in the next few days, but the T.V. only gives an overall picture of what to expect. Skiers need more pinpointed information specific to the Wasatch Mountains to make an informed decision on whether or not it’s worth heading for the hills (read:…
Snowbird Coaster and Wasatch Canyon development full speed ahead
Ski resort development in the Wasatch Mountains has been a controversial issue this year, with proposed projects like the Snowbird Roller Coaster and SkiLink Gondola setting off a firestorm of anti-development skiers clashing with resort owners. In recent weeks, many of these proposals to expand the reach of ski areas into the Wasatch backcountry have…
Test your endurance at the 2012 Wasatch Powderkeg
The Wasatch Powderkeg celebrates its 10-year anniversary this year. The 2012 event will once again take place at Brighton Ski Resort and will be held on an 11-mile course with six climbs and 6,000 feet of vertical. Better have your touring legs under you! The 10th annual Wasatch Powderkeg happens on March 10. New to…
Backcountry skiing Short Swing in Big Cottonwood Canyon
There’s a legacy of names scattered around the Wasatch Mountains, known only to long-time backcountry skiers. For newbies exploring off-piste lands, the flood of unofficial names can be hard to keep track of. There are many places to ski in the Cottonwood Canyons, and most of them are not marked on maps or can be…
Avalanche kills snowboarder on Kessler Peak
An avalanche claimed the second fatality of the 2011/12 winter season when a snowboarder triggered a deep slab on the west side of Kessler Peak in Big Cottonwood Canyon. Alecsander Barton, a 25-year-old man living in Salt Lake City, was backcountry touring on the morning of January 28 with two other people. The party skinned…
Brighton’s 75th Anniversary Birthday Bash and Fireworks Show
Brighton Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon is celebrating its 75th Anniversary on Friday, January 27, and everyone is invited! It’s going to be a huge day chock full of music, gear giveaways, food specials, drinks, a giant bonfire where you can make smores or get warm, a fireworks show and of course skiing and snowboarding…
Hiking Mount Van Cott
Mount Van Cott is an unassuming mountain with a summit elevation of 6,348 feet that looms over the University of Utah, directly behind University Hospital and the Huntsman Cancer Institute. While Mount Van Cott is small in stature, it’s still a worthy hike for a morning or late afternoon and can be accomplished in less…
Utah inspires surreal outdoor paintings by Chris Miles
Art and outdoor recreation are strange bedfellows. In the digital age of instant photos and videos capturing skiers and mountain bikers shredding the mountainside, there’s little room for the slow brush of paint strokes to capture a scene of action-sports beauty. But one local artist, Chris Miles, has been doing just that: painting surreal landscapes…
Hiking Mount Wire
Mount Wire is a steep but pleasant hike that’s great for a quickie, outdoor adventure. This small mountain overlooks the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, which means for urban dwellers, Mount Wire is conveniently close, and can be hiked every season of the year, even in winter. Unfortunately, Mount Wire isn’t much to…