Author Archive for Andrew

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Rush v. Maestrale

Published on September 27, 2011 in Gear Reviews. 18 Comments Tags: .

The people of the backcountry will now hear the case of Rush v. Maestrale.  Please be seated.

I don’t think I toured a single day last year in anything but Scarpa Maestrale boots.  For resorts, I have a pair of Scarpa Mobe boots, but I have yet to brave any touring with them.  I come from a long line of Scarpa boots dating all the way back to the leather Tele Savauge (yes, tele…) and have been very happy with the Lazer/Matrix/Spirit line of three buckle boots.  My first impression of the Maestrale was dismay as it was a four buckle boot – gasp – but it turned out to be lighter and toured better than the Spirit 3 it replaced, so I never looked back.  But still, I secretly yearned for a three buckle boot as I seldom if ever adjust the toe buckle on a 4 buckle boot, so it is kind of vestigial and needs to be dropped. Continue reading ‘Rush v. Maestrale’

Talisker Proposed Tram in Living Color

Published on September 26, 2011 in Wasatch Mountains. 26 Comments Tags: .

After being berated by Talisker’s tram lobbyist, Ted Wilson, I thought I should go up to the area in question and check it out myself to see if I was over-reacting to the issue. I don’t think I was. Continue reading ‘Talisker Proposed Tram in Living Color’

2012 Clothing Set Up

Published on September 23, 2011 in Gear Reviews. 5 Comments Tags: .

I’m the type of skier who likes to find gear that works and stick with it, and would rather spend my time skiing than dickin’ around with unfamiliar products.  My annual gear choices are made even easier as I have the great privilege and honor of being an “independent contractor” for a variety of companies, including Mountain Hardwear, so every year I just find the most expensive items and order two of every color.  ;)  Okay, not really. Continue reading ’2012 Clothing Set Up’

Wasatch Conflict Primer 101

Published on September 21, 2011 in Wasatch Mountains. 9 Comments

It is hard to live in the Salt Lake City area for more than year or so and not have an opinion on what should, or shouldn’t, happen here in regard the Wasatch Mountains.  To outsiders, it might seem like there are a lot of turf and class battles going on, which would indeed be the case.  Some things are worth fighting for.  Welcome to the Wasatch – now choose a side.

As a starting point, the vast majority of contention is focused around the Central Wasatch Mountains, which by almost any standard is a tiny little mountain range.  If you envision the knuckles on your hand being the ski resorts and your fingers as the major canyons leading up to them, you start to get an idea of the lay of the land. There are seven major resorts in the Central Wasatch (Snowbird, Alta, Brighton, Solitude, Deer Valley, Park City & the Canyons) and they are either virtually adjacent to each other, or within a snowball throw. Skiing all seven of them in a day, either with or without lift assistance is no big deal.

To intensify this crowded situation,  the skiing starts at about 7,000′ and the Wasatch tops out at a bit over 11,000′, which means there is a 4,000′ band of prime terrain. Although Utah is a large state, when “The Greatest Snow on Earth” is mentioned, 90% of the time it is referring this tightly clustered group of peaks located within this narrow elevation range. It is tiny to the point that topo maps are almost irrelevant, overnight camping is only done for the novelty of it and very few people ever get lost or benighted.  If the sun starts setting, ski down the fall line and be careful not to get hit by a car when you reach the road. Technically, the Wasatch Mountains cover roughly 180 miles from Mt. Nebo in the south almost all the way up to the Utah/Idaho border, but most of this area lacks roads that are maintained in the winter and mountain townships (like Alta, Brighton & Park City), so access is difficult. Continue reading ‘Wasatch Conflict Primer 101′

The Canyons Tram and Ted Wilson

Published on September 20, 2011 in Random. 18 Comments

After an email and a follow up phone call from Ted Wilson, I have decided to delete the previous posting as Ted  said he felt it was a personal attack on him and betrayed our friendship.  The gist of the post was that Talisker, an ultra high-end developer in the Park City area whom Ted works for as a lobbyist, is planning on putting a tram from the top of their Dream Catcher chairlift up to and over the scenic Wasatch Crest trail, across 1.8 miles of public Forest Service land and terminate it at the Solitude ski resort.  This is an incredibly controversial plan and made more so as it is being pitched as a solution to the traffic congestion in Big Cottonwood Canyon. It is also controversial as Ted has a long history of being a champion of the beleaguered Wasatch and his support for this lift is seen as a betrayal of these values.  Ted says it is not and there is a “method to his madness.”  Time will tell. Continue reading ‘The Canyons Tram and Ted Wilson’

See ‘ya Summer

Published on September 15, 2011 in Announcements. 3 Comments

Ahhhhh… It is about time. These two lovely leafs are from the “Winter Indicator” tree across the street from our house in Park City, UT – elevation 7,100′.  The tree often changes color over 3-4 days, but for some reason this year it seemed to go all in one shot.  I may have just missed the early changes, but being a skiing optimist, I’d like to think that the sudden change can only mean one thing – it is going to be a HUGE winter.  :)
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Help support StraightChuter.com and blend in with the leafs with a Mountain Hardwear Monkey Man Fleece Jacket from Backcountry.com. Click on the photo below…

White Rim by Moonlight

Published on September 14, 2011 in Trip Reports. 5 Comments Tags: , , .

The 100 mile White Rim loop down in Canyonlands National Park in Southern Utah is one of my all time favorite bike rides. There is nothing all that hard about it (aside from the mileage) and I love the way it just keeps unrolling in front of you, even though towards the end, you might wish there was a shortcut or two.

I’ve done it about six times as a day-ride and once as a multiday car-supported camping outing, but when Brad Barlage suggested that we do it under a full moon, it seemed like an excellent idea. All went according to plan except the full moon was obscured by clouds. And there was some rain and lightning. And a large part of the road was washed out. And there was a LOT of loose sand due to the lack of vehicle traffic. But aside from those details, and lots of mosquitoes and being completely dark, it was excellent. We weren’t bothered by the pesky scenery until sunrise and I’ve never seen so many bats, toads and Kangaroo Mice in my life.  Fascinating, really. Continue reading ‘White Rim by Moonlight’

Candy-Hearted Rustler

Published on August 30, 2011 in Packrafting and Trip Reports. 6 Comments Tags: , , , , .

I’ve owned an Alpaca packraft for about two years now, but am ashamed to admit that I have hardly used it to anywhere near its potential. Packrafts roll up to about the size of a small two person tent, yet when inflated they can easily carry heavy loads, bikes, packs, etc..  To maximize their fun potential, you need to find, or since it is still a young sport, create, a route that involves some logical mixture of biking, hiking, canyoneering, paragliding, etc, and rafting.  There seems to be an unlimited supply of these types of adventures in Alaska, but you have to work a bit harder to figure them out in Utah. Continue reading ‘Candy-Hearted Rustler’

Baldy Chute – August 10th. ??!!

Published on August 10, 2011 in Trip Reports. 11 Comments Tags: , , .

Alta’s Main Baldy Chute is one of my favorite little couloirs – little as in about 750 vertical feet and fairly easy to get to.  When I first moved back to Utah long ago, it was at the top of my wishlist as far as lines I was dying to ski and I thought that I’d have to wait around and ski it when the resort opened it.  I made the mistake of telling Alex Lowe about this desire and in typical Alex fashion, we ended up skiing it the next morning right at first light in about 3′ of fresh October powder.  I think that was also my first, uhmmm, chance encounter with the Alta Ski Patrol, and although the area wasn’t open yet, unbeknownst to us, they were sighting in the avalanche guns and were watching our every move.  Since then, I think I’ve skied Main Baldy about 25 times, although I have yet to do it  officially during Alta operating hours when they are open for the season. Continue reading ‘Baldy Chute – August 10th. ??!!’

Remembering Bean Bowers

Published on July 13, 2011 in Commentary. 21 Comments Tags: , .

Alas, Bean Bowers of Ridgeway, Colorado (and many other places as well) recently died of cancer.  This was a double tragedy as; 1) Bean was only 38, and 2) he had survived so many outrageous incidents that cancer seemed an unlikely way for him to go.  RIP Bean. Continue reading ‘Remembering Bean Bowers’