Scotties is a classic little Wasatch one-hitter. It is in danger of being over-run by Snowbird as it borders the resort, but if you time it right, it can serve up a nice powder run. Continue reading ‘Scotties Bowl – Topo’
Archive for the 'Trip Reports' Category
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Alright, this didn’t work so well last time as I didn’t RTFM (Read The Fuggin Manual), Continue reading ‘Utah Interconnect – SPOT Tracking’
I know, I know… everytime I go on a trip it ends up being the best one ever, but in this case, I really mean it. The 2009 Antarctica Ski Cruise was a five-star blast and here are the photos and captions to prove it.
http://straightchuter.com/am-content/2009_Ski_Cruise/index.html
If and when it happens again (and assuming I get invited back…), I’ll be there. A big thanks to Doug Stoup and Karyn Stanley for making the magic happen.
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Help support StraightChuter.com and cruise the Drake Passage with some Smith Passage Sunglasses from Backcountry.com. Click on the photo below…
After our two-week Antarctica adventure (trip reports coming soon), I extended my stay in Argentina by four days to go fishing in Tierra del Fuego with John Griber, Tucker Patton, Dan Starr and Scott Flint. All of these guys were either fishing guides or superb fishermen at the least, which made it fun for me as I was/am a total fishing gumby.
From the little that I know about fishing in Tierra del Fuego (TDL), it is supposed to be one of the great places on earth to go fishing. Not only are there endless lakes and rivers, but they are all stuffed with big, beautiful fish. The main attraction, and something I never saw, was the sea-run Brown Trout which were just starting to make their way back into the fresh water after spending some time at sea and getting big, fat and mean. We were there right as the season opened, and when coupled with what seems like astronomically high permit fees for the rivers (up to $100 per person, per day, per river, plus the general fishing license, plus this, plus that, etc.), our options and pocketbooks were limited. I commented that fishing made heliskiing look cheap and later found out from Tucker (who guides both) that a week of fishing can be far more expensive than a week of heliskiing. I had no idea, and ignorance is bliss, but in any case, we did more free lake fishing and not many rivers.
Based on the directions from an Argentinian friend, our first stop was the Rio Turbio. “Follow a dirt road, cross a bridge and cast where you see a log. You will catch fish.” He wasn’t kidding. I was literally tripping over fish at one point and Gribz was able to poke one with his rod tip to see if it would move (no). We later found out that the river wasn’t open yet, but as we were all catch & release, no fish were permanently harmed. Continue reading ‘Tierra del Fuego Fishing’
I’ll be updating my location from Argentina, the Drake Passage and the Antarctica Peninsula over the next three weeks with a SPOT personal locater beacon. The image below should show my latest position, but you may need to refresh your browser to force an update. Continue reading ‘Live Antarctica SPOT Tracking’
Before being distracted by black books and red leafs, I was talking about slot canyons, and more specifically, the best one I think I’ve ever done – Imlay Canyon in Zion National Park. I suspect it is other people’s favorite as well, as there is even a Canyoneering company named after it.
Utah has had a fairly wet spring and summer, so I was surprised to see that Imlay was almost completely dry. I pussed out and wore a 3/4 wet suit, but everyone else was able to survive in t-shirts and shorts, which is unusual as Imlay can have some long, cold swims, even when it is over 100 degrees outside.
The approach to the start of Imlay is long, hot and semi complicated the first time you do it. The suggested roundtrip time is anwhere from 12 hours to two days. Done as an overnighter, this is the suggested bivy spot, which is right near the start of the action.
Like Utah powder, I often take Utah slot canyons for granted and at times forget how incredibly cool they are. For many years, I sat next to Tom Jones who was a softgoods designer at Black Diamond, and towards the end of his tenure there, he progressively got more and more into slot canyons until he eventually left BD, moved to the outskirts of Zion National Park, started Imlay Canyon Gear and went off the deep end of canyoneering. Good job Tom! :)
Chris pointing out Behunin canyon. To get there, we climbed the Angels Landing trail, which is the deep cleft to the viewers right of Behunin.
A short video from the starting line and a chilling photo from a racing fatality which occurred during Speed Week 2009.
From the Salt Lake Tribune:
Driver Dies in Speed Week Accident--The Tom Thumb, #216 Coup, driven by Barry Bryant disintegrates as the vehicle rolls near the five-mile marker at the Bonneville Speedway in Utah August 9, 2009. Officials of the Bonneville Nationals report that Bryant, 46, from Anderson, California, died while being transported to a Salt Lake City area hospital. Bryant was traveling approximately 200 mph. at the time of the accident. Photo by Colin E. Braley-RRA/Wild West Media (Colin E. Braley-RRA/Wild West Me)
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Help support StraightChuter.com and SPEED UP! with Dynafit Low Tech Race Bindings from Backcountry.com. Click on the photo below…
After living in Utah for almost twenty years, I was stoked to finally make it out to the Bonneville Salt Flats over the weekend for the world famous Speed Week. It is one of those places and events that almost defies words. When you first get there, the perfectly flat, glistening white landscape is so bizarre and unique that it makes you wonder what planet you are on. When that thrill subsides, the next thought is “What would be fun to do in a place like this?” To many thousands of spectators and participants, the answer is strap yourself to a bomb with wheels and see how fast you can go. And keeeyrist do people go fast!
My perspective was a bit skewed as the first guy off the line on Saturday morning hit something like 376mph in his “streamliner” which turned out to be the fastest time of the day. After that, 200mph seemed kind of paltry, except when you watched them go by. In general, the machines are wonderfully specialized and barely capable of doing anything other than going really fast in a straight line. Because they are geared so high, many of the cars use a “push truck” to get them up to speed (60ish mph?) before the race car takes over.
My friend, Rod Falkner, described the cars and motorcycles as "controlled explosions with only six to eight rounds in the chamber before they self destruct and need to be rebuilt." Hang on tight.
The Paramount Forge Streamliner was an absolute beauty.
My grandfather grew up in Utah and over a span of years I inherited four unique items from him; a 1969 SS Camero with 16k miles on it, a vintage American flag with 48 stars (when Utah became a state), a fireplace poker set (?) and a custom made RL Winston bamboo fly rod. I abused the Camero and sold it for $900 when it was belching blue smoke and couldn’t make it up the snowy hill to our house, which in retrospect causes me great pain to even think about, especially whenever I see a fully restored SS glide by on the road. Ouch. But, I held onto the fly rod and am glad I did as it is a work of art and has inspired me to get into fishing. While most outdoor gear has a lifespan of about three seasons nowadays, the idea of using a 50+ year-old rod is appealing, especially as I know it meant a lot to him.
The RL Winston 9' 5 1/2 bamboo rod. I have yet to actually use it.
