Wasatch Mountains
Little Cottonwood Canyon Closed for Backcountry Skiing
It was only a matter of time before this happened. When I was working as an Avalanche Forecaster, I heard that closing the Little Cottonwood Road during one of the big three day weekends costs the ski resorts (Alta and Snowbird) over a million dollars a day. The road is controlled by artillery, which means […]
Comments Needed on Heliskiing and a Heliport in the Park City and Summit County Area
The Synderville Basin Planning Commission recently held a work session to discuss commercial helicopter use in Summit County and the Park City area. The Wasatch Powderbird Guides have been actively involved with the planning process, presumably to try and establish a heliport base somewhere in the Park City area. Comments can be sent to the Community Development […]
Skiing and Snow Anchors
I doubt that most visitors to Park City will ever need to rappel during a ski descent while on vacation here, but rope work and anchors can come in handy for ski mountaineering descents. At times it might be a full-on rope stretching affair like skiing the Grand Teton in low snow, and at other […]
PC Ridgeline Meeting Recap
This was an interesting and nuanced meeting with a generally favorable outcome for backcountry skiers.* The main topic was should Summit County include roughly 600 – 900 acres of Forest Service land in a proposed Mountain Accord agreement where it would receive extra protection on top of what the Forest Service already provides. The land […]
Help Protect the Park City Ridgeline
This is a semi-complicated story (details below), but the fate of 600 acres of Forest Service land along the Park City ridgeline is being discussed on Wednesday, June 17th by the Summit County Council. If you care about areas like the Monitors, Dutch Draw and Murdock Peak, it is imperative that you make your voices […]
Mountain Accord Needs YOU!
I know… the title has the phrase “Mountain Accord” in it, but WAKE UP! A major milestone has been reached, and if you enjoy the Wasatch Mountains, now is the time to speak up for the future of them. After a year of negotiations with 21 stakeholders, the current Mountain Accord (MA) process is ready […]
The Beginner’s Guide to Fighting in the Wasatch
Welcome to the Wasatch. Now pick a side – pave it or preserve it. There’s a lot to be said for the Wasatch Mountains, especially from a skiing/boarding standpoint. They are very riding friendly, have easy access, are close to a major metropolitan city, close to an airport, have seven major ski resorts and also […]
Kick Turn Fun & Games
After many thousand kick-turns, sometimes it’s fun to throw some challenge into a few of them. This was a good one. Starting out in your high pegs (of course…) after 2,800′ of breaking trail, surmount a wind-lip and insert your Whippet into a woodpecker hole in an old growth tree. Pull up on the Whippet […]
Wasatch Backcountry Update – March 1, 2014
Another wild week with rain, snow, wind and dramatically fluctuating temperatures. But also some pretty good snow. The Red Snake returns – morning traffic due to avalanche control work. Warm and dry in the valley bottom and dumping snow halfway up the canyon. The “high” avalanche rating kept the crowds at bay. I think this […]
Customizing Your Climbing Skin Fit & Finish
Skinning in the Wasatch Mountains is a unique experience and unlike almost anywhere else in the world. First off, most approaches to the hills can be measured in minutes and/or inches, so miles of miles of kick & glide do not apply. Second, we get a lot of deep, dry snow, so trail breaking is […]
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