Tag: Backcountry Skiing

Salt Lake vs Park City | Where to Live for the Best Outdoor Adventures | Backcountry Skiing & Nordic/XC (Part 2)

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People that live in Salt Lake City believe that Park City is just another suburb of Salt Lake. The locals that live in Park City know that’s simply not true. And so it goes, the endless debate (and rivalry) on which town/city is better to live in. Either Park City, where the mountains are at your fingertips because you live in the mountains, or Salt Lake City that sits right at the foot of the beautiful Wasatch Front Mountains. And through this series of posts, I hope to help those that are looking to move out west to Utah, on …

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Backcountry Skiing the Wasatch | Days Fork (Video)

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02/26/2023 – With avalanche conditions slowly healing from the previous weeks storm that dropped over 3ft of powder on the Wasatch Mountains, it was time to get out and do some skiing. I linked up with my buddy Mike and his friend Skyler to check out some safe terrain in Days Fork of Big Cottonwood Canyon. The plan was to keep it mellow and low angle, because the avalanche conditions were considerable due to the heavy wind loading along with the wet-slide potential from the unseasonably warm weekend temperatures. We parked at the spruces campground and headed out on the …

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Backcountry Skiing Couloir off Lake Peak in Wasatch

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This season has been wild so far, with regards to our snowfall and snowpack her in Utah. We got dumped on in October, which is never a great start for any snowpack to prevent a season-long persistent weak layer. November followed with not a single flake of snow, which lead to a rotting snowpack from the early season snow. Then came a record-setting December which gave us nearly 10 feet of snow in some areas. But then a freakishly dry January rolled in, where it hadn’t snowed past the 7th and combining with warm temperatures, we had incredibly safe avalanche …

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Backcountry Skiing Gear Recommendations | Backcountry Skis

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As a heads Up, this is not an extensive list of newest backcountry skiing gear, but rather a recommendation on the type of gear to get and an explanation of other versions out on the market. This is basically a jumping off point for gear recommendations. My philosophy in the backcountry is that you need to prepare for the uphill, where lightweight is the priority, and downhill, where performance and fun is the priority. Backcountry specific skis, do they really exist? Yes. Are they different than resort downhill skis?Technically yes. In here I will try to break down the difference …

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Backcountry Skiing Gear Recommendations | Gloves

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As a heads Up, this is not an extensive list of newest backcountry skiing gear, but rather a recommendation on the type of gear to get and an explanation of other versions out on the market. This is basically a jumping off point for gear recommendations. My philosophy in the backcountry is that you need to prepare for the uphill, when your body is generating heat, and the downhill when you’re moving fast and not generating much heat. Beyond skis, I really do think gloves are the most critical piece of equipment that I bring into the backcountry. Simply put, …

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Backcountry Skiing Safety | Making A Plan

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There are many things we all need in order to travel safely in the backcountry, whether that’s on skis, splitboard, sled, or even snowshoes. In this series of posts, I will go far beyond the beacon, shovel, and probe, and into the detailed nuances that make all the difference between getting away with it, and having everything go according to plan. The Endless Planning Planning your day in the backcountry starts well beyond arriving at the trailhead. In fact, it can start as far back as you’d like to imagine. Your plan, every time you enter the backcountry, should take …

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Backcountry Skiing 101: Video Series

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In this Backcountry Skiing 101 Series, I’m going to breakdown all the little pieces that go into a day backcountry skiing or snowboarding. We’ll touch on going uphill, transitioning to the downhill, working with your avalanche equipment, rescue scenarios, and fun backcountry powder skiing. This series is not intended to replace official AIARE or Avalanche Safety Courses offered by professionals. This is merely a series for those who are sticking to resort touring, or might have some questions about ski touring and need some help. Please reach out if you have any questions, comments, or helpful tips that you’d like …

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Lessons Learned from Skiing Teton Pass… like a Jerry

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No matter who you are, or where you ski, when it comes to skiing of Teton Pass, prepare yourself and have an open mind. I start by saying this not because of how technical or difficult the skiing is off the Pass, because it isn’t. I say this because I don’t want you to make the same mistakes that my friends and I made on a weekend in February last year. And we made fools of ourselves. Teton Pass is the main thru-way from Jackson, Wyoming to Victor, Idaho that crosses over the southern portion of the Teton Range. Being …

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Backcountry Skiing LCC to BCC via Days Fork

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When your friends tell you it’s gonna be a big day, and those same friends are in way better shape than you, it should’ve been my first clue. Nonetheless, we set up from Flagstaff Gully with a bunch of skiing ahead of us. The plan was to ski from Little Cottonwood Canyon, down to Big Cottonwood Canyon, where we had parked a shuttle truck earlier that morning. That in itself isn’t a big deal, but knocking out a few laps on the way was going to be where all the very really is. After climbing the sun rusted southern aspect …

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Backcountry Skiing Thunder Mountain (Lake Peak) | Trip Report

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The goal was to ski a little known chute known as Lake Chute. Tucked away below the summit of Thunder Mountain, in the Cirque that contains both White Baldy and Red Baldy, is a wide chute. So steep at some points, you wish you brought your ice axe. But of course, not everything works out according to plan. A group of 5 of us, Pete, Kyle, Mike, Brett, and myself, all met up at the White Pine Trailhead to go over our plan for the day. Once the route and backup ski plans were set, we performed our safety checks, …

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