With some of the most unique and visually stunning scenery in the wasatch the whipple couloir could be the most scenic of all the classic descents. With backcountry ski maps youll always know how to access the best descents. Our wasatch guides live for the deep and light snow that blankets these mountains every winter and this is what keeps us busy and out in the mountains everyday. Below are some of the best backcountry skiing areas within a 30minute drive from downtown salt lake city.
As with all books in this series, this utah guide is designed for intermediate to expert skiers or boarders. There is plenty of beta on great lines in other types of guide books too, but this list is a fantastic starting point for figuring out where to set your next skin track. For more than 40 years, powderbird helicopter skiing has been guiding skiers and snowboarders through the uinta wasatch cache national forest. We are excited to offer you a backcountry ski getaway here in the wasatch mountains. All of these books are backcountry skiing specific. Backcountry skiing and splitboard tours with the mountain. Wasatch backcountry skiing map paper version iterum, llc. While just shy of being the tallest mountain in the wasatch, mount timpanogos is certainly one of the most dramatic mountains in the range.
But on april 6, 2017, 31yearold caroline gleich became the first woman to finish all the lines in mcleans skiing. Guided backcountry skiing in the wasatch mountains 57hours. It offers great maps and details needed to make a safe outage in the backcountry. Jan 30, 2007 key element of our backcountry skiing tour was being above the now infamous salt lake city pollution inversion thats been in place these past days, and was really bothering my eyes and throat. The maps here depict the existing conditions and the backcountry terrain that is threatened by one wasatch. I also offer other adventurous ski trips around the world. Timpanogos towers over provo and the heber valley, and it is arguably the most iconic mountain in the state of utah.
Just after i completed the book, a very stern avalanche forecaster told. All profits from the paper map are donated to organizations that promote avalanche safety or the preservation of the wasatch mountains. We offer guided ski tours in big cottonwood and little cottonwood canyon that will take you to the. You can also select a location on this page or use the previousnext buttons near the topright of every page. Our backcountry tours span from gladed tree skiing during low visibility days to scenic summits, high mountain traverses and everything in between. Be sure to select wasatch backcountry alliance when you place your order. With 90 descents, finishing every line in the book is a feat many skiers take a lifetime to complete. From this cabin, you will have 3 days backcountry skiing right out the backdoor and other nearby areas. The best backcountry skiing locations in utah for 2020. Andrew mcleans chuting gallery is in many ways considered to be the ski mountaineering bible of utahs wasatch mountains.
But on april 6, 2017, 31yearold caroline gleich became the first woman to finish all the lines in mcleans skiing tome. If you ski, ride, or hike in the central wasatch, you should own the wasatch backcountry skiing map. Big cottonwood canyon to the park city ridge line is full of mellow glades suitable for newer and intermediate backcountry skiers as well as providing safe terrain on high avi days. Below is a list of my favorite spring backcountry skiing routes in utah, in no particular order. Belowzero temperatures make backcountry skiing and camping in utahs wasatch range a cold but beautiful challenge. Backcountry ski and snowboard routes utah by jared. Advanced tours will focus on covering a wide variety of terrain and aspects with the best snow. Programs include backcountry skiing, splitsnowboarding, rock climbing, ice climbing, avalanche instruction, summer and winter mountaineering, trekking hiking and snowshoeing and canyoneering skills. Private day of guided backcountry skiing in the wasatch range youll be paired with an experienced, certified backcountry guide for a day of powder chasing in the best locations the wasatch area.
The names on the wasatch backcountry skiing map are based on the earliest records available. The easiest way to find a location is to enter a portion of a name in the search box that is displayed at the top of every page. Based in the wasatch range near salt lake and park city since 1993, utah. Unfortunately, it cant tell you how to practice safe routefinding and decision. Our first run we skied from behind alta near rocky point towards solitude.
One of the highlights of ski touring in the wasatch mountains is skiing multiple, stunning peaks and slopes in the same day. Join bbes team of expert ski addicts for untracked powder, exquisite solitude and great exercise. Thats why we run skitouring days as well as longer ski trips all season. Learn about weather in the wasatch, bust myths, and discover why utahs powder is so unique. The fourth edition of the wasatch backcountry skiing map is now available. May 17, 2016 hopefully youve found a buddy whos savvy. Backcountry expert tyson bradley takes skiers from the urban backcountry of the wasatch front to spectacular desert destinations in zion. Wasatch backcountry alliance a unified voice for the. Utah includes tours in the central wasatch as well as the uintas, henry mountains, and more.
With some of the best backcountry skiing in the country and fewer crowds than other hot spots its the perfect place to spend a day, or seven, chasing powder. Get a group together for a private day at home in the wasatch, and explore some of the most beautiful backcountry ski touring terrain in the usa, tried and tested by us, or venture further afield to explore lesser known secrets or classic bucketlist tours around the globe. When snow hits the slopes, no skier or snowboarder longs to sit indoors to read a book. With camps and tours in jackson hole, rocky mountain national park, whitefish and the wasatch, a mountain guides program is never too far. It provides information on hundreds of backcountry ski locations in the wasatch mountains. Backcountry skiing utah, 2nd backcountry skiing series. Guided backcountry skiing trips and instructional courses in northern utah. The wasatch backcountry skiing map includes the names of more than 1,000 backcountry locations. A unified voice for humanpowered winter recreation in the wasatch mountains.
Come ski unforgettable snow in the challenging terrain of the wasatch range for a guided experience like no other. All profits from the sale of the paper map are donated to organizations that promote avalanche safety or the preservation of the wasatch mountains. But in the offseason or between trips to the ski hill, books can keep your head in the game. Your lodging for 4 nights will be a rustic mountain home located off guardsman pass road in big cottonwood canyon. Today we searched for untracked snow in the wasatch backcountry. Great backcountry skiing near salt lake city, utah. The definitive guide to skiing the wasatch backcountry. Backcountry skiing aka ski touring, alpine touring, ski mountaineering, randonnee is on the rise in utah for its compelling mixture of exercise, adventure, first tracks, freedom and being free once youve bought all the gear. Backcountry ski maps find your next ski touring adventure. Get a group together or join us for a private day out for some of the most beautiful backcountry touring terrain in the states. The goal, to ski a line that many have gawked at but few have gone to. Guided backcountry skiing and snowboarding tours in the wasatch mountains of utah. The wasatch mountains are a compact mountain range, but they offer up a huge variety of ski terrain for backcountry skiers.
Backcountry skiing the whipple couloir is a classic wasatch ski descents. From chutes steeper than 50 degrees to gladed meadows to massive bowls, the wasatch seems to have been sculpted with the backcountry skier in mind. This book showcases all the wasatch backcountry terrain. During the summer, thousands of people venture up to the high alpine meadows, lakes, and ridges of timpanogos.
Chute, the utahs wasatch mountains didnt have much steep skiing. Now you can easily find all of the information you need to get out backcountry skiing in the tahoe area with our backcountry ski maps topographical maps designed specifically for backcountry skiing and ski touring. The chuting gallery, by park city resident andrew mclean, is the culmination of seven years of backcountry steep skiing experience in utahs wasatch mountains. Caroline gleich completes mcleans wasatch chuting gallery. The snow is already starting to fly, and we have put together a busy winter schedule to take advantage of the white stuff. Avalanche route ratings for selected touring routes in the central wasatch avalanches are part of life in the mountains, and anyone who has spent any time in the greatest snow on earth knows that utah can often have some of the greatest avalanche cycles on earth as well. Based in the wasatch range near salt lake and park city since 1993, utah mountain adventures uma is the premier fullspectrum, yearround guide service in utah. Courtesy of wasatch backcountry skiing circleall peak the view from the top of circleall peak makes the trek up to it worthwhile. Its available as a paper map, on your desktop, and for your mobile device. Backcountry skiing and ski touring wasatch mountains.
Welcome to the wmcs ski the greatest snow on earth page. Wasatch backcountry skiing theres no doubt that the wasatch mountains hold the goods in utah little cottonwood canyon around alta and snowbird, big cottonwood canyon near brighton and solitude, the back wasatch all areas that are renowned for their conditions and proximity to one another. Avalanche route ratings for selected touring routes in the. Best backcountry skiing in the northeast is the guide book for ski touring of all kinds in the northeast. Guided backcountry ski tours in utah red river adventures. Discover your next adventure in one of the backcountry skiing guidebooks. Sat in the middle of the wasatch range, with a prominent ridge rising 3,000 feet near snowbird ski resort, it looks like a visitor from alaska, with dominating snowfields and knifeedge ridges. The designer of this great map donates all profits to select nonprofits. Andrew mclean has been pursuing extreme ski mountaineering for over 20 years. Shop the best selection of books, maps and games at backcountry. Heres a primer for skiers ready to earn their turns, put some skin s in the game, etc.
If you want to round out your knowledge of the sports or simply find gifts for the skiers or snowboarders in your life, youll want the best skiing books available. Shop the latest 5 lowrisk tours in the wasatch at backcountry. A guide to the states best ski tours backcountry skiing series. Joining up with cody is pep fujas, who fulfills a dream 16 years in the making and ian provo, a wasatch backcountry ninja. Sure, its frigid on the wasatch range, but its also beautiful search. Backcountry skiing photography page theoutdoorclick. There are lots of rocks to jump and fresh snow to be skied. Purchase a copy of the backcountry skiing utah guidebook. Compare and book a certified guide for your wasatch mountains backcountry skiing trip with. That includes usgs maps, a map made by the wasatch powderbird guides in the 1980s, wasatch tours, backcountry skiing utah, the chuting gallery, hiking the wasatch, the udot snow and avalanche atlas, and the wasatch ski atlas. Our ski trips are led by willie benegas on the dates of your choice, and immerse you in truly outofthisworld backcountry skiing opportunities. After a quick jaunt to the deserts of nevada, the crew returns to utah for a long walk and narrow ski.
More than one person has commented on the irony of having outdoor retailer in one of the for the moment most polluted cities in the united states. The run is called the playground because of all the features skiers can play with. Heres a primer for skiers ready to earn their turns, put some skin s in. Backcountry skiing and splitboard tours with the mountain guides. Apr 18, 2017 andrew mcleans chuting gallery is in many ways considered to be the skimountaineering bible of utahs wasatch mountains. Heli skiing with powderbird is truly a unique experience perfectly suited for intermediate, advanced, and expert skiers and snowboarders alike. This website is a companion to the wasatch backcountry skiing map. Beginner terrain that is good as you develop your backcountry skills and when the avalanche danger is higher. View backcountry skiing locations in utahs wasatch mountains on your desktop computer. Book now for completely customized, privately guided adventure i look forward to exploring the backcountry of the wasatch with you. Located on the western edge of the rockies, the wasatch mountains are insanely close to salt lake city. His writings, photography and exploits have appeared in outside, powder, national geographic adventure, couloir, backcountry, the new yorker and climbing magazines, as well the black diamond and mountain hardwear catalogs. Utahs backcountry skiing in the wasatch mountains outside of salt lake city is among the best on the planet we are famous for the greatest snow on earth. There is an amazing amount of backcountry ski terrain despite the ranges relatively small size, and much of it can be found in big cottonwood canyon.
Backcountry ski guide, avalanchesafety instructor, and author tyson bradley describes sixtyfive tours with hundreds of descents from the wasatch range to the remote tushar, abajo, and henry mountains. Jump into the couloirs, cruise the pristine open slopes, and ski through the glades that can only be found outside ski area boundaries. For a truly memorable experience with your friends, family or colleagues, reserve a private tour for up to 12 people. This is our growing library of books and maps related to backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering.
The wasatch mountains outside salt lake city offer convenient access and worldclass terrain. Forest service uinta wasatch cache national forest. Then download the handy wasatch backcountry skiing app, which tells you exactly where you are in relation to the ski terrain around you. Skills for ski touring and ski mountaineering mountaineers outdoor expert martin volken, scott schell, margaret wheeler on. I believe that the best way to protect the wasatch mountains is to help people fall in love with them. I have a lifetime of experience backcountry skiing and guiding in the wasatch mountains of utah. Andrew mclean dishes on his famed wasatch guidebook. The authors irreverent wit will guide you through the gnarliest terrain in the wasatch mountain, predominantly around the salt lake area. Utah for detailed information, driving directions, route descriptions, and topographic maps with the ascent and descent routes, pick up a copy of my book.
A unified voice for the humanpowered winter backcountry community of the wasatch preserving the unique balance that exists in the central wasatch mountains sponsors. Out of the hundreds of canyons and ridges that make up utah, it is the park city ridge, american fork canyon, millcreek canyon, big cottonwood canyon and little cottonwood canyon that are the highlights of the state for backcountry skiers. Explore a different side of the wasatch with snowbird. Youll have a hard time driving to the end of little cottonwood canyon without noticing our iconic local 11,326 foot giant, mount superior. What its like camping and backcountry skiing in below. Get all the best spring skiing routes in utah with backcountry ski and snowboard routes. Book individual seats for a halfday of skiing and riding that includes breakfast at the forklift restaurant as well as prepublic guided skiing in mineral basin before your guided backcountry snowcat skiing. The western united states seems to get all the attention within the skiing community but maybe thats just because new englanders like it that way to keep the yokels away.
The updated map has hundreds of minor improvements a handful of new location. The central wasatch is undoubtedly the hub of backcountry skiing in utah. Private day of guided backcountry skiing in the wasatch range youll be paired with an experienced, certified backcountry guide for a day of powder chasing in the best locations the wasatch area has to offer. Backcountry skiing utah by tyson bradley, paperback barnes. For a truly memorable experience with your friends, family or colleagues, reserve a. Wasatch backcountry ski and snowboard tours the mountain guides. Guided ski adventure wasatch backcountry skiing itcog. Utah skiers claim to have the greatest snow on earth, and this revised and updated edition guides readers to the best backcountry ski tours in the state. Getting there and finding it isnt straight forward but youll be rewarded if you do. Programs include backcountry skiing and splitsnowboarding, rock climbing and.