Backcountry Skiing Wasangeles
All work and no play really makes no sense at all. When I planned my trip to the Winter Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City (sneak peeks of the new 2016 gear to follow in the weeks to come) I made sure to include ample time to get out and enjoy some of that legendary Wasatch Pow that we hear so much about.
(Photo: Jared Hargrave)
With the Outdoor Retailer Show now over (at least for this attendee) and my saturation levels of facts, acrnoyms and marketing jargon reached, it was time to get out there ski touring. There's really no one I could think of more experienced in the Wasatch backcountry than my friend Jared Hargave who runs the web site UtahOutside.com and also just happens to be the author of the new ski touring guide for the area.
The guide is called called "Backcountry Ski & Snowboard Routes: Utah" and is a hefty 304 page book of backcountry beta containing some 99 routes from all over the state with the majority located in the Central Wasatch region. Each route comes with a detailed description, driving directions, trail distance, trip time, skill level required and of course a map showing you the route. The book retails for $21.95 US and can be purchased from Mountaineers Books.
Jared and his backcountry skiing crew made the journey north to the Kootenays last winter and spent a few days ski touring with the Backcountry Skiing Canada team so he was more than happy to show me around for a few days this week. Our objective Saturday was the terrain in an area knows as Bear Trap Fork which contains some relatively safe tours just far enough away from the buzz of the highway and resorts in Little Cottonwood Canyon to forget why the area is referred to as “Wasangeles”. We had a great ski day with about of foot of blower pow and plenty of tree skiing spread over four laps with a total of about 4,000’ elevation gain. Jared ensures me that he has another sweet spot to shred up tomorrow and with the continued light snowfall it should prove to be just as good as todays mission. If you’re a local or planning a trip to the Salt Lake City area be sure to pick up a copy of “Backcountry Ski & Snowboard Routes: Utah” and get all of Jared’s insight on backcountry skiing in the area.
(Photo: Jared Hargrave)
(Photo: Jared Hargrave)