Ski Utah Blog - Related Articles
Showing 9 articles out of 9.
5th Annual Backcountry Film Fest
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on February 23, 2010
It's the 5th annual Backcountry Film Festival in Salt Lake City!
Time: 7pm doors, 8pm show; must be 21 years or older.
Tickets: $10 per person, all proceeds benefit WWA.
Buy tickets: At The Black Diamond Store (cash or check only (2092 E. 3900 South) or online at The State Room. Raffle tickets on sale the night of the show.
Join us for great backcountry turns with a calligrapher in Japan, a kangaroo in Australia, and of course on multiple continents with the guys at Powderwhore. Other films highlight fast grass and dirty corn in Vermont and the latest entry from Teton Gravity Research.
It’s all part of this year’s Big LePowSki freeride event. Sign up for clinics and fun today!
*** Heading for the backcountry? Don’t forget to take your video camera! Every year the Backcountry Film Festival highlights the best amateur backcountry video from folks like you. Just keep it nonmotorized, mostly winter-oriented, under 5 minutes, and most of all—fun. Submit your video to WWA before September 15 and you could win! ***
It's the 5th annual Backcountry Film Festival in Salt Lake City!
Time: 7pm doors, 8pm show; must be 21 years or older.
Tickets: $10 per person, all proceeds benefit WWA.
Buy tickets: At The Black Diamond Store (cash or check only (2092 E. 3900 South) or online at The State Room. Raffle tickets on sale the night of the show.
Join us for great backcountry turns with a calligrapher in Japan, a kangaroo in Australia, and of course on multiple continents with the guys at Powderwhore. Other films highlight fast grass and dirty corn in Vermont and the latest entry from Teton Gravity Research.
It’s all part of this year’s Big LePowSki freeride event. Sign up for clinics and fun today!
*** Heading for the backcountry? Don’t forget to take your video camera! Every year the Backcountry Film Festival highlights the best amateur backcountry video from folks like you. Just keep it nonmotorized, mostly winter-oriented, under 5 minutes, and most of all—fun. Submit your video to WWA before September 15 and you could win! ***
The Wasatch Powder Keg
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on February 23, 2010
The Big LePowSki Returns to Brighton Feb 26-27.
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on February 22, 2010
The event kicks off on Thursday, February 25th with the Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival at the State Room on 638 S. State Street Salt Lake City. This film festival highlights backcountry ski and snowboard films. $10 per person and all money goes to the Winter Wildlands Association. Must be 21 or older to attend.
On Saturday February 27th the clinics kick into gear at Brighton Ski Resort with a morning and afternoon classes including: Avalanche Beacon Workshop, Backcountry Basics, Freeride Film Workshop, Freeride Photo Workshop, Freeride Workshops, Park Tricks, Splitboarding 101, Steeps Clinics, and women specifics Clinics. Registration is $75 and can be done at www.thebiglepowski.com. If you want to get a leg up on learning new skills for the backcountry this is a great place to start.
Finally on Saturday February 27th, don't miss the The Big LePowSki / Salt Lake Shoot Out Party to Benefit The Billy Poole Fund. Located at Club Elevate in Salt Lake City (149 W 200 So), the party features a silent auction that benefits the Billy Poole fund, live music, and features the work of photographers from the Salt Lake Shoot Out. Tickets are $10 and go to the Billy Poole Fund.
If all that wasn't enough to get you to attend, check out this video from last years event.
Big LePowSki 2009—Brighton, Utah from Black Diamond Equipment on Vimeo.
Powder Mountain's Sidecountry - Don't Mention It
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on February 16, 2010
Powder Mountain is now offering guided tours to Wolf Canyon, known locally as DMI. Wolf Canyon encompasses approximately 1,000 skiable acres and has a 3,000 foot vertical drop for anyone willing to take a short hike up to James Peak, the resort's highest peak. The pristine terrain includes huge, wide open bowls, gladed trees and numerous steep chutes.
DMI is the local’s code for "Don’t Mention It. "Although the area has always been marked as out-of-bounds, experienced locals could not resist the temptation to secretly hike out after a storm for the expert terrain and champagne powder. Although tours take guests to some of the best steep and deep terrain at Powder Mountain, one of the primary factors for starting guided tours was to better control backcountry access and to increase the overll safety for our guests," remarked Rod Kelly, Operations Manager.
Guests can choose from a variety of options to explore Wolf Canyon.
- The Ultimate DMI Tour – A full day tour of Wolf Canyon for 5 - 10 guests led by 2 guides. The ultimate tour takes you to open bowls, chutes, gladed trees and all the powder you can handle. The tour includes lunch, use of avalanche beacon, and a private van shuttle to maximize your vertical for the day. $280 per person. A minimum of 5 guests are required for tour to run.
- Backcountry Ski & Skin – This tour of Wolf Canyon offers the challenge of a good climb combined with long, expert powder runs. You bring backcountry skills, stamina and full backcountry gear – AT equipment or split board, skins, beacon, shovel, and probe. We provide one cat ride up Lightning Ridge and all the powder you can handle. Our experienced pros will safely guide you through expert terrain. $300 per tour for 1 to 6 guests, the price is the same. An all area lift pass is also required.
David Valentine from Chicago, Ill was one of the first guests to experience the Ultimate DMI Tour. He remarked, "I had the time of my life! I would put today’s adventure up against any heli-ski trip. It is the best value for the amount of vertical and the snow quality.”
Locals no longer have to sneak out to DMI. A backcountry upgrade to a season pass is available. The upgrade includes ski-in skin-out access to Wolf Canyon and some hiking access to Powder Safari zones. Kent Lundell, Director of the Mountain Adventure Center, suggested, "Anyone with an upgrade should sign up for the Mountain Adventures standby list. When there is availability, they receive deep discounts on guided tours." Holders of the backcountry upgrade agree to abide by strict safety guidelines, such as advising the Mountain Adventure Center when they will be venturing out of bounds and always going with a partner. A complete list of requirements is available at http://www.powdermountain.com/tkts_season_passes.php.
For more information, email adventures@powdermountain.com. Powder Mountain's Mountain Adventure Center at 801-745-3772 Ext 181 accepts reservations daily from 8:00am - 4:30pm.
Slackcountry: Backcountry Terrain Within Resort Boundaries
Posted by Thomas Cooke on February 13, 2010
A few weeks ago, when we had our last batch of major storms hit the Wasatch, I enrolled in a Level 1 Avalanche Certification class with the fine folks at Utah Mountain Adventures. The bad thing is I didn't get to ski much powder at my favorite resorts that weekend. The good thing is, we spent the time traipsing around the backcountry of Big Cottonwood Canyon, digging pits and studying what would become classic Wasatch slab avalanche conditions. Tons of new snow with a high moisture content on top of an old weak thin layer from early season. The recurring word I kept seeing on the avalanche forecasts from the Utah Avalanche Center was "persistent", meaning that weak layer wasn't healing, and even after the storms, human-triggered avalanches claimed at least one life, seriously injured a few more, and scared the Beejeezus out of a few backcountry skiers with many years of experience. Even though I was keen to get out there and practice some of the skills I learned in the Level 1 class, the dicey factor was keeping me in-bounds.
Last weekend, while skiing at Park City Mountain Resort, I decided to venture out to Pinecone Ridge and sample firsthand what some locals say is the best in-bounds backcountry skiing in the Park City area. You take the Jupiter chair up, hike up Scott's peak, skip right past the main bowl, scamper down the narrow ridge, and the gate to Pinecone is right in front of you. The hike is a steep bootpack that takes maybe 15 minutes. Once on top, you are treated to exceptional views all the way around. You can drop in to some southern facing wide open patches that take you back to Jupiter lift if you are doing laps. I did this once and had a funky sun crust to deal with. It wasn't horrible, but I knew there was better snow up there, so I did another roundtrip. At the Pinecone gate, I met up with two locals who knew where they were going, and followed them all the way out the ridge, past Full Moon, to the Homelight Bowl area.
Homelight Bowl was a no bueno place to ski on that particular day, because it had previously slid down to the dirt, most likely from all the extensive avalanche control work done by the PCMR snow safety folks. But just to skiers right, there was a long ridge of tight to medium spaced aspens with great untracked snow, opening up into what is marked as the Sam's Knob area. A few turns later, and we were on our way to the Motherlode lift. After two laps on Pinecone Ridge, I felt like there was still so much more terrain in there to get familiar with. Below are a few snaps from the iPhone.
Rock Cairn On Top Of Old Pinecone
The Long And Lonely Ridge
Clouds Hovering Over Full Moon Bowl
Photos from the 4 Area Interconnect Tour
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on February 5, 2010
When people talk about the Ski Utah Interconnect Tour they usually think of the 6 area tour that goes through Deer Valley, Park City Mountain Resort, Solitude, Brighton, Alta, and Snowbird. But the 4 area Interconnect Tour going through Snowbird, Alta, Brighton, and Solitude offers an arguably better backcountry experience. Check out the photos from yesterday's 4 area tour.
Backcountry Awareness Fundraising Party
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on January 25, 2010
Benefiting the Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center
Saturday, February 6, 2010 – Golden Cliff, Cliff Lodge
Proceeds support the Snowbird Renaissance Center, which in turn, supports the Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center
This fundraiser will include light hors d'oeuvre, beverages, music and a silent auction.
Hors d'oeuvre & Beverages
•
Crudités Display with Broccoli, Cauliflower, Celery, Carrots Radishes,
Green Peppers, Mushrooms and Cherry Tomatoes with Asiago Ranch Dips
• Fresh Mini Fruit Kabobs
• Tortilla Chips, Salsa and Guacamole
• Sourdough Rounds with Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
• Sliced Roma Tomatoes with Fresh Mozzarella
Served with a Balsamic Glaze on Sourdough Toast
• Beer, wine & soft drinks
Tickets & other information
Tickets: $50
Hors d'oeuvre, Beer, Wine & Music: 4:30 – 7 p.m.
Silent Auction: 4:30 – 6:45 p.m.
Attire: Casual
Backcountry Awareness Classes
We will be holding (2) 2-hour classes on Saturday, February 6th on
basic to intermediate backcountry skills. These classes will meet in
the Alpine Room, Level 2, Snowbird Center. The first class will meet at
9 a.m. and the second class will meet at 1 p.m. Bring a transceiver if
you have one and be prepared to go outside. There is no charge for
these classes, however, donations are welcome and encouraged. This
program is sponsored by Wasatch Backcountry Rescue and the Snowbird
Renaissance Center.
Ken Block's New Backcountry Whip
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on November 4, 2009
There's a new beast roaming Utah's backcountry. In areas that were once only accessible by snowmobile, snow cats, and backcountry skiers there is a new game in town. A Subaru STI outfitted with cat tracks is now powering through the trees and to the top of a peak near you. Built for DC's Shoes and Snowboards owner and Utah Resident Ken Block this one of a kind whip will be turning heads again this winter in the backcountry. Check out the video.
16th Annual Utah Avalanche Center Fundraising Party
Posted by Tim on September 3, 2009
Black Diamond, Uinta Brewing Company, and The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center invite you to an evening of music, dancing, mexican food, and a silent auction. This is a great party and all proceeds go to helping keep backcountry users on top of the snow, not buried under it. Click here for details.
