...WINTER!!!!

...this blog is destined to be a bit more active now that the snow is starting to fall and I'm nearing the end of a 2.5 month stint doing field work in Idaho. I did manage to squeak one day of skiing in at A-Basin on my sanity-conserving trip back to Colorado. Chalk up one day for the 2008-2009 ski season.

November5-6 new snow count at Alta, UT read 49"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lucky for me, I'm sick as a dog and am not going to get a chance to get after it before it gets sun-baked in today's 40 degree weather...but hey, it's a long winter, right?

More snow = more blogging in the near future. For now, I'm going to scrape all the summer wax of all the skis...

...SNOW

The move to Steamboat forced me to leave my ski equipment back in Utah. Then it did this in Colorado on August 15. Winter is closer than we think...

...Classic Wasatch Descents pt. 2

(click that shit...and drool)

Baldy Chutes - Yeah, Yeah. So this is within the boundaries of Alta Ski Area but they still make me giddy like a schoolgirl when I can catch them open up several days after a storm has blown through, or better yet, pre and post season. Main Chute is a classic and mellow line while Little and Dog Leg push the steep scale a bit. Perla's isn't quite couloir status while Tree Chute is just plain bananas (if even skiable) unless its a big snow year and an avy hasn't ripped Baldy's face off mid-season. Not many ski areas give you access to chutes of this magnitude. (Big Sky another example) This is just another reason why Alta is second to few in the world of inbounds steep skiing.

...a Career?

A grown-up job has taken me away from the Wasatch and landed me in Steamboat Springs, CO. Moving is inherently obnoxious, and buying EVERYTHING for an apartment from scratch sincerely tests the limits of my ability to load up the credit card. Thousands of dollars later, here I am, anxiously awaiting a paycheck to alleviate the pain.

Steamboat is an incredible town. I've been here for two days and am feeling extremely happy and fortunate to have landed in another beautiful ski/mountain town. The apartment is right on the main drag of town within walking distance to every bar, restaurant, and shop in this town. I'm also a quick bus ride up to the Steamboat ski area, walking distance to the ice rink, rodeo grounds, a tiny local ski hill, and the Yampa River. And these things are only what I've discovered in two short days of residence. It seems that Steamboat is much more of a "locals town" and has much less turnover from season to season. Even in the middle of August, "Ski town USA" is buzzing at all hours of the day. I can't wait for winter.

The digs are fantastic. It's really easy to find pictures of my apartment on the internet given its prime location downtown and vantage point to the ski area. It's the upstairs apartment on the left side of the photograph. Yes, it's right next to a dive bar. (click the pic for high res)More importantly...

...Classic Wasatch Descents

The mid-summer itch for skiing is starting to hit as memories of blower powder days are long faded away. Images of some of most classic lines in the Wasatch make me salivate and look forward to getting back into the mountains as soon as flakes start flying again. Those who live in the Wasatch should know these classic lines, but for those of you stuck in the flat lands of the Midwest, these are a few reasons to pack your bags and move west. The pictures do a lot of the talking...One of the most easily accessed big mountain lines in the Wasatch, the SE face of Mt. Superior (11,132ft) demands the utmost respect. Wrong interpretations of the snowpack could send a freight train barreling over the road below. This picture was taken from the top of Mt. Baldy b/w Alta and Snowbird ski areas, giving you the idea of how accessible this line can be. After one season in the Wasatch, this descent is still at the top of the to-do list. Barring no season ending injury, I'll be looking forward to a sunrise ascent at some point next season. (Initiate salivation)

...the Comforts of Home

Taking a mountain-hiatus and traveling home to Traverse City, MI for the next week and a half in transition between my move from Park City, UT to Steamboat Springs, CO. The grown-up world awaits in Steamboat as I start a full time job as an Associate Geologist. Steamboat ain't too shabby for a starter job location. I'm extremely lucky to have found and been offered a job in a place like Steamboat Springs when so many entry-level jobs take geologists to wonderful natural playgrounds like Houston, TX and Baton Rouge, LA. It must be fate...or some shit like that.
Anyways, I plan on spending the the next week and half immersing myself in fresh water, catching up with my dearest and oldest Midwest friends, bar hopping the fine social establishments Traverse City has to offer, and packing up some my most prized possessions to take to my new Colorado home.



I have been extremely fortunate to have grown up in a place like Traverse City. I have lived in different variations of paradise for the entirety of my short life -- moving from my hometown of Traverse City to one of the best college towns in the country in Ann Arbor, MI, and then on to Park City, UT and now Steamboat Springs, CO. It seems fitting to take a trip back to the place where I feel most at home before I settle down in a new part of the country. Pictures of past summers in Traverse City remind me of the best times of my life, and the people who I hold dear to my heart.

...The Century Mark

It took until July 10th, but finally I notched the 100th day of skiing for the 2007-2008 ski season. It seems I would've reached this milestone much sooner given the amount of skiing I got in this year. It makes me realize that people who get more than 100 days of skiing in a season probably don't make much of a contribution to society during the winter months.

Anyway, the original objective was to ski the Pipeline Couloir at Snowbird, but warm weather had taken its toll and Main Baldy Chute at Alta was the only other option. The skiing was fantastic (1400 vert in total before the skis had to come off) and the surrounding mountains radiated the lush green of early summer. Skiing in July doesn't disappoint...

...Higher Elevations

I had the opportunity to climb and ski Mt. Timpanogos this past weekend with neighbor Rob...rather, I created the opportunity by recruiting him and covering up how grueling it would be to lug that much gear up 5000+ vertical feet. Mt. Timpanogos is, by far, my favorite peak in the Wasatch and the weight of the gear wasn't too much of a deterent because I knew the hard work would be well worth it. Mt. Timpanogos is the largest "massif" in Utah, meaning it is the largest block of uplifted rock, often encompassing multiple summits. Geology aside, this was a skiing trip and unfortunately, it was a few days short of July and I wouldn't be able to pull down ski days in July quite yet. (as part of my quest to ski 12 months out of the year)

The climb began at Aspen Grove trailhead at about 5:45 am. The first few miles of the hike were suprisingly enjoyable as they encompassed hiking through steep meadows of wildflowers while passing a couple large waterfalls surging due to the warm temps and rapid snow melt. I was pumped by the time we reached the first snowfields as that meant it was time to break out the new toys from Black Diamond; some new Sabretooth crampons. The lower snowfields became the real test as the weight of the pack felt greater with every step as the snowfields got steeper and steeper. As the ascent progressed, I made notes in my head in an attempt to make the descent as painless as possible because many of the snowfields ended in pesky overgrowth and impassable limestone cliffs. The timing was perfect as well as we reached the upper basins and got off the steep lower snowfields just as the snow began to get seriously mushy in the late morning sun. It was surely a relief to get back on flat ground again.

After another hour of trekking, the hut came into view and it was finally time to drop some of this gear at the sleeping location. The afternoon was spent napping and avoiding swarms of flies in anticipation of a sunset summit and a ski down the main snowfield post sunset in an attempt to ski some firmer conditions. The wait was well worth it...

Hey goats.Looking down the main snowfield on the hike to the summit. The hut lies at the bottom of this snowfield.

Myself turning the corner toward the main summit of Mt. TimpanogosLooking back down (east) toward the snowfield and the hut from the main summit ridgeline.Looking south/southwest toward Cascade Mtn and Provo, UTRob hiking the summit ridgeline with the south summit in the background.Summit. Wherever you go, go blue.Rewarded for a hard day's work. Skiing the snowfield at sunset.

Mt. Timpanogos doesn't disappoint. The hike to the summit is a hard days hike and can be done easily in the summertime (following snow melt) without the overnight. Fantastic views and fantastic snow deep into the month of June...life doesn't get much better than this. The permanent snowfield up on Timp will likely be the source of skiing late into August and possibly even September! Unfortunately, the real world is coming sooner than later... Hopefully, the trip can be made again even if I have to start punching the clock like the rest of the world...

...Excercise

There was nothing too exciting about this particular line on Tuesday, however, it was nice to get outside and make some turns on a warm summer day. Ambiance is the difference maker here, as the turns were laid down under the massive rock walls of Reid's Peak (right) and Bald Mtn. (left)

The folks are came into town Tuesday evening and my skiing days may be cut back while they're in town for the next month, and also while I make a trip to Steamboat Springs for a grown-up job interview. Apparently, I'm a bit strange for keeping this skiing thing rolling into mid-summer. Strange or not, I'm sincerely looking forward to the possibility of climbing and skiing Mt. Timpanogos on the weekend of the 28th. As you can see below, snow comes easy when you're on the largest massif in the Wasatch. Good luck me.

...June Steeps

Even after only a few days of warm weather, the snow pack in the Uintas had taken a hit. Our original destination was to ski Reynolds Wrap Couloir on Hayden Peak, but the warm weather had exposed some un-fun rock steps throughout the chute and left us no choice but to ski Reynold's neighbor, Mountaineer's Couloir. A bit bummed out that the 1st line of choice was a no-go after looking so delicious a few days before, we began to head up the mountain. As the Mountaineer's Couloir came into view, all thoughts of this being a second choice line disappeared as we began to realize we would be summiting in perfect timing to carve some beautiful June corn snow. The view from the top of the couloir was incredible, as is every view from anywhere up in the Uintas. The top was a bit exciting as the chute rolled over to 50+ degrees about 100 vertical feet from the top preventing a clean view of the tunnel-like couloir in its entirety. The corn was sweet, the top of the couloir was steep as hell, and the vertical descent was certainly significant (1400 ft. by our count).


Reynolds Wrap Couloir on the left and Mountaineer's on the right BEFORE the meltdown. Mountaineer's Couloir ended up being a great second choice.Cutting across a couple other couloirs and some exposure to gain the saddle.The uppermost, and steepest section of the couloir finally comes in to view.The last few steps to gain the top of Mountaineer's Couloir. The East face of Hayden Peak also looks enticing. ( top) Making the first turn into Mountaineer's Couloir. It's a little spooky being blinded by the rollover.


The lower half of the couloir. (right)

...New Summits

Mt. Watson was the objective this morning as the alarm rang at 3:50am. Given that the east face was the objective, and it is June, an early start was a necessity to descend this peak in good snow. This is one of the bigger lines I've skied this year and was inherently one of my favorites. Upon reaching the summit, I was discouraged to find most of the lines were only accessible by dropping a 20+ foot vertical old cornice onto a 50 degree slope. After further scouting, one line was manageable with only a 5 foot drop and that line automatically became the line of choice. Watson didn't disappoint.

...the New Frontier

It may be June 13, but it feels like mid winter in the Uinta Mtns, just east of Park City and the crowded peaks of the Wasatch. Mirror Lake Highway opened this week, providing much easier access to the largest range in the state of Utah, a range that is usually overlooked due to its limited access during the winter months. After a good freeze last night, I decided to introduce myself to this expansive wilderness with a climb of the moderately tame Mt. Murdock. I was flying solo so I was perfectly happy keeping my lines as tame as possible. I managed to get in 3 runs before the snow got a bit sloppy at about 10:30am...it is mid-June after all.

The two north facing runs of the day with beautiful corn skiing around 10am.

...Seasonal Closure

There's no such thing as too much snow. When people asked why I would be spending a winter in Utah following a December graduation from college, my response was always along the lines of: "I need to get skiing out of my system before I settle down and begin my career." Upon my arrival in Utah, my response to the same question warranted a different reaction from those who were currently living in Park City. "Yeah I did the same (diverse variations in numerical values) years ago. Good luck trying to leave." As I am desperately hanging onto my first season in the mountains, I now know what made it so easy for so many people to simply stay put. There's no such thing as too much snow and in a year with an extraordinarily large amount of snowfall, expecting to "get it all out of my system" was not logical or even possible goal. If anything, I've made this uncanny addiction for sliding down the mountain on a couple of boards much worse. As I reflect on my first season, I checked a lot of things off my to-do list here in the Wasatch, but am now realizing the list is larger now than it was upon my arrival. For now, I find closure to the heart of the winter season in photographs...Wolverine Cirque from Mt. Millicent, UT

Looking down Daly Chutes, UTLooking down Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT from Mt. BaldyLooking down Little Chute inbounds at Alta, UTBlower powder day on Jupiter Peak, UTThe Tetons, WYCreating artwork in Milly Bowl, UTCanyons sidecountry powWolverine Cirque, UTPioneer Ridge, UTPioneer Ridge, UTCoalpit Headwall, UTDevil's Castle and Alta from Mt. Wolverine, UTBest in bounds terrain in the US, Big Sky, MTThe Big, MTWolverine Cirque from Mt. Wolverine, UTBrighton periphery, UTPow day outside the Canyons, UTLooking west from Mt. Baldy, UTBaldy Chutes, Alta, UTWhite and Red Pine Gulches, Pfeifferhorn, Thunder Mtn.