...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...