My Top 3 Ski Tours of 2018-2019 (#1)

I have been ski touring for three seasons now. Every outing has been within 35 minutes of my house, with the exception of one. By the third week in February, we, in the Wasatch, were in the midst of an epic season. We were not the only ones having an stellar year. Much of the west was getting buried on a regular basis, and this included southern Utah.

My co-worker Zach approached me early in the week with a proposition of skiing near Cedar Breaks National Monument (not far from Bryce Canyon, but higher elevation). Skiing the red rocks and hoodoos of southern Utah. I was hesitant at first. We would be outside the safety net of the Utah Avalanche Center’s impeccable daily forecasts. Over the next couple of days, though, I became confident that we could do it safely, and it was also clear that this would be a truly unforgettable and unique experience.

My Top 3 Ski Tours of 2018-2019 (#2)

As I sit on my deck writing this, I can turn to my right and stare at the top of Grandeur Peak. Grandeur has a special place in my heart because it is the closest mountain to our home and because I have spent many hours over the last few years hiking it. The first time I summited it was a few years ago with Lauren, when we hiked it from the east side. Though that trail is better traveled, I have since been climbing the brutally steep west face as a way to train for ski season. The trailhead for the west face (West G, as some like to call it) is a mere 1.5 miles from my house.

Grandeur Peak                                                                                     My House

I think you see where I am going with this. With the amount of snow we had by late January, you could see tracks on West G after a couple of the bigger storms. It was then when the seed was planted in my mind. I wondered if, when we had enough snow in the valley to cover the roads, I could ski Grandeur from my house.

My Top 3 Ski Tours of 2018-2019 (#3)

Ski touring around the Wasatch has quickly become my favorite activity since moving to Utah and beginning work at Black Diamond. I had heard of backcountry skiing when I started at BD, but I had no idea what it involved. After 3 seasons, touring has allowed me to get out into the mountains much more frequently than if I was limited to skiing at resorts only.

Of the 52 times I skied this season, 33 of them were tours. Many of these were your run of the mill gorgeous sunrise/untracked blower powder/both of those things, and get to work by 8:30. Since moving to Utah, my google photos account has become a collection of desktop backgrounds.

Pre-work sunrise. This did not make the list. Photo credit: Brian Kenton

Post-work sunset. This did not make the list.

I do not take the beautiful views for granted, but what does it take for one of these outings to truly set itself apart?