When Mali Noyes got on the phone with me on April 17, she was spent. Her exhaustion, miraculously, wasn鈥檛 from the physical effort of her latest project: skiing every line in the famous Utah backcountry听skiing guidebook The Chuting Gallery, by Andrew Mclean, as fast as possible; she was frazzled by the mental toll of exposing herself to hazards and dangerous terrain day in and day out.

“The mental fatigue is so intense that it鈥檚 hard to wrap my head around,” Noyes told听国产吃瓜黑料.

Noyes, 35, works as a pro re nata nurse (an on-call schedule) at the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City. After clocking out of a shift on Tuesday, March 11, she began her skiing objective鈥攚hich she calls “Project Rapid Fire”鈥攅arly the next morning.

Noyes skinned up Broad Fork in Big Cottonwood Canyon and skied down the east face of Twin Peak, followed by the Stairs Gulch. The standout lines were highlights due to the beautiful exposed skiing, and massive vertical drop down the gulch. She immediately began ticking off technical, steep, and hazardous ski descents up and down the Wasatch mountain range. When we spoke, she had skied 77 lines in 37 days, including just seven rest days.

鈥淭he crux for me hasn鈥檛 been the vert,鈥� Noyes told 国产吃瓜黑料. 鈥淢y brain has been doing so much decision making day after day, skiing objective hazards. I feel a little trapped in the process.鈥�

The Chuting Gallery was published in 1998 while McLean was working as an engineer at Black Diamond. The book has become the quintessential document of the Utah backcountry skiing scene, and anyone who skis every descent in the book cements their name in ski history. Caroline Gleich was catapulted into the spotlight after becoming the first woman to ski every line in the book. The book details 90 of the hardest backcountry ski lines in the Wasatch Mountains that loom over Salt Lake City. Many skiers argue over the final number of chutes, since the book often describes areas that are home to multiple couloirs. Noyes has determined her number to be 93.

“Andrew McLean鈥檚 writing and book captured my imagination,鈥� Gleich told Backcountry magazine. 鈥淚t gave me a roadmap to becoming a ski mountaineer. His quirky book became a shaping force in my career, and I鈥檓 grateful for his leadership and vision in writing The Chuting Gallery.鈥�

Noyes’ idea to ski all 93 lines in succession was born during the 2023 winter, when Utah received over 900 inches of snow. 鈥淚 was having so much fun skiing big objectives, and I started linking up more and more of them at once,鈥� Noyes said. Also a professional big mountain skier, Noyes began her athletic career as a Nordic ski racer. 鈥淚 just love long days, and the logistical and strategic challenge of skiing all 93 couloirs in The Chuting Gallery in record time excited me.鈥�

Prior to launching her project, Noyes shared the idea听with fellow professional backcountry skier听Cody Townsend, who is her mentor and teammate on the Salomon backcountry team. She told Townsend she was waiting for the right year for this project. Noyes wanted all the snow conditions to align perfectly. Some of the听Chuting Gallery ski lines descend rocky and exposed terrain, and require a deep snowpack to be skiable.

But Townsend told her she鈥檇 never find the perfect year, and that she should take on the challenge as soon as possible. 鈥淚t鈥檚 through the suffering and bad snow conditions that you make the experience your own,鈥� he said to Noyes.

The March 12 start date was less than ideal. Noyes started so late in the season because she was waiting for avalanche danger in the Wasatch to subside. The late start didn鈥檛 hamper her early in her mission, but as she kept ticking off chutes and March rolled into April, the remaining ski descents melted quickly.

Many of these ski lines are clustered in the same drainages, but while in years past Noyes has been able to complete multiple descents in a day, this year, the hot April sun shortened the windows during which those couloirs would be safe from wet avalanches. This means that Noyes has only been able to ski one or two of those chutes in a day. She has had to repeatedly bushwack and hike far into gullies that on a different year she鈥檇 only have to visit once.

鈥淎 week ago I slipped in a creek on the way to the Y-Couloir in Little Cottonwood Canyon. I broke down and began to cry,鈥� Noyes said. 鈥淚 wondered if I still loved skiing, and why I was skiing this shitty snow over here instead of great snow elsewhere because of this list.鈥�

But Noyes has a new strategy to deal with the mental crux. 鈥淓very time I scream and tell myself 鈥業 fucking hate this,鈥� I鈥檝e tricked my brain into saying 鈥業鈥檓 really fucking good at this.鈥欌�� And she is. Noah Howell, a legendary Wasatch skier, took 13 years to complete the guidebook. Caroline Gleich skied every line in The Chuting Gallery over the course of four years. Noyes is on track to finish out the book in less than two months.

She鈥檚 had great days, like when she linked three lines on Kesler Peak in Big Cottonwood Canyon in stable powder. 鈥淚t was a 10,000-foot day with a good crew and great snow,鈥� Noyes said. She owns a home nestled听in Little Cottonwood Canyon, and hasn鈥檛 explored the neighboring canyon enough. She told 国产吃瓜黑料 that this project has been an amazing way to branch out of her skiing bubble. Noyes also skied the Great White Icicle鈥攁 popular ice climb that is in the book as a novelty and is often skied on rappel鈥攐n snowblades at night. Noyes jokingly called that a first descent of its kind.

But it hasn鈥檛 been all bluebird powder days. 鈥淚 had a week where I had three close calls in four days,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat felt like it broke my brain a little, like 鈥業 have to keep going back into these mountains that are trying to kill me.鈥欌��

Her least favorite day of the project so far was when she skied Lisa Falls with New Zealand pro skier Sam Smoothy. The ski line is at a relatively low elevation, and the very top of it commonly avalanches and collects windblown snow. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a complicated 5,000-foot approach, and the second the sun hits the face it can shed,鈥� she said. Noyes and Smoothy began at 2 A.M., planning to climb the line, ski it, and climb it again to link up with faces on the other side of the peak. But Smoothy didn鈥檛 feel well that day and they were moving slower than they wanted. Sunlight hit the face when they were climbing and the couloir heated up quickly. 鈥淚t was way more danger than I ever wanted to put myself in,鈥� she said. The skiers were able to descend safely, but they saw many natural avalanches on their way out of the canyon.

Her latest lines have looked the hardest, as a melting snowpack has revealed multiple rappels with sketchy-looking anchors in the middle of the couloirs that are sometimes fully skiable. 鈥淩opes slow things down, and they can create other hazards鈥� Noyes told 国产吃瓜黑料. 鈥淭wo days after Lisa Falls, I went into Hogum Fork to ski a line called Montgomery, which had a rappel at the bottom. But we couldn鈥檛 find an anchor, and it took so long that the snow heated up and started shedding.鈥�

Noyes lamented that if she 丑补诲苍鈥檛 been chasing this project, she would never have been in that spot. But she said days like that provide good teachable moments. She鈥檚 been getting up even earlier, often at 1 A.M. to beat the heat.

Risk to life and limb is just one aspect of her stress. Noyes told 国产吃瓜黑料 that her cat, Beater, has been a source of concern. After a coyote ate a neighbor鈥檚 cat, Beater hasn鈥檛 been allowed out at night. But at 1 A.M., Noyes isn鈥檛 always alert enough to stop him from slipping out of the door. 鈥淗e鈥檇 snuck out the night we left for Lisa Falls, and I鈥檇 be lying if I said he wasn鈥檛 adding to the pure stress I felt that day,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 saw him dashing into the woods, and all I could do was tell him, 鈥楳ake good choices, bud.鈥欌��

When asked about how she鈥檚 been able to maintain her motivation throughout the challenge, Noyes is quick to credit the large group of friends, most of whom are professional skiers, who have rallied to ski these couloirs with her. 鈥淪kiing is not an individual sport,鈥� Noyes told 国产吃瓜黑料. 鈥淭his isn鈥檛 a Mali project, it鈥檚 a community project.鈥�

Noyes has to work a minimum of two days a month at the Huntsman Institute to fulfill her contract. She鈥檚 hoping to finish Project Rapid Fire with enough time to clock back in for two days in April.

Update: Mali Noyes completed her 93rd and final line on April 27, completing听The Chuting Gallery听in just 47 days.

The post This Nurse Just Skied Utah鈥檚 Hardest Descents in Record Time appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

If the results of SKI Magazine鈥檚 annual Reader Resort Survey are any indication, is a special place. The soulful, no-frills ski area rocketed to top of the rankings this year, showcasing comments from SKI readers who value its authenticity, great snow, old-school vibe, and focus on the skiing rather than the off-slope bells and whistles.

鈥淭he locals who ride and ski here keep it real,鈥� said one survey respondent. 鈥淟ining up to drop in at Timberline with a bunch of die-hards who arrived before the sun was one of my happiest memories this year.鈥�

Now the very thing that makes Powder Mountain so special might be in jeopardy. The beloved community-minded ski area with over 8,000 acres of terrain announced that it will be moving to a hybrid business model of both public and private slopes for the 2024-2025 season. New Powder Mountain owner and Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, who bought a majority share of the ski area earlier this year, shared a December 10 outlining the new plan and why the 50-year-old ski area would be going down this path.

According to Hastings, that he decided to buy the ski area because he and his wife are longtime homeowners and that they 鈥渓ove this mountain community and want to see it flourish,鈥� Powder Mountain will be moving to a semi-private operational plan that includes private slopes attached to real estate sales as well as trails open to the public.

Not surprisingly, it all comes down to money. It鈥檚 no secret that Powder has been struggling to make ends meet. From its humble beginnings as a local ski area founded by local doctor Alvin Cobabe in the early 1970s to a failed attempt in the 2000s to turn it into a massive destination resort, Pow Mow has thwarted all attempts to bring it into the modern age. In fact, the vast majority of comments from SKI readers in our 2024 Reader Resort Survey say that鈥檚 exactly why they love it so much.

鈥淏est place I鈥檝e found to ski great stuff and never wait,鈥� wrote one such skier. 鈥淧owder lasts for days and the people are so friendly. It鈥檚 no Deer Valley with amenities but you won鈥檛 starve.鈥�

鈥淲hy would you go anywhere else?鈥� said another Pow Mow fan. 鈥淣o crowds, no lift lines, everyone is friendly, powder for days.鈥�

You get the gist.

But high praise doesn鈥檛 keep the power on, leaving Hastings and team to find a way to make Powder profitable. The answer appears to be exclusive, multi-million-dollar homes, which, instead of amenities such as a pools, golf courses, or fancy clubhouses, will come with their own private ski slopes.

鈥淚n order to pay our bills, we need to sell more real estate, and to do that we are introducing private homeowner-only skiing a year from now,鈥� Hasting said in the press release. 鈥淲e will be designating the Village and Mary鈥檚 lifts, which serve beginner and intermediate terrain, plus a new lift on Raintree, for this private skiing, starting a year from now.鈥� The Raintree slopes were single-serve expert cat-skiing terrain.

The ski area is also replacing two old lifts with high-speed versions, plus adding a new lift up Lightning Ridge, the location of more of Powder鈥檚 inbound cat-skiing terrain. The new lift will serve up intermediate and expert trails, and provide a route from Timberline back down to Sundown. They plan to move both cat-skiing operations to different, not-yet-shared parts of the mountain.

According to Hastings, this is the most sensible path to keeping the mountain operational without joining the Ikon or Epic bandwagon (cue the crowds) or selling to a corporation, which would likely look to turn it into a built-out megaresort. 鈥淲e believe this blend of public and private skiing secures us decades of exceptional uncrowded skiing for all, funded partially by real estate,鈥� he explained.

This public/private hybrid isn鈥檛 new in the ski industry. There are currently at least two other ski areas鈥� and , in N.Y. 鈥榮 Catskills鈥攃onsidering a semi-private model, for the same reasons: They can鈥檛 sustain their operations on the sale of lift tickets alone. And real estate鈥攂e it through hotel and condo development or home sales鈥攊s always the rainmaker at all successful ski resorts.

Then there are the fully private ski resorts, such as Montana鈥檚 Yellowstone Club, Colorado鈥檚 Cimarron Mountain Club, and the in Utah. Of course, the big difference with these is that they were built and sold as private communities with their own slopes, not carved out from longtime ski hubs with their own dedicated fan bases.

Reactions from Powder Mountain skiers have been few so far, as the ski area has yet to share the plans on its social channels, but as the news spread on Tuesday, the Pow Mow faithful weighed in on unrelated posts. 鈥淕et it while you can,鈥� said one skier via . 鈥淭he homeowner-only access coming next year is going to turn this into another private resort for the super rich.鈥�

The post This Iconic Utah Ski Resort Is Going Semi-Private Next Year appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Ryan Irvin is 55 feet in the air, on the railing-guarded platform of a cherry picker, when the mechanical boom that moves him around stops working. He鈥檚 standing on the second rail with no safety gear, reaching into the top of a 67-foot ponderosa pine tree named Big Red, which stands near a busy intersection in the middle of , 45 miles south of Salt Lake City. It鈥檚 the first week of November, and the smells of McDonald鈥檚, Burger King, and Panda Express are wafting from their respective street corners by the town鈥檚 library and police station, where Big Red and several other large trees rise up. Car horns punctuate the traffic noise as drivers yell things like 鈥淭hank you!鈥� and 鈥淚t鈥檚 not Christmas yet!鈥�

Time is money when you鈥檙e a professional Christmas-light installer who gets paid by the number of strands you hang, so Irvin continues his aggressive branch-wrapping from the outside in, toward the trunk. Deep inside Big Red, two guys with arborist harnesses hang from ropes, ready to connect Irvin鈥檚 outside strands to the power cords they鈥檝e strung up the tree. Travis 鈥淭-Pow鈥� Powell is even higher up, tightrope-walking all the way out on a slippery limb to individually wrap smaller branches that he can鈥檛 reach from his lift. The tree shakes from all the thrashing, as balled-up light strands fall out of buckets and pinball to the ground. Branches crack off and land on Terrence Ferguson, the operations manager, as he tries to re-splice the lift鈥檚 wires so Irvin can eventually come back down. As the rain picks up, the temperature drops 20 degrees in three hours, and by 10 A.M. everybody is cold and soaked.

鈥淭his tree eats lights,鈥� says T-Pow, referring to Big Red, which they鈥檒l wrap exclusively in red LEDs. 鈥淭he dense-needle bushes on the outside cover all the branches inside that have lights on them, so you have to put up even more to cover it. That also lets us make more money.鈥� It鈥檚 T-Pow鈥檚 11th season here as a Christmas-light installer, or as he calls it: an L-pro. (That stands for 鈥渓ighting professional.鈥�) As a veteran L-pro, the 37-year-old will make at least $55,000 in the ten weeks between October 1 and December 15, then spend the rest of his year on climbing and skiing expeditions in Alaska, where he lives and guides, interspersed with mountaineering trips to Argentina and maybe a powder-chasing adventure in Japan.

鈥淚鈥檓 the only one here who actually likes Christmas lights,鈥� he said earlier, while driving a company听van to the job with three pairs of gloves drying on the dashboard. 鈥淚 take pride in my work and always want it to look good, like when I would help my parents hang lights at home growing up.鈥�

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Kevin Perry was riding his bike near the Great Salt Lake when the first bullet whizzed over his head. A couple seconds later, a second round plunked into the sand a few yards from his feet. He hit the ground, crawling under a trailer he was towing. Terror battled confusion: Who the hell was shooting at him, and from where?

It was October 2017, and he was alone on the playa, a wide-open, waterless lake bed that extended for miles in every direction. The nearest cover or vegetation was more than a mile away, and Perry knew this part of the lake was popular with target shooters, so it was not a good place to be exposed. 鈥淭hey just saw something moving out there and decided to take a couple of shots at it,鈥� said the 53-year-old University of Utah associate professor. 鈥淎fter that I was always decked out head to toe in hunter鈥檚 orange.鈥�

Perry is an atmospheric scientist, and he was on an obsessive quest: he was pedaling a fat-tire bike, stopping every 500 meters to collect soil samples, as part of a project in which he would cover the entire perimeter of the Great Salt Lake. All told, he would ride more than 2,300 miles, in snowstorms and baking summer heat, starting early and often not getting home until midnight. His trailer sometimes sank to its axles in oozy mud that looked perfectly dry. More than once he wanted to cheat, to shorten the project, but thinking about the ridicule he would face kept him going.

Perry was doing the kind of boring science that suddenly becomes not so boring if certain bad things happen鈥攆or example, studying coronaviruses prior to November 2019. The largest natural lake west of the Mississippi, the Great Salt Lake is roughly four times saltier than the ocean and five times bigger in surface area than Lake Tahoe鈥攆or now, anyway. In the 1980s, the lake鈥檚 water levels rose high enough to flood highways and threaten railway lines; today it鈥檚 flirting with all-time lows, brought on by a period of drought that has parched the Southwest since the early 2000s. Some models predict that the lake, an iconic feature of the Intermountain West and a contributor to Utah鈥檚 legendary snowfall, could disappear almost entirely in the next few decades.

Because the Great Salt Lake is so shallow鈥攊magine pouring water onto a cake plate鈥攅ven a small drop in levels exposes large areas of its bed to the elements. Thus, while the lake once covered some 1,750 square miles, its waters now dampen barely more than half that area, leaving a zone of playa larger than the San Francisco Bay. Perry鈥檚 mission was to check for heavy metals in the soil, and to determine whether this vast swath of newly exposed sediment could end up fueling apocalyptic dust storms and render Salt Lake City all but uninhabitable.

That would suck, obviously, but I was more intrigued by what Perry 丑补诲苍鈥檛 seen during his circumnavigation: other people. For company as he worked, there were huge flocks of migrating waterfowl, herds of grazing cattle, knots of deer, soaring hawks and eagles, a fox, even pelicans, and he saw tracks left by coyotes and cougars鈥攂ut there were no humans, other than a couple of angry ranchers. Even the guys who shot at him didn鈥檛 stick around to say sorry.

鈥淧eople don鈥檛 go out there,鈥� Perry told me. 鈥淚鈥檇 lived here 15 years and had barely explored the place. When I started to, I was like, Oh, my gosh, this is amazing.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of like on Antiques Roadshow, where you might have a book that doesn鈥檛 look like much,鈥� says Marjorie Chan, a professor of geography at the University of Utah. 鈥淎nd my job as the appraiser is to tell you that you have an extraordinary book. It has all this history and tells you so much about the world. Even though you don鈥檛 think it looks like the Grand Canyon or Zion, this is an extraordinary place. It鈥檚 one of a kind. And we just take it for granted.鈥�

As I would find out, the Great Salt Lake has that effect on certain people. But not many. In the spring of 2020, as the pandemic deepened and stir-crazy hordes piled into Utah鈥檚 national parks and mountain trails, I decided to head in the opposite direction and explore this strikingly weird, sometimes disgusting, almost always beautiful, and seriously endangered resource.

Ultimately, I was escaping one crisis only to go down the rabbit hole of another, far more serious one: the climate-change-fueled extreme drought that has taken hold across the Southwest. But at the time, I had a much smaller question: Why does nearly everybody hate this place?

The post The Great Salt Lake Is Desolate. It鈥檚 Also Divine. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

For residents of Salt Lake City, Utah, Grandeur Peak (8,299 feet) is one of the more accessible summits in the foothills of the Wasatch Range. Just ask . So far this month, the 31-year-old geo data analyst has logged over 430 miles and roughly 300,000 feet of elevation gain on foot鈥攁n average of over 10,000 feet per day鈥攖he vast majority of it on Grandeur.听

Brautigam isn鈥檛 doing this because he lost a bet, but because he鈥檚 taking part in 鈥�,鈥� a month-long virtual competition hosted by the event company, in which participants are challenged to accrue as much elevation as they can between midnight on October 1 and 11:59 pm on the last day of the month. The rules stipulate that all climbing needs to be done on foot, and that only round trip activities count, meaning you can鈥檛 sprint up your local ski hill and take the chair lift down.听

Barring a miraculous comeback, Brautigam is almost certain to be crowned the inaugural Max Vert champion. He听 by over 50,000 feet with only two days to go. In addition to being , Brautigam also benefits from his topographical expertise: he went to graduate school to get a masters in glaciology, but eventually left the program to work for a company that specialized in trail design.听

鈥淭he west face of Grandeur is hyper-efficient for getting vertical,鈥� Brautigam says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about a true vertical kilometer in just over two miles. It鈥檚 so steep. I think it averages a 28 or 29 percent grade for the full climb. So it was just the most effective way to be spending four听to six听hours out there every day.鈥�

Don鈥檛 let anyone tell you that they don鈥檛 know how to have fun in Salt Lake City.听

In a normal year, the Cirque Series consists of six in-person mountain races staged during the summer听in some of the more prominent ski resorts in the country (e.g. Alta, Snowbird). After initially being postponed by a few months, the 2020 lineup was ultimately canceled due to the pandemic, and founder/race director Julian Carr had to come up with something to salvage the season. In mid-September, he emailed everyone who had ever taken part in a Cirque event (approximately 5,000 people) about his idea for a month-long virtual race. Despite the late notice, there were around 400 people willing to pay the $29 entry fee to take part. Along with the requisite finisher鈥檚 medal, registered participants received a downloadable race bib and, in a sign of the times, a Cirque Series neck gaiter.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been very inspiring to see how fast things escalated,鈥� Carr says. 鈥淟ooking at the leaderboard right now, even 20th place has over 125K of vert. When I put this race on I was, like, 鈥業 wonder how many people are going to break 100K.鈥� I think we鈥檙e gonna have, like 70 to 80 people do it.鈥澨�

Initially, Carr said that he wanted to make the objective of the competition to see who could log the most elevation gain while simultaneously running the fewest miles, but he ultimately decided against it, as the scoring system would have been too obtuse. (Not to mention that flatlanders would have been at even more of a disadvantage; good luck finding a Grandeur Peak equivalent in Florida.)听

As for the requirement that all vertical efforts be round-trip, Carr maintains that the idea is to keep things true to the Cirque Series philosophy. 鈥淲e鈥檙e all about climbing a mountain and, to me, the essence of that is all about starting at the base, getting to the top and coming back down,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the full experience. The down is just as important as the up鈥攜ou feel complete after it.鈥�

If that sounds suspiciously like ski bro mythologizing, it鈥檚 probably because Carr鈥檚 main claim to fame is that he happens to be one of the country鈥檚 most notorious extreme skiers鈥攈e鈥檚 the type of person whose idea of feeling complete involves . Such feats notwithstanding, Carr says that his own virtual event has had a humbling effect. 听

鈥淩ight now, I鈥檓 sitting in around 60th place with 62,000 feet of vert, which means I鈥檓 averaging about 2,400 feet a day,鈥� Carr told me earlier this week. 鈥淎nd I鈥檓 really proud of that.鈥澨�

Carr added that he intends to make Max Vert October a permanent fixture on the Cirque Series calendar, even after regular racing can safely resume. If a last-minute event can bring in hundreds of eager participants, he sees no reason why, in a few years time, the race field couldn鈥檛 swell to ten or eleven thousand people. Of course, that鈥檚 assuming that mass enthusiasm for virtual racing will persist once it鈥檚 no longer the only option. 听

For now, Brautigam says that the most gratifying aspect of his insane month was discovering how far he could push his physical limits. 鈥淚 was fully expecting my body to fail, especially after those first couple of days, but then things started feeling better after a week or so.鈥�

He has also relished the chance to commune with fellow sufferers. When he goes out for his evening sessions, Brautigam says it鈥檚 not unusual for him to encounter up to ten other people who are taking part in the same challenge. Sometimes, they will share a few laps and push each other on to do one more. A (socially distanced) pancake party is scheduled to take place at the Grandeur trailhead on the last day of the month.

Despite living in the immediate vicinity of the Grandeur Peak route, Brautigam admits that, in recent weeks, he has made the commute by car. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about five-minute drive from where I live to the trailhead,鈥� Brautigam says. 鈥淭ypically, when I do Grandeur, I like to ride my bike or run there. But I have not been doing that this month, I鈥檓 very ashamed to say.鈥� If you鈥檙e not maximizing vert, what鈥檚 the point?听

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When COVID-19 hit, some听gear companies furloughed employees or shuttered completely. But at听, designers听 and听do something impactful for health care workers. In collaboration with ,听, , and听,听they鈥檝e shipped over 90,000听face shields to medical professionals working on the front lines.

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Session with the Best, from 听and filmmaker , showcases two of America鈥檚 top competition climbers,听 and , as they practice at the USA听Climbing Training Center听in Salt Lake City.

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Caroline Gleich moved to Salt Lake City听from her native Minnesota when she was 15听and has been skiing Utah鈥檚 Wasatch Range听ever since. She began making a name for herself as a professional听skier when she was just 18, and in 2017, she became the first woman to climb and ski all 90 lines in听Andrew McLean鈥檚 iconic 1998 guidebook听The Chuting Gallery.听Last year听she climbed Mount Everest in an effort to promote gender equality in sports. Now 34, Gleich uses her influence as an athlete to promote issues like climate change, cyberharassment, and clean air quality. We asked her to share her favorite places to ski in her home state.

Deer Valley Ski Resort

Why Go: Gleich mostly skis in the backcountry, but if she doesn鈥檛 have time for a full backcountry tour in Big or Little Cottonwood Canyons, then she鈥檒l ski in-bounds at听. 鈥淚f I can鈥檛 ski perfect untracked powder, then I like perfect groomers,鈥� she says. 鈥淕oing to Deer Valley feels like a day to restore.鈥�

Need to Know: According to Gleich, one nice thing about the Park City resorts鈥攚hich include Deer Valley and 鈥攊s that they don鈥檛 see the same weekend crowds as the ski resorts in Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons, like Alta and Snowbird. Which means that Deer Valley can be a good bet even on a busy Saturday. 鈥淒eer Valley limits the number of tickets they sell, so even on the craziest days, you won鈥檛 be waiting in lift lines for too long,鈥� she says.

Where to Ski: She prefers the terrain accessed via the and the upper part of the mountain, like Lady Morgan, Bald Mountain, and Flagstaff Mountain. 鈥淚t鈥檚 higher up, so the snow stays nice,鈥� she says. Plus, the cookies at the Silver Lake Lodge are hard to beat.

For Apr猫s-Ski: Get a Bloody Mary at the bar of the ski-in, ski-out听, and have dinner at听, a new farm-to-table restaurant in Park City that Gleich loves.

Alta Ski Area听

Why Go: 鈥淚 cut my teeth skiing听 for so many years,鈥� Gleich says. 鈥淚t was my gateway to backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. I love being so connected to nature there. You have big, unadulterated views听and a real sense of the wilderness. Plus, it feels听like you have to exert some human power by sidestepping or traversing to get to the good places.鈥�

Need to Know:听 is the spot for coffee before skiing. 鈥淎nd they have tasty waffles and empanadas,鈥� adds Gleich. If she鈥檚 driving up from Salt Lake City, she also likes听, near the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon.

Where to Ski: Gleich mostly laps Alta鈥檚 beloved Collins lift, where you can access steep shots off the High Traverse, like Jitterbug or Alf鈥檚 High Rustler. 鈥淚 also love to ski Alta with my nephews and my 88-year-old dad, who鈥檚 had a hip replacement,鈥� she says. 鈥淗e mostly likes to ski Sunnyside, Sugarloaf, and Supreme.鈥�

For Apr猫s-Ski: Get French fries and a beer at the听 inside the new听. Then head for a soak at the听, located on the rooftop of the听听at Snowbird Ski Area, next door to Alta.听鈥淚t鈥檚 an amazing place to unwind,鈥� Gleich says. 鈥淭hey have a saltwater pool, a hot tub, and a eucalyptus steam room.鈥�

Mount Superior

Why Go: 鈥淥ne of the most iconic runs in Utah is the south face of听,鈥� says Gleich. 鈥淭hat mountain is like the heart of the Wasatch. It鈥檚 one of my favorite places to go. It鈥檚 got everything鈥攁 beautiful, big-mountain face that gets incredible sunrise light, an exposed ridgeline that feels like an alpine climb, and from the top of the peak, you can see far in every direction. It鈥檚 also very close to Salt Lake City. You can be standing on the top of this peak in just two or three hours鈥澨齛fter arriving at the airport.

Need to Know: As with all backcountry areas, before you go, read the avalanche forecast from the听,听carry a beacon, shovel, and probe, and know how to use them. The Utah Avalanche Center has听 for backcountry education in the area. Or hire a guide:听 leads backcountry tours up Mount Superior.

Where to Ski: 鈥淪uperior is really popular鈥攊t鈥檚 a classic ski descent,鈥� says Gleich. 鈥淭here are so many features and nooks you can continue to explore.鈥�

For Apr猫s-Ski: You can ski Superior at dawn and be down at Alta having coffee and breakfast after sunrise. 鈥淥r get to Alta for first chair after skiing Superior,鈥� says Gleich. 鈥淎t听 at Alta, you can get a warm breakfast sandwich and a nice cappuccino.鈥�

Millcreek Canyon Road听

Why Go: The top section of听, closed during the winter, is a good spot for newer backcountry skiers who want to test their skills on low-angle, low-avalanche-danger terrain. 鈥淵ou鈥檒l skin through a beautiful, dense forest,鈥� says Gleich. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like forest bathing. It鈥檚 very quiet.鈥�听

Need to Know: The trail climbs about 1,200 feet over听roughly four miles. The side of the road is usually groomed, so it鈥檚 also popular with nordic skiers. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a fun tour for people who鈥檝e never toured. You could tow kids in a sled or skate-ski, too,鈥� says Gleich.

Where to Ski: It鈥檚 pretty straightforward: Drive up Millcreek Canyon until you can鈥檛 drive anymore. Park, then start skinning up the closed road. 鈥淵ou basically skin or cross-country ski up, then ski down the road,鈥� says Gleich.

For Apr猫s-Ski: One of Gleich鈥檚 favorite places to grab dinner in Cottonwood Heights is a new, family-owned Vietnamese restaurant called听. 鈥淭hey have pho that they stew for over 24 hours,鈥� she says.

Grizzly Gulch

Why Go: 鈥淲ith climate change in the Wasatch, we鈥檙e seeing our snow lines move higher and higher. On years when we don鈥檛 have much lower-elevation snow,听 is one of the places you can ski-tour consistently,鈥� says Gleich. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the birthplace of avalanche research and a part of the history of snow safety in the U.S. It鈥檚 a really important place for people taking avalanche courses and getting into backcountry skiing.鈥�

Need to Know: There鈥檚 a piece of proposed legislation called the听 that seeks to preserve around 80,000 acres of U.S. Forest Service land in the Wasatch, including Grizzly Gulch, which Alta has听 its ski area into. It鈥檚 an听. 鈥淚 love Alta. But I鈥檓 opposed to any plans to develop Grizzly Gulch,鈥� says Gleich.

Where to Ski: Grizzly Gulch has protected, north-facing terrain, so the snow here stays cold and light. 鈥� is a good place to go tour in Grizzly Gulch,鈥� says Gleich. 鈥淚t鈥檚 got nice, open-spaced trees,听good snow quality, and is lower angle, with minimal avalanche terrain above.鈥�听

For Apr猫s-Ski: Head to the听 inside the Alta Lodge. 鈥淚t鈥檚 small and intimate and a fun place to grab a drink after skiing,鈥� Gleich says.

The post Caroline Gleich’s Favorite Places to Ski in Utah appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Last fall, I was enjoying a hike in crisp temperatures near Salt Lake City when I encountered some concerning trail rage. Rounding a corner, I saw a mountain-bike bro heading downhill听full blast in my direction. He was hauling, and I barely managed to dodge off the trail in the nick of time.

鈥淣ice poles, puss!鈥� he yelled aggressively, spinning up a mess of dirt in his wake.

I looked down at my trekking poles, then back at him, then back at them again. Were they that uncool? What did he have against hiking equipment? Sure, the trail was mellow, but I like my poles.

This wasn鈥檛 the first time I鈥檇听experienced anti-pole sentiment. This virulent contagion is spreading in the outdoor community. Condescension, judgment, and a hierarchical us-versus-them mentality threatens to grip our trails, boot-packs, and parks. Using them is disdained, like all the unwanted raisins in a well-picked-over bag of gorp. Pole rage is real. And I鈥檓 concerned.

As a hiker who shamelessly loves to pole about鈥攐ften at an aggressively听slow pace鈥攖he hate confuses me, because before I started hiking with poles, getting from point A to B was a lot more miserable.

Prior to picking up sticks seven years ago, I remember countless climbs up the boot-pack at Teton Pass听in Wyoming, heaving and wheezing without support. People would pass me and look on in confusion鈥攁nd with pity in their eyes鈥攁t my lack of poles, wondering what terrible thing I鈥檇 done to deserve such a fate.

And I recall backpacking听harrowing,听hair-raising sections of the Tonto Platform in the Grand Canyon听sans poles, the trail crumbling beneath my feet. Any slip or fall meant a 2,000-foot plunge. That鈥檚 long enough to know you鈥檙e gonna die听and still have time to think about it. I would have loved poles then, thank you.

But lately, it seems like there鈥檚 been a demarcation鈥攁 line etched in the trail dirt鈥攐f what type of hike or terrain is pole appropriate.

Sure, when you鈥檙e hiking on a 45-degree incline, they make a big difference. We all know that. But for those who aren鈥檛 in prime condition (like me), a pole or two can make an otherwise moderate hike downright sublime by adding just the right amount of support.

And听as much as I hate to admit it, I鈥檓 not a twentysomething anymore. The rivers and mountains continue to take their toll. At 34, my joints hurt and my ankles are stiff. My back bears the burden of all of the powder days听I enjoyed as a younger man. Poles help, and I鈥檓 not ashamed to admit it.

I want to use them on every hike, not just the hard ones. And yet听there are those who smirk at my casual usage, deeming me a gaper or a tourist for poling around on green terrain.

It鈥檚 easy to adopt an appearance-first mentality in our image-obsessed culture to prioritize looking fashionable or core. But if hiking with poles makes you happy, then pole down, my friends.

Run with them. Hike (slowly) with them. Power walk with them. There is no wrong way to pole鈥攚ith the exception of leaving them at home when you should have brought them along.

The post Why I’ll Never Let Go of My Trekking Poles appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

I鈥檝e been skiing for 42 years and have been lucky enough to ski all over the world, including spots in Europe, Japan, and听Alaska. I鈥檝e had lots of incredible powder days, but the best powder day I ever had was in Utah.

It happened 22 years ago. I had just graduated from college and moved to Vail, Colorado, to do some ski bumming. My father met up with me, and we drove to Snowbird in Utah, where my dad鈥檚 cousin had a time-share. When we got there, dark clouds rolled in, and it began to snow. Within a few hours, there was a foot of fresh snow on the ground. It kept听coming down. We were 鈥渋nterlodged鈥濃�攁n event where听avalanches are so likely that it鈥檚 not safe enough to go outside the property鈥攆or two days.

Just as cabin fever began to set in, the skies cleared, avalanche-mitigation bombs echoed through Little Cottonwood Canyon, and, after a few hours, the lifts started turning. On my first run, the snow was chest-deep and billowed over my head. I鈥檇 heard plenty about how Utah had the 鈥済reatest snow on earth鈥� (it鈥檚 even printed on the state鈥檚 license plates), but I鈥檇 always been skeptical. As it turns out, it鈥檚 a scientific fact. Utah鈥檚 dry, cold atmosphere produces snowflakes called dendrites, which are thin and crystal-like听and听so light and fluffy that, when skiing through them, they make you feel buoyant without causing a lot of resistance. As such, powder skiing in Utah is the closest most people will get to floating in space.

That was how I felt all day, but it was my last run听that was truly remarkable. A ski patroller we听met on the chairlift told us he was opening up a new section of the mountain. We followed him, just my father and I, and听after he pulled the rope, he said, 鈥淕o for it.鈥� I found myself on a 45-degree slope, bouncing through the untouched terrain, simultaneously choking on snow and yelping with joy. The impossibly long trail seemed to go on for several minutes. When I finally stopped, I was plucking crystals out of my ears and drunk with euphoria.

I鈥檝e made many more ski trips to Utah since. After all, with ten ski areas less than an hour from the Salt Lake City airport, incredible backcountry terrain, and almost guaranteed powder (each season听Utah averages 18 storms that deliver more than 12 inches of snow each), it鈥檚 arguably the best ski destination in North America. I鈥檝e never been disappointed鈥攁nd this guide will听ensure that you get the most out of Utah skiing, too.

What You Need to Know Before You Go

Bring your ski boots and apparel, but leave your skis at home. If you鈥檙e fortunate to hit a big storm, then you鈥檒l want wide powder skis. That said, even in Utah there can be several consecutive weeks of high-pressure systems that yield听sunny skies and no snowfall. If that鈥檚 the case, you鈥檒l need either a pair of mid-fat, all-mountain skis, which will handle chopped-up snow and bumps better, or, if groomed trails are your jam, narrow carving skis. , founded in Park City, rents a wide array of Rossignols and will drive to wherever you鈥檙e staying and adjust the bindings for you in your living room. If you want to swap out the skis you鈥檙e using, it鈥檒l drive back and do so ($65 per day).

Buy one of these passes. There are five multi-resort passes听worth considering that work at Utah ski areas.听Depending on where you鈥檙e going to ski and how many days you plan on skiing, buying one听makes a lot of sense. For example, a day ticket at Deer Valley costs $160. But an $800 听will get you five days of skiing there, plus five days at Alta, Brighton, Snowbird, and Solitude. The $1,100 version of the pass gets you seven days of skiing at each ski area. Other options include:

• : $989, unlimited access to Park City and Snowbasin
• : $649 buys you a one-day ticket at each of the 15 Utah resorts
• : $509 for two days of skiing at Alta Ski and Snowbird, plus 50 percent off each additional ticket
• : For only $45, fifth-graders can ski or ride three times at each of Utah鈥檚 15 resorts; sixth-graders get one day at each

Don鈥檛 miss getting into the backcountry. There are lots听of听reasons why, including听guaranteed powder turns even weeks after a storm, zero crowds, amazing views, and terrain options that you probably can鈥檛 find at most ski areas, such as couloirs and powder pillows. In Utah, there are several ways to get into the backcountry. will take you ski touring throughout Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons. And its staff听doesn鈥檛听just guide but also provides instruction, like how to most efficiently skin uphill and how to best tackle the deep snow on north-facing slopes. Lots of that terrain is mellow enough that even intermediates can handle it. For more advanced skiers looking for long ascents and gnarly descents, UMA guides tour clients to the 40-degree pitches, bowls, and chutes in the Lone and Twin Peaks Wilderness areas ($219听per person for a group of four). No backcountry experience is needed, but those looking to head out on their own next time can enroll听in one of the company鈥檚 .

If touring isn鈥檛 your thing, you can fly or ride into the backcountry.听, a heli-ski operation based out of Snowbird and Park City, has access to 170,000 acres of terrain鈥攅verything from gently rolling slopes to steep tree-filled lines. You鈥檒l get breakfast and lunch, six to ten runs, and ski thousands of vertical feet ($1,600 per day). , with 43,000 acres to play on, is another option. Cat rides only take between five and ten minutes and gain you access to bowls, chutes, and, should you be so inclined, cliff drops. After six hours of fast laps, you鈥檒l be ready for a hot tub and a beer ($629听per day).

How to Get There

There are arguably no ski areas in the country easier to get to than those in Utah. Ten of the state鈥檚 15 ski areas are located within an hour鈥檚 drive听from Salt Lake City International听Airport (in addition,听Eagle Point, Brian Head, Cherry Peak, and Beaver Mountain are two to 3.5 hours away), which sees around 700 incoming and departing daily nonstop flights from almost 100 destinations.

When I lived in New York City, I would get in the car on a Friday night and, due to traffic, it would take me six hours to drive to the听closest ski area in New England. I soon figured out that a nonstop flight from New York to Salt Lake City took just a hair over five hours, and, after landing, I was at the ski area in about an hour. After skiing all weekend, I could hop on a red-eye, pop a melatonin, and be back at my desk in the city just after 9 A.M. on Monday morning. And rather than chattering on New England ice for two days, I was choking on powder.

What鈥檚听the Best Time of Year to Ski Utah?

The season usually begins in mid-November and runs until late April. Other than the short shoulder seasons, Utah is constantly packed with people. But since the state gets consistent snowfall throughout the season, finding fresh powder is less of an issue than dealing with crowds. The best-kept secret is that some of the biggest storms hit Utah in late spring.

My second-best powder day ever was on April 15, 2015, at Alta.听It snowed around听two feet, and, because crowds are much lighter in the spring, I skied deep, untouched powder from bell to bell, never waiting in a lift line.听Added bonus: several Utah ski areas host , many of which can last weeks or up to an entire month. These apr猫s-ski bashes include live bands, pond skimming, and makeshift outdoor bars.

Hit These Ski Areas

For the Powder Hound: Alta Ski Area/Snowbird

Combined, the two ski areas just southeast of Salt Lake City have nearly 6,000 vertical feet of the best in-bounds terrain in Utah. With the proper pass (see above), you鈥檙e allowed to ski between them, ticking off classic lines like High Rustler at听听(day tickets from $60)听and Tiger Tail at听听(day tickets from $50).

Where to Stay

Snowbird has five options, including the sprawling 500-room 听(from $160) and听听(from $100), which has 35听rooms right in the pedestrian village. Alta has five historic inns that are all independently owned,听located at the base of听the听Wasatch mountains, and similar in price, but they vary in offerings.听Its oldest structure, the 58-room听听(from $329), got a swanky upgrade last year. Eighteen months听of renovations yielded , an on-site game room with a pool, arcade games, and karaoke;听guest rooms with sliding barn doors听and leather furniture;听and a new spa, where you can request the High Altitude Recovery, a combination massage and stretching session that can work out the kinks from a long day on the slopes.

The Terrain

It鈥檚 not all gnar. Beginners practice their skills on low-angle terrain at Snowbird in the Baby Thunder Family Area, and intermediates hit the groomed trails off the Collins lift at Alta. Experts, though,听will truly find their听groove here. Ski steep glades and chutes off Alta鈥檚听Supreme chairlift, then head through the Keyhole, a connector between Alta and Snowbird that features open faces and drops. At Snowbird, head to the Gad 2 chairlift and ski Tiger Tail, a 40-degree pitch that funnels into steep glades. If you have top-notch听backcountry skills, head across the canyon and skin up Superior, a two-to-three-hour climb with a big payoff: couloirs and deep snow.

Signature Trail

Though it鈥檚 not often open and requires boot-packing, a trek up to Alta鈥檚听听is well worth the hourlong climb. The 40-degree steeps and narrow chutes will test everything you鈥檝e got.

The Town

Alta and Snowbird are ski areas. There is no town per se. That said, the base-area hotels have decent dining, and there are shuttles between the ski areas that can transport you to them. The best restaurant is probably , inside the at Snowbird. It serves everything from grilled salmon to gourmet shepherd鈥檚 pie with elk meat.

The听Bottom Line

There鈥檚 not a lot going on in Little Cottonwood Canyon other than skiing鈥攚hich is fine. Alta and Snowbird are where you go if you want to ski hard and don鈥檛 care much about the apr猫s or nightlife scene. If that is a priority, go to Park City (see below).

For the Family: Park City

Located just 35 minutes from the Salt Lake City airport,听听(day tickets from $108) is spread over 7,300 acres, making it the largest ski area in the United States. Since it鈥檚 situated right in the town of Park City, which is flush with restaurants, bars, and shopping, it鈥檚 also the Utah ski resort with the most to do when you鈥檙e not skiing.

Where to Stay

There鈥檚 no shortage of options in the area, from pricey ski-in, ski-out hotels to pet-friendly vacation homes. For those听who听want the former, the听听(from $750), which opened in June, has 700-square-foot rooms and two-story, two-bedroom suites, plus听nordic skiing, snowshoeing, and, in the summer, fly-fishing. For something more affordable, 鈥檚 property-management portfolio has more than 150 lodging options within the听Park City area, ranging from one-bedroom condos to full homes (from around听$200).

The Terrain

Much of the terrain at Park City is family friendly. Last year听the ski area introduced High Meadow Park, a new learning area for beginners that鈥檚 about halfway up the mountain and can be accessed via the Red Pine Gondola. The wide-open, gently graded slope is always well-groomed. Intermediates will love the听cruisers off the King Con lift听but should also venture over to Iron Mountain, which has some of the best low-angle tree skiing in the state. Experts with the gear and know-how will want to do the ten-minute hike up Ninety-Nine 90 and drop out of the backcountry gate from there. The run down Upper East Face from the top of the mountain is worth it: it鈥檚 a leg burner that鈥檚 steep and often full of moguls.

Signature Trail

King鈥檚 Crown is often overlooked, because it鈥檚 a pretty easy groomer. But what makes it special are the views: panoramic glimpses of the Wasatch mountains and the town of Park City as you arc down the slope.

The Town听

With so many dining options, it鈥檚 tough to go wrong in Park City, but here鈥檚 how I would approach the day: Fuel up on the soft scrambled eggs at Harvest before heading to the mountain. After skiing, grab a cocktail at the , an award-winning whiskey distillery that鈥檚 right in town, then cruise Main Street, checking in on everything from high-end cowboy boots at to the latest ski gear from the apparel company听. For dinner head to and try the chicken-fried rabbit. Then finish things off by drinking and dancing at the . Of course, the kids will want to check out Park City鈥檚 newest addition, , an indoor skate park that will open in December with 70-foot jumps and a 22-foot halfpipe.

The Bottom Line

Serious skiers won鈥檛 be blown away by the terrain at Park City, but there鈥檚 probably no better ski area in Utah for a family vacation, someplace where your kids can have fun on the slopes and you can all enjoy the good food and drink.

For the Solitude Seeker: Powder Mountain

Though (day tickets from $95) has gotten some decent press over the years, it still feels like a hidden gem. You won鈥檛 find massive crowds here, even on powder days, and the听lodges are total throwbacks鈥攔un-down buildings with tiny kitchens that still serve greasy burgers and pizza.

Where to Stay

There鈥檚 no hotel at Powder Mountain, but there are plenty of condos. One-to-four-bedroom condos can be rented from 听(from $95), which also gets you access to the community pool and Jacuzzi.

The Terrain

Spanning 8,464 acres, Powder Mountain it has more skiiable terrain than听any other resort听in the country.听Beginners should start the day at the Sundown area and slowly make their way to the Hidden Lake area. Along the way, you鈥檒l tick off several blue and green groomed runs, and you might even feel brave enough to try some of the low-angle terrain that鈥檚 just off-piste. Intermediates should head straight听to the Paradise lift and ski the open bowl directly off the top of it. Experts should also head to Paradise, but at the top, follow the lift down to the ridgeline and drop into the steeper shots on either side. Then invest in a couple $25听single-ride snowcat tickets. The cat will drive you to the base of James Peak. Hike the peak (it will take about 30 minutes), then ski all the way back to the Paradise lift鈥攁 2,500-foot descent with听open bowls, trees, and drops.

Signature Trail

Woody鈥檚 World has it all:听steeps, trees, and open shots that all funnel back onto the ski area鈥檚 access road. From there, follow the singletrack down the road to catch the bus back to the mountain.

The Town

Powder Mountain is working on building a village near the top of the ski area, but it won鈥檛 be complete for several years. Until then听there are the nearby towns of Eden, 15 minutes south, and Huntsville, ten minutes farther鈥攁nd you鈥檒l be shocked by how tiny they are. One must-hit spot is the in Huntsville. It was established in 1879, there鈥檚 a stuffed Saint听Bernard on the wall, hundreds of dollar bills stapled to the ceiling, and they serve the best burgers you鈥檝e ever had (but no fries; don鈥檛 even ask).

The Bottom Line

For the most part, you鈥檙e not going to find the sustained steeps like at Snowbird and Alta听or the fine dining and nightlife that Park City has. But you also won鈥檛 see crazy crowds, and you might still get听powder skiing days after a storm.

The post The Ultimate Guide to Skiing Utah appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.