Utah Mountain Adventures

To helmet or not to helmet? We asked Alan Rousseau what his favorite piece of gear was at the moment and this is what we found out...                When I was a kid I never skied without a helmet.  Largely I feared my mother’s wrath if she found out I didn’t have my lid on that day.  As I fully transitioned from resort skiing to ski touring, somewhere along the way my helmet stopped making it into my pack.  I went from skiing with a helmet every day to only bringing one along on the rowdiest of ski objectives.                  A big reason for this was carrying the weight of a traditional ski helmet on the uphill was unpleasant, and it’s one more step to do on the change over from skinning up to downhill skiing.  Fortunately, last year a very lightweight climbing helmet was released that is rated to handle both a climbing and a ski fall.  Weighing in at 215 grams (just shy of ½ pound) the Grivel ‘Duetto’ helmet started to find its way into my pack more days. Also, since there is no i

ma·​ven /ˈmāvən/: an expert or connoisseur. Wasatch Mavens is a backcountry ski & snowboard mentorship program geared toward those who identify as she/her/they/them,  led by professional female guides based out of Salt Lake City, Utah.  The goal is for participants to become their own expert in the backcountry by tapping into their human-power, building better judgement in avalanche terrain, gaining new perspectives, learning from experience, bonding with like-minded individuals and forging life-long partnerships.  The mission of the Mavens is to cultivate more opportunities where women can be inspired and motivated to get outside the confines of the resort and become a part of the mountain community on a deeper level. So, What Makes It So Unique?.... Mavens with Superior Photo by Anna Wright Spans An Entire Season...   When most courses wrap after a day or two, this course runs the entire season.  Participants experience early season snowpack, enjoy dry powder skiing, harvest spr