Utah Mountain Adventures

Superior Chute Skiing 2012

2012-01-11T21:13:00.000-08:00

Despite the meager snowpack, there is still some exciting skiing and climbing to be done on Mt. Superior, one of America's 50 Classic Ski Lines. On Jan. 5, we climbed and skied Suicide Chute, then continued up the knife-eged South Ridge with skis on the back. We finished by dropping the "W" or "Pinball" Chute, another East-Facing couloir. It required 2 small "mandatory airs" and a bit of creative route-finding. But, all in all, a fine day on the mountainside.

Crampons recommended for the lowest portion of Suicide Chute, aka, Country Lane.

Paul gets it done in the well-travelled, but smooth-skiing Suicide Chute.

The Knife-edge section of the South Ridge. Note the quality snow in Couloirs below.

This old goat had no harem, but seemed to be living out his years alone and happy.

The final slab crux before topping out on the "Sharks Fin" where the Quartzite ends, and Slate/Shale friable rock leads to the summit. The first few turns face NE and were powdery.

Plenty of snow in the "Butterfly Wings" middle apron. Good snow for good skiers here.

November Powder Turns 2011

2011-11-29T21:41:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Weekend in the Wasatch is usually a good time to tour, and 2011 was no exception, despite the 30" snowpack and warm, dry weather. We headed into Silver Fork and were pleasantly surprised by some high quality turns.

Beacon Check...All Good

Snowpit...No Slab = safe...for now

Rip the skins and...

Rip the Pow

See you at the next Island of Safety!

One good run deserves another...Back up through

the Aspen Forest we go.

This shot looks fresh, and the snow is soft...hmmm

What better way to enjoy the Autumn sun?

Than by working off some Turkey and shredding the meadows!

SOUTH RIDGE SUPERIOR

2010-09-22T21:03:00.000-07:00

The South Ridge of Mt. Superior, 11,050', is a classic, mixed alpine route. It starts with a low-angle "apron" leading to a 45-degree Couloir. This connects to the knife-edged rock and snow "arete." After a spectacular summit the route descends the easier East Ridge.

Crunch, crunch, crunch...up the solid spring snow of Suicide Chute. Zigging back and forth with cross-over steps we move efficiently keeping the feet flat and crampon points in the snow. This "French Technique" propels us far up the Couloir in the early morning hours. Sherman keeps his Ice Axe pick facing forward as he belays himself for security on the firm, steep slope.

Ahhh...Sunrise...and we're nearing the col. The snow climbing is just about over.

Keeping the crampons on for the occasional snow step, we find the points work fine even on dry Quartzite. Using the rope for added security we employ "running and fixed belays" on the more difficult and exposed sections.

Although most of the terrain is moderate, we start to "feel the air under our feet."

Sherman collects slings, stoppers, and cams as he "seconds" the route and "cleans" the "pro."

With a snug belay from above, he gets ready to pull through the 5.6 "crux", where a finger-lock move on steep ground is required.
On the upper ridge the angle softens, but hand holds are often scarce on the "slabs" of smooth rock.

The Quartzite soon gives way to darker Slate / Shale, and we can cruise unroped for the final 300 feet to the narrow summit. Behind is Monte Cristo, 11,126.

We use a "short-rope" and downclimb carefully on the tricky, rocky upper sections of the East Ridge. Then, in places where a safe runout exists and the "corn" snow has softened into perfect slush for glissading, we opt for the easy way down. A cool reward for our strenuous ascent, and a relaxing finish to a great day in the Wasatch Mountains!

CARDIFF CANYON TO CANYON TOUR

2010-09-22T08:24:00.000-07:00

Cardiff Fork is home to the universally acclaimed Cardiac Bowl (left with shadow) and Cardiac Ridge (far right), two of the finest backcountry runs in the USA. The fall-lines are long and wide enough for dozens of runs, side-by-side; they get snow early and share the Northeast Aspect, where the more snow falls, less wind blows and the sun is rarely strong enough to crust the surface.

Many touring parties stay in Lodges at Alta or Snowbird and can basically cross the street (Little Cottonwood Canyon Road), slap on climbing skins, and start touring. At the end of the day, they will catch a Utah Transit Authority bus in Big Cottonwood Canyon and ride back up to Alta.

Parties staying in Salt Lake, Park City or such can meet at a bus stop and take public transit to the trailhead.

Before entering avalanche terrain the guide checks everyone for beacon compatibility and range.

After 1400' of skinning the party reaches Powerline Pass on the divide between Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons. Powdery ski runs abound north of this pass.

Just above the pass the guide sets a traverse out to the untracked terrain in Cardiff Bowl and everyone enjoys a spectacular first backcountry run. Since the plan is to return to the top and ski out to Big Cottonwood, lunches and extra water are cached above the run, allowing for unencumbered skiing and climbing.

Heading down the north side into BCC, Rick is reminded of what Utah is famous for.

Lower down the snow is light enough to enjoy low-angle wiggling through acres of sparkling fluff. An avalanche fracture on the steep, shady slope behind reminds us of why we can't safely ski the big lines every day we visit Cardiff Fork.

Donning the skins again, the party traverses down-canyon for another long run down to the finish at Reynolds Flat in BCC, 7300 feet. Here another UTA bus will return us to the bottom of the canyon.

Cardiac Bowl, on the north side of Mount Superior, can be skied if conditions are right.

SKI TOURING IN WHITE PINE GULCH

2010-09-21T10:45:00.000-07:00

White Pine Parking Lot, 7,700', one mile below Snowbird in Little Cottonwood Canyon, is THE trailhead for a mega-zone of backcountry ski terrain. White Pine itself is the eastern-most of the 5 skiable gulches that drain into LCC. The forested terrain down low is great for safe, peaceful, and scenic skinning.

Skins come off at the top for blissful wiggling through the fluffy meadows.

Mid-altitude evergreen glades offer wind-sheltered powder on the edges of the more open terrain.

Before venturing onto more committing lines, avalanche danger must be carefully assessed. The guide performs a Compression Test in a snowpit

and decides to open up this tasty poke underneath a rocky point called The Spire.

If the snow and weather are both stable, the bigger lines on Red Baldy (in background between skiers) and Lake Peak become great options.

Below, a skier reaps the reward of his labors with untracked powder on the broad Northwest Face of Red Baldy, 11,170'. Another set of tracks is just visible on the East Chute of Lake Peak in the central background. The shadowy north aspect of this 10,700' summit is usually the prime line. Further back, on the left, is the triangular Pfeifferhorn, centerpiece of the rugged and beautiful Lone Peak Wilderness. It is a common mountaineering objective, requiring an overnight snow-camp.

As the sun drops to the west, a final untouched shot begins the "home run" to Little Cottonwood Road, 2,000' below.

Bonkers to Stairs, The Greatest Tour in the Wasatch

2009-11-18T13:51:00.000-08:00

If you live or play in Utah and you aren’t backcountry skiing in late February and March, you are missing out! This is when it “goes off” in the Wasatch, if its ever going to. Granted, in some seasons, it’s just not wise to ski Bonkers and especially Stairs Gulch, but if the snowpack is going to get deep and strong enough, mid-to late-season is usually the time. March 8, 2009, was just such an occasion. To make it even harder to go to the office, and easier to skip out and go skiing, it was clear and calm, and there was a foot of fresh, windless powder icing the cake.

Given this textbook-perfect situation, it just made sense to head for the greatest ski tour in the Wasatch. Broads Fork and Stairs Gulch offer the best bang for the buck in terms of big classic lines. One skin trail, two epic runs! It's really ski mountaineering terrain, but thanks to a 100-inch snowpack, we did all the climbing with skins on. The enormity of these glacial-carved north-facing bowls and cirques, virtually deforested by avalanching, combined with their steep, rocky nature, makes it feel like bigger mountains.

Eric, Matthias and I skinned at a bristling pace from the S-turns in Big Cottonwood Canyon through fir, aspen, and on up the immense, northeast-facing slide path known as Bonkers. 4500 feet of ascent in three hours enabled lunch in unbelievable calm on the tippy-top of Stairs and Bonkers. On this tiny knob high in the sky, the awe-inspiring view of Salt Lake Twins and Lone Peak is unmatched.

Laughing all the way, we arced one by one down the wide, powdery avenue that is Bonkers. When Mother Nature designed a ski run, this was it. Lined by cliffs, but wide enough for 40 sets of tracks, its rolls and gullies and all of it faces NE, the magic aspect. It's 40-degrees at the top, gradually moderating, like a parabola, to 10-degrees as you milk the last turn to the beaver pond, 2500’ below!

One time in the early ‘90s, I counted 375 turns while skiing it continuously. Now I get around one hundred, and new-schoolers shred it in 10. Regardless of personal style, anyone who non-stops it is super fit!

Another form of fitness comes into play when you skin back up the trail for the Stairs. On one marathon tour, Tim and I lapped Bonkers 3 times before the home run! But this time Eric and Matthias actually wanted to save some energy for the Gulch and get home in time for dinner. One-and-a-half hours put us back on top where we dropped into superb pow.

As we navigated the dry reef and endless couloirs of the 5,000’ drop, our snow quality dropped with the altimeter. By the bottom, we were on a rain-smoothed tongue of old avalanche debris littered with tiny bits of shale. Saving some energy had been wise, but it was all part of the epic adventure, and no one had any regrets as we criss-crossed the creek and hiked down the last 300’ past the classic summer rock climbs of lower Stairs Gulch. Molson Canadian never tasted so good!

- Tyson Bradley

Sundial's Global Warming Arete

2009-11-16T11:58:00.000-08:00

Obviously pumped, but exuding his usual calm demeanor, Paul hoisted himself onto the spacious ledge below the final pitch of the Sundial’s spectacular Northwest (aka Global Warming) Arete. He’d just pulled through the slightly overhanging 5.8 “crux” and he looked relieved, stoked, and in need of a rest. The move involves a finger lock and a strong pull without much for the feet, to reach a hidden edge deep in a pod. However, to climb into the pod, you’d need to be 30” tall! Instead, one must stare down the exposure and look for holds above and outside the alcove. Not terribly hard, but a couple notches tougher than any other move on the mostly 5.6 route, also known as Eleventh Hour.

I call it the Global Warming Arete, because even when its 100 F in the city, this airy, shady, northerly climb between 9500-10,000’ stays way cool. I’ve never climbed it without having to put on a layer. Usually, I wear pants and a windshirt the whole way. Who says the Wasatch doesn’t have alpine rock? The Tetons have nothing on this!

Paul Oelerich and I met at the Broad’s Fork / Mill B South trailhead at 6 am and enjoyed the 3,000’, 3-mile approach. We were on the shady west side of the rugged canyon in the coolest part of the day. Sunrise on 11,107-foot Dromedary Peak’s northeast face glowed pink, then orange as we cruised up the well-established path to Lake Blanche.

Named for a pioneer Mormon woman, Blanche is nestled beneath the sharp, 500’ triangle of solid Quartzite that is the Sundial. Her sister lakes, Florence and Lillian, fill glacial-carved basins just to her west. All were “enhanced” by dams built in the depressed 1930s. Shortly thereafter, SLC engineers realized the threat of flood from one of these fragile dams bursting exceeded any value they had, and all such dams in the Wasatch were breached.

Regardless, it is a delightful camping area and, along with Red Pine lake in the Lone Peak Wilderness, it’s the most popular summer backpacking area in the Salt Lake mountains. That means on any hot day in the city you may see 3 parties escaping the heat here. But usually the only inhabitants are mule deer, trout, and non-indigenous mountain goats, ranging the maroon-colored rock slabs above.

Just east of the lake the trail disappeared in a meadow of brilliant yellow wildflowers soaking in the morning sun. Another 500’ of boulder-hopping brought us to the low-point of vertical rock. The first few moves typify the climb: steep and edgy with plenty of holds. Problem is, they are all sloping toward you. In-cut edges are rare. Spice it up with lichen, loose rocks, and tricky pro, and you get the picture. Its adventure climbing, not a well-traveled crag!

The first belay defines the word “ledge”. Its 2’ wide and 5’ long with 100’ of air below and a small roof above. As you sit to belay on the cool stone, your gaze wanders out over Lake Blanche, Big Cottonwood Canyon and the Salt Lake Valley to Antelope Island.

The second pitch starts “slopey,” and then gets easier before ending on a broad, loose terrace. The standard procedure from here is to move 50’ west and climb a wide corner. Instead, I go up and right on decent rock to a belay near the arete. The fourth pitch includes the exciting crux, and sets you up for the final, 100-foot lead.

Before you go up, you have to step slightly down onto a sloping edge with only a mono-digit pocket for hands. Fortunately, this heady move is well-protected, being just below the belay. Then the route climbs a steep, beautiful crack system with good holds. One must resist the temptation to continue up as it becomes 5.9 fingers. To keep it 5.6, follow a sidewalk back west to the arete. Now a small dihedral goes right up the crest for 70’ of quality moves on great rock.

Quartzite gives way to broken Slate / Shale just above the final belay, and the ridge goes horizontal. Its possible to scramble south for a mile and walk off to the west, but several rappel lines to the East are what most climbers employ. The cleanest option is to go south for 200’ and then zigzag down to a solid horn with slings. One rapp of 35 meters puts you on easy ground. A short scree slope leads back to the base.

There is no better way to enjoy the high Wasatch than on the Global Warming Arete. The down hike is in the afternoon sun, but who cares? You’re going with gravity! Now the trail is crowded with day-hikers, sweating their way up. As you step out of their way, you gloat with the satisfaction of having gotten up early, scaled a beautiful arete, and beaten the heat. When the trail crosses the creek just above the carpark, hopefully you’ve cached a few of your favorite beverages in the icy waters. A shady, creekside bench is the ideal place to toast a perfect summer day.

- Tyson Bradley

Pain and Suffering...Life at Europe's favorite American Crag

2009-11-11T10:49:00.000-08:00

Fall in Utah is amazing (as are the other 3 seasons.) But autumn is especially stellar when the yellow leaves of Aspen and Cottonwoods are juxtaposed against a backdrop of red sandstone cliffs. This feast of color is easier to appreciate when you get your feet back on terra firma after jamming them sideways into 2" wide, 100' tall, vertical cracks. This is Indian Creek: a paradise on earth, assuming you like crack climbing; i.e. assuming you like to suffer. But that’s what climbing is when you push yourself out of the "comfort zone:" suffering. Your success is dependent on your ability to suffer. No one actually LIKES it, but some people suffer better than others. These are the climbers who succeed, and everyone gets stoked on that!

- Tyson Bradley

Veteran crack-climbers drop their knee away from the crack, insert their foot sideways, and rotate their knee back in-line with the splitter groove. This locks the foot securely in place, making it a solid hold. It also hurts like hell, until you get used to it. These are the folks who recognize suffering is going to happen, but they'd rather suffer early than suffer later.
Others prefer to shove their toe straight into the crack, or smear painlessly on smooth wall outside it. They concentrate on their hand-jams instead of their feet. These climbers avoid the excruciating pain of tarsal bones smashed against stone. However, they experience the pain later when their feet peel and they are left hanging on their killer hand jam. Now they are REALLY glad they used tape gloves! Usually they have the strength to hang on their arms for a certain number of moves. Maybe 20 feet worth. Maybe 50. Some powerful individuals can fly 110' feet up Generic or 3 Am Crack. But eventually, they gas out.
Most climbers recognize sooner or later, that the sport is all about the feet, and crack climbing in Indian Creek is no exception. No matter how strong you are, or how solid your hand jamming technique it, you will achieve more highly if you suck it up, and jam your feet. Once you figure this out, and you realize you can usually place a cam wherever you want one, climbing at the greatest crack crag in the universe gets fun.

Soon the jammable sections are the easy ones and the pumpy lie-back is the next technique to master. This is required when the crack size shrinks to fingers only. That means toes don't fit in and its easier to put your feet on the wall just below where your fingers are pulling on the edge of the crack, and boogie up with considerable exertion. The trick here is saving enough strength to place a piece of protection before you run out of steam.
Then there are the dreaded off-widths where a combination squirming, stemming, the above techniques and anything else you can think of, is the bag of tricks. But that’s another discussion...If you avoid towers and multi-pitch routes and read the guidebook carefully; you can dodge the cracks that are too wide for feet, hands, and reasonable-sized cams. Instead you can stay on the popular, friendly cracks, such as the "Incredible HAND Crack" and "Supercrack" and meet the international crowd that frequents these areas.
For Europeans, Aussies, etc., Indian Creek is the best-known American climbing area outside Yosemite. There is nothing else like it on earth (at least as far as the general climbing public knows.) Half the fun is hearing the accents and getting the diverse perspectives. They are bound to be friendly as they ask you, “Do you have any extra # 2 Camalots?” Everyone has a story of how they got half-way up their first I-Crk lead and ran out of the cam size they needed. They have to lower or down lead, and go begging, or shopping in Moab! Some cracks need up to 10 of the same size cams!! Sharing is a good way to make friends, increase good karma, and save a fortune.

So bring as many hand-size cams as you can gather, bring an open mind and gregarious personality, and go get pumped in Utah's fall (or spring) paradise. Or call UMA and have a guide put the rope up and belay for you so you can just concentrate on technique while climbing on a top-rope.

New Beginnings

2009-11-05T13:25:00.001-08:00

We are just about to celebrate our new website's first anniversary!

Check it out and let us know what you think by reviewing it on our new facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Salt-Lake-City-UT/Utah-Mountain-Adventures/305334635724?ref=mf.

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We look forward to hearing from you and getting out with you in the mountains this winter!