Skip to main content

Bonkers to Stairs, The Greatest Tour in the Wasatch

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

Comments

  1. Pretty good post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts. Any way I'll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon. Big thanks for the useful info.
    washington sightseeing

    ReplyDelete
  2. BUSINESS LOAN PERSONAL LOAN HERE APPLY NOW WhatsApp +918929509036 financialserviceoffer876@gmail.com Dr. James Eric

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SOUTH RIDGE SUPERIOR

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. Althou

Beat the Heat: A Guide's Secrets to Climbing in the Wasatch at the Height of Summer

Beat the Heat Where to climb this summer in order to stay cool  by UMA guide Alex Lemieux   Rock climbing in the Wasatch on a hot summer day can be a treacherous endeavor if you don’t choose your venue wisely. Between rattlesnake encounters, greasing-off a polished handhold while sweat is running into your eyes or simply trying to stay hydrated, climbing in the heat is just no fun. When the temperatures rise, otherwise do-able routes can suddenly feel like an impossible task. Put the odds in your favor, and consider these tips in order to stay cool throughout the summer. While you may already be familiar with some of these suggested Wasatch summer climbing areas, hopefully this will help you expand your hot weather climbing “repertoire”… Happy climbing! Photo: Alex taking advantage of some cloudiness on  S-Curve Overhang, 5.11c , Big Cottonwood Canyon. Credit Lane Peters Stick to The Shade I always try to consider the aspect of a wall depending on the sea