Backcountry Ski & Snowboard Routes: Utah

• Nearly 100 backcountry ski routes―most located in the central Wasatch
• Written by a ski-obsessed outdoor journalist
• Both day trips and overnights included

Jared Hargrave averages more than 70 ski days a year, which adds up to a ton of local knowledge. He’s exactly the ski partner you’d want to show you the best backcountry routes, from those you can hit on a pre-work dawn patrol to multiday overnight trips. Backcountry Ski & Snowboard Routes: Utah includes tours in the central Wasatch as well as the Uintas, Henry Mountains, and more. As with all books in this series, this Utah guide is designed for intermediate to expert skiers or boarders. Each route includes the following elements:

• Detailed route description
• Driving directions from nearest major town or junction
• Trip rating
• Trail distance
• Estimated trip time
• Skill level
• Recommended season
• Avalanche routefinding notes
• Map/permit info
• Starting point elevation
• High point elevation
• Alternate route options

The guide also includes resources for avalanche, weather, and road conditions; land managers relevant to the routes; ski/snow reports; and general safety information, as well as a foreword by one of Utah’s premier avalanche experts, Craig Gordon.

From the Publisher

FROM THE PREFACE

HERE’S THE SECRET about Utah, and the Wasatch Mountains in particular: it’s the best backcountry skiing in the world. Moist storms that track across the desert west of Salt Lake City slam into a wall of mountains east of the Great Salt Lake and dump huge amounts of snow. But it’s not just the quantity, it’s the quality that matters. Most storms come in right-side up, meaning they begin wet, with thick snow falling first, followed by colder air that dries the snow, leaving fluffy, dreamlike powder on top. That’s the recipe for perfect powder skiing, and Utah has it in spades.

These routes are a good foundation for further exploration in Utah’s urban and rural mountain ranges. As you ski or snowboard these routes, stop to scan the horizon and build up the courage to see what’s on the other side of the next ridge. Explore. Because exploration is ultimately what backcountry skiing is about. Well, that and shredding waist-deep powder.

Jared Hargrave, author

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1594858314
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mountaineers Books (October 29, 2015)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781594858314
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1594858314
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1 x 8.5 inches