Selected Wasatch Routes

Here is a basic run list of Wasatch skiing I provide to new backcountry skiers. If you enjoy this, consider donating to Save Our Canyons, Wasatch Backcountry Alliance, or buying a Party Shirt.

Before I get into it, here are a couple great resources: Wasatch BC ski online Guidebook on which I rely heavily throughout this route list; and Jared Hargrave's excellent touring book for Utah.

And a full disclaimer: no matter what terrain you are traveling through there is a possibility to be near, on, or under avalanche terrain even if you are in one of these more “mellow” areas. 

This is just a jumping off point. You can use this as a reference but you will have to do due diligence, some research, and good route finding to make it happen. We all get lost or confused occasionally, all part of the learning curve. 

I'm going to categorize these as your normal ski area runs - green, blue, and black. But like with our days out, the baseline is that you should be skiing at an upper advanced level. Even the “green areas” come with some level of risk and hazard that we do not deal with in bounds. 

Obviously avalanches are the main concern, but route finding, communication, backcountry mindset are all to be taken into account. If you have not done your snowpack and weather homework, do not go out! 

Willows

There are many options in there but a good bet is to go up the bowl to the ridge and have a look around. USA Bowl, Willow Knob, Blue Bunny. You’ll park on BCC road near Solitude. 

Mill D

Powder Park 3 is a great zone but there are many other excellent zones up there. Stuff off Little Water, Reynolds Glades, Reynolds Bowl, PP1, the list goes on. Spend some time looking at the map and see what looks good and relatively safe considering the snowpack. You’ll park at Spruces Campground, like we do in class. 

Bear Trap

Another zone just up the canyon from Mill D that is generally out of avalanche hazard is “Bear Trap.” There are two distinct zones in Bear Trap, the Bear Trap Aspens and Bear Trap Glades. The aspens are a mile or so up on your right as you climb, and the glades are generally a conifer forest another half mile or so up the skin track, also on the right as you climb. Both are mostly low angle, but there are a couple terrain traps along the way and you may see some pitches that roll over. 

Connecting Mill D via south facing from the Cone over to Bear Trap and back is a cool way to get some mileage!

Most of the skiing accessed from the Big Cottonwood side of Guardsman pass is in this green category. It’s a great place to go practice beacon drills, and ski some high gladed north facing snow, like on Peak 10,420. 

For a longer tour, I suggest going up to Red Pine Lake or into the Maybird/ Red Pine Divide. You can quickly get into the alpine in these zones, more on that below in the “Blue” Category. 

There are several glades up there that are generally out of avalanche terrain, like tree skiing the ridge above or below Red Pine Lake and the trees between Red Pine and Maybird Gulch, called the Church. You might also explore the Pink Pine ridge for a shorter day out there. Much of these glades are out of avalanche terrain, though you may have to cross under some steeper pitches to get there. Good views up there! 

Georges Bowl as seen on this map of Cardiff

It's a little more complex to get into, but there is usually a really established ski track. There are certainly slopes that slide adjacent to the run you are skiing so heads up before you try to branch out from the main course.  

Of course, upper LCC provides some excellent mellow tours via Grizzly Gulch. Go ski Patsy Bowl, Wolverine Bowl, Rocky Point. Good fun! 

Disclaimer: most of these are in or adjacent to avalanche terrain!

Argenta

Argenta is a big slide path on Kessler. Most of the skiing on Kessler I'd put in the black diamond category but if the snow is stable, Argenta itself is actually quite mellow. You can skin up the long slide path, then ski some laps in the bowl under the cliffs, or in the trees. Above the trees is the ridge to gain the summit of Kessler. You'll see! 

Days fork

Upper and Main Days is one of my favorite places to ski in the Wasatch. Many options - chutes, trees, bowls, cliffs, you name it. I almost always access it from LCC, skinning up to the top of West Bowl, and Emma, or the Flagstaff skinner (consult the maps!). You're pretty much in avalanche terrain the entire time (slopes over 30 degrees) so heads up! 

Down lower in Days, there are lots of other options around the Chicken Shit Ridge area. That I would suggest starting from the Spruces lot. Pick a line and have an adventure! 

Just to the East of Days is Silver Fork. Another great zone with lots of options. For the upper reaches, I approach from LCC, for lower ones like Silver Spoon, BCC. A nice day is to do a run on West Bowl, then ski back up and do one or two in Days, then exit the Emma’s back to your car in upper LCC pk lots. 

West Bowl

This “bowl” is really just a big slope off a cool peak at the head of Silver Fork canyon, just to the west of the Silver Fork Headwall. 

The approaches to Silver and Days from LCC can be icy. Plan for a pretty rough hour of skinning to get to the ridge. If it’s powder, the Emma’s are a fun ski on their own. 

Back up in Red Pine and White Pine there are some areas that could go either into the blue or black categories but because there are generally easy ways to escape I’ll put some of the terrain in these drainages into the Blue category. Lake Shot above Red Pine is a great example of this, as is Boulder Basin in White Pine. Just a walk to either of those lakes for a look around is a great ski tour. 

There are many more I'd put in this "blue" category. Some of the runs in Cardiff Fork (like the Powerline Ridge), Toledo Bowl, Cardiff peak, The Microwave... But I don't want to give too much away! So do some googling and go have an adventure. 

Wild card- South face of Lone Peak! Big day, super cool, and pretty mellow, south facing skiing. 

This is where it gets really interesting. I'm calling almost all alpine terrain "black diamond." Cardiac Ridge would be a good example of this. Anything in Hogum Fork or Broads Fork. The slide paths over LCC. Most stuff off Kessler. Mount Superior. The Pfeifferhorn (the best). Mount Timpanogos. Mount Olympus. Wolverine Cirque is a great place to practice steep skiing and couloirs. Indeed, those were some of my first.

You guys asked me to share some stories about skiing from these areas. Check out my website for some articles I’ve written about skiing. 

Another excellent resource for skiing big stuff is my buddy Noah's Blog.

It's the real deal out there, so I'll let you use the tools/ resources (there is a Little Book around...) to find out more information about those zones and many others that exist in the Wasatch. Big adventures, small margin for error. Be very calculated in your snowpack and weather assessment, partner selection, route planning, and observations/ decisions throughout the day. Big mountains! 

Have fun and please feel free to reach out with any questions.