Zion Splitters

Lately the weather in Salt Lake has been smoggy with a chance of unhappiness. In light of this, it was time we headed south in search of better weather or least more lung friendly air. The forecast for Zion National Park read "Sunny with a high of 60", much better than SLC! 

We could only make a day trip out of it, but it was well worth the 9 hours of driving, especially with the price of gas these past couple of weeks.

My beautiful girlfriend with a beautiful background

Leading my first 10..it's not the size that matters it's how you use it

Chesy on TR

Wigged OUT

Splitter 5.9 "Cherry Crack"

 

City Living...City Skiing

When I used to live at Foothill Place Apartments I always had this lingering question as to how far I’d have to walk to ski reasonable powder. Originally, my assumption was Granduer, which I skied in fat powder conditions from summit to parking lot on Presidents Day 2011 and in springy conditions back in April of 2010 when I first came to Salt Lake.  Well, now that I’ve moved to Midvale I guess it would be a direct line to Broads Fork Twin Peaks but that’s beyond the point. I’ve always been curious if any of the foothills directly north of I-80 skied well…

Well after school was cancelled on Friday, (well normal school…graduate school [slavery] was not cancelled but to avoid getting stuck I assumed one shortened day wouldn’t hurt) I was more concerned with getting home safely than the conditions of the foothills. Besides they never skied, at least as far as I know.  So Chesy and I woke up on Saturday, skinned to the ridge on Flagstaff, and descended in reasonable conditions (8-12 inches of Powder on top of a stout crust). Well a short trip to work on Saturday revealed a plethora of already skied lines; ones which I thought never existed.

Chesy skinning up Flagstaff 

On the untracked descent 

So I hustled through my reactions and sped home with excitement and the intent to go as early as possible on Sunday but I couldn’t resist testing the water that day so Nak and I skied directly above the ridge by H-rock.

H-rock 

The other girl I bring along 

Tracked out

On Sunday as I was driving to the Mt. Wire Red Butte Gardens areas I spotted a line right at the Junction of I-80 and 215. I couldn’t resist…how cool would it be to lay down tracks that everyone on the highways could see? Not to mention ski something that rarely, if ever, has been skied. 

Putting in the skin track right next to I-80 

My morning accompaniment  notice the pointy eared coyote? in the middle right

Nice skinner guys 

Tracks 

My afternoon accompaniment 

Who say's dogs can't smile? 

Chesy giving it her best shot to not hit any rocks 

 The exit both for the skin track and the highway

Mush!

Pictures of Late

A hectic holidays has led me to neglect posting any tangible backcountry photos so here are some for your weary Monday viewing pleasure.

Toledo bowl w/Chesy 

Everybody loves Raymond despite the windjack and poor skinning