The End of Winter

I know, I know most of y'all still have gobs of snow. You make sure to let me know this 6 times a day. I get it.

I have officially accepted winter is over as of today. Sub-par (shitty) conditions and a 2-mile stroll to the snow persuaded me. The approaches are longer, the overnight lows are higher, the objectives are peppered with rockfall, the trees are budding, and it isn't getting dark. This by no means the end of the ski season, just a different mindset. Time to tune the bike, hike a ridge, sit on a deck, expose my war-werried shins to the light.

It was an amazing year. I am so fortunate to be able to share so many adventures with so many awesome people. So here are some of my favorite photos from the last 8 months that remind me how much beauty exists in the mountains.

I encourage all the Boyz to go through photos and put up some of your hidden gems.

- Andrzej

Alpenglow on the Equator

October

Cornwallis Storming Suicide Chute

January

Kid Buffalo in Silver Fork

January

The Wind Sculpted Slopes of Turnagain Pass

February

Portage Glacier and Portage Lake

March

Cordova Glacier

April

Skier Boyz in Action!

Marklar and Mountain Saint Helens

(Washington)

The Noodler and the Goat Head

(Alaska)

Gremmie & McK Sending Castles

(Utah)

Creekster

Broken Tooth 12-

Creekster

Rock Lobster 11-

Flakes of Wrath 9+

Monster Tower and Washer Woman on the White Rim

Every year we like to celebrate the Holidayz at Indian Creek. We now celebrate Easter and call it Creekster.

It Goes Free!

Having such an Epic snow year in the Wasatch the boyz began to talk about skiing some trade routes that rarely see a free ascent. One of these lines is the classic NW couloir off the Pfeiferhorn. This man balls monday turned out to be perfect for the objective. It just snowed 40 plus inches over the weekend and the snowpack has been bomb proof as far as we had seen. When you climb and ski the Pfeif "little Materhorn" you are very high up in the Hogum drainage where exciting lines are abundant. This late in the season it is virtually impossible to have a Hogum Hero day, due to lots of east facing exposure and warming temps, but for the mortal boyz two classy lines = a fine day!

Early morn sun on the Coalpit Headwall. Our way out.
Little Matterhorn, Objective #1 before Stefan sent the skinner then boot pack to the top.
Buffalo soldier marching on and on.
The Paco Kid on the summit ridge of the Pfeif.
Stefan and Josh harnessed up for the drop in not knowing how filled in the NW would be.
Stefan drops in first. Beautiful line, almost unreal!
The Paco kid descending the NW for the first time ever! Lucky.
Stefan, Hollbrooking his way down to the choke. Does it go?
It goes Free! with little side stepping and tip and tail scratching. Good style SB, who has never had to make the rappel.
This is what the choke looks like above the Boyz. Not much snow left for the next party to descend. The way we like it.
Boyzd It! Take a look at the NE ramp above the choke!
After the entire Thunder ridge slid due to the rapid warming we climbed high in Hogum, linking the super tour variant to the Coalpit Headwall.
Upper Hogum chutes. This one looks real nice.
Due to the huge overhanging cornices at the top of the Coalpit headwall we each aired in then sent the 2000+ foot headwall in primo conditions. Best tour ever!

-Kid Buf

White Rim in A Day

With all of the talk about creating new rides, such as the proposed Mt. Superior Roller Coaster, Todd Glew and I decided that it was time to check out some of the rides that already exist in Utah. Our plan was to check out some of the pre-existing rides in Utah and send information to developers so that they would realize that there are already enough great rides in Utah. We figured the White Rim would be a good option for a ride to open our season. The White Rim is a famous trail that circumnavigates the Island in the Sky region of Canyonlands National Park. This ride is 103 miles long and is traditionally completed in three days, utilizing vehicle support for camping gear and water.

In our quest to scout many rides to get information to the roller coaster developers, we opted to do the entire 103 miles in one day.

Our only obstacle in completing this task was that Todd did not own a bike, in fact he had not gone mountain biking in five years. Luckily we borrowed a bike from his roommate. Unfortunately the rear shock on this bike did not work, which made for an uncomfortable 103 mile ride over the rough terrain of the White Rim. This was a true endurance challenge that tested both our minds and bodies and required a headlamp to make it back into camp.

- Our suggestion to the roller coaster developers: Experience this ride or one of the million other amazing natural locations in Utah before you destroy one to build your roller coaster.

Todd trying to look like a clown at the amusement park known as the White Rim.

Adam M. Lawton

Rainbow Peak

Just some of the great views from Rainbow Peak on Monday. After this bluebird day it was right back to the 2011 dump-a-thon. This season is really sizing up with nearly a 200" base and this next storm could push the average to 600". I couldn't agree more the words of The Prophet regarding the Dick Coaster. Don't forget the aggressive closures prompted by Oh'no & Tight-Ass. Too much time in the canyon can make people crusty. Crusty people tend to want to spread their misery. Names may need to be added to the "D.T.C. for life" list.

Upper Hogum

The Pfiefferhorn

Thunder Ridge

Helmet Cam: Rainbow Peak

Mountain Cristo

We went in search of lifeforms of higher intelligence last evening in the Wasatch Mtns. No luck this time, just another heady morning of universal connections. Once the nostalgia of a sunrise over the turquoise mtns wore off, we had a business meeting. On top of Mountain Cristo, cell phone coverage was kind spotty. Dont tell anyone, but I heard Dick Ass I mean Dick Bass (Snowbird Ski Resorts President/Owner whatever, basically the rich Texan ass clown and local asshole who wants to put a ROLLER COASTER up Superior)... also wants to put a Cell Phone tower on Monte Cristo! WELLLLLL you know what I want to do? Somehow get rid of all these rich, old, soulless, and heartless business tycoons who have been fuckin shit up in the world for way to long. Dick Bass, Dick Cheney, Dick whoever, all the Dicks of the world need to leave this earth. Its way to special of a place for assholes like ya'll to be ruining it in so many ways....If all the Dicks of the world were ever found in LOT, wooks would have then hanging upside down from a tree with their mouths duct taped and a sheet of doses duct taped to their sweaty foreheadz.

On a lighter note, it was pretty fun laying down some eights on the "edge of the world," and skiing above Disney World I mean Snowbird and the Salt Lake Valley.

Tushar Mountains: January 11-13

Pot roast. Soup. Sprout salad. Maps. Winter camping? Who's in? Where are we meeting?

Preemptive Strike. Where you at Linda? Contact. Condo. Smith's, bagels, gas, and booze. I-15, Timp, Pole Canyon, Sanataquin. Scipio and zebras. Beaver Canyon, Eagle Point, Unit 20. Boots on. High lot. Sparky. Nomad of the Tushars. One bad-ass ski instructor. Hard pack, meadow traverse, bloody paw, Lake Peak, carvy turns. Alpenglow, sunset, better sunset, best sunset. Where's Todd?

Delayed Thunder, Italian night, beers, plans, food, collodial silver. I'm the food and beverage director for the resort. VT vs. MA. MA FTW. Sleep apnea, sleep eating, 2 more lemons. Bed

Egg sammies. Skinning, Puffer Lake, City Creek Peak, Freeride Comp. Zip Rugwells. Pow, trees, steep, squalls, wind, ponderosas. Panorama Point, steep, soft, tight. Sheembob's, Alec Baldwin's, Man Balls, and return to Puffer. Clearing skies, an eight lane skinner, up a groomer, down a groomer.

Alec, shepherds pie, where's the beef? Squash, beer, Indian sewage cola pills. Good beg! Seahorse, plans, Norah Jones, rest.

French toast, bluebird, SPF, are you telemarking or cross country touring? Yes. Lone Pine Bowl, booter, crampons, Mountain Holly. Runaway ski. Foreshadow. Lake Peak. Ruby Pyramid. Runaway sandwich. Foreshadow. Shreddy and Alec tango. Garden Path. Minnow's Tail. Corn, powder, steep, narrow, rocky, aspen strainer. Eagle Point. Where's Stef? Condo? Lift? Lot? Slide for life. 1 ski. Beattie posse mounts up. Sinkowitz! Sinkowitz! Sinkowitz! Mo-Faaaaaaaat! Success!

The Prophet Attempts a New Route

The Wiggler and Lone Tree Bowl: Mountain Holly

Central Utah Sunset

Clown Parade

Topping Out on Mountain Holly

Squinney in the Garden Path

Mid-January Utah Tours

General Cornwallis on the Mill B - Monte Cristo Variation of Little Superior (Jan. 9)

Kid Buffalo Suffering through Some Awful Dust on Crust in Silver Fork (Jan. 15)

More Dust on Crust: Alexi on Mountain Wilson Peak (Jan. 16)

Tushar Rendezvous Team Photo

(click for higher res and to download)

Suicide: January 9

There's been a lot of talk of dawn-patrol lately. I found myself participating in the storied ritual early Sunday morning. My reasons were simple: free ride up the canyon with a promise of breakfast.

Cornwallis and I geared up in the covered entry in the shadow of Hellgate. The snow was beginning to let up and stars and planets peered through the last remnants of a weak system. The skinner began at the road in 2 angry inches. Trail breaking was easy and we were at the base of the chute in short order.

Cornwallis put it in 4 low and took off in a fury. I would not see his face again until the top. The higher we got, the deeper it got. It became obvious that we were in for a treat. Wind and snow had conspired together in our favor.

The cornice was bigger than usual and required some low 5th class moves. True to form, Cornwallis strong-armed it. I elected to pass my pack up.

From our perch, we shouted obscenities at Snowbird and Alta for longer than was necessary. Eventual we clicked in. We didn't say much because of hoarse throats from our recent hollering. The snow was excellent and the skiing effortless. 10" of low density scattered as we silently plummeted towards the 210.

Cornwallis Cam

We rounded the bend and passed from shadow into the sweet sunshine. Lower down there was only 4" and the turns were getting loud. Trenches from skiers earlier in the week were frozen solid. We worked right to a smoother area and let 'em run until it got quiet again.

I've always wanted to "ride that shit switch into the road," but the reality of a 4' drop to flat convinced me otherwise. It was still early and my stomach reminded me of the pre-arranged breakfast. Free-ride, free food: maybe there is something to this dawn patrol fad.

- U.K.