Crest Tour, Big Cottonwood Canyon- April 2021

The spring rollercoaster is in full effect here in the Wasatch. We are warm for a few days, then the NW flow kicks in again. We got a pretty nice late season storm that put down 9" to a foot of snow depending where the wind blew in the range. I decided that I would get out for a day in Big Cottonwood Canyon this time as I have not been up there all winter. All the resorts are closed except Snowbird and I decided I would head up Crest to get some exercise on the skin track and get some turns to head home.

I made my way up Big Cottonwood very early in the morning and was in the lot by 8 AM. I put on the boots, strapped in and began the skin up. The clouds and fog post storm were hangning in there preserving the quality of the snow. There were a few cars in the lot, and I saw people head up as I was getting ready, but once I started climbing it was a ghost town. The wind got a litte more fierce as I gained elevation. But it was nice to be alone in the mountains for a bit just enjoying the silence.

Near the top I ran into a old friend I used to work with at Backcountry.com. Jeff is a great guy and a legend in the backcountry. We chatted as we made the rest of the climb and went our seperate ways at the top of Crest. I was really cold, and I quickly made the switchover and put on the warm layers to get my core back up before dropping in. The ride home was realy nice and the clouds and cold temps really preserved the snow quality. It was such a sweet smooth ride and I was solo all the way back to the Jeep!

This may have been my last day out on the splitboard for the season. Backpacking is going to be in full swing in just a couple of weeks, so I feel blessed for the bonus powder Mother Nature provided. A great day in the mountains, and always a treat to be on the skins! Enjoy the pics and my YouTube video, and subscribe if you like! More adventures to come as the seasons change! Stay tuned!