3/1/09 Wolverine Cirque (Utah)
3/1/09
US elsewhere
1335
1
While visiting my buddy Mark in SLC, we did a nice tour in the Wolverine Cirque today. The Utah Avalanche Center had a low avie forecast for the Wasatch and the weather was overcast.
We drove up Big Cottonwood Canyon to the Brighton ski area where we bought a one-ride lift ticket for $12 (not a bad deal when you sleep in and come from sea level!). We took the Millicent lift up, left the ski area, and hiked to the top of Mt. Millicent (elev. 10,452'). Then it was a nice skin up to the top of Mt. Wolverine (elev. 10,795'). After a little lunch we skied off the top of Wolverine Peak via the Scythe couloir (41 degrees @ 1000) and down through Crazy Eights.
The winds picked up (30+ mph gusts) in the early afternoon enough to have some nice wind-deposited powder/chalk. We had some nice turns in Crazy Eights so we skinned back up and took another run through a nice narrow line before the ski out to Brighton and back to the car.
We drove up Big Cottonwood Canyon to the Brighton ski area where we bought a one-ride lift ticket for $12 (not a bad deal when you sleep in and come from sea level!). We took the Millicent lift up, left the ski area, and hiked to the top of Mt. Millicent (elev. 10,452'). Then it was a nice skin up to the top of Mt. Wolverine (elev. 10,795'). After a little lunch we skied off the top of Wolverine Peak via the Scythe couloir (41 degrees @ 1000) and down through Crazy Eights.
The winds picked up (30+ mph gusts) in the early afternoon enough to have some nice wind-deposited powder/chalk. We had some nice turns in Crazy Eights so we skinned back up and took another run through a nice narrow line before the ski out to Brighton and back to the car.
Winddaveski and I did your tour last week (2/21).
We got reciprocal tickets from Brighton for our Crystal passes and did the same approach, but traversed lower and skied skiers right of the Crazy 8's. Then up to Patsy Marley for the views and down the chutes on Patsy Marley.
We wanted to ski those chutes that you skied, but they were wind hammered on that side of the cirque. Settled for boot deep creamy ski on less effected slopes. The only danger was maybe some wind slab and the Utah avalanche center was really focused on the weak cornices. Overall the cottonwood canyons offer a multitude of long day trips and short ones like Wolverine. Mind blowing area for touring!
We got reciprocal tickets from Brighton for our Crystal passes and did the same approach, but traversed lower and skied skiers right of the Crazy 8's. Then up to Patsy Marley for the views and down the chutes on Patsy Marley.
We wanted to ski those chutes that you skied, but they were wind hammered on that side of the cirque. Settled for boot deep creamy ski on less effected slopes. The only danger was maybe some wind slab and the Utah avalanche center was really focused on the weak cornices. Overall the cottonwood canyons offer a multitude of long day trips and short ones like Wolverine. Mind blowing area for touring!
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