Mount Watson stands tall at 11,527′ amidst a number of other peaks like Bald Mountain, Reid and Notch Peak near the Bald Mountain Pass off the Mirror Lake Highway in the Uintas. Mount Watson isn’t really that impressive on paper, but what’s most inspiring is the east face, particularly when seen from Bald Mountain pass as you’re heading down towards Kamas. It’s also the first major peak you catch a glimpse of as you pass the Provo River Falls around mile marker 23.

I was on a recon mission yesterday, not thinking I’d make the summit. But it shouldn’t surprise me that I would go anywhere but to the summit, despite the 5 miles of road I had to skin to get to the Trial Lake turn off. The drive and desire to summit a mountain, particularly one I’ve talked about for years is quite simple, elementary even. Skiing down said mountain is icing on the cake.

From the Trial Lake turn off, it was another 1.5 miles of skinning to the base of the mountain as my route took me across Trial Lake, through the woods that later in the day would smell and feel like a warm summer day, then booting up the southeast ridge as I made the summit.

(Click on the thumbnails below to see the photos larger)

The feeling of standing on top of a mountain you’ve looked at for years is unique and rewarding.

The views from on top were tremendous and my up close and personal inspection of the East Face was motivating. The upper 2-3 turns may be some of the spiciest skiing I have yet to ski, approaching 60 degrees. I didn’t ski it, opting to reserve that treat for when I return with my friend Jim, so I ventured down the north ridge. After getting to a more mellow spot where some sled heads had been high marking, I dropped in for a few turns in some tricky wind crusted snow.

The trek out was smooth although I wished for better wax and nordic skis for the kick and glide down the 5 miles of the Mirror Lake Highway to the car. It was a great day in the mountains for a solo adventure. I’m looking forward to returning for the descent of the East Face proper.

That is, until last week.

Wednesday the report was 2-3″ in the surrounding areas and 6-9″ in the epicenter. I could no longer deny it’s pull so I resisted the tractor beam of upper Little Cottonwood and happily set my sights for the epicenter for my first voyage of the season. My few text messages to generally willing partners yielded a shut out so I would be going solo. As such I chose the simple route – Days Fork via the Flagstaff directisima. I was well rewarded with 3 laps of stellar pow that on occasion got all over my face.

A LITTLE COTTONWOOD CLASSIC – Sunrise lighting up Cardiff and Superior

It was while soaking it in Wednesday afternoon that I booked my return flight to LCC for Thursday morning with a timely text to Daren hoping that I might have company…and company is what I got. 4 others to be exact, including a split boarder named Aaron that graciously endured my rants about my last experience with a split boarder. Thankfully, he would redeem split boarders for me.

I was surprised that we were first up the skin track on Flagstaff with another 3-4″ of fresh. Then again, it was a prime day to tag Superior and a number of guys were headed in that general direction. I knew Days would deliver and didn’t hesitate to keep to the plan. The skin track was extra slippery and most of us toiled a bit. The sunrise and views were a great diversion from the toil and anguish of the skinning.

(CLICK THE IMAGES TO SEE THEM LARGER)

After cresting Flagstaff and looking into Days Fork I knew it would be another classic Happy Days kind of day – 2-3″ of new on the south side with 6-10″ of new on the north side. The best part? We had it to ourselves. We all stood there with the uneasy elevator style “after you”, “no, please, after you” courtesy gestures to which I gladly offered up a “May I?” and dove in.

I’m not sure if it was Aaron or Adam who started to speak first, but when everyone had arrived at the bottom of Days I said something to the effect of “I think I’m gonna need more of that” to which they both cited, in unison the famous line from Oliver Twist: “Please sir, may I have some more?”.

And more we got…and were filled. Evidence:

Yes, even splitboarders can rip it.

Any favorites of the bunch?

So I find myself venturing into the Uintas solo and that suits me just fine. The time breaking trail gives me time to ponder and think, and generally appreciate my state in life – blessed, relatively fit, healthy…happy.

After making it to the top of this run (below left), I saw that a party of 4 were enjoying the skin track I put in so I dropped in for 1200′ of beauty pow and headed cross canyon for more solo ventures.

image left – the boulevard
image right – looking back at my track from across the canyon

But as I was skinning up the cross canyon lap, I wished that Cynthia was here to share the beauty and the clean crisp air so I hatched a plan. If she had fed Asti and if McKinley would watch his brothers and sisters I could make it back in time to grab her skis/skins and head up the Mirror Lake Highway to go for a quick ski tour before dark. I think she was surprised, and she definitely was stoked as we packed up things to head out. As we drove up the highway she kept saying how weird this was but how exciting. I was reminded of how much I love this red-headed girl of mine.

The skiing was simple, the landscape enjoyable and the company sublime.

Love birds:

It was one of those days where the snow was plastered to all the trees, leaving them blanketed in a beautiful white flocking. I got a little artsy with the photos.

(CLICK THE IMAGES TO SEE THEM LARGER)

Daren is a new comer to the world of backcountry skiing but I knew that with his bike racing background and all around stoke for fitness and nature’s beauty that it wouldn’t take much for him to be hooked. This sort of thing can be contagious and my hunch was right – he was grinning from ear to ear all day. Wouldn’t you be if this were you?

Despite an hour of snow-blowing the driveway today and the late arrival at Butler Fork in Big Cottonwood Canyon, I skinned up the trail and as I went my mind seemed to slough off the cares of the office.

Just before topping out Derek and Guy caught me on their 4th lap. About 2 turns into the first of two laps for me, I knew I had made the right call.

On the second lap, I was energized and managed to out skin Derek to the top, a very rare feat. It was either the power euphoria or the Honey Stinger gel and PROBAR combo that I ate. Either way, powder was on the menu for my final run. It got all over my face.

I’d suggest you get out of the office as well. Tomorrow will most certainly be a good day for it.

–image Derek Weiss

Being a forecaster is a coveted role by many but the numbers dwindle quickly as the “many” soon realize the pay doesn’t really stack up, the hours are terrible (unless you think being up at 5am to send out updates is glamorous) and the annual hunt for a summer job can get old after a season or two.

I suspect it takes a certain quality of person, a certain character to make a successful career at being an avalanche forecaster. I’m grateful for the work they do and support them each year with a little bit of my hard earned money. I recommend you do the same.

My reason for posting this was not to guilt you into donating to a great organization, but to share a piece of today’s report that behind the low pay, the long hours and the summer job searches is a passion at the core of each forecaster.

Each day here in northern Utah the Utah Avalanche Center releases the daily Avalanche Advisory for all areas of the state.

Aside from the daily update of snow conditions, reliable weather and avalanche conditions, I really enjoy reading the little insights, quips, comments and once in a while a line or two that gives an insight into passion that the forecasters have for a life in the mountains.

Today’s report from Drew Hardesty had something in there that the quick reader/skimmer may have missed. Drew has passion for the mountains and I’m glad he shared it in today’s report:

There are those moments in life when you’re outside with good friends, or even alone, and you realize something has changed. The sun shines more brightly, the colors are more vibrant, the powder snow bottomless. It’s like a momentary glimpse of a rainbow after a just after a hard rain – and everyone looks at one another with smiles – and nothing needs to be said. We mark our lives by days like these. This was yesterday in the Wasatch.

Thanks Drew.

It seems I have a love affair with this mountain. But how could you not? It’s massive, taking about the same area as Little Cottonwood Canyon if you measured the length of the massif.

Skiing from the summit, right from the top, has been a dream of mine for a while now. It’s good to accomplish a dream.

Thanks to my friend Derek for the video.

Up and Over from piton productions on Vimeo.

But, since the calendar did turn 1 year older, I suppose then that skiing with Alex and Derek in the Uintas was a great way to end the calendar year and an even better way to spend one day.

Video by Derek:

Here are two examples of going very fast (three if you count the picture):

1. I’ve never owned a bike computer. I do now and last Saturday’s ride on Wolf Creek Pass was a fun testing ride for it. On the descent I was letting it run and looked down to see I was going 48.4 MPH! I admit that I pedaled a few times to see if I could push it to 50 but alas, thoughts of an out of control fall kept me still and poised for the downhill, tapping on the brakes a bit.

In case my mom is reading this, yes, I know what would happen if I went down at 48 MPH and yes, I wear a helmet (although at 48 MPH I’m not sure what good it’d do)

2. I’ve wanted to climb and ski the Grand Teton for a few years now but I guess I’ve not wanted it bad enough as it’s still a vision, an idea. I figure I could do it in a day. Then there’s Jimmy Chin. The guy is FAST. He flashed the Grand, Middle and South Teton this past month climbing and skiing all 3 of those peaks and did it car-to-car in just under 11 hours!

Oh yea, he did it solo. Mad props Jimmy!