B
beswift
Guest
Let me add this as an addendum to the first Trip report given on this forum about Utah. I expect many will read the posts here and I want to give out a little info which might help those going up into the Little Cottonwood. As I posted earlier, an avalanche had taken out a chair at Alta which ran roughly from the bottom of Stone Crusher to the top of West Rustler at the start of Sun Spot trail. You can traverse there from the top of the Germania chair lift and then ski over into the Greeley area or ski both Sun Spot and Race Course. (I'm using an old trail map, so someone might want to correct some of this.) From there you can follow the ridge and ski into Eagles Nest and North Rustler. All of these trails are not directly serviced by lifts and offer great powder opportunities. Once you reach the bottom you ride the transfer rope tow back to the lifts. The Trip report cited a White Hell at Snowbird which was actually Gad Valley. This is a huge steep bump field when it isn't snowing. It receives a lot of snow and often is skiable in late June. (I've played in the snow in Wyoming in July my first (of about thirty) trips out West. It is served by the Tram or Little Cloud lift. With the Tram not operating, I can't imagine them not screening novices on that chair, but they DON'T. The most challenging ski is to travel down the ridge above Gad Valley and ski the steeps on the Peruvian Gulch side. Remember deep powder makes it much easier to ski steeps (until you create an avalanche).
