The Best Fluff

Ski porn is showing up daily in my mailbox. Was looking through a Powder magazine last night and noticing something - the photos that most grab me are all in Utah. Second place is clearly BC, but there's just something about Utah that connects, even visually. Doesn't hurt that you can get to about a dozen ski areas within an hour of downtown Salt Lake City.

This photo is from Powder Mountain, a hidden gem outside Ogden. I figured out how to ski powder on this day. They'd had 12" overnight and another 10" the night before. It was both the most frustrating and rewarding day I ever had skiing. While I'd been in foot deep powder once or twice before, it was at Park City and was pretty much skied out by noon. PowMow is so large (most skiable area in Utah) and off the beaten path that I had all day to figure it out -- too cool!!!

Deep powder is such an adjustment for easterners. Unlike icy conditions or hard snow, setting an edge is BAD. Sit back, roll at the hips and go dog, GO! Coolest part was that falling was no big deal. Like landing in a pile of down! By the end of the day, I was just stepping off into whatever slope I wanted.

PowMow is just one of several Utah destinations I love. If you're planning a trip, I highly recommend getting off the well-worn Park City path. While PC and Deer Valley are great (sorry, NOT a Canyons fan at all), you get more value, better snow, and more fun at places like PowMow, Solitude, Snowbasin, Brighton, or Alta. So far the only major close area I haven't done is Snowbird -- soon enough!

-Sean-