It’s 7 a.m. and I’m already halfway up 11,132-foot Mount Superior, the iconic backcountry ski line in Utah’s Wasatch range, towering over Little Cottonwood Canyon. The sun is starting to peek over the horizon, fresh powder awaits on the slope below me, and besides my friend on the skintrack ahead of me, I can’t see another soul. This was worth waking up early for.
As skiers seek to escape the crowds and find a slice of winter solitude for themselves, the backcountry sounds alluring. More and more skiers and snowboarders in Utah are discovering the draw of out-of-bounds terrain. Alpine touring equipment — the type of skis, boots, and bindings required to climb a mountain before skiing down — saw a 29 percent increase in sales year over year between 2019 and 2018 across the country, according to SnowSports Industries America, which estimates that some 1.3 million skiers and snowboarders in America now access the backcountry.
Many come to Utah for its world famous backcountry terrain and deep snowpack. “Utah really does have ‘the Greatest Snow on Earth.’ What makes that snow particularly nice is its perfect density — not too light, not too heavy, just perfect for floating,” says Emilie Drinkwater, a Salt Lake City-based mountain guide certified by the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) and the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA). “Plus, there’s not just great snow in the Wasatch. Utah is lucky to have other mountain ranges too, like the Uintas and La Sals.”
But if you’re considering heading into the backcountry, there are safety precautions you must know. We’ve listed a few reasons why hiring a ski guide is the smartest, safest thing you can do, whether you’re new to the backcountry or not.