Knowing the lift lines at the resorts would be heinous, I opted to get a small crew together today and go bag a Wasatch classic. The Y Couloir sits near the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon and offers up over 3,000′ of 40+ degree skiing and unbeatable views. If you’re into chute skiing, the Y is a must.
Lots of this...
The snow was firm making for easy booting, but just chalky enough to enjoy thoroughly on the way down. While not exactly a shooting extravaganza, it felt great to give the legs a workout and challenge myself to come away with some keepers despite the less than ideal shooting conditions.
Andy Harmon, thinking how much this doesn't suck...
I find the biggest challenge when shooting chute skiing is not to offer up the standard down-slope view of the skier in the couloir. Find something to break up this mundane scene–a tree, a slab of granite, wind-textured snow…anything. Today served as a great excercise in looking past the obvious and searching for the creative.
Parker Cook, letting em' run
While these images may not make the final submission edit at the end of the season. they certainly are some of favorites this year simply for the difficulty posed in finding something fresh.
Andy, still loving life.
Parker, finishing out the Y.
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Harmon sucks.
I think I need to quit my day job.
Adam,
Beautiful and innovative photos. Be careful in those couloirs and have fun.
Steve
Dude, get some AT gear.
Your work is awesome — thanks for sharing.
Wesley
Ha. Thanks Wes. You know–I’ve got full AT setup, but was stoked to use the alpine for this booter. I think I’m finished with AT boots all together. The extra weight is worth the extra support with the big nasty pack on.
Adam,
I’ve been eyeing this lately. Was it a boot pack all the way up or did you skin part of that? A bit of beta?
Miskino–
Solid boot pack all the way up. There are a couple spots where it gets a bit rocky, but for the most part, it’s pretty straightforward. You just have to throw the skis on to cross any of the (hopefully) numerous snow bridges at the bottom (across the creek), and you’re good to go.