Vamoose Winter 2015

ISSUE 2 • WINTER 15/16

Utah GET OUT | GET GOING | JUST GO

Weekend Warriors

Brian Head’s red rocks and deep powder

12

Trailblazer Snow-science legend Bruce Tremper

24

10 Tips for Skiing Newbies

Frankenmountain

36

10

2 | Vamoose Utah • Winter 15/16

Winter 15/16 • Vamoose Utah |

3

INSIDE VAMOOSE

26

MADE IN UTAH RAMP Sports is changing the ski industry

28

WHY WE ICE FISH The joys of time spent on a frozen lake

COVER SHOT

ANDY WRIGHT Of Scotty Arnold at Brighton

BY COLE D. LEHMAN

BY BENJAMIN BOMBARD

32

BACKCOUNTRY CHEF Campstove elk chili & cheesy polenta

BY NICK COMO

PROXIMITY Cross-country skiing near Salt Lake City

Austen Diamond

BY TONI ISOM

4 | Vamoose Utah • Winter 15/16

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Athlete: Wiley Miller

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280 E. 12300 S. Suite 104 Draper, Utah 84020 I 801-523-6215 Purebarre.com/Ut-Draper Winter 15/16 • Vamoose Utah |

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Issue 1 • Summer 2015 ISSUE 2 • WINTER 15/16

Utah Utah

CONTRIBUTORS

GET OUT | GET GOING | JUST GO

GET OUT | GET GOING | JUST GO

STAFF PUBLISHER GENERAL MANAGER EDITORIAL EDITOR COPY EDITOR CONTRIBUTORS

PHOTOGRAPHERS

PRODUCTION ART DIRECTOR PRODUCTION MANAGER GRAPHIC ARTISTS

BUSINESS/OFFICE ACCOUNTING MANAGER ASSOCIATE BUSINESS MANAGER OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR TECHNICAL DIRECTOR MARKETING MARKETING MANAGER MARKETING COORDINATOR CIRCULATION CIRCULATION MANAGER SALES MAGAZINE ADVERTISING DIRECTOR NEWSPRINT ADVERTISING DIRECTOR DIGITAL OPERATIONS MANAGER SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES RETAIL ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES VAMOOSE STORE ASSISTANT MANAGER

JOHN SALTAS ANDY SUTCLIFFE AUSTEN DIAMOND TIFFANY FRANDSEN BENJAMIN BOMBARD, NICK COMO, TIFFANY FRANDSEN, LIZ GALLOWAY, TONI ISOM, COLE LEHMAN, BETH LOPEZ, TJ PARSONS, JEREMY PUGH TAWNIE ARCHULETA, BENJAMIN BOMBARD, JOE CANFIELD, ADAM CLARK, AUSTEN DIAMOND, TIFFANY FRANDSEN, JUSTIN HABLIN, JIM HARRIS, LUKE ISOM, KALLERNA, CARL KJELDSBERG, MIKE SAEMISCH, JOSH SCHEUERMAN, CLINT SNELLING, ANDY WRIGHT, KALINA ZUFELT

NICK COMO

Nick Como escaped the skyscrapers of New York City for the tall peaks of the Wasatch.

Nick spreads the Downtown SLC word by day and shreds bike trails by evening, all made possible by the mountain-meetsurban feel only the City of Salt can provide.

He’s a climber, skier, canyoneer, mountain biker and lover of food—just don’t think of offering him pizza with pineapple on it.

DEREK CARLISLE MASON RODRICKC SUMMER MONTGOMERY, CAIT LEE, JOSH SCHEURMAN CODY WINGET PAULA SALTAS CELESTE NELSON BRYAN MANNOS JACKIE BRIGGS NICOLE ENRIGHT

TONI ISOM

A one-time “daughter of the soil,” Toni grew up exploring high plains and plateaus, climbing haystacks and throwing frozen cow pies at her cousins. Eventually, she became somewhat civilized and is now a professional copywriter, editor and content director, living in downtown Salt Lake City.

She’s lost her interest in cow pies, but she still enjoys exploring and climbing things.

LARRY CARTER JENNIFER VAN GREVENHOF PETE SALTAS ANNA PAPADAKIS DOUG KRUITHOF, KATHY MUELLER, MOLLI STITZEL, JEFF CHIPIAN, JEREMIAH SMITH ALISSA DIMICK JEREMY PUGH

DISTRIBUTED FREE OF CHARGE THROUGHOUT THE WASATCH FRONT WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. ADDITIONAL COPIES OF VAMOOSE ARE AVAILABLE AT THE VAMOOSE OFFICES:

248 S. MAIN, SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84101, 801-575-7003 EDITORIAL CONTACT: EDITOR@VAMOOSEUTAH.COM

COPPERFIELD PUBLISHING, INC • COPYRIGHT 2015. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

6 | Vamoose Utah • Winter 15/16

Jeremy Pugh is a freelance travel and ski writer based out of Salt Lake City. His work takes him all over the West, and we asked him to give us the lowdown on the red rock and snow mix at Southern Utah’s Brian Head Resort. When he’s not skiing, he also enjoys hiking trails throughout the state in inclement winter weather. “Winter hiking is great. Some days you never see another soul,” he says.

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Winter 15/16 • Vamoose Utah |

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To Those Who Choose Snow

Are you a desert person, or are you a snow person?

On Racks Now!

In Utah, we answer this question with a gut-reaction when we, of all times, buy a new car.

The answer is on our license plates and, in turn, becomes a subtle daily proclamation. You either choose the red-rock hallmark of our state, the Delicate Arch of Moab, or you pick a skier who accompanies the phrase, “Greatest Snow on Earth.”

Either choice, however, bears one of the greatest marketing taglines of any state: Life Elevated. In comparison, poor Idahoans have to drive around with the unfortunate phrase, “Great Potatoes. Tasty Destinations.” Indeed, we’re doing something right here.

My Utah license plate is host to the skier. I guess that makes me a snow person. It was an uphill battle to get there, though.

When I moved to Utah eight years ago, I traded in Tennessee’s “Friends of Great Smoky Mountains” specialty plate. The Smokies are home to Tennessee’s only ski resort, Ober Gatlinburg, which rises to its summit at 3,300 feet above sea level and boasts nine runs (two of which are black diamonds!). This little ski shanty offers more inches of powdered sugar on its funnel cakes than it does snow on its icy moguls.

But one must learn somewhere.

Those fledgling “pizza” and “french fry” turns down the hill were made on neon-yellow skies older than I am. They were a gift from a boss, plastered with Grateful Dead stickers (which I didn’t mind) and really stood out from the crowd of Starter-jacket-and-jeans-wearing Southeastern skiers. Eventually, I thought I could really rip—obviously, a rude awakening awaited me in Utah.

That first year of skiing was a heaping slice of humble pie (sans powdered sugar) filled with, shall we say, sensational “moments” (read: yard sales). But with enough time and prayers to the god of Perfect Ski Form, it became less painful and more enjoyable. Now, like so many folks in Utah, I can’t live without skiing and I’m counting down the days till I visit the white room.

If we snow people aren’t waking up at the ass-crack of dawn to get a few backcountry laps in before work, we somehow manage to get a 24-hour bug every damned time it dumps snow. Haven’t we all told our boss that our family physician, Dr. Powderskien, said it was best not to come into work today? How many of us turn our snow-sports lifestyle into a career and fix the glitch? When the snowy Wasatch beckons, we must go.

This second volume of Vamoose is dedicated to the crusty snow junkies and would-be winter-sports devotees among us.

In this issue, we got so manic about our love for skiing the Wasatch that we created our own fictional ski resort in “Frankenmountain.” And we tipped our hat to the now-retired snow-science legend Bruce Tremper in the issue’s “Trailblazer” feature.

Of course, not everyone is a die-hard schusser, so try our list of tips for skiing newbies— for Tennessee transplants like me—in a new feature called, “Wish We Woulda Known.” Utah is more than skiing, so we explored the serene world of winter hiking, as well as the great joy and solitude that ice fishing provides.

Whichever license plate graces your bumpers, we hope that you find some fun in winter recreation and that Vamoose inspires you to brave the cold and get outdoors!

In snow,

Go to devourutah.com for pick up locations

8 | Vamoose Utah • Winter 15/16

Austen Diamond, Editor @austendiamond adiamond@vamooseutah.com

Winter 15/16 • Vamoose Utah |

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Frankenmountain Creating a new mountain out of Utah’s best ridgelines

BY TJ PARSONS

SNOWBIRD PARK CITY Peruvian Gulch

Crescent and Payday Area The First Time lift on the front side of Park City Mountain Resort offers novices a chance to learn the ropes, while the Payday and Crescent lifts access multiple wide-open groomers for intermediate-level skiiers and tightly spaced tree stashes and bump runs for more adventurous types. Freestyle junkies can get their jib and jump fix with laps on two dedicated terrain-park lifts, Eaglet for the small-to-medium stuff and Three Kings for the larger main park

Hungry for some seriously steep lines?

Look no farther than the Ariel Tram-accessed terrain at Snowbird. Traverse skiers left to the Cirque for some of the gnarliest chutes around—in full view of the tram for maximum hero points (or heckling, if you go ass-overteakettle). If Old Man Winter’s been stingy, cruising Chip’s Run is a guaranteed good time from top to bottom, with plenty of nearby gullies, glades and natural jumps to explore on the way down.

Après Scene: 10 | Vamoose Utah • Winter 15/16

ALTA West Rustler to Mount Baldy From the epic fall-line on Alf’s High Rustler (better known among locals as High Boy) to the hidden gems tucked away off the Wildcat chair, the west end of Alta has some of Utah’s most iconic big-mountain terrain. We took the

We cherry-picked some of the choicest terrain from all over the Wasatch, so why not do the same for après-ski spots? In our theoretical FrankenMountain village, you can hit up the laid-back Molly Green’s (Brighton) for a pint and a plate of nachos by the fire.

M

any a modern-day snow snob the world over can trace their evolutionary roots to a ridgeline somewhere in one of the Cottonwood canyons. With “The Greatest Snow on Earth; and a near-ostentatious surplus of outstanding alpine terrain nearby, Utah locals can be, well, picky.

How picky, you ask? Picky enough to fully imagine a fantasy ski resort by compiling an orographical highlight reel of the Wasatch Range, taking what we love about our ski resorts, all while utterly disregarding bothersome constraints such as scale, elevation and slope aspect. Ladies and gentlemen, we bring you the unholy abomination known as … Frankenmountain.

BRIGHTON SOLITUDE Mount Millicent

liberty of extending the Collins chairlift to the top of Mount Baldy, which is a convenient way to add a semi-realistic connection over to Snowbird’s Peruvian Gulch—and because Baldy is freakin’ awesome.

Often referred to simply as Milly, Brighton’s Mount Millicent has been a local favorite since Utah’s first aerial chairlift was installed on its slopes in 1947. Whether traversing out into the bowl for a wide-open romp or hucking yourself off the countless rock drops ranging from mini- to mammoth-size, it’s easy to spend most of the day in this zone without taking the same line twice. During dry spells, Milly offers entertaining intermediate-friendly groomers and fruitful opportunities for sidecountry stash-hunting.

Swing into Goldminer’s Daughter Saloon (Alta) for some delicious pizza and a great variety of microbrews. Or class it up with the world-class whiskey and epicurean fare at the High West Distillery (downtown Park City).

Honeycomb Canyon Known for its tendency to hold fresh snow for days—or even weeks—after a big storm, Solitude’s Honeycomb Canyon offers everything from cliffs to tight trees to wideopen shots of bottomless powder. Drop in right at the top if you’re impatient, or pick a side and traverse until you see something you like. The farther you go, the fewer tracks you’ll find. If you’re feeling froggy, make your way up the sometimes-treacherous bootpack for a wild ride down the rugged and steep Fantasy Ridge.

Winter 15/16 • Vamoose Utah |

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SOUTHBOUND POWDER HOUNDING Discover Brian Head Ski Resort

BY JEREMY PUGH

3-4 HRS

244 MILES

rian Head, located atop Parowan Canyon near Cedar City, is not the first place along the Wasatch Front we think of when the snow starts to drop. But the resort often gets storms that miss northern Utah and offers an excellent green-to-black mix of terrain perfect for families and mixed-age groups.

Couple that with thin crowds and a friendly town to relax and play in, and you’ve got the recipe for a great winter road trip.

Plus, imagine flying down snow with Southern Utah’s redrock cliffs in the background.

12 | Vamoose Utah • Winter 15/16

Thursday

Brian Head Peak

••••

Good Eats on the Road

Station 22 Cafe

Don’t let the boss hear your keys jingling as you escape from work early on Thursday afternoon and load up for your 4-hour drive south. Treat yourself to a tasty meal on the way down at Provo’s Station 22, serving hipster staples with a Southern twist. We love the Memphis chicken sandwich, but you’ll find a wide range delicious burgers and a (what?) vegetarian poutine. 22 W. Center St., Provo, 801-607-1803, Station22Cafe.com

The pool at Grand Lodge

Courtesy Brianhead Ski Resort

Josh Scheuerman

Once you’ve made the long and winding drive up Parowan Canyon, check into The Grand Lodge. The lodge is a fullservice hotel with a spa and the town’s best steakhouse (Leany’s). Plus, the hotel’s Lift Bar & Patio is one of the area’s best spots to get a hot toddy by the fire. Do so. Now. 314 Hunter Ridge Drive Brian Head, 435-677-9000, GrandLodgeAtBrianHead.com

Courtesy Brianhead Ski Resort

Check in at The Grand Lodge

Winter 15/16 • Vamoose Utah |

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Friday

Mike Saemisch

••••

Ski Brian Head or take lessons at Navajo Peaks

Brian Head is actually two mountains: Brian Head and Navajo Peaks. Navajo is home to the resort’s beginner runs as well as an innovative, terrain-based ski school. Its instructors run students through a course of the varied terrain they’ll actually encounter on mountain. Brian Head Peak is mostly blues and blacks for those who like to rip; there’s also some interesting tree skiing on the right side. It’s a small, fast mountain you can explore in no time, and then take the day to find your perfect groove.

Courtesy GeorgsSkiSHop

Gear Up at Georg’s Ski Shop

Founded in the ‘60s by its namesake Georg Hartlmaier, a German immigrant who was the resort’s first mountain manager, the quirky Bavarian-themed ski shop is still a family-run place where you’ll find great ski advice, gear and a whimsical selection of Bavarian trinkets. 612 UT143, Brian Head, 435-677-2013, GeorgsSkiShop.com

Beers & Barbecue Dinner at The Last Chair Saloon

14 | Vamoose Utah • Winter 15/16

The Last Chair Saloon

Courtesy Brianhead Ski Resort

Kansas City industrialist John Grissinger bought Brian Head a few years back.

The soft-spoken fellow loves him some barbecue. On Friday and Saturday nights, he cooks up a mess of chicken and ribs and serves them up to hungry skiers for, get this, $5 a plate. Find the saloon on the third floor of the Giant Steps Lodge.

Party with the Stars

Mike Saemisch

Nearby, Cedar Breaks National Monument sponsors wintertime Dark Sky Star Parties. Bundle up and make the short drive to star gaze and remind yourself exactly how big the universe is. NPS.gov/cebr

Cedar Breaks National Monument

Winter 15/16 • Vamoose Utah |

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••••

Saturday First Bites at Giant Steps Cafe

Giant Steps Lodge

Mike Saemisch

Fuel up at Giant Steps Cafe, serving great breakfast sandwiches and hot coffee in a quick, casual setting in the lodge.

Navajo Tube Park

Clint Snelling

Get Totally Tubed

Take the morning and get your runs in on the mountain but break off at lunchtime to get the whole family together for some tubing fun at the Navajo Tube Park.

And, unlike tubing back home at the park, there’s no hiking! Enjoy a tow up the mountain on the park’s rope line.

16 | Vamoose Utah • Winter 15/16 Leany’s Steakhouse

Courtesy Brianhead Ski Resort

Steak Your Claim

Make your final night’s dinner one to remember with a killer steak and nice bottle of wine at Leany’s Steakhouse in the Grand Lodge.

The porterhouse for two (or a very hungry one) is a fine cut of dryaged beef, with two generous sides.

Brian Head’s main bar presents live music every Saturday night during the season. And this isn’t the usual bro in the corner strumming out “Rocky Mountain High.” The resort’s proximity to Vegas and its Vegas clientele draw an eclectic mix of music. Be sure to check the lineup before you go.

Courtesy Brianhead Ski Resort

Live Music at the Last Chair Saloon

Winter 15/16 • Vamoose Utah |

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Sunday

Cedar City Tourism Bureau

••••

Take a snowmobile trip

The area on the edge of Cedar Breaks National Monument is loaded with established trails across the Cedar Mountain Complex, many of which are regularly groomed. Thunder Mountain Sports offers guided snowmobile tours throughout the season. 539 N. Highway 143, Brian Head, (435) 677-2288, BrianHeadThunder.com

Josh Scheuerman

Meadow Hot Springs

Josh Scheuerman

Dunk yourself in hot springs

18 | Vamoose Utah • Winter 15/16

On the way back, if you can manage it, stop at Meadow Hot Springs, just four miles south of Fillmore on I-15 in the teeny town of Meadow.

The springs are located in a field on private property but the landowner allows access to well-behaved hot springers like yourself.

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Winter 15/16 • Vamoose Utah |

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Kalina Zufelt

At the onset of the trail, Neff’s Canyon has multiple intertwining—albeit unofficial—trails that weave around the main trail, run over old concrete pipes and through the creek bed. As the trail opens up a quarter-mile in, you’ll find a rope swing and you will want to cross the creek bed onto the main trail.

GPS: 40.67716, -111.77641

Kalina Zufelt

STARTING OUT

DOG-FRIENDLY HIKING

One of the great things about Neff’s is that your pooch is allowed to play.

The creek is nestled close to the trail for most of the hike, giving your pup running mountain water to lap up between sled runs or if you decide to continue up to the end of the trail.

this is the

Place NEFF’S CANYON

T

he slippery trudge of the return trip is what makes many a hiker into a backcountry skier.

Whether it be knocking your way down a shale field or trying not to slip and hit your bottom while stepping down packed snow, this is the “not fun” part of hiking, especially in the winter. Backcountry skiers get to make turns during their descent, but why should they have all the fun? They shouldn’t.

Neff’s Canyon is located in the township of Millcreek, just south of Mill Creek Canyon. Hikers head up the hill, and then (drum roll, please … ) they sled down.

Your winter hiking game just got elevated a few notches. TRAILHEAD: 40.67713, -111.77622

20 | Vamoose Utah • Winter 15/16

1. HIKE UP 2. SLED DOWN STORY AND PHOTOS

BY TIFFANY FRANDSEN

SLED TIME!

Continue up the main trail as long as your legs last, and then, hop on the sled you’ve brought up and wind your way down the now-broken trail. There’s no need to get fancy, grab yourself a plastic, lightweight number you get at most store. As the snow piles up, it creates bumpers, essentially, as you careen down the hill. Also, watch out for other folks who are hiking up— there’s only one lane.

Winter 15/16 • Vamoose Utah |

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FINAL ICE DOWN

O

ff a rather inconspicuous turn-off on the south end of Layton, sits Adam’s Canyon, a 3.7-mile round-trip hike to a waterfall. HIke up a 1,400foot change in elevation with some snowy and icy scrambling, but stop to notice the surrounding towering mountains and trees the size (and texture) of dinosaur thighs.

The trail ends in a mountain cirque with water pouring down one corner.

It cascades down in expanding icy layers—like how an old-timey wedding dress billows out. It’s a free-for-all once the water hits the ground, spreading around rocks until it narrows into the river on the other end of the stony cavity. Take it in, then head home the way you came.

SLICK SLAB

Around Mile 3 lies what I like to call “Slab Rock.” It’s a steep exposed stone, with minor juts that make parts of its face crossable. In the winter, when it’s icy, crossing it means risking sliding down 20 feet into the creek. But there is a way around it—hike straight up, parallel to the rock for about 30 feet.

There, the relatively flat trail curves behind the rock where you can cross more safely.

GO AHEAD, CHASE WATERFALLS

A miniature waterfall next to a leaning rock (which ices beautifully) is a sign you’re near the end waterfall. It’s also a sneak peak of the way the water freezes, layer by layer, with water continuing to rush underneath the ice sheets.

this is the

ALWAYS STARTS WITH SWITCHBACKS, HUH

The hike’s first section is a fun but pretty standard one for you and your dog. After the 10 switchbacks up the mountain into the mouth of the canyon, there are lots of spots near the creek for taking a breather. Trailhead GPS: 41.06618, -111.90991

22 | Vamoose Utah • Winter 15/16

Place ADAM’S CANYON HIKE INTO A WONDERLAND OF SCRAMBLING STORY AND PHOTOS BY TIFFANY FRANDSEN

Winter 15/16 • Vamoose Utah |

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Adam Clark

“I looked at the way we typed advisories into our clattering old machine, and I thought, ‘Who wants to read this?’”

Trailblazer

BRUCE TREMPER

When the longtime director of the Utah Avalanche Center tells snow stories, people listen

BY BETH LOPEZ

D

uring the early ’80s, the Utah Avalanche Center’s daily advisories were keyed into a Teletype machine by bleary-eyed forecasters on pre-dawn mornings at the National Weather Service office. The rickety key-entry system inspired no literary flourishes: The forecasters’ tidings went live over the Weather Wire and on a single telephone answering machine.

Just a small handful of backcountry users wandering the Wasatch on skinny telemark skis followed the forecasts.

Today, Utah Avalanche Center (UAC) forecasters come to the same office at the same ungodly hour, but that’s about where the similarities to those early days end. And much of that is thanks to Bruce Tremper, the man who’s served as director of the UAC for 29 years.

24 | Vamoose Utah • Winter 15/16

Jim Harris

Regarding the accomplishments of UAC, Tremper doesn’t often say, “I.” It’s always, “We developed … ” or, “We instituted … ” Quite humble, the man was the force behind the most significant changes to shape avalanche forecasting and education. He’s widely regarded as a local hero and a leading national expert on snow safety. And he still spends as many days as possible touring the Wasatch, usually mentoring those following him up the skin-track.

When Tremper arrived at the UAC in the mid ’80s, he’d taken a lot of writing courses in grad school and learned the value of using storytelling to get people to listen.

He was also fresh off a stint at the Alaska Avalanche Center, where his mentors were pioneering engaging and memorable ways to teach avalanche-safety courses.

“I looked at the way we typed advisories into our clattering old machine, and I thought, ‘Who wants to read this?’” Tremper says.

And so, he shifted the UAC’s approach to follow his mentors’ lead and expand upon their insights. At his first annual meeting with local avalanche professionals, he cajoled, “There’s no sense in putting out forecasts and classes if no one will remember what you said. After all, we’re in the entertainment business!”

His colleagues laughed, but Tremper was dead serious.

The forecasters started injecting jokes, personal stories, metaphors and analogies into their morning phone recordings, and soon had to add 10 phone lines to handle the increased call volume. Meanwhile, avalanche courses suddenly became entertaining multimedia presentations with photos, videos and hand-built model avalanches.

Tremper, a self-described nerd, also jumped on the Internet train early on, and taught local, suspicious avalanche directors to use the first-generation Internet browser.

“We knew that people are visual learners, and they could digest information best when it was illustrated.”

“During [the 2002] Olympic games, we pioneered online graphics to illustrate avalanche advisories, and people loved it. And thus, we entered the modern world, whether we liked it or not,” says Tremper with a laugh.

Indeed, Tremper’s progressive approach to sharing information with the masses has been adopted by most major avalanche centers around the world. Graphics forged in the UAC’s avalanche reports are now the norm in avalanche forecasts and education.

“We’ve always paid very close attention to the cutting edge—and tried to anticipate what’s coming next so we can stay a step ahead,” Tremper says.

As backcountry user demographics expand to include more snowmobilers and a generation of tele-adverse Alpine tour skiers, education and advisory methods have to keep pace.

“It’s a brave new world. What comes next?” muses Tremper.

Tremper officially retired from his post as director of the UAC in 2015, but don’t expect him to fade from the “avy” scene. He’ll continue part-time on the UAC’s nonprofit side, creating informative videos to help us powder gluttons stay safe. So say hello if you see him out on the skin track—and thank him while you’re at it. He’s likely had a lot to do with your snow-safety education.

Winter 15/16 • Vamoose Utah |

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T

here’s a 25-foot tall yeti with glowing blue eyes lurking at the edge of Park City, waiting for unsuspecting skiers and snowboarders. It’s not an urban legend. You can find the yeti in the parking lot of RAMP Sports—and boardslide its arm, if you dare.

Built from recycled materials by local artists the Yeti Collective, the sculpture is RAMP’s centerpiece for its annual community gathering—the Bamboozle. Every year, the Bamboozle takes over RAMP’s factory to celebrate riders, artists and musicians with live music, an art show and a rail jam. A few brave athletes slide the yeti’s 20-foot arm onto a 15-foot truck-top rail and down 15 feet to land.

It’s a gnarly feature that most riders avoid. But the yeti also stands as a testament to the dedication RAMP (Riders Artists Musicians Project) has to locals, art and our environment. RAMP started manufacturing skis, snowboards and longboards in 2009, with the goal of responsibly producing the best winter toys.

Responsible Manufacturing

“I worked at Rossignol for over 30 years and saw the world of retail changing, but the snowsports industry largely stayed the same,” says “C.E.Snow” Mike Kilchenstein.

“People wanted a closer relationship with their product and assurance it was being manufactured in the best way possible. That’s why RAMP was born.”

The largest part of that relationship is the knowledge that the materials consumers buy are as earth-friendly as possible and that the people making products are treated well. This is hard to know with overseas manufacturing and the driving reason behind Kilchenstein’s decision for RAMP’s U.S. factory.

RAMP SPORTS

Park City-based snow-sports manufacturer puts community first

BY COLE D. LEHMAN

Photos Courtesy of Ramp Sports 26 | Vamoose Utah • Winter 15/16

Making skis and snowboards and enjoying ski resorts are inherently un-green activities. Kilchenstein readily admits this and is determined to change the nature of his industry’s best practices. RAMP has made responsible manufacturing the foundation of its business model, and it’s not just another “greenwashing” marketing ploy.

On top of its environmentally responsible construction and shipping materials, RAMP purchases renewable energy from Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky program to run the factory. And, for each snwowboard and pair of skis sold, RAMP buys a carbon emission offset of 300 pounds from Native Energy.

RAMP even runs a buyback program where it gives a $50 credit toward new gear whenever old skis or snowboards are traded in. If the gear is in good condition, they are donated to youth and adaptive programs, and if not, they are made into furniture or art.

Another reason RAMP has the yeti out front, or so the lore goes, is to guard its patented manufacturing process. It’s the secret sauce behind the company’s awardwinning skis and snowboards. The process allows its in-house engineer to change shapes and designs by adjusting computer DXF files instead of making new molds, saving months of time on innovation cycles and tons of wasted materials.

Utah Was a No-Brainer

Park City’s ski-town culture, access to the now-largest resort in the United States and proximity to legendary Wasatch backcountry made it the ideal location. Add to that a 30-minute drive to the airport, Utah’s business-friendly reputation and the annual Outdoor Retailer markets, and it sealed the deal.

It also means the company can get a prototype on the slopes in a week to be

tested by pro team riders such as Olympic gold-medalist Ross Powers and freestyleskier Nadia Gonzales.

This velocity gives RAMP a huge advantage in creating quality skis and snowboards— winning seven medals last year from Powder, Freeskier and Skiing magazines. Its big mountain Peacepipe skis won a Powder Skiers Choice Award in 2015, but RAMP isn’t resting on its award-winning designs. Look out for the new one-ski-quiver Shabang and the Puff powder snowboard this season.

The best part about having RAMP in Park City is that everyone can demo skis and snowboards straight from the factory.

Just make a reservation online and find the building with the 25-foot tall yeti out front.

RAMP Sports

6407 N. Business Loop Road, Park City 888-406-0567 RAMPSports.com

A skiier railslides off RAMP Sports’ 25-foot-tall yeti

Winter 15/16 • Vamoose Utah |

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ce Fish Why We

THE JOYS OF TIME SPENT ON A FROZEN LAKE

Nothing moves out here on the lake. No wave crests nor troughs.

The trenchant winds that sweep from the eastern shores and slash into the stand of sub-alpine fir to the east compel my wife to zip her coat up those last few inches and hunch closer to the hole she and the dog are staring into.

We wait.

We’re surrounded by snow for at least a hundred yards in every direction, standing on the frozen, snow-crusted surface of an alpine lake, two miles and a 30-minute ski from the nearest human settlement.

A bald eagle launches from its nest to the south, and I imagine that, from its vantage point soaring above the lake, we must look like a strange contingent of snow creatures as we stand tree-trunk still in the middle of the frozen expanse. Given the right light and vantage point, perhaps the eagle could even see the fish approach and then swim away from my mealworm bait as it hangs there in the murky waters of my fishing hole.

Ten minutes pass. My wife takes up her fishing pole, grabs the ice auger, walks a short distance, swipes away some snow with her ski and drills another hole.

She releases the cage on her fishing reel and sends her line and the hooked mealworm on the end of it down into the depths. Not too deep, just deep enough. Within two minutes, she has a bite.

The hooks are small, the fishing line light and the fish surprisingly strong after two months spent lazing beneath the four-inch icecap. The fight is short but intense. She lands a nine-inch brook trout and it flops in the snow. The dog barks: it can barely stand the excitement.

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Justin Hablin

Continued on p. 30

Katherine Pioli fishes in the Fish Lake National Forest

Benjamin Bombard

BY BENJAMIN BOMBARD

$30 TUNE-UPS

MENTION THIS AD FOR $20 OFF REG $50

3698 E. 7000 S. | 943-1104

Winter 15/16 • Vamoose Utah |

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This is why we ice fish.

During the holiday season, we spend a week in the Tushar Mountains of central Utah. We’re lucky enough to have the use of a family cabin there. But every day, we leave those comfy confines and cross-country ski three miles up a snow-covered forest road to a lake where we know we’ll catch our dinner.

My wife isn’t an avid fisherwoman. The idea of driving to a lake to stand on the shores waiting interminably for a fish to take the bait—that bores her to no end. And I’ll grant there are other approaches to lake fishing, but try telling her that.

It seems oxymoronic, but ice fishing is one of the hottest bets in angling.

It requires little gear—at least in the semi-temperate environs of many of Utah’s lakes; I mean, we’re not talking ice fishing in a man-shack on Lake Pisquatannywannasquannymauckett. With the right bait presented at the right depth, catching a fish is nearly a guarantee. Added bonuses: We don’t have to wake at dawn’s asscrack to haul the boat out to the lake; during wintertime, fish feed all throughout the day.

For us, alpine ice fishing is a low intensity biathlon, with a fishing pole instead of a rifle. We take our time skiing uphill to the lake, spend a couple hours catching meaty rainbow, brook, and tiger trout, then shush back down to the cabin. Sure, it gets cold, but it never gets crowded and you’d be hard pressed to go home empty-handed.

Above all, alpine ice fishing is a peaceful and calming endeavor.

Standing on the frozen lake, you’re faced with few choices. You can stare at your fishing hole—obsessively if you’re the dog—trying to find the fish by strategically raising and lowering the bait. It’s a fun guessing-game challenge, and once you’ve puzzled it out, you can reliably catch fish at the same depth all day.

After a while, you’ve no choice but to look up from the hole and take in the austere and placid scenery. You hear the wind brush through the trees, watch the sun tuck behind the clouds over the mountain to the east. You wonder what kind of critter it was that made those tracks on the lake’s southern end, down by the warm spring. Probably a fox. Here it comes now. You’re standing so still it doesn’t even notice you as it takes a drink.

The wind blows and you hunker down a little to stay warm. You watch your hole. You wait. You catch a fish. You do it all over again.

The sun’s going down. It’s time to cook your trout dinner.

kallerna

kallerna

An ice auger is the ice fisher’s friend

Continued from p. 28

Winter 15/16 • Vamoose Utah |

31

Chef

Campstove Elk Chili & Cheesy Polenta

Backcountry

Serves six hungry skiers 1 pound ground elk (optional) 1 pound dried beans, a mix of pinto and black 1 package Bob’s Red Mill Polenta 1/2 cup butter Wedge of bleu cheese or Gorgonzola 1 envelope dried chili mix Hot sauce to taste Salt & pepper to taste

Campstove Elk Chili & Cheesy Polenta

BY NICK COMO

F

ood always tastes better in the backcountry.

While that may not be a scientific fact, anyone who has summited a peak after a grueling uphill grind or spent a day skiing fresh powder in the backcountry can attest: a PB&J tastes infinitely better at 10,000 feet. And a prepared meal in the backcountry—now that has some kind of secret spice.

Cooking meals in the backcountry, whether it be at a yurt or at a campsite, is an art. It takes a refined ability to pack a minimal amount of perishables in addition to lightweight dehydrated foods. What’s more, oftentimes, you can’t rely on cooking tools being available (e.g. a quickly carved stick makes a great improvised spatula). Recipes need to be versatile and adaptable, as we all know an unsatisfying meal can ruin a trip.

On a recent yurt trip to ski in Montana’s Tobacco Root Mountains, we came up with this recipe loaded with fiber and protein to feed six hungry skiers:

Josh Scheuerman

Directions

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Before heading out skiing for the day, soak the beans in two separate containers of water, which helps them cook faster later.

Put beans on wood stove, which is likely fired up to warm the yurt or hut. Monitor and add water as necessary until beans reach proper firmness.

Boil water in the largest and thickest stock pot available. Follow package directions on instant polenta. Stir continuously, about 20-25 minutes, so the mix doesn’t stick to the bottom.

Using a fork or butter knife, crumble the cheese and add to the polenta when the water has almost entirely been absorbed. Stir to combine, cover and remove from heat.

Switch the beans from the wood stove to a stovetop burner and bring to a final boil. Add the package of dried chili mix and stir well.

In a separate frying pan, sauté the elk meat. Keep the meat separate from the beans in the event there are vegetarians in the group.

Serve by placing polenta on each plate and adding beans to a “well” in the middle. Add meat if desired.

Serve immediately.

Should there be any leftovers, beans can be added to eggs in the morning, and polenta can be pressed flat and cut into squares to be fried in a pan as an appetizer the next day.

Winter 15/16 • Vamoose Utah | 33

PROXIMITY: Strap on the skinnies and head out to myriad trails near Salt Lake City

Luke Isom

Skiing

Carl Kjeldsberg

BY TONI ISOM

Y

Luke Isom

ou love hiking in the mountains and leisurely biking around Salt Lake City during the summer and fall. These serene, inexpensive hobbies come with free cardio highs. But in the winter, traditional skiing feels too extreme (and pricey). Classic cross-country skiing will change your life— guaranteed.

The sport is easy to learn, the boots feel like cozy house slippers and there are tons of places to go near Salt Lake City.

13

miles from downtown

6

skiable miles roundtrip

$3 cost per car

MILL CREEK CANYON

Snow-frosted pines and a gurgling trailside stream accompany you on this straightforward jaunt up Mill Creek Canyon, located off Wasatch Boulevard in Salt Lake City. Park at the gate and start skiing up the unplowed canyon road. This spot offers a nice, consistent workout to the top and a fun cruise back down.

What You Need to Know

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On the weekends, Mill Creek draws tons of winter hikers, snowshoers and skiers— and, it’s dog-friendly (off-leash allowance on odd-numbered days). This makes for a lively, sociable experience, but it also means the tracks can get a bit hammered. If you head up on a weekday, things are much more serene.

Millcreek is best for people who: a. have skis with edges, b. are accustomed to going downhill on edgeless skis, or c. aren’t afraid of a little wipeout while they learn. The grade is forgiving, but you’ll pick up some speed on your way back, and you may need to dodge an oblivious hiker.

13

miles from downtown

1-6 $7

skiable miles roundtrip

cost per car

MOUNTAIN DELL

Mountain Dell Golf Course is a great place to learn cross-country skiing basics. Located off of I-80 in Parley’s Canyon, the Utah Nordic Alliance grooms the trails and sets the tracks daily (in very snowy weather, twice daily). The terrain consists of a combination of flat and gently rolling sections, and you can set your own route around the network of trails. Start with the entry-level Main or Mitten Loop, and work your way up to the advanced Big Loop.

What You Need to Know

Mountain Dell is especially popular with skate skiers. Don’t feel bad if they blaze past you—skate skiing is to trail running as cross-country skiing is to hiking. They’re two different disciplines with two different aims.

Since Mountain Dell is a golf course, it’s more manicured and less naturally scenic than some of the other areas on this list, but the easy access and excellent maintenance make it ideal for frequent visits to get some fresh air and exercise and for honing one’s technique.

26

miles from downtown

13

skiable miles roundtrip

$0 cost per car

ROUND VALLEY

28

miles from downtown

13 $12

skiable miles roundtrip

cost per car

SOLITUDE NORDIC CENTER

50 20

miles from downtown

skiable miles roundtrip

$6 cost per car

BEAVER CREEK

Park City’s Round Valley offers approximately 13 miles of groomed trail through a wide-open, rolling landscape smattered with sagebrush and scrub oak.

This is an excellent place to learn, as the grades are typically mild and the trails groomed regularly. That said, Round Valley attracts skiers of all levels, from firsttimers to serious speedsters.

While many cross-country skiers prefer to pay minimally (or not at all) for their fun, Solitude Nordic Center is often worth the cost. When lower-elevation Nordic areas lack adequate snow cover, Solitude is usually good to go—in fact, located atop Big Cottonwood Canyon, it’s one of the most reliable cross-country ski areas near Salt Lake City.

Located in the Uinta Mountains on Mirror Lake Highway, this is arguably the most scenic spot on the list, while also being a super fun place to ski. The snow is soft, grooming is done regularly on the beginnerfriendly Beaver Creek Trail and Pine Valley Loop and several unmaintained trails add adventurous options. Dogs are allowed on odd-numbered days.

What You Need to Know

What You Need to Know

What You Need to Know

Accessed at multiple points in Park City, Round Valley is most conveniently accessed at Quinn’s Trailhead by the National Ability Center.

It welcomes on-leash dogs. In addition to Nordic and skate skiers, you’ll see snowshoers, winter runners and the occasional snow biker.

It’s undoubtedly a popular spot, but the open setting and abundance of trail prevent it from feeling crowded.

The proximity of Round Valley to Park City’s Old Town means there are plenty of options for après-ski grub and drinks.

Newbs will want to stick to the Little and Mid Redman and Silver Lake loops.

Experienced skiers looking for a more intense workout should ski the Cornucopia Trail from the Village at Solitude to the Nordic Center; it’s a steep climb and a quick zip back down.

With the higher price come a few perks: a shuttle between the Nordic Center and the Village; optional gear rentals and lessons; and separate snowshoe trails to help keep the tracks pristine.

Sticking to the 6.5-mile Beaver Creek Trail will take you through a beautiful forest setting, past a stream and eventually onto a big open meadow, which you’ll loop around before heading back the way you came. If you venture onto Yellow Pine, Mine, Taylor Fork or another connecting trail, expect steeper and deeper conditions.

Watch for moose, and if you encounter one, give it space. If you’re lucky, you might even see (or hear) an elk or two.

Winter 15/16 • Vamoose Utah |

35

Wish We

Woulda Known

tips FOR SKIING NEWBIES

Y

Demo Equipment Before Buying

Used gear is great because it provides a low cost of entry to skiing. But consider renting new gear, rather than some old slabs. Learning is much easier with the right equipment—and technology has advanced quite a ways since your dad used to ski. You don’t need to blow the bank on skis right away if you are simply purchasing boots and demo-ing skis. Heck, give ’em all a try.

3

You’re Going to Fall

We know, you’re the exception.

But a majority of first timers don’t return because of injuries—some of which are just boo-boos. You’re going to fall—a lot.

Foremost, if you’re going to take a digger, stay clear of trees to avoid serious head trauma. Use properly fitted gear and give your bum some extra padding—you’ll be much happier. Sure, falling might be embarrassing, but laugh it off.

BY LIZ GALLOWAY

ou picture yourself swooshing down gorgeous alpine slopes with perfect form—we all do. But your first time may be, shall we say, slightly less intuitive. There might be tears, but everyone has to start somewhere.

When we started skiing and riding back in the day, we wish we would have known these 10 nuggets of wisdom. Snow sports really don’t have to be complicated, intimidating or painful.

Have a Gear Checklist

Forgot your boots? It’s always a downer when you have to head back home because you forgot one of the many essential items to this sport. Have a gear checklist so you always leave home with everything you need. Don’t be that guy hanging out in the lodge all day or the one driving back down the canyon to get your gear while your friends are taking powder laps.

My Gear

4

I bet Ted Paid for her to have lessons

Don’t Learn from Anyone You’re Attracted To

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See how she’s on her skis and not holding them

Learning to ski is a great way to end the makings of a relationship. Your stress is high because you’re on your ass all day, your partner just wants to chase powder and neither one of you is listening to the other. Get lessons from someone else or figure out how to improve your turns through logging hours on the ski hill. Then, meet up with that hottie later for après-ski.

Bakery • Cafe • Market •Spirits

-Liquor Outlet-Creekside Cafe-Market-

ruthscreekside.com 4170 Emigration Canyon Road 801.582.0457 SEEN ON “ DINERS, Serving American ASDRIVE-INS AND DIVES” Comfort Food Since 1930

-CREEKSIDE PATIO-85 YEARS AND GOING STRONG-BREAKFAST SERVED DAILY UNTIL 4PM-DELICIOUS MIMOSAS & BLOODY MARY’S-LIVE MUSIC SAT & SUN 11AM-2PM“In a perfect world, every town would have a diner just like Ruth’s” -CityWeekly

“Like having dinner at Mom’s in the mountains” -Cincinnati Enquirer

4160 EMIGRATION CANYON ROAD

801 582-5807 WWW.RUTHSDINER.COM

Winter 15/16 • Vamoose Utah |

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5

Proper Ski/Snowboard Etiquette

By avoiding general douchebaggery on the mountain, you will save yourself from face sprays gifted by jaded locals. Note that anyone downhill from you has the right of way. Taking your line too closely to someone else’s is a safety no-no. Among other rules: Don’t stop in someone’s path, hold up lift lines or swing your poles.

But do share your space, both on the slopes and at busy lunch tables.

6

When You’re Lost and Accidentally Get on a Double Black Diamond

Josh Scheuerman

If somehow you have missed the ominous “expert only” signs and find yourself hanging over steep terrain and rocky cliffs, your trusty ski lesson of pizza (snow plow) and french fries (parallel skis) won’t cut it.

It’s time to swallow your pride, take off your skis and trek back uphill to that groomer—trust us, it’s the easiest way. Keep practicing, and you’ll soon be ripping those double blacks.

How to Stay Warm

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Keep your head warm and your soggy areas wintery fresh with sweat-wicking polyester and merino wool—never underestimate the power of expensive socks and glove liners.

Aside from layers, use a Thermos to pack a hot lunch for a mid-mountain pick-me-up. Fill it with mac & cheese or curry and impress (read: piss off/make jealous) your sidekicks gnawing on granola bars.

This is the place

FOR WINTER FUN Always Local.

Always Discounted.

Join us

December 18, 2015 Bar J Wranglers Christmas Concert

January, 22-23 2016 The Bear Lake Monster Winterfest

Visit bearlake.org for more information & hot deals on lodging packages.

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Winter 15/16 • Vamoose Utah |

39

Keep the Canyons Less Congested

8 Tawnie Archuleta

Ski resort season pass, or even day passes, grant a free ride on all Utah Transit Authority (UTA) buses and Trax.

This includes the shuttles from the Park & Ride at the base of Big and Little Cottonwood canyons. Take advantage of this so the canyons don’t get clogged.

Plus, instead of white knuckling the drive home in a storm, you could be listening to an audio book.

Stop to Enjoy the Epic Scenery

Don’t forget to take in the profound setting. Sure, there’s the adrenaline rush and the one-of-akind feeling of floating on powder, but we have come together with this sport for our mutual love of the mountains. So enjoy it.

9 10

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Austen Diamond PARK CITY MOUNTAIN RESORT

The Art of Aprés-ski

Aprés-ski culture is the best part of skiing—especially if you’re not very good. Wipe away the snotsicles and keep the stoke going over brews, bubbly or bourbon. But be careful at higher elevations about increased boozy symptoms from dehydration.

There’s at least one great option at every resort, or pack a cooler and a little grill and do it up in the parking lot. Either way: Never. Skip. Aprés-ski.

Seriously, it’s the closest thing some of us have to a religion.

Gastropub

Downtown Apres Ski Destination Fashion Place Mall | 6191 S. State Street #165 | 801-261-4999 | masseysjewelers.com

Open for lunch and dinner 365 days a year Enjoy Dinner and a Show nightly Enjoy our Monday Night Jazz Sessions 7:00pm-10:00pm Play Geeks Who Drink every Tuesday at 6:30 Enjoy Brunch every Saturday and Sunday 10:00am-3:00pm

Taking Holiday Reservations: Call: 1-385-424-2592 326 S. West Temple 801.819.7565 Open: 11am-2am Mon-Fri 10am-2am Sat & Sun Graciesslc.com Winter 15/16 • Vamoose Utah |

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