Last year was a pretty thin year, by Wasatch backcountry skier/rider standards.(Yeah, we’re spoiled.) But we got some big storms end of February and beginning of March 2007. Of course the avy danger was consistently high, but the great thing about the Wasatch, there are so many amazing and safe places to backcountry ski/ride on those high danger days. On top of that, if the canyon is open, you can get to these trailheads in 30-40 minutes.(Yeah, we are really spoiled!)

And all this can happen before you have to show up at your day job at 9am. A Dawn Patrol.

With a 5am start on Friday March 2, 2007, my good friend CJ Whittaker, a free lance photographer, and I headed for destination Circle-All Peak in Big Cottonwood Canyon via the Bulter Fork trailhead. We were surprised to see some cars already at the trailhead and even more surprised and…. frankly thankful to see a fresh trail break through 30-40 inches of fresh Wasatch powder. When we caught up to the trail breakers, we were sure to bow to them and thank them for their hard work. Good uphill etiquette.

With a somewhat low slope angle and reasonably spaced aspen trees, Circle-All Peak can be a great place to ski or ride on high avy days. After some snow stability tests, we made a few epic and bottomless runs and were back to work by 9am with fresh attitudes and huge smiles on our faces.

-Dustin Butcher, Voile-USA customer service manager

-See attached images from Google Earth of Circle-All Peak in the Wasatch Mountains outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. In the background, you can see Mount Raymond and Gobblers Knob.

-Thanks to Voile for their contribution to the day, with Insane skis and Switchback tele tour bindings.

-Photo by CJ Whittaker.