more scouting terrain...

I have been scouting this area for two years in the off season, and I have been telling my oldest tour partner, Ben Geiger, about this area for just as long. I still have not gotten up to explore it in the winter, but this is the year. Ben and I are flirting with going without a season pass this winter, and simply earning our turns all year. If we did that this area would prove more and more valuable. This zone has skiable terrain for any type of day. Even the gnarly high danger days could be mitigated out in this zone. I probably will get a weekday pass, but it is good to scout with no pass in mind.  I am pumped to finally put all this scouting to work and make this zone our private ski resort. Pretty much.

^Here is Ben pointing out a route that we both agreed would be a good place to start in exploring this area. It is a lot of walking, but the long shots are money. There is an endless supply of fantastic skiing out here. We were like kids in a candy store going from bowl to bowl and ridge to ridge.

^The views from the top of the most prominent peak are spectacular. I can only imagine the shots and photos we will be able to get from this zone. The sunsets over the great Salt Lake from this zone will be so good looking that I have no doubts that we can get some work done up here.

^Our friend here decided to come see what we were up to. I think she was a bit irritated that we were scoping her zone. Murphy was giving her the what for from the back of the truck as well. Get'er Murph. 

^A sneak peek at one of the zones in our new playground. This is a East and Northeast facing bowl on the East face of the range that we have been looking at. There are five or six bowls just like this one that litter the eastern slope of this range. We could ski this range for decades and never get to it all.

^Now this is the South Southeast face that rounds out the other side of the bowl pictured above. These lines would blow up pink in the sunrise and make for some killer photos and film. I could make a whole career up here and never get the same shots twice. That is what I am talking about.

^Ben and Murphy are taking in the finer aspects of life from a perch like this. I could never get paid a dime and still be a happy man doing my work in places like this. I guess that is why they don't pay us very much money to lead this lifestyle. I get bonus checks in the form of this. Oh well, I'll take it.

^Murphy likes it too. 

^More views of the lake and the sunset potential up here. I know the photographers I work with would be salivating over this zone. I know there are very few skiers up here, and even less photographers and filmers if any have done much shooting up here. That is what is so nice about the area. Snowmobilers get out here a good amount, but they are not getting into the same terrain that we are, and we have the benefit of the access that the machines can provide. Sounds like win/win to me.