Day 6
Location: Eden, Utah
Resorts: 5 out of 50
The Snow Junkies capped off our first week on the road with a trip to Powder Mountain. Weather reports called for a chance of snow showers. Not much more than a few inches, but after a dry week in Utah, we were ready for some fresh flakes on the ground.
Morning came, and with it no snow. But even after a ten day drought, Powder Mountain still lived up to its name. Sure we had to work for it, but the freshies were still there, untracked and waiting for us in the trees. Powder Mountain is certainly one of the more unique mountains we have come across in our travels. There’s inbound cat skiing with turns to be made up on James Peak and Lightning Ridge. There’s mellow lift accessed bowls and steeper terrain that’s accessible by hiking. Or you can skip the hiking altogether and pick some gnarly lines right under the Paradise Lift.
Then there’s Powder Country — the area on both sides of the canyon leading up to Powder Mountain. Many ski areas wouldn’t consider opening these snowy glades because there’s no room or money to put in a lift. PM says: Why not? Pick your line and head down to the road where a shuttle will pick you up. Now that’s finding a solution.
And finally, Cobabe Canyon, which is where we finally came across untracked powder. There’s a short hike down a level cat track. Me and Coco found ourselves in shin high powder, darting between perfectly spaced aspens and then popping out into an open field full of mach turns.
A special shout-out needs to be given to the liftie known simply as Iceberg, who tipped us off about the promised land of powder near the ski boundary. He really hooked us up with a heaping of excellent customer service. Thanks again Iceberg!
Apres-Ski Report:
Ogden, Utah of all places provided us with the best apres-ski of the trip so far. We stumbled across the Lighthouse Lounge and found ourselves in the oldest cabaret in Utah. They keep a low profile as this is still Utah. It had all the things we love in a bar. $6.50 pitchers of PBR, pool tables, and a stripper pole. Then we went around the corner to the Municipal Building and hit up a taco van Wednesday special — 2 completely delicious tacos for only a buck. Suck on that McDonalds.
The Cheat Sheet
Powder Mountain
Eden, UT 84310
(801) 745-3772
Lighthouse Lounge
315 24th St
Ogden, UT 84401
Drink specials most days of the week
Taco Park
Washington Blvd, Ogden, UT
Look for the trucks in front of the Municipal Building