Lewis Peak

Ogden is Utah's best kept secret. From prestine climbing crags, world class ski resorts, lakes, rivers, to high peaks and epic mountain biking; Ogden has it all. This past weekend, me and two other buddies decided to get out and enjoy some of the new 12 feet of snow the Wasatch mountains have received this year so far.

The original plan was to ski some low angle runs around the Ogden Canyon area due to high avy danger from the massive amounts of snow we've been receiving. Saturday morning though, we woke up to "Moderate" avalanche conditions and a blue bird day. It was too good to be true so we decided to ski Ben Lomond.

Ben Lomond is home to some of Ogden's best backcountry skiing. Unfortunately, the North Ogden Divide needs to be open or you have to drive all the way around the Ogden Valley to get to the trailhead. The divide was closed so we ended up skiing the canyon just south of the divide. We parked in a neighborhood and started to skin up someone's backyard to get to a service road that led up the canyon.

The road had had snowshoes on it previously so breaking trail wasn't too strenous at first. After a mile or so up canyon, the tracks stopped and we were on our own. The scenary was breathtaking. The air was cool and the snow was blower soft. It didn't take long for powder fever to set in and as we looked up the south side of the canyon we saw a ridge that was destined to be skied.

We broke trail for about 2.5 hours before we all agreed that it was time to get some reward for our hard work. We stopped about half way up the mountain, stripped the skins and got stoked about skiing wide open, fresh pow turns. The run was amazing. It was full of natural features, waist deep powder, and screams of joy.

After reaching the bottom, we decided to head back up for round two. We charged up to the spot we had turned around last time in about half the time. It's so much easier when you're not breaking trail. We all wanted to reach the top so we surged on. After another grueling session of breaking trail we finally reached the top of Lewis Peak. The sights and views were breathtaking. Looking out over the city of Ogden and down into the Ogden Valley, I hadn't felt so alive in a long time. "This is what it's about," I thought to myself.

Once we again we were treated to an epic run full fresh pow turns, cliff drops, and more snow than you can imagine. Once we all reached the bottom, we had nothing but smiles and hand shakes to say to each other. It was just one of those days. We bombed out the canyon and back to the neighborhood where we had parked. Why hasn't Ogden been discovered? People back from Park City where I'm from would kill to have days like this, all alone and waist deep powder. Whatever the reason I'm stoked I'm here and look forward to many more days full of fresh pow, lonely hikes, and epic scenery.

The Wind Rivers - In search for The Golden

One of my summer's greatest traditions is the annual backpacking trip to The Wind Rivers. This year we hiked in to Vera Lake through the Boulder Lake Trailhead. The Boulder Lake Trailhead is about 25 miles Southeast of Pinedale and starts you at about 7400 ft above sea level. Due to a 1988 forest fire, this area is infested with burnt trees looking like a forest of match sticks. We knew that it wasn't going to be the prettiest backpacking trip (for Wind River standards anyways) but we wanted to get a chance at catching the rare Golden Trout. A few of the lakes in the area had been rumored to home Goldens.


After a late start, we started hiking up the fairly flat and uneventful Boulder Canyon towards Lake Ether. The trail followed a stream all the way up the canyon that looked like spectacular fishing but we wanted to get to camp before dark so we pushed forward. After about 4 1/2 miles of mellow hiking, the trail began to climb up a ravine to the north. It was a steep climb and very tiring with a heavy pack. We spent the first night at Lake Ether about 7 1/2 miles in from the car. We shared a campfire on the shore of the lake with a bearded man who was on his way out from a 45 day excursion. Lake Ether itself was descent trout fishing especially in the mornings and evenings but the creek leading into and out of the lake was some of the best fishing we experienced of the trip. The fish weren't very big but we just absolutely slammed them. We estimated that we caught over 100 fish out of those creeks before the weekend was over.


The first day we hiked up to two lakes called The Norman Lakes. They were off-piste and a little tricky to find but we had heard that Golden Trout were in them so we thought it would be worth the hike. We spent a good majority of the day fishing the Normans and didn't catch a single thing. We ended up back on the trail and hiking to Christina Lake. This was a good sized lake and the fishing was fairy productive. On our way back to camp at Lake Ether we stopped and fished a little pond that came out of the Norman Lakes. My buddy Jared caught a fish that had an unusual red tint to it. Looking back, I'm thinking that it wasn't a pure Golden but that it was a hybrid of some sort.


The last of the four days we were there we made it all the way back into Vera Lake. This lake is incredible. Surrounded by large granite cliffs, boulders, and wildflowers, I can honestly say that this is one of the prettiest mountain lakes I have ever seen. We spent a full day there swimming and fishing and didn't see a single soul. The hike was steep and long but well worth it. It was also out of the fire damaged area that we had been in the rest of the trip.


After having hiked over 35 miles and visiting/fishing several different lakes and streams, we decided that it was probably time to go home and unfortunately get thrown back into reality. My favorite part of visiting the Wind Rivers year after year, besides the breathe-taking views, the incredible fishing, and the endless solitude, is the way that they mysteriously seem to hide all reality. No matter what you've been going through or dealing with, a trip to the winds has a way of putting perspective to it all and making you smile.

Posted by Trevor Thompson

September 17, 2007

The Ruby Mountains

Just 20 miles south of Elko lay Nevada's hidden Ruby Mountains (a.k.a. - Nevada's Swiss Alps). Contrary to popular belief, Nevada has more to offer than just slot machines and flashy lights. The Ruby Mountains are home to tons of lakes, canyons and some of the best hiking, fishing and backcountry/helicopter skiing the West has to offer. The best part about these mountains is that nobody knows about them.


Driving West from Salt Lake City to the Ruby Mountains is somewhat misleading. As you drive through the desolate waste lands West of Wendover, it's hard to fathom that such a place exists out there. Then out of nowhere, towering more than 4,000 vertical feet above Elko, Nevada, you begin to get excited as you see the beautiful granite peaks of the Ruby Mountains. They have somewhat of a Teton look to them due to the color of the rocks and the rapid elevation gain they possess.


Hole in the Mountain Peak sits at 11,306 vertical feet above sea level and is nothing less than a jaw-dropping spectacle. The backcountry skiing options are endless in this 90 mile long, 12 mile wide, mountain range as well as the hiking and fishing opportunities. If you haven't had the opportunity to visit and enjoy these mountains, I strongly recommend that you do so. You won't be let down.

-Posted on August 7th, 2007

by Trevor Thompson

Highest peak in Utah - Kings Peak

Kings Peak, towering at 13,580 ft above sea level, is the highest peak in Utah. This past weekend, a friend and I took off late in the afternoon to summit Kings Peak for the first time. I have had aspirations to climb the peak for years but have never got around to it. Due to busy schedules and poor directions to the Henry's Fork Trailhead, we didn't start hiking until 9:30 at night. Not too long after we left the car, it was pitch dark and we were relying solely on headlamps and a GPS to get us up the Henry's Fork Drainage and to the base of the peak.

After almost five hours of hiking aimlessly in the dark, we arrived to our final destination, according to the GPS. We had originally planned on camping next to Dollar Lake but due to the dark, we hiked right past it and ended up pitching our tent at 1:30 in the morning at the base of Gunsight Pass.

After four short hours of sleep, we awoke to a beautiful Uintah Mountain morning. The weather was perfect; not a cloud in the sky and a cool mountain breeze. We enjoyed a nice oatmeal and hardboiled egg breakfast alongside a small lake while we filtered water using the MSR Water Works purification system. We took off over the pass and towards the peak around 7:30 am.

The hike to the top is amazing. You can see for miles as you ascend up the final ridge to the peak. It requires a bit of boulder hopping and class 4 climbing but is easily done by hikers of all abilities. After spending a good long and deserved rest on top, we began the descent. We left just in time as the storm clouds began to surround the high peaks. We rapidly descended and packed up camp.

The trek off the top and out the drainage seemed super long due to our fatigued legs and lack of sleep. It was cool to finally see the Henry's Fork drainage in the light though. It's a beautiful asset to the Uintah Range and made me wish I had brought my fishing pole. We eventually finished the 16 mile trek back to the car just before 5:30 pm the next day. We had hiked to the top of Utah's highest peak in just under 20 hours. I have the blisters and sore muscles still to prove it.

For anyone who has not had the opportunity to climb this mountain should definitely find the time to do so. If you feel confident in your physical ability, it can be done in a day, but I would recommend doing it in 2-4 days. Your experience will be much more enjoyable. Don't forget to bring your new lightweight Therm-a-rest, sleeping bag, tent, stove and water purifier from Inland Sports. Every ounce adds up!!

-Posted on July 25th, 2007

by Trevor Thompson

Canyoneering - Rocky Mouth Canyon

Yet another Inland Sports Adventure goes down in the books as an incredible time! This adventure was a little different than the others. Anyone who has been canyoneering before knows how intense yet rewarding and satisfying it is. On Tuesday the 10th of July, we headed down to Sandy, Utah to come down Rocky Mouth Canyon. We had heard rumor that the canyon was the host to a giant wildfire a few days prior to our adventure but we lucked out and the fire was further south.

We parked at the Rocky Mouth Canyon trailhead located at 11300 south, Wasatch Blvd. in Sandy. From the parking lot the trail rises quickly through some houses and eventually up the canyon. The hike up canyon is gorgeous as the path follows the trickling stream that's towered by large granite walls. After not too long we reached the waterfall. It's a beautiful site as the green algae infests the rocks that surround the water fall.

We scrambled up a large rock slide to the north and made it up on top of the waterfall. After traversing across a giant slab, we dropped into the canyon. This canyon is very different than the typical Southern Utah canyon. It was very short and didn't have the clastrophobic feel that I was used to. It did have two spectacular rappels though and a wet, exciting finish. The last rappel drops you into a pool. Before the pool though you go down the waterfall and take in a pretty good mouth full of water as you scramble to find your footing on the slippery rocks.

This Adventure was a blast; sorry to those of you who missed it. Thanks to those that did come out and join us though. We look forward to seeing you all again and to meeting those of you who haven't made it out yet. I would recommend to anyone who missed this adventure to take the trip down to Sandy and visit the Rocky Mouth Canyon. You won't regret it!

Beware of the Skull!

I have a hard time sitting still during the summer when there's so many fun things to do. This past weekend, me and a group of 23 others, headed down to Southern Utah and floated the Westwater Canyon section of the Colorado River.

I've floated many rivers but there's something about the Colorado that always gets me excited. We spent Friday night in Moab in the Kane Springs campground (not my favorite spot, but we got in late and jsut wanted to find somewhere quick). We then spent all day Saturday climbing along Potash road. There are tons of great routes along Potash but it was so hot we had a hard time climbing so we ended up just swimming in the river all day.

We spent Saturday night with a bazillion flies and mosquitos along the river at the Westwater Ranger Station. There were 24 of us total by that time with 4 rafts, 1 was a gear boat ore rig, and the other 3 were paddle boats. We feel asleep to the sound of the river running next to us and the smell of freshly caught catfish cooking over the fire.

The next morning, after packing up and shuttling the cars, we ended up on the river by 9:00. The first section is a mellow float where we saw a bald eagle and enjoyed the sun. It then narrows into a black canyon full of 11 named rapids and gnarly whirlpools. One of which is named Skull rapid which is closely followed by the nasty whirlpool, the Room of Doom. These are infamous for trapping rafters in the swirling currents which leads to disaster.

I was guiding one of the paddle boats through the canyon section and had 3 others with me in the boat. We had nailed all of the previous rapids but when we got to Skull, I was luanched out of the boat early on in the rapid and ended up swimming the infamous Skull Rapid, leaving the others in the boat without a rutter. They ended up getting swept into the Room of Doom and having a hard time getting out.

A few minutes later, although it seemed like an eternity, we all ended up below the rapid with a dislocated shoulder, a tipped boat, a missing paddle, and a missing bag. To say the least, Skull had its way with us.

We ended up at Cisco a few hours later, looking back and saying, "it doesn't get much better than this." All and all, it was an awesome trip. I would recommend to anyone who hasn't floated the mighty Colorado to do so. It's quite an amazing river, just remember to watch out for the Skull!

Inland Sports Adventure - Ice Wall

When the sun goes down and you just haven't had enough, what do you do? We just kept on climbing. June 12th, was Inland Sports' Climbing Adventure. We had planned on climbing up 9th street but due to the 9th street crag having 4,000,000,000 people on it (no exaggeration), we ended up climbing the Ice Wall up Ogden Canyon.

The Ice Wall is a challenging, yet fun and intriguing wall containing various routes rating anywhere from 5.9+ to 5.13a. We had a pretty good turnout and want to thank everyone who joined us for participating. Everyone got a good amount of climbing in and I think it's pretty safe to say we all had a blast. In fact we had so much fun, when the sun went down, we didn't want to leave so we just kept on climbing. It was about 10:30 by the time we got off the rock.

If you missed this adventure, that's a bummer; Don't let it pass you again and join us June 26th for backpacking up Taylor's Canyon.