WASATCH STOKE, CONDITIONS, OBSERVATIONS and ASSORTED DRIVAL 20-21

[tBatt]

Alta is open for Uphill!

[Shaaarrrp]

Prob the wrong thread but any recommendations for fun shortish to day summit hikes around the area? + pts for lack of snow, some class 3/4 scrambling and isolation. I'm near Murray. TYTY

[tgapp]

Prob the wrong thread but any recommendations for fun shortish to day summit hikes around the area? + pts for lack of snow, some class 3/4 scrambling and isolation. I'm near Murray. TYTY

lack of snow + scrambling is gonna be hard to find, most of the good scrambles have snow on them

there's a short section of 3rd class on top of little black top, which is one of my favorite foothill hikes. it's 98% snow free and good to go. it does get hot during the day, but once you pass the avenues twins, you'll be by yourself pretty much the whole way

[mall walker]

south ridge of superior is a major classic. if you time it right you can ski down the south face (tricky) or suicide (much easier)

[tgapp]

south ridge of superior is a major classic. if you time it right you can ski down the south face (tricky) or suicide (much easier)

ahh duh, that's the obvious choice. that should be dry by now too.

[Dantheman]

south ridge of superior is a major classic. if you time it right you can ski down the south face (tricky) or suicide (much easier)

Definitely 5th class and not 3/4 scrambling, though.

Shaaarp needs to wait a bit, it's just too early for most of the peaks that offer what he's looking for. Maybe Deseret or Pilot, I'm not sure what the West Desert snow situation looks like. Once things melt there's lots of options. Raymond, Olympus North Summit, Pfeifferhorn, Broads Fork Twins (either from Broads Fork or Tanners), Superior and MC from the east ridge, Devils Castle, Nebo, just to name a few.

[CirqueScaler]

Grandeur Peak via the Dragon's Tail could be a good route. Definitely solitary on the route, although of course the highway is below you. It has a pretty good chunk of fun class 3/4 (20-40 mins?). 2-5 hours.

Main Olympus is snow free and easy class 3 but not remote. 2-5 hours.

The very short ridge up to Red Butte through the Living Room is very short and mostly class 2 but has a fun class 3 section. Also not remote. 1-2 hours.

95% sure that much of the South Ridge is still snow-covered.

[Shaaarrrp]

Thanks for the ideas yall, I appreciate it!

In the meantime I should probably fix my bike, which managed to get two flats on my very first ride in Utah. Gotta learn what to watch out for in new locales!

[mall walker]

Definitely 5th class and not 3/4 scrambling, though.

Shaaarp needs to wait a bit, it's just too early for most of the peaks that offer what he's looking for. Maybe Deseret or Pilot, I'm not sure what the West Desert snow situation looks like. Once things melt there's lots of options. Raymond, Olympus North Summit, Pfeifferhorn, Broads Fork Twins (either from Broads Fork or Tanners), Superior and MC from the east ridge, Devils Castle, Nebo, just to name a few.

5th class is roped technical climbing no? It’s got some exposure but I’ve done the south ridge in chacos...

edit: when it’s dry obviously, and idk if it’s dry yet

[jmedslc]

Prob the wrong thread but any recommendations for fun shortish to day summit hikes around the area? + pts for lack of snow, some class 3/4 scrambling and isolation. I'm near Murray. TYTY

Up behind City Creek canyon gets remote real fast. Leave the masses behind after a mile and it’s a nice lonely remote-ish walk to black mountain, lookout and grand view. When I lived in slc I put a ton of training miles back there. I bet you’ll see tons of wildlife back there this time of year.

[zion zig zag]

5th class is roped technical climbing no? It’s got some exposure but I’ve done the south ridge in chacos...

edit: when it’s dry obviously, and idk if it’s dry yet

Most people don’t rope up until 5.4. I can see a couple of short moves on the south ridge being 5.1 ish. Probably depends mostly on where your head is for exposure.

[tgapp]

Most people don’t rope up until 5.4. I can see a couple of short moves on the south ridge being 5.1 ish. Probably depends mostly on where your head is for exposure.

there's technically one move that is around 5.5. it's easily avoidable by going on either side of the ridge. it's also easily doable in approach shoes/chacos.

[Dantheman]

5th class is roped technical climbing no? It’s got some exposure but I’ve done the south ridge in chacos...

edit: when it’s dry obviously, and idk if it’s dry yet

Mountain Project rates it as 5.easy: https://www.mountainproject.com/rout...07/south-ridge

Sure, you definitely don't need climbing shoes or a rope (though, chacos, wow, props), but it's airy AF most of the way, IMVHO. Someone asking for "hikes" that include some 3/4 should be well-warned about what the South Ridge entails because if they're not real comfortable with exposure things could go sideways in a hurry. If you were to get freaked out at one of the cruxier sections and be unable to move up or down it's going to be a real bad day.

[mall walker]

ah ok, yeah that's fair - it is not a hike, it is hand-over-foot climbing mostly, and for sure big exposure. here are some shots of brutah and I doing it up to the top of suicide last spring with skis. the route keeps going up the ridge in the second pic.

[zion zig zag]

Criscam on south ridge:

[Boissal]

Mountain Project rates it as 5.easy: https://www.mountainproject.com/rout...07/south-ridge

Sure, you definitely don't need climbing shoes or a rope (though, chacos, wow, props), but it's airy AF most of the way, IMVHO. Someone asking for "hikes" that include some 3/4 should be well-warned about what the South Ridge entails because if they're not real comfortable with exposure things could go sideways in a hurry. If you were to get freaked out at one of the cruxier sections and be unable to move up or down it's going to be a real bad day.

This.

Someone rolled off that ridge last summer and got pretty mangled IIRC. It's the cool lap for all the fast bros who can bang it out in 1 hour round trip but it can get real pretty fucking fast if you're not comfortable with exposure or you grab the wrong piece of choss.
I think you can make it 5.easy if you're dialed but it's easy to tunnel vision at the cruxes and fail to notice the walk arounds. Last time I was up there it was a conga line of people and at least half of them were in over their heads and gripped senseless. 5 hours and a gallon of tears seemed to be the standard price to pay for the summit. Two ladies in particular were having a horrendous time on one of the exposed sections of traverse after having been abandoned by their super cool man friends who were chasing Strava glory. I chatted them up and loosely coached them through the section that was intimidating them. They floated the actual crux (what I call the crux, a boulder problem fairly high up on the ridge) and it's obvious they were solid climbers, just not psyched to go chossaneering over a big hole.

Olympus is drying fast. All the scrambling in the world can be done on that peak well before Sup is worth a visit.

[CirqueScaler]

I also would put forward that the South Ridge is much closer to "5.easy" when you've done it before and know the route + hard parts, or have someone guiding you up. If I had done it on my own on my first time I would have been spooked for sure. Personally, too, any unroped 5 is definitionally spooky to me.

[mall walker]

So, obviously I don’t mean to encourage anyone to haphazardly go up the south ridge. But there are a million+ people in the valley, someone dies every year it seems falling off lisa falls... SAR takes folks out of lake blanche trail. Doesn’t change the rating. Class 4 is “Sim­ple climb­ing, often with expo­sure. A rope is often used. A fall on Class 4 rock could be fatal”, that’s the south ridge right? Sustained 4th class with maybe one or two moments of avoidable 5.easy. Obviously don’t get in over your head! sfotex rescues enough people and I don’t wanna add any to the list. But if you’re asking about 4th class routes...?

Anyway shaaarp: don’t you fuckin DARE make me look like an asshole for suggesting it

[Adski]

Props for dragging R2-D2 up the ridge with you Mall Walker. Obv rated for robots.

This is not the route you’re looking for.

[tgapp]

So, obviously I don’t mean to encourage anyone to haphazardly go up the south ridge. But there are a million+ people in the valley, someone dies every year it seems falling off lisa falls... SAR takes folks out of lake blanche trail. Doesn’t change the rating. Class 4 is “Sim­ple climb­ing, often with expo­sure. A rope is often used. A fall on Class 4 rock could be fatal”, that’s the south ridge right? Sustained 4th class with maybe one or two moments of avoidable 5.easy. Obviously don’t get in over your head! sfotex rescues enough people and I don’t wanna add any to the list. But if you’re asking about 4th class routes...?

Anyway shaaarp: don’t you fuckin DARE make me look like an asshole for suggesting it

^^ very well put, I agree with this assessment 100%. but, to shaaaaaaaaaaaarp's original question, south ridge might (or might not) be dry. most ridge scrambles/4th class hikes aren't yet. if anything scrambly is dry, it's likely to be s. ridge.

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[sfotex]

Obviously don’t get in over your head! sfotex rescues enough people and I don’t wanna add any to the list. But if you’re asking about 4th class routes...?

It's great as a downclimb after midnight.. South ridge was in early June last year.

Go up the regular hiking route first, and then decide it you want to 'step it up'.

It was worth it for the light at daybreak thought.

[Shaaarrrp]

Awesome pictures and ideas! Thanks for the varying opinions...I appreciate all input.

All I've really done "climbing" wise is SW Couloir of Middle Teton and West Ridge of Kit Carson so not a lot of experience. Steepish but largely scrambable solid rocks: yes! Steep and slippery/wet rocks or slanted snowfields: pass. Snow and rope travel is on the list once it feels a little easier to learn with others but not there yet.

[beaterdit]

Thanks for the ideas yall, I appreciate it!

In the meantime I should probably fix my bike, which managed to get two flats on my very first ride in Utah. Gotta learn what to watch out for in new locales!

Two flats on your first ride, are you tubeless? If not, the goat heads are just one of the multitude of reasons to do it. Otherwise, don’t forget to re-up your sealant in the spring, hahaha.

[schindlerpiste]

There is a new northern wasatch lift served ski are (managed by Bob Wheaton) coming to terrain near you. Complete with heated high-speed quads and bubbles. Does UT. now have its own version of the Yellowstone club? I wonder who will be our Scot Schmidt

https://www.saminfo.com/headline-new...7QfbQOrE9wYT5c.

Not sure exactly where this is, but it sounds like it will be close to either Thurston, or Monte Cristo

[tuco]

More kuntz!
Just what we need in utardia.