The summit of Mount Ogden, a craggy 9,570-foot peak in the
Wasatch-Cache National Forest, dominates the skyline above its namesake
town. In a good snow year, a massive squiggle of white known as the
Banana Chute fills in on Mount Ogden’s rocky northwest face, creating a
dramatic entrance to a skiable descent that is larger than any
lift-accessible run in the country.
four miles and nearly 5,000 vertical feet, from the thin alpine air,
down through the maw of the chute, over ridges and meadows of untracked
snow, then into a creek bed that funnels the backcountry line to its
unlikely terminus at the residential grid of a midsize American town.
My story today in New York Times, “In Utah, the Fast Way to Town,” covers my descent of the line last month. Go here for the full story: travel.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/travel/escapes/15banana.html?ref=escapes
My original trip report blog, with several photos of the ski, is here:
thegearjunkie.com/trip-report-skiing-mt-ogdens-banana-chute
(Stephen Regenold writes The Gear Junkie column for eleven U.S. newspapers; see www.THEGEARJUNKIE.com for video gear reviews, a daily blog, and an archive of Regenold's work.)