Utah Adventure Journal

Redefine family time by venturing into the Wild West with modern-day luxury at Ruby’s Inn — the perfect basecamp for your next adventures. Lodge in one of three well equipped hotels with access to our General Store where you can purchase groceries, clothing, gear and souvenirs so you’ll always remember your time here. Don your […]

If you have been skiing the Wasatch much over the last few years you’ve probably seen them:  a couple of tall, lean lads of Asian descent on fairly light gear chattering away as they politely go past you up the skin track…..really, really fast.   Andy and Jason Dorais (pronounced “Doe-ray”) have been skiing for less than a […]

The entire world knows by now that Utah has the greatest snow on earth. But we can all agree that ski resorts are more than just the powder that falls upon them. Utah’s ski and snowboard resorts are unique, and each can toot its own alpenhorn. But besides the snow (which is obviously most important) […]

A Season of Trepidation and Destruction in Utah’s La Sal Mountains By Eric Trenbeath ba×sal (rhymes with basil): forming or belonging to a bottom layer or base.  It happens every hundred years or so. A combination of weather factors over the course of a winter create a prolonged period of dangerous avalanche conditions that challenge […]

Each year for Christmas my girlfriend Anna is given a voucher for a night at the Cliff Lodge at Snowbird. It’s quite a treat. We hit all of the local watering holes; we swim under the stars in the hot tub. For a night we feel like we are part of skiing’s elite vacationers. But […]

MAY,2019 UPDATE: FLASH FLOOD DESTROYS BRIDGE  The bridge at Bull Valley Gorge is gone, swept away by the brute force of flash flooding at the end of March or beginning of April this year. Gone is the narrow, white-knuckle crossing over the deep canyon; all that remains of the infamous bridge is a crumbling fin […]

The sun sets as I take my bike off the hitch rack. Mountain bikers in the parking space beside me do the opposite. They’re heading home. Although their ride has ended, mine is about to begin. I dig my shoes onto pedals and take off up lonely singletrack. A few stragglers are on the trail […]

What’s Happening with the CWC? By Tom Diegel If you play in the Wasatch Mountains at all, you know that you are most definitely not alone in your enthusiasm. From resort skiing to backcountry skiing, hiking to mountain biking to climbing, scenic drives to scenic strolls, you know that all of these activities are wildly popular […]

Typically the pages of the Utah Adventure Journal are filled with inspiring stories of adventures around our fair state and beyond, as it should be. This story is not one of those. Instead, this tale is about one of the driest topics known to man:  import tariffs.  But bear with me a bit here; whether we like it or […]

I grew in a camping family. Backpacking and car camping; sleeping on the ground and cooking in the open. When thermarests were introduced, we viewed them as a sign of weakness and moral decay. We felt sorry for those who slept in white aluminum or fiberglass kennels.  This made my marriage a little tricky. My wife […]

“What are you looking at?” My wife, Louise asked.  “CFS,” I replied. “Ahhhh. What’s CFS?” She inquired.  “Cubic feet per second of course” I stated with a smirk.   “Oh, okay but….What?”   Our conversation wasn’t going well.  Louise had no idea what I was doing and/or referencing as she watched me stare at a line […]

Overlanding—the latest buzzword in the outdoor world.  Don’t believe me? Notice all the roof top tents atop vehicles.  Notice the vehicles outfitted with roof racks, extra fuel cans, awnings, and other gear attached to them.  Overlanding is all over social media, as well.  But, what does overlanding mean?  And, how to do it?  Lucky for you and me, Utah presents perfect […]

Park City is undeniably a world-wide mecca of mountain biking. With over 400 miles of singletrack and the honor of being the first IMBA Gold Ride Center on the planet, there’s a trail for every taste and experience level. People travel for miles to ride famed routes like Mid Mountain Trail, Wasatch Crest, Spiro, Flying […]

Around this time last year I wrote an article for the UAJ about a semester-long academic road trip that Westminster College offered in fall, 2017 through its environmental studies program. Since then Westminster has continued to expand its field-based studies programs, most notably through the creation of an outdoor education and leadershipmajor. As a part of […]

  “Winter is coming.” This simple phrase made popular by the TV show Game of Thrones,is pervasive and overused.You’ll find ithashtagged and quoted on every Instagram post featuring autumn colors, dark skies, or the first white dusting of the season. The saying is also very true. It’s a mantra that every mountain person doesn’t need […]