Wasatch Mountains, UT Report: “The Hallway” & “Little Superior” in Deep, Exquisite Snow

Miles Clark | | Post Tag for Conditions ReportConditions Report

Report from January 4, 2022

5,200 vertical feet, seven miles, 35″ storm snow total, four runs, two world-class lines, legendary company, sunny skies…

Up at 6 am and out the door by 6:45 am.

Cloudy and cold.

Plan: ski mellow terrain off the back of Flagstaff and back down the Flagstaff area (across the street from Alta).

Avalanche danger was Considerable, with a Persistent Weak Layer (PWL) deep down in the snowpack.

I had great company: 

Andrew did a ski cut on the top, stomped around, and decided to give it a go.

We watched his first turn then it was nothing but blinding cold smoke.

It was deep…

Jordan went second, and the result was the same.

My favorite view on Mt. Superior, UT. image: snowbrains

I snuck a little skier’s left, dropped in, hit a huge 18″ air, then porpoised and laughed to the bottom.

The snow was deep.

The snow was exquisite.

Andrew & Jordan. image: snowbrains

The deepest snow I’ve skied this season.

Back up.

We skied the same run with the same results.

Our ski cuts and experience showed no signs of instability.

Sky explosion. image: snowbrains

Andrew had to head home, but Jordan and I wanted more.

We followed our new friends, Chris & Parker, toward the legendary Wasatch line named “Hallway.”

The sun came out.

Tree, ridge, sun, skinner. image: snowbrains

We worked with Parker & Chris to get in safely, and these guys were great communicators.

They went first, we had eyes on them, and they yelled info back to us.

We decided to go for the spicier entrance with a mandatory air into the chute.

Looking down the spicy entrance of Hallway. image: snowbrains

Jordan went first and yelled back that it was good.

I went second.

The funnel to mandatory air to cushy, sluff-pile landing was a dream.

From there, it was high-speed turns to the bottom of the chute.

Jordan drops into Hallway.

Being the 5th and 6th people in the couloir was no issue as the sluff and deepness of the snow made the whole chute smooth, deep, and refreshing.

Hallway’s chute drains into a large open area in the sun that skied deep.

It was hard to keep my tips up…

Snowbird. image: snowbrains

We hooted and ripped it down to the valley bottom.

From there, it was a long, grinding skinner back to the ridgeline of Mt. Superior.

We had a few choices, but we chose Little Superior for our run back down to reality.

Andrew setting the skinner. image: snowbrains

We scoped it hard from the ridge and saw that the line had been heli-bombed into submission.

Excellent!

Especially since we wouldn’t have been able to ski this line had it not been controlled by explosives, as the avalanche danger was too high and the line is too exposed.

Mt. Superior, Little Mt. Superior, and our lines. My favorite view on Mt. Superior, UT. image: snowbrains

I dropped first, and again, it was deep.

By far the deepest snow I’ve skied on Mt. Superior.

By far.

At the end of the wide-open nose, we jumped straight into the mini spines and apron; it was all gravy.

Jordan marching out of BCC. image: snowbrains

Some very small wet slides came off our skis towards the bottom that were easy to manage and avoid.

5,200 vertical feet, seven miles, 35″ storm snow total, four runs, two world-class lines, legendary company, sunny skies.

One of the best days I’ve ever had in the Wasatch.

PHOTOS

Jordan skinning up Days. image: snowbrains
Sunburst. image: snowbrains
Miles skiing Days in deep snow. image: snowbrains
Snow and vista. image: snowbrains
Tracks on Toledo. image: snowbrains
Wind spine. image: snowbrains
Miles on the apron of Hallway. image: snowbrains
Cardiac ridge. image: snowbrains
Hallway. image: snowbrains
Jordan in the belly of the beast. image: snowbrains
Skin track . image: snowbrains
Cardiac. image: snowbrains
Miles skiing Little Superior. image: snowbrains
So much snow. image: snowbrains
Cardiac. image: snowbrains
LCC. image: snowbrains
My favorite view on Mt. Superior, UT. image: snowbrains

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