Trip Report: July Skiing on Timpanogos

By benwhiteskis on July 06, 2023
3 min read

Table of Contents [Show]

By Ben White The calendar had turned from June to July and a few of my ski buddies; Justin, Kyle, Riley, and I decided that we need to have turns twelve consecutive months. We planned to ski on the Timpanogos Glacier on Saturday, July 7th. As we set out from Salt Lake at about eight in the morning, the weather was looking quite questionable. With dark clouds over the mountains and sprinkles of rain spattering the windshield and skis on the roof as we drove south on I-15 towards Provo, there was some talk of what to do if we showed up at the trailhead and it was pouring. We arrived at the Aspen Grove trailhead to clearing skies and shouldered our packs.

From left to right, myself, Kyle, Justin and Riley ready to find some snow The hike up the Aspen Grove trail is amazing. Following switchbacks and hopping over the river and ducking under a waterfall, it gains elevation quickly. Many people who we passed thought it was pretty wild that we would go to all the effort of hiking to ski in July. As the trail reached the ponds up high, things leveled out and a feeling of remoteness washed over me, and it appeared that the other three felt the same way. At this point, the clouds had passed and the sun was shining in full force.

Riley and Justin hiking under another waterfall[/caption] We took a break at Emerald Lake to eat our lunch with a view of North Timpanogos in the distance. North Timpanogos is where the Cold Fusion Couloir descends from. At the edge of the lake was where the glacier, which is more of a large, permanent snowfield, started.

Justin hikes in his minimalist shoes up the glacier[/caption] We cruised up the snow and gained the ridge. Looking over the ridge provided a view of Provo and Utah Lake about 7000 feet below. After hanging out, eating some chips and salsa and relaxing, we clicked into our skis and began our descent. Whoops and hollers abounded, as the familiar feeling of freedom gained by sliding on snow returned. We passed a group of people who decided to stumble their way down the snow, which was pretty steep at the top, and returned to the banks of Emerald Lake.

Kyle, Riley, Justin and I atop the snowfield ready to ski

Riley skiing down

Justin shooting through the narrow spot

Kyle sprays some summer corn as he makes a turn

Justin caught this photo of myself coming down[/caption] I'm not sure whose idea it was, but we decided that after taking off our skis and boots and most of our clothes, jumping into a lake of snowmelt with a small iceberg would be a great idea. I went first, and it was predictably cold. Riley followed, with Kyle and Justin after that. The feeling of sudden immersion in icy water stopping your heart followed by panicked swimming for a whole fifteen feet is incredibly refreshing, and smiles split across our faces. After drying out a little bit, we put on our outdoor shirts and a pair of KÜHL men's shorts and headed down the trail.

Myself, Justin, Kyle, Riley and I all jumped in and promptly froze There's a reason that we spent ten hours on Timpanogos, as well as why Fred Beckey considers it one of the greatest mountains in North America. The scenery is incredible and the mountain has an incredible amount to offer, with amazing lines to ski, phenomenal trails to hike or run, daunting mountaineering routes, and large cliffs to BASE jump. It has a powerful draw, and I would most certainly recommend experiencing it in some way to anybody visiting or living in the Salt Lake area.

A panorama from the top of the snowfield[/caption]

benwhiteskis
benwhiteskis

DON'T MISS NEW STORIES AND STYLES

Get all the news right in your mail