Backcountry Skiing Butler Fork to Millcreek 12-28

Tye Dye Twins

Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2014
Messages
109
On Sunday morning my twin trevor, my buddy ron, and I headed up Big Cottonwood Canyon to ski Millcreek Canyon. The chosen route up was Butler Fork and after hours of skinning up hill we got our reward!

IMG_2743_zpsec96db7e.jpg


Ron the snowboarder suddenly rememberd why he moved out from the east coast decades ago.
IMG_2755_zps846f6e4b.jpg


And one last shot of me coming down on Lap 1.
IMG_2782_zps71bd0579.jpg


We took a lunch break under some trees while we discussed the plan. I broke trail through the 2 feet of snow while the boys got buried by falling snow drifts off the trees. On the way up I was moving very slowly breaking through the new snow and I got the scare of my life. Within inches of my ski tip a GIANT grey grouse suddenly burst out of the snow and flew at my face. I screamed and jumped back, while the bird changed course and ran right into the branches near me dumping snow everywhere, all to the low drum thumping sound of that frightned bird's wings! Never seen that before!!

Trevor got a shot with the gopro of himself and Ron at the top of just before Lap 2
GOPR0041_zps3f60b140.jpg


Finally what I was looking for!!! Classic over-the-head Utah Powder!!!
IMG_2790_zps2b95d679.jpg


IMG_2791_zps3c89256a.jpg


IMG_2792_zps32b4cba5.jpg


IMG_2793_zpsb26f5914.jpg


IMG_2794_zps3b93e3dc.jpg


A little ways down the hill I got "snow snaked" by some brush and lost both of my skis and poles. It took about 15 minutes for my twin and I to recover the buried equipment.

Lower down the hill opened up for a second look at a Local Powder Comet in action...
IMG_2804_zps3a49ebb7.jpg


IMG_2805_zps9db5ebb5.jpg


IMG_2806_zps10e3e89b.jpg


IMG_2807_zpse70403cd.jpg


Coming up for air.
IMG_2808_zps8c20f0b0.jpg

IMG_2809_zps045aaed4.jpg


IMG_2810_zpsb1affb88.jpg


Ron on Lap 2. This guy rarely gets powder like this since he is a snowboarder and he is quite tall. Here is his best impression of a "powder graboid".
IMG_2824_zps2a0d44c1.jpg


IMG_2825_zpsf4663804.jpg


IMG_2826_zps303701ee.jpg


IMG_2827_zpsd756f101.jpg


IMG_2831_zps6369d05c.jpg


IMG_2832_zpsd8fbdcfa.jpg


We skinned back up to the top one last time to get a lap into butler fork. I managed to hit a tree head on, luckily the 25 foot tree was dead or I'd probably be dead!! My twin got snow snaked twice on the way down, so ron was the only one to get out unscathed. No pics were taken as it was getting dark quickly and we weren't getting out quickly either due to the sticky cold snow conditions. We hit the car at 5:30pm.
IMG_2848_zps4bdab42e.jpg


We were greeted by the "red snake", often muttered by locals observing the slow traffic condtions in the canyons.
IMG_2882_zpsf1e11e59.jpg


Featured image for home page:
slide.jpg
 
Wow! Was that grey grouse like hibernating under there? That would scare the living hell out of me.
My guess is yes but I aint no bird expert.

What was so weird is the fact that I was taking one step, a couple of breathes, and then another step and repeated this pattern to within inches of that bird. Why didn't it choose to fly off earlier I will never know. Had I been just inches to the side of it, I think the bird would have just stayed put. Honestly I felt like a land mine just exploded in front of me!
 
Looks like a great time! And yes, grouse can really get your attention in new snow, skiing, snowshoeing, or just trudging through it. They don't hibernate but I think they just let themselves get buried because it's warmer under a little snow. Around here, they're usually ruffs.
 
$$$$$$$$ photos. I have skied porter fork up millcreek but never approached from the Big Cottonwood side.
 
$$$$$$$$ photos. I have skied porter fork up millcreek but never approached from the Big Cottonwood side.
Porter is fun, and honestly over the years I have grown to like coming from to the Bowman trail thru Yellow Jacket thru Pole Canyon instead of Butler thru Mill A basin to reach Gobblers Knob.
 
My outdoor ed teacher once told a a story about grouse, they dive into the snow to stay warm, sometimes you can see where they're hiding and it's pretty funny to watch them pop out at people when they're not expecting it.


I'd love to do stuff like this, but in southern Ontario we don't have a lot of places to go like that. Plenty of ski hills, but no big powder skiing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Similar threads
Thread starter Title Forum Replies Date
Tye Dye Twins Backcountry Skiing Trip Report's of November Winter Sports 7
Tye Dye Twins Where to Post Backcountry skiing stuff? Questions, Suggestions & Support 8
F Hat Recovered-Yellowstone Backcountry General Discussion 0
Outdoors24 Backcountry Tire Question General Discussion 12
P Season Backcountry Pass at Yellowston General Discussion 9
Jackson Yellowstone Backcountry Lottery Results General Discussion 45
Georgia Yankee Where to see/hear wolves Yellowstone NP backcountry in September? Trip Planning 16
swmalone ***REDACTED*** Backcountry Byway with my Dad Off Road 7
Rockskipper Yellowstone Backcountry Permits Available Online In 2022 General Discussion 72
forest dweller Where to go, last minute, early August, with wife, for 2 weeks, with no backcountry permits? Trip Planning 25
IntrepidXJ Arches and Canyonlands National Parks Accepting Comments on Proposed Fee Increases for Backcountry Operations General Discussion 38
forest dweller Grizzly Bear Kills Backcountry Guide Near Yellowstone, Investigators shot and killed the bear after it charged. General Discussion 13
TrektheWorld Backcountry Post Logo - Found! Everything Else 1
Dave Backcountry bookshelf General Discussion 53
Jackson Backcountry Music General Discussion 28
Nick Invite Backcountry Fest 2020 - Cancelled Meet Up (Members Only) 57
Yvonne Yellowstone 2020 backcountry hike questions Trip Planning 21
DrNed Backcountry.com Sues Those Using Namesake General Discussion 2
IntrepidXJ Nick, get a cease and desist letter yet? (Backcountry.com Discussion) General Discussion 32
F Backcountry bathrooms General Discussion 12
S Backcountry camping tips for Wind Rivers - upper Green River valley via canoe Trip Planning 5
Yvonne Backcountry Fest and some Swell explorations Hiking & Camping 8
Stephanie B Old Woman Wash, Three Finger Petroglyphs, and Wild Horse Canyon (Backcountry Fest in the San Rafael Swell) Hiking & Camping 6
Nick 2019 Backcountry Fest Photos Everything Else 100
Nick Things to do in the Swell: Backcountry Fest Edition Meet Up (Members Only) 34
Dreamer Caribbean Backcountry Backpacking 2
McKee80 backcountry campsite reviews Resource Discussions 5
McKee80 backcountry campsite reviews Resource Discussions 0
Nick Invite Backcountry Fest! - April 5-7, 2019, San Rafael Swell Meet Up (Members Only) 274
McKee80 Backcountry campsite selection - opinions please General Discussion 13
T RMNP backcountry- freestanding necessary? Trip Planning 2
NorthwestWanderer June 15-17 Olympic Coast (Ozette Backcountry) WA Backpacking 3
SKLund Yellowstone Backcountry Campsite Waypoints Resource Discussions 1
Shirt357 RMNP Backcountry Sites Trip Planning 4
Nick 2018 Backcountry Post Shirts General Discussion 106
LarryBoy Alone in the Backcountry General Discussion 30
Perry Forgive my Non-backcountry Post... Santa Came Early to My House Photography 15
Wanderlust073 Backcountry Sale Gear 0
Jackson Backcountry Vehicle Miles Per Year General Discussion 8
longtimesun Happy to provide beta on Mountains - New timer to BackCountry Post Noobs: Introduce yourself! 1
WasatchWill Oops, I forgot! (Or broke it) - Innovating in the Backcountry General Discussion 9
D Family-Friendly Backcountry??? Trip Planning 2
M Capitol Reef backcountry recommendations? Trip Planning 9
Jen Selling my ultimate backcountry vehicle Gear 4
Craiger Overnight parking in Needles backcountry Trip Planning 1
Bob Backcountry Discount Code Gear 0
C Death Valley backcountry trip Trip Planning 4
someguy High Uintas Backcountry with Goats General Discussion 1
Bob Volunteer Work in the Backcountry General Discussion 0
Vegan.Hiker Album Non-Backcountry Photos Photography 237

Similar threads

Back
Top