Author: Zach Wong

02/07 Event at Brighton, Brighton’s Uphill, Toko Tips, Scarpa Demos, and other News

What’s up, skimo peeps?!

Below are a few reminders and shout-outs for you cool cats as we skin and ski into February. 

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Our events can’t happen without you and we need volunteers to help set course and help check people in. As always, all volunteers still get to skin-and-ski with everyone else at 7pm. Sign up HERE and you also get more raffle tickets for helping out!

Brighton is now allowing uphilling inbounds: You can learn more about their uphill policies and current uphill status HERE and HERE.

SCARPA BOOT DEMOS: Scarpa will be at our Brighton on 02/07/2023. If you’re interested in skinning and skiing in a pair of sweet, Scarpa boots, then reserve your size HERE. 

Registration for the 2023 Powderkeg is now closed: This event is extremely popular and cannot happen without our amazing community of volunteers. If you have the time, please consider volunteering at this amazing event. You can sign up HERE.

We’ve had some really cold temps lately and Toko has some fantastic Toko Tips below to get the best out of your skis when it gets cold! Don’t forget to sign up for Ian’s (Toko’s US Brand Manager) newsletter via Toko’s website and check out the podcast.

Tips and Tricks when waxing for cold snow:

  • For snow that is very cold, dry, and slow where your skis seem to drag, the solution is to combine High Performance Blue hot wax with X-Cold Powder. X-cold is a wax that is designed to significantly improve the skis’ breakaway and acceleration speed. To Apply, drip HP Blue hot wax on the ski, then before ironing, shake X-Cold powder onto the base as well. Once both waxes are on the ski, you will iron them in together.
  • For average cold snow conditions, High Performance Blue hot wax combined with HP Liquid Paraffin Blue will result in maximum speed.
  • For cold snow that is very fast and has a high snow humidity (icy refrozen snow, like you might find after the snow thaws and then refreezes), the best wax choice will be High Performance Blue hot wax combined with High Performance Yellow hot wax in a 3:1 ratio. When doing this, use the iron temperature of the harder (blue) wax.
  • For a less expensive solution, substitute Performance or Base Performance Blue for the High Performance. 

The next Utah SkiMo Citizen Series event will be on 02/07/2023 at Brighton Resort at starts 7pm sharp. Details to follow and see you all there!

See you all next week at Brighton!

The Utah SkiMo Crew
 
 

C.A.M.P. & Contour Skins pres. by La Sportiva 01/24/23 Citizen Series Event Reminder!

What’s up, everyone!?

This season’s third C.A.M.P./Contour Skins skimo event will be a great one at Park City Mountain Resort. Below you’ll find some beta for this Tuesday’s event:

Waivers: Did you remember to sign them? …All of them? You can find all them here.

Parking (take the bus if you can!): Tuesday night’s citizen series event coincides with the Sundance Film Festival; which means parking could be really tight. Please take the bus from Kimball Junction if you can (you get 10 extra raffle tickets!) and if you carpool to the parking lot you, and your carpool mates, will get an extra raffle ticket for every person in the vehicle (e.g., 4 people in a car, 4 tickets for each person; 27 people in your school bus, 27 tickets for each person!). The address is 1493 Lowell Ave, Park City, UT 84060 and you’ll park in the main lot near the First Timer lift. You should see our tents there. 

You can learn more about the Kimball Junction to Park City Bus Route here. Get off at the Fresh Market/Park Avenue Condos stop and walk to the First Timer Lift. Total trip time should be about 35-40 minutes.

Location, time, and course: Park City Mountain Resort next to First Timer lift at 7pm sharp. 

Follow lower Homerun to the split (Waterfall)  and bear left at waterfall and up lower Treasure hollow to the bottom of Nail driver (transition B). Short booter up nail driver (transition C), skin past Nail Driver and left up the upper section of dividend to the top of the payday lift (transition D). Rec will descend down treasure hollow to the base (point E). Race will transition at point B and repeat a loop of the upper course and descend down Treasure Hollow to finish at the base. 

People on race skis, or light gear, are encouraged to do 2 laps, and heavier gear folks should shoot for 1 lap as detailed above. As always, this is an event for fun, with no race results or timing, and people can ski as much or as little of the course as they feel capable. We do ask that participants head down after 1 hour (no later than 8pm) so we can begin cleaning up our flagging. 

To spread things out, “Light and Fast™” and rec. waves will start about a minute apart so listen for the announcement at the start line.

The Corner Store (1325 Lowell Ave, Park City, UT 84060) will be open for food and drinks after the event. You can walk over from the check-in tents so please show The Corner Store your support by buying post-event food and beverages.  As always, we will have another amazing raffle for you all!

Volunteers: We are still needing help with check-in. You can sign up here and as always you can participate in the event at 7pm! You get extra raffle tickets too! 

Weather: Always check the weather and bring your layers!

Reminders:

  • SCARPA BOOT DEMOS!: Scarpa will be at our PCMR (01/24/2023) and Brighton (02/07/203) events. If you’re interested in skinning and skiing in a pair of sweet, Scarpa boots, then reserve your size here. 
  • Registration for the 2023 Powderkeg is open and filling fast! This event is extremely popular and cannot happen without our amazing community of volunteers. If you have the time, please consider volunteering at this amazing event. You can sign up here.
  • Toko is offering all Utah SkiMo members 30% off items on their webstore from now and until 01/30/2023. The only thing the discount code doesn’t include are clearance items but does include the already discounted starter kits. Just visit www.TokoUs.com and use the code ILIKESKIMOUT. Give TokoUS a follow on YT and become a Jedi Ski Wax Master. Ian, of Toko, has been kind enough to share some edge tuning and skin tuning tricks here.

Now for the boring BUT STILL IMPORTANT stuff.

  • POLES DOWN IN TRANSITION ZONES!: a friendly reminder to put your poles flat on the ground when you transition so you don’t poke your friends’ eyes out.
  • Green flags are for uphill skinning, yellow flags are for booting, red [blinkies] are for down (stay near them), HAZARD flags are striped yellow and red – avoid these areas!
  • FOLLOW PCMR’s UPHILL POLICIES: uphilling at any resort is a privilege so PLEASE follow their rules when you’re out skinning on your own at PCMR.
  • On course Utah SkiMo Volunteers, wearing blinking, blue LED lights, have radios with them. Ask them for assistance only in case of emergency (sickness or injury), not because your ski slid down the hill. 
  • PLEASE CARPOOL!: Let’s all set a good example and carpool with our ski buddies and friends. 
  • We know there are a lot of new people out here and that IS AWESOME! Please take a look at our FAQ so you know what’s up.  

See y’all on 01/24 at Park City Mountain Resort at 7pm sharp!

The Utah SkiMo Crew

Photos courtesy of @ronwinsettimages
 
 

Scarpa Boot Demos, Volunteer Opportunities, On X is On Board with Utah SkiMo and Other Happenings

What’s up, skimo peeps?!

What’s almost as good as all this pow we are receiving this season in the Wasatch? Being a member of Utah SkiMo, that’s what! 

Below are a few reminders and shout-outs for you cool cats. We do our best to serve up great deals, discounts and connect you with amazing companies that serve the skimo and backcountry ski community. 

  • On X Maps is now a sponsor of Utah SkiMo (we are glad to have you on board, On X!) and are giving all Utah SkiMo members (yes, that’s you) a FREE one-month trial of their app. Just click this link to get started. We also have 1-year, free memberships available at our in-person raffles too!
  • SCARPA BOOT DEMOS will be at our PCMR (01/24/2023) and Brighton (02/07/203) events. If you’re interested in skinning and skiing in a pair of sweet Scarpa boots, then reserve your size HERE. 
  • Powderkeg 2023 registration is open and filling fast! This event extremely popular and cannot happen without our amazing community of volunteers. If you have the time, please consider volunteering at this amazing event. You can sign up HERE.
  • Toko is offering all Utah SkiMo members 30% off items on their webstore from now and until 01/30/2023. The only thing the discount code doesn’t include are clearance items but it does include the already discounted starter kits. Just visit www.TokoUs.com and use the code ILIKESKIMOUT. Give TokoUS a follow on YT and become a Jedi Ski Wax Master. Ian, of Toko, has been kind enough to share some edge tuning and skin tuning tricks HERE.
  • The CROWBAR backcountry ski race needs volunteers for their backcountry ski event on 01/21/2023. If you have the time and live in the area please consider volunteering at this amazing event. You can sign up HERE.
  • The next Utah SkiMo Citizen Series event will be on 01/24/2023 at Park City Mountain Resort at 7pm sharp. Details to follow and see you all there!

See you all at PCMR in less than two weeks!

The Utah SkiMo Crew
 

C.A.M.P. & Contour Skins pres. by Dynafit 01/10/23 Citizen Series Event Reminder!

What’s up and Happy New Year, everyone!?

This season’s second C.A.M.P./Contour Skins skimo event will be a great one with all of this amazing new snow! Below you’ll find some reminders for next week’s event. Keep an eye on your email for more detailed information later in the week. 
 
Volunteers Needed! We need more volunteers to help set course and check in participants. If we don’t get enough volunteers then we don’t get an event (sad face!). You can sign up HERE.  If you’ve already signed up to be a volunteer (thank you!), please check your emails over the next few days for additional information and instructions. As always, all volunteers will be able to participate in the night’s event and will also get extra raffle tickets to boot!

This week our presenting sponsor is Dynafit to help #speedup your skin-and-ski life in the mountains, and don’t forget about our other awesome sponsors (links below) that help make our Tuesday Night events possible. As always, we will have another amazing raffle for you all!
 
Location, time, and course: Brighton Resort on the Milly Chalet side at 7pm sharp. The course is still TBD but we will get it posted as soon as we can. 

Now for the boring BUT STILL IMPORTANT stuff:

  • DO NOT PARK AT GREAT WESTERN!  Please park on the Milly side (in between Milly Chalet and the church) and walk over to check in. We’ve even saved you the long walk this week!
  • POLES DOWN IN TRANSITION ZONES! A friendly reminder to put your poles flat on the ground when you transition so you don’t poke your friends’ eyes out.
  • Green flags are for uphill skinning, yellow flags are for booting, red [blinkies] are for down (stay near them), HAZARD flags are striped yellow and red – avoid these areas!
  • FOLLOW BRIGHTON’S UPHILL POLICIES! Uphilling at any resort is a privilege so PLEASE follow their rules when you’re out skinning on your own at Brighton.
  • On-course Utah SkiMo Volunteers, wearing blinking, blue LED lights, have radios with them. Ask them for assistance only in case of emergency (sickness or injury), not because your ski slid down the hill. 
  • PLEASE CARPOOL! Let’s all set a good example and carpool with our ski buddies and friends. 
  • Because y’all are so freaking motivated to help Utah Food Bank, we are limiting the maximum number of cans to 25 per person (25 extra raffle tickets!). Remember to count your cans to help move things along at check-in for our volunteers.
  • We know there are a lot of new people out here and that IS AWESOME! Please take a look at our FAQ so you know what’s up.  

See y’all on 01/10 at Brighton at 7pm sharp!

The Utah SkiMo Crew

Photos courtesy of @ronwinsettimages