The back country can be an inspiring area: the edges of mountain tops gleaming, the fresh air in your lungs. and the warm sun basking on your shoulders. During winter, when the birds and noises of summer have faded, the back country is truly pristine and captivating. The Wasatch Mountain range has generous amounts of snow and takes advantage of Salt Lake for snowmaking, allowing all who visit a chance to ride on deep and light powder.

All-encompassing sports are rare, but when ski touring is combined with back country skiing, it not only brings the body into alignment and balances the muscles, but it also adds a hint of excitement in expectation of the incredible downhill that is about to come. Enjoying each moment is attainable, but controlling one's excitement is not.

Safety is a priority when traveling in the back country. When visiting a new mountain range or new embarking on a new back country winter adventure, it is a necessity to have a local knowledge and safety expert with you. When traveling to the Wasatch mountains, that local knowledge and safety means EXUM Utah Mountain Adventures.

Offering everything from avalanche courses to ice climbing and back country skiing and touring, EXUM Utah Mountain Adventures are well-rounded, offering expertise for each season.

Guide Brian Brechwald on EXUM: "Our goal is to give back not only to the area, but also to encourage our clients to understand environmental education and to acknowledge and preserve nature and the environment. It's more than just enjoyment, we love to guide people, but also educate, whether it's skill sets or environmental practices."

Our back country trip was great!

Our starting point, just outside of Alta Mountain Resort after getting off the Supreme Chair Lift. Point Supreme 10,595 ft 3229 m. Brian Brechwald guide-us, excellent-us.

As we hike over Rocky Point we make our way to a great warm up called Sunset Peak.

A few skilled moves are necessary to access this area. Brechwald makes tracks for the rest.

We watch over our left shoulder as skiers drop down the opposite face. This is the climb after skiing the north face of sunset.

The skier in this shot (off cliff left), is in for a nice soft landing.

Deep snow means great skiing.

Exum Utah Mountain Adventures is a year-round climbing and back country touring guide service with an instructional emphasis. Affiliated with EXUM Mountain Guides in Grand Teton National Park, EUMA is part of the tradition of the oldest, most established, and well-known guiding service in the United States. EXUM operates under a special use permit issued by the Wasatch National Forest. A percent of your payment for EXUM's relatively inexpensive guide service goes toward the forest service.

*Feature written and photographed by Phillips, February 2003. Information regarding location, slope names, altitude was provided by Exum guides of Utah.

© 2000 Globetrotteradventures.com Inc

RECOMENDED MAPS:

Trails Illustrated Wasatch / Unita National Forest

GUIDE NOTES AND DIRECTIONS:

The easiest way to contact them: (801) 550-EXUM(3986) or you can visit their web site: http://www.exum.ofutah.com EXUM Guides are inexpensive, fun and very professional emphasizing preservation, safety and a good time. They can provide you with a majority of the needed equipment. They are an under priced required adventure during your visit to this area.

Alta ski resort is easy to find and Salt Lake airport services most regional cities (801) 575-2400. Coming from Salt Lake City: Highway 15 to Highway 215 which is just south of Salt Lake City. Take Highway 215 to exit 6 or 5200 south. Go East up through Little Cottonwood Canyon, follow the signs. The drive from the exit is about 25-30minutes and will roll through a neighborhood; follow the signs.