Monday, April 8, 2019

Brighton uphill policy - The sequel

In the Wasatch Brighton was one of the early adopters of an Uphill Policy. That is a policy authorizing and regulating uphill travel on skins for ski tourers. Brighton allows ski tourers up on two different routes: One is up to Catherine's Pass, the other one up to Twin Lakes Pass, for the full policy, click here. In 2015 I posted about the first half of that policy. Only four years later (I don't skin in resort all that often) here is the sequel i.e. the second half of the policy.


From the bottom of the Millicent lift base, looker's far-right, follow the resort slopes up to the Twin Lakes Dam. To do that you keep to the right of the farthest right slopes until you are just below the dam at which point you are asked to take a sharp left. This has you cross to the other side of the lake under the dam. You then make your "escape" from the resort on looker's left of the dam. This is where you want to start your hike towards the Twin Lakes Pass as the right side would make you skin under eminently avalanche-prone terrain.

Here are the pictures (click to enlarge):

Since 2015 the resort has added good signage to keep the confusion down...

...including arrows and groomed sections!

You are now out of the resort and skinning looker's left of the lake. Twin
Lakes Pass in the center and Black Bess to the right.

Having not skied this area in years I was surprised to see Solitude's claim
to the Backcountry!

On an otherwise very overcast morning, a short opening in the clouds
 allowed me this shot of Mt Superior from just below Patsy Marey.