Intertwined amongst many popular ski resorts sits a section of backcountry routes not to be overlooked. “Beside Alta”, “Behind Solitude”, and “Over from Brighton”, are all phrases you might hear when asking about where to do backcountry in Salt Lake City. Don’t let the crowds in the parking lot deter you, Patsy Marley Peak will make you feel off the beaten path.
- Distance: 4-5 miles
- Time: 2 hr
- Elevation Gain: 2,053 ft
- Trailhead: Upper Alta Parking Lot
- Can you ski back to the car?: Yes
- Route-Finding Difficulty: Easy
- Physical Exertion Difficulty: Moderate
- Map
Getting there: Ideally, to get to the trailhead of Patsy Marley, you’ll drive straight up Little Cottonwood Canyon to the very end and park in the Northernmost lot at Alta. Please note that on busy weekends, the upper lots can get full and they won’t let you all the way up. We had to park a mile down the road, you can check out our map to see how we got up using a skin track and then the little tow rope at the base of Alta.
From the trailhead, you will be right at the ‘Summer Road’ as they call it. Start skinning out the Summer Road, also known as ‘Albion Basin Rd’, pretty quickly you can choose to go up to your left or keep going straight. Turn left and skin up a steep but packed down road. Once you get to the top of that, you should see a skin track that continues straight, while the actual summer road will turn to your right or left. Go straight up the skin track and head into Grizzly Gulch.
From here, due to its popularity, there will most likely be a skin track all the way to Twin Lakes Pass. If for some reason there is not (i.e. you get up crazy early in the morning and are the first person out there after some fresh snow!) it is still an easy route to find. Moreover, there are electric lines that run up the gulch that you can follow.
Once you get to the top of the pass (takes around 1 hour or so), take a deep breath and enjoy the views. To your left, you’ll be able to see the backside of Solitude Resort and the famous Highway to Heaven run. Turn right and continue along the ridgeline all the way to the top of Patsy Marley.
As you near the top, the pitch is around 35 degrees. If there is nice snow, you will be able to skin all the way up the switchbacks. However, if it is an icy day, you may want some crampons. The top has plenty of room to put your board together and enjoy the scenery. You will have views of Mt. Wolverine, Mt. Tuscarora, Mt. Superior, and Honeycomb Cliffs to name a few.
When you’re ready to head out, cruise down the bowl and head into the trees. Please remember that even on a pitch like this, you’ll want to go one at a time!
Halfway down the Gulch, you will run into a spot that flattens out a bit. As long as you keep your speed, you can ride right by the skin track and not get stuck. Eventually, you will pop out of Grizzly Gulch right onto the parking lot. It probably won’t take you more than 15 minutes or so to get down!
PROS:
- Easy Route-Finding
- Awesome run down for the time and effort
CONS:
- Start and end near a busy resort
- Parking can be busy
THE SPLIT DECISION:
Jay’s Take: “The views were epic for the effort we put in. Plus, getting snowboard all the way back to the trailhead was awesome!”
Tyese’s Take: “I’m so glad I didn’t let the crowd of Alta deter me! This was a really great run down for the amount of time it took to get up. A very easy half-day fun adventure, I’d do it again in a heartbeat!“
Final Words: Of course always double-check avalanche danger on the day you decide to go. Finally, watch out for the steep drop on your left as you go up the ridgeline. Oh, and have fun!
