Winter Sports Ratings

Here is the listing of snowshoe and ski tours and the ratings according to difficulty. All mile numbers are ROUND TRIP, from beginning to end. Unless otherwise noted, all trips are in the BACKCOUNTRY. These types of trips may be rated 'Not too difficult' (NTD), but more often are rated 'Moderate' (MOD), or 'Most difficult' (MSD). They more likely encounter avalanche paths, and generally cross areas with steeper terrain. Avalanche beacons and shovels are strongly recommended for these type of trips, and may be required by the trip organizer (see trip descriptions). Typical examples are Powder Park of Catherine's Pass. A trip labeled TOUR is one which mostly follows along a groomed trail, or above an un-groomed road surface and generally has a gentler grade, and less risk of encountering avalanche paths. These types of trips are often rated NTD, but occasionally are rated MOD, or even MSD to length. Avalanche beacons are recommended on a more selected basis. Typical examples are Beaver Creek, or Norway Flats. 'Ski mountaineering' (SKI-MTN) is a rating for difficult trips which, in addition to snow gear and avalanche beacons, include boot climbing on exposed terrain and require self-arrest skills. The rating is determined by the most difficult technical requirement of the trip. For example, Pink Pine is short, but it is quite steep, so it is rated MSD.

* Avalanche knowledge is a prerequisite for winter travel. A new rating category for AVALANCHE AWARENESS has been compiled by the Winter Sports Committee to help you assess the relative risk for each trip.
Legend:
A! - trip crosses major avalanche path and/or multiple avalanche paths;
A - trip crosses known avalanche path;
M - trip involves minimal risk of avalanches.

EL and NTD RATINGS
LOCATION ROUTE  RATING * MILESVERTICAL   COMMENT   
Daniels Telephone Hollow EL-NTD M 3.0 300Tour
Wasatch Albion Basin Road EL-NTD M 3.0 600Tour
Wasatch Mill Creek Road to Elbow Fork EL-NTD M 3.0 680Tour
Wasatch Willow Lake NTD M 3.0 800
Wasatch Lake Mary NTD A 3.0 910
Daniels Doe Knoll EL-NTD M 5.0 300Tour
Wasatch Green's Basin from Spruces NTD M 4.0 1000
Wasatch Lower Mineral Fork NTD A 4.0 1000
Uintas Smith & Morehouse Canyon to Ledgefork Campground NTD M 6.0 400Tour
Daniels Foreman Trail NTD M 4.0 900Tour
Daniels Telemark Hill NTD M 5.0 1000Tour
Uintas Bench Creek NTD M 7.0 600Tour
Wasatch Catherine's Lake NTD A 4.4 1200
Wasatch Silver Fork from Lodge NTD A 5.0 1280Tour
Wasatch Lower White Pine Canyon NTD A 5.0 1400
Wasatch Catherine's Pass from Alta NTD A 5.0 1500
Wasatch Dog Lake NTD A 6.0 1400
Daniels R Fork Little Hobble Creek to Valle NTD M 7.0 1150Tour
Wasatch Days Fork to Second Meadow NTD A 6.0 1600
Uintas North Fork of Provo River NTD M 8.0 600
Uintas Beaver Creek Trail EL-NTD M 10.0 600Tour
Wasatch Snake Creek Canyon NTD+ A 7.0 1800Tour
Wasatch Mill Creek Road to Turn-Around NTD+ M 10.0 1500Tour

MOD RATINGS
LOCATION ROUTE  RATING * MILESVERTICAL   COMMENT   
Uintas Weber Canyon Road MOD M 16.0 600Tour
Wasatch Butler Fork to Overlook MOD A 3.0 1500
Wasatch Brighton to Twin Lake Pass MOD A! 4.0 1300
Wasatch Grizzley Gulch to Twin Lakes Pass MOD A! 4.0 1320
Wasatch Tom's Hill MOD A 4.0 1600
Wasatch Bill's Hill MOD A 3.4 1800
Wasatch Little Dell-Affleck Park-Big Mtn MOD M 11.0 1320Tour
Wasatch Catherine's Pass from Brighton MOD A! 5.0 1500
Wasatch USA Bowl MOD A 4.0 1800
Wasatch Powder Park (Near)(South) MOD A 4.0 1800
Uintas Yellow Pine Trail MOD M 7.0 2400
Daniels Main Canyon –Murdock Hollow MOD M 10.0 1400Tour
Daniels Strawberry Peak MOD A 10.0 1700Tour
Uintas Little S. Fork-Willow Hollow Loop MOD M 10.0 2000
Daniels Clyde Creek- Mud Creek Loop MOD M 14.0 1000
StansburyDeseret Peak Bowl MOD A 9.0 2800
Wasatch Big Water via Dog Lake MOD A 6.4 1400
Wasatch Alta to Brighton via Twin Lakes P MOD A! 8.0 1320
Uintas Smith Morehouse C. to Erickson B. MOD A 15.0 1200
Uintas Murdock Basin MOD M 15.0 1400
Uintas Upper Setting Road MOD M 12.0 2300Tour
Uintas Norway Flats Road MOD M 12.0 2530Tour
Uintas Red Pine Canyon to Mud Lake Flat MOD A 14.0 2235
Wasatch Lake Desolation MOD A 8.0 1900
Wasatch Brighton to Alta via Catherine's P MOD A! 10.0
Wasatch Red Pine Lake MOD A 8.0 2000
Uintas Soapstone to N. of Iron Mine Mtn MOD M 14.0 2240
Uintas Shingle Creek MOD M 14.0 2460
Wasatch Green's Basin Peak MOD A 6.0 2380
Wasatch Meadow's Chutes MOD A! 6.2 2380
Wasatch Reynold's Peak MOD A 7.0 2100
Wasatch Little Water via Dog Lake MOD A 7.4 2100
Wasatch Powder Park (Middle) MOD A 7.0 2200
Wasatch Day's Fork to Upper Cirque MOD+ A! 8.0 2000
Wasatch Bear Trap to Lookout MOD+ A 7.0 2400
Wasatch Powder Park (Far)(North) MOD+ A 8.0 2040
Wasatch Upper Red Pine Lake MOD+ A! 7.0 2400
Wasatch Montreal Hill MOD+ A! 7.0 2700
Heber Main Canyon (Wallsburg to Strawb) MOD+ M 15.0 3650
Wasatch White Pine Lake MOD+ A! 9.0 2400
Uintas Windy Ridge MOD+ A! 7.6 3200
Wasatch Alta-Brighton-Alta MOD+ A! 9.0 2800

MSD RATINGS
LOCATION ROUTE  RATING * MILESVERTICAL   COMMENT   
Wasatch Pink Pine MSD A! 2.0 1000Short & Steep
Wasatch Cardiff Pass MSD A! 2.0 1400Short & Steep
Wasatch Flagstaff Mountain MSD A! 2.8 2000Short & Steep
Wasatch Cardiff Pass to Big Cottonwood C MSD A! 5.0Traverse1400 u 2800 d
Wasatch Silver Fork via Brighton Twin Lakes MSD A! 6.0Traverse1460 u 2400 d
Wasatch Day's Fork to Big Cottonwood C. MSD A! 5.5Traverse2000 u 3200 d
Wasatch Mary Ellen MSD A! 9.2 1820
Wasatch Soldier Fork MSD A 9.0Traverse1600 u 2800 d
Wasatch Tuscarora- Wolverine MSD A! 8.0 2100
Wasatch Alexander Basin via Butler to Log H MSD A! 7.0Traverse2600 u 3100 d
Wasatch Silver Fork Crest MSD A! 8.0Traverse2200 u 3400 d
Wasatch Maybird Canyon MSD A! 6.5Traverse2440 u 3000 d
Wasatch Porter Fork MSD A! 7.0Traverse2200 u 3400 d
Wasatch Lake Blanche to Big Cottonwood C MSD A! 8.0Traverse2600 u 4600 d
Wasatch Mineral Fork from Alta MSD A! 7.0Traverse2900 u 3500 d
Wasatch Gobbler's Knob via Butler MSD A! 7.0 3140
Wasatch Mt. Raymond via Butler Fork MSD A! 7.0 3140
Wasatch Major Evans MSD A! 9.2 2700
Wasatch Wilson Fork MSD A! 11.0Traverse2600 u 3800 d
Wasatch White Pine from Alta MSD A! 10.8 2700
StansburyVictory Mountain MSD A! 10.0 3800
Uintas Hoyt Peak via Swift's Canyon MSD A 14.0 3530
Uintas Hoyt Peak via Hoyt Canyon MSD A 14.0 3601
StansburyDeseret Peak from Guard Station MSD A! 12.0 4500
Uintas Norway Flats to Smith Morehouse MSD+ A 18.0 2680
Uintas Weber River to Norway Flats MSD+ A 20.0 2800
Daniels Currant Creek Peak MSD+ A 21.0 2800
Wasatch Triple Traverse- Alta to Toll Canyon MSD+ A! 16.0Traverse5700 u 7600 d
Uintas King's Peak (length!) MSD+ A 36.0 6800Very long

SKI-MTN RATINGS
LOCATION ROUTE  RATING * MILESVERTICAL   COMMENT   
Wasatch Mt. Superior SKI-MTN A! 6.0 2700
Wasatch Pfeifferhorn via White Pine Canyon SKI-MTN A!10.0 3700
Wasatch Superior and Monte Carlo from Alta SKI-MTN A!10.0 4810
Wasatch Twin Peaks via Broad's Fork SKI-MTN A!10.0 5100
Wasatch Box Elder peak from Dry Fork SKI-MTN A!12.0 5600
Wasatch Pfeifferhorn from Dry Creek SKI-MTN A!12.0 5630
Wasatch Mt. Nebo from Mona SKI-MTN A!14.0 6700
Wasatch Bells Canyon Supertour Traverse SKI-MTN A!14.0Traverse3500 u 5700 d
Wasatch Lone Peak via Supertour Route SKI-MTN A!16.0 5854
Wasatch Timpanogos from Timpooneke SKI-MTN A!22.0 6500

Editorial Note: Snowshoe and Ski ratings above are listed in order of difficulty, according to this algorithm:
Difficulty = ( M ) + ( 3 * K )
Where:
- M is the round trip miles including tenths, if any.
- K is the thousands of feet of altitude gain including tenths, if any.
For example: Catherine's Lake at 4.4 miles round trip and 1200 feet of altitude gain:
( M ) + ( 3 * K )
( 4.4 ) + ( 3 * 1.2 )
( 4.4 ) + ( 3.6 ) = 8.0
If the outing is labeled as a TOUR, factor the difficulty answer by ( 0.6 ).
Example: Foreman Trail at 4 miles length and an altitude gain of 900 feet calculates as follows:
( M ) + ( 3 * K ) * ( 0.6 )
( 4 ) + ( 3 * .9 ) * ( 0.6 ) = 4
Localized trail conditions may vary throughout the season and affect the actual difficulty on any given day (e.g. trail breaking, icy, bare spots, wind, warm, cold).