Info About the Kesler Peak and its East Chute
The East Chute on Kesler Peak is a sticking line within the heart of the Wasatch Range. In an area known for easy access this line is one of the most direct. Leaving the Big Cottonwood Canyon Road the route climbs Argenta Slide Path for a sustained 3,000 vertical feet. All of the slopes are one big avalanche trap with one line being named “Gods Lawnmower so it must be down in stable conditions. Once on top of Kesler Peak you can look down the tight entrance of the East Chute which descends into Mill D South Fork Valley.
Ski Touring up Argenta to the summit
The storm had started the previous day and raged through the night. By now visibility was limited up high but with less then a foot of new snow snow conditions were still relatively stable. Wanting to make the most out of my time in the Wasatch we left Big Cottonwood Canyon at the base of Kesler Peak. We skinned up an area called Argenta sticking to the side of the open slide path.
Before long we reached the Summit of Kesler Peak and started transitioning. Looking directly down the East side was a narrow couloir. I was both excited and nervous as Steve and Eric set up there Spiltboards.
Snowboarding down the East Chute of Kesler Peak
I snowboarded down the choke section first before traversing to a safe spot. While visibility was bad there were rock walls to help with contrast. Each turn would kick up plumes of snow. From what I had heard it was a bad season in Utah but I had arrived for the first big storm in quite a while.
Once we were all through the crux of the East Chute on Mount Kessler the terrain opened up below us. Below us was 2,200 feet to the Mill D South Fork valley. There was just the right amount of snow as nothing was bluffing or slabbing but we made sure to ride one at a time.
It seemed the lower we got the more the snow improved. Arriving in the lower basin the terrain allowed for us to make high speed turns. Following the open terrain all the way to the valley we made our way to a summer road before traversing all the way back to the Big Cottonwood Canyon.
While visibility was limited the snow had more then made up for it. I was most surprised by the amount of vert the run provided. The fact that we were able to skin over 3,200 feet directly from the car in less then two hours was a rare feat in the Cascade Mountains during the winter. Without the knowledge of Steve and Eric there is no one I would have gone for the East Chute of Kesler Peak on my 3rd day ski touring in the Wasatch Mountains.
Thank you for reading this trip report and to Bucky for putting on the Wasatch Splitboard Festival.
If you are ever touring in the Wasatch Backcountry make sure to keep up with avalanche conditions by follow the Utah Avalanche Center