Beginner terrain
that is good as you develop your backcountry skills and when the avalanche danger is higher. Click for details.
Intermediate
terrain that requires more experience in skinning and skiing. Click for details.
Advanced terrain
that requires strong skiing and skinning skills. Click for details.
Expert terrain that is
challenging and a small mistake can have serious consequences. Click for details.
Extreme terrain
that includes insanely difficult chute skiing and beyond. Click for details.
The difficulty of this terrain
varies widely. Click for details.
This terrain hasn't
been rated. Click for details.
Although this slope was measured, slopes are not homogeneous—this should be considered approximate. Click for details.
This slope angle was not measured. If you get an accurate slope measurement, please send it to me at info@vRigger.com.
The slope angle varies widely. Click for details.
This is the general direction the slope faces. Click for details.
The Utah Avalanche Center says that dangerous avalanches are not expected in this terrain except during extreme or very unusual conditions. Click for details.
The Utah Avalanche Center says that this is generally low-angle terrain although the route may cross under steep avalanche runout zones. Click for details.
The Utah Avalanche Center says that this terrain has significant exposure to numerous commonly-occurring avalanche paths. Click for details.
The Utah Avalanche Center says that this terrain is exposed to significant avalanche hazards often with multiple terrain traps. Click for details.
This terrain can be accessed by resort skiers without skins. Click for details.
This terrain can be accessed by resort skiers without skins. Snowmobiles are allowed. Click for details.
This terrain is commonly skied by helicopter skiers. Click for details.
This terrain is commonly skied by helicopter skiers and by resort skiers without skins. Click for details.
This terrain is commonly skied by helicopter skiers, by resort skiers without skins, and by snowmobilers. Click for details.
This terrain is commonly skied by helicopter skiers. Snowmobiles are allowed. Click for details.
Snowmobiles are allowed in this terrain. Click for details.
Ride to the top of the
Milly chairlift (or skin there pre- or post-season). The backcountry gate will be about 50 feet in front of you as you get off the lift. There is an "Are You Beeping" transceiver test station at the gate (which is provided by the
Utah Avalanche Center).
Brighton has an "open gate" policy and does not close their backcountry access gates based on avalanche conditions—kudos to Brighton. They do, however, close the backcountry gates at 3 pm (an hour before the lifts close) to reduce the likelihood of a backcountry rescue when the ski patrol is busy shutting down the resort. They also close the gates when the ski patrol is involved in a backcountry rescue. The exception to Brighton's "open gate" policy is they close the Milly Backcountry Gate when the avalanche danger is so high that someone going out the gate might trigger an avalanche that would affect in-area skiers (i.e., people in Milly Bowl).