Author: Nick Como

4 Alternatives To Winter Activities “There are no bad conditions, only poor preparation.” Or so the saying goes. The allure of glassy lakes, empty trails, and quiet crags makes a winter visit worth a little extra preparation and a couple more layers. This winter, I decided to take that mantra to heart by mixing my sport seasons up a bit. Plus, I would rather do summer sports in winter than vice-versa; skiing on sand just sounds too gritty for me. Paddleboarding The water’s great; come on in, they said. It’ll be fun, they said. And they were right! Living just…

St. George, San Rafael Swell, and Grand Staircase-Escalante Fall, with its cool nights and sunny days, makes for primo desert conditions. Unlike spring, where everyone from the high country is escaping mud season and headed south for some sand and sun, autumn tends to be much quieter among the castles, mesas, and buttes of southern Utah. Sure, the weather is great in the alpine while the leaves are turning, but why not pack the car with some ropes, bikes, and grippy shoes and enjoy a change of scenery before winter tightens its grip? I like to cram as many outdoor…

A Mountain Biking Perspective Late July—the mercury has topped 105 in the Salt Lake Valley, and Park City is nearly pushing triple digits as the heat wave continues to blanket the west. But I really want to ride my bike. The thought of grinding up Jenni’s or Armstrong seems masochistic based on the heat, plus the weight of the amount of water I would have to carry is daunting. But it is cooler up at higher elevations. So, I took a chairlift up, pedaled up to the ridge, and had an awesome downhill ride back into town where my friends…

6 Can’t-miss Summer Events + Adventures Summer means adventure: road trips, camping, concerts, bikes, hikes, boats. You name it; summer has it all. Heck, there’s even skiing into July this season (I’m looking at you Snowbird, Squaw, and Mammoth). I like to combine as many adventures into each of the 13 summer weekends as possible. With several music festivals around the West, more than one of my road road trips will feature mountain tunes with sports gear in tow. Here are my top picks: Snowbird – Brewfest June 15–16 That Father’s Day BBQ you may have been planning? Cancel it.…

Connecting the Dots with the Ski Utah Interconnect Tour The hardest decision to make when skiing in Utah is often, which resort to ski? For the folks who always order the appetizer sampler or suffer from FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), the Ski Utah Interconnect Tour might be for you. What’s an Interconnect Tour? Now in its 35th season, the Interconnect Tour links together Deer Valley, Park City, Brighton, Solitude, Alta Ski Area, and Snowbird ski resorts. Participants can depart from Deer Valley and hit up to six resorts—along with some backcountry terrain—on the way to Snowbird with some uphill…

What We’re Drinking This Winter The Best Booze & Brews in the Wasatch The Beehive State is far from dry—you’ve heard that superlative over and over, often times I’ve sung the same refrain. Now that we know we can get a drink, the question is what to drink, and when and where? From downtown to Park City to the ski hills, here’s what we’ll be sipping on this winter.  Downtown Salt Lake City Craft Cocktails @ Water Witch Find Utah’s best booze and cocktails at downtown’s Water Witch One of the first things you’ll notice upon walking into Water Witch…

Raising Tomorrow’s Rippers, Shredders, and Climbers Think having kids means your adventuring days are over? Far from it. We talk to three families who still get after it—with their children along for the ride. Like Father, Like Son. Like Mother, Like Daughter: The Burkes Park City kids follow in their parent’s bootpack, only to ski right by them. “I don’t take chances now; it’s not worth it when you have a family,” father of two Jay Burke professed this to me many years ago, and I agree. However, we may have different interpretations of risky: earlier that week I followed…

Bike or Hike Within Earshot of Utah’s Best Summer Music Festivals Utah summers offer many blessings: endless singletrack biking trails, rivers and lakes to cool off in, high peaks to hike, and towers to climb in every corner of the state. (We hear there are other temples where blessings can be found indoors too.) The summer music scene is one of Utah’s best gifts, and the shows are typically affordable—or completely free—and have the bonus of BYOB venues with nearby outdoor activities to enjoy before getting your groove on. Try these five outdoor summer music events paired with hiking, biking,…

A First Timer’s Experience Obstacle Course Racing I’m not a runner. It hurts my back, my ankles and my knees. Plus, I get bored. Give me a mountain bike and I’ll head 30 mph downhill on singletrack, thank you very much. Despite that I competed in Utah’s Spartan Super this year, and it’s all because of my coworker Jason. Jason became unexpectedly hooked on Spartan Races by spectating at a race his wife and son competed in. Inspired by the camaraderie of wild-eyed racers charging across open flames, he was all in—registering for races across the country, entering one each…

8 Iconic Winter Dinners Along the Wasatch Winter in Utah is a magical season, and while the holiday season gets all the attention, the final months of winter are ideal in my mind. Milder temps, more sunlight, and still plenty of snowstorms, there are no shortage of things to do. Or eat for that matter. Whether you’re a city dweller or avid skier, these eight Wasatch dinners offer, memorable winter dining that’s worth experiencing before the season ends. So, don your favorite ski sweater—the one you wore it all day on the slopes is perfect—or anything cozy for that matter.…