The moon is looking right...

Last week, the conditions were right for a full moon tour. Every month during the winter when the moon is big, it's always a great idea to go for a little backcountry ski at night. Most of the time its snowing during the winter, but this year we've had more high pressure in Utah than I hope to ever see again. So we had epic conditions for full moon skiing, I'll take that for once...



^We hung out on a ridge top for the sunset, and then dropped in for big run at twilight.


^with the avalanche conditions as tricky as they are right now, we are not riding anything extreme. This, for a few thousand feet is about as good as it gets right now. We dropped in under the glow of the twilight blue hour, and by the time we reached the car the moon was out at 90%.


^the following night, under strong high pressure and a nearly full moon at 98%, we had an incredible hike into the alpine. It was so bright, headlamps were not needed, and one of the only times they were used was to make this photo.

trying to survive a winter...

Deadly avalanche conditions continue in Utah, and the surrounding Rocky Mountains. At this point, I'm just trying to survive this winter, without being lured into any traps. Self control is critical, and while we're not skiing any big lines in Utah this winter, I'm taking the chance to practice good decision making, and of course patience... but that doesn't mean there isn't some amazing powder runs to be hit in the backcountry...



Take the following video, viewed by more than 12,000 people in about 2 days. Im literally just cutting a block of snow, big deal. But what it represents is clear, if you tap the wrong slope in the wrong way, you're fucking dead.

1/29/12 Snowpack stability on the PC ridgeline, Utah from The Provo Bros on Vimeo.

^crossing through a very strange group of Aspen trees, as they looked on.


^ripping skins in the Uintas, ALWAYS leads to something good


^sometimes the best powder stashes are heavily guarded. Its kind of like slalom skiing, except there is pow, and if you hit any of the gates your out of the contest for good. Key here is avoid the shadows, ride towards the light

Steelhead & Spines!

Just over a decade ago, my brother Neil and I began a new life in Utah and started down a path that we knew would someday lead us to places like British Columbia and Alaska. This spring we have a plan to travel further north on the path than we've ever been before, to experience the greatest big mountain riding and steelhead fishing the world has to offer, in one journey. 

Sometime in March we will begin our long drive to the mountainous spine riding capitol of the world, Haines, AK. Our goal here is to make our first turns down an Alaskan mountain, while participating in an expedition with six others who are also on the same path ( more on this expedition later... ). 

After what is hopefully a successful ski trip, we'll begin part two of the quest and hopefully bring another lifelong dream to reality. This part involves taking a ferry from Haines down through the North Coast of B.C, eventually arriving in Prince Rupert, British Columbia. It is here where we enter the most fabled steelheading waters on the planet. We will explore the Skeena and its tributaries, and our timing should be perfect for the spring return of the wild steelhead. 

I'm really hopeful that this will evolve into our greatest film project yet, but with any self supported project there will certainly be obstacles along the way. We're going to need all the help we can get! feel free to contact me (ijprovo at hotmail.com) for more information...

Armada SKis @ Retallack Lodge 2012.... like a dream

Its been like ground hog day in Utah for the last 3 months. Wake up, not a cloud in the sky, and absolutely no snow anywhere in sight. I couldn't have been more excited for this annual trip to Retallack, where I knew it was firing and I could escape this devastating drought. The trip was a major tease, and it was kind of like a dream, for more reasons than I could ever describe. It's like I went to sleep in Utah, arrived in this snowglobe winter wonderland in the Interior of BC, skied blower snow for three days without a cloud in the sky, and then my dream turned into a nightmare when I woke up in Utah again. No snow. It was a very surreal trip, maybe not sleeping much for 4 days has added to the illusion. But I know for sure it definitely happened, there were photos on my leica when I got home....


^Goat Range, BC, its on the list, believe me.


What was crazy about this trip, was that I spent over 65 days at this very place last winter, and I never saw one bluebird day like we saw on day 2 of this trip. Lucky we were.


^Johnny Five, master of the joke, keeper of the stoke. Rockin the same toque as last year.


^ Pretty strait forward here, bounce all the way to the end and hope there's a nice place to land. Skiing on the all new Armada Bubba's here. I feel like the mayans prophesied that in the year 2012 I would have these ultimate skis to sacrifice snow pillows for the good of man and to bring even more prosperous snow falls. Maybe not, but these are next level.