Little Water Peak paired with Crazy Mountain Amber Ale

Posted on March 8, 2012 by BrewSki

Crazy Mountain Amber Ale on Little Water Peak - Wasatch Mountains, Utah.

Little Water Peak is a 9,605-foot mountain that lives between Mill Creek and Big Cottonwood Canyons in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains. While this tree freckled, rounded mound isn’t the most grand looking peak in the world, it makes up for its shortcomings with a bit more difficult access, stellar views, and great backcountry skiing in the winter. Of course any peak, dramatically huge or diminutive, is deserving of a Summit Brew, and so we gave this nondescript hill something crazy, with a Crazy Mountain Amber Ale.

Like many ski touring parties out for a long tour in Mill D North Fork, we ascended Little Water for the peak-bagging experience, and to ski down her somewhat benign southeastern face (prudent to to the considerable avalanche danger that day.)

We began by parking and gearing up in the Spruces Campground and walking across the Big Cottonwood Canyon highway to the Mill D trailhead. In the winter months, this is the more popular way to get to Little Water, but in the summer access from Dog Lake via Big Water Gulch in Mill Creek is the way to go.

Little Water Peak as seen from the summit of Reynolds Peak.

We skinned up and skied the trail that winds through summer cabins and up Mill D until it split to the left enroute to Dog Lake. We made quick work of it and first ascended Reynolds Peak where Brewddah enjoyed a Summit Brew of his own. Across the valley to the north, we could see Little Water Peak, just begging to be ascended as well. So we made haste, skied soft snow into Butler Fork, made another lap into Big Water Gulch, then began our ascent up Little Water Peak.

Brewddah skins up Little Water Peak. Gobbler's Knob towers in the background.

The skinning from there was simple enough as an old track ascended through the widely-spaced aspen trees. The climb was long, but provided views of Mill D, Big Water, Mill Creek Canyon, and Dog Lake as it lay frozen below. Soon after cresting tree line, we switchbacked over a rocky face on shallow snowpack, kick-turning around bushes poking up from the surface. This led us to a false summit that felt devastating as exhaustion from a full day on the snow and in the sun sapped our energy. This also meant I had to climb some more before cracking open the beer that had been calling to me since the start of the trip. Luckily, that fake peak wasn’t far from the true summit, and the skinning was mostly low angle and easy.

Once the summit of Little Water Peak was reached and we all had a bite to eat, I withdrew from my pack the aptly named Crazy Mountain Amber Ale from the Crazy Mountain Brewery in Edwards, Colorado and drank deep in celebration of an excellent backcountry ski day.

Crazy Mountain Amber Ale

Crazy Mountain Amber Ale

I love discovering new breweries in the Mountain West, so imagine my delight when my wife and I stumbled upon the Crazy Mountain Brewery while driving through Edwards, Colorado. This little brewery is tucked under an industrial building just off I-70, and featured a funky tap room and canning line in the back. After tasting some samples, I asked for a sixer of their excellent Amber Ale. As chance would have it, they were canning the amber that morning and pulled a newborn right off the line.

Crazy Mountain Amber Ale is a rare beer that tastes better in the can, especially from atop mountain summits.

Beer as fresh as this has to taste good, and boy does it. While Crazy Mountain is an amber ale by name, the hop head in me delights at the floral qualities of this beer that hit you right off the bat. It’s a very hoppy beer and reminds me of the Big Cottonwood Amber Ale from Squatters, which also features a hoppy, but not bitter, character. But while hops prevail and make the Crazy Mountain not “true to style” for an amber, the malt foundation does keep everything balanced and in check.

In the glass, it didn’t have much head or lacing, but went down smooth and easy. I find a lot of amber ales to be so malty that they’re not very “sessionable,” but Crazy Mountain’s amber is clean and refreshing while still imparting all the qualities you’d expect from the style.

Weeks before the ascent of Little Water Peak, I shared one with a friend while tailgating after a ski day. Upon pulling the can from the cooler, he exlaimed, “that’s one dank-ass looking beer!” Sure, the can makes it look like a dank hippy brew, but this is one beer that is anything but. In fact, Crazy Mountain Amber Ale is the rare beer that I think tastes better in the can than in a glass, making it the ideal brew to stocking the cooler with for a day’s adventure.

Crazy Mountain Amber Ale comes in 6-pack cans and is 5.2% ABV with an IBU of 25. For more, visit the brewery at www.crazymountainbrewery.com

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Reynolds Peak and Uinta Yard Sale

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Brewddha

No Yard Sales in the backcountry? Just an easy drinking beer in some easy skiing snow.

Choosing a name for a brew can sometimes be as important as concocting the recipe (just ask the folks at New Belgium if they think the name “Fat Tire” hasn’t added to the marketability of their beer to cyclists).  So Uinta Brewing struck a resounding note… or should I say “crash”, when they named their winter lager “Yard Sale”.

I don’t recall where I first tasted their gently spiced seasonal beer, but I know that no sooner had the title been uttered by my server, that I had made up my mind to try it.

Yard Sale accompanied me on a mid-February backcountry marathon that saw BrewSki and me spend over 7 hours touring an area between Big Cottonwood and Mill Creek Canyons in the Wasatch Mountains.  We parked at the Spruces Campground, a common launch point for many skiers, and joined Mill D North Fork via a skin track that starts on the other side of the highway.  I find this trail one of the more monotonous approaches in the Wasatch.  It is mostly flat and my thoughts are dominated by the horror of skiing out on the icy track, but it does lead to a great variety of terrain.  After you skin past the cabins, the vegetation becomes a mix of brush and mini-aspen, not the majestic groves of trees you get on a trail like Beartrap Fork, however, looking ahead you will see numerous uptracks leading to Tom’s Hill to the left or Short Swing on the right.  Straight ahead is the patchy south face of Little Water Peak.

Reaching Dog Lake and looking up at Reynolds.

A mile and a half from the trailhead, we arrived at a junction where a trail heads northwest to Dog Lake and another journeys northeast to Lake Desolation.  We headed left to Dog Lake and the path slowly gained elevation as it narrowed in between the north slopes of Tom’s Hill and the western flanks of Little Water Peak.  At 8,700′, we reached Dog Lake and saw the almost entirely bare slopes of Reynolds Peak.

At 9,422′, Reynolds, while not a giant of the Wasatch, should not be taken lightly.  We could see tracks on it’s beautiful east bowl but all agreed that skiing a line like that given the current avalanche conditions was a risky endeavor.

It took about 1 hour and 20 minutes to make Dog Lake, but with the whole day to ski, we were just beginning.  Skinning up the steep, treed north ridge or Reynolds that points right at the lake, we reached our first summit of the day by 11am.

BrewSki about halfway up Reynolds. Little Water Peak in the background.

Our plan was to traverse west of the summit and ski down one of the gentle gullies that head down the peaks north aspect and into the upper reaches of Butler Fork.  But first a summit brew.

There can be a lot of caution in my tongue when I first drink a winter seasonal.  For many beers, that means lots of nutmeg, cinnamon or other spice notes.  While those flavors do have their place, Yard Sale’s appeal is in its simple, hearty flavor that doesn’t overpower you with any single note.  A little scrutiny reveals some caramel and light vanilla, but what I get most from this lager is a sweeter note that stays dry and has a slight hint of hops.  The malt seems well rounded.  Overall, the impression I have of this beer is, “not heavy”.  Yard Sale keeps you drinking while having just enough winter character to feel unique.

Tipping back a Yard Sale on the top of Reynolds Peak.

After digging a snowpit and feeling pretty good about the snowpack on this aspect of the mountain, we skied about a thousand feet down through sparse pine and medium sized aspen on well-tracked but soft, north facing snow.  As the pines gave way to more aspens, the bottom flattened out and a ridge on the northeast side of the drainage separated us from the Big Water Gulch in Mill Creek Canyon.  We put the skins back on and continued with our tour with the first Yard Sale already out of the way.

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Tom’s Hill paired with Moab Brewery Rocket Bike American Lager

Posted on February 5, 2012 by BrewSki

Moab Brewery Rocket Bike Lager atop Tom's Hill

Tom’s Hill may not be on the radar for hikers in the summer months, but come winter, this little mound in the center of Big Cottonwood Canyon’s Mill D South Fork is a popular backcountry ski area. Open spaces, glades, and low-angle slopes are the main features of this little knob amongst larger brothers like Reynolds and Little Water Peaks. But its diminutive size (9,040 feet) is what sets Tom’s Hill apart and makes it especially appealing during those high avalance danger days. Tom’s Hill is also an excellent location to bang out a quick Summit Brew with a local beer like the Moab Brewery’s Rocket Bike American Lager, which recently hit store shelves in tall-boy cans.

So it came to pass that Brewddah and I, along with our friend, Jake, parked in the Spruces campground parking lot and skinned up Mill D with Tom’s Hill in our sights. The avalanche danger was considerable that day, so it was prudent for us to ascend a mountain covered in low-angle, protected tree shots that anchor the snowpack.

The trail begins on the north side of the highway, across from the campground. From there, it winds its way up through a collection of summer cabins and A-frames. But before long, the path enters more pristine terrain filled with aspen groves, a small, frozen creek, and the southeast face of Tom’s Hill covered in scrub brush and small trees.

Life or Death? The choice is yours in Mill D.

After about a mile and a half, we came to a fork at a sign that had seen better days. From past experience, I knew that it told travelers that the right fork continues on to Desolation Lake, while the left ascends to Dog Lake in Mill Creek Canyon. However, those directions changed to “Life” on the left and “Death” on the right. Lucky for us, Tom’s Hill was on the left, so we chose Life and continued on.

Brewddah climbs to the summit of Tom's Hill.

Soon after making our high-consequences decision, we found the correct skin track that disappeared into the pines enroute to Tom’s Hill. From there, the going was tough as the terrible snowpack our winter of 2011/12 had given us meant wallowing in sugary facets that our climbing skins found little purchase on. So we struggled up and cut new paths where it was easier for our skis to stick as we climbed up an open space of snow that leads directly to the summit.

Along with the faceted snow, we also dealt with bitter cold as Brewddah’s thermometer read 0-degrees – not exactly the kind of temperature that cries out for consumption of ice-cold beer atop a windblown peak. Nonetheless, we reached the top and took in the view of Mill D from on high and (with gloved hands) I pulled out my beer.

Moab Brewery Rocket Bike American Lager

I’ve long been a fan of the beers churned out from the Moab Brewery, and was especially fond of the Scorpion Pale Ale. But my favorite has always been their Steamer Lager, which wasn’t distributed to stores, and was difficult to find on tap unless you went to the brewery itself. Well, imagine my joy when I heard that the Moab Brewery changed their production line from bottles to cans, and are now stocking store shelves with their excellent steamer-style beer.

Enjoying a Moab Brewery Rocket Bike American Lager atop Tom's Hill on a cold-ass day.

Labeled as the Rocket Bike American Lager, this steamer beer harkens back to the 1880s, before refrigeration was commonplace. Of course lager beers have to ferment at colder temperatures, so a special yeast strain was used in California that allowed a lager to ferment in warm temperatures. The result is known as a California Steamer, made popular by the Anchor Steam Brewing Company. Well, Moab’s version of the steamer lager is true to style as it’s malty, highly quaffable, very smooth and has no dank aftertaste. This is no ordinary yellow lager.

Moab Brewery Rocket Bike American Lager in the glass.

In the glass, the Rocket Bike pours a light amber color, made possible from the use of roasted barley. Ample lacing on sides of glass convey a beer that lasts with a semi-thick head oozing with a nice, Cascade hop aroma. The taste is very unusual as steamer beers have a distinct flavor which is far more yummy than a typical lager. In fact, I’d say Moab’s Rocket Bike is a rare species that tastes just as good in the can as it does in the glass. It’s the perfect post-skiing brew to enjoy while sitting on a tailgate in the sun.

So if you’re a fan of Anchor Steam, you’re likely to love the Moab Rocket Bike Lager as well. It comes in 4 packs of 16-ounce cans and is 4% ABV.

For more from the Moab Brewery, check them out at www.themoabbrewery.com

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Gettin’ a Fix on Patsy Marley- Epic Hopulent IPA

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Brewddha

Epic Hopulent IPA looking west across Little Cottonwood Canyon

Desperate times in the Wasatch.  If you are a skier living in Salt Lake this year, you know what I’m talking about.  We are really jonesing for snow.  The “day count” for BrewSki and I lags well behind last season as we frantically try to get our fix on any patch of white in the surrounding mountains.  For those of you unaware, this has been the worst ski season since 1976.  Considering my birth in April of that year post-dates the start of the ’75-76 ski season, saying this is the worst ski season I’ve experienced is warranted– and that includes 23 years in the icy purgatory of Wisconsin and New York.

While carving and scraping our way down the bulletproof, brown stained snow frustrates me to know end, I’m still trying to take this in stride.  So what does one do?  Well, you ski on… but you find other ways to make it worth your while.  For BrewSki and I, that involved skinning up Grizzly Gulch in Little Cottonwood to “summit” Patsy Marley Ridge and have an Epic Hopulent IPA.

Epic stands as one of my favorite Utah breweries, but with all of their beers coming in 24 ounce bottles, it’s been rare that an Epic has joined me on a summit.  Considering Hopulent’s 9% ABV, you can see why we reserved this beer for a joint venture.

Patsy Marley Ridge (and yes, I realize that calling this a “summit” might be stretching the standards of SummitBrew somewhat) lies at the end of Little Cottonwood Canyon and can be approached by Grizzly Gulch.  The ridge creates the eastern dividing line between Little Cottonwood and Big Cottonwood Canyons just beyond Alta.  Alta normally grooms a trail on the boundary of their resort that you can skin up to avoid the narrow gulch at the bottom, but after you get above the homes on the side of the hill, follow the powerline into the trees.  The skin track is fairly obvious.  From there, we headed to Twin Lakes Pass, just above Brighton, and cut straight south on the ridgeline to approach the top of Patsy Marley.

The top of Patsy Marley is just over 10, 500′ with a few skiable lines, even in a good year.  We commonly ski the north face that drains back into Grizzly and normally holds good snow.  The west face is rocky and barely has enough snow to make it worthwhile.  The east side of the ridge drains into the Wolverine Cirque and is also a little rocky.

Any day when the valley is choked like this is a great day to be in the mountains.

However, like most summits in the Wasatch, the view struck me in a happy place no matter which direction I looked.  And when we pulled an Epic beer out of my pack, it got even better.

The wind, usually a full blown gale, was calmer than normal and the smog in the valley below seemed so far away.  Here we were touching the blue sky and sharing a beer with Ullr, the Norse god of snow and hoping he would grant us a few storms.

BrewSki descends the northern bowl of Patsy Marley

Hopulent pours out of it’s oversized brown bottle and tops the cloudy orange body with fairly thick head.  The color of the beer is dense, almost milky and a deep inhale of the glass carries a little sweetness along with the bitter hop aroma.  The creamy head rewards you and contrasts nicely with the consistent hop flavor.  There is no receding or building in the sips.  This beer brings a steady, bitter flavor all the way through.  As I told Brewski while we were drinking, “This beer doesn’t leave any doubt that it means business, but it does it without slamming you in the face.”  The hoppiness is not overwhelming.  Notes of lemon are followed by a buttery finish that rounds the sip out nicely.  There are many local brews featuring a higher than normal hop content, but this one has been my favorite so far because it seems to maintain a drinkable quality.  Brewski and I completed our shares of the beer after pouring some out for Ullr and set down the mountain.  The snow on the north face of Patsy Marley left a little to be desired, windblown and crusty, but the beautiful day and great beer made for a rewarding summitBrew none the less.

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Mount Van Cott paired with Four Peaks Kilt Lifter

Posted on December 26, 2011 by BrewSki

Kilt Lifter on the summit of Mount Van Cott

On a previous Summit Brew trip, I hiked to the top of Mount Wire with the Kilt Lifter from Pike Brewing out of Seattle. Well, there’s another Kilt Lifter beer out there, courtesy of Four Peaks Brewing Company, located in Tempe, Arizona. So with this Kilt Lifter Scottish Ale from the American Southwest in my pack, I decided to hike another Salt Lake foothills peak; this time Mount Van Cott, Mount Wire’s neighboring peak to the north.

Mount Van Cott

Mount Van Cott is an unassuming mountain with a summit elevation of 6,348 feet that looms over the University of Utah, directly behind University Hospital and the Huntsman Cancer Institute. While Mount Van Cott is small in stature, it’s still a worthy hike for a morning or late afternoon and can be accomplished in less than two hours on a good day.

Mount Van Cott, with a fork in the trail. Taking the left fork here gets you to the top of the peak.

There are many ways to the top of the mountain thanks to the urban masses scrambling to the top, bush-whacking up in the most direct way possible. But for this Summit Brew, I needed to find an easy way, following the path of least resistance to avoid any unnecessary workout. So with my dog, Lucy, in tow, we parked in a tiny parking lot above the Jewish Community Center by the U, and hiked up the old jeep road toward Dry Creek Canyon in search of a leisurely path to the top.

Lucy has a good time on the trail to Mount Van Cott. The peak can be seen behind her.

Turns out, the easy way is the most obvious and well traveled, though perhaps difficult to navigate with the plethora of side trails that spiderweb around the Bonneville Shoreline Trail above the city. Basically, after following the jeep double track up a bit, a steep trail on the right appears and links up with the Shoreline Trail. A left turn took us up toward the foot of the mountain. At a critical juncture, however, a left turn onto a singletrack trail is the key, as continuing right will only allow you traverse on the Shoreline toward Emigration Canyon. We chose this singletrack which soon widens as it switchbacks straight up the side and follows the ridge all the way to the top of Mount Van Cott.

Following the ridgeline was actually an awesome hike. The low angle slopes meant an easy stroll with good views looking down into Dry Creek to the north. On this day, a fresh dusting of snow covered the land, but left the trail dry. The city spread out below, but a thick fog shrouded it in white while it muffled all urban sounds. The effect felt like Mount Van Cott was remote, a mountain hidden among swirling clouds and frost.

The summit saddle of Mount Van Cott, covered in frost under a thick bank of Scottish-style fog.

As we neared the top, I decided that a Scottish style ale like the Four Peaks Kilt Lifter was very appropriate for the setting. I imagined I was on a walkabout in the Scottish Highlands, cutting through fog on ancient, crumbling mountains for the chance to drink a fine brew. And when Lucy and I topped out on Mount Van Cott with noting but a damp cloud as company, the Kilt Lifter may as well have been playing bagpipes.

Four Peaks Kilt Lifter Scottish Ale

Four Peaks Brewing Kilt Lifter

As I drank my Kilt Lifter, I was amused by the contrast of foggy Scottish Highlands meeting the convection-oven Arizona desert by way of this Scottish Style Ale from Four Peaks Brewing Company in Tempe. It may seem an odd regional pairing, but the Kilt Lifter is actually the brewery’s flagship beer, and has the distinction of being the brew that made them famous. In fact, Four Peaks implies that Kilt Lifter may even have been brewed by men wearing kilts, which makes me wonder if hairnets are even available for… you know… down there.

Making like Braveheart and downing a Scottish brew in the foggy highlands.

Four Peak Brewing Company first brewed Kilt Lifter in the 1990s, in comparison to Scotland’s brewing history that dates back 5,000 years. The style is supposedly distinguished by its malty rather than hoppy flavors because of the Celtic tradition of using bittering herbs while everyone else in Europe was brewing with hops. However, this assumption is disputed by historians of the beer persuasion who claim the Scots imported many hop varieties from around the world, and brewed their libations with just as many hops as the Brits. Despite all that, modern American “Scottish Style Ale” is generally determined as an ale brewed with less hops to create a more malty flavor.

I’m going to let the experts haggle over the finer points of Scottish Style Ale history and instead focus on the Kilt Lifter itself. My intrigue over the beer was sparked by a mental image of thatched huts filled with bearded men pouring foamy grog into leather goblets to a soundtrack of dissonant bagpipes. So I decided to take a look under the hood, er… kilt to discover for myself if this Scottish Style Ale has an impressive constitution, or simply goes limp.

Four Peaks Kilt Lifter in a glass.

Turns out there aren’t many big surprises under this yeasty, plaid man-skirt. Upon pouring the brew into a pint glass, I first noticed the deep amber, almost copper color topped by about a finger of head. The foam disappeared quickly but left behind a clean, malty nose.

Taste-wise, the beer had a lively carbonation on the tongue coupled with a slightly sweet flavor. Toasty and somewhat nutty notes comprised an aftertaste that went down smooth with a clean finish, leaving just a touch of bitterness behind thanks to 21 IBUs. Ho! There’s hops in there after all!

The Kilt Lifter isn’t as full bodied as other Scottish style ales I’ve consumed over the years, but the beer makes up for that with its drinkability. After all, who wants to down a heavy beer while sweltering in the unbearable Arizona heat anyway? This session-like quality resulted in my research being moved to the backyard where three Kilt Lifters were downed in an afternoon. And with an ABV of 6.0%, the Kilt Lifter imparted a feeling of manliness (much to the chagrin of my neighbors) that would make a face painted, sword-wielding Mel Gibson proud. The only thing missing was a leather goblet in my gauntlet-clad hand.

Kilt Lifter is available in six-pack bottles all over Arizona, and can always be found on tap at the Four Peaks Brewing Company in Tempe, Arizona. For more, visit www.fourpeaks.com

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Twin Lakes Pass paired with New Belgium Snow Day

Posted on December 3, 2011 by BrewSki

New Belgium Snow Day on Twin Lakes Pass - Alta, Utah.

Okay, Twin Lakes Pass isn’t really a summit in the strictest sense, but it is a named high point in the Wasatch Mountains and is one way to link the towns of Alta and Brighton between Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons. The start of this hike was motivated by a need to beg Ullr, Norse God of Snow, to please, for all that is cold and powdery, make copious amounts of snow fall in Utah. To supplement my plea, I brought along a beer with an appropriate name – Snow Day from New Belgium Brewing.

The high point destination of the day was supposed to be Patsy Marley, a 10,500 foot peak that lords over Grizzly Gulch north of Alta. But thanks to the terrible, wind-blown snow conditions, nobody wanted to ski with me, so I set out alone. Of course, there’s nothing safe about backcountry skiing solo, and the sight of Patsy Marley’s frozen north face spring-loaded with considerable avalanche danger curbed any ambitions I had to deliver Ullr prayers atop a mountain. So Twin Lakes Pass became a stand-in, and I hope Ullr doesn’t look down on this transgression with anger.

To begin, I started at the upper Albion parking lot in Alta. The morning was unseasonably warm, but the view of Mount Superior at sunrise provided an inspiring backdrop as I buckled on my ski boots. The trail starts at Albion winter gate, where nordic skiers, snowshoers and backcountry skiers access the upper reaches of Alta’s backcountry terrain. I skinned alone up the groomed road, and was occasionally passed by Alta workers on snowmobiles. After a short distance, the tracks curved to the left and ascended to the mouth of Grizzly Gulch where quaint homes dot the mountainside beneath the grandeur of Wasatch peaks.

Mount Superior

A steep, icy switchback climbed up a steep hill above the houses where I could imagine myself waking up and sipping my morning coffee while gazing at Superior from picture windows. Ah, to be so lucky. Then again, I was there looking at the view anyway, and only paid for gear and gas to get there. After daydreaming of mountain cabins, I entered Grizzly Gulch and continued on.

Twin Lakes Pass approach.

Grizzly Gulch was once home to an old mining town and is still dotted with evidence of its past. Mine tailing and rusted metal is everywhere, and due to the low snow levels, were easily seen. As I plodded along the road that is typically groomed in deeper times, I scanned the mountainsides, longingly tracing ski lines through forests and down steep faces that were today lousy with rocks and wind affected snow.

After a short hour or so, I reached the top of Twin Lakes Pass at an elevation of 9,997 feet. The entire time, I never saw a single other person. Clearly I was the only one crazy enough to try and ski in these sad conditions. But, the view from the pass was worth the short hike up. Twin Lakes sat frozen below Wolverine Cirque, where the snow levels seemed even worse. Across the way, Brighton’s Millicent Lift sat un-running. Down Little Cottonwood Canyon, Superior continued to hold court as skiers began to trickle in at Snowbird and Alta far below. It was time for action. From my back pack I pulled a New Belgium Snow Day, took a drink, and poured Ullr’s share on the bare ground. Along with the offering, I prayed that Ullr be generous and bring us some snow storms. If a beer called Snow Day doesn’t do the trick, then we may be doomed.

New Belgium Snow Day Winter Ale

Snow Day Winter Ale consumed where more snow is needed.

I’m originally from Colorado, and having spent my college years during the time that microbrews, led by Fat Tire, started to take the nation by storm, my affection for New Belgium beers remains strong. So when these alchemists from Fort Collins whip up a brand new concoction, I try to wrap my lips around one in rabid fashion. Such was the case with New Belgium’s Snow Day, a seasonal Winter Ale that is sadly replacing one of my old holiday favorites, 2° Below Ale.

Luckily, upon my first sip of Snow Day, my sadness for 2° Below flew away as Snow Day is a much better beer. It’s darker, fuller in body, and most important, hoppier. The beer even has a fun backstory, as printed on the label. “With 3 feet of powder closing the roads, a brewery is not a bad place to get snowed in. Given the unanticipated hall pass of a snow day, our brewers decided to experiment. Hmm… what about this dark caramel roasted Midnight Wheat braced with a serious load of Styrian Goldings, Centennial and Cascade hops? Shovel it in. What a deliciously unexpected way to spend a snow day!”

Deep, dark color and thick head of Snow Day in a glass.

Well fa la la la la! Snow Day is definitely a winter beer, full of dark, hearty flavors like roasted malts, chocolate, and even hints of dried fruit. On top of a mountain pass it was the perfect beer to consume in a cold wind.

In the glass, Snow Day pours a very dark, almost black color. But held up to the light, you can see a deep ruby highlight. A thick, tan head disappeared quickly but left nice lacing on the glass when consumed.

The beer has a surprisingly complex profile. New Belgium says they used a new brewing malt called Midnight Wheat. I really like it a lot as it sets up a very flavorful base to the beer that’s about as “roasty” as any beer I’ve tasted… almost like black toast. But there are plenty of citrus hops that round out the roasted malts really well. In fact, this may be the most hopped up winter beer I can remember drinking… almost like a black IPA.

It may sound like Snow Day is a heavy beer, but despite all that’s going on it’s still really drinkable and smooth. Hopefully Ullr appreciates it as much as I did, because after enjoying this Summit Brew on Twin Lakes Pass, the ski back down to the car was more like ice skating. Until we actually get the snow day we’re due in northern Utah, I’ll just have to drink some more New Belgium Snow Day and bide my time.

New Belgium Snow Day Winter Ale is 6.2% ABV with a 55 IBU. For more, visit www.newbelgium.com

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Mount Wire paired with Pike Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale

Posted on November 10, 2011 by BrewSki

Pike Kilt Lifter - a Summit Brew atop Mount Wire.

Mount Wire is a small mountain that overlooks the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. From afar, this brown mound isn’t much to look at. Hell, most people don’t even know this unassuming peak has a name. But what Mount Wire lacks in prestige, it more than makes up for with steep trails, nice views of the valley, and a roomy top with plenty of room to stretch out and enjoy a relaxing summit brew, like the Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale from Pike Brewing.

Mount Wire

The hike to Mount Wire begins at the top of Research Park at the University of Utah near Red Butte Garden and the new Utah Museum of Natural History. Most people park their cars on the street and take one of many trailheads to the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. Just as there are options for trailheads, there are also many ways to ascend to the top of Mount Wire.

Mount Wire as seen from Research Park at the University of Utah.

The day I hiked to the top, it was ahead of a winter storm heading toward Utah. The goal was to get one last hike in before the coming of hard winter. So I grabbed the dog, packed the brew, and set out to hike Mount Wire on a trail I’ve never used before.

The typical way to hike Mount Wire is via the famous “Living Room,” that ever popular setting half-way up the slopes of the mountain where furniture built from stone provides a comfortable place to watch the sunset with a picnic or bottle of wine. From there, the trail continues up the small valley behind a sub peak where the Living Room resides, then around the north side of Mount Wire to the top. This standard route is less steep than other paths, but longer.

Lucy walks up one of the steeper trails that lead to the summit of Mount Wire.

Due to a lack of time, I needed a quicker way, so I marched up a trail that climbs straight up the mountain’s west face. And damn is it steep. Steep and loose. In fact, the route is so steep, that I wished I had brought my trekking poles along just for balance on the crumbling dirt. But the trail certainly was direct, and Lucy and I quickly found ourselves far above the valley floor.

Sage and Gamble Oak litter the sides of the mountain, leaving open views of the surrounding Wasatch and Oquirrh Mountains. The Great Salt Lake glittered in the distance, and the low hum of a teeming city provided the soundtrack of a bruiser of a leg-burning stomp fest.

Two passive microwave repeaters stand guard near the summit of Mount Wire.

After about an hour and fifteen minutes, we reached the 7,137 foot summit of Mount Wire. Two defunct passive microwave repeaters are the main feature of the summit, which were once used to bounce radio signals over the mountains to remote parts of Utah. Also at the top is a old air beacon used long ago by pilots flying over the area. After taking pictures of these structures and having a snack, it was high time to break out the beer and toast the coming of winter with a Summit Brew.

Pike Kilt Lifter Scotch Style Ruby Ale

Pike Brewing Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale with downtown Salt Lake City far below.

Kilt Lifter Scotch Style Ruby Ale comes from Pike Brewing Company in Seattle, Washington. Right from the first sip, you can tell this beer builds its flavor on malts instead of hops. In fact, the malt profile is so complex and layered, it almost tastes like you’re drinking a loaf of flavorful, yeasty bread. Other prominent flavors are of caramel with a bit of a nutty taste. The Scotch name is true, as the brew is remeniscient of scotch with a subtle smoky tang. There’s also a distinct alcohol presence in the back of the throat. I also like the very smooth mouthfeel and clean finish with just a touch of bitterness.

Pike Brewing Kilt Lifter in the glass.

In the glass, Kilt Lifter pours without much head, yet is a surprisingly heavy beer for the style. The label says “Ruby,” which suggests a reddish color, but in the glass it’s more of a cloudy brownish/tan color. There’s not much lacing on the sides of the glass thanks to the lack of bubbles or even carbonation – overall the beer is a little flat.

Really, if you’re a malt head instead of a hop head, then this beer is tailor made for you. Drinking it makes me imagine I’m in a smoky, wood paneled bar in old London with walls covered in dusty books and literature professors arguing in the corner beneath a stuffed, mounted deer head over a stone fireplace. In that way, Kilt Lifter is somewhat comforting, like warm bread on a cold day.

Pike Brewing Kilt Lifter is 6.5% ABV and 27 IBU.

Fore more from Pike Brewing, visit than at www.pikebrewing.com

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Mt. Superior Paired With Nimbus Pale Ale

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Brewddha

Nimbus Pale Ale looks over Snowbird from top Mt. Superior.

When I sit down to write these blogs, most of the time I am in my study (doesn’t that sound more sophisticated than “office”) where a large framed picture of a snow covered peak is on the wall to my right.  I bought this poster up at Alta not long after I moved to Utah and the focus of it is Mt. Superior emerging and reclining from the cloudy depths of Little Cottonwood like a grand, white throne emerging from the smoke of Valhalla.  On a clear day, a skier at either of the Little Cottonwood resorts would be transfixed on Mt. Superior like nothing else in the Wasatch.  The uninterupted south face broadly fans out from its small, rounded peak and becomes a monumental bastion on the wall that divides Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons’.  I have always felt a little empty looking at that poster, not only because I have yet to ski Mt. Superior, but also because I’ve never even been to the top.  I realize mountains need not be climbed to provide inspiration, but the effect of looking at this poster was similar to the effect Cindy Crawford’s poster had on me in my younger years, “If the poster is that good looking, imagine what it’s like in reality!?”  Fortunately for me, this poster doesn’t create awkward surprises with dorm partners, and unlike Cindy Crawford, I can experience Mt. Superior.

Looking southeast from Cardiff Pass over the approach route. Note the power lines to the right.

The route to Superior will be obvious to anyone who has visited Alta. Park west of the High Rustler Lodge and follow the trail behind the Alta municipal buildings towards the large bowl with the powerlines running up it. Once you reach the point where the powerlines descend into Big Cottonwood canyon, follow the ridge west to the summit. The hike seemed a little odd at first. The “powerline” trail that I was following wasn’t blanketed in snow as I’m accustomed to seeing when backcountry skiing. While the north facing slopes of Alta to my back were snow covered on Oct. 20th, the south facing slope I was ascending was still bare. About 45 minutes after setting out from my truck at 8,700′, I had reached Cardiff Pass at 10,000′. This divide between Big and Little gives an expansive view north into Cardiff Fork and the rest of the Wasatch beyond.

I much prefer running into these guys as opposed to moose.

Because I felt like avoiding the snow as much as possible, I traversed around the south side of the small peak that is west of the pass and dropped into the large bowl above Hell Gate where numerous mountain goats were grazing. They looked at me with their big black alien eyes and allowed me to get incredibly close. Maybe they are docile just because of the amount of human interaction they experience in the Wasatch, but I also think they watched my pathetic attempt to stalk them and they realized they could go anywhere on a mountain much faster than me, so why bother rushing off like some simplistic, tick-ridden mule deer.

The trail continued just below the ridge on the south side and saved me the up and down of a small peak just before the climb to the top.  I thought this small peak was Little Superior, but I have also read some accounts that call the small peak west of Cardiff Pass Little Superior.  Either way, the real climbing began beyond this little peak on the saddle below the long eastern ridge of Superior.  The ridge was pretty sharp and a large, round headed pinnacle erupted from the iron-oxide colored arête and so began the first of many obstacles to the summit.

Looking up at Superior. The trail climbs mainly to the left of the ridge.

Because of the loose scree on the southern slope, I put my micro-spikes on my boots and followed some footprints into the snow on the north side of the ridge.  Only a few feet down, I left the pleasant autumn sun and entered winter.  My feet crunched into the faintly familiar snow and I was chilled by the shade.  Looking down a long, smooth white bowl, I felt my ungloved fingers go numb from reaching into the snow for balance.  I backtracked and crossed back to the south side of the ridge just past the obstacle.  From there, I picked up a faint trail in the jagged talus that traversed across the face of the mountain.

Looking back down trail along the ridge. Off in the distance you can see the Uintas are also ready to ski.

This was where the climb got dicey.  While there wasn’t a sheer drop off to contend with, any slip on this small, splintered rock would probably result in a long slide down before I could arrest myself.  Unlike some peaks where the scree is large enough that you can feel confident in the footing, the face of Superior was a gauntlet of furrowed channels filled with painfully sharp embedded rock splinters and slippery, gravelly streams of candy bar sized rocks.  The one exception was a section on the ridge where the rock had been flatened out, sidewalk style for about 20 feet.  It was a welcome respite.

To the west, Monte Cristo (the first peak from the right) is actually the high point.

After 40 minutes of struggling around the south face, I started to feel the adrenaline that comes with upward movement towards the top. After the tedium of down-climbing around tricky spots and getting tricked by one false summit, the end was finally within reach. 2 hours and 37 minutes after leaving my Xterra, I was on top of Mt. Superior. At 11,060′ the summit is actually lower than Monte Cristo to the west, which shows up as “Superior Peak” on USGS maps, but I was satisfied with the accomplishment none the less.

At the top, it was time for a much deserved SummitBrew as well as an offering to Ullr, the Norse god of winter. For the past few years, I have made an annual ritual of offering liquor to Ullr on a Wasatch hike in return for his blessing of a bountiful ski season. The first attempt at this didn’t go so well when I combined cheap booze and a modest hike. Last year however, I went the steep climb to the top of Kessler Peak and poured out some Macallan Scotch. In return we were rewarded with one of the longest and most plentiful snow years in recent memory. Given that sort of “cause and effect” evidence, I had to feel pretty good about this sojurn. Within my overloaded day pack was not only a flask of smokey Talisker scotch but also a Nimbus Pale Ale brought all the way from Arizona.

Looking north towards Mill B and further off, Kessler, Gobblers Knob and Raymond.

Brewed in Tucson, this American style pale ale has a consistent, hoppy bitterness that lingers without an initial bite or an overbearing aftertaste. The beer pours cloudy gold and has a thin head that lightly clings to the glass. The finish is buttery smooth, a texture that balances both light summer and hearty winter and a thin body. The beer has an IBU of 38 and the bitterness builds subtly as you drink it, which I thought was kind of unusual. However, you can really savor the bitterness of the hops without being overpowered. For an American pale, I thought it had a low malt character while also lacking an overbearing fruit note. Nimbus Pale Ale comes in at 5.5% ABV, so while I would have loved drinking the whole bottle, for a climb like Mt. Superior, I was happy to share half of it with Ullr.

I also took a quick sample of Talisker scotch, which has as smoky a flavor of any scotch I’ve ever drank. However, the overall taste is smooth and finishes well. There really is no “bite” at all in this lone scotch from the Isle of Skye. Even though the character of it is predominantly smoke, it doesn’t have any fire. While most skiers may prefer the alarming flavor of something like Jagermeister or whiskey to accelerate their ambition, I was quite content with the mellow but rewarding libations I brought to the top. The combination of Mt. Superior, Nimbus Pale Ale and Talisker Scotch were all hopefully working their magic in the early fall sun as I sat on a small pile of rocks on the west end of the mostly snow covered, narrow summit. The view stretched north down into the canyons of Big Cottonwood and then back up along the Wasatch towards Mt. Ogden. To the west I looked over the long Wasatch Crest that continued on from this peak towards Twin Peaks, which were all hidden behind Monte Cristo’s 11,140′. Best of all though may have been the view east which covered the whole way to the Uintas.

A view from the summit down the south face.

With the sun already lowering in the west and flattening the Pfeifferhorn, Thunder Mountain and other peaks into a light blue silhouette, I had to start heading down. My final look was down the south face towards the bottom of the canyon. I thought about the sensation of starting down this run on skis. Here, high up in the sky, I gave Ullr his fair share of beer and scotch and thanked him for last years gifts and urged him to repeat the favor this season.

For more photos from this hike visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/beatrider51/sets/72157627844741217/

Posted in Arizona Brews, Utah Summits | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Mount Olympus paired with Uinta Brewing Hop Notch IPA

Posted on October 14, 2011 by BrewSki

Mount Olympus. The name just oozes mythology and ancient history. But this Mount Olympus isn’t the god-inhabited peak of Greek lore. Instead, I unsheathed my glass bottle filled with Hop Notch IPA from Uinta Brewing and consumed it atop the Mount Olympus of the Wasatch Mountains – that jagged, double-summit hunk of quartzite that watches over the Salt Lake Valley as if gods really are chilling at the top.

Mount Olympus

It’s an annual tradition for many hikers to hump up the front side of the mountain, and it’s no wonder as Mount Olympus is one of the most prominent peaks on the Wasatch Front. The reddish color, twin peaks, and immediate rise from the valley with no foothills cluttering up the view is an irresistible lure. Olympus tops out at 9,026 feet, but has an impressive 4,800 foot elevation gain from the Salt Lake Valley floor.

Mount Olympus as seen from the center of the Salt Lake Valley. Summit Peak is on the right.

With my Uinta Hop Notch in tow, I started up the steep Mount Olympus Trail, maybe to hang out with some Utah brew gods myself, and to give an offering to the ultimate god in lofty heights, Ullr, Norse god of snow.

The trail here is steep. It starts out steep and ends even steeper. There are no flat sections through meadows or forested glades. No, Mount Olympus demands that you suffer for the honor of reaching her wondrous summit. As such, the well traveled trail switchbacks along the front side of the mountain through rocks and scrub brush with no shade. The plus, is you gain elevation very fast – like over 4,000 feet in 3.1 miles, fast. Luckily on this day, fall temperatures kept things cool and the sun remained behind the mountain for much of the morning.

The trail enters an area filled with foliage about half way up the mountain.

As I climbed, the initial switchbacks leveled off for a short distance as the path went deep into the split that cleaves the mountain in two distinct parts. The makeup of the hike changes here, as open desert gives way to shady groves of gamble oak and even a small stream. But before I entered the gloom, I stopped for a last look at the massive urban sprawl on the Salt Lake Valley below.

Once in the shady confines of the trees, the trail got steep once again. A practically straight up approach with dozens of boulders-as-staircases sections made the going slow and breath hard to catch. Gamble oak trees with sides worn smooth by thousands of hands grasping for support provided balance on especially tricky spots. Now and then, a view of the summit came into view, teasingly close, yet laughably distant as the path seemed to go deeper into the mountain in a never ending maw. But eventually, and finally, the trail topped out at the shoulder, where the Wasatch Range south of Olympus came into view like a curtain of granite.

As nice as the view was here, the real fun only started. To reach the top of Mount Olympus, a serious scramble up scree and slick rock was required. Although as a rock climber, I thought it was quite easy to navigate the cracks and ledges of the stone, but many people might have problems here, where a single slip and fall could be disastrous, and getting off route might involve a cold night followed by an appearance on local T.V. news when you get plucked off the mountain by search and rescue.

A hike to the top of Mount Olympus gets serious with a rocky scramble to the summit.

After rock stepping, and even crawling on all fours, I made my way to the very top of what is called “Summit Peak,” the southern most high point of the mountain. The top of Mount Olympus is nothing but a jumble of giant stone blocks strewn about as if the very gods themselves clashed in an epic battle here. There was little room to sit as level, flat rocks were few. But lucky for me, I had the entire place to myself, so I chose the best spot to hunker down on right next to an old mailbox filled with mementos and a summit register.

After signing the Mount Olympus summit register, I left behind a little memento.

After signing my name and date, taking in the 360-degree view, and snapping off a few photos of a vista that stretched so far I could see the West Desert, I proceeded to perform my Summit Brew duties. I popped the top off my Uinta Hop Notch IPA, and enjoyed a beer with a the best view in Salt Lake County.

Uinta Brewing Hop Notch IPA

Uinta Brewing Hop Notch IPA on the summit of Mount Olympus.

It’s about damn time Uinta came out with a standard American style IPA. They never had a typical India Pale Ale that’s stronger than their 3.2 Trader IPA (which I dislike) but not as head-busting as their wonderful Detour Double IPA from the Crooked Line. So it was with great relish that I drank my first Uinta Hop Notch at the top of Mount Olympus. The excitement of quaffing a brand new Utah IPA overshadowed the entire hike, and I was not disappointed.

Throwing back a Hop Notch.

Uinta’s Hop Notch makes me giddy, because it’s clear that brewmasters around the state and country are continuing to experiment with new hop varieties and combinations. Hop Notch is wonderfully complex and has a flavor unlike any IPA I’ve had before. The brew is extremely well balanced with a supportive malt backbone and hop profile that lacks in-your-face hoppiness, but makes up for it with plenty of flavor that encourages me to keep the taste in my mouth forever. Like most IPA microbrews, Hop Notch has a citrus nose with a hint of pine and grass. It almost seems like every hop flavor is swirling around in the bottle. The brain works overtime trying to decipher each subtle taste and scent that hides within the foamy head.

In the glass, color is a light copper with ample head that just oozes hop aroma and tastes thick and creamy. The head doesn’t disappear much over the course of drinking, and lacing sticks to the glass in layers of bubbly white. The brew tickles the tongue and goes down smooth without much bitterness, just hoppy goodness that makes my mouth happy. Finishes with a nice aftertaste where the hop flavors remain in the back of the throat, where I can taste them again every time I exhale.

Uinta Hop Notch IPA in the glass.

Uinta hit this new beer out of the park. It’s a grade-A example of an American style IPA and I think it will quickly become one of Utah’s favorite IPAs.

Uinta Brewing Hop Notch IPA is 7.3% ABV and 82 IBU.

For more from Uinta Brewing, visit www.uintabrewing.com

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Mount Aire paired with Big Sky Brewing IPA

Posted on October 2, 2011 by BrewSki

Mount Aire towers over I-80, looming above cars that speed up and down Parley’s Canyon between Park City and Salt Lake City. Mount Aire is visually the most prominent peak within view when driving down the west side of Parley’s summit, which means it’s also a prominent mountain to climb as her pine and scrub covered flanks seduce as you stare through the windshield. Of course Mount Aire is also a SummitBrew friendly peak, where a beer like the Big Sky Brewing IPA goes down smooth.

Big Sky IPA on Mount Aire overlooking I-80 in Parley's Canyon

Mount Aire

Although Parley’s Canyon offers the best view of Mount Aire, Mill Creek Canyon is the preferred route to reach the summit. Less mileage, a higher elevation starting point, and tons of shade equal a more pleasant hike on the Mill Creek side, not to mention the lack of an interstate highway roar that is ever present in Parleys.

Mount Aire signage in Mill Creek Canyon

On this day, my dog, Lucy and I parked at the Elbow Fork trailhead, 6.4 miles up Mill Creek Canyon. The path begins at a U.S. Forest Service bathroom on the north side of the road, which is also the starting point for the Pipeline Trail. Wood signs lead the way to Mount Aire, and show it to be only 2 miles away. Easy you may think – I can bang this hike out in no time. Not so. Though the lack of miles may impart images of a cake walk, this trail is actually steep. Very steep. Steep as in no switchbacks, straight-up-the-mountain, old-school-hobnail-boots-needed-for-traction steep. Set out to hike Mount Aire, and prepare to get on the Stair Master, because your quads will be screaming after mile one.

The upside is that you’ll ascend fast (assuming you’re in shape) and get sweeping views of the surrounding canyons in short order. Lucy and I enjoyed the beginning of the hike most though, as we meandered through the pine forests and mountain meadows. A small stream winds through the canyon bottom, and Lucy had a ball splashing and running through the water as I watched from a wooden bridge. Pre-October fall colors were nearing their peak already, so I stopped frequently to gaze upon the surrounding hillsides covered in gold, amber and rust orange.

Fall colors beginning to bloom in Mill Creek Canyon below Mount Aire.

But then the steep section began, and staring at my feet became the only view possible as I trudged up the loose, sometimes muddy incline. Before long though, the trail flattens out at the shoulder between Mill Creek and Parley’s Canyon. It’s a great spot for a breather and an opportunity to take in the view. Looking north, the south side of Mount Aire rises sharply above to the right, and a trail goes right up through stands of scrub brush and ground cover. Again the trail gets steep, but at least switchbacks here make the going less rough and ease the piston pain of overworked muscles.

The south slopes of Mount Aire as seen from the shoulder ridge between Mill Creek and Parley's Canyons.

As Lucy and I neared the top, a man and woman were descending quickly. The man was carrying a large branch over his head like antlers. “There’s a large moose on the trail up ahead” he said, trying to explain the stick growing out of his cranium. I assume he was hoping the moose would run away if the man appeared to be bigger. “We got off the trail and hiked straight up to the summit to avoid it” he continued. I asked if it was still there on the way down, but it appeared to have gone away. Nevertheless, my senses were on high alert for the rest of the climb as a moose attacked a guy earlier in the week nearby, and I didn’t want to be the animal’s next stomping practice.

Soon after though, Lucy and I made it to the summit without any sign of the Mr. Moose. We stood at the top at an elevation of 8,621 feet after 1,991 vertical feet of climbing in two miles (did I mention it was steep?) I-80 snaked below to the north, and an explosion of autumn leaves painted the scene to the south. With good slabs of rock to sit on, and a bottle opener on Lucy’s collar, it was time to break out the beer.

Big Sky IPA

Big Sky IPA about to be consumed on the summit of Mount Aire.

Ah yea, another Summit Brew India Pale Ale. I can’t help it – I’m a major hop head, and IPAs are my favorite style of microbrew. So what if an IPA isn’t as refreshing on a hot summer day in the mountains than say, a lager. I need flavor, and hops taste so damn good. So it was with great pleasure that I pulled a Big Sky IPA out of my pack.

Lucy is always ready to open my beer for me. Good girl.

Big Sky IPA is a typical American style India Pale Ale, and mostly tastes like it should. But it differs from the rest of the pack with the hoppy punch that stings your face upon the first swill. This beer is downright sticky with hops. In fact, when poured into a glass,  I could smell the hop aroma coming off the head even though I was sitting three feet away.  Although it is hoppy, that isn’t to say it’s not balanced.

The brewers at Big Sky did a phenomenal job with this beer. It has a good balance between hops and malt, with the profile leaning more on the hops side of the spectrum (which is a good thing in my opinion.) It has a typical golden color for an American IPA, with maybe a little less clarity than other IPAs in the market.

But damn those hops. If this beer were illustrated in a comic book panel, you’d see smell lines coming out of the pint glass. To me, the hops taste more on the grassy flavors side of things, evoking a picture of Eastern Montana plains grass swaying on an endless wind. There’s also a hint of citrus that leaves a sweet aftertaste along with a counter-balanced bitterness that goes down smooth. All in all, the Big Sky IPA is a spectacular beer.

Big Sky IPA in the glass.

Big Sky IPA has 65 IBU’s and is 6.2% alcohol by volume.

For more, visit the brewery at www.bigskybrew.com

Posted in Montana Brews, Utah Summits | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments