Mount Superior (also known as Superior Peak) is an mountain peak in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest in

Salt Lake County Salt Lake County is located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 1,185,238, making it the most populous county in Utah. Its county seat and largest city is Salt Lake City, the state capital. The co ...

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

, United States. With prominent visibility from Utah State Route 210 in

Little Cottonwood Canyon Little Cottonwood Canyon lies within the Wasatch-Cache National Forest along the eastern side of the Salt Lake Valley, roughly 15 miles from Salt Lake City, Utah. The canyon is part of Granite, a CDP and "Community Council" designated by Salt ...

, and being only 35 minutes from downtown

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...

, it is a popular hiking, climbing, and skiing destination.

Routes

There are many ways to access the summit of Mount Superior, with the two most popular options being via the Cardiff Pass and South Ridge trails.

Cardiff Pass

The Cardiff Pass trail follows a well-maintained route starting in the town of Alta until it reaches Cardiff Pass. Once the pass has been reached, it skirts around Cardiff Peak along a ridge line to the summit.

South Ridge

The summit can also be reached via the South Ridge. Considered a 5th class scramble or rock climb, the ascent can be made, depending on ones climbing experience and conditions,

free solo Free solo climbing, or free soloing, is a form of rock climbing where the climber (or ''free soloist'') climbs Solo climbing, solo (or alone) without Climbing rope, ropes or other Rock climbing equipment#Protection devices, protective equipmen ...

or with ropes and other rock climbing equipment.

Skiing and Snowboarding

There are various skiing and snowboarding lines that descend Mount Superior on all aspects.

South Face

This descent is included in ''Fifty Classic Ski Descents of North America'' and is rated S4 with slopes 35–45° with dangerous fall potential and a few terrain obstacles. It is also a part of ''The Chuting Gallery: A Guide to Steep Skiing in the Wasatch Mountains'', a skiing guidebook for various Wasatch Range chutes.

Suicide Chute or Shane's Chute

An obvious and prominent east-facing chute seen from Little Cottonwood Canyon, this line has been known by a few names, but is most commonly referenced as Suicide Chute. This descent has slopes upwards of 40° and is rated S4. The high walls of the chute shield the snowpack from direct sunlight, and it is not uncommon for it to remain skiable well into June.

References

External links

{{authority control Mountains of Utah Mountains of Salt Lake County, Utah Wasatch Range