It looks scary because it is scary. The Y Not Couloir is a Wasatch classic, tucked into Little Cottonwood Canyon right next to the Y Couloir, only it has a a big ol’ mandatory DNF zone in the middle.

As described by Andrew McLean in his book, The Chuting Gallery, “Y Not? A 40-foot cliff in the middle of a 45-degree slope is one good reason. This is the Y Couloir on steroids. Shorter, steeper, narrower and scarier by far. An out-of-control fall in the Y-Not would lead to a graphic death as the victim pinballed down the chute, over the cliff and was torn to bits in the rocks below. Falling is forbidden.”

Okay, then. Don’t fall. Have fun.

Skiers: BJ Brewer and Lorne Glick. Photo by Lee Cohen

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