When I attended a screening of the new Powderwhore’s movie, “Elevation” at Brewvies, I sauntered by a table covered in stickers that said Wasatch Backcountry Alliance. Intrigued, and always a sucker for free stickers, I ended up talking to the folks and immediately signed up to become a member. So what is it?
The Wasatch Backcountry Alliance is a brand new, non-profit organization that will give voice to human-powered recreation in the Wasatch. I spoke to a gentleman named Ross Hager, and he told me that they felt backcountry users in the Wasatch didn’t have enough, or really any, representation. The Forest Service, which manages the land, pretty much only listens to the ski resorts as they have all the money and power. Meanwhile, backcountry skiers are like a mosquito buzzing around that gargantuan federal ear.
But with the explosion of backcountry users in the last few years, it’s become clear that we as a group deserve to be heard when issues arise that concern the future of the Wasatch Mountains. Such issues have been huge and contentious, such as the SkiLink and Flagstaff Mountain controversies. So, according to their literature, the Wasatch Backcountry Alliance aims to do the following:
- Protect the balance of recreation in the Wasatch.
- Collect vital backcountry user data.
- Be an active voice in important planning and policy discussions.
- Increase awareness with/among politicians, media, and neighbors about important backcountry issues.
- Hand out cool stickers, and look for excuses to celebrate mountain snow.
Free stickers and celebrations (read: beer)? Sign me up!
But I had to ask, doesn’t the Wasatch already have an organization looking after her interests? It’s called Save Our Canyons, and they have done a tremendous job so far. Their answer is that while they have done much for the backcountry, they are big picture, while the Wasatch Backcountry Alliance will focus in on non-motorized recreation users like backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, mountaineering, hiking, and even naked mandolin playing in the aspen trees (if you’re into that kind of thing.)
So go ahead, check out the website, and sign up. There’s no fee, and no personal info to give other than your name and email. It’s a way to be counted, a way to be informed, and a way to let your voice be heard. Plus you can get a free sticker.
For more go to WasatchBackcountryAlliance.org or like them on Facebook.