Ski Utah and all seven Wasatch ski resorts dropped a big announcement that may well push the long-talked about Interconnect into reality. One Wasatch is a new idea that will connect all the Central Wasatch resorts from Deer Valley in Park City to Snowbird in Little Cottonwood Canyon. The combination of joining these resorts means they will offer 18,000 acres, 100 lifts, and more than 750 runs all on one ticket.
According to a Ski Utah press release, the connections will be made by new chairlifts and over-the-snow runs that will be built entirely on private property. At a press conference, Ski Utah President, Nathan Rafferty stressed that this is simply an initial concept, not a concrete plan. As the resorts move forward, they will seek feedback from all interested parties, especially Mountain Accord participants.
Looking at the map, potential development areas include Grizzly Gulch, Guardsman Pass, and Pinecone Ridge. Adding these areas to the development mix would mean six new lifts and 1,000 acres of resort terrain. The connections they are looking at are between Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons, a connect from Big Cottonwood Canyon to Park City, a connect Park City to Canyons Resort, and dropping the rope between Deer Valley and Park City.
There are a lot of questions and few answers right now, one of which being if this will put a lot more pressure on Alta to allow snowboarders who want to go from Brighton/Solitude to Snowbird. One also wonders if this means the proposed Ski Link between Canyons and Solitude is dead and buried.
There’s sure to be much more information to look forward to in the years ahead as all the Wasatch resorts seem determined to finally make this into a reality.
For a ton more information, maps, and images, go to www.onewasatch.com