Embarking on a backcountry ski adventure in Utah’s Cottonwood Canyons now demands strategic parking planning. Long gone are the days of making last-minute decisions based on avalanche conditions or powder mornings for a dawn patrol. We now live (and ski) in a new world where advance devising is required. And in certain high-traffic areas, your…
Tag: Little Cottonwood Canyon
Alta Ski Patrol gives back for Adam Naisbitt Living Memorial
Trails and boulders in Little Cottonwood Canyon look a lot cleaner now after Alta Ski Patrol spent a day this week giving back to the community. With Alta Ski Area under limited operation for the remainder of the season, Alta Ski Patrol took time to gather and remove graffiti from boulders and do maintenance work…
Interview with “This is Home” skier, Johnny Collinson
Johnny Collinson is a Utah born and bred ripper. His big mountain backcountry exploits have been captured by the lenses of Teton Gravity Research, and now, Faction Collective. I caught up with Johnny at the SLC premiere of This Is Home, just as his autograph line was filling up. He was kind enough to talk about…
George Jedenoff skis Snowbird Resort on his 100th birthday
A dream of every skier is being healthy enough to ski at 100-years-old. On July 5th, Utah skier George Jedenoff did just that as he marked his 100th birthday by skiing Snowbird Resort. According to a press release from Ski Utah, Jedenoff has been skiing Little Cottonwood Canyon at both Alta and Snowbird every year…
Freak Wasatch snowstorm leads to best powder weekend ever
I love surprises. I especially love surprises when it comes to skiing powder. The weekend of January 21st, 2017 has gone down as among the best powder skiing I’ve ever experienced in my life… definitely the best I’ve had since skiing at Alta. Today very well may be the deepest day at @altaskiarea I've ever…
Update: UDOT to close Little Cottonwood Canyon backcountry on powder days
Update: The full Little Cottonwood Canyon closure policy put forth by UDOT as described below has been revised. The new policy is as follows: The entire north side of Little Cottonwood Canyon from Lisa Falls to Grizzly Gulch will be closed during avalanche control work. However, the closure boundaries will extend an additional 1,000 meters,…
Alta’s Wildcat Chair featured in Powder’s Iconic Lifts
Alta’s Wildcat Chair is being featured in Powder Magazine’s Iconic Lifts video series. “Kitty,” as Alta locals fondly call it, is one of the most popular lifts at this Little Cottonwood Canyon ski area, as it accesses some of the most playful, sheltered, and steep terrain on the mountain. Westward Ho is a classic run…
Alta proposes commercial core to create “small town vibe”
Big changes are coming to the town of Alta, that is if a proposed commercial-core project comes to pass. Many people think of Alta as just a ski resort, but it actually is a town with a mayor, police force, and more. But this area at the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon resembles a ghost…
Entry fees proposed for Cottonwood Canyons
In an “I’m surprised it took them this long” move, the U.S. Forest Service has proposed vehicle entry fees for Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons. The possible fee structure would mean people would have to pay $6 for a three-day pass, or $45 for an annual pass to recreate in both of the Cottonwood Canyons….
Ride free backcountry ski shuttles in Little Cottonwood Canyon
Transportation congestion in Little Cottonwood Canyon has reached an all-time high. Even on non-powder days, you can expect a line of cars slowly rolling up Highway 210 toward Alta and Snowbird. Even backcountry trailhead parking lots have vehicles spilling out onto the road. But to prove that transportation solutions exist today, the Wasatch Backcountry Alliance…