Ever wonder what Interlodge actually means? Wonder no more. This month’s blog is dedicated to providing answers to all your questions and to help you not only weather that term’s storms but to enjoy your mountain experience to the utmost should you find yourself a part of the Little Cottonwood Canyon experience known as Interlodge.
What the term means: It actually refers to the limit placed on residents and guests when inside town limits (or Snowbird properties) with regard to traveling between lodges, homes and resorts. In other words, you cannot travel between them. The word inter literally means between. As opposed to intra, which means within.
What Interlodge means to you: It is a requirement for all individuals to remain indoors either because of avalanche threat or due to avalanche mitigation effort activity. It is issued by the town of Alta through the marshal’s office, and it is not a suggestion. It’s actually a legal directive meaning that you can be cited for breaking it. If during Interlodge you require assistance contact the marshal’s office at 801.742.3522 for non-emergencies or by 911 if there is a threat to life.
Here’s why it’s important to you: The nine miles of Little Cottonwood’s Highway 210 is threatened by 65 different avalanche paths. Even 80% of the town’s structures are situated within avalanche run out areas. In fact, our canyon has one of the highest avalanche indexes anywhere in the world. Avalanche threat is definitely a monstrous deal here.
Historically, the town was once isolated and the canyon closed for two weeks. The situation was dire enough that airdrops were used to resupply residents. The 2021 Interlodge of 60 hours was the longest in recent history and during that week’s storm we recorded 103” of snow and 6.2” of water content.
Our Alta, Snowbird, and UDOT experts all work in conjunction to initiate smaller avalanches to keep the potential from growing and to get you out on the mountain as soon as safely possible. Philosophically, as your blogger can attest from years in the mountains and Little Cottonwood in particular, the mountains of LCC tell us what is going to happen on any given day, just as all mountains do around the world. It’s never the other way around.
The bottom line is, if you’re up canyon during an Interlodge, then you are most definitely up canyon. And if you’re not, you aren’t going to be. Which of course is just one of the many reasons you stay with Canyon Services!
Check out our own Alta Community Enrichment’s video on Interlodge here: https://altacommunity.org/discover-alta-blog/interlodge
See you soon!