That Canyon Blog spends most of his time in Little Cottonwood Canyon is no secret. On any given day you will find him somewhere on the slopes, except for the long stints at his computer, which has a mind of its own and can be a merciless driver of rambling passages. This is also no secret to readers of this space.
Back to the day’s task however are some reflections on hiking in the canyon, especially in Alta and Snowbird. Clearly December through May are not hiking months, everyone trading out hiking boots for more restrictive footwear with attachments like boards or skis. June presents a number of decisions such as slogging through the slush or breaking out the rock skis and taking ones chances on suspicious snow mounds hiding lurking boulders.
Summer, most visitors’ favorite time to wander the tracks with knapsacks, to quote the Tyrolean hiking tune, makes for the widest range of available terrain. But that’s not the best time to wander, in your correspondent’s opinion. Yes, the tram is open later for that free ride down the mountain, and the offerings of the canyon’s restaurants are broader. And of course there’s always Oktoberfest (glaringly absent in this column’s 2025 postings) for a well-deserved stein of happiness.
No dear reader, those months and considerations are mere window dressing. Because the best time to hike the canyon is October and November when the people are thin on the ground and the snow is too. Precisely because of that the slopes and summits can often belong to yourself and no one else. And sometimes, you can pack those rocks skis and sneak in that early season run before anyone else.
In the spirit of isolation and silence enjoy these shots from around Alta and Snowbird, including Canyon Blog’s final ski run of the season, and remember this: all these views can be yours as well. And if you see a broad brimmed hat with skis pointed skyward behind them in the distance, feel free to wave and then wander in your own direction because there’ll be no shortage of people free views of your own.
