The season isn’t officially over just yet, but one season finale tradition has come and gone. Every year on the last day of April a group of friends from The View, one of Alta’s few community buildings, throw a party. April 30 th , a usually predictable good weather window, looked to be stormy this year with snow blowing in the morning and winds whistling around the mountain. But the festival gods smiled down and by lunchtime it began to subside and the sun arrived in time for setup. Heidi and Mark, two View residents, are at the center of each year’s party. The tradition began a couple decades ago in the dark days before cell phones and social centered media communication. They sat outside in the sun drinking wine and generally enjoying themselves when they were joined by a couple other folks. Snow, ski, repeat, and “Boom” the next year some more residents and friends joined in. Skiers, never people to let a good time opportunity go to waste (witness Alta ski resort’s annual Frank classic). The event has grown into having a band, food trucks, and Mark’s semi famous and secret recipe “Markgaritas”. With the weather threatening, neighbor Jim offered up his garage to protect the band from possible inclement weather and electrocution. Your correspondent knew it was going to be a good gig when the local musicians launched their set with the Grateful Dead’s Shakedown Street. What’s this have to do with you loyal reader of this space? Well, it’s too late to join everyone this year, though Snowbird intends to keep spinning the bull wheels on the tram, Little Cloud and Mineral Express through Memorial Day. But next year you can join us all on the street for food, friendship, past powder reminiscence, and music. Canyon Blog would love to share the name of the band but can’t seem to recall it. Must have been the Markgaritas.

It’s once again time for your correspondent to come out from behind his nom de plume as Canyon Blog and become his secret identity as author Dan Schilling. In the spirit of my other profession as book author I’m happy to share that I have coauthored the memoir of the last living miner to have worked in Alta’s silver mines. Very different from my other books. It’s appropriately titled The Last Miner and is available in bookstores or online on March 31 st . It’s the story of Dick Fluehe’s adventures as a young man working in Alta’s mines in the 1950s and the colorful men he worked alongside and learned from. It’s the mining equivalent of floating the Mississippi River with Mark Twain as your guide. If you value Alta and Snowbird and their rich history this book is for you. It’s also funny as hell. That said, if you’re a reader of my dispatches you likely visit our little canyon regularly, so I want to share two opportunities to meet Dick, listen to his fascinating tales and get a signed copy of The Last Miner next month. April 1 st at the venerable King’s English Bookshop at 1565 S 1500 E in Salt Lake City from 6:30-8:30pm Dick will speak, answer questions, and sign books. April 11 th at Snowbird Center’s Cottonwood Room (just below the plaza) from 12:00-2:00pm he’ll also speak and sign books. I will be there as well and speaking for both Dick and myself hope you can find your way to seize the opportunity to meet living history in person. If not, well, buy many copies for your friends and we can call it quits. I’ve included a few photos as enticements including this shot of the authors at the top of Snowbird. You can also learn more by visiting my author page at https://www.danschilling.com/ See you next month when I return to being Canyon Blog and give the last dispatch of the regular ski season. Meantime, thanks for following and happy reading!

One of the great experiences of being in Little Cottonwood Canyon is the opportunity to stop. Not for a bite or beer between runs. And not après ski, per say. What your correspondent is referring to is the opportunity to merely be in the canyon and feel its presence. That only really happens once you aren’t focusing on some task at hand like loading a chair or gearing up. In the evenings and mornings there’s a silence in the canyon. Sure, there may be four thousand skiers split between Alta and Snowbird between 10 and 2, but outside that window the canyon either empties out or the humans are all indoors. One of Canyon Blog’s favorite things is to walk about and take things in. That includes things you can experience by omission, such as noise. Put another way, its absence. It’s peacefully quiet here during those times. To have this experience requires that you not be focused on the madness of the crowds or traffic. And to turn off your computer and put down that ever demanding device that runs your life: the modern smart phone. So come for the skiing or riding certainly. But leave with something else, the experience of stopping time for just a bit and, to quote Paul Simon, enjoy “the sound of silence.”

November 22 nd has landed and departed and it’s great to see the season is underway with Alta’s Collins and Wildcat lifts running before Thanksgiving. Even Alf’s is open for that much needed early season ski leg break for a beer or burger, though you’ll need to rope tow back to the lifts. A first this year was the pre-season upslope availability at Snowbird. Peruvian Gulch was open for skinning and touring followed by that always well-deserved run down. Due to slope prep Gad Valley stayed off limits. Were there shark fins lurking here and there at both resorts? Of course. But that’s what early season is all about… not using your new skis. No worries there though as the coverage is only going to improve with the storm cycle that’s swooping in as your correspondent types this. How much is due in the next 48 hours? Doesn’t matter because more are lined up would claim your blogger. So, where’s all this early opening drivel headed you might ask? Snowbird is opening on Thanksgiving Day, arguably the best holiday proximal to the ski season, and Alta is already underway. Period. That means if you’re not here in one of our properties, on the slopes and enjoying the cold, you might as well add extra scoops of turkey gravy with tryptophan to your holiday meal, pass out on the couch, and slouch into oblivion in front of a football game. So don't comply with the sign below. But you don’t really want to do that anyway, do you?

Fall is here. The thing about this time of year in Little Cottonwood is the magical sensations it delivers to one’s soul. These can take shape in almost overwhelming moments such as when you’re standing among a grove of 100-foot aspens, their leaves a uniform shade of explosive yellow, all of them shimmering in an eye captivating fashion no matter how slight the breeze. To your blogger that single sound, aspens, is the harbinger of the season’s arrival. Still, other encounters take on a sense of diminishment. The mountain creeks have all run their course for the summer, reduced to trickles. Or to nothing at all, leaving only bleached stones to mark their recent passage. But where they do remain, to stand next to them and contemplate their annual lifecycle is to reflect on the distillation of our own limited time here and the value of doing nothing more than just that, contemplation. Try it for yourself. The final patch of snow at either resort remains just below Twin Peak in upper Gad Valley, though technically it’s a glacier, seeing as it will survive the creeks who’ve gone to ground. Some of what happens in that wondrously rocky bowl is taking place beneath your feet when the glacier that resides there only exists underground and where it extends, well, no one really knows how deep it goes. The point of your correspondent’s musing’s this month is that the power and inspiration that can be delivered by this wonderful canyon can be nothing more than momentary peace and the quiet that come in the form of a tree or a dry stream or even a lack of snow. It’s simply the natural world that we too often take for granted. For those who yearn for human companion and a full stein, fear not, Oktoberfest has two glorious weeks remaining. However, breaking with tradition, Canyon Blog is choosing to exclude any photos of festivities because sometimes, fall simply is. Till the snow flies your correspondent wishes you a wonderful season wherever you may be. But it’s better here…

Cool air is finally finding its way up the canyon and across the mountaintops here in Little Cottonwood. September is nearly here and fall is on our doorstep and with that your correspondent has his last summer ski run locked on the last patch of snow below Twin Peaks. With skis already on his back, the temperatures led Canyon Blog to Snowbird mountain operations director Jake Treadwell’s door one sunny morning to get the latest on the resort’s big projects for the summer. A very busy man, he graciously agreed to run this skier around the mountain for a closer look. First stop was the new Wilbere lift. With a quad capacity and moving carpet loading system it will more than double the skiers it moves upslope. Loading will now take place within sight of Mid Gad and Gadzoom, making your choice of lifts easier. “The new Wilbere provides a better way to spread skiers and we’re really happy about that. With the new location you can get from the ballpark (the area near the other lifts) to Snowbird center in one chair and six minutes,” he said, adding that construction is running on time. The other major project at the bottom of the resort was to run additional high voltage power lines along the Wilbere stretch to replace 50 year old infrastructure and add redundancy to their power distribution. Next stop was the Mid Gad restaurant replacement. Jake is proud of the new design even though the old one with its venerated “Snowbird logo” timber designs was a landmark loved by many. “The new facility is much better for guests and employees to work and enjoy. The space is more open and cleaner, meaning it’s not cluttered,” he said. The entrance will be on the westside still but there will be a rollup door on the east for easier delivery of supplies. That side will also house the serving area. All mechanical space will be downstairs underneath dining and serving. "What’s really going to be enjoyable is the heated concrete patio near the indoor dining area for guests,” he adds. Before you plan your sunscreen needs for that outdoor Mid Gad beer or cocoa you need to know that the restaurant won’t open this season even though it will look complete. “It will be fully weather proof before the ski and ride season but inside we’ll still be working on it throughout the year so expect the new experience for the 25/26 season.” That’s the news from the top and bottom of the resort. If you’ll pardon the departure, your blogger has a ski run to make to keep his monthly run count going…

CanyonBlog, Author at Canyon Services

Block Party
Block Party

Block Party

The season isn’t officially over just yet, but one season finale tradition has come and gone. Every year on the last day of April a group of friends from The View, one of Alta’s few community buildings, throw a party. April 30th, a usually predictable good weather window, looked to be stormy this year with snow blowing in the morning and winds whistling around the mountain. But the festival gods smiled down and by lunchtime it began to subside and the sun arrived in time for setup. Heidi and Mark, two View residents, are at the center of each year’s [...]

CanyonBlog2025-05-06T03:19:56+00:00Local Events, Local Flavor|

Spring with Snowbird’s Snow Safety Director
Spring with Snowbird’s Snow Safety Director

Spring with Snowbird’s Snow Safety Director

Your correspondent spent a brilliant powder day this week with Snowbird’s snow safety director Kami to get the latest on spring safety on another 500+ inch year. As spring takes over the slopes of Little Cottonwood, just where do the avalanche dangers lie? Well, outside the bomb throwing and route running they do in the mornings in addition to the RACs (remote avalanche control towers) there are a number of factors to pay attention to. “Mostly we’re looking at pinwheel rollers that you find on sun facing slopes,” said Kami with years of avalanche study and mitigation behind him. “Cliff [...]

CanyonBlog2025-04-06T20:38:02+00:00Outdoors, Uncategorized, Winter|

The Last Miner
The Last Miner

The Last Miner

It’s once again time for your correspondent to come out from behind his nom de plume as Canyon Blog and become his secret identity as author Dan Schilling. In the spirit of my other profession as book author I’m happy to share that I have coauthored the memoir of the last living miner to have worked in Alta’s silver mines. Very different from my other books. It’s appropriately titled The Last Miner and is available in bookstores or online on March 31st. It’s the story of Dick Fluehe’s adventures as a young man working in Alta’s mines in the 1950s [...]

CanyonBlog2025-03-22T20:01:31+00:00Announcements, Local Flavor|

All dogs may get into heaven, but only a select few get into Snowbird
All dogs may get into heaven, but only a select few get into Snowbird

All dogs may get into heaven, but only a select few get into Snowbird

Canyon Blog spent a cold afternoon with Snowbird’s most recent addition to the ranks of certified avalanche dogs, Tony. Okay, and his handler, Paul S. Tony turns two in April and has already attained his Level B certification, the first step for any avi dog, and soon to be Level A, fully qualified to respond anywhere in the state of Utah. A black lab, he’s the heir apparent to Frankie, Snowbird’s long-standing champion black lab and soon to retire to the good life. Paul has served on ski patrol for eight years, having survived the world of finance and ditching [...]

CanyonBlog2025-02-10T00:33:13+00:00Outdoors, Winter|

Silence and Snow
Silence and Snow

Silence and Snow

One of the great experiences of being in Little Cottonwood Canyon is the opportunity to stop. Not for a bite or beer between runs. And not après ski, per say. What your correspondent is referring to is the opportunity to merely be in the canyon and feel its presence. That only really happens once you aren’t focusing on some task at hand like loading a chair or gearing up. In the evenings and mornings there’s a silence in the canyon. Sure, there may be four thousand skiers split between Alta and Snowbird between 10 and 2, but outside that window [...]

CanyonBlog2025-01-18T02:08:34+00:00Outdoors, Winter|

May the light shine through (with a sprinkling of flakes)
May the light shine through (with a sprinkling of flakes)

May the light shine through (with a sprinkling of flakes)

Well, your correspondent’s investigative journalistic responsibilities include unpolished headlines. So, here’s this month’s: The snow is thin. There’s no denying it. All is not lost, however. Where one opportunity evaporates, another appears. This holiday season’s snowpack means the mountains are empty. Both Alta and Snowbird are spinning most of their lifts so the terrain is there. Alta finally opened Supreme, leaving Mineral Basin as the only closed chair fed slopes in the canyon. What that means is no waiting. Parking reservations are in effect at Alta daily (till 1pm) but Snowbird has spaces every day. Fear not, the Shuttle system [...]

CanyonBlog2024-12-22T00:39:31+00:00Outdoors, Winter|

Aaaahh
Aaaahh

Aaaahh

November 22nd has landed and departed and it’s great to see the season is underway with Alta’s Collins and Wildcat lifts running before Thanksgiving. Even Alf’s is open for that much needed early season ski leg break for a beer or burger, though you’ll need to rope tow back to the lifts. A first this year was the pre-season upslope availability at Snowbird. Peruvian Gulch was open for skinning and touring followed by that always well-deserved run down. Due to slope prep Gad Valley stayed off limits. Were there shark fins lurking here and there at both resorts? Of course. [...]

CanyonBlog2024-11-24T00:16:31+00:00Outdoors, Winter|

Fall
Fall

Fall

Fall is here. The thing about this time of year in Little Cottonwood is the magical sensations it delivers to one’s soul. These can take shape in almost overwhelming moments such as when you’re standing among a grove of 100-foot aspens, their leaves a uniform shade of explosive yellow, all of them shimmering in an eye captivating fashion no matter how slight the breeze. To your blogger that single sound, aspens, is the harbinger of the season’s arrival. Still, other encounters take on a sense of diminishment. The mountain creeks have all run their course for the summer, reduced to [...]

CanyonBlog2024-10-01T18:50:32+00:00Fall, Local Flavor, Outdoors|

Snowbird Update
Snowbird Update

Snowbird Update

Cool air is finally finding its way up the canyon and across the mountaintops here in Little Cottonwood. September is nearly here and fall is on our doorstep and with that your correspondent has his last summer ski run locked on the last patch of snow below Twin Peaks. With skis already on his back, the temperatures led Canyon Blog to Snowbird mountain operations director Jake Treadwell’s door one sunny morning to get the latest on the resort’s big projects for the summer. A very busy man, he graciously agreed to run this skier around the mountain for a closer [...]

CanyonBlog2024-09-04T01:29:15+00:00Announcements, Local Events, Outdoors|

Fun with Junior Bounous Part II (The Pika Perspective)
Fun with Junior Bounous Part II (The Pika Perspective)

Fun with Junior Bounous Part II (The Pika Perspective)

If you followed last month’s blog you’re now familiar with Junior. If you didn’t, you should read that first because, well, he’s just one of the most interesting ski legends there is and a piece of living history here in Little Cottonwood. Our story picks up where we left off, just below the summit of Hidden Peak and on the mineral side. Standing by the bench dedicated to Junior’s wife Maxine and facing west. There, along the wildflower hiking trail, sits the object of this month’s blog: pikas. If you’re not acquainted with these adorable mammals, be forewarned, they are [...]

CanyonBlog2024-08-18T23:49:37+00:00Local Flavor, Outdoors, Summer|

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