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!

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…

Announcements Archives - Canyon Services

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|

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|

Snowbird Fires up Their Convertibles
Snowbird Fires up Their Convertibles

Snowbird Fires up Their Convertibles

Well, they’re finally here. After much waiting, some minor disasters, a record snowfall year, and a long spring runoff, the balconies for “new blue” and “new, new red” are in place and ready for you. Typical of your correspondent, he used his faux investigative journalist credentials to gain a sneak peek to see if riding on top of the tram cars was worth all the hype on the morning before their grand opening. The answer in a word: yes. Thankfully, the installation went without hitch on June 5th during scheduled tram maintenance. No crane required, merely a cable system to [...]

CanyonBlog2023-06-17T02:39:01+00:00Announcements, News, Summer|

Utah Ski Vacation Packages
Utah Ski Vacation Packages

Utah Ski Vacation Packages

Wondering where to begin in making all your plans for the prefect Utah Ski Vacation? Well, we're here not only to help you know what you need to know, but also to assist you in every step along the way! For Utah Ski Vacation Packages and staying at world class Alta Ski Area and Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort - we are your package experts! Here are the steps that we know will help you in your planning! Find your prefect vacation rental! Check out our properties - we have a broad range of options from two bedrooms, sleeping 4 to 6 [...]

webservices2023-11-02T17:27:08+00:00Announcements|