It’s a busy summer here in Little Cottonwood. Congestion as we enter Oktoberfest and as fall prepares to find its way into the mountains. Just this week Canyon Blog had a difficult time finding a good parking spot. No, it’s not Highway 210 or the ski resorts that are the cause of concern. Spending a day meandering through upper Gad Valley it seems that your correspondent couldn’t find a good shady spot to stop and read his book that wasn’t already occupied. By moose. On this particular August day three bulls, three cows and at least one calf seem to have staked out all the good places to perch and read. Perhaps they had the same idea, it’s hard to say with moose. They can be a bit enigmatic. That is, right up to the point when they become very clear about their intentions, but more on that in a moment. The thing about moose is the dog days of summer are particularly acute for them because they overheat easily. Afternoons are meant for resting in the shade and napping. You might do this more yourself if you weighed 800 pounds and always wore black. Perhaps that’s what promotes moose reading selections. Then again, Canyon Blog’s never actually observed a moose in the act of reading. They may simply delight in preventing bipedal readers from finding good spots. Though on this occasion Canyon Blog spied (from a safe distance) what looked like Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass next to the biggest bull of the group. In the off chance you do unexpectedly encounter Little Cottonwood’s largest resident at an uncomfortable distance remember these tips: Don’t run away. Talk to them. Try something like, “Nice first addition you got there.” Back away slowly, and in the direction from which you came. If a moose charges you find the biggest obstacle you can and get behind it or keep it between you and Bullwinkle. If you can’t get away, curl into a ball and protect your head. Typically, moose will stomp on you for a bit and then move off. Regarding our bull’s reading selection: Was it a first addition? Recent reprint? Alas, the mystery shall never be resolved for the simple fact that what is known is this: don’t approach a moose when he’s napping. Or reading a book.

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!

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…

One of the enjoyable experiences of walking the ridges and exploring the draws of Little Cottonwood Canyon are the small things. For your correspondent that includes the mysteries of those that grow in unlikely corners or those that are easily overlooked. Two of his favorites are variations of fungi that are eye catching but not always readily observable. To find them you have to slow down, look around, and peer at the ground. The first is the tiny fungus caloscypha fulgens but more popularly known by the friendlier snowbank orange peel fungus moniker. It’s clear where the nickname comes from as they often appear as miniature abandoned orange peels. This makes them relatively easy to spot. The best locations are under conifers and so it’s more likely you’ll discover them in the shadows. Canyon blog’s other favorite is a white mycelium that covers various ground detritus, usually fallen tree branches but sometimes exposed roots. Unlike many fungi it extends roots to grow and bring in nutrients. This can give it an unworldly appearance like something from a bad, or even good, sci-fi film. As you can see from this photo of a “captured” pinecone, the ability reach out and connect to a relatively distant food source can be spooky, in a Invasion of the body snatchers sort of way. What’s exceptionally cool, but little studied, about these types of fungi is their ability to transmit an electrical charge. Whether this is a means of communication or information transmission remains an enigma. Previously your blogger shared the fun of hunting porcini mushrooms to add to your culinary adventures (see October 5 th , 2021 Shroomin’ with ACE blog). Today’s blog is certainly not about consumption as neither one of these fungi are for humans or pets. No matter, the joy is in the discovery and observation. The natural world is an amazing place and there is no better spot from which to consider its mysteries than Little Cottonwood. But then, Canyon Blog admits to a biased perspective…

Local Flavor Archives - Canyon Services

Mid Gad Dining has Arrived!
Mid Gad Dining has Arrived!

Mid Gad Dining has Arrived!

Canyon Blog took the opportunity to coerce three of Snowbird’s finest to provide a tour of the new Mid Gad restaurant as the finishing touches fall into place. It’s amazing what a little backsheesh can do. Jake Treadwell, mountain ops director, and two of your correspondent’s favorite mountain ops leaders, Johanna and Mel, took time out of their day for your benefit. Alright, perhaps for the Canyon Blog’s benefit. The first thing you’ll notice this winter when you come sliding up is the wide open and radiant heated deck. That’s right folks, enjoy that frosty beer (more on that in [...]

CanyonBlog2025-09-28T23:19:06+00:00Announcements, Local Flavor, News, Snowbird Utah, Winter|

The Moose are Loose
The Moose are Loose

The Moose are Loose

It’s a busy summer here in Little Cottonwood. Congestion as we enter Oktoberfest and as fall prepares to find its way into the mountains. Just this week Canyon Blog had a difficult time finding a good parking spot. No, it’s not Highway 210 or the ski resorts that are the cause of concern. Spending a day meandering through upper Gad Valley it seems that your correspondent couldn’t find a good shady spot to stop and read his book that wasn’t already occupied. By moose. On this particular August day three bulls, three cows and at least one calf seem to [...]

CanyonBlog2025-08-18T03:00:23+00:00Local Flavor, Outdoors|

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|

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|

Discover Apres Ski Spots at Snowbird and Alta Ski Resorts
Discover Apres Ski Spots at Snowbird and Alta Ski Resorts

Discover Apres Ski Spots at Snowbird and Alta Ski Resorts

Utah winters provide unbeatable conditions for skiing and snowboarding. Stay within a five-minute drive of two of Utah’s best ski resorts, Alta Ski Area and Snowbird, with Canyon Services. After a day on the slopes, head to the resort's on-site restaurants and bars for apres-ski drinks, food, and music. Whether you are looking for a family-friendly spot or a place to grab cocktails with your friends, there is an apres-ski spot for everyone: Snowbird Apres Ski Spots Visit The Atrium, Snowbird’s newest apres-ski spot for cocktails, appetizers, and decadent sandwiches. Listen to live acoustic music here on Thursdays, Fridays, and [...]

webservices2025-02-28T17:59:54+00:00Local Flavor, 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|

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|

Fun with Junior Bounous Part I
Fun with Junior Bounous Part I

Fun with Junior Bounous Part I

Your correspondent recently had the opportunity to fulfill a longtime aspiration when he cornered skiing legend Junior Bounous. If you know who he is there is no need for explanation, but by all means read on because this first installment (of two) is full of fun facts about his life and times here in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Canyon Blog met him on a pleasant July morning at Snowbird’s plaza deck where we’d agreed to take the tram and explore the pika populations around hidden peak and talk about his life. Armed with hiking poles and water and snacks for both [...]

CanyonBlog2024-08-06T01:38:46+00:00Local Flavor, Outdoors|

Fun Fungi
Fun Fungi

Fun Fungi

One of the enjoyable experiences of walking the ridges and exploring the draws of Little Cottonwood Canyon are the small things. For your correspondent that includes the mysteries of those that grow in unlikely corners or those that are easily overlooked. Two of his favorites are variations of fungi that are eye catching but not always readily observable. To find them you have to slow down, look around, and peer at the ground. The first is the tiny fungus caloscypha fulgens but more popularly known by the friendlier snowbank orange peel fungus moniker. It’s clear where the nickname comes from [...]

CanyonBlog2024-07-21T17:14:42+00:00Local Flavor, Outdoors|

Happenings at Snowbird
Happenings at Snowbird

Happenings at Snowbird

Well, the chairs may have stopped spinning, but the season isn’t over. Though to be fair, your correspondent is one of only a handful of holdouts still making turns. To that end, here are a few shots from his daily boot pack up Dalton’s Draw. The remnants of the season are not the topic of this month’s installment, however. Canyon Blog stopped by to chat with Dave Fields, Snowbird general manager, to get the latest on the mountain since it’s clear they have plans. First is the replacement for the Mid Gad restaurant. “We’re really excited about the new dining [...]

CanyonBlog2024-06-10T00:26:21+00:00Local Events, Local Flavor, Outdoors, Summer|