January is off the charts with powder dropping weekly at rates not measured in decades. The 136 inches recorded in December is the highest total in 40 years for Little Cottonwood. Today the canyon was closed again with Highway 210 blocked by avalanche debris in multiple slide zones. And the howitzers of Alta and Snowbird serve as siren calls to every powder skier within earshot in the pre-dawn hours. But the avalanche artillery is a story for another day… No, faithful readers of Canyon Blog, this month’s installment is all about the pristine powder that lies tantalizingly just beyond the ski area boundary ropes and on the slopes that beckon as you ride Alta’s Supreme Chair or the Mineral Basin lifts. Once again your correspondent has risked life and limb to bring you firsthand reporting of the full Little Cottonwood skiing experience. Though today’s post incorporates Big Cottonwood Canyon for the first time in this space. It all started last Monday when Alta avalanche forecaster/program director Dave “Grom” Richards called Canyon Blog and said, “Let’s go.” “Where?” “Not sure, but you’ll know when you get here,” said the backcountry guide ominously. Canyon Blog’s skied with Grom many times before and one never knows with this guy. So, properly outfitted with avi pack, probe, shovel, beacon and skins we met at Alta and caught the Supreme lift to the top. From there it was a short, but fun, low angle slope ski into Dry Fork which leads to Heber City should one choose to follow it down. Arriving back at the Alta boundary ropes we joined the trekkers hiking the Supreme summit hill to ski Katherine’s, which had just opened. But for us it was a transit toward the pass Sunnyside peak and Mount Wolverine where Grom’s plan was revealed in full. “Let’s drop into Big Cottonwood and we can finish at Brighton,” grinned Grom. Not one to miss out on one upmanship your correspondent added, “Okay, but then we have to hitchhike our way back to Alta.” Agreed, it was off into the white. It should be mentioned here that the terrain, conditions and backcountry experience needed to assess our route and the morning all came into play. Backcountry skiing isn’t something to be taken lightly, and Grom knows all about that having spent his entire career studying snow. But it is something to be experienced. For those readers of this column who enjoy the best lodging in Little Cottonwood, try Snowbird’s backcountry guides https://www.snowbird.com/guiding-tours/backcountry-skiing/ for the experience of a lifetime. That’s because you’ll do it as a ski-in ski-out adventure. As for Grom and your correspondent’s excursion, enjoy this month’s photos that include Canyon Blog’s favorite backcountry critter encounter, the humble porcupine. As for getting back, he’s happy to report that it took a mere two thumbs to arrive in Alta. You have to love skiers, they’ll take pity on anyone, even scruffy middle aged guys.

If you’re a reader of this space then you know that happiness can be found at ten thousand and 12, feet and inches that is. Your loyal correspondent is pleased to share that if you’re one of those then the 2022/23 ski season is well under way. To commemorate the first 50 inches of snowfall, and in the interests of thorough investigative journalism, Canyon Blog spent the past week in pursuit of first tracks at both Snowbird and Alta. As you can see, the base is not only enough already to establish a great foundation, it excludes any artificial snow making. Au naturale is such a wonderful feeling under foot. Though most of these shots were taken mid storm or snowfall, in between fronts shows a bit of the grandeur you’ve come to love in Little Cottonwood Canyon. And even though these solo tracks may induce a flash of jealousy there’s no need to feel that. Alta’s opening day is November 18 th , with Snowbird right behind on the 30 th . Ccome out for Thanksgiving and enjoy the feet and inches for yourself. It’s going to be a fantastic season opening with new chairs and trams. And better still, more snow. This weekend promises another 20 inches and the cycles are lined up even further out. Who needs snow making or inferior Colorado or, worse still, east coast snow? So, okay, maybe jealousy is called for. On your friends’ part when you send your own season first track photos from your early season outing.

Summer 2022 is a season of significant change or so it seems. First there was the excitement (and drama) of Snowbird’s tram car swap, which is up and running thankfully. Now it’s Alta’s turn to crank the improvement competition up a notch. Your correspondent sat down with Alta Ski Lift general Manager Mike Maughan to learn just what’s up in the upper reaches of Little Cottonwood. He started big. “Covid highlighted a number of things for us in the past two years. One being lift congestion especially on Sunnyside. Even when we’d run Albion chair it didn’t disperse the crowds enough to give the ski experience people expect from us,” he stated, summing up the frequent conditions on that part of the mountain, especially on morning weekends. So, what’s to be done about a legacy condition? “We’re in the midst of installing a replacement for Sunnyside with a highspeed detachable six pack.” The new chair will have a nine second interval (the original Sunnyside was six) but should still nearly double the uphill flow of happy skiers. Construction’s proceeding at pace despite some supply chain challenges. The original Albion chair remains for the time being as an insurance policy just in case the unexpected appears from over the horizon. However, once the new chair is fully operational it will be removed entirely. In other Alta news he shared that Alta’s new parking reservation program was more successful at alleviating parking lot hassles and frustrations. “There were a lot of early skeptics but working in conjunction with the town of Alta I’m really pleased with how it went. It’s improved the ski experience because people know they have a place to park,” he said. Alta’s parking cost remains $25 per vehicle. Of course as a frequent Canyon Services customer parking is never a problem for you, dear reader. Over the summer Alta Ski Lifts are also doing some slope and grading improvements off Supreme lift near Grand Junction. For this reason the new lift construction areas of the mountain will be closed this summer, including lower Albion Basin. There’s still plenty of trails across the slopes and throughout Snowbird’s terrain. And remember, dining is available year-round now in Alta at the revamped Snowpine Lodge. They even have live music most weekends. So book a flight and join us at one of our beautiful properties for some summer sun and see for yourself what the upcoming winter has in store.

Outdoors Archives - Page 2 of 6

A Dispatch from the Trenches
A Dispatch from the Trenches

A Dispatch from the Trenches

Well, much as your correspondent hates cliches, this is one for the record books. Snowbird passed its all-time season snowfall record yesterday which was 782”. As of this morning, where Canyon Blog remains trapped in Alta, they’re standing at 805”. And it hasn’t stopped. Alta is sitting on, or rather under, 874”. It was only one week ago today that this space was reporting 764 Alta inches. If public math serves that’s 110” of new in a week. In April. The day before yesterday’s interlodge was one of the top three ski days of this powder hound’s career, someone who [...]

CanyonBlog2023-04-05T17:57:46+00:00Outdoors, Winter|

Drop What You’re Doing (an emergency announcement)
Drop What You’re Doing (an emergency announcement)

Drop What You’re Doing (an emergency announcement)

Rarely does Canyon Blog issue public service announcements, but such are the dire circumstances that it’s demanded of your correspondent in the interests of your health and mental state of mind. With that out of the way, here’s the deal. Whatever you’re doing, and regardless of where, you simply need to stop, book a flight, toss on a few layers of gear, and slap some fiberglass or carbon to the bottom of your feet. As your correspondent writes this (March 29th) Alta is reporting 764” for the season, but that’s simply not going to be true by the time you [...]

CanyonBlog2023-03-31T01:29:04+00:00Outdoors, Winter|

Rush Out Here and Then Slow Down
Rush Out Here and Then Slow Down

Rush Out Here and Then Slow Down

The snow continues to drop in Little Cottonwood Canyon and the skiing is beyond compare. And by that, your correspondent does mean anywhere. Readers of this space are only too familiar with the superiority of Wasatch powder and the fact that leasing one of our properties puts you into a skin-in ski-out experience not available anywhere else. To prove that point your faithful investigative journalist is winging his way to Austria and Norway to compare this season’s snow with other world class destinations. Such is his dedication to his profession, but he digresses and will report back on that when [...]

CanyonBlog2023-03-03T21:35:18+00:00Outdoors, Winter|

Heli-skiing with Powderbird’s 50th Year
Heli-skiing with Powderbird’s 50th Year

Heli-skiing with Powderbird’s 50th Year

Followers of Canyon Blog will undoubtedly be aware of the helicopters that often nest just off the bypass road between Snowbird and Alta. And that they support Little Cottonwood Canyon’s heli-skiing. What you will not likely understand though is how heli-skiing works or even how to go about dipping a ski into the aviation facilitated snow pond. Despite 30 years of helicopter work in his military career your correspondent has to sheepishly admit that they’d never considered heli-skiing and assumed (incorrectly) that it was somehow out of his reach. To rectify this terrible oversight, he sat down with VP of [...]

CanyonBlog2023-02-17T18:57:05+00:00Interviews, Local Flavor, Outdoors, Winter|

Outa Bounds
Outa Bounds

Outa Bounds

January is off the charts with powder dropping weekly at rates not measured in decades. The 136 inches recorded in December is the highest total in 40 years for Little Cottonwood. Today the canyon was closed again with Highway 210 blocked by avalanche debris in multiple slide zones. And the howitzers of Alta and Snowbird serve as siren calls to every powder skier within earshot in the pre-dawn hours. But the avalanche artillery is a story for another day… No, faithful readers of Canyon Blog, this month’s installment is all about the pristine powder that lies tantalizingly just beyond the [...]

CanyonBlog2023-01-12T05:01:53+00:00Local Flavor, Outdoors, Winter|

First Tracks
First Tracks

First Tracks

If you’re a reader of this space then you know that happiness can be found at ten thousand and 12, feet and inches that is. Your loyal correspondent is pleased to share that if you’re one of those then the 2022/23 ski season is well under way. To commemorate the first 50 inches of snowfall, and in the interests of thorough investigative journalism, Canyon Blog spent the past week in pursuit of first tracks at both Snowbird and Alta. As you can see, the base is not only enough already to establish a great foundation, it excludes any artificial snow [...]

CanyonBlog2022-11-05T03:30:40+00:00Local Flavor, Outdoors, Winter|

An Interview with Alta’s Lift Operations Supervisor Shannon Corey
An Interview with Alta’s Lift Operations Supervisor Shannon Corey

An Interview with Alta’s Lift Operations Supervisor Shannon Corey

Your correspondent had the opportunity to sit down with the most important person on Alta’s mountain if you’re here to ski. What got him thinking about this interview was Alta’s splicing of cable on the Collins chairlift this summer. More on that in a moment. But first, our interview subject. Shannon Corey is a fourth generation non-LDS Utahn who learned to ski from the Albion lift when she was seven. In addition to the usual mountain upbringing she played the piano from an early age (hold that thought because we’ll come back to it). After completing a degree in anthropology [...]

CanyonBlog2022-10-04T17:52:48+00:00Local Flavor, Outdoors, Winter|

The Perfect Oktoberfest Day
The Perfect Oktoberfest Day

The Perfect Oktoberfest Day

Snowbird’s tribute to the German festival has entered its 50th year. To celebrate half a century of beer and brats and, lest we neglect, the polka, and what's become truly a Little Cottonwood institution, one must come up canyon. The question becomes, how does one experience Oktoberfest to the fullest while simultaneously dodging the largest crowds? It’s a good question, and one your correspondent has spent years in crafting his response. First, there’s the parking consideration. Oh wait, that doesn’t apply to you because you’ll be enjoying the best digs in the canyon thanks to your reservation with Canyon Services. [...]

CanyonBlog2022-09-04T18:45:57+00:00Fall, Local Events, Local Flavor, News, Outdoors|

Alta’s Six Pack
Alta’s Six Pack

Alta’s Six Pack

Summer 2022 is a season of significant change or so it seems. First there was the excitement (and drama) of Snowbird’s tram car swap, which is up and running thankfully. Now it’s Alta’s turn to crank the improvement competition up a notch. Your correspondent sat down with Alta Ski Lift general Manager Mike Maughan to learn just what’s up in the upper reaches of Little Cottonwood. He started big. “Covid highlighted a number of things for us in the past two years. One being lift congestion especially on Sunnyside. Even when we’d run Albion chair it didn’t disperse the crowds [...]

CanyonBlog2022-08-10T02:43:16+00:00Local Flavor, News, Outdoors, Summer|

Albion Basin Wildflowers Hike and Festival Information
Albion Basin Wildflowers Hike and Festival Information

Albion Basin Wildflowers Hike and Festival Information

During the summer, the mountains surrounding the Snowbird and Alta ski resorts transform from snowy slopes to a colorful sea of wildflowers. Every July and August, Little Cottonwood Canyon comes alive with vibrant wildflowers blossoming as far as the eye can see. And adventurers come from all over to witness the breathtaking display of Albion Basin wildflowers for themselves. At Canyon Services, we have created a helpful Wildflower Hiking Guide to help you navigate the local trails. Today we are going in-depth on the Albion Basin hike and the annual Wasatch Wildflower Festival. Albion Basin Wildflower Hike The Albion Basin [...]

webservices2022-06-24T20:06:28+00:00Local Events, Outdoors|