Your correspondent pens this piece in the aftermath of a top ten ski day here in Little Cottonwood. After a foot of fresh on top of seven more feet of fresh on top of a mountain with no people, January 17 th proved to be one of those days where despite how hungry you are you don’t dare stop to eat. Late morning when our valiant ski patrol dropped the rope for Catherine’s it was time to start making laps. Ten laps as it turns out. This is where Canyon Blog would normally insert a few great photos to induce jealousy on the part of the loyal readers of this space. Sadly, they were not to be. Why you ask? Because this writer wasn’t stopping to snap shots because it was just too damn good. And besides, as you’re well aware, photos don’t do justice to epic conditions. The best your correspondent can muster is a few shots on the final run to the house off Powder Ridge via Wildcat lift. Those and one shot of a significant ice beard buildup. Well, here’s one additional shot from Snowbird yesterday when they’d just opened Peruvian lift at around 2pm. Several days of closures had the Peruvian snow primed for tracking even if the wind scour faces were a little crusty. What’s the point of these bragging lines you may wonder. Simply this: The storm cycles are still aligned and the snow gods favoring our little canyon. So you better hop on that plane, get up canyon, and drop your bags in one of our deluxe properties because staying down canyon isn’t going to do you any good when the canyon closes for the next storm. Note on our previous photo challenge: The image on the concrete buttress is actually the last chairlift pole as you ascend the Collins lift.

This month Canyon Blog thought he’d touch (gently for reasons soon to be obvious) on one of his favorite and most overlooked Little Cottonwood residents, the porcupine. The idea occurred to him last week while skinning up Albion basin between the summer road and Catherine’s area on a sunny and uncrowded day. Minding his own business and generally enjoying the quiet mountain solitude your correspondent stumbled into the forest havoc remnants of erethizon dorsatum (the scientific name for the north American version). As you can see, when a porcupine decides it’s time to party pine style, they mean business. What really happens at this time of year is porcupines will strip bark and other parts of pine trees in order to carry themselves through to later spring and summer when they turn to softer plant life for nutrition. And no doubt improved flavor… Most people think porcupines hibernate, but they don’t. They spend their wintertime hunkering down through the weather in sheltered locations and climbing trees to forage among the available pinecones and whatever criteria they use to determine a tasty bough, though how they choose heaven knows. This guy, who’d clearly moved on the day previous, spent considerable time on the lower parts of this tiny grove just below Wolverine Peak. A few cool facts should you choose to use this month’s blog to impress your friends: Their famous quills cannot be hurled or projected at anyone, not even politicians. But they are easily detached on contact. And they are not easily removed once imbedded because they have hundreds of barbs just to make the “point” that you don’t want to connect with them. They will rattle their quills to warn you if you’re pissing them off. They can also emanate an unpleasant odor as a warning. It’s only when all else fails that they’ll back their way toward a predator, or an evil Park City skier. They can live up to 30 years, making them one of the longest-lived rodents in the wild. And finally, your correspondent’s favorite, a litter of young and their mother are referred to as a prickle. Intuitive perhaps, but one can hardly be expected to have pulled that term out of the ether. No doubt happier grazing days are ahead for our Albion pine mauling friend, as evidenced by this last photo captured during Canyon Blog’s wanderings last summer along Emma Ridge. As our skiing season changes to hiking erethizon dorsatum will leave the firs and bristle cones for the grass and meadows of your favorite canyon so watch your step when you come to visit and stay in our beautiful lodgings. Book your trip today! We're looking forward to seeing you.

Alta Ski Resort Lodging Archives

OMSG
OMSG

OMSG

Your correspondent pens this piece in the aftermath of a top ten ski day here in Little Cottonwood. After a foot of fresh on top of seven more feet of fresh on top of a mountain with no people, January 17th proved to be one of those days where despite how hungry you are you don’t dare stop to eat. Late morning when our valiant ski patrol dropped the rope for Catherine’s it was time to start making laps. Ten laps as it turns out. This is where Canyon Blog would normally insert a few great photos to induce jealousy [...]

CanyonBlog2024-01-19T20:30:30+00:00Outdoors, Winter|

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|

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|

Porcupine Pine Party
Porcupine Pine Party

Porcupine Pine Party

This month Canyon Blog thought he’d touch (gently for reasons soon to be obvious) on one of his favorite and most overlooked Little Cottonwood residents, the porcupine. The idea occurred to him last week while skinning up Albion basin between the summer road and Catherine’s area on a sunny and uncrowded day. Minding his own business and generally enjoying the quiet mountain solitude your correspondent stumbled into the forest havoc remnants of erethizon dorsatum (the scientific name for the north American version). As you can see, when a porcupine decides it’s time to party pine style, they mean business. What [...]

CanyonBlog2022-04-13T18:47:05+00:00Local Flavor, Outdoors|

Unique Winter Adventures: Heli-Skiing in Utah
Unique Winter Adventures: Heli-Skiing in Utah

Unique Winter Adventures: Heli-Skiing in Utah

Utah is well known for its snow, and skiers from all over the country travel to our state to ski the legendary powder. And if you think ski resorts are the only way to hit the slopes, think again! There are endless backcountry trails in the Wasatch Range that can be accessed with heli-skiing in Utah. If you’re asking yourself what in the world is heli-skiing, we’re here to help. Heli-skiing consists of a helicopter ride to remote ski areas that are difficult to access, with the helicopter acting as a lift up the mountain. At Canyon Services, we have [...]

webservices2022-02-14T22:52:53+00:00Outdoors|

Winter Retreat: Plan a Romantic Getaway in Utah
Winter Retreat: Plan a Romantic Getaway in Utah

Winter Retreat: Plan a Romantic Getaway in Utah

Something about the winter season encourages us to cuddle up and spend time with that special someone. Winter is the perfect time to plan a romantic getaway in Utah with Canyon Services. Spend your days shredding the slopes together, then unwind at the spa and end the day with a romantic dinner. Spend time relaxing in one of our beautiful condos and cozy up in front of the gas fireplace. We also have a complimentary shuttle so you can access the amenities and restaurants at both Alta and Snowbird resorts. Start planning your romantic getaway now and check out our [...]

webservices2021-12-21T22:50:06+00:00Local Flavor, Outdoors|