A simple photo
Sometimes a moment appears that captures the essence of a season. To this author what's here is peace, color, and the character of our mountain in fall. Wherever you are, enjoy. And visit us soon.
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. [...]
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 [...]
Something Old, Something New; Something Broken, Something Blue
As the saying goes… The new tram cars have arrived at Snowbird. New Red Arrives! In late May, after traveling all the way from Olten, Switzerland by way of exotic Port of Houston, both cars were on hand and waiting to be swapped out. Unfortunately, on May 29th amidst a dusting of late season snow there was an incident and “New Red” was damaged during the first car swap, permanently removing it from transporting happy skiers to the top of Hidden Peak. Old Blue sitting above New Blue Canyon Blog sat down with Snowbird general manager [...]
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 [...]
No Boundaries at Snowbird
If you ski Snowbird regularly you’ve seen the distinctive adaptive equipment used by Wasatch Adaptive Sports (WAS) and their clients. These often take the form of mono skis, bi-skis or cart skis. You’ll recognize WAS instructors and volunteers by their distinctive black logo jackets and sunny dispositions as they help others experience the mountain in a way many of us take for granted. Ricardo tearing up Mineral Basin This week your correspondent was fortunate enough to spend time with a new group as they came to Snowbird for the first time. Ricardo is a veteran of Afghanistan and [...]
Interlodge: A History
Ever wonder what Interlodge actually means? Wonder no more. This month’s blog is dedicated to providing answers to all your questions and to help you not only weather that term’s storms but to enjoy your mountain experience to the utmost should you find yourself a part of the Little Cottonwood Canyon experience known as Interlodge. What the term means: It actually refers to the limit placed on residents and guests when inside town limits (or Snowbird properties) with regard to traveling between lodges, homes and resorts. In other words, you cannot travel between them. The word inter literally means between. [...]
We Missed You!
Well, the first holiday of the year came and went. And you know what didn’t come with it? People. Canyon Blog ventured out onto the slopes of Snowbird and Alta to gauge the holiday crowds and take an unscientific barometric reading of just how many folks were in town or up from downtown on Sunday and Monday. The great news is Alta’s parking system seems to be working and a bit less traffic is in the canyon. Nice to know, but it doesn’t really affect you because you’ll be luxuriating après ski style in one of our properties. Your correspondent [...]
Why You Should Book Your Utah Vacation Rental Now
The Wasatch Mountains, one of the nation’s most distinct ranges, serves as an elite skiing and cold-weather getaway destination for those who adore winter sports. However, many may not realize that when the snow melts and the sun shines, the Alta-Snowbird ski area takes on a new persona rife with alpine adventures like hiking, kayaking, and mountain biking—among others. Nestled within the Little Cottonwood Canyon, Canyon Services is already preparing to host a bevy of guests who need a summer retreat. From sprawling mountain prairies to forgotten and hidden gems, there are many reasons to reserve a Utah vacation rental [...]
A Digital Detox in Alta-Snowbird
It seems impossible to do anything without a smartphone, tablet, or laptop by our side in this day and age. Moment by moment, we become increasingly reliant on technologies that seemingly make life easier, but at what cost? Surely things that help us learn, communicate, and share ideas with people worldwide can't be so bad. Still, just like everything else, it's important to practice moderation when it comes to technology. One effective way to bring balance into your life is to seek refuge from the daily information-overload by embarking on a digital detox. A few recent studies have shown that [...]