This month Canyon Blog stopped by the Utah Department of Transportation garage in Alta to catch up with Little Cottonwood’s avalanche supervisor Laurie D. Officially she has another title but that’s not how residents of the canyon think of her and avalanche supervisor is way cooler. If you transit from the mouth of the canyon to any point upslope, you owe your safety to her and her team of five professionals. A transplant from Colorado, she was introduced to the canyon while river guiding one summer. After a year as a Snowbird lifty she transitioned to ski patrol in 2007. Over the next half dozen seasons she found herself drawn more and more to the “snow” side of patrol. Canyon Blog: “That’s not exactly a straight line to highway safety.” Laurie: “Well, my predecessor Liam was beefing up staff and modifying protocols and I sort of slid in during the 13/14 season.” That turned into a rotational position in Big Cottonwood, Provo Canyon, and Sundance as a first step. Which, in turn, provided a landing pad when he left soon after. CB: “So you inherited LCC…” LD: “Kinda. This is my canyon. I couldn’t live in the valley and wouldn’t want to be in the others.” Your correspondent relates to that statement, as do you kind reader. Or so one imagines. What’s the best part of the job? LD: “The UDOT scope is broad and it allows you to do things you love like ski.” Ah yes, but then there must be a counterbalance. LD: “What’s unique is it can be very low activity when things are slow, but then it spikes to an incredible level and that can be very high stress.” No doubt, given that everyone down canyon wants up. Until they want down. Then they want down right now. Which leads to a final question: What happens during a crisis situation? LD: “We’re a hub for things. Organizing, info sharing, during a crisis we are a source for a lot of information. And it’s not just the highway, but the structures and town as well. It’s an unspoken responsibility.” And one we’re grateful for. Thank you, Laurie, and your team for keeping us safe. Canyon Blog won’t be taking you for granted. And neither should you dear reader.

One of the enjoyable aspects of life in Little Cottonwood Canyon is its history of female leaders. In your correspondent’s traipsings across the slopes many of his friendships and encounters bring him into contact with amazing individuals who make our canyon happen. With the untimely loss of Snowbird ski patrol director Tina Biddle last fall it got your writer thinking about the other great leaders here that just happen to be women. That makes this season the perfect time to start profiling some of these inspiring individuals. And there is no better place to begin than with another exceptional Snowbird leader, tram foreman Laura Kittilä, pronounced like tequila but transposing the “k” and “t”. Those crazy Finns and their umlauts. Laura has been a part of Snowbird for over 15 years and kindly agreed to chat with Canyon Blog on a slow day in early January. Like most good tales, it starts with a love story. Canyon Blog: “How’d you end up in the States and then at the Bird?” Laura Kittilä: “Well, I followed a guy to Utah from home. And originally, I worked at the planetarium in Salt Lake.” The boy soon dropped out of the picture, but as a Finn she was only too familiar with skiing and a number of her friends frequented the bird. CB: “So, how’d you land on the tram?” LK: “I saw an open house posting and applied. They called the next day, and I found myself as a lifty on Chickadee.” Of course there’s more to the story. After a year on lifts and another doing summer activities she got injured and found herself working the tram gate. Once she got in the cab and started driving the tram, however, she never looked back. Thirteen years later she finds herself running a crew of professionals and loves it. Well, most of it. LK: “Storm days can be a lot. But when it’s over and the sun’s out it makes it worth it to push through the storm cycles.” CB: “So, after all these years why stay here and not go back to Finland?” LK: “The people. The customers and my coworkers.” CB: “Sounds like a lot of people to me.” LK: “I love everyone but definitely need to recharge at the end of the day.” What’s changed across a decade and a half one wonders. “There are a lot more people now. But one thing that’s a big change is when I started on the tram there were only two females, and now half of my crew alone are women.” That is a very cool thing indeed. Not missing an opportunity to put interviewees on the spot, Canyon Blog commenced a new torture when featuring locals: describing themselves in five words or less. Despite the look she gives your correspondent Laura rapidly fires off four. “Friendly. Reliable. Stubborn. Hardworking.” Then, after a short pause, “Finnish.” Anything else she’d like to add? “I am lucky to be here.” Concisely stated, but you’re not as lucky as we are to have you. Kiitos Laura!

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.

Canyon Services Archives - Canyon Services

Alta Town Clerk Jen Clancy
Alta Town Clerk Jen Clancy

Alta Town Clerk Jen Clancy

Continuing this year’s interviews with leaders from within Little Cottonwood, your correspondent sat down with Jen Clancy, our town clerk. Well, it might be a mischaracterization. She suggested a walk and chat which turned into a two-hour tour of the entire Grizzly Gulch. And a bit of mountain goating… Canyon Blog, who’d already hiked up Peruvian Gulch for a ski run that morning, put on a brave face and did their best to take notes while walking and talking. Jen is a long-time member of the Alta community and it seems somehow fitting that as we approach the nation’s 250th [...]

CanyonBlog2026-06-24T23:39:48+00:00Alta Utah, Interviews|

Wasatch Adaptive Sports’ Executive Director Elizabeth Kimball
Wasatch Adaptive Sports’ Executive Director Elizabeth Kimball

Wasatch Adaptive Sports’ Executive Director Elizabeth Kimball

Once again drawing from the extensive list of leadership that inhabit our canyon, your correspondent chose Elizabeth Kimball as the next profile. Elizabeth has occupied one of the favorite person spots for this writer for many years. Wasatch Adaptive Sports (WAS) is Little Cottonwood’s own program to help individuals with adaptive needs increase their freedom through skiing and boarding at Snowbird and Alta. As their fearless leader, the Chicago native's identity growing up was, “to move my body, mostly through sports.” At UC Berkely she played lacrosse and was introduced to her first nonprofit organization and the power of seeing [...]

CanyonBlog2026-06-01T01:45:04+00:00Interviews, Questions Answered|

Blister Review Summit at Snowbird
Blister Review Summit at Snowbird

Blister Review Summit at Snowbird

Canyon Blog joined the Blister Review team on the Snowbird plaza for what proved to be the best gear demo your correspondent ever experienced. To get the inside scoop (and also try some new Faction and Solomon skis) he cornered Blister’s founder Jonathan Ellsworth. Canyon Blog: What is Blister exactly? Jonathan Ellsworth: Our goal is to provide the world’s best consumer products information for all this expensive outdoor equipment. CB: So, how does that work exactly? JE: We do extreme testing year-round, spending up to 30 days with products and then produce a 7-10,000 word summary. I should mention that [...]

CanyonBlog2026-04-17T03:07:55+00:00Interviews, Local Events, Snowbird Utah|

Keeping 210 Flowing
Keeping 210 Flowing

Keeping 210 Flowing

This month Canyon Blog stopped by the Utah Department of Transportation garage in Alta to catch up with Little Cottonwood’s avalanche supervisor Laurie D. Officially she has another title but that’s not how residents of the canyon think of her and avalanche supervisor is way cooler. If you transit from the mouth of the canyon to any point upslope, you owe your safety to her and her team of five professionals. A transplant from Colorado, she was introduced to the canyon while river guiding one summer. After a year as a Snowbird lifty she transitioned to ski patrol in 2007. [...]

CanyonBlog2026-03-22T16:13:04+00:00Interviews, Questions Answered|

Little Cottonwood’s Newest Master Gunner
Little Cottonwood’s Newest Master Gunner

Little Cottonwood’s Newest Master Gunner

Canyon Blog sat down (well stood around some field artillery actually) with the canyon’s newest master gunner, Margie V. Master gunners are responsible for overseeing the 105mm howitzers in the canyon that mitigate avalanche risk, and you owe them more than you might realize because that’s what allows Highway 210 to open when you want it to most. As part of your correspondent’s continued feature of canyon leaders who happen to be female, there are few that are more respected. So, how’s one become a master gunner then? Read on. Canyon Blog: Is this something you planned on doing when [...]

CanyonBlog2026-03-01T02:03:29+00:00Interviews, Snowbird Utah, Winter|

Our Favorite Finn
Our Favorite Finn

Our Favorite Finn

One of the enjoyable aspects of life in Little Cottonwood Canyon is its history of female leaders. In your correspondent’s traipsings across the slopes many of his friendships and encounters bring him into contact with amazing individuals who make our canyon happen. With the untimely loss of Snowbird ski patrol director Tina Biddle last fall it got your writer thinking about the other great leaders here that just happen to be women. That makes this season the perfect time to start profiling some of these inspiring individuals. And there is no better place to begin than with another exceptional Snowbird [...]

CanyonBlog2026-01-13T18:16:35+00:00Interviews, Outdoors, Snowbird Utah, Winter|

Thank You for Ten Years
Thank You for Ten Years

Thank You for Ten Years

As 2025 comes to a close I am celebrating ten years of posting thoughts, events, and observations about one of the most wonderful and wondrous places I’ve ever known, Little Cottonwood Canyon. Breaking my tradition of always writing in the second person, I thought it appropriate on this occasion to speak in my own first-person voice. On one hand it is hard to believe so much time has passed. At least 1,000 days on skis for me. When considered from another perspective, it’s an eye blink. Where has the time gone? I never seem to know the answer to that [...]

CanyonBlog2025-12-27T02:24:05+00:00Uncategorized|

The Joys of Fall Hiking
The Joys of Fall Hiking

The Joys of Fall Hiking

That Canyon Blog spends most of his time in Little Cottonwood Canyon is no secret. On any given day you will find him somewhere on the slopes, except for the long stints at his computer, which has a mind of its own and can be a merciless driver of rambling passages. This is also no secret to readers of this space. Back to the day’s task however are some reflections on hiking in the canyon, especially in Alta and Snowbird. Clearly December through May are not hiking months, everyone trading out hiking boots for more restrictive footwear with attachments like [...]

CanyonBlog2025-10-08T23:41:43+00:00Fall, Outdoors|

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|