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.

Little Cottonwood Canyon Archives

A Conversation with Alta’s Mayor
A Conversation with Alta’s Mayor

A Conversation with Alta’s Mayor

Providing you with the next exciting installment in Little Cottonwood’s leaders series your correspondent cornered mayor Roger Bourke after one of his many town council meetings that keep the town budgeted and resourced. A long-time resident and life long rocket scientist, he and his wife Margaret both have contributed to the town’s wellbeing. Canyon Blog: So, how exactly did you come to be mayor of the world’s greatest powder ski town? Mayor Bourke: When the previous mayor ran for re election he was the only name on the ballot. I have a principle, where there needs to be more than [...]

CanyonBlog2026-09-28T00:28:33+00:00Alta Utah, Interviews|

Alta Ski Lift’s Mike Maughan
Alta Ski Lift’s Mike Maughan

Alta Ski Lift’s Mike Maughan

Your parade of people profiles continues with Alta’s own ski area general manager Mike Maughan. Canyon Blog sat down with the departing leader of the world’s favorite powder ski only resort as he prepares to hand over the reigns after nine years at the helm. Canyon Blog: What were some of the driving factors during your time as general manager? Mike Maughan: Much of what we planned over the past decade came from how to prepare for the climate change we’re seeing and the increase in skiers. We couldn’t just continue doing what history had allowed us previously. CB: Can [...]

CanyonBlog2026-08-07T01:39:44+00:00Alta Utah, Interviews|

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|

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|