One of the great experiences of being in Little Cottonwood Canyon is the opportunity to stop. Not for a bite or beer between runs. And not après ski, per say. What your correspondent is referring to is the opportunity to merely be in the canyon and feel its presence. That only really happens once you aren’t focusing on some task at hand like loading a chair or gearing up. In the evenings and mornings there’s a silence in the canyon. Sure, there may be four thousand skiers split between Alta and Snowbird between 10 and 2, but outside that window the canyon either empties out or the humans are all indoors. One of Canyon Blog’s favorite things is to walk about and take things in. That includes things you can experience by omission, such as noise. Put another way, its absence. It’s peacefully quiet here during those times. To have this experience requires that you not be focused on the madness of the crowds or traffic. And to turn off your computer and put down that ever demanding device that runs your life: the modern smart phone. So come for the skiing or riding certainly. But leave with something else, the experience of stopping time for just a bit and, to quote Paul Simon, enjoy “the sound of silence.”

Cool air is finally finding its way up the canyon and across the mountaintops here in Little Cottonwood. September is nearly here and fall is on our doorstep and with that your correspondent has his last summer ski run locked on the last patch of snow below Twin Peaks. With skis already on his back, the temperatures led Canyon Blog to Snowbird mountain operations director Jake Treadwell’s door one sunny morning to get the latest on the resort’s big projects for the summer. A very busy man, he graciously agreed to run this skier around the mountain for a closer look. First stop was the new Wilbere lift. With a quad capacity and moving carpet loading system it will more than double the skiers it moves upslope. Loading will now take place within sight of Mid Gad and Gadzoom, making your choice of lifts easier. “The new Wilbere provides a better way to spread skiers and we’re really happy about that. With the new location you can get from the ballpark (the area near the other lifts) to Snowbird center in one chair and six minutes,” he said, adding that construction is running on time. The other major project at the bottom of the resort was to run additional high voltage power lines along the Wilbere stretch to replace 50 year old infrastructure and add redundancy to their power distribution. Next stop was the Mid Gad restaurant replacement. Jake is proud of the new design even though the old one with its venerated “Snowbird logo” timber designs was a landmark loved by many. “The new facility is much better for guests and employees to work and enjoy. The space is more open and cleaner, meaning it’s not cluttered,” he said. The entrance will be on the westside still but there will be a rollup door on the east for easier delivery of supplies. That side will also house the serving area. All mechanical space will be downstairs underneath dining and serving. "What’s really going to be enjoyable is the heated concrete patio near the indoor dining area for guests,” he adds. Before you plan your sunscreen needs for that outdoor Mid Gad beer or cocoa you need to know that the restaurant won’t open this season even though it will look complete. “It will be fully weather proof before the ski and ride season but inside we’ll still be working on it throughout the year so expect the new experience for the 25/26 season.” That’s the news from the top and bottom of the resort. If you’ll pardon the departure, your blogger has a ski run to make to keep his monthly run count going…

One of the enjoyable experiences of walking the ridges and exploring the draws of Little Cottonwood Canyon are the small things. For your correspondent that includes the mysteries of those that grow in unlikely corners or those that are easily overlooked. Two of his favorites are variations of fungi that are eye catching but not always readily observable. To find them you have to slow down, look around, and peer at the ground. The first is the tiny fungus caloscypha fulgens but more popularly known by the friendlier snowbank orange peel fungus moniker. It’s clear where the nickname comes from as they often appear as miniature abandoned orange peels. This makes them relatively easy to spot. The best locations are under conifers and so it’s more likely you’ll discover them in the shadows. Canyon blog’s other favorite is a white mycelium that covers various ground detritus, usually fallen tree branches but sometimes exposed roots. Unlike many fungi it extends roots to grow and bring in nutrients. This can give it an unworldly appearance like something from a bad, or even good, sci-fi film. As you can see from this photo of a “captured” pinecone, the ability reach out and connect to a relatively distant food source can be spooky, in a Invasion of the body snatchers sort of way. What’s exceptionally cool, but little studied, about these types of fungi is their ability to transmit an electrical charge. Whether this is a means of communication or information transmission remains an enigma. Previously your blogger shared the fun of hunting porcini mushrooms to add to your culinary adventures (see October 5 th , 2021 Shroomin’ with ACE blog). Today’s blog is certainly not about consumption as neither one of these fungi are for humans or pets. No matter, the joy is in the discovery and observation. The natural world is an amazing place and there is no better spot from which to consider its mysteries than Little Cottonwood. But then, Canyon Blog admits to a biased perspective…

Wasatch Mountains Archives - Page 2 of 4

Silence and Snow
Silence and Snow

Silence and Snow

One of the great experiences of being in Little Cottonwood Canyon is the opportunity to stop. Not for a bite or beer between runs. And not après ski, per say. What your correspondent is referring to is the opportunity to merely be in the canyon and feel its presence. That only really happens once you aren’t focusing on some task at hand like loading a chair or gearing up. In the evenings and mornings there’s a silence in the canyon. Sure, there may be four thousand skiers split between Alta and Snowbird between 10 and 2, but outside that window [...]

CanyonBlog2025-01-18T02:08:34+00:00Outdoors, Winter|

May the light shine through (with a sprinkling of flakes)
May the light shine through (with a sprinkling of flakes)

May the light shine through (with a sprinkling of flakes)

Well, your correspondent’s investigative journalistic responsibilities include unpolished headlines. So, here’s this month’s: The snow is thin. There’s no denying it. All is not lost, however. Where one opportunity evaporates, another appears. This holiday season’s snowpack means the mountains are empty. Both Alta and Snowbird are spinning most of their lifts so the terrain is there. Alta finally opened Supreme, leaving Mineral Basin as the only closed chair fed slopes in the canyon. What that means is no waiting. Parking reservations are in effect at Alta daily (till 1pm) but Snowbird has spaces every day. Fear not, the Shuttle system [...]

CanyonBlog2024-12-22T00:39:31+00:00Outdoors, Winter|

Snowbird Update
Snowbird Update

Snowbird Update

Cool air is finally finding its way up the canyon and across the mountaintops here in Little Cottonwood. September is nearly here and fall is on our doorstep and with that your correspondent has his last summer ski run locked on the last patch of snow below Twin Peaks. With skis already on his back, the temperatures led Canyon Blog to Snowbird mountain operations director Jake Treadwell’s door one sunny morning to get the latest on the resort’s big projects for the summer. A very busy man, he graciously agreed to run this skier around the mountain for a closer [...]

CanyonBlog2024-09-04T01:29:15+00:00Announcements, Local Events, Outdoors|

Fun Fungi
Fun Fungi

Fun Fungi

One of the enjoyable experiences of walking the ridges and exploring the draws of Little Cottonwood Canyon are the small things. For your correspondent that includes the mysteries of those that grow in unlikely corners or those that are easily overlooked. Two of his favorites are variations of fungi that are eye catching but not always readily observable. To find them you have to slow down, look around, and peer at the ground. The first is the tiny fungus caloscypha fulgens but more popularly known by the friendlier snowbank orange peel fungus moniker. It’s clear where the nickname comes from [...]

CanyonBlog2024-07-21T17:14:42+00:00Local Flavor, Outdoors|

Happenings at Snowbird
Happenings at Snowbird

Happenings at Snowbird

Well, the chairs may have stopped spinning, but the season isn’t over. Though to be fair, your correspondent is one of only a handful of holdouts still making turns. To that end, here are a few shots from his daily boot pack up Dalton’s Draw. The remnants of the season are not the topic of this month’s installment, however. Canyon Blog stopped by to chat with Dave Fields, Snowbird general manager, to get the latest on the mountain since it’s clear they have plans. First is the replacement for the Mid Gad restaurant. “We’re really excited about the new dining [...]

CanyonBlog2024-06-10T00:26:21+00:00Local Events, Local Flavor, Outdoors, Summer|

Surfin’ the Wave at Snowbird
Surfin’ the Wave at Snowbird

Surfin’ the Wave at Snowbird

One of the great things about spring skiing in Little Cottonwood is the light, smells, and space that pervades the senses. Because the temps are up, even though the snow is still flying, people find creative ways to enjoy the mountain. The typical example are the snakes that appear at Alta and Snowbird, usually in Ballroom and Shireen (just off the Road to Provo cat track). However, your correspondent’s favorite playground terrain is the ridge that separates Shireen from Mark Malu Fork where the exhibitionists of spring tend to gather to demonstrate their aerial skills and basically have a great [...]

CanyonBlog2024-04-05T01:24:24+00:00Local Flavor, Outdoors|

Hidden Peak’s hidden purpose
Hidden Peak’s hidden purpose

Hidden Peak’s hidden purpose

Riding the tram at Snowbird and pouring out onto the summit with your skis in hand and powder turns in mind it’s easy to miss just what’s around us. When you next step through those new doors take a moment and look up before you clear the gates. There, between the tram wheels you’ll see a number of instruments and antennae on top on the west side. To help make sense of some of those items Canyon Blog tracked down Dr. Maria Garcia from the University of Utah’s Atmospherics Sciences Dept. Turns out that there’s some serious science goin’ on [...]

CanyonBlog2023-12-14T02:13:36+00:00Local Flavor, Outdoors|

Friends in High Places
Friends in High Places

Friends in High Places

Sometimes, when you’re out on the slopes of these mountains, you find yourself in the presence of the true locals, who own them and make their living here. If your mind drifts to Alta or Snowbird lifties or your favorite tram operator you’re off point. Last week, while scrambling up the scree by Shreen run (think Road to Provo if you can’t place it) to police up a few errant ski patrol bamboo poles, Canyon Blog almost literally bumped into one of his favorite locals on the mountain. Porcupine of course. Always retiring, never in a rush, and usually enjoying [...]

CanyonBlog2023-09-15T02:27:00+00:00Local Flavor, Outdoors|

Operation Atwood Winze Mine
Operation Atwood Winze Mine

Operation Atwood Winze Mine

Canyon Blog spent the first half of August 2023 finalizing a plan three years in the making. Buried 2,000 feet deep within the Bay City Mine tunnel across from the Snowpine Lodge and 200 feet up a 1200 foot winze (non vertical mine shaft) lay an 1880 vintage wooden sided mine car left by the last miners to work that section of the mine. This particular portion of the mine was last actively worked in 1908. The car itself, an extremely rare wooden sided ore and waste rock transport, has the ability to swivel and dump its load in any [...]

CanyonBlog2023-08-27T16:32:41+00:00Local Flavor, News|

Snowbird Fires up Their Convertibles
Snowbird Fires up Their Convertibles

Snowbird Fires up Their Convertibles

Well, they’re finally here. After much waiting, some minor disasters, a record snowfall year, and a long spring runoff, the balconies for “new blue” and “new, new red” are in place and ready for you. Typical of your correspondent, he used his faux investigative journalist credentials to gain a sneak peek to see if riding on top of the tram cars was worth all the hype on the morning before their grand opening. The answer in a word: yes. Thankfully, the installation went without hitch on June 5th during scheduled tram maintenance. No crane required, merely a cable system to [...]

CanyonBlog2023-06-17T02:39:01+00:00Announcements, News, Summer|