Not to harp on this, but what a wacky winter in the Wasatch—if you can even call it that. In my 22 years in Utah, I’ve seen lean seasons, but this one takes the cake. That said, I still managed to stack up plenty of sunny backcountry days (and chase down a few elusive powder turns), and I hope you did too!
This season’s persistently high snowline created challenges across the board. Many lower-elevation trailheads never filled in—or didn’t hold snow long enough to ski without worrying about rocks or downed trees—while higher-elevation access points saw a surge in use. Instead of dispersing across the Central Wasatch, backcountry users were funneled into a handful of trailheads where conditions were still viable.
Upper Little Cottonwood Canyon faced the biggest strain. Increased enforcement of parking restrictions—particularly on the north side of the Grizzly Gulch lot—significantly limited access right when demand was highest. We also saw ongoing issues with roadside parking at White Pine and confusion stemming from an incorrect no-parking map at Guardsman Pass (you can read more about both on our blog).
While parking remains a key challenge we’re actively working on, there are bright spots. We’re encouraged by momentum around improved bus service coming to the Cottonwoods and have been advocating for transit solutions that better serve backcountry users in both Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons. This winter, in an effort to demonstrate demand for winter time “transit to trails” solutions, we also launched a pilot shuttle in Millcreek Canyon.
If this season made anything clear, it’s how critical our highest-elevation trailheads are for maintaining access to dispersed, human-powered recreation. Areas like Superior, Flagstaff, the Emma ridgeline, Grizzly Gulch, Honeycomb ridgeline, Hidden Canyon, and Guardsman Pass are essential backcountry zones. However, much of these zones are privately owned by the ski resorts, even though they are outside of the current ski resort footprints, meaning access is not guaranteed. We were encouraged to help inform the Town of Brighton’s new ordinance to better define resort boundaries, but there’s still work to do (like flighting the gondola and making sure interconnect proposals are shut down).
That’s where you come in. Your support keeps Wasatch Backcountry Alliance at the table—working with resorts, the Forest Service, and local governments to protect terrain and access. It also powers programs like our Trail Counting Program, giving us the data to advocate effectively on behalf of this community.
If this work is important to you, please consider supporting WBA during UTAHGIVES this week. However much you’re able to contribute — $10, $50, or $200 — makes an outsized impact on our grassroots efforts in the Wasatch. We can’t do it without you.
I don’t need to tell you that the Wasatch is special—offering world-class resort skiing alongside equally world-class backcountry terrain. With your support, we can protect that balance and keep these places accessible for seasons to come, no matter what winter throws our way.
Cheers,
Dani Poirier – Director
