Some of Utah's most pristine backcountry areas are currently under attack from mindless corporate ski area expansions. Taliskier, the company who owns The Canyons, has recently proposed a gondola connecting The Canyons and Solitude. They claim that this gondola will somehow reduce traffic between Park City and Big Cottonwood Canyon, and will increase tourism at both ski areas. First of all, how will this reduce traffic between the canyons? I don't think the amount of people regularly commuting from Park City to Solitude is substantial enough to justify building a lift between the two resorts. Also, those attempting to reach The Canyons from Solitude would still have to drive up Big Cottonwood Canyon to reach the gondola. Additionally, somebody trying to use the gondola to ski Solitude would have to buy 2 lift tickets because they would have to ride 4 lifts at The Canyons to even get to the gondola. It would be very costly and time consuming. But the idiocy of the gondola is not even the worst part about it,
"The land sale is an attempt to make an end run around the public approval process (NEPA) that is typically required when ski areas expand their operating areas into Forest Service land. The proposed tram would bisect public land, disrupting primitive backcountry area. The area surrounding the tram, while not in-bounds to the ski area, would effectively become such, as skiers could ski in that terrain and then ride the lift back to the resort. 94% of the public surveyed is opposed to ski resort expansion in Utah's Wasatch mountains. Selling public land to private developers would circumvent the normal environmental impact reviews and is in direct contradiction with the desires of the majority of backcountry users and the public at large..."
-Mark Albrecht
So now we have a resort expansion that invades into the backcountry without requiring the usual environmental impact reviews. I see two problems with this. Firstly, this proposal would enable Taliskier to place lift towers and use building practices in ways that are not environmentally reviewed in a pristine and vibrant alpine area. Secondly, this expansion would represent an intrusion into several popular backcountry skiing areas between The Canyons and Solitude. These areas currently require backcountry skiers to hike out of the bowls when they are finished skiing. The skiers currently entering these areas must have significant knowledge of backcountry and avalanche safety procedures. The Taliskier gondola would allow skiers to enter these backcountry areas and then ride the lift back to The Canyons. We will see an increased number of skiers entering these backcountry areas, but they will be unlike the current people skiing them. The Taliskier gondola will enable inexperienced, unprepared, unequipped, and uninformed 'weekend warrior' type skiers to ride the pristine backcountry bowls without the consequence of the hike out. The Wasatch backcountry is one of the most dangerous and volatile avalanche zones in the country, and allowing "Larry the orthodontist from Vermont" to enter it unprepared will inevitably end badly. After the first few deaths in the sector, Taliskier will surely use the public outcry as an excuse for resort expansion into the area.
What can you do about this atrocity? First, visit www.saveourcanyons.org to learn more about the Taliskier gondola and other threats to the Wasatch Front, including Snowbird's rollercoaster on Mt. Superior and the rumor that Alta is placing a lift in Grizzly Gulch which would effectively destroy the world famous Chad's and Pyramid Gap. Second, sign the petition linked to at the bottom of this post. Finally, contact your local congressional representatives and let them know why you oppose these corporate expansions into our beautiful Wasatch backcountry. Together we can stop unnecessary resort expansion, and preserve the Wasatch Front as a wild playground for our children in years to come.
Utah's congressional representation:
Congressman Rob Bishop (call if you are not in his district as he will not accept your email)
(202) 225-0453
http://robbishop.house.gov/ZipAuth.aspx
Congressman Jason Chaffetz (call if you are not in his district as he will not accept your email)
(202) 225-7751
http://chaffetz.house.gov/contact/email-me.shtml
Senator Orrin Hatch
(202) 224-5251
http://hatch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-orrin
Senator Mike Lee
(202) 224-5444
http://lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact
Congressman Jim Matheson (Encourage him to actively fight this proposal that sells off lands in his district)
(202) 225-3011
https://mathesonforms.house.gov/contact-form#dialog
Petition to stop ski resort expansion:
http://www.change.org/petitions/us-congress-stop-the-sale-of-forest-service-land-to-ski-area-developers
saveourcanyons.org/
