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Tony Gill

Tony Gill is the outdoor and Park City editor for Salt Lake Magazine and previously toiled as editor-in-chief of Telemark Skier Magazine. Most of his time ignoring emails is spent aboard an under-geared single-speed on the trails above his home.

Jul 09
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Exploring the Outdoors While Stuck Inside

By Adventures, Outdoors

I momentarily let go of the handlebars to frantically wipe at the sweat dripping into my eyes. My pedal strokes deteriorated into desperate vaudevillian heaves. Through gritted teeth I persevered as the crest of the climb came into view. The only thing interrupting this dogged pursuit of nirvana was the blaring alert of an incoming Skype call from someone wanting to discuss how we can keep our audience engaged during COVID- 19-induced isolation. Yes, you’ve correctly ascertained I wasn’t approaching the apogee of an epic mountain in the southern Utah desert, but was instead firmly affixed to a stationary bike trainer in my basement adjacent to a roaring furnace.

Likely you experienced something akin to this earlier in the year while attempting to enjoy nature’s visceral delights during social distancing. If your ear is more attuned to trained health professionals and scientists than to bloodthirsty capitalist cranks who can’t fathom the measure of human life against regression in their stock portfolios, this is something you understand we’ll likely encounter again. Here are some ways to get your outdoor fix while trapped indoors.

The Outdoor Cycling Pantomime

Nobody cared about Zoom or Citrix before this coronavirus mess, other than those senators who bought stock while insisting, “nothing to see here.” In the age of COVID-19, however, interactive online programs became integral parts of our lives, whether for tedious calls with brusque relatives or inspiring group sessions with the local yoga and fitness studios. Still, these virtual interactions don’t come close to approximating the feel of an authentic outdoor experience unless you’re cranking on the pedals. Nothing is as good as putting tires to pavement, but some programs deliver a modicum of the sense of accomplishment as the real thing once you’ve deluded yourself through the monotony of isolation and the use of illicit substances.

The Peloton app isn’t just for people trapped in ill-advised Stockholm- syndrome-promoting propaganda ads. It can be used with any stationary bike setup—any spin bike or road bike with a traditional trainer, rollers, etc.—without additional specialized equipment. The $14.95 per month app is more analogous to a spin class than an outdoor ride, but the 90-day free trial should help you get a good workout through the next period of social distancing.

Those who want to chew some scenery while spinning should step up to Zwift. The full monty with the integrated smart trainer is a bit bourgie, but the app can be used on any trainer-or-roller-equipped bike along with an affordable speed and cadence monitor equipped with ANT+ or Bluetooth connection, which shouldn’t run you more than $70. Zwift delivers augmented reality courses and races through real-world terrain that should o er just enough motivation to stay in shape for when you’re allowed out of the house again. The Zwift app costs $14.99 a month and has a 30-day free trial period. peloton.com, zwift.com

Views at Your Fingertips

You can strap yourself to all manner of human hamster wheels to achieve the endorphin release of exercise, but it’s not easy to replicate the sense of grandeur and awe of nature’s wonders in your house. Virtual outdoor tours can get us through in a pinch.

After an ill-advised decision to offer complimentary entry to National Parks at the onset of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States, officials closed the parks. But just because you can’t physically enter Utah’s Mighty 5 Parks, doesn’t mean you can’t explore them remotely. The National Parks Service offers virtual shuttle tours of Zion National Park, first person virtual hikes of the Kayenta and Canyon Overlook Trails and even an Angels Landing eHike on their website. Or you can virtually visit Grand Swaner Preserve and Eco Center View Point, Mesa Arch and Fort Bottom Ruin at Canyonlands if you prefer. Check out Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef and Arches from your couch while you’re at it. It’s not the same as being there in person, but it’s a nice effort by the NPS to bring a piece of the parks to you.

In Park City, the Swaner Preserve and Eco Center has taken their programming online with SOLACE: Swaner Online Learning and Community Engagement. Swaner has put a five-week learning program for kids on their website, which includes detailed instructions for creative activities to help parents keep little monsters engaged and learning about local wildlife, plants and habitat. Adults can stay connected to nature through live webcams, live virtual nature walks, talks and workshops. nps.gov, swanerecocenter.org

For more outdoors and adventure, click here.

Jul 07
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Backpacking: Explore the World From a New Perspective

By Adventures, Outdoors

Now that we’re firmly committed to the germaphobe lifestyle with rivers of craft-made hand sanitizer and bespoke face masks, modern travel in a pressurized tube of recycled air has lost a bit of luster. With infectious disease encircling the globe like it’s 1918, what’s old is new again. That should apply to the way we explore, too.

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PHOTO BY: MATT MORGAN

Loading up a backpack and heading into the woods is a time honored and proud expression of self-reliance—one that’s far nobler than hoarding rolls of toilet paper. Because it’s a responsibly socially distant way to see the world, backpacking is a perfect activity for a time when interacting outside our communities is frowned upon. Ready to explore the wonders right in your backyard? Marvelous landscapes permeate every corner of the Beehive State, so you won’t have to go far. Here’s how to get your adventure started.

Pick Your Destination

In this unique time, it’s wise not to stray too far from home. Everyone wants to get out and explore, but it’s important to not unduly stress the healthcare and public service resources of small communities.

If you live in Summit County, the vast wilderness of the Uinta Mountains is a short drive away. If you’re up near Logan, head to the nearby Wellsville Mountains, one of the steepest ranges in the country. Folks in SLC can head straight up the Cottonwood Canyons. Just do a quick Google search for “backpacking trails near me” and you’ll likely find a slew of results wherever you’re located.

Choose a Route

Let’s assume you need to work remotely on Monday, so you’re shooting for an overnight trip. Even if you’re more flexible, an overnight hike is a great place to start if you’re new to backpacking or haven’t done it in a while. Picking the right route involves finding a destination that gives you ample motivation to keep moving but doesn’t require an arduous trek that’s beyond your limits.

Personally, I enjoy hiking to a lake. They’re pretty, they have water you can drink, and often you can swim in them. Ibantik Lake in the Uintas and White Pine Lake in the Wasatch—no swimming at White Pine since it’s in the watershed—are a couple of great examples.

Just remember that both mileage and elevation gain play a huge role in how strenuous a hike is. Ibantik Lake is about four and a half miles from the trailhead on Mirror Lake Highway with 590 feet of elevation gain while White Pine Lake is five miles from the trailhead in Little Cottonwood Canyon with 2,500 feet of elevation gain. Despite similar distances, one of those is far more difficult.

LEAVE NO TRACE

There are seven principles promoting conservation in the Leave No Trace outdoor ethic. Follow these principles every time you’re in the outdoors.

1. Plan ahead and prepare.

2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces.

3. Dispose of waste properly.

4. Leave what
you find.

5. Minimize campfire impacts.

6. Respect wildlife.

7. Be considerate of other visitors.

Research

Make sure to do a bit of research before you head out. Do you need any permits? Are dogs allowed? What are the restrictions on where you can camp? All the information you’ll need is readily accessible on the web.

Gear Up

The right gear can make or break your backpacking trip. “Don’t skimp when you’re getting new gear,” says Ultralight Adventure Equipment (ULA) owner Chris McMaster. “Modern gear is really light and strong. Buy nice or buy twice.”

ULA Equipment produces handmade backpacking equipment in Logan. That means when you purchase gear from ULA you’re not only supporting local business, but you can also be sure your gear is designed to survive the rigors of backpacking in Utah. The ULA Circuit pack weighs just two and a half pounds and can comfortably carry 35 pounds of gear. That should be more than enough to get you through an overnight trip. Their Tarp Tents include everything from ultralight  one-person tents to robust  four-person backcountry shelters.

You’re also going to need a sleeping bag, good footwear, and versatile clothing layers, but there’s a lot of personal preference involved in those decisions. Reference a detailed backpacking checklist—REI’s comprehensive list is available on their website—for a complete inventory of essentials you need to carry.
435-753-5191, ula-equipment.com

Practice

Practice before hitting the trail. Pack all your gear a couple times to find the best way to orient everything comfortably in your pack while allowing quick access to certain items like a camera or headlamp. Bring your full pack on a short day hike to make sure everything’s dialed.

Avoid carrying excess weight. Try to identify what you need more of and which items aren’t essential. “It never hurts to go a little overkill on food and water,” says McMaster. “And you don’t need as many clothes as you think. It’s okay to stink out there.”

Get Outside

That’s it. Now get outside, get sweaty and have fun!

For more outdoors and adventure, click here.

Jul 01
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Sundance Weighs Altered Plans for 2021 Film Festival

By Uncategorized

The Sundance Film Festival is going to look a little different in 2021. The news doesn’t come as a major surprise, what with the world embroiled in the chaos of a marginally-controlled pandemic, but the plans outlined in a letter from new festival director Tabitha Jackson paint an unfamiliar picture of Park City’s defining winter event. Projecting what the world will look like seven months from now is a fool’s errand, so the festival structure will surely evolve. As of now, organizers are planning for a hybrid event with in-person events in Park City and 20 other communities in addition to virtual screenings.

Taking over as director of the preeminent celebration of independent film is no easy task in the best of times, and the circumstances Jackson inherits are—to put it mildly—daunting. The festival is defined by the boisterous energy in engenders in Old Town. Absent that trademark characteristic, Sundance is susceptible to being drowned out by the cacophony of an ongoing pandemic, a nation’s reckoning with systemic inequity and a presidential inauguration. Still, Jackson is seizing on the opportunity to rethink how Sundance is presented to audiences and how it impacts communities.

“The 2021 Sundance Film Festival will be a grand partnership of communities. It will take place live in Utah and in at least 20 independent and community cinemas across the U.S. and beyond,” says Jackson in the letter posted on the Sundance website. Utah has been the home of the Festival for close to 40 years and always will be, but the 2021 Festival will extend beyond Utah and will be co-created by and for different communities in different locations, preserving what is magical about experiencing films on the big screen with others — even if at a smaller and socially distanced scale.”

One silver lining of the a new-look Sundance is it will likely be more accessible in 2021. The festival becomes increasingly exclusive each year as its stature grows, impacting both the kinds of filmmakers whose work is showcased and the audiences who get to experience the films. At least for the 2021 edition, virtual and remote events and screenings mean a greater swath of people will be able to engage with the voices and perspectives of independent artists. “At the center of all our planning, the 2021 Sundance Film Festival will have an online home, making the festival accessible in a way it never has been before,” says Jackson.

Though the community had to know changes were in store for Sundance 2021, it’s still a blow to Main Street where businesses are struggling to survive the downturn wrought by coronavirus. Sundance has historically been an economic boon to Park City, and it’s yet another popular event upended during the pandemic. We’ll update this story as more information about the 2021 Sundance Film Festival is announced.

Read more arts and entertainment coverage here.

Jun 25
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Park City Scraps July Fourth Parade Amid COVID Surge

By City Watch

Sorry, folks, but the show mustn’t go on. Park City has scrapped its annual July Fourth parade as part of the effort to encourage social distancing. Clearly throngs of people standing shoulder to shoulder and peering over one another for a glimpse of passing floats isn’t in keeping with responsible guidelines to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Accordingly, crowded Independence Day activities and gatherings that typically take place in City Park have been canceled, but the evening sky will still likely be lit up with a fireworks show even if City officials prefer you watch them from your own homes.

The cancellation of July 4 celebrations is notable as it’s one of the busiest days of the year in Park City, which relies heavily on tourism dollars generated during popular events. Officials were holding out hope for a semblance of normalcy to the festivities, but reversed course as it became clear that wouldn’t be feasible. July 4 in Park City won’t be advertised in the Salt Lake Valley with City Hall’s report encourages a “locals’ 4th approach to enjoying your neighborhood with friends and family.” Still, don’t expect Main Street to be empty next Saturday as City Hall hopes to pedestrianize town on the Fourth as they have doing each Sunday.

The canceled celebrations add to a laundry list of nixed summer activities in Park City which also includes the Tour of Utah, the Kimball Arts Festival and the Park Silly Sunday Market. The dearth of events bringing people to Main Street is increasing anxiety about diminished shopping and dining sales in town. The uncertain timeline for reopening and the lack of confidence regarding the upcoming winter season are making it difficult for many businesses to survive.

The decision to cancel much of the Fourth in town comes as Summit County Health Director Rich Bullough issued a sobering warning about the spread of COVID-19 the Summit County. While the surge in infections in Summit County is not has high as in the rest of the state, the numbers are trending in the wrong direction. Three of the county’s four ICU beds were in occupied this week, and available beds in Salt Lake City used when Summit County exceeds supply are also filling up.

Of note, the current surge in Utah appears to have begun accelerating on May 27, about two weeks after the majority of the state moved to the yellow, low-risk phase. In her memo, State Epidemiologist Angela Dunn stated the average contacts per case in Utah has jumped from five to 20 since the shift, highlighting how vigilance fatigue and a shift in public perceptions have altered behavior. It’s a clear indicator we aren’t out of the woods yet and social distancing will be an important norm for some time to come. Cases have spiked high enough that travelers from Utah arriving in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut must quarantine for 14 days. Utah is among the nine states subject to these new rules, which marks a stark reversal from just weeks ago when the tri-state area was the nation’s coronavirus epicenter.

We’re all tired of this pandemic, but coronavirus is heating up in Summit County. Park City officials should be commended for making tough decisions, especially since they’re certain to spur criticism from some.

Read more of our community coverage here.

Jun 11
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Utah Hasn’t Defeated Coronavirus Yet

By Eat & Drink

It’s never a good look to celebrate prematurely. Whether it’s dropping the ball on the one-yard line or declaring “Mission Accomplished” a decade or two early, the best you can hope for is to be memed into oblivion. It’s a lesson we’d be wise to revisit as we continue to face the scourge of novel coronavirus in the Beehive State. To use a term that should resonate with Utahns, we may be getting out over our skis as we reopen the state.

Putting it bluntly, we haven’t defeated coronavirus. We’re still in the clutch of a pandemic, and despite appearances and attitudes, Utah is experiencing more community spread of COVID-19 than at any prior point. New cases are up 138% vs. two weeks ago, meaning we’re averaging 338 new cases per day. Most of the state is operating under the low-risk (yellow) guidelines despite this fact.

However, there is nuance in understanding these statistics. “It’s important to synthesize the data in Utah by accounting for population and geographic factors,” says Sam Shewan, Physician Assistant with University of Utah Urgent Care. “Even with the recent doubling of cases making Utah a national hotspot, the number of current infections is about .2% of the population. In New York, as much as 11% of the population had an active COVID-19 infection. We’re an order of magnitude off from what New York experienced at its peak.”

The urge to resume normal economic activity is validated by the tangible human costs of economic cataclysm. Months of isolation and upended lifestyles has added a layer of fatigue to our vigilance. Our attention is being diverted in other worthy directions, namely towards the righteous protests in service of spurring action to finally achieve the racial equality our country has long promised and never come close to delivering. This is understandable, but we can’t just forget about an unprecedented public health crisis, especially since coronavirus disproportionately affects minority groups and has laid bare the systemic inequity so many are justly rallying to eradicate.

Our response to the virus can’t be effective if it’s polarizing and politicized. We need to trust experts and use the science and data as the foundation of our decision making. Coronavirus isn’t “a flu,” as some are apt to say. Those of us who aren’t in high-risk groups need to recognize COVID-19’s staggering toll and empathize with the threat it poses and the fear it instills for many in our community.

Masks can’t be a point of contention. Wearing them isn’t just about protecting you; they protect others. I understand the desire to go shopping, eat at restaurants and regain a sense of normalcy, but we need to have the decency to help protect the workers who make that possible as well as other patrons who want to do the same. “A recent study showed regular mask wearing by 50% of the population would reduce the R0 of COVID-19 to less than one,” Shewan says. “Simple behavioral changes can reduce the spread of coronavirus to manageable levels.”

I can’t say with certainty what the path forward should be, and there are reasonable conclusions to be drawn on many sides of the debate. My wife and I have a nearly one-year-old daughter, who we were planning to put back in daycare when it reopened in early June. When we saw Utah’s active COVID-19 cases nearly double in the days leading up to that, we opted to keep her home while we see what happens in the next few weeks, at which point we’ll reassess. On the other hand, I can’t judge anyone for resuming childcare so they can get back to work. I’m writing this from my couch at home while my daughter takes a nap. That’s not an option for everyone.

The point I’m making is this isn’t over, and we can’t get complacent. National numbers may appear to be declining, but that’s not the case if you strip out New York, which is finally, mercifully emerging after bearing the brunt of the pandemic in the United States. We need to keep a close eye on coronavirus infection trends as we transition. “States have to have a willingness tighten restrictions when significant case numbers rise to help us jump off the exponential part of the curve. That will allow us to open things up a little more,” Shewan says. “Fortunately, our leadership in Utah has shown a willingness to do so up to this point. I hope it will continue.”

Triumphing over coronavirus will take an enormous communal effort. Utahns should be proud of the way we rallied when the virus first took hold and strive for the same kind of collective vigilance as we attempt to return to normal. Reopening successfully requires each of us to be diligent about maintaining social distancing, wearing masks and washing our hands, or we’re going to help the virus surge to a point where we need to shut things down again. As we begin to open up in Utah, it might feel like we have a pretty nice lead. Just remember there’s a lot of game left.

 

 

Jun 11
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UDOT Weighing Gondolas and Buses as Little Cottonwood Transit Solution

By Adventures, Outdoors

The powder day traffic to and from Alta and Snowbird has gotten out of hand. The red snake of death—the endless train of activated taillights illuminating S.R. 210—is enough to drive even the thirstiest powder hounds mad while seeking skiing nirvana. The Greatest Snow on Earth falls at the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon, and everybody knows it. Don’t @ me, Colorado. The ubiquitous awareness of this fact brings more people in search of cold smoke each year, creating an untenable transit and parking situation. Last year 2.1 million people made the trip up LCC, and only seven percent of them used public transportation to get there. The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is on the hunt to boost that number and break the canyon logjam.

Public transit may seem terrifying at this particular moment in history, but pre-COVID most of us were clamoring for it as an essential service in need of expansion to alleviate powder-panic traffic and, as a marginally more pressing matter, save the planet. UDOT initially considered 105 proposals for an integrated transportation project to address current and future traffic demands on S.R. 210. They’re down to three final choices—two and a half, really, since a couple of them rely primarily on more buses—that will have a huge impact on how skiers and snowboarders get up the canyon. Notably, a rail spur up the canyon was not among those making the final cut. Though a seemingly popular solution, a canyon train was estimated to cost $680 million when the idea was first considered in 2013 and more than $one billion now.

The first—and certainly most innovative—proposal is a 30-cabin gondola that runs from the current park and ride lot at the base of the canyon up to Alta. The gondola would feature angle stations at Tanner’s Flat and Snowbird and would whisk riders to the top of LCC in 46 minutes. That may be longer than it would take you to drive in perfect weather at 5:00 a.m. on a Wednesday, but it’s a paltry amount of time for those used to being trapped in the red snake. Plus, you can look at Instagram during the ride without ending up in the river on the side of the road. The gondola solution would cost $393 million and would require the construction of additional off-site parking with bus service to the base of the gondola.

Proposal number two involves widening S.R. 224 with a bus-only shoulder lane to accommodate a vastly increased number of buses to take riders up the canyon. Six buses per hour would head to each resort, and it would take 37 minutes to get all the way to Alta. This proposal also includes the construction of snow sheds over parts of S.R. 210 to protect the road from avalanche damage. Widening the road would be a serious undertaking but would have the added benefit of providing a safe bike and pedestrian lane in the summer. Total estimated cost for this proposal is $470 million.

The final proposal is increased bus service without widening S.R. 210 to increase road capacity. Under this plan snow sheds and off-site mobility hubs would still be built to mitigate avalanche delays and handle increased rider capacity, and the average ride time to Alta would be 46 minutes. Estimated cost for this bus-only proposal is $283.

Every one of these proposals would include building off-site mobility hubs, widening Wasatch Boulevard and giving bus priority on the route to the base of the canyon. Discussions have also included the possibility of vehicle tolls and limited resort parking to incentivize people to ditch their cars in favor of public transit. My vote would be for the gondola, because the year-round views during the ride would be incredible, and it frankly sound far more interesting than a fleet buses.

A funding source for the project has not yet been identified, but UDOT seems confident they can scrape together the hundreds of millions of dollars it will take. Public comments are being accepted until July 10, and local input will be a significant contributing factor in the decision-making process. Make your voice heard by clicking here to submit a comment, and to read more complete details of each plan. UDOT plans to make a final decision before the end of 2021.

See more of our outdoor coverage here.

Jun 02
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Main Street Pedestrian Zones Coming to Park City

By City Watch

The Park City Council voted unanimously to transform Main Street into a car-free, pedestrian zone every Sunday from June 14 through September 6. The council’s decision is part of a larger effort to bolster consumer activity in Old Town during the summer as coronavirus continues to wreak economic havoc. The hope is that added space and a vibrant atmosphere will attract people to return to Main Street to dine, drink and shop as summer tourism season arrives.

Pedestrian zones are a familiar experience in Park City. Summer Sundays have long featured a vehicle closure on the northern end of Main Street for the Park Silly Sunday Market, though that weekly event has been canceled this year in response to pandemic-related distancing guidelines. The popularity of other seasonal pedestrian-only events on Main Street—including the Kimball Arts Festival and the Independence Day parade—have led to some community members to support closing the road to vehicles for some time.

The Main Street closure will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. each Sunday, encompassing two stretches between Heber Avenue south to the Wasatch Brew Pub lot and north to 9th Street. Cross traffic will be permitted on Heber Avenue and 9th Street, and there will be a turnaround in the Brew Pub lot in an effort to keep drivers from heading onto residential streets, a commonly voiced community concern whenever the topic of pedestrian zones are discussed. City officials will assess the pedestrian zone’s effects on Main Street businesses and the surrounding community in July and August to help determine when and how vehicle closures may be implemented in the future.

Traffic and parking congestion have been consistent scourges in Park City, and the pedestrian zone could be a step towards mitigating those issues. Increasing the usability of Main Street as opposed to optimizing it for high traffic volume is essential to the area’s economic recovery and the viability of businesses there. Hopefully more outdoor dining and shopping will provide a welcome sense of vibrancy and normalcy to Old Town this summer.

For more Park City updates, click here.

May 29
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Park City Developments Move Forward and Evolve Amid Economic Downturn

By City Watch

The rumble of concrete and dump trucks shuttling to and from worksites throughout Park City each summer isn’t talked about as frequently as the town’s pristine mountain air, singletrack trails and outdoor dining, but it’s an undeniable part of the summer soundtrack. With much of the world is bracing for a long recovery once the coronavirus pandemic is brought to heel—Park City officials are among those forecasting difficult months to come—some of us anticipated a brief respite as large-scale projects were delayed and reconsidered. Still, the perpetual churn of development in Park City continues amid a stalled economy with little certainty about how the future will unfold.

Few suitable development sites remain as decades of infill and conservation efforts have accounted for most land in the area. Four major projects—construction of the new Mayflower Mountain Resort on U.S. 40, development the Park City Mountain base area lots, development of Deer Valley’s Snow Park lots, and the creation of an Arts and Culture District near Bonanza Drive and Kearns Boulevard—will dictate Park City’s landscape going forward, but economic turmoil threatens to alter how some of those may take shape.

Across from the Jordanelle Reservoir, construction is moving ahead on Mayflower Mountain Resort. Contractors have returned to the site to continue work on the Military Wellness and Recreations Hotel (MWR)—a centerpiece of the new development—a 1.2-million-gallon water tank, roads, retaining walls and the voluntary cleanup program, which will control erosion to the area during and after construction. Though construction has resumed, challenges remain including a shortage of lending capital and the lack of a long-term agreement between Deer Valley and Extell to allow joint skiing operations between the two resorts.

Back in town, PEG Companies, the Provo-based firm intending to purchase and develop the Park City Mountain base area lots, met with the Park City Planning Commission this week to outline the scope of their project. PEG is operating within the bounds of an existing approval from the 1990s, but significant debate over how the ambitious plan will impact traffic and surrounding neighborhoods remains, with the possibility an entirely new master plan will be deemed necessary. Public input is considered essential in the process and final decision, but the inability to hold in-person meetings is a hindrance. Planning Commission Meetings will be available on the City Hall Website for those who want to stay informed and be involved.

Meanwhile, Park City Council members Becca Gerber and Tim Henney suggested reassessing the feasibility of the current plan for the upcoming Park City Arts and Culture District. The expected dearth of tax revenue is a major obstacle to what is an enormous undertaking for the municipal government. Developing the Arts and Culture District is a major step towards diversifying a local economy that has been inextricably tied to the ski industry, which is likely to be increasingly important amid an ongoing pandemic. No decisions have been made yet, but what the project looks like after upcoming budget discussions will impact the look of town for years to come.

There’s no news on the development of the Snow Park lots at Deer Valley at this point, but it’s it’d be foolish to assume it won’t be impacted in some way by coronavirus and economic difficulties it’s created. Park City was experiencing an unprecedented boom before seemingly the whole world went bust. Projects that had been simmering for decades were put in motion, and despite speed bumps along the way they continue forward, albeit with a few tweaks.

For more Park City updates, click here.

Apr 10
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Tour of Utah Canceled, Underscoring Park City’s Economic Limbo

By City Watch

Organizers have officially canceled the 2020 Tour of Utah due to concerns about the continued spread of COVID-19. The decision to suspend the race—which was due to take place in early August with stages in various venues in Park City on August 6, 8 and 9—highlights the depth of economic uncertainty facing Park City and Summit County this summer. Businesses and the town are already feeling acute ramifications after ski season was abruptly halted with a month of expected lift ticket sales, shopping and dining money, lodging reservations and tax revenue remaining. Summit County has been hit particularly hard by the novel coronavirus, with infection rates rivaling denser national hot spots, casting doubt the tourist-centric community will be able to realistically resume normal economic activity any time soon.

The Tour of Utah attracts world-class cyclists and UCI World Tour Teams from around the globe. The race, considered the most difficult stage race in the United States, sees riders challenged by mountainous terrain across Utah. It’s become a huge tourist draw and driver of economic activity, as evidenced by the decision to add a new stage starting from Woodward in Park City to this year’s edition. The Tour’s final day, where riders finish on Main Street, is one of the largest single-day draws to downtown in the summer season.

The decision to cancel the event this far in advance evinces a sobering reality about the Utah’s recovery in the face of the pandemic. University of Utah epidemiologist Lindsay Keegan warned Utah’s peak in COVID-19 cases is months away. A doctor with the University of Utah I spoke with who asked not to be named said the latest U of U modeling shared with healthcare workers expects the peak of infections to occur in late June. The caveat here is the inherent uncertainty surrounding epidemiological modeling, but projections make clear that social disruption will continue far beyond the end of April.

Vail Resorts, owners of Park City Mountain and one of the town’s largest employers, announced massive furloughs for nearly all hourly workers, executive pay cuts and a suspension of dividends for shareholders. In an open letter, CEO Rob Katz said it was unclear when resorts would be able to resume normal business. When the largest companies and most visible events that drive tourism are battening down the hatches, it’s time for the rest of us to take notice. How everything will play out remains to be seen, but the havoc wreaked on Park City’s economy, businesses and workforce will be felt for longer than anyone would like to admit.

Cycling fans will undoubtedly be disappointed with the Tour’s cancellation. So will people like me who frequent the event and enjoy seeing widespread enthusiasm and a vibrant spirit take over the community each summer. Who knows what will happen with Park City Sunday Silly Market this year? Same goes for the Kimball Arts Festival and the huge lineup of outdoor concerts, all of which are centerpieces of Park City’s summer. As with everything in the time of coronavirus, we need to expect disruption, act responsibly and hope for the best. The mountains aren’t going anywhere, and we’ll still be able to watch cyclists suffer up their steep grades next year.

Mar 04
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Moab’s Famous Slickrock Trail Spared From Oil and Gas Lease

By Adventures, Outdoors

Slickrock is perhaps the most well-known trail in all of Moab. Mountain bikers, hikers and OHV drivers from around the world flock to the Sand Flats Recreation Area to explore Slickrock’s unique geology and formations, which have very few analogs anywhere else. Despite the area’s popularity for recreation, it was under threat after the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) included two parcels within Sand Flats Recreation Area to the list of areas being considered for an oil and gas lease sale in June. Intense pressure from local groups led the BLM to removing the parcels from consideration, but threats to similar areas remain.

For clarity, it’s important to address the implications and processes that were involved in the proposed lease and development. Land within Sand Flats Recreation Area is under a “No Surface Occupancy” regulation, which means no oil and gas extraction infrastructure would have been placed on top of the Slickrock or anywhere within the Recreation Area. Rather, a developer would have had to use directional drilling, in which surface operations from a nearby parcel would extract resources by drilling horizontally underneath Sand Flats. It’s possible that such an operation would have had little impact on the recreation opportunities available within Sand Flats, though the bigger concern is that the area was ever considered appropriate for energy development.

The parcels under Sand Flats had always theoretically been candidates for development, but prior to the Trump administration, they likely wouldn’t have been considered plausible choices. Previously, the BLM would study the sustainability of any parcel which was nominated—through an Expression of Interest (EOI)—before being placed up for auction. Local and state officials would weigh the merits of energy extraction against benefits of the area as a wildlife habitat, recreation area or watershed protection area to determine the area’s suitability for development. After president Trump signed Executive Order 13783—the “Energy Dominance” policy—in March 2017, however, federal agencies were instructed to remove all regulatory and procedural obstacles to energy development. Leases nominated under the new guidelines are almost always offered for auction, which is the alarming factor underlying why the two parcels below Sand Flats Recreation were given serious consideration.

As much as I and many others would have hated to see our favorite recreation areas impacted, there is a much larger concern to address which should have excluded the two parcels beneath Sand Flats Recreation Area from consideration for energy development: water. The two parcels are within the Moab/Spanish Valley watershed, and sit directly above the Glen Canyon Aquifer, the “sole source aquifer” providing water to 90% of the Grand County population. Even with meticulous planning and execution, drilling and fracking carry the risk of contaminating the groundwater that makes the entire area livable. Quite frankly, that possibility should have been a nonstarter for even considering the proposals.

While these two parcels have been spared, the same process is playing out more broadly all across Utah and the American West. Land use in Utah is always a contentious issue, and it’s more important than ever to be involved in the process to ensure our best interests are being considered. Contact your local representatives and the Governor’s office to make your voice heard on these issues.

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