Backcountry Access Issues in Salt Lake City

It's easy for us folks living in the Kootenays, or the Fraser Valley, or the Coast to take for granted the amazing access we have to the backcountry. Whether that's to explore new terrain on our skins, drive out to a new climbing spot, or explore our network of whitewater systems.

In Salt Lake City, Utah that similar access by means of the Little Cottonwood Canyon (LLC) to ski touring, bouldering, and hiking. It is ground-zero for the access debate.

With Alta and Snowbird ski resort about a 18km drive from Salt lake City and two back-to-back Covid winters there is a major congestion issue at hand. The access to these resosrts and other adventures is a single lane (in each direction), winding mountain road.

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) originally floated several ideas. They included lane widening, tolls, bussing, a train/cog railway, and a gondola/tram. They settled on either bus and road widening or the eight mile long tram. 

However, the when brought our for public comment, the stakeholders clearly had some things to say. The Salt Lake Climbers Alliance replied with, "Both of UDOT’s Preferred Alternatives will have unacceptable impacts to climbing resources, including the elimination of boulders, parking, and trails, as well as significant impacts to the overall climbing experience"

The Wasatch Backcountry Alliance stated, "Before spending more than half a billion dollars to tear up LCC to construct unproven solutions like a gondola or roadway widening, WBA is advocating that we first adequately fund programs and resources that leverage the existing infrastructure LCC has in place today in an effort to address the traffic and congestion problems. Let’s fund a canyon bus program for Big Cottonwood and LCC that will alleviate traffic issues this season"

The cost for these preferred outcomes are large to say the least. $334 for enhanced bus service and road widening, $576 million for the gondola/tram, and $1.05 billion for a four-car train.

It's food for thought when we begin to think about our own backcountry paradises. With increased public usership growing exponentially it's clear that access and congestion and only going to get worse. What can we do proactively to manage these issues? These parking areas and road networks that never imagined the volume we currently have?
 
Read More here:
Would a Gondola Solve Little Cottonwood's Problems?

Little Cottonwood Canyon Boulders Threatened By Infrastructure Plan