Little Cottonwood Canyon Documentary: Peak Pressure - VIDEO

There is a big debate raging in the Wassach at the moment and it has to do with how to manage traffic in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Overcrowding is a growing problem in this tight canyon given that it is home to some world-class skiing at both Snowbird and Alta Ski Resorts. With seasonal skier visits in winter approaching and regularly exceeding all-time highs, and summer visits dramatically on the rise, parking and traffic on the access road is a huge problem.

Little Cottonwood Canyon has more active avalanche paths than any other mountain corridor in North America and the road is frequently closed due to avalanche mitigation work. The road can only handle 1200 cars per hour and that threshold is currently being surpassed. A solution is required and of the three suggestions, train, bus and gondola, the gondola is deemed the best solution but not everyone is happy about this potential solution.

The Peak Pressure documentary was created by a group of University of Utah students and it dives into the current traffic issues, the proposed gondola and why people are so oppose to this project. Some of the biggest names in Utah’s ski industry voice their opinions, including the Town of Alta Town Manager Chris Crawley and Craig Gordon of the Utah Avalanche Center.

If you want to learn more about Little Cottonwood Canyon’s transportation challenges and the divisive gondola proposal then give this video a watch: