the Wasatch's new worst enemy=TALISKER

[brutah]

This was sent to me in an email today. it was originally posted by Andrew McLean, but then pulled down 24 hours after he posted it. well someone caught it and i think its important enough that this needs to be circulated.

A few months ago when Ted Wilson’s photo appeared on the front page of the newspaper announcing that he was now working as the environmental point-man for the Talisker corporation, my first thought was “You’re kidding….” which was immediately followed by “Hmmm, has Ted gotten himself into some sort of financial hole?” For decades, Ted has been a leading champion of environmental causes in the Wasatch, and aside from serving as the Mayor of Salt Lake City, he is/was an avid climber, skier and well respected outdoor enthusiast in both the Wasatch and the Tetons. Talisker corporation on the other-hand feels that there is no piece of land which cannot be improved upon by adding a trophy home, gated entrance, snow making, grooming and retail opportunities.

Ted Wilson joins the Talisker family.


I have to admit to perversely loving this Talisker ad campaign showing a family frolicking in the Utah landscape. (In case it isn't obvious, Ted's head has been photoshopped in as the Patron of the family). The beauty of this photo is that the family has all gathered together for a sledding expedition, but they are using a steel railed Flexible Flyer style sled which is completely augured in to the deep Utah powder and isn't going anywhere unless they recruit all of the family members, plus eight of their house keepers to help push them. It's kind of like seeing a Ferrari stuck in the mud. Beautiful.

Having Ted work for Talisker is akin to John Muir working for a power company who wants to dam Yosemite Valley for a hydroelectric plant. I was dying to hear what he had to say about it and he gave about ten of us “backcountry skiers” the opportunity last night when he graciously hosted a beer & pizza discussion at his house to talk about his first Talisker task – running a tram from the Canyons ski resort, up and over the scenic Wasatch Crest Trail, across 1.8 miles of pristine public land and then terminating at the lower Solitude ski resort parking lot.

Click to enlarge this incredibly bad idea.


It is no secret that Ski Utah and the seven major resorts in the Central Wasatch are frothing at the mouth to connect all of the resorts together, so it was especially disheartening to hear Ted trying to sell this tram as a viable public transportation solution to help solve the traffic jams in Little & Big Cottonwood Canyons. The idea would be that instead of driving your car up to Solitude, you would drive an even equally long distance to get up to the Canyons in Park City, then park, take a people mover to get to the Retail Village, take a tram up, ski down to another chair, ride that up, ski down to the proposed tram and then ride that up and over to Solitude. I live ten minutes away from the Canyons and it wouldn’t even occur to me to do this for two reasons; one, it would take twice as long as driving, and two, it would cost at least $80 per person as you have to buy a ticket at the Canyons. Plus, you wouldn’t even be able to start this epic journey until 9:00am when the resort opened, which would put you at Solitude sometime around 10:30am.

Ted seemed oblivious to all of these details, which is perhaps not too surprising, as the real purpose of this lift is to do what 90% of Utahans have said they don’t want – expanding the ski resorts. To add insult to injury, the semantics of “expanding ski resorts” has been interpreted to mean cutting new runs on public property (Forest Service), so apparently aerial tramway doesn’t apply. Snort.

To be continued…

[ectreeskier11]

weeeeeeeeew i love it.

[ectreeskier11]

the best part would be the lift accessed crest trail riding in the summer! sweet!

[linds-o-rama]

Stick to your guns, Andrew, and put that post back up!

[My Pet Powder Goat]

Stupid idea. Idea is stupid.


It's not suprising talisker is trying to pull this shit, just look at how they tried to ram the heli-port through.

Also, my favorite part about that ad you're showing is one pic they have a helicopter in the background and the tagline is "price has it's privilage" BARF! I almost threw up on my Louie Vetton slippers.

[ectreeskier11]

it's vuitton toby, get it right.

[brutah]

the best part would be the lift accessed crest trail riding in the summer! sweet!

don't be a douche bag.......

the area that tram would cross wouldn't make for a good start for the crest ya dumbass.

nor does the wasatch need more lifts or less 'safe' areas to ski when conditions prevent access to other areas. mill d north fork and bear trap are some of the most popular touring areas in the wasatch because they are mellow, well-treed slopes that are generally pretty safe.

[ectreeskier11]

ah sorry they should build it to drop right at the top of the spine, my bad

[skiski]

Awesome. It would be great if all of that low angle beginner backcountry ski terrain was lift accessed so no one would have to backcountry ski. I get really hot hiking uphill in my fur coat.

[skiski]

Why the fuck would anyone in PC want to go to Solitude? The grooming fucking sucks. The lift system is not all high-speed and the food is mutton chop.

I wonder if Talisker doesn't have designs on Solitude. I have always assumed the Deseelhorsts must be losing money hand over fist with their unquenchable thirst for lift "upgrades" that downgrade the ski experience and, as far as I can tell, drive away more skiers than they attract.

The Canyons could use some decent skiing to add to their gazillion acres of sunbaked scrubbrush. Thus, it seems like a good match, if you like shitty overpriced megaresorts and hate nature.

[mc_roon]

worst.idea.ever.

also, 5 will get you 10 that the proposed gondola over to solitude starts somewhere where it is easily accessible to the colony residents, but out of the way for us normal folk.

[StraightChuter]

I wonder if Talisker doesn't have designs on Solitude. I have always assumed the Deseelhorsts must be losing money hand over fist with their unquenchable thirst for lift "upgrades" that downgrade the ski experience and, as far as I can tell, drive away more skiers than they attract.

The Canyons could use some decent skiing to add to their gazillion acres of sunbaked scrubbrush. Thus, it seems like a good match, if you like shitty overpriced megaresorts and hate nature.

I'm still laughing over all of this as it is so true. I use to love skiing at Solitude until year after year they just slowly alienated locals into oblivion. I hate to say it, but I think Alta is going the same way. On the Canyons, I live ten minutes away from the base of that place and have tried repeatedly to learn to love it, but the layout is so inconceivably bad that it is hard to enjoy. Their new logo, a triple endless mobius strip circling back on itself and going nowhere is perfect.

Ted's assertions that this proposed tramway would serve as viable public transportation is completely retarded. First off, you'd have to be an intermediate skier or better to even get to the base of it as it requires three lifts to even get there. Then you'd have to have a pass at the Canyons, so it is going to cost a family of four at least a couple hundred bucks, which makes renting a car look cheap. Then, once you get there, you are stuck at Solitude. A hot air balloon shuttle would be a more practical mode of transportation than this.

[blowupthemoon]

worst.idea.ever.

We see that, but tourists flooding into town, hearing nothing but Canyons' marketing BS and already forking over $$$ will think it's a god damn genius idea. Keep your whole brood based out of PC, but experience the BCC whenever - all logic aside.

Anyone know where Talisker is coming up with this capital? After the ~120 mil buyout in 2008, the new lifts and improvements from last year, buyout of the Waldorf (I think, I know they took over management from Hilton), the golf course, I'm scratching my head over how they're going to pony up for this project. Granted they're trying to compete with DV for the luxury douchebag crowd and jacking ticket and pass rates up accordingly, but it seems like they're digging a pretty big hole.

Looking forward to any updates on Ted that straightchuter will be able to drop on us.

[StraightChuter]

Hmmm guns or cowtow to spansers?
The brofessional spancered brand ambassdor bloggers quandry.

No, I truly felt a twinge of guilt about making fun of Ted and implying that he had sold out, so I deleted the original post. I replaced it with a more bare-bones stick to the facts post, but thanks to Brutah, the original snark survives and my conscience is clear.

[bklyn]

worst.idea.ever.

also, 5 will get you 10 that the proposed gondola over to solitude starts somewhere where it is easily accessible to the colony residents, but out of the way for us normal folk.

Quoted for truth!

The day I saw you guys at the Canyons was the last time I skied there. I'm disgusted with the Colony concept.

I spent too much time on a super cold day looking for warm shelter, food and a real bathroom (which Colony residents prevent from being near their homes). Porta potties and a few tarps surrounding heat lamps suck.

I'm not completely opposed to a Euro style mega ski center spanning the Wasatch, but I doubt it will be done with care in UT.

[brutah]

sometimes i wonder if caring even matters as all the resorts and ski utah are licking their chomps at the idea of connecting all the resorts.

solitude is eyeing silver fork and twin lakes pass.

Alta will expand soon into grizzly and is eyeing a flagstaff lift.

but the tipping point is..... SNOWBIRD. snowbird wants and looks like it'll get their mary ellen gulch expansion (which i believe will give the rest of em enough "its not fair that they got to expand" to push through their expansion plans).....

[skiski]

I'm still laughing over all of this as it is so true. I use to love skiing at Solitude until year after year they just slowly alienated locals into oblivion. I hate to say it, but I think Alta is going the same way. On the Canyons, I live ten minutes away from the base of that place and have tried repeatedly to learn to love it, but the layout is so inconceivably bad that it is hard to enjoy. Their new logo, a triple endless mobius strip circling back on itself and going nowhere is perfect.

Ted's assertions that this proposed tramway would serve as viable public transportation is completely retarded. First off, you'd have to be an intermediate skier or better to even get to the base of it as it requires three lifts to even get there. Then you'd have to have a pass at the Canyons, so it is going to cost a family of four at least a couple hundred bucks, which makes renting a car look cheap. Then, once you get there, you are stuck at Solitude. A hot air balloon shuttle would be a more practical mode of transportation than this.

The great thing for alta is that, with all the other resorts shitting on locals, they can merely piss on us and still seem kind.

Regarding this tram or gondola solving the traffic problem in BCC, perhaps someone should point out that there is not much of a traffic problem in BCC. I go to BCC when LCC is crowded. BCC has traffic problems 5 days a year, when a holiday weekend coincides with a massive storm. That's it. Actually, on second thought, don't tell anyone that. They will just use it as an excuse to extend the gondola into LCC, where the real traffic probelms are.

Why don't they just open up the guardsman pass road year round? That would be the cheapest and easiest way to connect PC with BCC, right? I am not really for it, but I'd rather see that than a gondola down USA bowl.

[StraightChuter]

Why don't they just open up the guardsman pass road year round? That would be the cheapest and easiest way to connect PC with BCC, right? I am not really for it, but I'd rather see that than a gondola down USA bowl.

Exactly, and as far as the overall concept of connecting all of the resorts together goes, I'm hardly opposed to it. It uses existing infrastructure (the road) and would minimize any new impacts. The catch seems to be that Guardsmans Pass is located in the very tippy corner of Wasatch County (Heber) and they have no economic incentive to plow the road during the winter. "Hmmm, why should we plow a road that helps people get from Summit County to Salt Lake County to spend all of their tourist dollars?" Also, I think from the Canyons POV, they don't want to be at the tail end of the massive interconnect - they want to be right in the middle and thus this fuckified idea for a lift.

[Buster Highmen]

Damn. And here I thought this was going to be a scotch thread.

[ectreeskier11]

holy shit dibs did you go to college in the week since your last post? that was almost intelligible.

[splat]

Magic carpet tunnel. Proven technology.

That photo begs for some more photochoppin.

[freshie247]

I love a good MLT when the mutton is nice & lean & the tomato is ripe.

[Jer]

A hot air balloon shuttle would be a more practical mode of transportation than this.

This is probably the most genius thing I've ever read.

Fuck Megainterconnect. Fuck Basshole. Fuck sleds. Fuck kites. Even fuck that little mini snowmobile-tow thing.

Ima move back to Utah and be a HAB-ski pioneer!

[covert]

Damn. And here I thought this was going to be a scotch thread.

me too

[leroy jenkins]

I think this is a shitty idea, but calling any part of the wasatch crest trail pristine is pretty silly. Sandwiched between four ski areas two highways and a stones throw from a major city.

Not quite related to this thread, but you guys know the worst part of the proposed bird expansion? They move the bottom of the mineral lift a half mile down that valley. Yea, thats right, a half mile more flats to pole across in order to get to the lift. Many days even if you straighline the whole last pitch you don't have enough momentum to make it to the lift without poling already.