WASATCH STOKE, CONDITIONS, OBSERVATIONS AND ASSORTED DRIVAL 17-18

[mall walker]

^ that 18 wheeler was up there way before the canyon cop was stationed, like 5ish am. not trying to be a pedant. also it was a sunday.

[AlpineKevin]

Just got back from TGR PREMIER

Fav part of the movie was the Very chill and rational POW Ad immediately followed by JohnnyCollinson exiting a lifted Ford 350 at the SLC airport 10 seconds later

Wait is that what was going on at Red Butte Gardens? The last several days I've been getting off the Trax at either Stadium or Fort Douglas then go up to the Living Room to watch the sunset and then sprint down the mountain. When I was going up there today there were TGR tents all around the entrance to Red Butte Gardens. I was wondering wtf that was.... And I guess Monday it was so crowded because Billy Idol was playing there.

[Sirshredalot]

^ that 18 wheeler was up there way before the canyon cop was stationed, like 5ish am. not trying to be a pedant. also it was a sunday.

That was my best ski day of the year last year. Sorry to everyone who was stuck in BCC traffic.

[bigdude2468]

[QUOTE=Sirshredalot;5443741]That was my best ski day of the year last year. Sorry to everyone who was stuck in BCC traffic.[/QUOT

Good point, in LCC we call those a country club day. On most days when LCC is going to be closed at 6:00 AM we beat the closure, have breakfast at the GMD, take a nap and hang out with the Maggotts. I think twice last year crashes screwed up the canyon and kept the masses stuck at the bottom.

[skiATL]

Idk even in bcc last year night skiing there was a officer parked at the base that let a civic with bald tires up in front of me who ended up ditching themselves. Also one Saturday they let an 18 wheeler up who shut the canyon down for a weekend pow day since his gps told him to take guardsman. Even when they are there they are too lazy to enforce the rules.

I’d love mandatory bus service for non backcountry skiers if the state would purchase some of the gravel pit to build a giant park and ride. Imo the current park and rides fill up so early you are better off just driving up.


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Pretty sure part of the gravel pit is already reserved for a UTA parking structure.

[bigdude2468]

Pretty sure part of the gravel pit is already reserved for a UTA parking structure.

Is the 9400 S Parking lot ever full? Having express buses direct to Alta at peak times would make it more attractive.

[jtran10]

Is the 9400 S Parking lot ever full? Having express buses direct to Alta at peak times would make it more attractive.

Buses that make stops at the LCC Park and Ride, then 2-3 at Snowbird before reaching Alta are definitely undesirable. Alta-only buses would be great. I'd try to use them from time to time I think.

[snowaddict91]

Buses that make stops at the LCC Park and Ride, then 2-3 at Snowbird before reaching Alta are definitely undesirable. Alta-only buses would be great. I'd try to use them from time to time I think.

Yeah I hate sharing the bus with them damn snowboarder punks. I know they run buses often during peak season/times of day (every 15? Min). Maybe alternate every other bus so 1 goes to the bird, then the next goes to alta? Could speed things up.

I'm really trying to commit to using the bus more this year as there is a stop only 2 blocks from my house, I just wish it was quicker/more efficient. Yes I understand it will never be as quick as driving.

[Todds]

On road closure days the cops sitting at the bottom with us could go down the line of cars and turn around all the cars without snowtires.

The tire stores could give cars with snowtires a window sticker. Cars with stickers wouldn't need to stop for inspection since the cops could see them from a distance.

A dedicated cop and car to sit at the bottom of the canyon, on the whim of when it snows, can't be cheap, to be fair.

How much could it cost? What if they raised lift ticket prices $0.05? I don't know the current numbers, but in 2013 Alta + Snowbird reported nearly 800,000 skier days. At a $0.05 a head that works out to $40,000 to pay for dedicated police.

[mall walker]

ssh stop taking sense, this is utah!

[snowaddict91]

On road closure days the cops sitting at the bottom with us could go down the line of cars and turn around all the cars without snowtires.

The tire stores could give cars with snowtires a window sticker. Cars with stickers wouldn't need to stop for inspection since the cops could see them from a distance.



How much could it cost? What if they raised lift ticket prices $0.05? I don't know the current numbers, but in 2013 Alta + Snowbird reported nearly 800,000 skier days. At a $0.05 a head that works out to $40,000 to pay for dedicated police.

I like the idea of a sticker system, but it would need to be updated annually (since tires wear out) but even then it wouldn't be a perfect system.

[muted]

ssh stop taking sense, this is utah!

Everybody says that about every state, city, country, region.

Stickers wouldn't say if its AWD/4WD and could easily be swapped to another car, etc. There are no markings saying my car is AWD, I just thought of this, shit.

Having the ski areas fund a cop on snowy days is a great idea though. But I'm not sure if that's possible, like can I pay for a public servant to patrol my neighborhood? not sure how that would work legally.

[bigdude2468]

Everybody says that about every state, city, country, region.

Stickers wouldn't say if its AWD/4WD and could easily be swapped to another car, etc. There are no markings saying my car is AWD, I just thought of this, shit.

Having the ski areas fund a cop on snowy days is a great idea though. But I'm not sure if that's possible, like can I pay for a public servant to patrol my neighborhood? not sure how that would work legally.

My understanding is the ski areas complained early last season when they were inspecting tires to confirm they had the snowflake. If in fact this is the case then don’t expect the ski areas to kick in or cooperate. Call me a skeptic but having a screwed up road might be just what they want to kick start improvements.

[Todds]

I like the idea of a sticker system, but it would need to be updated annually (since tires wear out) but even then it wouldn't be a perfect system.

Everybody says that about every state, city, country, region.

Stickers wouldn't say if its AWD/4WD and could easily be swapped to another car, etc. There are no markings saying my car is AWD, I just thought of this, shit.

Having the ski areas fund a cop on snowy days is a great idea though. But I'm not sure if that's possible, like can I pay for a public servant to patrol my neighborhood? not sure how that would work legally.

You are right. You would need new stickers every year and it wouldn't be just for tires. You would only get the sticker if you passed the UDOT rules. People could scam it. They could move tires between cars, counterfeit stickers, etc... I guess you need random inspections and big tickets if you had a sticker on a car that didn't match the rules.

Businesses pay cops to patrol parking lots. Snowbird gets them to direct traffic at entrance 1. I'm sure there is a way to get them on snowy days.

My understanding is the ski areas complained early last season when they were inspecting tires to confirm they had the snowflake. If in fact this is the case then don’t expect the ski areas to kick in or cooperate. Call me a skeptic but having a screwed up road might be just what they want to kick start improvements.

The inspections were slowing traffic. If you increased flow up the mountain they would get more customers.

[muted]

The inspections were slowing traffic. If you increased flow up the mountain they would get more customers.

I could see how they could slow down people on some less-busy, less snowy days (sure that's vague I know), but on big days when they have checked, it was bumper-to bumper anyways. Anyone who got delayed soon enough caught up to the train going up. Barely a delay at all...they just targeted beater cars that looked like FWD and didn't stop every one.

But if they get real cops to direct traffic at Snowbird, and not rent-a-cops, maybe they could at the bottom of the hill. But the difference may be Snowbird can't send cops wherever they want and order them to anything unless it's their private property, is my guess.

[m706bb]

I'm out of the loop, what are they building?
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[bigdude2468]

I don't get all the questions about checking at the mouth of the canyons. They did this for years whenever the road was restricted. They did not check tires but they turned around vehicles that were not four wheel drive. It was pretty simple, the UPD officer would turn around the sedan's and other obvious offenders. So last season they stopped doing it, why is open for conjecture. I asked the Mayor of Alta why they are not checking vehicles, here is the response copied and pasted.

As I understand it, after raising just the suggestion that you did, checking each and every car on its way into the canyon would slow down traffic immensely, beyond the current delays. In addition to the timing issue, there is not really a good place currently to turn traffic around, I've been informed, which would cause further delay. Finally, the UPD doesn't have the funding to have the staff to accomplish this tactic, were we to want it anyway.

The key phrase from the Mayor is "were we to want it anyway". I take that to mean the ski areas do not want them checking vehicles. The funny thing about his response is that this would slow down traffic immensely but accidents, cars in the ditch, cars being unable to make it up apparently does not slow it down. Reach your own conclusions

So doing what they did for years is now simply impossible.

[tuco]

^^^They checked for chains or 4WD

[muted]

They don't have to check every damn car, half of them are subarus. Just stop the 5% percent that look shady. It should be like a DUI checkpoint, just yank a few out of the conga line as needed.

In college we drove down from MT in a Clark Griswold family vacation rear wheel station wagon. We got busted at the bottom, not knowing the rules. We stood out like a sore thumb, it's easy pickings. (Putting chains on that thing with no shoulder was some fun, but we got up and had a blast)

[bigdude2468]

They don't have to check every damn car, half of them are subarus. Just stop the 5% percent that look shady. It should be like a DUI checkpoint, just yank a few out of the conga line as needed.

In college we drove down from MT in a Clark Griswold family vacation rear wheel station wagon. We got busted at the bottom, not knowing the rules. We stood out like a sore thumb, it's easy pickings. (Putting chains on that thing with no shoulder was some fun, but we got up and had a blast)

I was thinking the same thing about the number of Subaru's, Jeep's and other obviously four wheel drive vehicles. When LCC is crowded with a line up on both Wasatch and LCC road the back up doesn't disappear once you got past the check point. It's slow going all the way up the canyon.

[Dantheman]

Call me a skeptic but having a screwed up road might be just what they want to kick start improvements.

This. I hate conspiracy theories, but the idea that Alta and Snowbird actually want the road to be a non-stop crisis-level shitshow has merit.

[Todds]

I could see how they could slow down people on some less-busy, less snowy days (sure that's vague I know), but on big days when they have checked, it was bumper-to bumper anyways. Anyone who got delayed soon enough caught up to the train going up. Barely a delay at all...they just targeted beater cars that looked like FWD and didn't stop every one.

But if they get real cops to direct traffic at Snowbird, and not rent-a-cops, maybe they could at the bottom of the hill. But the difference may be Snowbird can't send cops wherever they want and order them to anything unless it's their private property, is my guess.

I think you are right for the most part about just letting up all cars that are obviously AWD/4WD, Unfortunately the car rental companies have FWD SUVs in stock; I got stuck with one a few years ago. I've seen a few SUVs sliding around up there. I don't know if it was tires or 2WD.

[muted]

I think you are right for the most part about just letting up all cars that are obviously AWD/4WD, Unfortunately the car rental companies have FWD SUVs in stock; I got stuck with one a few years ago. I've seen a few SUVs sliding around up there. I don't know if it was tires or 2WD.

Good point. They won't be 100% successful, but I think ti would be worth it.

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Lamoille canyon in the Rubys is burning, lotta good skiing up there. Maybe this will clear the brush at the bottom of Terminal Cancer though.

There is no NV ski thread, so close enough?

[mall walker]

anyone been in the spring canyon scenic and wildlife preserve, kinda near emigration? curious about the public / private land boundary and access etc

edit: fwiw it's private, although Utah Open Lands holds an easement to it, it's basically no-access

[Skeeple]

So lots of stoke right now for snow rolling into higher elevations along the Wasatch. Don't get me wrong the time to start praying for snow is near (if not ever present), but is nobody worried about these early storms for BC skiing? This happened last year too and the snowpack was scary af all season long.

*Maybe this belongs in a new thread for 18/19 by