LCC Road closure conspiracy?

**Supermoon** · 03-06-2018, 04:25 PM

Oh sorry, that was just a joke

**WTF is dat** · 03-06-2018, 04:26 PM

Haven’t you guys heard?

Utah is the new Colorado.

Welcome to the club. Soon your traffic will be as bad as the I-70 shitshow. Videos of the snowbird powder panic indicate that the resorts are already as crowded as the I70 resorts

**Skidog** · 03-06-2018, 04:35 PM

Originally Posted by Supermoon

Oh sorry, that was just a joke

LOL I guess the simpsons shouldve clued me in...

My post still stands that a train is a bad fucking idea...seems we agree

**F#*k you cat** · 03-06-2018, 04:44 PM

Big Foot spotted at Alta -
Ski Dog showing his true form.
Nice touch with the Olympic Vest.

#AltaisforSkiers

**altacoup** · 03-06-2018, 04:51 PM

You live in a city that is really big, by western standards, and is growing rapidly. It's the only place in America that produces more white babies than non white. The term is sprawl. Massive sprawl, unregulated. Add to that thousands and thousands of tourists who want to ski Alta Bird without spending the money for a bed up there. There's your problem. And it will be worse next year, and the year after that.

It’s very true that the valley is growing a lot, but the truth is the skier visits in lcc aren’t. According to skiers per day data, Alta used to consistently have up to 8,000 skier some a day on weekends in the 1980s. Busiest day this winter has not topped 6,000. Last few closures, traffic in canyon has flowed reasonably well. The merging (wasatch & 9400s) before entering the canyon is the source of the backups in the valley. I routinely notice the drivers in this state are completely incapable of normal merging.

**GPP33** · 03-06-2018, 05:07 PM

Originally Posted by Dantheman

Also, like the train and all proposed bus service improvements, down-canyon dispersed users are SOL without a private vehicle option.

I don’t understand this comment. How are down canyon dispersed users left SOL by not being able to bring their car up the canyon? Or did I misunderstand?

As for the gondola, Breck put in a gondola from town up to the base, same concept only shorter ~ 1.4 miles vs 6.6 miles to Snowbird, it works great, I couldn’t imagine that many people trying to drive up ski hill road to find a parking spot. Cars are kept down the bottom where roads are flat, straight and parking is plentiful, people are efficiently transported to the base of the ski area and expect for a short time in the morning and evening it’s quick and easy. Based on Brecks stats it could deliver about 14,000 people in an hour and would be about a 30 minute ride. Sounds better than sitting in traffic, road closures, etc. I’m not sure how gondolas do crossing avy paths and the wind a good slide can generate. Are they high enough to not be bothered?

**#######** · 03-06-2018, 05:11 PM

Originally Posted by sgsbet86

I routinely notice the drivers in this state are completely incapable of normal merging.

The old zipper routine doesn't work here because most utards can't keep their dicks in their pants, nor are they willing to give up their cars for a 15 mile drive. The only solution is to continue to Aspenize the day ticket prices (lottery/cap the season passes) and country club the fuck out of the place unfortunately. Just like driving, skiing is a privilege, not a right.

**Dantheman** · 03-06-2018, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by GPP33

I don’t understand this comment. How are down canyon dispersed users left SOL by not being able to bring their car up the canyon? Or did I misunderstand?

The bus doesn't stop anywhere below Snowbird. In all likelihood a train wouldn't either. Car is your only option if you want to tour from White Pine, ski the Y, etc.

The gondola idea has merits (and flaws), but Save Our Canyons will never be down with it, ever.

**The SnowShow** · 03-06-2018, 05:31 PM

Wait till AltaBird goes Ikon. Skier visits will be up no doubt. Tram lines will be ridiculous.

**MakersTeleMark** · 03-06-2018, 05:31 PM

Just blame CDOT for the conspiracy and get over it.

**whyturn** · 03-06-2018, 05:49 PM

I gave up on LCC a while ago before I was a local. I have a pass to a resort that limits sales and will never get too busy hopefully. I hate the junkshow and that is why I hardly ever go unless it’s late season mid week.

**WTF is dat** · 03-06-2018, 06:10 PM

Originally Posted by mbillie1

lol at coloradbros trying to hate on LCC traffic

LCC at its very worst is not remotely in the same league as I70.

I never hated on the LCC traffic I was merely joking.

I mainly ski I70 on weekdays so I rarely experience the traffic woes you speak of. In fact, the vast majority of my trips Denver to Abasin take less than an hour and 10 minutes. The nice thing is that I get to drive home to Denver and not salt lake.

**Skidog** · 03-06-2018, 06:13 PM

Originally Posted by GPP33

I don’t understand this comment. How are down canyon dispersed users left SOL by not being able to bring their car up the canyon? Or did I misunderstand?

As for the gondola, Breck put in a gondola from town up to the base, same concept only shorter ~ 1.4 miles vs 6.6 miles to Snowbird, it works great, I couldn’t imagine that many people trying to drive up ski hill road to find a parking spot. Cars are kept down the bottom where roads are flat, straight and parking is plentiful, people are efficiently transported to the base of the ski area and expect for a short time in the morning and evening it’s quick and easy. Based on Brecks stats it could deliver about 14,000 people in an hour and would be about a 30 minute ride. Sounds better than sitting in traffic, road closures, etc. I’m not sure how gondolas do crossing avy paths and the wind a good slide can generate. Are they high enough to not be bothered?

Sure does to me. Where I'd envision an LCC gondola would be out of nearly every avie path, and likely stay low enough to be mostly unobtrusive. An evac would be a crapshow, but I'd say that's mostly a non issue. Could also be used for transport of goods to various businesses up canyon instead of some truck deliveries. Not tooting my own horn, but it seems like a decent realistic proposal.

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**Todds** · 03-06-2018, 06:22 PM

A friend of mine with 2WD said he was turned around on Sunday

Originally Posted by sgsbet86

It’s very true that the valley is growing a lot, but the truth is the skier visits in lcc aren’t. According to skiers per day data, Alta used to consistently have up to 8,000 skier some a day on weekends in the 1980s. Busiest day this winter has not topped 6,000. Last few closures, traffic in canyon has flowed reasonably well. The merging (wasatch & 9400s) before entering the canyon is the source of the backups in the valley. I routinely notice the drivers in this state are completely incapable of normal merging.

Did more people take the bus or car pool back then? If not, where did they park all the cars?

I don't know how well the bus only (no cars) option would work. How many buses would you need for 6000 people? If you put 50 people in a bus that would be 120 bus trips (6000 / 50) for Alta alone. If you wanted to get everyone up in a hour that would mean at least 60 buses for Alta. I'm not sure how many you would need for Snowbird. Is SLC ready to have that many buses available everyday of the winter? Most of those buses would sit unused on non-powder days.

**altacoup** · 03-06-2018, 06:29 PM

^^^
Organized ski busses were what allowed such large volume of skiers.

**bigdude2468** · 03-06-2018, 06:39 PM

Keep in mind that sales tax pays for 70% of the cost of UTA. They already spend 1/3 of their budget on debt payments, can't keep doing that. Sunday morning we beat the 6:00 AM road closure, no UPD at the mouth of the canyon. Until UPD and the Town of Alta Marshall get serious and ticket cars in the Snowbird and Alta parking lots that are FWD it's just a bluff on their part. I spent the money to have a 4 X 4 and then I follow a Toyota Corolla up LCC when its restricted, its a joke.

**GPP33** · 03-06-2018, 06:44 PM

Originally Posted by Dantheman

The bus doesn't stop anywhere below Snowbird. In all likelihood a train wouldn't either. Car is your only option if you want to tour from White Pine, ski the Y, etc.

The gondola idea has merits (and flaws), but Save Our Canyons will never be down with it, ever.

Gotcha. I was thinking people on the flats, thus my confusion. As I said in an earlier post if all riders in a car have a beacon then they can drive since it’s a good chance they’ll be stopping at a trail head. Added bonus of keeping the ignorant out of trouble in the BC.

If parking lots are locked at that time you don’t have to worry about locals pulling a fast one by bringing their beacons with intentions of skiing in bounds, you you could leave the parking lots and the “local loophole” open.

**alias_rice** · 03-06-2018, 07:08 PM

Niederhauser is a snowbird pass holder and a frequent backcountry skier, so maybe his intentions aren’t totally nefarious. And fwiw I’ve done some business with him in the past and even though I disagree with him politically and hate our theocratic government as much as anyone, I have always found him to be an honest guy. Probably not someone I’m gonna hang out with anytime soon, but I’ve met bigger assholes than him.

**thebirdhunter** · 03-06-2018, 07:16 PM

Seriously, how many days this year has the LCC been a complete shitshow?

4 maybe 5 days out of the whole season. Triple those numbers last year.

Ski patroller buddy told me last year at the bird there were 2 days with over 9000 skiers. This year not even close.

Anyone who was at the Bird on Sunday want to tell us about the massive lift lines or lack there of? And Miserable Basin don't count, only retards ski in there and get stuck in that touron trap.

Tell me more about this I-70 thing. Sounds interesting.

**Skidog** · 03-06-2018, 07:32 PM

Originally Posted by thebirdhunter

Seriously, how many days this year has the LCC been a complete shitshow?

4 maybe 5 days out of the whole season. Triple those numbers last year.

Ski patroller buddy told me last year at the bird there were 2 days with over 9000 skiers. This year not even close.

Anyone who was at the Bird on Sunday want to tell us about the massive lift lines or lack there of? And Miserable Basin don't count, only retards ski in there and get stuck in that touron trap.

Tell me more about this I-70 thing. Sounds interesting.

It's been a very bad shitshow nearly every pow day this season. Yeah I know pow starved, yadda yadda. Still I don't recall many reports of hours stuck on busses in traffic, or 5 hour car rides. I do mostly try to stage when it's going to dump. Try to get at least to the merge or further if possible and wait. Maybe I don't notice it because of that. I just honestly don't recall friends recounting the horrors of 2 hr waits to creep 1.5 miles and still not even be at the merge (this is starting literally from the condos at the swamp lot). I had a friend tell me in the 30 years he's been skiing the bird Sunday was only the second time he has been totally skunked.

I did hear Alta on Sunday had little to no real lines. Same.for sure Monday, as I was there. Yet, no parking Sunday at 1230 anywhere (good friend report)? Why the long traffic lines then if not more skier visits? That's part of the whole "manufactured" theory.

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**Supermoon** · 03-06-2018, 08:15 PM

I think the “powder panic” is a bit overblown with social media. I routinely sat for a few hours in line when I worked at Alta during college. We usually ended up getting out of our cars and talking to each other rather than post Instagram stories about getting stuck.

I even drove my 2WD car up the hill on 4x4 days late season when the bus had stopped running and I had to get to work. Once the Marshall even pulled me out of a ditch when I slid off the road. Didn’t even give me a ticket.

But. I will say there are also more people trying to ski powder than two or three decades ago so 8000 skiers on the groomed feels like a lot less than 6000 racing down the High T.

**alev** · 03-06-2018, 08:28 PM

Originally Posted by Supermoon

I think the “powder panic” is a bit overblown with social media. I routinely sat for a few hours in line when I worked at Alta during college. We usually ended up getting out of our cars and talking to each other rather than post Instagram stories about getting stuck.

I even drove my 2WD car up the hill on 4x4 days late season when the bus had stopped running and I had to get to work. Once the Marshall even pulled me out of a ditch when I slid off the road. Didn’t even give me a ticket.

But. I will say there are also more people trying to ski powder than two or three decades ago so 8000 skiers on the groomed feels like a lot less than 6000 racing down the High T.

This is all important. Instagram grumpiness has certainly magnified the frustration with the canyon traffic.

I always feel like the roads are poorly managed. As we all know, it takes a dusting of snow and one shitty driver to fuck it all up for everyone. When it snows, are they able to clear the roads better and more efficiently? Increase the roles of UDOT and parking? Can't those fancy cameras help to actually limit the # of cars that go up the canyon? I have to imagine they have a good idea of max number of cars. I still don't understand the role of UPD. Shouldn't they be stopping and turning cars around before the point of no return in the canyon?

**BobMc** · 03-06-2018, 08:36 PM

Overblown or not, I'd think if we have had the problem for two to three decades maybe at some point we may want to look for a solution? I highly doubt a toll road is the solution either, I'll pay it just like I pay for preferred parking at Snowbird. They'll use the money to fund a coal port somewhere and nothing will be done.

I've been looking at homes elsewhere, eventually I'm going to blow this pop stand...

**zion zig zag** · 03-06-2018, 09:43 PM

Originally Posted by BobMc

I've been looking at homes elsewhere, eventually I'm going to blow this pop stand...

Where are you thinking?

**Supermoon** · 03-06-2018, 09:47 PM

Originally Posted by BobMc

Overblown or not, I'd think if we have had the problem for two to three decades maybe at some point we may want to look for a solution? I highly doubt a toll road is the solution either, I'll pay it just like I pay for preferred parking at Snowbird. They'll use the money to fund a coal port somewhere and nothing will be done.

I've been looking at homes elsewhere, eventually I'm going to blow this pop stand...

No doubt it’s an issue that needs addressing.