Wasatch 21/22 - We're All Here 'Cause We're Not All There!

[telefreewasatch]

Interesting letter from the TOA Mayor: Message from the Mayor about Parking in Alta – Town of Alta | State of Utah | Official Site
Seems ASL is taking a hard line on no pre-8am parking...
Also yea - very very excited for the next 4 days

Mayor Sondak is a dick. Just sayin.
Didn't run for reelection on accounta his constituents figured that out.
Gonna yank his pass on principle...

[brutah]

trying to keep people out of the lots before 8 am is only going to add to the traffic issues.

This is dumb. What a mess it's going to be

[westoxified]

Gonna yank his pass on principle...

please do.
I miss Tom.

[byates1]

so if i drive up to go ski the road or flagstaff is parking along the top of the canyon still fine?

is everywhere in little paid now? big? brighton?

[Dshack89]

Reading that letter is depressing. I was hoping the 8 am rule was just a false threat and/or just a weekend thing but sounds like it won't be? Can't wait for the first big pow day where traffic is backed up past the Bird full of folks waiting to get into the Wildcat lot at 8 am. What a cluster.

Time to go look at the plume charts to cheer myself up.

[schindlerpiste]

The shit show begins
Just shoveled the walk and plowed the drive. Wet heavy refill type snow @ 6800'. Great for snowballs and snowmen. May try to get down to the cottonwoods. Mid-morning on should be off the hook. This afternoon and tomorrow may be country club.

[TheK12]

I'm probably dense but reading that letter from TOA regarding parking doesn't make things very clear.... Assuming the only takeaway is that Alta will not be allowing people to park in their lots before 8am, which means that anybody heading up there early will have to park in the TOA spots.... which will now be paid spots (even though I didn't see any mention of that in the letter).

Sounds like Alta is really the entity that is screwing everything up here....

[jtran10]

I'm probably dense but reading that letter from TOA regarding parking doesn't make things very clear.... Assuming the only takeaway is that Alta will not be allowing people to park in their lots before 8am, which means that anybody heading up there early will have to park in the TOA spots.... which will now be paid spots (even though I didn't see any mention of that in the letter).

Sounds like Alta is really the entity that is screwing everything up here....

I agree, the letter didn't make much sense. I think these are all true, but also may not be:

If someone has made a reservation (paid or otherwise) to park in ASL lot on a weekend they can't arrive prior to 8AM?

If someone wants to go for a dawn patrol on a Wednesday they can't park anywhere above hellgate before 8AM?

Out of town lodge guests will need to pay to park on weekends?

Lodge employees that live in the valley will need to pay to park on weekends?

[ASmileyFace]

Reading all these posts makes me wonder how all the different parties fucked this up so badly. There is no cohesion, no consistency, no baseline set of rules, just chaos with everyone bitching at each other rather than working together.

The biggest loser in all of this is the LCC user who doesn't ski or ride at the resorts. Why even try and navigate this bullshit for a dawn patrol in upper LCC? I don't live in Utah anymore, but spent a couple season living up canyon and working for Alta so seeing this happen to a place I love hurts my heart. I wish all you Utah mags luck in your parking endeavors this year.

[criscam]

If someone wants to go for a dawn patrol on a Wednesday they can't park anywhere above hellgate before 8AM?

But no reservations required during non holiday weeks so can you park before 8 am then?

[CirqueScaler]

It seems like it stems back to the terms of the lease to ASL. Leases of public lands & infrastructure are so important - makes me think of water rights. Wish I knew more about the subject.

Additionally, because USFS supports ASL charging for parking, they are empowered.

[east or bust]

As a younger person I’m used to hearing about all the stuff that was ruined ‘before my time’. It’s wild to see it actually happen before my own eyes.


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[jtran10]

But no reservations required during non holiday weeks so can you park before 8 am then?

I thought so until yesterday. Now I don't know!

[snowaddict91]

As a younger person I’m used to hearing about all the stuff that was ruined ‘before my time’. It’s wild to see it actually happen before my own eyes.


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I've resisted posting much in this thread as I miss the Wasatch dearly, and there is a good chance my career will bring me back to SLC down the road, but man I am right there with you.

I'm so grateful that I moved to the West as soon as I could, and that I got to enjoy resort skiing in LCC when I did. At the end of the day, SLC is still an incredible place to live if you like to ski powder, and I'm optimistic that transportation issues will improve in the long run.

I'm also super grateful for the days in the mountains I have enjoyed with so many of the folks in this thread. The Wasatch TGR crew is a pretty good group of folks. Nothing ever stays the same, but we still have it better than most.

[getoutside]

But no reservations required during non holiday weeks so can you park before 8 am then?

need the answer to that question. and while that situation continues to deteriorate, still don't understand why udot undervalues and underpays the tire checker position. that person should get $50/hr not $15/hr and it should be someone like that shitty cafeteria lady from grade school who gives no fucks and will not hesitate to send you on your way. case in point, driving down this morning there was a hyundai sonata with no snows stopped before exit 4 w/a line of cars behind it, but props to the public safety guy from the bird who was clearly giving it to this beater. in other news, saw 6-8" in catherines and snow was moving on every turn so can only expect that to be more prevalent as the snow piles up. be safe and enjoy the turns.

[getoutside]

there is a good chance my career will bring me back to SLC down the road, but man I am right there with you.

^^ hit us up when you're in town!

[Dantheman]

I agree, the letter didn't make much sense. I think these are all true, but also may not be:

If someone has made a reservation (paid or otherwise) to park in ASL lot on a weekend they can't arrive prior to 8AM?

If someone wants to go for a dawn patrol on a Wednesday they can't park anywhere above hellgate before 8AM?

Out of town lodge guests will need to pay to park on weekends?

Lodge employees that live in the valley will need to pay to park on weekends?

I think you're correct here, but I have don't have much confidence in that assessment. "Clear as mud" barely begins to describe this. I'm feeling glad that I went with a Bird pass.

But no reservations required during non holiday weeks so can you park before 8 am then?

This quote from the letter indicates no to me, but who knows?

"In addition, I have also requested that ASL accommodate use by daytime visitors before 8:00 am including ski area customers, when conditions permit. The ASL has declined both requests. The TOA has traditionally only enforced our time-of-day restrictions when snow removal or traffic and pedestrian safety require it, but the ASL has decided that they will not let its patrons use their lots before 8:00 am even if the lots are free of snow."

Reading all these posts makes me wonder how all the different parties fucked this up so badly. There is no cohesion, no consistency, no baseline set of rules, just chaos with everyone bitching at each other rather than working together.

It's a runaway train speeding towards destination fucked, and all we can do is watch with a combination of amazement and horror.

As a younger person I’m used to hearing about all the stuff that was ruined ‘before my time’. It’s wild to see it actually happen before my own eyes.

Fear not, the gondola will fix everything

still don't understand why udot undervalues and underpays the tire checker position. that person should get $50/hr not $15/hr

I hate to sound like a conspiracy theory nutter, but it's one of those things that makes me think they're intentionally fubar-ing the situation to justify the proposed transit "solutions."

[Dshack89]

Parked in the wildcat lot at 7 am without any harrassment and found this at 11 am. There is hope!

[east or bust]

Shit, maybe this belongs in the membaberries thread, but I memba my once a year spring break ski trip to Solitude with one of my uncles, who is the only true skier in our family. Did that trip from probably 10-19 years old and it seemed like it dumped every year, place was a ghost town too. That was the only west skiing experience I had during that block of time and I thought it was all always like that. lol

Was super fortunate that my career brought me out here or may have never made it on my own.

Agreed with snowaddict that it will get better eventually. And even when it feels like it sucks it’s still better than most places. It’s crazy how fast the “goldilocks” year wears off, that one where you’re new and loving every fucking minute out it. Thinking the crusty old timer guys are out of their minds for wearing that scowl and don’t know how good they have it. Then a year or three goes by and you start to get it, but can still look back to when you were all wide eyed and bushy tailed and remember the feeling that goes along with it. I hope it never goes away.

[Benneke10]

I
I hate to sound like a conspiracy theory nutter, but it's one of those things that makes me think they're intentionally fubar-ing the situation to justify the proposed transit "solutions."

I've been saying the same thing. UDOT has too many competent people on staff to act so dumb. They are advertising the position with the most undesirable terms possible hoping to never have to fill it, but also say that they "tried"

[Yukonrider]

UDOT Instagram has already shown 1 stuck car and 1 slide off roll over

[Dantheman]

Shit, maybe this belongs in the membaberries thread, but I memba my once a year spring break ski trip to Solitude with one of my uncles, who is the only true skier in our family. Did that trip from probably 10-19 years old and it seemed like it dumped every year, place was a ghost town too. That was the only west skiing experience I had during that block of time and I thought it was all always like that. lol

My family made a trip out here in 1997 when I was in 8th grade. I can't recall exactly what time we pulled into the Solitude lot but it couldn't have been much before 8:30. It was a Tuesday, but dumping, and the lot was so empty my Dad was worried they weren't open. With genuine concern he asked the ticket lady if opening was delayed or canceled due to the storm. She chuckled, assured him it was not, and when he asked where everyone was she said, "Oh, they'll start showing up in an hour or two."

[altabird92]

UDOT Instagram has already shown 1 stuck car and 1 slide off roll over

I saw three slide offs in BCC today, and they actually did have somebody checking tires…

[schindlerpiste]

Seasons Greetings indeed. For wet snow, today was nice! While riding up Wildcat some d00d threw a back flip right in front of me. Plenty of things to jump off of today. No crowds. Walk on Wildcat and Collins laps. Pulled in at 9:15. No problems at all.

[jtran10]

Seasons Greetings indeed. For wet snow, today was nice! While riding up Wildcat some d00d threw a back flip right in front of me. Plenty of things to jump off of today. No crowds. Walk on Wildcat and Collins laps. Pulled in at 9:15. No problems at all.

You did call it was gonna be country club earlier today brah