Vote for Utah ski bus

[thetrailboss]

My ski club is going to snowburd the 15th..they were worried about the no snow condition..guess thats solved...bummed i cant go.

Sort of solved.....

More snow coming in the next week. It will be better after that. Not much open at Snowbird right now. Gadzoom, Part of Little Cloud, and Gad 2.

 

[Kingslug20]

Looks like more for wednesday

 

[thetrailboss]

A good idea for the BC folks who now have to pay to park in Alta.

Backcountry Shuttle – Wasatch Backcountry Alliance

wasatchbackcountryalliance.org

 

[ss20]

A good idea for the BC folks who now have to pay to park in Alta.

Backcountry Shuttle – Wasatch Backcountry Alliance

wasatchbackcountryalliance.org

Because...UTA ski bus every 20 minutes isn't good enough?

Also, Alta has added a stipulation on parking. You are no longer allowed to park before 8am weekends/holidays even with a reservation. I guess they will actually be enforcing that rule this year. I'm not a fan as if someone wanted to come up at 7am for first tracks...let 'em. Now you'll have a crush of vehicles headed up the canyon between 7:30 and 8:30. The people who wanted to come up early (and not at that peak time) can't.

I can't say I've been inconvenienced by traffic so far. Another snow day yesterday....roads were worse in the valley than the canyon. Canyon section of the commute took 10 minutes more than usual.

 

[snoseek]

Because...UTA ski bus every 20 minutes isn't good enough?

Also, Alta has added a stipulation on parking. You are no longer allowed to park before 8am weekends/holidays even with a reservation. I guess they will actually be enforcing that rule this year. I'm not a fan as if someone wanted to come up at 7am for first tracks...let 'em. Now you'll have a crush of vehicles headed up the canyon between 7:30 and 8:30. The people who wanted to come up early (and not at that peak time) can't.

I can't say I've been inconvenienced by traffic so far. Another snow day yesterday....roads were worse in the valley than the canyon. Canyon section of the commute took 10 minutes more than usual.

I don't think I ever had an issue before Xmas. It's after when the hoards come that it's a problem

 

[ss20]

I don't think I ever had an issue before Xmas. It's after when the hoards come that it's a problem

That is good to know. BCC has been a shitshow several days this season already.

 

[thetrailboss]

Also, Alta has added a stipulation on parking. You are no longer allowed to park before 8am weekends/holidays even with a reservation. I guess they will actually be enforcing that rule this year. I'm not a fan as if someone wanted to come up at 7am for first tracks...let 'em. Now you'll have a crush of vehicles headed up the canyon between 7:30 and 8:30. The people who wanted to come up early (and not at that peak time) can't.

Why are they doing that?

 

[ss20]

Why are they doing that?

"snow removal". They added that little note of "no parking before 8am" just a couple days ago... the week reservations begin.

I would ASSume to prevent the general public from taking up employee parking (apparently a big issue last year...public was showing up before a sizable number of employees who then had no place to park). But that doesn't really make sense as there's a limit to number of cars coming up so it's not like an employee could be shut-out of getting a parking spot. But I really don't know anything. I hope to find out as a lot of us instructors are up there before 8am...hoping it doesn't affect us, but if it truthfully is for snow removal it might as emps park in the standard guest lots.

Alta, Utah Early Morning Parking | HOME

Alta Early Parking Homepage. Parking Information and Reservations for Early Morning Parking in Alta, Utah.

www.altaearlyparking.com

Nestled in the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon, Alta is one the most popular and convenient access points for early morning human powered recreation in the Wasatch. While there are no USFS developed and maintained parking areas in Alta, Alta Ski Area has allowed use of its parking areas and private lands for backcountry skiers and other users. Growth in the Salt Lake Valley, coupled with an explosion in outdoor recreation, has resulted in more vehicles coming to Alta than available parking capacity on many early mornings. When more vehicles arrive than available early morning parking it interrupts snow removal operations, becomes a public safety issue, results in illegal parking, consumes parking areas allocated for other users and impacts ski area operations.

The increase of people desiring to use early morning parking in Alta has reached a tipping point and has necessitated management of early morning parking. As of December 18th, 2021, no parking will be allowed in Alta’s parking lots between midnight and 8am daily, except in the designated early morning parking area where parking will be allowed starting at 6am. Since demand is expected to regularly exceed the capacity of this early morning parking area, reservations will be required. This dedicated early morning parking area and reservation pool will allow a limited number of early morning skiers to continue to recreate in upper Little Cottonwood canyon during early morning hours after 6am.

• Early morning parking reservations will be required:
  • Monday-Friday from 6-8am
  • Weekends & holiday periods from 6am-1pm
• Users with reservations must park in the designated early morning parking area and adhere to "Early Morning" signage.
• 
  Reservations for parking in the early morning parking area are not required daily after 8am except during Weekends and Holiday periods.
  
  
• Reservations will be $15 on non-Holiday weekdays and $25 on Weekends & Holiday periods.
• Alta season passholders' parking codes cannot be used to for early morning parking reservations.

 

[jimmywilson69]

My guess is trying to force people into the bus or some other means of reducing traffic. It won't work unless they literally say no parking except for employees and guests staying there. There clearly is a problem, but I'm not sure what the real solution is. The Gondola seems cool and effective, but also stupid expensive. In theory buses are cheaper, but also have their logistical issues.

Doesn't seem an easy solution other than to limit the people, which neither Alta or Snowbird seem interested in doing.

 

[JimG.]

Why are they doing that?

To make it suck?

 

[thetrailboss]

To make it suck?

I guess so.

Bring Onno back. The changes that Mike has made at Alta are all eroding what it was.

 

[ss20]

Parking sold out at Alta for tomorrow, 70"+ in the past 9 days, bluebird skies and temps in the 20s tomorrow. Gonna be interesting to see how these reservations work. I'm nervous.... today a person asked me on the lift how they'll know he arrived... like if there's a toll booth or he has to check-in somewhere, etc. Basic question that should be clear as mud on the reservation website (I guess...it isn't apparently?).

Another girl asked me earlier in the week how to reserve a spot with a rental car she hadn't picked up yet (and therefore didn't know the plate number). I apologetically said I didn't know. I checked the parking website and F3'd (searched the whole page) for "rental" (as in rental car) and nothing came up.

 

[thetrailboss]

Parking sold out at Alta for tomorrow, 70"+ in the past 9 days, bluebird skies and temps in the 20s tomorrow. Gonna be interesting to see how these reservations work. I'm nervous.... today a person asked me on the lift how they'll know he arrived... like if there's a toll booth or he has to check-in somewhere, etc. Basic question that should be clear as mud on the reservation website (I guess...it isn't apparently?).

Another girl asked me earlier in the week how to reserve a spot with a rental car she hadn't picked up yet (and therefore didn't know the plate number). I apologetically said I didn't know. I checked the parking website and F3'd (searched the whole page) for "rental" (as in rental car) and nothing came up.

To answer the first question: Alta hired lot attendants to “scan” license plates.

As to the other issues, that’s all on Mr. Maughan. No COO with half a brain would create the PR train wreck that he did right before high season. If the claims in this article are true he should be fired immediately.

Parking at Alta? Skiers brace for chaos as town and ski resort clash

Chaos reigns as Alta Ski Area begins its pilot paid-parking program Saturday. Backcountry users are upset about a lack of access and the Town of Alta pulled out of an agreement after the ski area demanded the town not open its lots until 8 a.m.

www.sltrib.com

In other news, the skiing today at Brighton was great. I had multiple employees thank me for my business. Alta, who got ten times more pass revenue from my family, treated me like a criminal when my Alta/Bird season pass did not work. Once again, “it’s all Snowbird’s fault” they said. It would be nice to feel welcome. I think a change may be around the corner when it comes time to buy season passes. A bean counter like Maughan should understand that…

 

[JimG.]

What a shame.

Sucks that a local like you gets treated like a crook.

 

[thetrailboss]

What a shame.

Sucks that a local like you gets treated like a crook.

Now you can see why I am less than thrilled with them. And this problem has been a recurrent one over the past few years. First day of the season--pass does not work. You go to customer service and they say it isn't their fault. To the rep's credit, she DID fix it this year and was nice about it. But it is embarrassing on the first time, downright infuriating on the third time it happens.

As to the article, I am just confused how Maughan could be THAT dumb to create another fight literally one week before a big ski week. And to pick a fight with the Town and businesses who work with the ski area.

 

[JimG.]

Now you can see why I am less than thrilled with them. And this problem has been a recurrent one over the past few years. First day of the season--pass does not work. You go to customer service and they say it isn't their fault. To the rep's credit, she DID fix it this year and was nice about it. But it is embarrassing on the first time, downright infuriating on the third time it happens.

As to the article, I am just confused how Maughan could be THAT dumb to create another fight literally one week before a big ski week. And to pick a fight with the Town and businesses who work with the ski area.

To be fair my ORDA Ski3 usually doesn't work the first day but I was surprised it did this year.

For me their influence on the industry essentially means I won't ski at a lot of ski areas again ever. And frankly not mind at all.

I don't care what the business model is, that cannot be good.

 

[thetrailboss]

Utah lawmaker seeks audit as UDOT mulls controversial solutions to Little Cottonwood Canyon traffic

Rep. Gay Lynn Bennion wants to evaluate the process in which projects are approved and determine whether “inappropriate” outside pressure can influence policy decisions.

www.deseret.com

 

[jimk]

@thetrailboss , after I've talked to numerous folks in Utah about this topic over the last two months I've come to this conclusion: Most Wasatch locals (skiers and esp. non-skiers) are against the gondola idea. In fact, they seem to be against all improvements (including more bus lanes) and prefer that LCC access be left as it is, and that traffic be moderated by implementing paid parking, perhaps complemented by free or lower cost parking for carpoolers. In other words, make the skiers/boarders pay for the solution to the traffic problem. Whereas, I think those in favor of the gondola are mostly resort officials and ski tourists.

I talked to one Snowbird Mtn Host who wished they'd build a train line to Alta/Bird that would connect with the airport and the trains that run up/down the Salt Lake Valley.

Personally, I favor a nice gondola with a big free parking lot at the base of LCC. But as discussed above, I think that will never be approved by locals.

 

[thetrailboss]

@thetrailboss , after I've talked to numerous folks in Utah about this topic over the last two months I've come to this conclusion: Most Wasatch locals (skiers and esp. non-skiers) are against the gondola idea. In fact, they seem to be against all improvements (including more bus lanes) and prefer that LCC access be left as it is, and that traffic be moderated by implementing paid parking, perhaps complemented by free or lower cost parking for carpoolers. In other words, make the skiers/boarders pay for the solution to the traffic problem. Whereas, I think those in favor of the gondola are mostly resort officials and ski tourists.

I talked to one Snowbird Mtn Host who wished they'd build a train line to Alta/Bird that would connect with the airport and the trains that run up/down the Salt Lake Valley.

Personally, I favor a nice gondola with a big free parking lot at the base of LCC. But as discussed above, I think that will never be approved by locals.

I think it is too late for a gondola with parking. There is just no land left in the Valley for "a big free parking lot". A train was something Ted Johnson wanted and everyone thought he was nuts. Now......?

 

[Kingslug20]

Considering the cost of doing...anything..i predict they do...nothing.