Mountain Trails

Mountain Trails Foundation

We build, maintain and protect Park City, Utah's trails

Lora Smith, Executive Director

What One Looks for One Will Find

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A few weeks ago, my executive assistant, Ian (who, for the record, is one of the nicest, most level-headed guys around), uttered something shocking. As the words, “There have been times I headed out to the trails with a bad attitude” spilled from his mouth, I resisted the urge to plug my ears and babble to keep those words from burning my soul. How could the guy our team marvels at for being genetically wired for niceness and, further, a key employee at Mountain Trails, be susceptible to negativity on the trails? Thankfully, he redeemed the conversation, continuing with a more true-to-character, self-aware reflection, “and when I set out with a negative attitude, negative is exactly what I find.” You may have heard the term, confirmation bias? 

This exchange sketched two indelible truths upon my mind: first, Ian too is human, and second, what one looks for one will find. When focused on dog waste, ruts up the Nordic track or inconsiderate people, guess what materializes. Seeking friendly gestures, well-behaved dog owners and smiling faces, which if we’re being honest, represent 99% of the experiences had by tens of thousands of trail users every year, it’s easy to conjure – and spread – a great trail experience. Seek and ye shall find.  

Since that conversation with Ian, I’ve had several reflective moments, replaying his words, pondering the truth of it all, and admittedly, maybe once or twice, noting the twinge of my own poor attitude. 

Fortunately, attitude is the easiest thing to change – well, that is as compared to say, my inefficient V2 skate technique, or a road bike flat. With attitude, one simply applies a tiny bit of self-awareness and viola! the path to contentment appears. So, fellow trail users, if you’re persistently encountering negativity out on the trails – or life in general – maybe take Ian’s cue and check that internal dialogue. . . 

But beware, confirmation bias is a powerful psychological tendency and it travels on a two way path! 

See you out there,

Lora Smith, Executive Director

Everywhere I Go I See Trail Supporters

Confirmation bias: the tendency to process information by looking for, or interpreting, information that is consistent with one’s existing beliefs. This biased approach to decision making is largely unintentional and often results in ignoring inconsistent information.  Existing beliefs can include one’s expectations in a given situation and predictions about a particular outcome. People are especially likely to process information to support their own beliefs when the issue is highly important or self-relevant. (Casad, B. J. (2022, October 6) Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/confirmation-bias) 

‘Tis the season for generosity

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It’s January 2nd and here I sit, watching the snow fall for how many days now I cannot say, for I have lost count. Yes, Mother Nature has been mighty generous with the drought-busting powder this week. And I guess that makes a lot of sense, after all, ‘tis the season for generosity.

Generosity is the backbone of the nonprofit sector. Those who give to causes they care about are those who ensure those causes will go forth. Every December, as my inbox fills with year-end donations, I’m stunned to stillness. It never gets old, and it is never any less humbling than it was 10 year ago when I first started this journey at MTF. The collective generosity of hundreds of wonderful human beings means Mountain Trails Foundation stands on financially secure ground as we head into 2023. A year with an ambitious to-do list that includes:

  • Forming a dedicated trail maintenance crew to provide next-level care for our trails;
  • Launching a Trails Resource Page, including trailhead live-cams, conditions reports, interactive map, options for public transit to trails, suggested routes and more; 
  • Building Seldom Seen, a sustainable, bike-only-downhill-flow alternative to Spiro, making Spiro a hike-friendly zone with up-only travel for bikes;
  • Creating an old-school, hand-built trail dedicated to volunteer help/dig days;  
  • Building an extension of e-MTB friendly Sparky’s Trail at Clark Ranch;
  • Connecting the Park City Heights/Solamere/WoodChip trail system (no more streets!);
  • Completing the Bonanza Loop Trail, and hopefully the WOW-Bonanza Loop, in Bonanza Flat;
  • Round Valley signage and wayfinding overhaul;
  • Dispersing trail use on the Wasatch Back through funding provided by the Park City Mountain/Vail Resorts EpicPromise Community Partnership;
  • Resurrecting the Mountain Madness all-things-trails-and-open-space event after three years of Covid silence;

As the year rolls on, other projects could jump up to the priority list, funding is always the limiting factor, but for now, we’re grateful to have the financial support for this ambitious list.

To the community that loves trails – and gives to trails – we here at MTF thank you and send best wishes for a healthy, adventure-filled New Year!

See you out there,

Lora Smith, Executive Director

What We Did With Your Generosity in 2022

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Winter has arrived early (or is it just on time?) this year and what a fun season to be an outdoor enthusiast! We’re changing gears – in my case, away go the mountain bike and running shorts, and out come the quiver of skinny skis and winter trail runners. Is anyone else feeling exceptionally optimistic about this winter? Yes, I do believe so. 

The collective enthusiasm around freshly groomed winter trails is palpable.  As fat bikers, Nordic skiers, trail runners, snowshoers and their respective four-legged friends hit the trails this month, all bubbling with excitement for the crisp air and squeaky snow,  I offer deep gratitude to those who contributed financially to MTF in 2022. Here’s a semi-complete (for the sake of readability) list of the bang you got for your buck: 

  1. Spring maintenance and blow-down removal on about 200 miles of trail. 
  2. Big Easy trail – done
  3. Cyn City trail – done
  4. Change Reaction trail – done
  5. Bonanza Loop trail – progress continues
  6. Sparky trail – done
  7. Mother Urban trail – done
  8. Milky Way trail at SkyRidge – done
  9. Lynx trail – done
  10. Winter grooming of about 50km of Nordic track and 25 miles of singletrack at Round Valley, Bonanza Flat and Clark Ranch. 

As we launch into 2023, with 10 new projects on our docket (more on that next month!), we hope you’ll continue investing in trails. . . ‘nough said. . . 

See you out there! 

Be Cool – Invest In Trails Today!

The Eightfold Path As Trail Strategy

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Lora Smith, Executive Director
Mountain Trails Foundation

Several weeks ago, I attended one of the more interesting meetings of the year. It was hosted by the Outdoor Adventure Commission, the Division of Outdoor Recreation, and the Institute of Outdoor Recreation & Tourism at Utah State University. The meeting gathered an array of 31 outdoor recreation stakeholders, Mountain Trails Foundation included, for the purpose of outlining The Utah Outdoor Recreation Strategic Plan. There, posted across walls and giant picture windows, were oversized maps of Utah’s mountain-lands region, illustrating an impressive inventory of recreational assets. In addition to assets, attendees and maps, what was also impressive were the vast areas of undeveloped, and undevelopable, land in this region. While population density increases, stressing precious resources, rest assured there will always be outdoor spaces for recreation in Utah.

A quote from the movie High Country, featuring a beloved local leader, Myles Rademan, about the evolution of Crested Butte’s growth rang true. “Progress isn’t always fitted with brakes or steering.” However, in the name of protecting Utah’s outdoor recreation assets, the above-listed organizations are taking conscious steps to add brakes and steering to progress.  

As we look toward a future population that, whether we like it or not, is growing, we can dig in our heels, pump fists of indignation and resist with all our might the changes that will, regardless of our disdain, still come because our children and others need places to live. Or, with intelligence, we can cast our vision up the road to foresee and capture opportunities to mitigate impacts, craft solutions and create harmony in our beloved communities.

By no stretch of imagination do I claim to be an expert on Buddhism, but I know wisdom when I see it. So as we cast the long view on what Utah’s recreation experience will be in 10 years, perhaps the Noble Eightfold Path of Right Understanding, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration is the Right Place to Start – I am confident we’re on the Right Path. 

Hope to see you out there!

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

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Sunset on the home front. It’s good to be back!

Travel is wonderful and practically everyone I know is doing it. Whether to other countries or neighboring states, travelers are once again on the move, expanding horizons – and spirits. Our freedom to roam the earth was for a time curtailed and now, with global borders flung wide open, wanderlust seems to be the new contagion. A reclaimed freedom to move has fevered humanity’s primal desire to explore the planet. And in this freedom, we see that we are more alike than we are different.    

But, for all the wonders of the world – its vibrant cultures, ancient cities, majestic mountains and sparkling seas – perhaps the very best thing about travel is. . . returning home. After more than two weeks traipsing Europe, arriving on US turf at JFK swelled my heart with an astonishing degree of patriotism. I mean, I’ve always loved my country and all – and I especially love my home in the Wasatch mountains – but this was next level. It’s not the first time I’ve traveled out of country and returned, glad to be home. But this time, gratitude filled every corner of my being for days that followed. After 22 hours of travel, arriving home to the bugling elk and cool, pine-scented air at 8000′, I laughed – then cried. Not from exhaustion (though I am willing to admit maybe that played a part), but from the pure joy of being Home. And it wasn’t just me, my partner and each of my four grown-men kids reported similar emotional experiences.

“What is different?” I mused while toppling into fitful jet-lagged slumber. Is it because, like barn-sour horses, we became so dangerously comfortable with  the home front during the past two and a half years that all we wanted was to be back? Or. . . maybe it’s just that that (political and societal drama aside), we are reminded that we live in one of the most magnificent places on this vast and fascinating planet. Either way, it’s good to be home. 

Hope to see you out there exploring the trails soon!

Pitch In Here for Tomorrow’s Trails

Spirit of Collaboration

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A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of informing two other nonprofit directors that, through its Community Partnership with Park City Mountain and Vail Resorts EpicPromise, MTF will be adding cash to their coffers. South Summit Trails Foundation (SSTF, Kamas Valley) and Wasatch Trails Foundation (WTF, Heber Valley) are small-ish nonprofits doing great work and, though their aspirations to improve trail access are admirable, their budgets are modest. Even as people in those communities rally and donate in support of down-the-street recreation, trail projects that greatly improve the quality of life in these communities are often stymied by lack of funding.

Depending on terrain and other factors, every mile of proposed trail demands an up front investment of $20,000+. Not including the cost of future maintenance, which in a changing/drying environment is increasingly important. Grant funding often covers only half the cost of a project. So, when you’re looking at, say, ten miles of trail . . . well, do the math. Small nonprofits have their hands tied.

Mountain Trails Foundation has a long history of experience and success in the fundraising, trail building arena. Thanks to visionary leaders, generous donors and unparalleled community support, we have the bandwidth to share. We are thrilled to step up, lend expertise where needed, financially invest in and collaborate with SSTF and WTF. As we unify efforts to improve quality of life on the Wasatch Back through responsible trail expansion and strategic connectivity, I pause to marvel at how the stars have aligned for this coalition. This opportunity expands MTF’s mission to build, maintain and protect trails and is one of the greatest honors we have ever enjoyed. 

Thank you Park City Mountain/Vail Resorts EpicPromise, South Summit Trails Foundation, Wasatch Trails Foundation and Trail Lovers like you!

Pitch In Here for Tomorrow’s Trails