Mountain Trails Foundation

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

Rick Fournier, Field Manager

October Trail Report – The only constant, Is change- Heraclitus  

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Change is most definitely in the air.  As my friend Julie alluded to recently, the collision of seasons, fall to winter in particular, is one of the most spectacular displays we get to experience here along the Wasatch Back.  And I think we can all agree that this particular fall has been a visual feast, thanks to Mother Nature’s perfect timing with the autumn leaves peaking and a fresh snowfall sprinkled in the mix.  How lucky are we to get to experience this force of nature?      

Tim McChesney, long-time MTF crew member, moves on
Tim McChesney, long-time MTF crew member, moves on

Speaking of change and forces of nature, our own Tim McChesney has taken a professional trail-building position with local trail contractor, Creative Trails.  He’ll be working on an exciting new trail development project at Brighton ski resort this coming year.  Tim joined our team in 2019, looking for an outdoor summer job to complement his winter gig as a professional skier.  Tim has played an active role in every major project that we’ve completed over the past 5 years including Cyn City, Charlie’s 9K and Mother Urban, to name a few.  More recently, Tim headed up the builds on Sparky and Cousin Eddie at Clark Ranch along with the recent overhaul of Mojave.  While we hate to see him go, we wish him all the best and are super-excited to experience Tim’s future projects, first-hand.          

Last week, Derek Thomson and Apex Trails, hired by MTF, wrapped up a major overhaul on the Silver Quinn downhill bike trail at Park City Mountain.  This trail has been a heavily-used workhorse for lift-served riders off of the Crescent lift since we first built it several years ago – and it was in desperate need of a refresh.  Derek and his team, who specialize in this type of trail, cleaned up the tread, enlarged and extended the turns and created a wider footprint to accommodate adaptive cyclists – all changes for the better.  This project was one of several maintenance projects funded in part by a Recreation Restoration Infrastructure grant through the Utah Division office of Outdoor Recreation.   

Changes will also be taking place in the not-too-distant future with the Lower Spiro trail. Our team, along with volunteers and trail artist, Chase Smith, spent the past few weeks putting the finishing touches on the highly anticipated Seldom Seen trail. It will open to the public today, Friday, 10/6 and can be accessed just below the Lower Spiro/HAM intersection. 

With the opening of Seldom Seen, a directionality change will take place on LOWER Spiro as it becomes “uphill only” for bikes. Upper Spiro will remain bi-directional, as it has always been.

The purpose of this change is multi-faceted. The first, most important, facet is safety for all trail users. Lower Spiro has long been a safety concern, as heavy, fast downhill bike traffic is pushed onto a bi-directional, multi-use trail, where conflict between hikers and bikers has become problematic. 

Removing downhill bike traffic from Lower Spiro, it becomes a key piece of a safe, hike-friendly zone. Champion’s Hiking Loop, part of this zone, incorporates Silver Spur, Armstrong and Dawn’s trails.  

The second reason for this change is trail sustainability. Spiro was built almost 30 years ago when trail building technology, bike technology and trail traffic patterns were much different. As such, despite our best efforts, with years of heavy, fast downhill bike traffic, Lower Spiro has deteriorated beyond reasonable industry maintenance standards. 

The last reason for this change is fun factor. As a dedicated bike trail, Seldom Seen creates a flowy, fun alternative designed FOR downhill bike traffic. You’ll see high banked turns, erosion matting to keep the trail in fast condition, and loads of natural features for more advanced riders. We’re killing two birds with one stone here. Bikes can now safely let it rip on a dedicated flow trail and, by removing dangerous downhill bike traffic from Lower Spiro, we’re also creating a serene area for hikers. 

A lot of thought, planning and effort goes into each and every change we make to our local trail system, whether it be large-scale maintenance projects, a signage overhaul or a new, purpose-built, trails. Thanks for trusting us to be stewards of this amazing resource that we’re all so passionate about.  We don’t take any of it for granted.          

Have a great fall, y’all!      

Rick Fournier, Trails Manager

September Trail Report

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Michelle, the dogs and I spent Labor Day weekend in the spectacular San Juan mountains of southern Colorado.  Near the end our long drive home, as we skated through the last few lights of Cougar-Town, something caught the attention of our road-weary eyes.  There, just below the hovering clouds, on the upper reaches of Mount Timpanogos, was an out-of-place swath of white, glistening in the twilight.  Yup, there it was… the first snow-fall of the year… on September 4th no less!  There were a few choice expletives as we rounded the corner and rolled up Provo Canyon.  

Returning to work early Tuesday morning, I felt a sudden sense of urgency, thanks to this frosty, yet fleeting reminder that fall has officially arrived and our weather-window is shrinking like George Costanza in the pool.  There are still summer projects to finish, winter grooming prep to begin, and coolest bike party on the planet, the Tour Des Suds, to organize.  

Along with the uncertainty of the Wasatch-back weather this time of year, we’re short-staffed with Sean “Hoopty” Ward back east, celebrating and formalizing a partnership with his long-time significant other, Hunter.  Congrats guys!  Miss Emma Paden has left us to pursue her dream job in the Red River George climbing area in Kentucky and we wish her all the best.  And for the remaining staff, after nearly 4 months of working together 10 hours a whack, there is inevitably a little bit of burnout at this point in the season.  But the work continues…  

Up above 9,000 feet, we’re still plugging away on the Bonanza multi-use loop, a trail project that began five long years ago and we are just now seeing the light at the end of the aspen glade.  After a few last-minute alignment tweaks, the long-awaited lower Spiro alternative, Seldom Seen, is just a few short weeks from completion thanks to the work of our good friend, Chase Smith, volunteer efforts and substantial donation from Rebecca Marriott Champion.  Tim and Sam are on the verge of completing a sweet Mojave overhaul and thanks to their hard work and recent moisture, this Park City Mountain classic will be riding like a dream.  

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be giving Silver Queen a facelift and making some improvements to Red Bull in an effort to improve safety while retaining its rough and tumble character.  A ton of effort goes into planning and executing these projects and weather is always the X-factor this time of year.  We’re super-excited to wrap the season on a high note and look forward to sharing the trail-love with you all this fall.  So, let’s just maybe hold off on those snow-dances for a few…

Have a great one out there and we’ll see y’all at the Suds!     

Rick Fournier

Canvas Earth

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This past Friday we made our annual pilgrimage up to Main Street for locals’ night at Art Fest.  I always enjoy taking in the visual feast and immersive experience created by the efforts and imagination of some amazingly talented local (and non-local) artists.  And thanks to Mountain Town Music, we also had long-time local musical artist, Tim Wray, and Fat Paw laying down the groove and drawing a horde of “seasoned” locals out of the woodwork.  All these uniquely different mediums of art got me thinking about another art form closer to home- trail-building.      

For me, trail design has never been just about getting from point A to B.  Call it hippy prose, but in my mind, a trail, like life, should be more about the journey and less about the destination.  I like to think of trail-building as an artistic interpretation of that journey and one that highlights the uniqueness of the landscape.  It’s all about creating the best possible experience for the user and hopefully one that leaves them with a smile on their face and a deeper appreciation of the natural environment.  And as far as canvases go, there’s no more dynamic, challenging, or exciting medium to work with than Mother Earth.

Trail design begins with a concept, a purpose and many lines drawn on maps.  Then there’s the “ground-proofing” where you physically walk the tentative alignment, often multiple times, in challenging terrain.  This is your opportunity to embrace the unique and sometimes challenging characteristics of the landscape versus fighting against them.  You take inventory of interesting natural features- rock outcroppings, tree corridors, talus gardens, streams, etc. and determine how to sustainably incorporate them in the journey- all part of the creative process.  Once the alignment is established and the corridor is cleared, the trail artists – the trail builders – work their magic with the excavators and/or hand-tools.           

Over the years we’ve been fortunate to have some incredibly talented builders on our team including Chris Vanderlinde, Nick Herrman and Chase Smith to name just a few.  More recently, we’ve also worked with local contractor and trail artist, Derek Thomson on the Change Reaction project.  Each of these guys have their own style and creative vision for what the ultimate user experience will be.  Their ability to take an idea and bring it to fruition is what makes them great at what they do.            

Currently, our two most experienced trail artists are Tim McChesney and Alec Johnson.  These guys have put in their time and have become super-talented builders over the past few years.  Tim has been with us seasonally since 2019 and really came into his own last year on the Sparky project at Clark Ranch.  Last week he and the team wrapped up the more advanced “Cousin Eddie” trail (also at Clark Ranch) which includes big flowy berms, jumps and even a wooden ramp feature, showcasing his talents. 

Alec has been with us year-round since 2021 and like Tim, has been a huge asset to the team.  Building a great beginner trail is every bit as challenging, if not more so, than building an expert line and Alec did just that when he completed 4 miles of the “Big Easy” last year.  I have no doubt that his latest creation, the soon to be finished, “Family Truckster” at Clark Ranch will be every bit as interactive and fun. 

For more than three decades local trail artists like Tim and Alec have been leaving their brushstrokes on the mountains and high desert of our town, painting memorable experiences and countless adventures for many.  Now that’s some fine art.  Have a great one out there!

July Trail Report – Blood, Sugar, Dirt, Magik

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Blood, Sugar, Dirt, Magik

A few weeks back I was watching the long-running CBS news staple, 60 Minutes, when much to my surprise and chagrin, the Red Hot Chili Peppers were being interviewed as one of the main segments.  What the… The pure notion of this had me torn.  On the one hand I thought that it was SUPER cool that one of my favorite 90’s bands was being acknowledged for their staying power, but on the other, this was NOT cool at all.  It was in that very moment that I came to the realization that I had become my father, bless his heart, regularly watching this dinosaur of a news program, and there, in between the ticking stopwatch and Prilosec commercials, were one of the rowdiest bands of my 90’s youth, all in their late 50’s, early 60’s glory, still rocking out and still at the top of their game.      

What does this have to do with trails, you ask?  Well, like the Chili Peppers, many of the 400-plus miles of trail in the greater Park City system have been around since the early nineties.  Rambler, Lost Prospector, Gravedigger, John’s ’99, CMG, Apex, Keystone, Eagle, T&G, Sweeny’s, John’s and Spiro to name just a few.  These were the trails I was introduced to when I first moved to town in the 90’s and like the Chili Peppers, they are still rocking and relevant, nearly 30 years later.  And while most of these rock stars have aged very well, (with a little trail-love) there are a few that have been “loved to death” by their loyal fanbase.        

When PCMR veteran, Rick Silver, cut Spiro in the mid-nineties, it was pretty much the only singletrack route that allowed you to climb into the upper reaches of Park City Mountain.  It was a stout climb by any standards, but a heavily used one in those days.  Fast forward 15 years and the first purpose-built, directional, uphill-only for bikes trail, Armstrong, was completed.  With bailouts on both HAM and higher up, off Mid Mountain, Spiro became the default downhill route of choice.  As trail use increased and bikes become lighter, longer, and faster, Spiro would see more and more downhill use.  Unfortunately, with its steep, punchy grades, particularly on the lower two miles, the trail was just not designed to handle this type of heavy downhill traffic and degradation ensued.  And to add fuel to the Red Hot fire, lower Spiro had also become extremely popular with hikers due to its close proximity to hike-friendly trails such as Armstrong and Dawn’s, creating a dangerous situation for ALL trail users. 

The MTF team attempted a major overhaul on lower Spiro several years ago, but despite our best efforts, it quickly became a rutted, rumble-strip of a trail by mid-summer and every summer thereafter.  In an effort to alleviate this unsustainable and dangerous trail conundrum, we conceptualized a “lower Spiro alternative”.  What if we built a bike-only, downhill trail using modern, sustainable, trail-building techniques?  And what if we made it more safe and more fun than the original?  As I write this, dirt work is well under way on “Seldom Seen” the new, lower Spiro alternative.  We hired our good friend and trail-builder extraordinaire, Chase Smith, to do the build and we’re confident that this latest addition to the Park City trail system will be a smile-inducing, game-changer for the getting riders safely back down to the base area.  And as for the old rock star, lower Spiro…  It will return to its 90’s roots and be reinvented as “uphill only” for bikes as well as a great, safe, hiking option.  I think Flea would approve.         

Give it away, give it away now… Seldom Seen fun facts…

– Trail length:  +/- 2 miles

– Number of switchbacks:  10

– Start:  Spiro near Seldom Seen ski run

– Finish:  First Time Return, aka, “Hall Pass”

– Will make Silver Spur directional, one-way for bikes

– Lower Spiro will be “uphill only” for bikes, freeing up this zone (Spiro,  Dawn’s & Armstrong) to be hike-friendly. 

– Adaptive-equipment friendly

– Funded by an Utah Outdoor Rec grant in addition to a generous match from Rebecca Marriot Champion

-Anticipated finish date:  Fall of this year

June Trails Report

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BOOTS ON THE GROUND…

Introducing the 2023 Trail Crew 

Any organization is only as good as it’s people and Mountain Trails Foundation has had no lack of good humans in the mix throughout its 30-year history.  The success of Mountain Trails and the enduring legacy of the Park City trail system is due in large part to the guys and gals who are the “boots on the ground,” the MTF Trail Crew. 

Since landing the Trails Manager position many moons ago, I have had the good fortune and pleasure of working with some amazingly talented, passionate, and hard-working individuals who have literally left their mark on our local trails, building, maintaining, and protecting this amazing resource that we all love.    

It’s always a great feeling to have our valued staff return year after year, and I’m beyond thrilled to keep our entire team intact going into this summer season. Seasonal staff including 5-year veteran, Tim McChesney, Emma Paden and Phil Blevins are all back in addition to our stellar year-round team of Alec, Sean, Matt and Derek.  Massachusetts native, Sam Leonardo, had never set foot in Utah before driving out west a few weeks ago, and now he’s one of us.  Last, but certainly not least, we’re super-stoked to bring Seth Angevine back to the team as our new Trail Maintenance Coordinator.  Seth worked for us for two seasons in 2014 & 2016 and brings with him a broad base of experience.  Meet the 2023 Mountain Trails Trail Crew… 

May Trails Report

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AND THEN THERE WAS MUD. . . 

Wow!  The winter of ’22-’23 has been one for the record books, both in depth and duration. Park City Mountain stopped spinning their lifts on Monday of this week and our team completed its final groom in Round Valley just a day earlier. And now, thanks to unseasonably warm weather, we have transitioned from the biggest winter of our lifetimes to full-blown mud-season, seemingly overnight.  While we would all like nothing more than to shift directly from white, to brown pow, it’s going to be a few.  And don’t shoot the messenger but we’re looking at a rain/snow mix for the next several days.      

We hate to get preachy, but every spring as the temps rise, and the dirt reappears, we find ourselves trying to educate trail users and discourage muddy trail use.  So, please help us spread the word.  It’s a fairly straightforward concept, really.  ANY kind of soil displacement will lead to erosion and trail damage.  Low spots and ruts created by foot, paw or tire are ALL culprits. That said, we strongly encourage ALL trail users (yes, that means you too, hikers, runners and dog walkers) to turn around if it’s sticking to heels, wheels or paws.  And walking/running or riding around the muddy spots is never ok as it damages vegetation and widens the trail.  Let’s keep our singletrack “single”.           

This time of year, “variable” and “aspect-dependent” are the words of choice when describing lower elevation trail conditions.  On any given trail you can, and will go from south-facing and bone-dry, to north-facing and snow-covered or “snud”, a snow/mud mix, on all points in-between.  So, when you see a closure up at the trailhead and dry ground just on the other side of the closure, don’t assume that the rest of the trail, or the trail system as a whole, is also good to go. 

The Mountain Trails crew has no lack of work ahead this spring/summer and we’d much rather focus our efforts on new trail projects, than repairing unnecessary, user-created, trail damage.  That said, the onus of responsibility falls on YOU, the trail user to use good judgement out there.  Let’s do our part to protect this amazing resource that we all love. Patience grasshoppers.  Mud really is murder on our local trails.    

It’s good to have options…

If you’re a long-time local, you already know that there is no better time than spring, to venture down to the desert for some red rock trail adventures in Moab, Fruita or St. George/Hurricane. Just down the road in the beautiful Heber Valley, the Dutch Hollow and lower Riverview/Coyote trail systems are great early-season options – once they dry out. Visit Wasatch Trails Foundation for updates. Looking for some great, low-impact, trail options locally? We have well over 30 miles of wide, natural-surface and paved pathways in the greater Park City area.  And let’s not forget the 27-mile-long, Union Pacific Rail Trail- all of it in Summit County! 

Trail Condition Info…

While it will never be a perfect system, we’ll continue to do our best to keep you in the know on changing conditions.  As you may already know, we regularly post condition updates on our Facebook page, Instagram and website, but here are a few additional resources…

You can get a visual snapshot of current conditions by going to our website; https://mountaintrails.org clicking on the “Trails and Maps” dropdown, and then click “Interactive Map” followed by the “conditions” filter.    

For the Snyderville Basin Area trails go to:https://www.basinrecreation.org/trails-open…/trail-report/ then click on the Trail Conditions tab.      

What’s the big deal about muddy trail use?  Here are a few older, but still pertinent posts, that will shed some mud, and hopefully some light.  The first is spot on for Park City…

https://www.singletracks.com/…/over-a-beer-rutting-up…/

http://parkcitymountainbike.com/riding-wet-trails/

Happy Cinco de Mayo and happy Spring!    

Rick Fournier, Trails Manager