Mountain Trails Foundation

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

Trail News

Bumps in the Trail

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Chalk it up to my eating, sleeping and breathing dirt for the past 20 years, but I’ve always felt that trails and life have a lot in common.  There are twists, turns, ups and downs, and the occasional snag of blowdowns that can slow forward momentum and force us to work through, or around the obstacles.  Both trails and life challenge and test us regularly and you never truly know what lies around the next bend.    

Our team has had its share of challenges this past month.  We were forced to pull off the Silver Queen & Loose Moose Extension projects while we navigate a “NEPA” process for the first time.  There were multiple excavator mechanical issues, struggles to get a workable alignment on a major reroute and unforeseen resort construction that has shut down sections of two high-use trails for the first half of the summer.  And then there were the tree toppling wind events and the ongoing drought.  Tis the season.

Despite a few “bumps” in the dusty trail, we have plenty of June highlights to share and our team absolutely killed it in June.

  • Nearly 100 volunteers joined us on National Trails Day for two unique projects- hand work on the new Huntsman Hiking trail, and drainage, side-veg and noxious week clean-up on Somewhere Elks in Round Valley.  
  • Phase 2 of the Round Valley soft-surface restoration is well under way.
  • The crew completed a much-needed top-to-bottom overhaul of CMG from Mid Mountain down to the base area.
  • With the help of our new water tank/pump (thank you Basin Recreation!) our team re-treaded brake bumps, blown out turns and lips on Silver Queen, Mojave and Change Reaction. 
  • The crew just wrapped up side-veg work on Armstrong, clearing all 4 miles.
  • Our South Summit crew also gave the White Fir downhill at Slate Creek a much-needed haircut on its 3-mile entirety.
  • The South Summit crew also did a ton of hand/machine work on the Ponderosa flow trail.
  • Hundreds of blowdowns have been cleared to date.
  • Over 100 signs were installed throughout town. 
  • We had a very successful dig day with nearly 30 volunteers lending a hand on the Charlie’s 9K to Mid Mountain, hand-built, hike-only trail.  
  • And last but certainly not least, dirt/rock work commenced on the Bonanza to WOW connection- one of the most challenging and uniquely awesome, projects we’ve taken on.                       

Trails, like life, aren’t simply a means of getting from point A to point B.  It’s all about the journey, and that journey is rarely straight or smooth.  Enjoy the ride, bumps, dust and all!

MEET MORE OF THE TEAM

Meet the Team

We are passionate about the Park City Trail System.

Lora Anthony

Lora@MountainTrails.org
Executive Director

Rick Fournier

Rick@MountainTrails.org
Field Manager

Ginger Wicks

Ginger@MountainTrails.org
Bookkeepr

Ian Hartley

ian@MountainTrails.org
Resource Manager
435-655-5853

2022 Trail Crew

Meet the 2025 Trail Crew

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May has traditionally marked the kickoff to the dirt season here in Park City, a time when we welcome back our seasonal staff and on occasion, bring new faces into the fray.  Such is the case this year with four new hires.  More often than not, the hiring process coalesces organically, stimulating our team with passionate, talented and unique individuals.  The latest rendition of this long-running Mountain Trails ritual now includes a cast of 11, our largest trail crew to date. 

Twenty years ago, my first “crew” consisted of myself and the boyfriend/girlfriend duo of Phil and Jess.  In the two decades since, many things have changed, but the one constant has been the quality of the staff who’ve crossed the MTF orbit.  I can’t help but smile looking back on the long list of amazing individuals (and individual characters), who’ve left their mark on our local trails and on me, personally. 

As I enthusiastically look forward, I’m stoked to introduce this most excellent trove of humans who comprise the 2025 Mountain Trails Trail Crew…  

MEET MORE OF THE TEAM

Meet the Team

We are passionate about the Park City Trail System.

Lora Anthony

Lora@MountainTrails.org
Executive Director

Rick Fournier

Rick@MountainTrails.org
Field Manager

Ginger Wicks

Ginger@MountainTrails.org
Bookkeepr

Ian Hartley

ian@MountainTrails.org
Resource Manager
435-655-5853

2022 Trail Crew

We’ll Be Just Fine

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In this, my 44th newsletter message as the executive director, I thank you all for reading, caring about and donating to Mountain Trails Foundation. It is supporters like you who keep the crew rolling with confidence.

As you can imagine, the buzz around the dismissal of federal lands employees, especially trail maintenance crews, has our attention. And while the outdoor industry resets to a new reality, you can rest assured that the fate and care of Park City’s trail system remains in the stable, capable, and adequately funded hands of MTF’s professional trail crew.

It is through the consistent generosity of MTF’s donors, and a community that cares, that the Park City trail system is safe and secure. We also thank private landowners, Deer Valley, Park City Mountain, HOAs, land trusts, Utah Open Lands and Summit Land Conservancy, and local government for their commitment to trails. 

This season MTF will hire an additional five professional trail crew members to meet growing trail maintenance demands in Park City and, new this year, the care of Slate Creek trail system which sits on US Forest Service land just outside Kamas Valley.  

Words fall flat as I attempt to describe the gratitude we hold for our donors. I can only hope that when the MTF crew shows up, ready to work, whenever and wherever needed, it is an adequate expression of our thankfulness to you, the trail lovers of this great nation.

MEET MORE OF THE TEAM

Meet the Team

We are passionate about the Park City Trail System.

Lora Anthony

Lora@MountainTrails.org
Executive Director

Rick Fournier

Rick@MountainTrails.org
Field Manager

Ginger Wicks

Ginger@MountainTrails.org
Bookkeepr

Ian Hartley

ian@MountainTrails.org
Resource Manager
435-655-5853

2022 Trail Crew

February Trail Report

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It’s February 2nd, Groundhog Day, and earlier this morning in Punxsutawney PA, the town’s namesake rodent soothsayer, Punxsutawney Phil, allegedly saw his shadow, suggesting six more weeks of winter.  Meteorological science aside, here in Park City, after an extremely chilly and dry January (no I haven’t quit drinking), the traditional January thaw has procrastinated and opted to present itself this first weekend of February, with rain and temps pushing 50-plus degrees.  Thanks for the heads up, Phil!    

Winter trail management and grooming operations are an extremely fickle and challenging endeavor.  In recent years we’ve experienced increasingly more variable and extreme weather patterns, adding to the challenge.  Who could forget the record snow year just two seasons ago when the vault toilets in Bonanza were submerged beneath several feet of snow and Round Valley was an unrecognizable sea of white, with all but the tallest sagebrush engulfed in nearly 5 feet of snow. 

Contrast that to this less-than-stellar winter, with well below average snowpack (60% of avg), where full-fledged Round Valley grooming ops didn’t truly get rolling until late December.  In fact, our team has yet to rock ‘Roy, the City’s high-tech grooming machine and snowflake slayer, on the Round Valley Nordic trails.  There just hasn’t been enough snow and ‘Roy remains camped out atop Empire Pass, for weekend grooming missions in Bonanza Flat, sans Transit to Trails. 

Up until this warm, wet, week, and despite a marginal base, our team has been able to provide a consistently good snow surface, thanks to daily tandem snowmobile and drag grooming efforts.  The operators lower an electrically actuated “tooth bar” into the groomed surface, renovating the snow, while a weighted, polyurethane comb leaves the telltale corduroy finish.  This team of two regularly grooms nearly 30 Km of trail- that’s roughly 18-20 miles a day.  The cold temps we experienced during the latter half of January and consistent weekend “storms” that delivered a big toe to ankle deep refresh, have been key factors in enabling our team to do a lot with a little. 

In low snow years such as this one, groomers are quite often at the mercy of the elements, and hopping on a snowmobile at 6am with single digits temps and a sub-zero windchill is not for the faint of heart.  It can feel like a 3–4-hour cold plunge without the physiological benefits. Our crew must also contend with the original “Postholios”, those entitled and ill-behaved elk, who think they own the place and regularly post-hole the crap out of the Nordic track.  But you can’t explain etiquette to Elk.  Seriously though, they can do a number on the track, but it’s all part of the adventure and we love seeing them.

Not only has the Nordic been surprisingly good, the low snow, cold temps and high pressure have contributed to a great fat bike season, with over 20 miles of groomed, rock-solid singletrack online throughout the month of January.  So, even in an off year we’ve had it pretty darn good but it’s not without effort.       

Meanwhile, I just returned from taking the dog for a run on the Rail Trail, where the snow surface had the consistency of a 7-11 Slurpy. While I’m not going to place much weight in the prophesizing of an oversized, shadow-seeing ground squirrel, I do have faith in the Open Snow forecast provided by my man, Evan Thayer.  Evan’s latest forecast calls for colder temps later in the week and a solid shot of a storm rolling in on Friday.  So, hang in there, Park City.  We’re not done just yet…             

Have a great one out there! 

MEET MORE OF THE TEAM

Meet the Team

We are passionate about the Park City Trail System.

Lora Anthony

Lora@MountainTrails.org
Executive Director

Rick Fournier

Rick@MountainTrails.org
Field Manager

Ginger Wicks

Ginger@MountainTrails.org
Bookkeepr

Ian Hartley

ian@MountainTrails.org
Resource Manager
435-655-5853

2022 Trail Crew

30,000 Foot View

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“From the flight deck, we’ve reached our cruising altitude of 31,000 feet”, says the pilot over the intercom.  I’m on the front end of a 7- hour flight to upstate NY for my niece’s wedding and the only trails in sight are of the vaporous con-trail variety.  Sitting on a plane for several hours is a challenge for those of us who are constantly in motion, but I do find that air travel is a great opportunity to slow down and reflect on recent experiences as they relate to work, relationships and life in general.  It’s where the 30,000-foot view comes into focus both figuratively and literally.   

With September seamlessly flowing into October and summer into fall, it’s a great time to reflect on the season that was, and shift focus to the upcoming winter trails season.  Historically, October has marked the end of summer trail operations, as well as the month we say “so long” to our seasonal staff as they take a much-needed break before moving on to their winter gigs.  And in the case of third-year crew member and all-around great guy, Derek DeHaas, that new gig also included the consummation of a life-long partnership.  This past Wednesday, our team celebrated and sent off Derek as he prepared to drive back to his hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico to marry his best friend and partner of 12 years, Kendall.  Congrats to the newlyweds!   

Last week we also said goodbye to crew member, Sean “Hoopty” Ward, as he would call it a season – his third as well.  Sean has put in his time behind the sticks, gaining valuable experience as a machine operator and trail builder.  He did a great job this season with tread and drainage work on both Rusty Shovel and Jenni’s trail, as well as cutting his teeth on a significant chunk of the challenging Bonanza to WOW connection, “Wowza”.  We wish him all the best and many deep powder days this winter.        

In the coming weeks we’ll say goodbye to more seasonal staff as our year-round team prepares for the upcoming winter trails season.  Winter prep includes mowing the soft-surface pathways for better snow retention as well as the installation of several hundred PVC markers on the Nordic trails throughout Round Valley, Clark Ranch, the Green Heart and Bonanza Flat, to keep the grooming cat, “Roy”, on course. 

In addition, there’s also over 20 miles of singletrack to mark for fat bike grooming.  And lastly, before the snowmaking guns are fired up, there’s the required removal of nearly 80 on-mountain wayfinding signs located on ski runs at Park City Mountain and Deer Valley.

The winter trails season is just around the corner, but in the meantime, have a great fall, y’all!  

MEET MORE OF THE TEAM

Meet the Team

We are passionate about the Park City Trail System.

Lora Anthony

Lora@MountainTrails.org
Executive Director

Rick Fournier

Rick@MountainTrails.org
Field Manager

Ginger Wicks

Ginger@MountainTrails.org
Bookkeepr

Ian Hartley

ian@MountainTrails.org
Resource Manager
435-655-5853

2022 Trail Crew

Falling for Trails – July Trail Report

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All trail projects begin with a unique vision, an idea based on a specific need or purpose with some challenge, fun factor and a little dose of adventure. Lines are drawn on maps, a detailed planning process is initiated, stakeholder approval is requested, and funding mechanisms are sought after.  That’s the abbreviated version.  Sometimes several months or even years pass before the actual dirt work begins. 

It’s been my experience that the more interesting the project, the more challenging it is to lay out.  And while lines drawn on virtual maps require only mouse clicks, “ground-proofing” or physically walking that imaginary line, is the designers first interaction with canvas earth.  We can and often do, run into roadblocks in the form of impenetrable rock bands, cliffs, mine shafts, sensitive wildlife habitat and wetlands.  It’s a dynamic process and one that often requires hiking the same area several times, tweaking the route as needed and always looking to incorporate unique terrain features discovered along the way.         

The process of physically laying out a trail typically begins by flagging the alignment – measuring grade with an inclinometer and attaching florescent ribbon to trees, brush or rocks to clearly identify the intended route.  It can be a physically challenging endeavor, as we’re quite often at the mercy of steep, unforgiving terrain, elevation and weather, as well as dead-snags, biting insects and wildlife.  Mid-summer undergrowth hides downed logs and loose rock, creating unseen tripping hazards.  While laying out the Bonanza to WOW trail this past week, all three of us took nasty, hematoma-inducing falls.       

This past month our team performed the flagging ritual on three unique projects.  In early June we completed the layout for a continuation of the Silver Queen flow trail, extending it below Mid Mountain and down to the top of Jenni’s trail.  After several challenging outings, the Bonanza to WOW trail has now been flagged in its 4-plus-mile entirety with just some fine-tuning remaining.  And just last week we began flagging a new, upper elevation hiking trail between the Mid Mountain trail east of the Montage and Charlie’s 9K just below the Io trail. 

There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing a trail project go from vision to flowy fruition.  It’s a process and art-form unlike any other- one that involves many moving pieces and many creative, passionate humans. Though it’s often wrought with hoops, hurdles, bumps, bruises, equipment failures and horsefly bites, I wouldn’t trade any of it.   

Thanks for being part of the MTF community. Your support makes trails happen.        

Rick Fournier, Trails Manager

MEET MORE OF THE TEAM

Meet the Team

We are passionate about the Park City Trail System.

Lora Anthony

Lora@MountainTrails.org
Executive Director

Rick Fournier

Rick@MountainTrails.org
Field Manager

Ginger Wicks

Ginger@MountainTrails.org
Bookkeepr

Ian Hartley

ian@MountainTrails.org
Resource Manager
435-655-5853

2022 Trail Crew

Mountain Trails