“What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year.” Vern McLellan
Last week we ushered in the new year and with it, welcomed the return of winter to the Wasatch Back. Thanks to a few well-timed holiday snowstorms, the Mountain Trails crew was finally able to ramp up grooming operations in your favorite winter wonderlands. We’re super excited to get the snowball rolling and provide some amazing winter recreation to the greater Park City community once again.
The curators of corduroy this season include 3rd and 4th year groomers, Matt Jones and Alec Johnson, respectively, along with this salty dog. New to the program are rookie groomers and year-round staff, Zach Strickland and Emil Harry. Zach and Emil have been getting dialed in on the intricacies and idiosyncrasies of pre-dawn, winter trail operations. We’re super-stoked to have these guys onboard for what we hope will be another stellar winter trails season.
For the third consecutive year, our partners in snow, Park City Municipal and Utah Open Lands, have been providing transportation via the Transit to Trails program, shuttling skiers, snowshoers, fat-bikers, and four-legged friends up to Empire Pass and the Bonanza Flat Conservation area. Until we have enough coverage in Round Valley to warrant the relocation of ‘Roy, the City’s awesome new grooming cat, we’ll continue to groom Bonanza Flat Thursday through Sunday for some spectacular, high alpine and lung-busting, winter recreation.
Besides the early/late season grooming in Bonanza, our team will be crushing snowflakes on all the usual suspects – 30km of multi-use Nordic in Round Valley and another 5km on the Rail Trail from Bonanza Dr. to Hwy 248. For our fat-tired friends, we’ll once again be grooming nearly 20 miles of singletrack in Round Valley along with the 3.5-mile Sparky loop at Clark Ranch.
As always, we’ll be posting daily grooming updates on our Facebook, Instagram pages and website. For a visual look at what cord and classic has been set along with recently groomed singletrack, be sure to check out the interactive map on the Trails Resource Page as well: https://parkcitytrails.org/
Also listen in at 7:21am daily on local radio, KPCW, at which time members of Mountain Trails, Wasatch Trails and Basin Rec teams will provide up-to-date info on regional winter trails.
Winter trail etiquette is all about R-E-S-P-E-C-T! Make it your New Year’s resolution to acknowledge that ALL winter trail users have an equal right to a great experience out on the snow, whether that’s on fat tires, skinny skis, snowshoes, trail running or taking the pups for a cruise. We want everyone to have the best possible experience out there and that means being considerate and appreciating the needs of your fellow trail users.
Late last season, we worked with our long-time graphic designer, Scott Collett, to create a simple, yet comprehensive, winter etiquette overview, showing a variety of winter trail users and the expectations of each. Here are a few more winter etiquette dos and don’ts…
•Fat Bikes– Don’t ride down the middle of the Nordic track – stick to the outside edge (opposite the classic lanes) or consider using the groomed singletrack. If you are creating a rut deeper than one inch, conditions are too soft. Try lowering your tire pressure (2-5psi) or turn around and give the trails a chance to firm up. #RutsSuck!
• Foot Traffic– Please stay to the outside edge (opposite the classic lanes), on the wide-groomed Nordic track and avoid blocking the trail for other users, especially skiers. Don’t run or hike on the singletrack if you are leaving a footprint deeper than 1-inch, especially in soft, post-storm conditions. Consider taking the snowshoes out for a tromp instead. Don’t be a Postholio!
• Skiers– Contrary to summer bike etiquette, skate skiers trending in the uphill direction should yield to the downhill skiers. Remember that Round Valley is NOT a Nordic center, it is a public, free, multi-use trail system. Please SLOW DOWN at busy intersections and alert other trail users when passing. Pass with patience.
• Dog Owners– Maintain control of, and keep your dog(s) within sight, AT ALL TIMES! Always carry a leash in case you run into wildlife out on the trail. Pick up after your pups (including tossing sticks/sage off-trail) and DO NOT leave poop bags lying on the trail. There are 14 trash cans spread throughout Round Valley. PLEASE use them!
Lastly, because Round Valley is a truly special place for so many, let’s also make a concerted effort this winter to “leave it better then we found it.” That can be as simple as picking up a forgotten poop bag or trash, tossing sticks off the trail, picking up a sign that’s blown over, or simply avoiding negative wildlife interactions and alerting others. And Charlie’s 10 Seconds of Kindness is always encouraged.
Wishing you all a happy and healthy New Year, filled with plenty of playtime on and in the snow!
