Three weeks ago, the MTF team completed our second major project of the summer, the Mother Urban trail. Named after a colorful character in Park City history, this new trail originates in the heart of Old Town, just off Lowell Avenue, gently ascending for nearly five miles and 1,200 feet before topping out on the Mid Mountain Trail just south of King Road.
Bobbing and weaving its way up Treasure Hill, the trail passes under the Town Lift and brushes by the singletrack classics; Sweeny’s Switchbacks, South Sweeny’s and Gravedigger, followed by a long traverse, high above Daly Canyon. It then switchbacks its way up a pine-covered ridge and crosses John’s ’99, before one last, aspen-gladded push to Mid Mountain. Along the way you’ll pass iconic tramway towers, abandoned mine shafts and other relics – reminders of this region’s rich mining history.
Designed to be directional uphill only for bikes, (multi-directional for foot traffic), the primary intent of the trail is to take pressure off two extremely popular climbs, Jenni’s trail and Armstrong, while also creating a unique user-experience and unparalleled views of Historic Old Town. The trail’s end point works seamlessly with Tommy’s Two Step providing a moderate, directional, climb from town all the way up to the popular yurt trail-hub at the top of the Crescent lift. It also opens up multiple, new, loop options with nearby trails.
This project was two years in the making and incredibly challenging from both a logistical and construction standpoint. The team had to work around existing trails and private property within the Park City “spaghetti bowl” excavating through extremely steep and rocky terrain, particularly above the exposed Daly Canyon and the quartzite-covered, mine-riddled Treasure Hill. The finished product is the result of a true team effort, and the MTF crew did a stellar job from beginning to end.
As with most projects of this scope, there were many moving pieces and numerous individuals working behind the scenes to help bring Mother Urban to fruition. A big shout out to the Mother Urban Group, Park City Municipal, Andy Beerman, Pat Sweeny and Shaydar Edelman with Park City Mountain, to name just a few. It’s collaborations like these, that enable our organization to create great recreational opportunities.
And lastly, I’d be remiss if I didn’t pay homage to Rachel “Mother” Urban. She was ahead of her time as an entrepreneur and pioneer, at a time when women were often marginalized and afforded limited opportunities. I would like to think that she would be thrilled to have a trail named after her, and having caught a glimpse of her intriguing story, it’s arguably one worth memorializing.
