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
