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A mountain coaster someday could zip down the lower slopes of Mount Superior, dropping hundreds feet along a winding track to become Snowbird's newest summertime attraction.
Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort received a preliminary nod Wednesday from the Salt Lake County Planning Commission to create a rail-mounted coaster that would zig and zag in scenic Little Cottonwood Canyon.
"This is an important project to keep us competitive in a competitive business," Snowbird General Manager Bob Bonar told the commission. "We'd like to maintain our summer economic viability and hopefully grow that segment of our business."
With toboggan-style cars and a fixed-rail track, the ride would resemble the Alpine Coaster at Park City Mountain Resort, where thrill seekers whiz through white-bark woods for more than a mile at speeds reaching 30 mph.
Snowbird's track would run for more than 3,000 feet, starting at an old mine shaft near the base of Mount Superior. It would weave through intermittent woods, cross a bridge over State Road 210 and end in the village.
But canyon advocates aren't thrilled about the idea.
Carl Fisher, executive director of Save Our Canyons, urged planning commissioners to block the coaster's construction. An amusement ride, he said, doesn't belong on the slopes.
"This type of recreational opportunity," Fisher added, "is out of character with the area it is being proposed — one of the most prominent and scenic peaks in the Cottonwood canyons."
Opposition grows even hotter when considering that the mountain coaster is expected to cross State Road 210, a Utah Scenic Byway. Allowing that permanent bridge, Fisher argued, could lead to the "incremental degradation of the Wasatch as a whole."
Tom Stephens, an avid canyongoer, shares that concern.
"This amusement ride," he said, "is in complete and utter opposition to the aesthetic standards we would expect to see in the county and in Little Cottonwood Canyon."
Snowbird insists it would do all it could to make the project compatible with the canyon.
The Planning Commission sees the resort as on the right track, voting unanimously Wednesday to give the project preliminary approval. That thumbs up could become final if Snowbird gets a favorable nod from regulators such as the Utah Department of Transportation (for the bridge) and Salt Lake City Public Utilities (for watershed protection). The resort then could seek a building permit.
Mayor Peter Corroon remains hesitant about the coaster. He said he has concerns about the bridge's impact on Wasatch vistas.
"I've spent the last six years doing all I can to protect our natural environment both for the benefit of our watershed and the economy," he said. "Balancing the two and creating an experience for future generations is our goal. I will continue to do what I can to make sure the character of our canyons is protected."
Although the resort believes the coaster would prove popular, Fisher said his consternation reflects a broader community sentiment. A survey conducted for the Wasatch Canyons Tomorrow plan, he noted, showed more than 60 percent of respondents considered the canyons overused and favored stronger land-use regulations.
Joshua Stewart, a Salt Lake City father of five, told the Planning Commission in a sometimes-emotional statement that the canyon needs less development, not more.
"Building a mountain coaster draws our children away from truly experiencing the remarkable scenic beauty of the mountains and canyons," he said. "The noise, visual clutter and lines of people waiting for an alpine slide, zip line or mountain coaster are the opposite of what natural mountain environments can offer our children."
Snowbird received little support in Wednesday's hearing. When the commission asked for comments in favor of the resort's plan, the room fell silent.
And, yet, Snowbird officials remain confident that the ride would enhance the resort's summertime attractions, which already include an alpine slide and zip line. The mountain coaster might even set Snowbird apart. Only four such coasters have been built in North America.
But Snowbird still could face a roller-coaster ride of its own in trying to get the project approved.
What's next
P To secure a building permit for a mountain coaster, Snowbird still must win approval from regulators such as the Utah Department of Transportation and Salt Lake City Public Utilities, followed by final passage by the Salt Lake County Planning Commission.