This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
For 40 years, Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort has attracted skiers and snowboarders from all over the world to Little Cottonwood Canyon. Our incredible access, award-winning terrain, dedicated employees and Utah's legendary "Greatest Snow on Earth" consistently rank Snowbird among the most celebrated ski destinations anywhere.
In the summer and fall, we offer a variety of popular family-friendly activities including hiking, an Alpine Slide and our annual Oktoberfest celebration. As a lifelong employee of Snowbird and current general manager, I take tremendous pride in our accomplishments and responsibilities as an environmental steward of this canyon; providing outdoor recreation opportunities to many, while also protecting canyon water quality.
Recently, the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest accepted Snowbird's updated Master Development Plan proposal for further study. This MDP is a detailed document that outlines short- and long-term resort development plans, including potential new ski terrain in Utah County, outside Salt Lake City's watershed area. These are very exciting opportunities for the future of our resort and the vitality of Utah's tourism industry.
Our MDP describes potential terrain expansion options to the south of Snowbird's existing resort area, a majority of which lie on Snowbird's private property in American Fork Canyon in Utah County. Proposed projects include a low-capacity Tram to the American Fork Twin Peaks as well as a chairlift from Mary Ellen Gulch that would return skiers to the Mineral Basin area of the resort. Snowbird is also considering adding beginner skiing terrain adjacent to the Baby Thunder area, night skiing from the Gadzoom chairlift, expanding our Adaptive Sports facilities and a handful of other critical resort improvements.
We are not proposing to put ski lifts in White Pine, located directly west of the current resort boundary. Snowbird supports and appreciates the backcountry characteristics of this area, and we plan to limit access to White Pine from the proposed Twin Peaks installation as we currently do from our Gad II lift.
In addition, we're considering donating our significant private property within the White Pine/Red Pine areas into a conservation easement to help ensure this area maintains its pristine, watershed nature.
Over its 40-year history, Snowbird has proven — verified through independent studies — that we can maintain superb water quality in Little Cottonwood Canyon while offering managed recreational opportunities. We understand and respect that clean water is the first and foremost priority of this canyon, and we pledge to work with all stakeholders to ensure that water quality will continue to not be adversely affected.
Finally, I can't emphasize enough, the importance of healthy outdoor recreation opportunities for a growing population. Utah skier visits have grown 40 percent since the 2002 Olympics, while resort acreage among the Cottonwood Canyon ski areas has increased only 3 percent.
Meanwhile, Utah's population continues to grow at twice the national average. We acknowledge the congestion issues in the canyons on our busiest days, and will continue to seek out innovative solutions to transportation issues, such as continuing to offer free UTA and shuttle service for our guests and employees.
Snowbird is excited to pursue watershed-friendly, thoughtful expansion projects that result in increased recreation, revenue for our state, jobs for our neighbors and clean water for our families. This Master Development Plan signals an important time for Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort as we plan how to best provide for our customers, present and future. We ask for your support during this process.
Bob Bonar is Snowbird's general manager and president.