Because the Little Cottonwood Canyon (LCC) tram would be such a costly boondoggle, it deserves an appropriate name. Suggestions: Fields Folly (after Dave Fields), The Snowbird Scam, Alta Abomination or just Pay Up Sucka!
To be clear, I love Snowbird, and Dave Fields is a decent guy. But his fawning praise for this project is missing any ideas to reduce demand and ease congestion, both on mountain and on the road, which has degraded the overall skier experience.
Snowbird is the only Utah resort honoring the Ikon base pass, and Mountain Collective passes, that has done nothing to reduce crowding. Among the other Utah resorts, Snowbasin, Deer Valley and Alta, surcharge the base pass $220 or require the full Ikon pass. Solitude and Brighton have instituted some volume control thru reservations, charging for all parking (Solitude) or some combination. After the Ikon pass came out, Jackson Hole and Aspen had much the same problem with crowding. But instead of threatening a billion dollar taxpayer burden, they surcharged the base pass $150. They and others now require the IKON base pass holder to pay an extra $220 for a Plus pass. Seemed to work for them. No billion dollar boondoggle needed.
The LCC tram will only increase volume at the resorts while doing nothing to control traffic, adding to overcrowding. This only risks skier safety by out-of-control visitors. And it allows them to charge for all parking, at all the lots, all the time (like they do now for the lower Gad lot). And for a project that benefits only 2 resorts, they have not said what they would put up for the project cost.
Stop the Folly!
Mark Gabel, Sandy
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