Solitude Expansion...

[skifishbum]

You are the real deal all the posers are posing as. They know all they have to do is XC ski on their dukes to some low angle hero snow and they get to claim to be what you really are.

I didn't really address that as well as I should have in my earlier post.

Clearly there are legions of skiers who tour and are the real deal (the straightchuters, wizzards and TH's of the world), but there's getting to be an awful lot of marginal skiers copping big attitudes of ubercore superiority claiming to be better than all the gapers at the resort because they can XC ski on dukes.

Thanks for the compliment but I fixeded that 4 U.
I'm a skibum/resort rat with a bit of wanderlust and a burning desire to ski untracked pow and in with the zion zig zag skill set. To quote Neil Young
"Was he a heavy doper or what"
Oh and I hearts Woodsy
The soli shit show started swirling down the shitter The day Mike G left

[allTandA]

@Yeti I'm not arguing in support of skinning and backcountry skiing or against riding lifts. I'm arguing against bad kinds of development, and that's what this SF expansion sounds like to me.

I'm from Park City and in my time there I witnessed incredibly selfish, rampant development. A lot of the area's enchanting mountain environment was bulldozed to make way for the most obscene housing and lodging developments. Where once was a mountain bike and hiking trail, where once was an idyllic gravel road into the mountains, where once were favorite campsites... now stands shit like this:


As straightchuter said, open space is the greatest commodity. Regardless of who gets to use it, its worth standing up for.

This is certainly one of my least favorite things I EVAR took part in building.
Dayum! that bastid is still fukin fugly!!!

[Dantheman]

Passing along some info I got emailed to me for those of you who would like to see this thing DOA:


Letters need to go to the District Ranger and the Forest Supervisor to convince them to reject the proposal now. The best way is to reference the 2003 Revised Forest Plan and remind the Forest Service to stick with it.

For the Central Wasatch Management Area the plan:
Has watershed protection as the highest priority (natural lands produce the highest amount and quality)
Wants plants and animals at their natural distribution (Silver Fork is summer range for big game)
Confines resort development to current permit boundaries in plan
Designates Silver Fork Canyon Recreation Opportunity Spectrum as Roaded Natural which does not include large scale ski resorts
Wants to maintain scenic resources (lifts are not part of a natural background)

Letters have to get in now! It would be great if we can get the Forest Service to stick to the plan after all the work that went into it and reject the proposal from the outset. Please tell the Forest Service that you like the canyon just the way it is and that dispersed recreation is being forced from the Wasatch. Resort skiers from this proposal will access Day's Fork as well driving dispersed recreation from it as well.

Please send letters to:

Cathy Kahlow District Ranger
Uinta/Wasatch-Cache National Forest
Salt Lake Ranger District
6944 S 3000E
Salt Lake City Utah 84121

Brian Ferebee Forest Supervisor
Uinta/Wasatch-Cache National Forest
Federal Building
125S State Street
Salt Lake City Utah 84138

[tuco]

The soli shit show started swirling down the shitter the day the survey crews showed up and layed markers for the first building in their faggy 'village'

Fixed it for you!

[nohow]

Just mailed off my 2 cents. Not sure it's even worth that, but feels good to do something.


I'm writing in regards to the proposed Solitude lift expansion in the Silver Fork drainage. This is a great area to ski in and I've been enjoying it for 10 years or so as a backcountry skier. I also ski inbounds at Solitude several times a year.

I’m not sure how the process works, but it’s my understanding that these are public lands which will be allocated for different uses by the USFS in a way that, as your slogan states “cares for the LAND and serves the PEOPLE.”

There is a huge billboard advertising Solitude at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon that says: KROUDS (we don’t even know how to spell the word). And this has been my experience with skiing at Solitude, there are no crowds of PEOPLE except for the Christmas and President’s Day holidays. There is no cry from the skiing public, the PEOPLE, to expand into Silver Fork that I am aware of. Where then is the motivation for this expansion coming from? If the lift lines were long and the slopes overcrowded it would seem worth considering, but this is not the case.

I’m just a skier who enjoys the many options, lift served and backcountry, that do exist in a fine balance in this tiny mountain range. There is within me a huge concern with the fact that a few more lifts here and there will drastically change the 'solitude' that exists away from the lifts and the areas they serve. My vote, as one of the PEOPLE, if I have one, would be not to add a lift in Silver Fork.

Please let me know if there will be any public meetings I can attend, or what process I can be involved in with this important decision making.

Thank you for your time,

Noah Howell

[Buzzworthy]

No offense DTM, but there are some of us who are all for this, us resort skiers.

Along with letters of disapproval from most in this thread, I will be sending a letter of approval for this proposal.

People can bring all the hate they want to me, but that is not going to change the fact that I am a beat up resort skier/rider and the more access I have to ride fun terrain off a lift, the more fun I have. Physical limitations prevent me from really doing the bc thing.


IMHO, more lifts will happen in time all over the Wasatch regardless.......

[Trackhead]

Physical limitations prevent me from really doing the bc thing.

IMHO, more lifts will happen in time all over the Wasatch regardless.......

Not to get personal Buzz, but wouldn't soft, untracked pow be less abusive on ones body than some shitty, tracked out mank so frequently found at ski resorts? Not to mention zero impact, aerobic activity?

[Buzzworthy]

Not to get personal Buzz, but wouldn't soft, untracked pow be less abusive on ones body than some shitty, tracked out mank so frequently found at ski resorts? Not to mention zero impact, aerobic activity?

Double surgerized knee that won't let me turn properly and a blown out lower back. How do you suppose I get up to get down?

[Trackhead]

Double surgerized knee that won't let me turn properly and a blown out lower back. How do you suppose I get up to get down?

You mean you can't do kick turns in a switch back because of your knee?

How can you ski at a resort and get WAY more downhill skiing in every day and have that not hurt your back more than hiking up and getting far less downhill in? I've had heinous sciatica, and when I did, hiking up never made it worse, it was the abusive downhill that hurt more.

In all seriousness and sincerity, what you need is a season in the backcountry, not on the lifts.

[Buzzworthy]

You mean you can't do kick turns in a switch back because of your knee?

How can you ski at a resort and get WAY more downhill skiing in every day and have that not hurt your back more than hiking up and getting far less downhill in? I've had heinous sciatica, and when I did, hiking up never made it worse, it was the abusive downhill that hurt more.

In all seriousness and sincerity, what you need is a season in the backcountry, not on the lifts.

Hell, I can't do a kick turn in the middle of a freakin groomer. Unpossible.

edit: blog going to PM

[tuco]

You mean you can't do kick turns in a switch back because of your knee?

How can you ski at a resort and get WAY more downhill skiing in every day and have that not hurt your back more than hiking up and getting far less downhill in? I've had heinous sciatica, and when I did, hiking up never made it worse, it was the abusive downhill that hurt more.

In all seriousness and sincerity, what you need is a season in the backcountry, not on the lifts.

Buzz, Trackhead is speaking the truth here.

My left knee is missing most of its meniscus from being blown apart and laps on the lift most definetly cause me more pain than a day of treehugging.

Also, the fact still remains that Silver is just a traverse away from Soli.

[Trackhead]

Silver Fork has a new designation, it's not wilderness, it's.......

[nohow]

I just got a prompt reply from my email to Brian.

"Thanks for your comments Noah and we will keep you informed. BF!"

For those tree huggers that want to save a piece of paper just send an email to the following folks.

Catherine Kahlow- ckahlow@fs.fed.us
Brian Ferebee- bferebee@fs.fed.us

[Buzzworthy]

Boarding fresh lines, yes, this sounds wonderful, would be all for it.
Skiing them, great, where do I start. I don't even know how to ski powder yet. Last real ski days were east coast, picked up board day I moved here 12 years ago.
The lift(s) would allow me to at least get some freshies on my board on those pow days.

This is my rock and hard place. Want fresh, can't ski it (yet), can board it (with back pain).

Someone lend me their splitboard for a day with TH, SFB and Tuco in Silly so I can truly see what all the hubbub is about.

[wra]

I'll lend you one of mine but, you start at the bottom of the hill and walk to the top or as far as you can make it.

[frozenwater]

You mean you want him to start at wasatch blvd?

Isn't any kind of motorized transportation evil??? TELL ME YOU DON'T, gulp, DRIVE up the canyon, RIGHT??!!!!! POLLUTTERRRRRR!!!!!!!!!

Damn hippies.

[Dantheman]

No offense DTM, but there are some of us who are all for this, us resort skiers.

Along with letters of disapproval from most in this thread, I will be sending a letter of approval for this proposal.

I fully expected some here to write in letters of approval, but I am counting on the lazy resort skiers to send in a lot less than the BC skiers

I have nothing against resort skiing, I do it all the time and have had an Alta pass for the last seven years. What I have a problem with is expansion that is in direct conflict with the Central Wasatch Management Plan.

People can bring all the hate they want to me, but that is not going to change the fact that I am a beat up resort skier/rider and the more access I have to ride fun terrain off a lift, the more fun I have. Physical limitations prevent me from really doing the bc thing.

Seriously dude, you're high as fuck if you think BC skiing is harder on your body than resort skiing. Given your litany of ailments, if I were your doctor I would probably recommend that you stop resort skiing altogether. Since you can't ski pow, why the hell don't you get splitboard? You and your wife are both successful professionals, certainly you can afford one. It will cost a lot less than lift passes in the long run.

IMHO, more lifts will happen in time all over the Wasatch regardless.......

Maybe, but I will do all can to prevent it. For me, the coolest thing about the central wasatch is the unique balance of developed resort skiing and undeveloped backcountry.

[zion zig zag]

Well Buzz, I just hope you don't change your mind one day, cause if the lift goes in there is no getting that terrain back.

[powderwhore]

Some people are just lazy. It's the merican way. Letter sent.

[Buzzworthy]

Well Buzz, I just hope you don't change your mind one day, cause if the lift goes in there is no getting that terrain back.

ZZZ, I find this actually funny. I am one person. Since when does one person's opinion(s)/desire(s)/action(s) truly accomplish anything when it comes to proposals not unlike this one?


DTM, you are correct on the split, no reason I can't get one. Large investment in something I am not sure I will enjoy on a regular basis though. Not a fan of avie conditions, my wife will certainly not follow as she is a resort only skier....
Doc said I can ski so I am.

wra, if serious would like to try one, never have yet. Assume start up old HC return road? Not digging frozen's idea, sorry man.


There are many more that want this. I simply stated so via keyboard here.

[Trackhead]

There are many more that want this. I simply stated so via keyboard here.

True, but you are currently the only one posting here in favor, so we are ganging up on you in the school yard.

You are the current pin cushion, every thread has one.

[BobMc]

Letter written. I'll leave y'all to guess which side it was on.

[Buzzworthy]

Works for me, I don't really care if I am the pin cushion here. No skin off my back whatsoever.

[wra]

You mean you want him to start at wasatch blvd?

Isn't any kind of motorized transportation evil??? TELL ME YOU DON'T, gulp, DRIVE up the canyon, RIGHT??!!!!! POLLUTTERRRRRR!!!!!!!!!

Damn hippies.

Sure, I'll start a Wasatch blvd. You're welcome to join in. Buzz may not like that, though. Busses start this weekend so...
Been a hippie since the sixties. Too old for a change.

[BobMc]

BCC doesn't have SHIT for tacos, AFIK, so what's the point here?

Looks like we will see some expansion at Solitude. The old Powderhorn lift base will soon house "Poco's Tacos." Thereby killing two birds with one stone.