The Problem with the Wasatch

This is all easily avoided
Get your ass up early
Leave your house/ hotel at 6 am. No traffic
 
Harvey said:
It kind of makes me glad I'm not addicted to Alta.
Click to expand...
I'm an Atlaholic. But it's fair to say that Alta in 2022 is very different than 2012 or 2002.

Oops, completely wrong about the population of SLC. No idea what I was looking at. Was not quite 200,000 in 2000. As of 2022, has gone up to 1,200,000!
 
jasonwx said:
This is all easily avoided
Get your ass up early
Leave your house/ hotel at 6 am. No traffic
Click to expand...
A bit different in 2021-22 on weekends when no one was allowed to park at Alta until 8:00am. Applied to the roadside parking of the town and the Wildcat and Albion parking lots.

I watched from Alta Lodge as the first two cars waiting on the access road to the Wildcat lot were told they had to move because they were blocking the road. That was Closing Day, not a powder day. But it was clear that Alta Lift Co. and the town of Alta were quite serious about managing the parking situation. The fine for not having paid for parking was $75 and doubled if not paid within 10 days. They scanned license plates after the parking lot was filled in the morning.

Also, Goldminer's Daughter no longer allows boot bags to be left indoors. There are some pay lockers. The doorway that used to be a pile of stuff has vending machines.
 
This is part of what prevents me from attempting to move out west. There's just a lot more competition when it comes to even being able to get to the ski area. At most eastern ski areas, as long as you get there early, you get free and relatively close parking. As far as the Wasatch goes, they need to either build the gondola or greatly increase bus service in the canyon, possibly with dedicated lanes.
 
i have been to Alta twice. 8 total ski days. first trip was 1983. then again in 2000. noticed a huge difference in SLC and alta between the 2 trips. it is one of the best mountains i have ever skied. i always thought living out west would get my wife out of the cold and allow me to continue my passion for skiing. the water resource issue and crowds and price of real estate no longer make this realistic.
 
Way too many people. Combine massive growth (immigration from many places in the U.S. and then from other parts of the world, and add the highest birth rate for white babies in the country (Mormon families are big), with cheap, easy flights from all over the major western regions and direct flights from the east, and there's just way too many skiers. I've met people from L.A. and S.F. with money who have second homes there, and use them a lot. Park City really sucks. I totally understand why the residents are pissed at Vail.

I was there in 2020 when Little Cottonwood interlodged for three days, and it sucked. Never again. Even Snowbasin was an S show, and that used to be a nice place to get away from crowds. I did enjoy Powder mt., though. That place is cool. But, reserve ahead - limited ticket sales.
 
Peter Minde said:
Not just Utah, but all over the west. The book Cadillac Desert presaged this 20 years ago.
Click to expand...
I just saw this this morning, although it's common knowledge by now.

www.nbcnews.com

Lake Mead comes close to 'dead pool' status, posing serious risks across the Southwest

If the reservoir dips below 895 feet — a possibility still years away — Lake Mead would reach dead pool, carrying enormous consequences for millions of people across Arizona, California, Nevada and parts of Mexico.
www.nbcnews.com www.nbcnews.com

The East will always survive, because it rains here. Well, if it stops raining here, hoo boy, look out, the great water wars will rage.
 
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