on the possible flagstaff ski lift/avalanche issue

[stefan]

when i started reading about this as the news broke on telemarktips.com last june my stomach clenched up ...

this whole issue cropped up last summer when folks noticed the vague markings (survey stakes) of a ski lift line up flagstaff mountain from alta. this combined with the fact that alta had acquired the land along that ridgeline as well as rumors we've been hearing for years about alta putting in ski lifts in grizzly gulch or anywhere along that ridge from flagstaff to grizzly. i spoke to onno wieringa back in 04 about this annexation and asked (a) whether they had plans to put a lift in on that side of the road/grizzly and (b) if it was not a possibility that they would put a lift in. and i got the answers i expected. (a) no there are no current plans to put in a lift, and (b) no they are not ruling out the option of putting in a lift. some believe the ski lift up flagstaff is a done deal.

beyond the basic notion that ski area expansion is questionable in a tiny area like the wasatch, one of the critical concerns is that this is the gateway to some of (if not) the best locally-accessed backcountry skiing in the united states. putting up a lift here would possibly/likely completely block this access to backcountry access/skiing in this area since alta ski lifts doesn't allow uphill traffic when operating.

last summer through thoughtful inquiry by concerned backcountry skiers it was discovered that the markings were indeed for a possible ski lift which could be used to drop hand held charges to do control work on that highly avalanche prone slope which threatens the town of alta/road.
the reason for the lift is that the current (korean war era) artillery ammunition used will (a) be all depleted in 4-5 years and (b) the army has major concerns about this particular weaponry and is strongly recommending that an alternative (which could include a howitzer) be found. the question is whether the lift is merely a possibility yet to be chosen of a variety of alternatives or if it is soon to be the reality.

as you can see the wasatch is a tiny place and high usage with highly diverse activities.

in order to understand the situation better and offer a chance for the public to ask questions and learn more "friends of flagstaff mountain" set up a meeting at REI in salt lake. the following are videos shot by powderwhore noah howell at the meeting. this gives you 3 of the relevant perspectives on the issue: UDOT, Alta Ski Lifts, and the backcountry skier.

to read more about the purpose of friends of flagstaff mountain, see the link FOFM homepage


Liam Fitzgerald - Lead Avi Forecaster for UDOT
Presentation


L. Fitzgerald - Q&A




Onno Wieringa - General Manager of Alta Ski Lifts
Presentation


Onno Wieringa - Q&A




Andrew McLean - Backcountry Skier/Ski-Mountaineer/Activist
Presentation



Andrew McLean's Presentation Slideshow Images
SLIDESHOW LINK