BCC to PC, Utah

[Cackalak Han]

Decided to head up Big Cottonwood Canyon, and head out to Park City via State Route 152. Also wanted to see if all of the leaves had already fallen off the trees. (Unfortunately, they did for the most part). I've never taken this route to PC before, despite having lived here for so long. I guess if there is no snow at the resorts, I don't have too much motivation to head up the canyon.

Pretty cool look out.

About half way through, there was a more rugged path that was open. I decided to take it. Looks like it cut through Deer Valley ski resort?

Pretty steep hill

 

[Cackalak Han]

Came to an old mine.

And another one

Followed the trail all the way down and it spit me out behind PC resort.

Then I started thinking that this wasn't a road open to public? I'm not sure. There were no signs nor anybody to ask. Just thought since it was open, it was public access.... It was a cool little route, though.

 

[Moody]

Great way to spend some time...I love Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons, spent lots of time hiking around there.

 

[juicebox]

Isn't this Guardsmans Pass?

I was staying at Stein Erikson Lodge in Park City when I was 16 or 17 and decided to do some exploring and before I knew it I ended up near Brighton Ski Resort. I was surprised to say the least and then a couple kids in my auto mechanics class told me I took Guardsmans Pass.

That was about ten years ago, so I may be wrong, but those pictures look to me like the trail I took.

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

Correct via Guardsman's - Neat!

 

[Cackalak Han]

Yup, DCH is correct. Pretty cool up there. Wish I had made it in time for the leaves...

 

[juicebox]

Yeah, I love it up there.

I worked as a lift operator @ Brighton in the winter of 01-02, but even before that I always used to just go for a drive up that canyon. I would almost always see moose. One time I saw a HUGE moose with a huge rack in the river as I was rushing up the canyon. (late for work, naturally.)

If I ever move back to SLC and have to commute to Park City for some reason I am going to take Guardsmans Pass. Parley's is over-rated.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

...Then I started thinking that this wasn't a road open to public? I'm not sure. There were no signs nor anybody to ask. Just thought since it was open, it was public access.... It was a cool little route, though.

Unfortunately its not a public route.

It is usually signed on the Guardsman side, however its not uncommon for the signs to disappear. The majority of the land you were on is private property and they have historically had all those routes closed to travel. Pretty sure it was signed when I was up there a few weeks ago though? Many of the ski hill routes have gates and if they have maintenance workers up on the hill its not too uncommon to come up on an un-locked or open gate. Add to that all the new construction they are doing up in the Flat as well all over PC and Deer Valley and its pretty easy to mistake things.

What did you find on the Park City side of that route? Was it gated or signed? I'm trying to remember what been there before. Unless something radical has happened and they have opened it up for travel???

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

Correct that road is closed. I know it pretty well mostly because mid mountain and an awesome trail called T&G pass through it and there is maybe 100 yards of riding on it a little higher than that photo was taken...

 

[Cackalak Han]

Huh. I never saw any signs indicating that I was trespassing on a private property. It's not until I saw the ski run signs and the lifts that I thought it might not be public property. But by that time, I was already half way through. The "trail head" I entered was wide open with no signs either. I have the coordinates stored on my GPS, in case anyone of you will be up there in the near future.

On the PC side is where I saw the lifts and the mines. No gates. It came out right behind the resort and I could have just hopped right on the road from there. I'll make a mental note not to take the route again. Had I known, I'd have not gone up.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Shoot me the GPS coord of the Gaurdsman side fork. Fwiw I can see the no access sign on the Park City side on Google Earth

Honest mistake and since you went undetected its not like you caused any harm.

 

[Cackalak Han]

Didn't have my gps on me, But found it on Google Earth

40 36'21.61" N 111 31'12.57 W

You can just use google maps and use street view.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Didn't have my gps on me, But found it on Google Earth

40 36'21.61" N 111 31'12.57 W

You can just use google maps and use street view.

You can see where they had put in posts across those roads, I think at one time they had cables stretched across too. Not surprised to hear they have been compromised though. Honest mistake

 

[Cackalak Han]

Yeah, there were actually a couple of other wide open entries leading up to the same place (I'm assuming). So are there any public trails up that way?

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

I don't think it's a big deal... It's just a private ski area road and it's used it's just lame as ski area policy.. I always wondered why they did that. Particularly back east wheeling is so remote that it's hard to find any so we would resort to ski areas and their road systems quite often. It sure if absolutely gorgeous up there as always... All the development kind of erks me out a hair but that's life I suppose...