KeepGrizzlyWild

#KeepGrizzlyWild Written by Save Our Canyons Member, Chad Van Ginkel

Photo taken by Chad Van Ginkel on the Emma ridge right above the mouth of Grizzly Gulch

Grizzly Gulch may not seem like much. Many people along the Wasatch front would not be able to locate it on a map. But this 1,200-acre swathe of land that extends from the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon road up to Twin Lakes Pass could not be more important to those of us that look to the Wasatch for recreation and solitude. Especially among winter utilizers, Grizzly Gulch has a place in every recreationalist’s heart. Not only does it provide low risk terrain for novice backcountry users to advance their skills through avalanche courses and low angle ski runs such as Patsey Marley and Michigan City, but also to more challenging territory like the Wolverine Cirque—a collection of steep chutes with names like Scratch ‘n Sniff, Pressure Drop, and Zoot Chute.

This seemingly insignificant piece of land has received a large amount of attention in the past few years. Local conservationist groups such as the Wasatch Backcountry Alliance and Save Our Canyons have spent innumerous hours developing social media campaigns like #KeepGrizzlyWild, attending development meetings, and sending emails to mobilize the outdoor community to rally for the conservation of this land. Alta Ski Lifts, the current owner, had originally offered to give Grizzly Gulch back to the public as part of the multi-organizational Mountain Accord and the Central Wasatch National Conservation & Recreation Area agreement. Recently, Alta has decided to hold Grizzly Gulch hostage from these agreements in order “to preserve its skiing experience for current and future Alta skiers”. Stating that they feel not enough has been done to lessen the congestion of traffic up Little Cottonwood canyon, Grizzly Gulch has become their bargaining chip by threatening to place more ski lifts and closing this terrain to public use.

I am not a Utah native. I did not have the opportunity to grow up on the trails and peaks of the Wasatch. But that does not mean I cannot recognize the Wasatch as something beautiful and truly great. And I do know that such things need to be constantly protected. I hear stories from older generations about lost wilderness, ceaseless development, and constant changes to the face of the Wasatch. As a new Utah resident, I take no greater joy than showing my out-of-state friends and family the awe-inspiring terrain that we have so close to home. I took my first avalanche course in Grizzly Gulch and have taken friends on their first ski tours in its borders. I want to be able to do the same with my children and show them the freedom that travel through the mountains can provide—not an endless maze of private property signs, ski lifts, and mountaintop cafeterias. Although I am not a Utah native, I do know that once wilderness is lost, it is never regained.