Trails and Transience Observed

From my vantage on the Sultan Express, a faded yellow lift tower bisects the cerulean sky, I’ve been reviewing the report on the Wasatch Trails Foundation’s endeavors. A commendable dedication to infrastructure, certainly, but also a curious proliferation of access. These ‘trails,’ as they are called, seem intent on dissolving the very boundaries between wildness and convenience. The photograph accompanying the dispatch—a rather chaotic grouping of individuals—suggests a certain…enthusiasm. One hopes these routes are not simply conduits for the uninvited. The grooming, I am assured, is meticulous, and the WTF’s efforts to maintain a year-round landscape for various wheeled and foot-bound pursuits are noted. The “WOW” trail, connecting Heber to Park City, sounds ambitious, though I suspect the resultant increase in pedestrian traffic will diminish its intrinsic appeal. I observe from up here, above the bustle, that a trail’s true value lies in its silence, in the untouched powder clinging to its shaded flanks. The mention of a pump track – a circular path specifically designed for rolling users – feels vaguely dystopian. A hand-dug, advanced downhill trail is…tolerable, provided it remains solely the province of those possessing a modicum of skill. It is a quiet satisfaction to see that a portion of the network remains hikers-only. Upon disembarking, I suggest bypassing the main routes entirely. Begin with the Bell’s run, moving directly toward the backside of the mountain, before the Ikon Pass crowd has fully deployed. One must seek out the corduroy before it’s inevitably marred.