Winter Gates Unveiled

UDOT announced it would shutter Guardsman Pass at the winter gates on Wednesday, Nov. 26, severing State Route 224 from the Wasatch County line to Park City. The closure leaves the high‑vaulting road, a favorite for early‑morning bikers and sunset trekkers, a silent reminder of the Department’s penchant for imperceptible inefficiency: cones assembled in a staggered, poorly lit maze, beige signboards offering no reassurance. Mirror Lake Highway, an obedient approach, remains lit, yet the reduction in runoff capacity forces commuters to shade their itineraries by 35 miles. The city’s response, dragged by Mayor Ryan Dickey’s bemused council, simply printed a memo stating 'seasonal roads will reopen in spring 2026.' The absence of an alternative plan demonstrates that bureaucracy prioritises visibility over velocity. A tactical workaround: skip the congested drifts altogether and board the Richardson Flat bus on the Monday weekend; the route runs parallel beneath the canyon and avoids the winter–gated chokehold entirely.