JRIDE13

I am a proud member of the Snyderville Basin Special Recreation...

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:14:00 -0700

Looking up 3-mile Canyon

The Old Irrigation Ditch

Another Pond, further up 3-mile Canyon

1/2 way up Canyon, looking S. toward UOP

Crazy, but those are all Wildlife tracks

The Big Pond...

The Back of the Big Barn

Inside the barn...Hay Loft

Old treasure in the barn...

The lower Pond

I am a proud member of the Snyderville Basin Special Recreation District Board, and we get to do a lot of amazing things here in Park City. Among them, and way up near the top for me, is the ability the district has to bond for funds that can be used to purchase open space. The newly acquired Hi-Ute Ranch is a direct result of the bonding which happened in 2011. I can’t even explain how insanely beautiful this piece of property is, and to think that it will remain as you see it today for years to come is a true gift to the community and all that will drive by and gaze up Three-Mile Canyon in the future.

Read this quick note from the executive director of Utah Open Lands, Wendy Fisher.

It is up to us to preserve what we love. In 1990, Summit County was one of the top five fastest growing counties in the nation. Preserving the community character of Summit County amid an increasing sea of asphalt and concrete, was a fundamental reason for the formation of Utah Open Lands Conservation Association. In 1990 the top two factors driving visitation and residency in Utah were its scenic beauty and recreational opportunity. Preserving this fundamental quality of life remains the protection of those places that once lost are irreplaceable opportunities to explore nature, experience a hike along a mountain stream, or bike through a seemingly remote forest.

In comparison to our neighboring states, the amount of funding available for open space in Utah is paltry. Utah’s state-wide fund, was not funded last year.

In the Snyderville Basin, we are protecting priceless treasures in our community because of the Snyderville Basin Recreation District. Few communities in the state have the ability to bond for open space and recreation. Explaining why would take volumes. It is enough to understand that the Snyderville Basin Recreation District is the only way we can accomplish large scale preservation and recreational opportunity in the Basin, creating well thought-out trail connections to enjoy these special places over time.

The protection of the canyon land behind Hi Ute Ranch was made possible in part, because of the Snyderville Basin Recreation District and the residents who voted to save the places that will prevent the Basin from becoming Anytown, USA. As Utah Open Lands works to raise the final necessary dollars, we recognize this opportunity would have been lost if not for the vision of the landowner, Summit County leaders, private donors, the District and a vision for open space that began decades ago.

Why Singlespeed? I think when I first started riding a...

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 13:22:00 -0700

Why Singlespeed? I think when I first started riding a singlespeed it was for the challenge, maybe the statement of, “look, I’m badass, one gear man." I’ve moved on from that (I’m maturing, Ha. Ha.)…it’s all about the simplicity.

Recently I broke my singlespeed MTB bike and was without it for a few week, wow, I missed that simplicity - how quiet the ride is. Also this year, I started racing singlespeed at the cyclocross races, simplicity, simplicity, simplicity > 20 men, two wheels and one gear each.

I’m digging the singlespeed action right now….ready for spring already.

A Tale of Trails in Park City, UT

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:03:00 -0600

Park City, UT…The greatest bike-centric community in the country, in my option of course. How is this possible you might ask - it’s because of organizations like Basin Recreation, Mountain Trails, Park City Municipal, and many private organizations like Canyons Resort, Deer Valley, and the Colony. If you are from around Park City it doesn’t take much more than simply looking out your window to see the massive amounts of bikes. All types of bikes rolling around, townies, road bikes and of course mountain bikes. The best part of all this, not just bikes are rewarded from all the development and infrastructure improvements to the trails around the area. Simply put hikers, trail runners and even just the pure walkability element that exists around our communities - the interconnection of our system is certainly coming together in a very impressive way.

As an example, one need not look further than the trail system in Glenwild. A little over 10 years ago trails were a dream in the area, today there are nearly 30 miles of trails that you can loop together for your next MTB ride, hike or trail run. The Glenwild system is managed by Basin Recreation, which does maintenance and continues to improve and add on to the system every year. Another great asset of the area would be the Round Valley trail network, managed by Park City Municipal and maintained by Mountain Trails Foundation. Again, around 10 years ago we had one or two quick options in Round Valley to ride, yesterday I was able to put together a loop from my home in Silver Summit that totaled about 13 miles (Check GPS track out here).

I mentioned interconnection earlier, until recently it was quite hard to ride to a trail from your home (if you didn’t live right in town). With the most recent bond passing, Basin Recreation is focusing on connecting neighborhoods to neighborhoods, and more important…neighborhoods to trail hubs and urban areas like Redstone. The new Highland Drive project is a fabulous example, giving the communities east of Kimball Junction an option to travel without a car to Kimball. The new trail will also feature safe on-roadway lanes for road bikes, which many of us will appreciate! Watch for more urban connection projects, or trailer-trails as I like to call them (because they are perfect for families to use), coming in the next 12 - 18 months.

Lastly I’m going to highlight an event I’m involved with, the Park City Point 2 Point, which without the epic trail system we have would be impossible to pull off. The event uses 80 miles of our trails and most impresively never uses the same trail twice or crosses itself. The course starts in Round Valley and makes it way through all three resorts to finally finish at Canyons Resort. I challenge anyone to tell me another place in country where you could pull off an event like this, so compact, but yet so broad.

We have nearly 400 miles of trails in Park City, and I never hesitate to tell anyone that this is why my family and I call this place home - what a valuable asset we have!

"I have spent my entire life trying to re-create the way that I felt as a child when the training..."

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 15:32:07 -0600

“I have spent my entire life trying to re-create the way that I felt as a child when the training wheels we first taken off of my bike.”

- Taylor Yoder (From Book: I love My Bike)

Hard Motivating to ski on Saturday, so we created a challenge...

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:58:00 -0600

The Hit List...

Jupiter Lift, of course 2 runs here...

Break #1 @ Davanzas

The skiers on Blueslip

Break #2...Silver Star - areas best H.C.

Last Run....

Hard Motivating to ski on Saturday, so we created a challenge for ourselves. The Day in Pictures from Around-the-World (ride/ski every lift) at Park City Mountain Resort!

Best part, we had success - and we skied 35 miles in the process!

Garmin Connect Log Here

"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:48:28 -0600

“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”

- Albus Dumbledore

Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone

This Trailer is Sick. If You Aren’t Pumped After Watching...

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:43:00 -0600

This Trailer is Sick. If You Aren’t Pumped After Watching This…Time For a New Sport.

You Like Long MTB Rides...PCP2P

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:40:00 -0600

You Like Long MTB Rides...PCP2P:

The Park City Point 2 Point (Utah) features all of the area’s best single-track, hitting Park City’s three world-class resorts along the way. There are solo and duo classes, big miles (75 of em) and lots of vertical (both up and down about 14,000’); it won’t be gentle!