Climbing Access Projects
East Gate Buttress
This project focused on designing and establishing a sustainable approach to the East Gate climbing routes. The original trail was eroding, dangerously featured with loose rock, and unsustainably steep. With the technical assistance and guidance of the Access Fund’s Conservation Team, CCF rerouted the trail and installed switchbacks, rock retaining walls, and rock staircase features.
Metrics
2
Restored Staging Areas
6
New Switchbacks
(Including new corridor and retaining wall)
16
Staircases
30
Retaining Walls
90
Steps
160
Tons of Granite Moved and Set by Hand
(Approximately)
190
Feet of Old Trail Closed and Junked with Debris
300
Feet of New Tread
Photographs
Click/Tap on the photo(s) to enlarge (full-size)
Challenge Buttress
This project focused on reinforcing the existing climbing approach with sustainable, native rock features and creating soil retention structures under the climbing routes to serve as stable staging areas for climbers and belayers. We installed rock staircases, check steps and retaining walls at the climbing areas and on the approach.
Metrics
1
(Very large)
Tree Removed
3
Drains
8
Retained Belay
Pads
10
Staircases
27
Retaining Walls
50
Feet of Closed
Social Trail
55
Feet of New,
Rerouted Trail
126
Steps
780
Feet of Improved
Existing Trail
Photographs
Click/Tap on the photo(s) to enlarge (full-size)
Jacob’s Ladder
The CCF Trail Crew installed drainage and retention features with native rock structures to protect the trail’s upper switchbacks from erosion.
Metrics
1.5
Miles of Trail
Improved
4
Check Steps
Installed
5
Trees
Logged Out
8
Drains Installed
11
Retaining Walls
Built
12
Switchbacks
Reinforced
75
Feet Revegetated
80
Feet of Corridor
Cleared
340
Cubic Feet of Rock
Set into Structures
410
Feet of Tread
Rebuilt
Photographs
Click/Tap on the photo(s) to enlarge (full-size)
Little Cottonwood Canyon
Alta Ski Area System Trails
The CCF trail crew performed annual maintenance and scouting on nearly 75% of all available trails in the 12-mile Alta trail system while also participating in several stewardship events with the Alta Environmental Center (AEC). Maintained trails included Cecret Lake Trail, Devil’s Castle Loop, Snake Pit Trail, Albion Meadows Trail, and Catherine’s Pass Trail.
Metrics
5
Hazard Trees
Removed
7.8
Miles Maintained
and Scouted
14
Drains Built
35
Feet of Switchback Cuts
and Social Trails Closed
65
Drains Cleaned
100
Feet of Trail
Brushed
Photographs
Click/Tap on the photo(s) to enlarge (full-size)
Red Pine Lakes Trail
The primary work on this trail included cleaning drains, removing hazard trees, and closing and naturalizing old trail and switchback cuts.
Metrics
1/4
Mile of Social Trail and Switchback
Cuts Closed and Junked
3.4
Miles Scouted
8
Hazard Trees Removed
60
Drains Cleared
Little Cottonwood Creek Trail
The CCF Trail Crew focused on cleaning, maintaining, and building drains on this heavily used, easily accessible trail.
Metrics
2
Drains Installed
2.8
Miles Maintained
4
Trees Removed
19
Drains Cleaned
Big Cottonwood Canyon
Lake Blanche
Issues with drainage on this heavily used trail were addressed by the installation and repair of many of the trail’s upper section drainage features.
Metrics
2
Tons of Rock Set into
Structures (Approximately)
3.6
Miles of Trail Work
Scouted
7
Trees Logged Out
7
Drains Maintained
14
Drains Rebuilt
100
Feet of Closed and
Naturalized Social Trails
Photographs
Click/Tap on the photo(s) to enlarge (full-size)
Bonneville Shoreline Trail (Ferguson to Dogwood)
The CCF Trail Crew and SLRD Trails connected Ferguson Canyon Trailhead to Dogwood Picnic Area in Big Cottonwood with a new section of trail. Features included several switchbacks, drains, and retaining walls. Old scratch trail was widened and rehabilitated to reduce narrowing and vegetation growth. A stream crossing on the Ferguson side of the trail was retained with rock wall and a crush pad to raise the tread level and prevent trail wash outs in high flow.
Metrics
1
Stream Crossing
1.2
Miles of Trail Improved
and Heavily Maintained
4
Retaining Walls
5
Trees Cleared
16
Drains Installed
25
Tons of Rock Set into
Structures
250
Feet of Closed and Naturalized
Old/Social Trails
270
Feet of New Tread
1,800
Feet of Widened Tread
Photographs
Click/Tap on the photo(s) to enlarge (full-size)
Mill B North
The CCF trail crew repaired and reinforced a drainage crossing that had been destroyed in an avalanche two winters before. The features constructed included a retained pad of porous crushed rock with stepping stones, a multi-tiered staircase, and a stretch of retained tread.
Metrics
5
Retaining Walls
14
Steps
3
Stepping Stones
75
Feet of New Tread
100
Square Feeet
Crush Pad
27,000
Lbs. of rock used
(13.5 tons)
Photographs
Click/Tap on the photo(s) to enlarge (full-size)
Millcreek Canyon
Great Western Trail
An 850ft reroute to remove the old trail from the stream bottom and create a sustainable alternative for multi-use. Features installed included drains, wood retaining walls, and a rock-reinforced stream crossing. Several hazard trees were removed and the old trail was revegetated with grass from the new corridor.
Metrics
1
Stream Crossing:
24 ft2 of crush pad
20 ft3 retaining rock and log wall
2
Retaining Features
Installed
4
Hazard Trees
Removed
7
New Drains
Installed
530
Feet of Closed and
Naturalized Old Trail
850
Feet of New Tread
(0.16 mi)
Photographs
Click/Tap on the photo(s) to enlarge (full-size)
Alexandre Basin – Bowman Connector
Extremely narrowed or eroded tread was repaired on the 1.5-mile stretch connecting trail between Alexander Basin and Bowman Fork trails to widen and reestablish the trail bench uphill and to mitigate sloughing.
Metrics
1.5
Miles Maintained
15
Trees Cut and Cleared
150
Feet of New Tread
Photographs
Click/Tap on the photo(s) to enlarge (full-size)
Desolation Trail from Thayne Canyon
In several places the tread on this trail has become thin or heavily eroded downhill. The CCF crew targeted the most severely damaged sections of the trail and reestablished a wider trail uphill, often rerouting small sections of the trail onto a higher bench.
Metrics
2
Retaining Walls
3.8
Miles Scouted
5
Hazard Trees Cleared
from the Trail
50
Feet of Closed
and Naturalized Tread
68
Cubic Feet
of rock used
210
Feet of Newly
Repaired Tread
Photographs
Click/Tap on the photo(s) to enlarge (full-size)
