My Home Away From Home

The mountains and canyons in Utah are always breathtaking no matter which one you choose to drive to. In the Fall the dynamic colors of the leaves paint wondrous pictures of golden ball gowns and bright red tunics. The canyon I am talking about today is Little Cottonwood Canyon. This canyon is in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest, and runs along the eastern border of the Salt Lake Valley. It is only about 15 miles from Salt Lake City.

Don’t bring your pets with you when you visit Little Cottonwood Canyon. They are not allowed in the canyon,lodges, or left in vehicles because Little Cottonwood Canyon is part of the Salt Lake City Protected Watershed. The snow and stream water from this canyon is a primary source of drinking water in the Salt Lake Valley.

In a high-Alpine basin at the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon Alta ski resort is found. Surprising as it may be the ski experience is much like it was in 1938. There have been a few modern conveniences added such as the high speed chairlifts. But the old adventures of Alta has remained the same.
You can find other exciting things in this canyon, such as the glacial "U" shaped trough that was carved during the last ice age. The Albion Basin near the top of the canyon is famous for wildflowers and many rare and endemic plant species can be found in the area.

Below Alta is another ski resort, Snowbird. Would you like to swim on the top of a tall lodge in the middle of 500 inches of snow? At the Cliff lodge you can do just that. The Cliff Lodge is famous for its world-class spa, upscale rooms, four on-site restaurants, and on-site ski rentals.
In the fall you can sit by the pool and be amazed at nature’s paintings as the leaves turn from green to bright red.