| Snowboarders fly through the air in an attempt to land a back flip with snowboard in tow. |
It’s not Brighton, Snowbird, Solitude or any other big ski resort. It’s Huntington Canyon and it’s the hot spot for local youth on any given weekend during the winter season and especially popular during the Christmas break from school.
The canyon has long been frequented by Emery County teens and Sanpete County teens, but has also been discovered by those wanting to get away from the crowds and pricey lift tickets of the ski resorts along the Wasatch Front.
For the price of a few gallons of gas you can hit the slope over and over. Vehicles drop snowboarders off on top and they snowboard down “the run,” to where they are picked up and shuttled back up to start over again.
This furious dropping off and picking up lasts from morning until dark until you can no longer see to board safely and then begins the exodus off the mountain.
This remote canyon location is the site of traffic jams as the narrow canyon road doesn’t leave much room to get off the road to pick up the boarders. Patience is the key to the safety of the boarders and those using the road for other purposes.
Snowmobilers use the area on top of Fairview Canyon every weekend for endless miles of snowmobile heaven. But, add long snowmobile trailers to the mix and congestion is a problem on the mountain.
Emery County Commissioner Ira Hatch said they have talked to the Utah Department of Transportation and they didn’t seem too interested in widening the roadway to accommodate parking by snowboarders, along the pick-up area.
For now the system developed by users works. If all users exhibit patience with other users then things work out. Speed is not an option on this winding canyon road with frequent stops and vehicles pulling off the road. Combine these factors with snowy winter weather and caution is essential.
Parents are often enlisted to become the designated drivers as they take their children to the top and meet them at the bottom time after time.
The lift tickets are virtually free and the scenery is unsurpassed as winter sports grow in popularity among county residents and the white stuff that falls in the mountains is put to good use.