A day in the Wasatch National Forest

7 AM, Saturday morning. The sun is just starting to crest the horizon as my alarm goes off in my ear. I’m irritated at first, but soon a smile breaks out on my face as I realize I get to go skiing in the Wasatch National Forest today.

I make myself some breakfast, then load my skis in the car before I head off to pick my friends up. I drive on the interstate at the edge of the mountains. I get off the interstate, excitement building in the car. As I turn into the mountains, I see a very welcome sign on the side of the road. It reads: “Wasatch National Forest” with “U.S. Department of Agriculture” just below. 

I continue past the sign into the Wasatch National Forest, which is just 30 minutes away from where I go to school in Salt Lake City, Utah. I am lucky to have such great access to such an amazing place.

This National Forest protects a place that I, along with so many other people, find incredibly special. The Wasatch is a unique mountain range, jutting out from the relatively flat city, abruptly rising 7,000 feet to lofty peaks of over 11,000 feet in elevation. Their jagged, snow-capped peaks and dramatic rock faces are almost magnetic, drawing my attention from wherever I am in the valley. Being in the Forest brings a sense of peace, of belonging, that I struggle to find anywhere else.

As we drive up, we pass the Lisa Falls trailhead. This is one of my favorite spots to take my mom and my sister when they’re in town. From here, it’s just a short hike through the forest to a stunning waterfall where a creek cascades over a steep slab of granite. If you’re looking for some adrenaline, this is also a great spot for rock climbing and even rappelling down the waterfall!

Further up the canyon, we go past the White Pine trailhead on our right. From this trailhead, I have explored more rushing waterfalls, alpine lakes, and high peaks. I have done short, easy hikes, and hikes that have taken all day and left me laying in bed the next day, sore from my adventures. This is one another of my favorite spots in the canyon, and I am not alone – it is very popular all year, with hikers, climbers and backcountry skiers. Luckily, the Forest Service is here to maintain the trailhead signage, the bathrooms, and the trails themselves. Without them, I’m sure this place would be a mess.

Just a few minutes later, we arrive at Alta Ski Area – a locally owned resort operating on land leased from the Forest Service. I get out of the car, enjoying the sun (there isn’t a cloud in the sky today). I look behind me to Mount Superior, a broad, steep mountain that towers over the canyon. Its beautiful face reflects the sun to my face, somehow making my smile even bigger. We put our boots on at the car, talking about what we want to ski that day.

After a short walk through the parking lot, we hop on the lift. At the top, we hike up a little further to a steep chute going to the other side of the mountain. I look down to the Sunnyside lift, the beginner area at Alta, and am flooded with memories of teaching my parents how to ski over there. Not for long, though, as my buddy starts skiing down, and I have to follow. The snow is good today, so we can make nice, fast turns the whole way down. We head over to another lift, taking us to some of our favorite tree skiing on the mountain. As we head up this lift, we see two squirrels chasing each other around the snow. I laugh a little, realizing how they are just like me and my friends when we ski – I wonder if the squirrels ever dream of skiing? 

We ski in this beautiful place, admiring the views all around us, until our legs are burning. I’m grateful that this land is protected. I’m grateful that I get to connect with it through hiking, climbing, and skiing.

At the end of our last run, we high five each other before walking back to the car. “What a great day,” I say as we take our boots off. It truly was – it always is in the Wasatch National Forest. 

Driving down at the end of the day, I look across the Salt Lake Valley to a place not protected by a national forest – the Oquirrh mountains. Spanning across these mountains is the almost three mile wide Rio Tinto Kennecott copper mine. This scar on the land is a disturbing reminder of how important the protection that National Forests provide is. 

While National Forests are used for many things – including extractive purposes like grazing and timber –  a lot of National Forest land is protected, aiming to preserve its amazing resources and recreation opportunities while also protecting wildlife and their habitats. We are all lucky that we have been smart enough to protect some of the massive amounts of public land in America. Let’s keep it that way.