Little Cottonwood Canyon

Approaching the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon

I had been up Little Cottonwood Canyon a few times prior to meeting Mark.  In every case, it was to take my family to Salt Lake's Octoberfest which was held at Snowbird, the famous ski resort near the top of the canyon.  Then, this past winter, Mark and I went skiing for a couple of hours one afternoon at Alta, another resort above Snowbird.  These excursions represent the sum total of my experiences with Little Cottonwood Canyon.

I remember going up to those Octoberfests and seeing cyclists on that steep mountain road and thinking, I would never be able to do that.  Well, I'm going to do it.  I AM doing it - in chunks.

Yesterday, we bit off another chunk by adding another mile to our ascent.  We cycle to the mouth, which is ten miles from the house, then start our way up.  On Sunday, we had gone 2.5 miles.  Yesterday, we did 3.5 miles.  The next time, we'll do 4.5 miles, a little more than halfway.

The canyon's beauty is impossible to describe and difficult to capture in a photograph.  As we entered yesterday and I looked at those towering walls, I told Mark that this canyon has to be as beautiful as any one would see in Europe.  He agreed, and he has seen far more mountains and valleys in the Swiss, French and Italian Alps than most.

The lower part of the canyon.

I am gradually getting better at tackling the inclines.  Even though the grade isn't as steep in Big Cottonwood, I feel a desire to get to the top of Little Cottonwood.  I figure if I can do that ride, I can handle most of what I will encounter in Europe in September.

As it happens, a cycling website states that Little Cottonwood's average grade of 9.2% and length of 8.4 miles has almost exactly the same profile as Alpe d'Huez, a "brutal" climb that has often been part of the Tour de France.  I mentioned this to Mark the other day and he casually said, "Yes, I've been up the Alpe d'Huez and you will be doing it in September when we're at Le Freney."  I stared at him.  I think my jaw dropped slightly.  Actually, more than slightly.

Map showing proximity of Le Freney-d'Oisans (in bottom right) to Huez

Alpe d'Huez

This is why I want to make it to the top of Little Cottonwood, not only once but multiple times before September.

Going down the canyon will also be good practice for the Alps.  The road in Little Cottonwood has basically no shoulder on the right side of the road, and there is a steep drop-off on the canyon side for most of the way down.  I'm still adjusting, psychologically, to the challenge.  But I'm really beginning to believe Mark when he tells me that I'll be more than ready for rides we'll do in September.  

Mark at our 3.5-mile turnaround point yesterday