I drove over Guardsman Pass (elev 9717') today with my wife. It was really nice. First time I've been all the way up and over. This is a nondescript road that is closed in winter and easily overlooked. But it's a popular route in summer. The Guardsman Pass Road is at the top of the Big Cottonwood Canyon Access Road. You take a left just before arriving at Brighton Ski Area. You get a view of the upper canyon similar to the higher lifts at Brighton.
A good chunk of Solitude's ski terrain is in the photo.
The Brighton Millicent Chair goes up the center of this photo. Summer reveals a whole lotta rock up there!
Guardsman Pass picnic, 9717'.
East view from Guardsman Pass, pano shot, click to enlarge.
Descending from Guardsman Pass. Several of the green mountains in background are part of Deer Valley ski area and have chair lift terminals on their tops. Traveling this route really shows you how close all these ski areas are to each other. It would be so easy to connect them!
This is the view looking west from nearby Empire Pass. Empire Express from Deer Valley is visible. I think the farthest lift in background is McConkey's at Park City. This is a pano shot.
A pair of trikes went by. They look fun!
This is the Montage Hotel near base of Ruby Chair, Deer Valley. Awesome structure. We drove by the front entrance just for fun and three bellhops came out with masks on.
Along Main Street in Park City even the statues are wearing masks. We completed a nice loop by returning to the Salt Lake Valley via I80.