Name: Plugging the Thaynes Shaft with a New Method by Brian Buck and Davey Jones
Start: 2026-10-21
End: 2026-10-21

A steep but rewarding out-and-back peak hike with incredible vistas.

This is a mild to moderately trafficked steep hike to a gorgeous overview. The first two-thirds of the trail have excellent shade, following a stream up the mountainside for a good portion of it. In just under two miles from trailhead to the peak, the elevation gain is nearly 2,000 feet, so this is considered a difficult trail. In the late summer, the wildflowers along the trail are spectacular, and the views from the saddle and the peak are well worth the steepness.

**Local's recommendation:** An excellent spring, summer, or fall hike. Dogs are allowed; they must be kept on-leash on even days, and can be off-leash on odd days.

**Details**

**Difficulty:** Difficult - steep with high elevation gain

**Highest point:** 8609 ft

**Lowest point:** 6647 ft

**Best time of year:** Spring, Summer, and Fall

**Safety information:** As with any trail in the foothills, watch for rattlesnakes, especially in summer months. Wear closed-toed shoes when hiking, be aware of your surroundings, and always look carefully before placing hands or feet. Be sure to stay hydrated - even with the shade cover on the lower half of the trail, it can get very warm.

**Roadbook**

From the trailhead at Elbow Fork, follow the signs up the trail. There are very few branching trails on the first half of the trail, but when there are, stay on the northern-most branch. At the saddle, take the trail that heads north and east up the peak.

- Mount Aire TrailHead, Mill Creek Canyon Rd, Salt Lake City, UT 84109 - 0 mi
- Lowest point, 6647 ft - 0 mi
- Highest point, 8609 ft - 2 mi
- Mount Aire - 3.8 mi

**How to Get There**

**Public transport:** Bus routes do not travel up to this trail head - best access is by car.

**Parking:** There is parking just off the road, near the Mount Aire trailhead at Elbow Fork. Be aware that there is a $5.00 fee when exiting Millcreek Canyon.

Mount Aire Trail

Sales for each season run from early October through mid-April. The Salt Lake Ski Super Pass is your discounted lift ticket to Salt Lake’s four world-class resorts.

Salt Lake Ski Super Pass

Alta Ski Resort has a 5km Nordic Ski track that runs a loop between the Albion and Wildcat base areas. Get cross-country and snowshoe gear from the Albion Alta Ski Shop.

Alta's Nordic Ski Track

1.75 mi/2.8 km one-way — The Elbow Fork trailhead starts 6.4 miles up Millcreek Canyon on the south side of the road, about 200 feet past a sharp turn. Start walking at the footbridge and proceed through a short series of steep switchbacks to reach an excellent view area. The trail then continues with a gradual ascent and crosses a ridge before descending to the Terraces Picnic Area. With a change in elevation of only 430 feet, this trail is great for families. Situated on the north-facing slope, the trail is shaded, making it a perfect choice for summer hikes.

Elbow Fork to Terrace Picnic Area

The Mountain Dell courses, 16 miles east of downtown at an altitude of 6,000 feet above sea level, offer breathtaking views and frequent glimpses of wildlife such as moose, deer, elk, eagles, hawks, badgers, squirrels, and an occasional cougar. The Canyon Course stretches up the mountain approx. four miles before looping back.

**Course Amenities:**

Driving Range

Retail Proshop

Rental pull carts

Cafe

Practice greens, chipping area

Motorized rental cars

Handicap Cart - provide 24 hour notice

Certified PGA Instructors

**Course Stats:**

| Tee | Par | Rating | Slope | Yardage |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Black - Men | 72 | 71.3 | 126 | 6787 |
| Blue - Men | 72 | 70.2 | 120 | 6416 |
| White - Men | 72 | 68.0 | 116 | 6016 |
| White - Women | 73 | 72.6 | 128 | 6016 |
| Gold - Women | 73 | 69.2 | 121 | 5447 |

[Course Scorecard](http://www.slc-golf.com/b270635776_sites/www.slc-golf.com/files/MDCscorecard.pdf)

In winter, this golf couse also has one of the best sledding hills around. Bring your tube a few minutes up Parley's Canyon for a great ride.

Or, try your hand at Nordic (cross-country) skiing. This is one of the few areas in Salt Lake with a groomed track. Get current conditions from [The Utah Nordic Alliance](https://utahnordic.org/mtndell/)

Mountain Dell Canyon Course

Year-round adventure awaits - golf, hike, bike, camp, horseback ride, snowmobile, cross-country ski, and snowshoe at Wasatch Mountain. During warmer months, reserve a tee time at the popular Lake and Mountain golf courses. In winter, ski or snowmobile through the alpine terrain.

Wasatch Mountain State Park

Once the site of a small Native American encampment (and later, in the 1850’s, a stopover for a group of Army surveyors), Soldier Hollow emerged from obscurity in the winter of 2002 as the immensely popular site of the Olympic cross country and biathlon events. Soldier Hollow also hosted the cross country skiing portions of Nordic Combined, and in March of 2002, held the cross country skiing and biathlon events for the Paralympics. Having clearly established Soldier Hollow as a world acclaimed facility, the Olympics also provided Soldier Hollow with an infrastructure that could not only host future elite competitions such as National Championships and World Cups, but could also stage a wide range of events. Since the closing ceremonies of the Olympics and Paralympics, Soldier Hollow has continued the legacy of ski racing and biathlon, playing host to the Under 23 World Championships in 2004 and U.S. Championships in 2005 and 2006. Among the more unusual functions, Soldier Hollow has, since the Olympics, been the site of a Disney movie, staged the filming of national television commercials, hosted small, intimate work sessions by nationally prominent business and government leaders (including a break for a fun competition at the biathlon range), and many sports events, including the North American Unicycle Championships. Soldier Hollow has also been home to the Soldier Hollow Classic Sheepdog Championships, Intergalactic Tubing Championships, and Heber Valley Pow-Wow. A wide range of events – youth and family friendly – is a hallmark of Soldier Hollow. It’s all part of the Legacy. Soldier Hollow is operated by the Soldier Hollow Legacy Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit to benefit youth winter sports and recreation and maintain and support local, regional, national and international nordic ski competitions and training. Soldier Hollow is believed to be the only self-supporting Olympic Venue in the world and pays lease concession fees to the State of Utah through Wasatch Mountain State Park as part of its on-going year-round operations.

Soldier Hollow

Ride Snowbird's iconic tram to the top of Hidden Peak (at 11,000 feet!) for amazing views. On clear days you can see down into the Salt Lake valley.

Summer and Winter scenic rides available. Summer hours: 11 am to 8 pm. Winter hours: 9 am to 3pm

Included in these Attractions Passes:

|  |  |
| --- | --- |

Aerial Tram at Snowbird

#1 Snowmobiling on TripAdvisor and awarded Best of State.

More private terrain than all companies combined (60,000 acres). New "Sled of the Year" Ski-Doos. Huge powder-filled bowls. Utah's highest Trips.

Snowmobile Adventures at Thousand Peaks

All photos by Outdoor Project Contributor, Kyle Jenkins

| **Pros:** Amazing views down canyon. Beautiful lake. Wildfowers. Easy access to the trailhead. **Cons:** Steep. Can be a little crowded. No dogs. Exposed at times. **Congestion:** Moderate **Preferable Season(s):** Summer, Fall **Day-Use/Parking Pass Required:** Not Required **Dogs allowed:** No | **Total Distance:** 5.60 mi (9.01 km) **Trailhead Elev.:** 6,300 ft (1,920 m) **Net Elev. Gain:** 2,600 ft (792 m) **Trail Uses:** Hiking **Trail type:** There-and-back |
| --- | --- |

An absolute must-see for the aspiring Wasatch adventurer, Lake Blanche Trail is the perfect mix of challenge and accessibility. The ascent is steep, as is the case with many trails in the Cottonwoods, but the reward at the end of the hike keeps a steady stream of people coming to give it a try. Nearly 4 miles up the trail lies a serene lake with a towering peak known as the Sundial. The jagged dual-spire reflecting in the water below creates a unique and breathtaking scene.

From the parking lot the trail begins a few hundred yards up a paved pedestrian road heading east. The start of the actual trail is on the right and is easy to miss; if you reach the waterfall at the end of the road you have gone just a bit too far. The waterfall is worth checking out, however, if you are visiting for the first tim

Lake Blanche Trail

Visit Salt Lake

Salt Lake is the place where the Wasatch mountain peaks frame city streets. Sure, Salt Lake's famed for our winter powder ([four legendary ski resorts](https://www.visitsaltlake.com/things-to-do/skiing-snowboarding/) just 30 minutes from downtown), but that's just one season's story. Summer brings families [hiking through wildflower meadows](https://www.visitsaltlake.com/things-to-do/outdoor-recreation/) before cooling off at a Jazz game or the Gateway fountains. Autumn paints our mountain canyons in gold, perfect for morning strolls that end at local coffee shops. Spring? That's when you might spot baby bison on Antelope Island before heading to the Eccles Theater for a Broadway show. Our soaring Wasatch Mountains rise dramatically from downtown Salt Lake, creating a place where every day offers both natural wonders and urban energy. And while we sit perfectly between the [national parks](https://www.visitsaltlake.com/things-to-do/outdoor-recreation/state-national-parks/) with Yellowstone's geysers and Utah's red rock country, the real magic happens right here, where everyone can [discover the history](https://www.visitsaltlake.com/plan-your-visit/about-salt-lake/) of the city as they find their own rhythm between mountain adventure and city life.

Sports Salt Lake

Park City Museum and Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History will host a lecture called Plugging the Thaynes Shaft with a New Method given by Brian Buck and Davey Jones on Wednesday, October 21, 2026 from 5-6 p.m. held at the Education and Collections Center located at 2079 Sidewinder Drive. More information can be found at www.parkcityhistory.org.What do skier subways, underground caverns, huge foam blocks, underground waterfalls, and the highest building in the country all have in common? Why, the Thaynes mineshaft of course. Brian Buck, Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History, and David Jones, Utah Division of Oil, Gas & Mining (OGM) will describe how all the above relate to the Thaynes mineshaft. It played a one-of-a-kind role in worldwide skiing history with a subterranean skier train carrying skiers 2.5 miles into a repurposed mine tunnel where they rode a mineshaft elevator cage straight up 1,700 feet to the surface, which exceeds the elevator lift of the highest building in the country by almost 500 feet! They will also describe how conventional engineering approaches to closing this collapsing shaft would not work because of groundwater flowing into the cavern caused by the shaft collapse and how the construction team came up with a new method using custom-made foam blocks. This project brought national attention to the Thaynes shaft and the unique approach to safely close it.Brian has degrees in Geology and Geological Engineering. His career has been with the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining, Getty Mining Company, JBR Environmental Consultants, and Stantec Consulting. All of his 49 years of professional experience has largely involved working with the mining industry in the U.S. West. Since his retirement, Brian has focused on studying the history of the Park City mining district. He joined the local Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History committee in 2016 and has been the Project Manager for their major construction projects for the last five years. Brian has presented a number of mining history lectures for the Park City Museum and written Way We Were Articles for the Park Record regarding mining.Davey Jones grew up in England and obtained a B.S. in Geography from Durham University in 2008. He moved from England to Utah in 2014. He began his career working in flood modelling, producing flood models and running risk matrices on UK postcodes to aid the insurance and re-insurance industry in assessing property flood risk. In 2015, with his move to Utah, he moved into consulting where his primary focus was the production of FEMA flood maps. In this role, he also carried out a number of field inventories of mining districts for Utah’s Division of Oil, Gas and Mining’s (OGM) Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program (AMRP). Davey moved over to work for the AMRP in 2018 as a Project Manager where he has worked on several reclamation projects, including the Defense Related Uranium Mines project, which is a multi-agency project spearheaded by the Department of Energy. He has worked on reclamation projects all over Utah including the Wasatch Front, Oquirrh mountains and in the Moab area. He was OGM’s Project Manager for the closing of the Silver King Coalition Mine shaft in 2023 and the Thaynes shaft in 2025.This calendar listing is brought to you by NowPlayingUtah.com, Utah's one-stop, online website for arts and entertainment events, powered by the Utah Cultural Alliance.

Plugging the Thaynes Shaft with a New Method by Brian Buck and Davey Jones

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