A few years ago, long-time resident Linda George began wondering how the town’s hundreds of miles of trails got their names – and who built them in the first place. Rather than let the questions go unanswered, she jumped into research.
“I've been exploring and enjoying Park City trails since the late ‘80s, and over time, I've gotten really curious about the names of a lot of the trails,” George said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” Tuesday. “And so, I went and talked to Lora Anthony [Mountain Trails Foundation executive director] about an idea about writing a trail guide with some history, and she was excited. And she also reached out to Ross [Downard] about possibly making a film. So, that was basically the start of it. We've been doing a lot of research and work on this.”
Ross Downard, a filmmaker and photographer who has lived in Park City for two decades, has extensively documented the area and its athletes. Now, he and George are working together to capture the stories of those who helped shape Park City’s trail culture.
They’ve already shot about a dozen interviews for the film. George has also recorded audio interviews to support the guidebook’s narrative.
Downard has reels of archival footage including material he’s shot for Deer Valley and the Park City Chamber Bureau. He’s now looking for older video from the earliest days of mountain biking in the 1980s and ‘90s.
“There's lots of stuff around the NORBA races that is a big part of our history,” Downard said. “Park City Television has great archive stuff, but that really came in the early 2000s, you know. So,trying to find this stuff, like Joan Thompson, a local, she had great photos of her daughters, Whitney and Carrie, riding in foam helmets on rigid bikes.”
In the 1980s, Park City had a shop that sold mountain bikes but few places to ride them. That’s when local riders started building “pirate trails” across private land.
“They don't want to be considered as pirates, essentially,” he said. “But it's part of our culture. It's how our trail system started, and still kind of pushes things today.”
Downard plans to complete the 39-minute film by the end of the year to meet his grant requirements. The film is expected to premiere in Park City as a fundraiser for the Mountain Trails Foundation.
George is finishing interviews while writing the guidebook. She says proceeds from the book will also support local trail initiatives.
They’re asking anyone with old biking photos, video or memorabilia from Park City’s early mountain biking days to contribute. Materials can be shared by emailing parkcitytrailhistory@gmail.com
