SALT LAKE CITY — It was a long winter and even though snow has long been melted in the valleys of Utah, crews are still working to clear seasonal roads for the warmer months.
Just a week ago, the Utah Department of Transportation shared photos of Guardsman Pass road in the Wasatch Mountains completely buried in snow.
With some diligent work from crews over the last week, the popular road is back open and ready for recreators.
Guardsman Pass reopened on Thursday morning as cones were removed and the iron gate was thrust open. The first visitor went zooming through the gate on a bicycle just a few moments after it opened up for the first time in 2023.
The popular road connects Big Cottonwood Canyon with the Wasatch Back and is an access road to several trails.
Seasonal closures for the area began in October and since the reopening has been long-anticipated, officials expect there to be traffic in the area Thursday and through the weekend.
Visitors should remember that Guardsman Pass is a narrow road, so it's essential that drivers do not park along the road.
Dogs are also not allowed in Big Cottonwood Canyon as it is a watershed.
Monte Cristo Highway announced its reopening on Thursday morning as well, saying the road is open from milepost 37, near Ant Flat parking lot to milepost 56 near Woodfruff in Rich County. It's expected the road will remain accessible until late fall.
Highway 65, which runs through Summit County and East Canyon State Park, also opened Thursday, ready for recreators to visit the park.
In the meantime, work commences on several other seasonal roads across Utah that were also buried under several feet of snow during the record-breaking winter.
Mirror Lake Highway and the Alpine Loop are expected to be cleared in late June while Wolf Creek, Cedar Breaks and East Canyon have already reopened.
