The reigning leader of the Live PC Give PC fundraiser is considering how to spend the bounty from this Friday’s event while also busy preparing the trail system for winter.

The Mountain Trails Foundation Board of Directors recently discussed summer successes, winter plans and challenges the nonprofit has faced over the past year.

“The greatest needs right now are on the South Summit and Wasatch trails,” said Executive Director Lora Anthony. The Mountain Trails Foundation team has decided to siphon the money they win from the upcoming Live PC Give PC fundraising contest to those projects that need resources and help the most.

The Mountain Trails Foundation has held the top spot in the Live PC Give PC leaderboard for the past 13 years, and it’s hoping for the same at Friday’s event.

“It reflects the importance of the trails to the community, to livelihoods and to the culture of this place,” said resource manager Ian Hartley. “The credit goes to the people who donate and live these trails. It’s not for us. It’s for them.

In response to questions about diverting resources outside of their usual operating space, Executive Director Lora Anthony said, “If we have the ability to help, why wouldn’t we? We have a reserve, we have a donor base and the ability to help beyond our own backyard.

During the 2024 season, the Mountain Trails Foundation has funded a number of projects in collaboration with Park City, the Wasatch Trails Foundation, the South Summit Trails Foundation and the North Summit Recreational District, assisting with planning and maintenance trails.

The Mountain Trails Foundation was founded in 1993 to improve access, safety and trails on public lands in and around Park City.

Public access trails have been essential to the outdoor community that keeps Park City running. Mountain Trails has been instrumental in maintaining and constructing these public, non-motorized routes.

The Mountain Trails Foundation helps maintain and enhance the more than 400 continuous miles of trails in Park City. This year, they expanded beyond Summit County to bring their expertise to the Wasatch Trails Foundation, hiring a full-time team of three trail workers and working on more than 74 miles of trails in the park. Wasatch State.

Eric Stritter, Wasatch Trails Foundation’s first full-time crew member, said, “We have to thank the Mountain Trails Foundation for helping us try to achieve what they have in Summit County.

The Mountain Trails Foundation has 877 active members who donate to the cause at least once a year. The foundation has about 3,000 inactive members, a weakness it hopes to improve in the coming years. Similar to the nonprofit’s goal of retaining its members, the board also discussed the need to maintain trails already built in the Park City area. “After 10 years of hard work, we need to get back on track to maintaining our trails,” Anthony said.

In 1998, as far back as records go, the foundation raised $150,000 in revenue, Treasurer Cory McNeely said. In the 27 years since, they have spent more than $14 million on community projects and trail construction in Summit County.

“We are fortunate to have a community that is very supportive and generous to this cause,” McNeely said.

In 2024, the foundation spent $1.4 million on trails and operations through donations and various grants secured by the Wasatch Trails Foundation and Park City team.

The Mountain Trails Foundation also contracts with the city for maintenance and winter maintenance of city trails. The city also awarded $450,000 to the foundation for work in Round Valley in 2023 and 2024.

The foundation has also worked with the Park City Council around conversations about e-bike trail options, trying to find a place for these motorized bikes in the trail system.

“It’s been a tumultuous few months, but we’re closing this gap and working on a solution,” Anthony said. The foundation is working with the city to better understand the problem and designate spaces where electric bikes are appropriate for trail riding.

After completing work on the Bonanza Loop Trail in late August, the foundation opened the route as well as the first e-bike-friendly trail at Bonanza Flats. Bonanza Loop has been closed for the season and will not reopen until spring 2025 for seasonal wildlife.

With snow falling and ski resorts opening for ski season, winter projects are also underway for the Mountain Trails Foundation’s Nordic routes. Field Manager Rick Fournier and members of the trail team worked to mow all northern routes, improve signage, update trail label messages and installing PVC markers to keep people on track in the event of another year of significant snow. Summit County’s Nordic trails are open to cross-country skiing, trail running, snowshoeing and fat-tire bikes.

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