If Alta puts a lift up Flagstaff under the premise of using it for avy control, and then opens it to the public for "skier compaction", a hugely popular area for ski touring will be lost. And one could conceive it would only be a matter of time before more lifts went in nearby.

The ultimate check mate is occurring in the Wasatch, as one by one, the skiing is taken over by ski resorts and their endless pursuit of expansion and development.