Honeycomb Canyon Webcam – Check Snow at Solitude’s Summit

The Honeycomb Canyon Webcam stands at the top of the Summit Express at Solitude Mountain Resort in Utah’s Big Cottonwood Canyon, right where the resort’s expert terrain begins. In the foreground is a ridgetop flat with a trail map board on log posts and a signpost pointing to Black Bess, the East Face Traverse, Woodlawn and Dynamite. Beyond it the ground drops away into the head of Honeycomb Canyon: a tall wall of pale rock cut by snow chutes, a dark stand of conifers on the canyon floor, and a rocky summit on the skyline. Solitude runs the camera to show the status of the Honeycomb gate, so on a winter morning it is a quick way to judge the snow before you ride up. After dark the picture switches to black and white.

About Honeycomb Canyon

Honeycomb Canyon is the long side valley that holds most of Solitude’s bowl skiing. It runs north from the top of the Summit Express toward Big Cottonwood Creek, and Woodlawn, the run that follows its floor, ends at the Honeycomb Return quad roughly 2.3 kilometers (1.4 miles) down-canyon from the camera. That lift opened in 2002 and gives skiers a way back out of the canyon floor. The Summit Express, which climbs behind Eagle Ridge to the top, opened in 2015 and also connects Solitude with neighboring Brighton.

The camera sits at the lift-served summit, about 3,059 meters (10,035 feet) above sea level and 624 meters (2,047 feet) above the resort’s base area. From here a high traverse leads into the powder fields and glades of Black Bess, Voltaire and Prince of Wales, and the Black Bess chutes lie below Black Bess Peak, a hike up the ridge to about 3,194 meters (10,479 feet). Entry is through gates that skiers may only use when they are open. Solitude’s own note on the stream says the camera may be turned to show the Buckeye Junior gate before the Black Bess gate opens.

Solitude opened in 1957. It was founded by Robert M. Barrett, a uranium tycoon from Moab, and today covers about 486 hectares (1,200 acres). Alterra Mountain Company has owned the resort since 2018. Salt Lake City lies about 48 kilometers (30 miles) to the northwest, down the canyon.

Weather and Climate in Honeycomb Canyon

The nearest long-term weather record comes from the NOAA station at Silver Lake in Brighton, at about 2,650 meters (8,700 feet), some 400 meters (1,300 feet) below the camera, so the summit usually runs colder still. At Silver Lake, January averages highs around -1°C (31°F) and lows near -12°C (11°F), and the station measures about 967 centimeters (381 inches) of snow in an average year, within a yearly precipitation total of roughly 1,013 millimeters (40 inches). In midwinter the rock wall across the canyon turns white, the chutes fill in, and a passing storm can hide the far side for hours at a time.

Spring stays wintry at this height, with April highs at Silver Lake of about 6°C (43°F) and lows of -5°C (22°F). July is the mild month, with highs near 22°C (72°F) and nights around 8°C (47°F), when the ridgetop in front of the camera is bare dirt and dry grass. By October highs are back to about 10°C (49°F) and lows to -2°C (28°F), and the first snow of the season can dust the cliffs and leave the conifers standing out dark against them. The station’s records run from 31°C (87°F) down to -37°C (-34°F).

Things to Do Near Honeycomb Canyon

Brighton Resort sits next door at the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon, and the Summit Express links the two areas. For cross-country skiing, the Solitude Nordic Center at Silver Lake grooms trails for classic and skate skiing and marks out snowshoe routes. Its Silver Lake Loop circles the lake in 1 kilometer (0.6 miles), and the Solitude Trail traverses 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) down to Solitude Village.

In summer, the Lake Solitude trail starts at the Silver Lake Visitor Center at Brighton’s base and makes a loop of about 4.8 kilometers (3 miles) with roughly 88 meters (290 feet) of climbing. Farther down the canyon, the Mill D trailhead serves the walk to Donut Falls, where the stream drops through a hole in the rock. Both trails sit within a short drive of Solitude Village, which makes the canyon an easy day trip from Salt Lake City in any season.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

For more ski country in Utah and beyond, try these cameras next.

• Brighton Ski Resort Webcam
• Sun Valley Webcam
• Salt Lake City Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Honeycomb Canyon located?

Honeycomb Canyon is part of Solitude Mountain Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon, in the Wasatch Range of northern Utah, about 48 kilometers (30 miles) southeast of Salt Lake City. The camera stands at the top of the Summit Express, at the head of the canyon.

What can you see on the Honeycomb Canyon Webcam?

A ridgetop trail junction with a trail map board and a signpost for Black Bess, the East Face Traverse, Woodlawn and Dynamite. Behind it is the head of Honeycomb Canyon: a steep rock wall cut by snow chutes, conifer forest on the canyon floor and a rocky peak on the skyline.

Does the Honeycomb Canyon Webcam show Solitude’s base area or parking?

No. This camera looks only at the summit and the top of Honeycomb Canyon, so Solitude Village, the lift lines and the parking lots are out of frame. Solitude streams its lift lines from separate cameras on its YouTube channel.

Can you tell if Honeycomb Canyon is open from the webcam?

Solitude says the camera shows the Honeycomb gate status, so it gives a good first look, but the resort’s daily lift and terrain report is the official word. Before the Black Bess gate opens, the camera may be turned toward the Buckeye Junior gate instead.

How do you get into Honeycomb Canyon at Solitude?

Ride the Summit Express to the top, where the gates into the canyon start. Woodlawn follows the canyon floor down to the Honeycomb Return quad, which takes you back out toward the rest of the resort. The canyon is advanced and expert terrain, and the gates are only to be used when they are open.

What is the weather like in Honeycomb Canyon?

Cold and snowy for much of the year. At the Silver Lake station nearby, January highs average about -1°C (31°F) and July highs about 22°C (72°F), and the summit where the camera stands is around 400 meters (1,300 feet) higher and usually colder.

How much snow does Solitude get?

Solitude is usually quoted at about 1,270 centimeters (500 inches) of snow a year. The NOAA station at Silver Lake in Brighton, lower down, averages about 967 centimeters (381 inches).

Can you watch the Honeycomb Canyon Webcam at night?

Yes, the stream runs around the clock, but after dark the camera switches to a black and white infrared picture. The trail board and the nearest trees stay clear, while the canyon wall beyond fades into the dark.

Source: Solitude Mountain Resort