Tricky Pickle and Tug of War

Tricky Pickle and Tug of War lie on the eastern side of upper Pine Canyon (above Midway and across from Park City, east of Guardsman Pass). When taken together, they form a route from the WOW trail to Empire Pass. These trails can be used for loop rides in either direction, and are also nice as out-and-backs.

At the time of this review (October 20, 2026), Tricky Pickle has been re-opened after a summer closure, with two new bridges in place. The Heard It Both Ways trail has been closed for two seasons due to resort expansion and construction, and its future status is unclear. I will mention it only briefly here to describe the trail forks.

The loop ride described below uses BLT east of the Pine Canyon road, as this section of the Bonanza Loop does not close.

Hero climbers who've come up WOW may fork off onto Tricky Pickle for the last part of the climb to Empire Pass, as it's a more direct route than the trip over Tall T. 

The trails ride well in either direction, although the turns on Tricky Pickle feel better in the uphill direction.

In contrast, Tricky Pickle mostly consists of mildly down-sloping traverses between tight turns, hugging a steep hillside as it zigzags down to the bottom of the valley above Pine Creek. Both trails offer some incredible views of the surrounding mountains.

For those who want go southbound through Bonanza and Tall T to Wowza, it's around 1.3 miles by pavement from this parking lot to where the upper side of the Bonanza Loop crosses the Pine Canyon Road.

Note that this trailhead requires you to pay the Wasatch Mountain State Park entry fee or have a Utah state parks pass. The entry to WOW is on the downhill side of the parking area, at a break in the log fence.

In 2026, there's now a ridiculously expensive charge to park at this trailhead. It's $5 per hour on weekdays and $8 per hour weekends. So unless you have a full carload of bikers to share the cost, find someplace else to park and pedal into the area. Or take the shuttle bus.

Note! If this trailhead is full, do NOT park along the road. You'll likely get a ticket. Find another trailhead and pedal to the loop.

There's also parking one mile downhill where the Midmountain Trail crosses the Empire Pass road. You can climb Corvair, Tour des Suds, or Boulder to Empire Pass, then descend the 9K connector to Bonanza Flat.

Park in the upper WOW lot. Exit the parking area on the entry road and turn left uphill on the highway. Pedal 0.7 miles, and just after the border sign for the wildlife management area, turn right on BLT. (BLT is considered part of the Bonanza Loop, but the wildlife conservation zone is WEST of the road. So BLT is open to riding at any time.)

On the far side of the road, take the singletrack up to the broad gravel path and take a sharp right turn to head east. Follow this trail past the forks for Charlie's 9K and Corvair. Pass through the parking zone and cross the road, veering slightly to the right toward the gate and gravel road.

Also stay away from the construction zone to the left.

Pedal uphill for around 1/10th mile. Just past the trees, there's an unmarked singletrack on your right. That's the top of Tug of War.

From here, just stay on the main trail, which will turn into Tricky Pickle, until you hit the Pine Canyon road. Cross and drop down to WOW, and keep right to climb back to the upper WOW trailhead.

In 2026, Tricky Pickle is not labeled on any trail-post. At the highway, posts on Tricky Pickle say "WOW" as you see them from uphill. So keep in mind that Tricky Pickle is marked with the confusing tradition of "destination you're headed toward" rather than "the trail you're currently riding." (Appeal to trail-post people: Please, please never post a "destination" unless you also label the sign with the name of the current trail. And always include an arrow next to the "destination" sticker. Seriously. This type of trail sign messes people up. /rant)

Tricky Pickle will descend a little until you cross the bridge over Pine Creek. At this point, the climb will settle into a back-and-forth rhythm, with easy gentle slightly-uphill traverses separated by tight turns.

As you enter a large fir forest heading east, you'll see a trail branching to the right. This is Heard It Both Ways, and in 2026 it's closed. Keep left and uphill, and you're now continuing the climb on Tug of War.

As the trail reaches WOW 1/10th mile from the road, just keep right and uphill. The parking lot is 0.6 miles away.

The surface is generally smooth, with no significant technical challenges. The pitch is gentle whether climbing or descending. There are no technical spots.

First, arrive at Empire Pass as above. From the parking area (currently filled with construction machinery), go a bit to the right as you cross the paved road, aiming for the metal gate at the gravel road. Go around the gate and go east. (Ignore the road branching to the right downhill just after the gate.)

At mile 0.8, as the trail drops into a shallow valley, you'll enter a thick aspen forest. Here you'll find (surprise!) that a zigzag uphill begins. After a series of turns, you're back above 9000 feet elevation and are treated to some impressive views.

The bottom of Heard It Both Ways is at the spot where Tug of War turns into Tricky Pickle. When climbing Tricky Pickle, it will the right fork at mile 2.5 from WOW.