After a decade of disrepair, Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon may have a new future in the hands of Brady Harper, an Orem native, now residing in Salt Lake.
At the base of the falls sits what is left of the lower tram building. It was destroyed by an avalanche in 1996, and has since been boarded up to deter trespassers. A few patches of mismatched concrete and asphalt hint to where a gift shop used to exist.
"The reason this area is so decrepit is because no one has put any energy or effort into it," said Harper, who is a co-founder of Bridal Veil Falls, LLC.
Despite the unsightly ruins, the natural beauty of the falls still draws a crowd year round.
"For 15 years everyone was asking what's going on with Bridal Veil Falls, so a year and a half ago I decided to do something," Harper said.
Harper said he and his company decided to preserve the falls.
"This is a beautiful place and we have no intention of making it ugly," Harper said.
"Bridal Veil Falls is a gathering place. Anything we do will be to make it more beautiful and accessible to the community," he said.
Harper's long-term plans may include the construction of an outdoor amphitheatre, a gift shop, a restaurant and an interpretive center, which Harper described as a mix between a visitor's center and a museum.
"People need to understand, commerce is what makes things work," Harper said. "We don't want this to be a commercial area, but there's got to be some commerce."
In 2005, Russ Frame, then a UVSC student, proposed to his wife Emily at the base of the falls. He chose the area because he spent a lot of time there as a boy with his best friend Alex Grow. Alex is the son of David Grow, the owner of Bridal Veil Falls. Frame proposed at night, and he had some friends hide in the trees and light off fireworks when Emily said "yes."
Frame said he would love to see the area surrounding the falls rebuilt. He also said he would like to see a restaurant at the falls.
Harper said the majority of his critics oppose the rebuilding of a tram to the top of the falls because they feel it would be unsightly.
"A new tram is not currently in the works," Harper said. "We'd like to rebuild a tram, but we need to make sure that it's economically viable."
He said the cost of rebuilding the upper tram building and a new tram that would be up to modern safety codes would cost so much that it is not currently a serious consideration for the company.
Wyatt Grow, another son of David Grow, is also the managing member and founder of the Scenic Canyon Preservation Society, an organization founded with the aim to raise money to beautify the canyon, particularly the Bridal Veil Falls area.
Looking back, Grow said the tram was still a popular attraction as recently as 1993.
"We would frequently have a thousand tram riders on a busy weekend," Grow said.
He said he feels the majority of people would welcome a rebuilding of the tram.
"The overwhelming response that we've come across is a desire to have it come back."
Jason Hargett, a Springville resident, said he wants the tram rebuilt.
"I'm surprised they haven't done that already," Harget said regarding the possibility of rebuilding the tram. "I think it'd be great if somebody did that."
In 1992, Hargett rode the tram to the top of the falls with his fianc?e Amyee, where he proposed to her. Amyee accepted. Hargett had moved from California to Utah a few years earlier, and although he was not familiar with the falls, he said he thought it would be a good place to propose. That was the only time he and Amyee rode the tram, as it ceased operation shortly after.
Harper said some critics question why he even considers rebuilding at the base of the falls when it is in a red zone for avalanches. He said he is paying to have the avalanche danger professionally assessed, and that modern tactics to actively combat potential avalanches will be used. He said he is confident avalanches will not be a problem.
"If Bridal Veil Falls is going to come back, we've got to have community support," Harper said.
Copyright Brigham Young University 7 Oct 2008
