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Cottonwood Heights Journal

Ski & Snowboard News / Brighton's Blind Miner Cafe

Jan 22, 2016 06:15PM ● By Harriet Wallis

photo: Harriet Wallis

"It's the cool spot that was missing before," says Mike Quicley who operates the Blind Miner in Brighton's base lodge. It serves specialty brews as well as pastries from Pierre's Country Bakery. "I like keeping it local," he says.

Mike majored in Small Business and Entrepreneurship in college. He came west to ski and then bought and operated a coffee kiosk. Now he's expanded and created the Blind Miner. "I love this place because people get to meet here. Families come in with their children -- and so do the pro boarders.It's a place where everyone is welcome."

The Blind Miner is a fabled character in Big Cottonwood Canyon. As a miner, he lost most of his eyesight in a faulty dynamite blast. He had some peripheral vision, so he continued to mine. In order to continue digging in a straight line, he lined up candles with the entry and that gave him the correct alignment. Look for photos from the old days on the cafe walls.