I'll be heading out on a little trip tomorrow, starting the new year off right. I want to take photos of the lowest point in Utah, a spot in Beaver Dam Wash southwest of St George.I assume it will also be the warmest point. On Friday temps in St George are expected to climb to 52 F with partly cloudy skies. That sounds right balmy after the frigid snowstorms we've had lately in northern Utah.
I'll have to explore a bit to find my way from Littlefield AZ up to the Utah border. I've heard that rough dirt roads will get me close and then I'll hike. The wash runs from north to south and so the lowest point in Utah will be where the wash crosses the Utah/Arizona border.
According to Google Earth, the elevation at the lowest spot is about 2180 feet above sea level. St George is at about 2560 feet.
I'll do a couple other moderate hikes while I'm down there, enjoying mild temperatures, sunshine and desert scenery.
Beaver Dam Wash comes out of a rugged, mountainous area along the Utah/Nevada border. Up high the canyon is deep and narrow and I understand there is a stream that supports a little trout fishing. I'll have to check out that area in late spring - it is buried under deep snow right now.
On the southern end the wash flows through open country, on the edge of the Mojave Desert, with Joshua trees adding color to the hillsides. It is completely different than any other part of Utah and is scenic in its own right.
Meanwhile, I've been improving this website, adding more photos and more info on fishing waters. Here are my latest:
- Starvation Reservoir
- Mantua Reservoir
- Sand Island Rock art
I still need to find my Starvation photos. I know I have some good ones but I don't remember where I put them.
I'll be following this format to add info about more waters during the coming weeks, until I've covered all of the popular fishing spots in Utah.
I am fascinated by the Sand Island Rock art panels, in particular by the wide assortment of fanciful animals and by the apparent maleness and femaleness of the humanoid figures. The Mother figure (shown above) is particularly interesting.
- Dave
