Red Rock Adventure

Dinosaur National Monument Rates Five Stars

2011-12-06T20:38:00.000-07:00

The New Zealand Herald has published this article about Dinosaur National Monument. Reporter Brandon Loomis obviously did his homework and has crafted an article that is accurate and interesting. That's a nice change - so many travel pieces are fluffy and full of inaccuracies.

Below we give the article headline and then excerpts.

Utah: Jurassic park sequel a five star hit

It's a one-of-a-kind place where researchers have exposed, but not removed, a 15m x 61m wall of bones.

"Having that magic moment of seeing these dinosaur remains where they were buried is one of the things that is special about this place," says park palaeontologist Dan Chure.

Even hardened scientists stand in awe when they first arrive.

Over the years, until the government decided to preserve the rest of the fossils for viewing, universities and museums removed the bones of more than 600 creatures from either side of the remaining wall. Besides 10 species of dinosaurs, the quarry has yielded a crocodile, two turtles, a lizard, tens of thousands of freshwater clams and carbonised plant remains.

At least 100 individual dinosaurs remain exposed and the profile skull of a plant-eating Camarasaurus is prominent.

Of course, there is more to the monument than bones. The park also offers whitewater rafting and scenic drives or hikes into canyon country. There's riverside desert camping among tiny, scurrying lizards, and recently hundreds of sandhill cranes flapped in the Green River on a migratory stopover, their croaks a reminder of the march of time and biology since the Jurassic Period.

Read the entire article.

- Dave Webb

New Feathered Raptor Dinosaur Fossils Discovered In Utah

2011-09-21T23:06:00.003-06:00

Paleontologists in Utah have unearthed fossils from a new dinosaur species, and have now published detailed information about their findings.

The fossils will soon be on display in the Utah Museum of Natural History, in Salt Lake City. The museum is one of several Utah attractions that have great dinosaurs exhibits.

Called Talos sampsonsi, the creature lived in the rainy, "hothouse world" of late-Cretaceous North America, according to this report in National Geographic. The finding is significant for many reasons, some of which are described in the article excerpts below.

Talk about a lucky break—paleontologists have found "incredibly rare" fossils of a new species of raptor dinosaur that severely fractured its giant-clawed foot about 76 million years ago, paleontologists say.

It's one of the few troodontid theropods—small, birdlike predators—ever discovered in North America, said study leader Lindsay Zanno, a vertebrate paleontologist at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.

Perhaps most exciting about Talos is its injured second toe, which has added to an existing debate on what troodontids did with the giant, sickle-like claw on that toe, study leader Zanno said.

... Instead, Talos may have wielded its claw like a puncturing device when hunting, for example by getting a foothold as the raptor scrambled up a larger animal's back, Zanno said. Or, like some modern-day birds, the dinosaur may have used the claw as a weapon while fighting with other dinosaur rivals.

It's "giving us a window into the biology of the animal that we don't get from your average, everyday specimen," Zanno said.

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2010-04-28T16:50:00.002-06:00

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Utah Kicks off Tourism Ad Campaign

2010-04-14T09:44:00.001-06:00

Utah has kicked off its summer tourism campaign, which includes TV spots in key markets. Marketers have added a new dimension this year, hoping to convince people that vacationing in Utah can make you healthier. KSL TV has this report. Below are excerpts.

The state is spending $2.4 million on this advertising effort, 80 percent of that on television spots. Tourism leaders say that investment reaps millions more in visits from out of the state and out of the country.

In marketing, it's all about visuals and humor and having a story to tell.

Tourism leaders with the state think they've got all that in the ads with a bright-red, old-school SUV overloaded with gear, their symbol for plenty to do in one of America's most beautiful states.

The governor kicked off the state's summer ad campaign Tuesday, with a new emphasis on how vacationing in Utah can make you healthier.

"We have more hiking trails, more places to walk and recreate, to make yourself get outdoors, become robust, get that blush back in your cheeks, get a little suntan on your forehead, and become healthier and enjoy a healthy lifestyle," Herbert said.

There's a renewed emphasis on Utah's state parks and other things to do.

"You know, one of the great secrets that we are now trying to make un-kept is the great golf venues we have in this state," Herbert said.

The Deseret News has this report. Below are excerpts.

The first thing you notice about the red Jeep Wagoneer is how it is overloaded with virtually every item an outdoor enthusiast could possibly use.

The as-yet-unnamed road trip party vehicle — carrying bicycles, water skis, golf clubs, a canoe, coolers, tents, sleeping bags and a bunch of other stuff — remains one of the centerpieces in the Utah Office of Tourism's spring and summer marketing campaign.

The $2.4 million national advertising campaign officially launched Tuesday at the Capitol.

"Last year, our non-winter campaign … generated over 800,000 visitors into our state and resulted in $56 million of additional tax revenue," Gov. Gary Herbert told the audience in the Capitol rotunda Tuesday. "So, for every dollar we've invested, we get about $18 in return."

"Our messaging is resonating," she (Leigh von der Esch, managing director of the Utah Office of Tourism) said. "Everything you want to do is so close by. You can get to the national parks so quickly. You can do five in a week. Our state parks have fabulous value and (there are also) the rodeos and the community events."

Utah Sand Dunes

2010-04-09T13:03:00.002-06:00

Sand dunes are popular play spots, especially for people with dune buggies and ATVs. Utah has two famous sand dune areas:
- Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
- Little Sahara Recreational Area

But we have much more sand that that. The Daily Herald has this article about the White Wash Sand Dunes near the town of Green River. We also have popular dunes in the areas listed below, and minor dunes in many other spots.
- Snow Canyon State Park
- Sand Hollow State Park
- Monument Valley
- Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
- Lake Powell

Below are excerpts from the Herald article.

The White Wash Sand Dunes are located off Interstate 70 in between Green River and the exit to Moab. Travel only 11 miles on a dirt road and you find yourself at a ridge overlooking an exciting view of slickrock and sand. Smaller sand dunes comingle with rolling slabs of slickrock. This is a great place for jeeps to play.

There are some other major differences between the White Wash Sand Dunes and the other major dunes that people should know about before they pack up and head out. The White Wash Sand Dunes are free; there isn't an entrance fee to get into the dunes. They do not have facilities for you to use. Therefore, you have to bring your own method of waste disposal; burying your waste is not permissable. The White Wash Sand Dunes are much smaller than the other two dunes areas, but at the same time they don't see nearly as much traffic.

Southern Utah Trout Streams

2009-06-18T20:58:00.000-06:00

This is a recent email exchange including a brief fishing report:

6-11-09
Hi Dave,
I will be fishing with my son in the Antimony (Otter Creek Reservoir) area starting on June 12. I'd appreciate your time and recommendations on which streams have good fishing now. How is the East Fork of the Sevier River (Kingston or Black Canyon) looking? What about some of the streams near Fish Lake?

Thanks for your time.
Regards,
Mike Z

Mike:
Runoff is just ending and so streams in that area will be high but they should be fishable. We've been getting rain many days - if it rains hard they may become muddy and that would interfere with fishing success.

The East Fork should fish well in both Black Canyon and Kingston Canyon. Kingston Canyon has a lot of private property with restricted access, but there are a few spots where you can get on and find nice fish.

Black Canyon is overgrown and rugged, but that helps keep the fishing good. It amazingly big holes where fish are often deep. If you are fly fishing it can be a challenge casting in thick brush and getting down to the fish.

Antimony Creek comes in just south of town. If you follow it up into the forest it usually offers fast fishing for mostly small trout.

Two small streams in the Fish Lake area are usually good, again for small trout. They are Sevenmile Creek above Johnson Reservoir and UM Creek above Forsyth Reservoir. They are beautiful streams.

The Fremont River below Johnson Reservoir also offers good action. It flows in and out of private property but can be quite good where access is available. Up high the fish are mostly small but there are some nice sized browns lower down.

Good luck on your trip.
Dave

6-18-09
Dave, Thanks for taking the time to respond. We fished most of the areas you mentioned and the fishing was excellent.
Mike

Lake Powell Trip Report

2009-05-13T16:56:00.003-06:00

-- See our latest fishing report.

-- Read our Lake Powell fishing articles.

When you go to Lake Powell, what's more important than catching fish?

Well, perhaps building relationships.

I enjoyed a great trip to Powell last weekend and but I didn't even fish. That is a little bit sad, because fishing is hot down there right now, but it just means I'll have to go back in a week or two, before the fish frenzy ends.

My son, Dan, went and joined the Army Reserves. He heads off to basic training in a couple weeks. After basic, who knows where he will be. He has always loved Powell and so I wanted to give him one more trip before he goes.

Dan's wife, Jenny, came along and she is quite pregnant. Son Aaron and his pregnant wife Rebecca were also there, along with their 2.5-year-old daughter Katie. The wives and Katie had never been to the lake and so we elected to go sight seeing, hitting some of my favorite spots while avoiding long boat rides, rough water and excessive exposure to the sun.

We boated through scenic canyons, pulled people - slowly - on a play tube and enjoyed being on the lake. Katie had great fun chasing lizards. Most of us did get sunburned and I think everyone had fun. It was a great trip to build relationships.

When I go to Powell I normally camp on the beach, sleeping near places I want to fish. That provides a great advantage because the best fishing usually occurs during the early morning and late evening hours. If you have to boat from one of the marinas, you often miss great action.

This time we stayed in the developed campground at Bullfrog. It is very nice, with flush toilets and other modern facilities. During warm weather the campground is like a small city, meaning you have to put up with neighbors with dogs and loud music, but it worked out well this time.

In a couple weeks I'll do a serious Lake Powell fishing trip. I might even go down there Memorial Day weekend. That weekend is crazy on the lake, with boats and people and confusion. But the Hite area will be serene - meaning it won't have very many people - because there are limited facilities, you have to launch on an old road bed, and the water there is muddy because of runoff coming down the Colorado River.

But Hite is the closest launch point to some of the best fishing on the lake. I'll probably launch at Hite and boat down-lake toward Good Hope Bay. I'll get down past the muddy water and then camp on the beach - away from the crowds.

Bass fishing is very good right now lake-wide, and some of the best fish are being caught on broken rock in the Good Hope area. Stripers are also coming on and some nice fish will be caught trolling near the mud line (the spot where muddy river water gives way to clear lake water).

With that strategy I can enjoy a nice trip, even over the popular holiday weekend.

- Dave

Lake Powell then Boot Camp

2009-05-07T14:28:00.001-06:00

The upcoming weekend looks perfect and so I'm heading to Lake Powell. I'll do a little fishing, a little sight seeing, plus relax and enjoy time with family.

My son, Dan, joined the Army - he heads to basic training in a couple weeks. He loves Powell and so we decided get him down there once more before he ships out.

Dan's wife, Jenny, will be coming - her first trip to the lake. They are pregnant, some 6.5 months along, so we will be taking it easy - hunting calm water.

Fishing should be superb. There will be a full moon, and that can interfere with fishing during the morning hours, but I don't think it will constrain things at this time of year. It will be beautiful camping out under that moon.

I normally camp on a beach away from the marinas - nothing better than having a remote canyon all to yourself, where you can't hear or see other humans. But this time I've elected to stay in the developed campground at Bullfrog - close to the restrooms.

My boat is running well. Had to rebuild the axle on the trailer - hope they welded the spindle on straight. The spindle is the part the wheel bearings ride on, so it holds the wheel on. Last time I towed the boat a set of bearings burned out and ruined the existing spindle. I wanted to replace the entire axle but couldn't find one that fit my boat. So I had a shop rebuild the old one. Cross your fingers.

My recreational habits are a bit streaky. For the past couple years I've been into canyon hiking, doing more of that than fishing. I think this is the year for Lake Powell. Oh, I'll do a few hikes, but I hope to get down to Powell 4-5 times. I'll buy an annual pass, so friends and family members should encourage me to use it.

I'll try to send a few Twitter messages to report from the lake. Follow me on Twitter.
- Dave

Hiking to Heaven

2009-05-06T08:39:00.002-06:00

Why do I hike? Why do I fish? I throw countless hours and dollars and miles at these activities - what do I get back?

I've been asked to speak to a group of engineers and I will try to convince them that hiking will improve their lives and help fix the world. The company they work for offers a monthly lunch where employees can eat free if they listen to a healthy lifestyle presentation. I get a free lunch out of the deal. Not bad.

So, why do I hike and fish? Guess I better work that out before Tuesday. Here's a start.

1. I enjoy it. I enjoy being out in nature - particularly in areas with great natural beauty.

2. It helps me stay sane. The serenity in nature helps me keep my life in perspective. The rhythmic actions provide a focus for my conscious mind but leave my unconscious free to process - to sort things out. If I don't get out of town at least once a month I start to go crazy.

3. It's healthy exercise.

4. It's good for families. Spending time together, communicating, having fun... It's good for parents to structure activities that promote those things.

5. It's good for the world. Don't stop with your own kids. Take your neighbors. Work with a Scout troop. Help other people's kids.

It's good when people learn to love and respect the nature world, and to work to restore nature's balance.

I do believe activities like hiking and fishing help people fix their lives and improve the world. Convinced?

Why do you hike and/or fish?

Live where you play

2009-05-02T21:39:00.000-06:00

With the economy picking up a bit, recreational property is starting to move. The little property marketplace on my website has been getting quite a lot of use, both from people posting properties and from potential buyers. It is turning into a good service.

I'm particularly interested in property near fishing waters. Here are a few recent posts I found tempting.

160 acres Near Yost, UT - This mountain property includes a small trout stream, complete with a good population of cutthroat trout. It is located in extreme NW Utah, in a secluded area surrounded by the Sawtooth National Forest.

2.05 Acres in Causey Estates - Above Causey Reservoir, east of Ogden. Causey is a beautiful little reservoir full of rainbows, splake and kokanee.

Strawberry Cabin - This is an existing cabin in the Bryants Fork area at Strawberry Reservoir.

There are plenty more, all around the region. Check em out.

Twitter Reports Are Working

2009-04-25T15:43:00.001-06:00

My new service that filters Twitter to pull up relevant messages seems to be working well. Not many people are posting messages yet but the season is still young.

Right now I have pages displaying messages for these waters:
- Lake Powell
- Strawberry
- Green River
- Provo River
- Willard Bay
- Utah Lake

When I post an update it appears on the page within a matter of seconds. I can post by just sending a text message from my cell phone, so it is easy.

The filter looks for key words. For example, any message including "Lake Powell" will appear on the Lake Powell page. It isn't perfect, some extraneous messages get through. But over all, it works well.

If several of us post messages while we are out fishing, we will have a valuable service that is almost real time. See my previous post for more info.

Real-Time Fishing Updates Via Twitter

2009-04-23T22:54:00.002-06:00

Do you twitter? I've signed on and started to experiment to see how to use it to advantage. You can see my messages here.

I've learned to filter twitter to pull out messages on specific topics, and embed those messages into pages on my website. Right now I'm embedding filtered messages into these pages:
- Lake Powell
- Willard Bay
- Utah Lake

The interesting thing about twitter is you can send updates from a cell phone or satellite phone. So if people send good info about their trips, we can have almost-real-time updates on fishing at particular waters. That could be cool.

At Lake Powell I get cell coverage in a few spots. With one of Russ Smith's satellite phones I could send from almost anywhere. So, I might send a series of messages like this.

#1 - Just arrived at Lake Powell, Bullfrog, waiting to launch.

#2 - We're cruising up Lake Powell, heading toward Red Canyon.

# 3 - Marked a huge school of stripers at Lake Powell, in a small canyon off Good Hope. Slowing down to troll.

#4 - Lake Powell Good Hope Bay, Shad Rap hasn't worked, changing to a Wally Diver.

#5 - Bingo. We had simultaneous striper hookups at Lake Powell, Good Hope, trolling Walley Divers down about 20 feet.

#6 - Help. Just ran out of gas at Lake Powell. Help?

Every message has to include the phrase "Lake Powell" to be picked up and displayed on my Lake Powell Twitter page. Other messages including that phrase will also be displayed, intermixed with mine. If we get several people posting, it could be a very good service.

I'll try it and see how it works. I'm always interested in comments and suggestions.

- Dave

Kolob Arch on One Leg

2009-04-01T23:21:00.002-06:00

Weather was perfect Saturday (3-28-09), so I hiked to Kolob Arch in the Zion National Park backcountry. It was a great hike through beautiful country, to an impressive natural arch.

(Also see our our photos and video clip.)

I went in on two legs, but only had one good leg for the hike out. I was looking for photo opts instead of watching the trail. I slipped while crossing a steep slope and fell hard, twisting my right ankle, when we were near the top of a rugged canyon just below the arch. I could barely stand up, let alone walk, but I bravely started the long trek back to the truck. What else could I do? The pain was intense and for a time I thought maybe my hiking career was over - that I'd have to start spending my spare time fishing from my boat.

With considerable exertion, I found I could scoot and crab-walk over obstacles and then hobble up the more level portions of the trail. After a couple miles I actually started to feel a little better, when the ankle limbered up a bit and the Ibuprofen kicked in. I made it out without any further problems.

I'm already noticing daily improvement so I'll probably be out hiking again in 2-3 weeks. That's good because there are a couple more major hikes on my spring agenda. (Just fun little outings like Buckskin Gulch and Dark Canyon.)

It's 6.5 miles to the viewpoint below the arch, from the Lees Pass Trailhead in the Kolob Canyons area of Zion Park. It is a moderate hike along well-defined trails that follow Timber Creek and then La Verkin Creek into the backcountry. A side canyon forks from La Verkin Creek and you follow it for about 1/2 mile up to a viewpoint below the arch.

From the trailhead you drop quickly to Timber Creek, and that means you face a steep uphill climb at the very end of your return trip, most commonly experienced during the afternoon when the sun is hot. The trail is mostly flat along La Verkin Creek. You trudge through some sand but it is relatively easy going. The side canyon that you follow from La Verkin Creek up to the arch is steep and full of big rocks, so that leg requires some scrambling.

All in all, I'd rate the route as moderate, although the National Park Service has it as strenuous.

Another option is to start on Kolob Terrace and hike down Hop Valley to La Verkin Creek, down La Verkin Creek, up the side canyon, up the side canyon to the arch, and down La Verkin Creek so you can end at Lees Pass. That route is about 14.5 miles one-way and requires a vehicle shuttle.

We did it as a day hike - taking about 7.5 hours, even with the sprained ankle. Many people do it as an overnight backpack. There are excellent formally designated camping sites along the trail. Day hikers don't need any special pass, but backpackers much get an overnight permit. The permits go fast so plan ahead if you want to backpack.

Water is abundant along the route, but you need to filter or treat it. La Verkin Creek was running high and muddy, and wasn't appealing. After runoff it will be much cleaner. It does offer several very nice swimming holes. Timber Creek and the small stream the comes down the side canyon below the arch both offer clear, cold water.

Kolob was long though to be the largest natural arch in the world, but recent measurements show its span is slightly smaller than Landscape Arch. So, Kolob has been bumped to number two.

The arch is a spectacular sight - definitely worth seeing. But the entire route is enjoyable, with classic Zion Park scenery.

This is a backcountry area - one of the most park's most popular backcountry areas - so plan on seeing people along the route. Spring and fall are ideal times to hike. Temps are very hot in July and August.

You cross Timber Creek multiple times, but it is small and easy to rock hop with dry boots. Unless you have a sprained ankle, and then rock hopping becomes torturous. I suspect the hike is more enjoyable when you have two good legs.

Room With A View In Monument Valley

2009-03-11T16:36:00.002-06:00

Travelers now have the option of staying right in Monument Valley, in a new hotel located right at the Navajo Tribal Park. The hotel is called The View and it offers the only lodging available right in the valley.

The new hotel is described in this St Louis Post-Dispatch article. Apparently many people find the article interesting because it is now being reprinted by many new organizations. Below are excerpts.

The View Hotel looks out on one of the most spectacular vistas in the Southwest, the red-rock monoliths rising from the desert floor of Monument Valley. The hotel is the only lodging inside the valley, which straddles the Utah-Arizona border on reservation lands. Each balcony at the hotel frames three of the most famous of the formations, the two Mittens and Merrick Butte.

The enchanting landscape is one of the most photographed in America, and not just by tourists. Visitors to the valley some 60 years ago could have watched John Wayne chase Indians for the filming of John Ford's epic westerns.
Fifteen years ago, you could have seen Forrest Gump stop running.

The Ortega family, Navajos with a longtime reputation as entrepreneurs, built The View Hotel and pay a guest tax to the tribe. The hotel is an effort by the Navajo to bring jobs and visitors to their land. The Hopi, whose reservation is surrounded by the Navajo Nation, also are increasing tours of their villages and building their own hotel in Tuba City.

Harold Simpson, 42, is a Navajo who was born and reared in Monument Valley and now owns a company that gives driving tours of the tribal lands, including areas that are off limits without a guide. "That's our sandbox out there," Simpson said, as his brother, Richard Frank, drove a van over the rutted red-dirt road. "We played in the rocks, climbed in the sand dunes. I was the cowboy, he was the Indian."

Simpson welcomed the opening of The View as a boost to his business.

"We get about 300,000 visitors a year — the Grand Canyon gets into the millions, but that's too much, too overcrowded," he said. "They built the hotel on the perfect spot. Environmentally, they've tried to do the right thing with it. Visitors didn't have a lot of choices out here. Most people would drive in for the day and move on.

"The hotel is a good thing. Monument Valley is a special place. It's home, for us."

Grand Gulch Then and Now

2009-03-03T21:36:00.002-07:00

My Icebreaker Backpacking Trip

(See more photos from this trip)

I pushed the season and enjoyed a great backpacking trip into Grand Gulch last weekend. We went in on Feb 27 - I think that's the earliest I've ever backpacked in Utah. We encountered a little ice and snow in spots, but not enough to cause problems. And we had the canyon's ancient ruins all to ourselves.

Grand Gulch is a beautiful canyon - it would be worth hiking there just to see the scenery. The big attractions are the many Anasazi (Ancestral Puebloan) archaeological sites. I'm fascinated by the sites and enjoy searching them out.

The Anasazi culture thrived in the Four Corners area some 1,000 years ago. The people formed large communities and built impressive rock structures in the area's rugged canyons. They also left interesting rock art.

You can see impressive Anasazi structures in many places in SW Utah along roadsides or at the end of short hikes. Why would someone want to put in the effort to backpack?

Well, I'm one of those crazy people who enjoy backpacking - getting away from civilization. Grand Gulch is pristine. As you drop down into the gorge you walk away from our modern world. There is no litter in the canyon - not a candy wrapper or coke can. No human sounds save our light footsteps. When the sunsets and the stars come out, they are unbelievably bright. It is a great experience in one of the few places you can still find solitude.

There are usually a few other people in the canyon. You have to obtain permits to hike or backpack there and the number of visitors is controlled to ensure a quality experience. If you want to go, get permits well in advance.

In Grand Gulch, most of the ancient sites still contain artifacts, and that adds to the interest. There are pottery shards everywhere. There are also ancient corncobs and grindstones and other items. More accessible sites have been stripped of artifacts - the stone walls and rock art remain but everything else has been hauled away by vandals.

It has been about 10 years now since my first pilgrimage into Grand Gulch. On this trip I intentionally retraced my original steps and photographed some of the same sites I had visited back then. I was curious to compare photos and see how much had changed during that time span.

Unfortunately, I have to report that I could not find some of the interesting artifacts I photographed 10 years ago. At one site, known as Perfect Kiva Ruin, my old photos show braided cords and a ceramic jug handle, but those items were not to be found.

There were impressive piles of pottery shards, but apparently not the same shards I saw 10 years ago. Every time the wind blows more shards are uncovered. Unfortunately, it appears that some hikers are taking them home. That is illegal and immoral and dastardly, but it appears to be happening.

These sites are fragile. At one point, grave robbers were the biggest threat to their survival. Robbers would bring in equipment and pound sites into rubble, searching for valuable items they could sell. Authorities have cracked down and that kind of activity in now rare. Now the biggest danger comes from respectful hikers, fascinated by the artifacts, who can't resist handling them and taking the pretty ones home.

I'll go back in 10 years and, hopefully, there will still be shards on the ground.
On this trip we took our time, pushed into rugged side canyons, and saw more ruins than I've seen on any of my previous trips. We also saw far more rock art on this trip.

We went in from the Bullet Canyon Trailhead and camped down near Perfect Kiva. From there we hiked and explored, and then returned up Bullet Canyon to our vehicle.
I had hoped to hike down to the Big Man rock art panel, about 9 miles below the junction of Bullet Canyon and Grand Gulch. Unfortunately, time did not allow for that excursion. I hope to get back down there within a few weeks and search that out.

The hiking/backpacking season is just getting started. The ice and snow we encountered with probably be gone within a week or so. Daytime temperatures were nice - perfect for hiking. Nights were cold, but we were prepared for that.

Temperatures will moderate quickly now. March, April and May are ideal months to hike Utah's desert canyons. Summers are very hot and hiking activity wanes. Activity picks up again as temperatures cool in fall.

Grand Gulch is one of my favorites. I recommend it.

- Dave Webb

Early Backpack into Grand Gulch

2009-02-24T21:15:00.000-07:00

I'll be backpacking into Grand Gulch this weekend, taking advantage of the marvelous spring-like weather we are enjoying.

It is a little early in the season for such a backpack - so, I'm being cautious. As a sign that I'm getting old, I actually called the BLM ranger down there and asked about conditions. He said we shouldn't have any problem. Perhaps a little snow in shady areas, and some mud, but very nice conditions overall.

My purpose for this trip is to get photos and video that represent the Grand Gulch backpack experience. They will go on my site, and probably also on utah.com. So, I'll be working while I enjoy one of the best backpacking destinations on earth.

I plan to visit Perfect Kiva Ruin. I have photos of artifacts I took there about 10 years ago. It will be interesting to compare and see if any of those artifacts are still there.

The "normal" backpack route is down Kane Gulch, from the ranger station, and then out Bullet Canyon. That's about 23 miles and we would need two vehicles. Could do it in two days but three would be more comfortable.

We will probably focus on ruins near the junction of Bullet Canyon and Grand Gulch, going in and out Bullet. That is about 14 miles round trip from the trailhead to the junction and back. So, one night in the canyon will be sufficient.

That will give me a chance to day hike to another destination - probably the Big Man rock art panel. It is in Grand Gulch, about 9 miles below the Bullet Canyon Junction. The best way to see it is by coming into Grand Gulch via the Government Trail along Pollys Canyon. It's only about 10 miles round trip.

My buddies at KSL Radio want me to pack in a satellite phone so I can call the outdoors program Saturday morning. I suppose I will. With the phone and my camera gear, I'll be carrying about 20 pounds of electronic on top of my normal gear.

Should be a fun trip.

The Lower Lower Provo

2009-02-17T23:06:00.000-07:00

My first fly fishing trip of the year proved to be a comedy, frustrating, but still fun.

We chose to fish the Lower Lower Provo (the section between Bridal Veil Falls and the mouth of the canyon). That portion of the river doesn't get much respect, doesn't attract nearly as many fishermen, and I was out to prove it is home to a good number of nice brown trout.

Down there the number of fish per mile isn't as high as on the famous fly and lure only section, and there aren't as many big fish, but it can offer decent action without the crowds found upstream. I've fished the canyon mouth several times and had good trips.

But this time the comedy hit quickly, as started to get into my gear. It seems that I've put on a few pounds since I last used my waders. They were tight - very tight. I squirmed in and waddled down to the stream, vowing to start walking off winter flab.

When I opened my fly box I discovered that all of my nymphs were missing. All of them. I have no idea where they went. My daughter probably "organized" my stuff for me.

Nothing was happening on the surface and so I tied on a black woolly bugger. No go. I found a glo bug and tried it, without success. A hares ear, pheasant tail or sow bug might have enticed fish. Without them, my fly rod was not an effective tool.

My companion Kevin, bouncing worms along the bottom, caught several nice fish. The biggest was about 14.5 inches. Not great but respectable.

I love to use the fly rod but I'm not a purist. If it isn't working, I'm happy to try something else. But I couldn't bring myself to use worms. I fished a Rapala for a few minutes and a 10-inch brown kept the skunk away.

A chilly wind blew off and on. When the wind died down the air felt almost warm and conditions weren't bad

So, I survived the ice-breaker trip. I'll get out again within a week or two, and I'll make sure I have my stuff together.

- Dave

Snow Geese Expected At Delta Festival

2009-02-16T19:42:00.002-07:00

I've been doing website development work for Millard County Travel. Among other things, I've posted two video clips showing the annual Snow Goose Festival, which takes place every year during the last part of February. This year it is scheduled to run Feb 20-21.

The geese put on a pretty good show every year. They are remarkable consistent, with some 10,000 birds stopping over as they migrate north. DWR partners with Millard County to host the festival, which has become one of Utah's most popular wildlife viewing events.

DWR has spotting scopes so people can watch the birds as they rest on Gunnison Bend Reservoir, and as they forage in nearby fields.

The video clips are pretty impressive. They were shot for the Roughin It Outdoors TV show. I pulled them from a DVD and snipped out the pertinent segments.

Go to Millard's Snow Goose page for more info on the festival. That page also has links to the video clips. DWR also has info on the festival. See it here.

The same DVD has great video showing the Amasa Basin ATV trail in the west desert. Millard wants me to pull it off and put it on their website. I'll get that done during the next few days.

Share Your Insights As I Work To Improve My FishBytes Fishing Report

2009-02-09T17:35:00.000-07:00

I have several projects in the works to improve my weekly FishBytes report. People seem to like the report and so I'm investing considerable time to make it more interesting and informative.

A key improvement, just completed, allows readers to easily submit comments and share insights related to fishing report and outdoor news. I can't do it all myself. If a few knowledgeable readers will share their insights, we can vastly improve the quality of the report.

Comments from readers now appear down the left side of the FishBytes page. It is very easy to post comments. The comments are immediately displayed on the page. I hope we can post new, interesting material every day, so people can read it while it is fresh, instead of having to wait until Thursday evening when I compile the complete report.

I've also just completed other website improvements. Here are two that seem significant.

1. Alphabetical index of fishing waters has been moved to the main fishing page. That should make it easier to find info about waters throughout Utah.

2. I've added a page describing southern Utah wild trout streams, using info provided by the DWR. These are small waters and perhaps most don't justify full sections on the website. In fact, I really don't want to focus too much attention on any one of them. But I love to fish these waters, and I know others share that interest, so I've made basic info easier to find.

3. I've also added a map-based navigation option to the home page, making it easy to go quickly to major sections of the website. I still need to tweak that, and add more info about some places, but the basic concept is already functional.

The number of people visiting this site is skyrocketing. User sessions are up more than 100% over last year. Month to month grown is very strong, despite the fact that this is generally considered to be a slow time of year.

People seem to like to site and so I'm working hard to improve it.

- Dave

Rattlesnake Attacks Bass Boat

2009-02-06T16:31:00.001-07:00

I stumbled across this interesting video on BassFan.com. It shows a big rattlesnake swimming right toward a couple guys fishing from a bass boat. The snake is coming right at them, and it is big.

What would you do?

Rattlers do swim. It's not uncommon to see them swim across streams. This one was quite a ways from shore, swimming like a pro.

In my view, many people have unreasonable fear of snakes. Under normal circumstances rattlesnakes try to get away from humans, they only strike if they are cornered and harassed. They can't strike from much of a distance and they can't chase you down.

In this video shows the snake is coming right at the boat, and it keeps coming back even when they try to chase it away by hitting with their rods. Bass boats sit low on the water and the big snake might have been able to climb aboard.

The snake coils in the water and prepares to defend itself. It is very persistent and never backs down.

What would I do? I'd watch it with great curiosity. After I saw how persistent it was I would start my motor and move to a different fishing spot.

Some people would become obsessed with the snake and try to kill it. That's sad. There is no reason to harm the snake in those circumstances. The snake was in its environment--its home. The fishermen were the intruders. The fishermen could easily get away, at any time.

I live in a city and I don't want rattlesnakes in my back yard. I grew up in the country and we encountered rattlers on a regular basis. Basically, if we left them alone they left us alone.

Occasionally one would come in under the house, chasing mice or something. We considered that a problem and took action. But out in the fields, there's no need to harm them.

Snakes play an important part in an area's ecosystem. They are living creatures and deserve respect. I would happily yield my fishing spot to the snake.

- Dave

Planning For Adventure...

2009-02-04T22:49:00.001-07:00

I keep my schedule as flexible as possible, so I can take advantage of opportunities as they develop. That's particularly true during spring and fall, when storms can ruin the best-planned trips. The flip side is also true--periods of dry, mild weather can produce amazingly nice conditions for hiking and backpacking--sometimes too nice to resist.

Fish behave in predictable ways and it is easy to predict angling success during particular time frames. For example, walleye in Utah Lake will begin to spawn in late March or early April. It's more difficult to predict what weekends will bring peak action. I try to stay flexible so I can be there for the frenzy, no matter when it occurs.

That said, some adventures have to be schedule in advance. I'll be backpacking Grand Gulch this spring and permits there have to be worked out well in advance. Next fall I'll be floating the San Juan River between Mexican Hat and Lake Powell--if I can get permits the needed permits.

I try to take one major trip a month and then patch in 2-3 minor fishing or hiking trips. Below I list my dream list of major adventures for this season. I never actually go on all the trips I plan, but I do most of them. And, because I'm flexible, I swap in others as I learn about great opportunities.
- Fish Lees Ferry below Glen Canyon Dam
- Fish Lake Powell 2-3 times
- Fish Flaming Gorge 1-2 times
- Fish Green River 2-3 times
- Fish/Backpack in the Uintas 1-2 times
- Fish/Backpack Boulder Mountain
- Backpack Grand Gulch
- Backpack Dark Canyon
- Hike The Maze to the Harvest Scene

I consider those pretty major trips because they take 2 or more days. Below I list some day trips, which I consider to be minor outings.
- Fish Strawberry 8-10 times
- Fish Provo River 4-5 times
- Small stream fishing - numerous trips
- Desert camping/hiking - numerous trips

I usually take people with my on my trips--mostly family or buddies. But I go on more trips than my associates can handle and so I sometimes go looking for companions. Let me know if you are interested in any of the trips on my list--maybe we can join forces.

- Dave

Quagga Mussels Found in Red Fleet Reservoir

2009-02-03T22:29:00.002-07:00

(DWR provided the news release below)

Quagga Mussels Found in Red Fleet Reservoir

DWR continues to receive test results

Laboratories in Colorado are still testing water samples taken from 38 lakes and reservoirs in Utah in 2008.

The lab workers are searching for tiny, destructive organisms called quagga mussels and zebra mussels.

Their testing is almost done. And so far, the results the Division of Wildlife Resources has received are encouraging--most of the waters tested do not appear to have mussels in them.

Mussels found in two waters
Mussels have turned up in two waters, however--Electric Lake in central Utah and another water just added to the list, Red Fleet Reservoir.

Red Fleet is about seven miles north of Vernal.

"So far, all of the mussels found have been very small juveniles," says Walt Donaldson, Aquatic Section chief for the DWR.

"That’s a sign that the mussels may not be well established in these two waters yet."

Learn more
You can learn more about mussels--including the damage they can do and what you can do to prevent spreading them--at the DWR's new mussel Web site.

The Web site address is wildlife.utah.gov/mussels.

Are Fishing Shows on TV the Next Hot Commodity?

2009-02-02T21:58:00.001-07:00

This article in USA Weekend says fishing shows are hot and getting hotter. I wouldn't know because I don’t watch them. Do you? I'm interested in get comments on this.

Below are excerpts from the article.

Like golf and auto racing before it, sportfishing has quietly become one of the hottest sports out there -- both out on the water and on TV.

"People who don't even fish tell me that their kids are watching me on Saturday morning," says Ish Monroe, 34, an angler who has his own ESPN2 series, "Yo, Ish!" ... It's not uncommon to find Monroe playing hip-hop, trash-talking his prey and showing off the snazzy 20-inch rims on his boat trailer.

Such antics are luring viewers to the action, including the "Super Bowl" of sportfishing, the annual Bassmaster Classic in Shreveport-Bossier City, La. The event, airing on ESPN2 starting Feb. 21, will feature the wiliest fishermen in the land -- and one fisherwoman -- 2008 women's Bassmaster Angler of the Year, Kim Bain-Moore, 28. She will be the first female angler ever in the 51-person field vying for the top prize of $500,000.

What do you think? Will trash talking fishing hosts hook you? Are you into fish TV?

Bald Eagle Day is Feb. 7 and Feb. 14

2009-01-27T19:22:00.001-07:00

(DWR provided the news release given below.)

See Bald Eagles

Bald Eagle Day is Feb. 7 and Feb. 14

If you've ever seen a bald eagle in the wild, you know it's an experience that can take your breath away.

In February, you'll have two chances to not only see bald eagles, but to learn more about them.

The Division of Wildlife Resources is holding its annual Utah Bald Eagle Day.

The event will be held on two different Saturdays. On Feb. 7, eagle viewing will take place at sites in central, northeastern and southwestern Utah. On the following Saturday, Feb. 14, Utah Bald Eagle Day will be celebrated at two sites in northern Utah.

There is no cost to attend Bald Eagle Day. Viewing times are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. except at the Salt Creek Waterfowl Management Area site, where viewing will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

On Feb. 7, you can view eagles at the following locations:

Fountain Green State Fish Hatchery, located east of Nephi. If coming from the north, take I-15 and exit the freeway at the second Nephi exit (Exit 225). After exiting the freeway, turn east on SR-132 and travel about 10 miles. About 1 mile before the city of Fountain Green, a Bald Eagle Day sign will point you to an access road that leads to the hatchery.

Once you reach the hatchery, you'll be given a driving map of the Sanpete Valley that highlights the best areas in the valley to view eagles. Literature, displays and bathroom facilities will also be available at the hatchery. If eagles are near the hatchery, Division of Wildlife Resources staff will set up spotting scopes so you can view them. Spotting scopes will also be set-up at a viewing location about one mile from the hatchery.

Split Mountain/Green River, located north of Jensen and below the Dinosaur Quarry in Dinosaur National Monument (DNM). To reach the site, drive north from Highway 40 in Jensen on the road (SR-149) to the Dinosaur Quarry. Your first stop should be at the staging area located just inside the DNM boundary where displays, spotting scopes and possibly bald eagles and other raptors await. From the staging area, biologists will direct you to other sites where you may have better views of eagles and other wildlife of interest. In past years, visitors have seen bald and golden eagles hunting and feeding, as well as prairie falcons, hawks, mule deer, river otters, pheasants, turkeys, sandhill cranes, porcupines, mergansers, Canada geese and other wildlife.

During your trip, you may also want to stop and visit the Dinosaur National Monument. The monument's dinosaur quarry is closed, but you can see a few dinosaur bones at a temporary visitor center near the quarry. The visitor center also includes a small bookstore.

Rush Lake Ranch, located on the Minersville highway (SR-130) about 12 miles north of Cedar City.

On Feb. 14, viewing will take place at the following locations:

Salt Creek Waterfowl Management Area (Compton's Knoll), located about 10 miles northwest of Corinne. To reach the WMA, take Exit 365 off of I-15 and travel west on SR-83 through Corinne. Stay on SR-83 until you get to 6800 W. (Iowa String). Travel north to 6800 N. Travel west on 6800 N. until you reach the Salt Creek WMA/Compton's Knoll Watchable Wildlife site.

Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, located on the west side of Farmington at 1325 W. Glover Lane (925 South).

If you're traveling north on I-15, coming from Salt Lake City and other areas south of Farmington:

To reach the WMA, travel north on I-15, and exit the freeway at Exit 325. Turn left on Park Lane and travel west. The road will angle to the south, and you'll come to Clark Lane at the first traffic light. Turn right. Travel west to the first stop sign, which is at 1525 West, and turn left. Travel south to Glover Lane, and turn right. Travel west on Glover Lane for about two blocks until you come to 1700 W. Turn left on 1700 W. and travel south to the Great Salt Lake Nature Center. You can park in the parking lot.

If you're traveling south on I-15, coming from Ogden and other areas north of Farmington:

To reach the WMA, travel south on I-15 and exit the freeway at Exit 325. Go to the stoplight and turn right on Park Lane. Travel south to the next light, which is at Clark Lane, and turn right. Travel west to the first stop sign, which is at 1525 West, and turn left. Travel south to Glover Lane, and turn right. Travel west on Glover Lane for about two blocks until you come to 1700 W. Turn left on 1700 W. and travel south to the Great Salt Lake Nature Center. You can park in the parking lot.

If you attend the event at Farmington Bay, you may want to drop by the Great Salt Lake Nature Center at the north end of the WMA. In addition to participating in fun activities, you can learn more about becoming a volunteer at the WMA. Volunteers lead birding tours and help with other projects.

Get a close look
"We'll set spotting scopes up at each viewing site so you can get a good look at the eagles," says Bob Walters, Watchable Wildlife coordinator for the DWR. "Biologists and volunteers will also be on hand to help you spot the eagles and to answer any questions you have."

Information about bald eagles, and wildlife watching and birding opportunities in Utah, will be available at each location. You can get the materials for free, or for a small cost.

The best time to attend
The best time to see eagles on Feb. 7 and Feb. 14 depends on two things.
If you want to attend during the warmest time of the day, attend late in the morning or early in the afternoon. "The warmer temperatures are especially important if you bring young children with you," Walters says.

Late morning and early afternoon is also the clearest time of the day to see the eagles.

If you want to see the greatest number of eagles, attend between 2 and 4 p.m. "In mid-afternoon, the eagles start flying to trees to roost for the night," Walters says. "If you want to see the greatest number of eagles, mid to late afternoon is usually the best time to attend."

Items to bring
If you attend Bald Eagle Day, dress in warm clothes and bring waterproof boots. Also, if you want to get pictures of the eagles, bring a telephoto lens.

"The eagles will be some distance from the viewing areas," Walters says. "In the past, we've had photographers try and get close to the eagles. They ended up scaring the eagles away."

Utah's most popular viewing event
Walters started Bald Eagle Day in 1990 as a way to introduce people to Utah's wildlife. "Bald Eagle Day was started as a way to arouse people's interest, whet their appetite and make them aware of the wildlife around them," Walters says.

Since it began, Bald Eagle Day has become Utah's most well attended, and one of its most enjoyed, wildlife-viewing events.

For more information about Bald Eagle Day, call Walters at (801) 538- 4771, or Division of Wildlife Resources offices in Ogden, Springville, Vernal or Cedar City.

Fishing Videos and Photo Galleries

2009-01-12T20:47:00.001-07:00

We've posted an ice fishing video - you can see it here.

It is a good little video showing a kid fishing for perch at Pineview. The video is a little old - we've just now found time to get it edited and posted. It captures the fun of ice fishing - which is always more enjoyable when you help a kid actually catch fish.

Photos
I've been experimenting with different photo gallery techniques, for use on this and other websites. Here's an example of a new technique we may start using on utah.com. I think it looks nice and works well. Trouble is, the code conflicts with the dropdown menu at the top of each page on that website.

I put a similar gallery on my own business website, you can see it here. It works fine there - no conflicts.

I might use it on this site when I want to embed several photos into one page, but I don't think it will ever replace my big photo gallery, which now includes 2146 items.

A Winter Wander Through the Joshua Trees

2009-01-07T21:33:00.002-07:00

See more of my photos from this trip
- Beaver Dam Wash
- Warner Valley rock art
- Warner Valley dinosaur tracks
- Huge petrified logs

I was wandering more than hiking. When I hike I have a specific destination in mind. I hike to reach a lake or arch or some kind of attraction. But I wasn't out to reach any specific place as I wandered through a Joshua tree forest on the edge of Beaver Dam Wash, west of St George. I was just enjoying the warm sunshine and the area's interesting vegetation.

It was great to get out of the snow, get away from the frigid temperatures and haze found in northern Utah. It was a great way to start the new year.

It was Jan 2 and I was out to enjoy the warmest temperatures in the state, in an area where the Mojave Desert pushes up into Utah. I also took time to search out some St George-area rock art and some dinosaur tracks, and also found some huge petrified logs. It was a fun mid-winter adventure.

What is there to see in the Beaver Dam Wash area? Not much, unless you like cacti. The Joshua tree, trademark of the Mojave Desert, grows tall and proud along the wash. So do barrel and chollas cacti. The area is stark, desolate, remote, rugged... In short, it is my kind of country.

The Mojave is a high desert. In winter nights are usually cold and days are mild. It is probably close to 50 F today - perfect weather for hiking.

Before I-15 was pushed through the Virgin River Gorge, Old Highway 91 was the major route west from St George. Today it is a scenic backroad that crosses the Beaver Dam Mountains and dives into Utah's Mojave Country. A dirt track, called the Joshua Tree Road, loops below Hwy 91. In years past it wound through a beautiful Joshua tree forest, but vegetation in that area was destroyed by a major brush fire a few years ago and the desert is just starting to recover. Joshua trees are slow-growing and it will be many years before the forest returns.

We had to probe deeper into Mojave country to find substantial stands of Joshua trees. We drove the dirt Eardly Road and Indian Springs Trail along the east side of Beaver Dam Wash to get the photos that illustrate this report. Both roads have steep spots and we encountered plenty of mud. We definitely needed high-clearance 4-wheel-drive on our trip. During drier months a 4X4 may not be needed.

Most people don't visit southwestern Utah just to explore the Beaver Dam Wash area. You come to visit the National Parks or play golf. (February and March are ideal months to hit the links around St George, before they become crowded in April.) But I enjoy solitude and stark beauty and so I recommend the Beaver Dam Wash area as a pleasant day trip.

Note: There are no services - no gasoline, food or water - in the Beaver Dam Wash area of Utah. If you go, bring along a good map, emergency gear and plenty of food and water.

New Year's Adventure

2008-12-31T11:02:00.004-07:00

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

Probing The Four Corners

2008-12-22T16:33:00.002-07:00

I've just completed updating the Four Corners Monument pages on utah.com. See them here.

It was a fun project, particularly since I had to go down there and hike, take photos and shoot video. Not a bad way to spend work time.

We'll soon expand on that and enhance the entire San Juan County/Monument Valley section of the utah.com site. I was able to take a bunch of good photos while I was in the area, and they will really help as we work to improve utah.com. I've already added many of my best shots to my RedRock photo gallery.

My Four Corners trip was fun, and very productive. From it I got this content.

- Four Corners text, photos and video clip
- New Hovenweep photos
- Wolf Man Rock Art photos
- House on Fire Ruin photos
- Edge of the Cedars State Park photos
- Goosenecks of the San Juan Ste Park photos

And I shot at a few other miscellaneous sties, like Recapture Reservoir.

I also took photos at Sand Island rock art site, but apparently I forgot to post them. And I got some gorgeous shots of sunset along Comb Ridge. I'll get them posted this week.

I can't wait until I can schedule another trip. I'll go ice fishing sometime - have to do that a couple times a year - but I prefer the desert sunshine. If it ever stops snowing I'll flee south.

Elk Viewing Begins Friday at Hardware Ranch

2008-12-15T18:50:00.003-07:00

During winter, Hardware Ranch provides a remarkable opportunity to view wild elk at close range - and that includes some large bulls.

DWR feeds elk at the ranch so they won't migrate down the canyon and destroy crops, so large numbers of animals gather there. Wagon or sleighs are used to transport the hay, and they also carry visitors out into the elk herd. The ranch will open for elk viewing on Friday, Dec. 19, 2008.

DWR provided the photo at right and the news release below:

See Hundreds of Wild Elk

Hyrum -- You can take a sleigh ride that will get you up close and personal to as many as 600 wild elk.

The rides are available four days a week at the Hardware Ranch Wildlife Management Area.

On Dec. 15, about 100 elk were at the ranch. Now that winter weather has arrived, more elk should be visiting the ranch soon.

Hardware Ranch is 17 miles east of Hyrum. Its winter elk viewing season begins Dec. 19. The WMA offers the following during its winter season:

Sleigh rides
Enjoy the sights and sounds of Utah’s state mammal by taking a sleigh ride through a herd of up to 600 Rocky Mountain elk.

The sleigh rides last 20 to 30 minutes. They wind through the center of the elk herd and make occasional stops so you can get a perfect photograph.

During the rides, the sleigh drivers share the history of the ranch and explain why the elk behave like they do. They’re also happy to answer questions you might have.

The sleighs are pulled by a team of large breed draft horses. If snow conditions get poor, the sleighs can be converted into wagons.

Visitor center
In addition to the sleigh rides, the Hardware Ranch WMA also operates a visitor center. The center has interactive wildlife displays and staff who can answer your questions.

When it’s open
The WMA’s winter season should run until March 16. The ranch is open during the following days and times:

Friday – noon to 5 p.m.
Saturday – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday – noon to 5 p.m.

If you want to take a ride through the elk herd, you must buy a ticket at the visitor center before 4:30 p.m. The last sleigh ride leaves at 4:30 p.m.
The sleigh rides cost $5 for those nine years of age and older, and $3 for those four to eight years old. Children three years of age and younger can ride for free.

How to get there
The Hardware Ranch WMA is located at mile marker 22 on SR-101 in Blacksmith Fork Canyon. The ranch is about 115 miles north of Salt Lake City (about a two-hour drive). It’s about 17 miles east of Hyrum and 22 miles southeast of Logan.
Good lodging, food and entertainment are readily available in Cache Valley, within 45 minutes of the ranch. The roads up Blacksmith Fork Canyon are usually plowed and sanded by noon each day.

For more information about the Hardware Ranch WMA, call (435) 753-6206 or visit hardwareranch.com on the Web.

Hardware Ranch is a wildlife management area owned and operated by the Division of Wildlife Resources. It provides important big game winter range for elk, deer and moose.

###

See You on the Radio

2008-12-05T15:06:00.000-07:00

KSL Radio has an outdoors talk show that airs Saturdays from 6 to 8 am. Tim Hughes, the host, is a friend and occasionally invites me to participate - usually calling in and talking for a few minutes while I'm on my way to some adventure.

He has invited me to join him in studio tomorrow, which means I need to get up early enough to be in downtown Salt Lake City before 6 am. What a terrible thing to do on a Saturday morning.

But it is always fun to get with Tim and participate in the show.

Listeners call in and report on their adventures and also ask questions.

Tim wants me to talk about my recent trips and to give an update on what we're doing at utah.com.

So, if you happen to be up and about, dial up the show and take a listen.

KSL Radio - 102.7 FM & 1160 AM

- Dave

Me and The Wolf Man (Rock Art)

2008-12-03T20:32:00.003-07:00

(See more photos from this trip.)

Comb Ridge is a daunting barrier of nearly solid rock that runs north-south through southeastern Utah, from the Blue Mountains down to the San Juan River. It cuts through the heart of "Anasazi Country," an area where there are thousands of rock art panels and ruined cliff dwellings left by various ancient cultures over time.

I'm not making an overstatement when I say thousands, and my goal is to find and photograph every one of them. Ok, more realistically, to photograph as many as possible, focusing on the most interesting sites first. It is a fun hobby. I post photos and text descriptions of the sites here and so you can watch my progress. I'm getting a pretty good collection.

The sites are always unique, always interesting. With rock art, some similarities are often repeated and give clues to its origin. Some of the oldest images show imposing, god-like creatures in the Barrier Canyon style, attributed to Archaic tribes. The Anasazi and Fremont often created images depicting things important to their daily lives: big horn sheep and other animals suggesting successful hunts, powerful warriors guarding villages, great gods intervening on behalf of their people - that kind of thing.

So I was surprised and fascinated when I stumbled upon the guy shown in my photo at right. Locals call him the Wolf Man. He appears to be super-human, perhaps a deity of some sort. He is surrounded by fanciful forms that are totally unique - I've never seen rock art images quite like them anywhere else on earth.

To me, the Wolf Man doesn't fit into any of the normal categories. Who is this guy and what are those strange objects around him? Is that a smiling cat next to a fish skeleton? How about that flying fish? (See my gallery for more and larger photos.) Surprisingly different. That's part of the fun of hunting for rock art - you never know what you'll find.

Actually, I didn't just stumble upon him. I hunted him down by searching Comb Ridge's cliff faces and alcoves. If wasn't hard to find him. I had a good description of the area and he isn't far off the paved road. From the town of Bluff, drive west for about five miles, following Hwy 191 and then Hwy 163. Just before Hwy 163 cuts through Comb Ridge you will see a good dirt road heading north (San Juan County Road #262). Drive north on Road #262 for about 1 mile to a fence and information booth. At that point turn west onto a rough track that follows the fence line to the edge of Comb Wash. (You can drive right to the edge of the wash in a high clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle. If you are in a passenger car you will have to park along the route and walk, but the distance isn't great.)

The route becomes quite rough as it approaches the edge of Comb Wash. It crosses an area of solid slickrock and you have to pay attention to see where it goes. It is easy to lose the route in that area, but that makes little difference. Just proceed west to the edge of the wash and then hike south along the edge until you find a way down the cliff.

Proceed until you will find a natural rock ramp that provides easy access to a shelf about halfway down the cliff. Once on the shelf, look south and you'll see an alcove that obviously once sheltered an Anasazi structure (now crumbled to dust). Just down-canyon from the alcove you'll find the rock art.

If you are able to drive to the edge of the wash, the total round trip hiking distance is less than one mile. If you have to park along Route #262, you still won't have to hike more than 2 miles.

The weather was perfect for hiking when I visited the area on Nov 30, 2008. Sunny and mild. I was able to explore several ruins and rock art sites and I'll post information about them over the next couple weeks.

I'm now looking forward to getting back down there.

- Dave

Green River & Other Video Clips

2008-11-26T21:13:00.002-07:00

We are working on a bunch of Green River fishing videos. These are still works in progress but you can see them here.

Some time ago we interviewed Dennis Breer, a prominent Green River fishing guide, and had him give tips to help people catch more fish on the Green. We intended to set up demonstrations to show the tips, but never found time. Dennis passed away a couple weeks ago in a freak accident.

His tips are very good and we elected to use them. So the videos include his voice and generic fishing scenes from the Green River. The clips would certainly be better had we filmed the demonstrations, but they are worthwhile in their present form.

Over time I'll link the clips to articles that elaborate on the tips.

We've also completed and posted our Notch Peak hiking video. On our hike to the peak we shot video as well as still photos, and you can see the resulting clip here. I think it is pretty good - it gives viewers a realistic idea of what the hike is like.

On trips like that we just shoot as we go, not taking time to stage scenes or control the environment like you would do if you were making a Hollywood movie. We're more like news photographers, just out to capture whatever action we stumble upon.

I'm probably heading to Monument Valley and the Four Corners Monument this weekend, on assignment for utah.com/ with specific instructions to create a video clip that gives an overview of the Four Corners area.

Utah.com gets a lot of traffic from search engines and it is interesting that Four Corners consistently ranks as one of the top search terms. Apparently there is considerable interest in the monument.

We’re not quite sure why, because there really isn't much at Four Corners itself. The area right around the monument is flat and has little scenic appeal.

The monument is on Navajo Nation land and they control it. They have set up a visitor center where they sell craft items and traditional foods. It is kind of neat to see the monument and I always enjoy viewing the crafts and visiting with the craftsmen. But the monument is quite a distance out of the way, no matter what direction you are going, and so I seldom make the effort to drive to it.

Perhaps all the website hits come from fourth graders doing reports for their US history classes.

In the greater area you have Monument Valley, Mesa Verde, Hovenweep and other fascinating places that I love. I visit them as often as possible.

Anyway, I'm supposed to make a video that shows what the monument is really like. Should prove interesting.

While down there I plan to search out some ancient rock art and Anasazi ruins. If the weather cooperates it will be a fun trip.

- Dave

Hiking Notch Peak in Utah's West Desert

2008-11-20T21:46:00.002-07:00

See more of my photos from this hike.

This article gives more details, and has directions to the trailhead.

Utah's west desert is an amazing paradox - an alien-looking land, forbidding yet starkly beautiful. It offers great hiking options and I enjoyed challenging one of its best summits last weekend.

We climbed Notch Peak, which rises some 5,185 feet above the surrounding desert. The peak's south side has a section that is sheer for about 2,200 feet - and that makes it a cliff of major magnitude.

El Capitan, the famous rock mass in Yosemite National Park, has a vertical rise of about 3,000 feet. As precipices go, Notch Peak is almost as impressive, if you combine its vertical and almost vertical sections, but Notch is virtually unknown because it is located in Utah's remote, desolate west desert.

From the top of Notch, looking almost straight down for most of a mile, the feeling is overwhelming. Vertigo is common as you move toward the edge. It sometimes feels like a mysterious force is sucking you toward the cliff. Hikers innately respect the mountain; most lie on their bellies as they peer over the edge.

Most of the towering cliffs in Zion Park drop a meager 1,500 to 2,000 feet straight down. Aside from Notch and the Yosemite peaks, I don't know of another precipice in the US that boasts such an impressive sheer face.

I've wanted to hike Notch for some time, and finally made the trip last weekend. It was a great experience, well worth the effort.

Notch Peak is located west of Delta, about 3.5 hours from Salt Lake City. The hike is moderately strenuous, about 8 miles round trip. We made it up and down in about 5 hours, and that allowed time to play on top.

There is no formally designated trail and you need route-finding skills to make this hike. A topo map is essential and a GPS comes in handy.

We approached from the east and followed a winding canyon up to a saddle just below the summit. Hiking in the canyon is relatively easy but you do have to bust through some brush and climb around one dryfall. You also ascend a series of ledges, almost stone steps. Hiking through the canyon is fun and moderately adventurous. We had a couple kids with us, ages 12 and 13, and they made it with no problem.

As you come out of the canyon onto the open ridge, you gain a panoramic view of the surrounding desert. You feel like you've been transported to some distant planet, with alien-looking landscape falling away in front of you. The surrounding desert is mostly flat and devoid of life. The glassy waters of Sevier Dry Lake reflect distant brown mountains, with snowcapped mountain peaks visible in the far distance.

You look out over hundreds of miles of desolate country, no cities or towns in sight, a few roads the only signs that humans have impacted this vast land.

Views from half-way up the mountain are impressive and the wonderment grows with each step as you approach the summit.

The final push to the saddle is steep and exhausting, even if you are in good shape. You hike over small, loose pieces of broken shale and that makes for poor footing. This section of the hike is short but more difficult than it looks.

When you reach the saddle just below the peak, the summit rises a couple hundred feet above you to the left. To the right, we followed the ridgeline to another saddle, a little lower, where we were able to take photos that captured most of the peak's dramatic rise.

Bristlecone pine trees grow in a grove adjacent to this second vantage point. They are amazing trees, some thousands of years old. Gnarled and scarred, bristlecones are the oldest living things on earth. Some, on nearby Wheeler Peak, are thought to be more than 4,000 years old.

For something to live for thousands of years, you would think it must grow in the best soil, in a spot where temperatures and other conditions are favorable. Not so. These trees push their roots down into cracks in the rock, where there is little soil available, and the soil that is available is poor. They grow at high altitudes, here about 9,200 feet, on windswept slopes where summer days are very hot and winter nights are bitter cold.

The grove on notch is impressive.

Notch Peak makes a great hike - perhaps the best in the west desert. One of the best in Utah.

- Dave Webb

Hike details:

Notch Peak summit elevation: 9,655 feet

Sevier Dry Lake elevation: 4526 feet

Sawtooth Canyon Trailhead
39.128, -113.364

Canyon Fork
We hiked up Sawtooth for a short distance to a fork; at the fork we went left and stayed in the canyon until we were right under the saddle.
39.1334, -113.373

Saddle below summit
39.1426, -113.406

Notch Peak
39.1427, -113.409

Bristlecone Grove
39.1433, -113.403

Sale Of Oil Leases Near Utah Parks Causes Uproar

2008-11-18T16:40:00.002-07:00

An AP news article about the sale of oil and gas leases near Utah national parks is being widely published, and is causing a bit of uproar. The sale is controversial and should be examined. Unfortunately, the AP article includes several misstatements, some so distorted they reek of sensationalism.

Here's the full article. Below are excerpts, with my comments.

"The view of Delicate Arch natural bridge — an unspoiled landmark so iconic it's on Utah's license plates — could one day include a drilling platform under a proposal that environmentalists call a Bush administration "fire sale" for the oil and gas industry."

Delicate Arch is a natural arch, not a bridge. It is extremely unlikely that any present or future lease will result in a view of Delicate Arch that includes a drilling rig. The land features in that area make such a view virtually impossible. The claim is sensationalism. However, other arches on the edge of the park may be within visual range of potential drill sites.

"Late on Election Day, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced a Dec. 19 auction of more than 50,000 acres of oil and gas parcels alongside or within view of Arches National Park and two other redrock national parks in Utah: Dinosaur and Canyonlands."

Dinosaur is a national monument, not a park, and it is not in redrock country. It is located in NE Utah.

Virtually everyone agrees we should not allow drilling around the famous icons managed by the National Park Service. But Arches, Canyonlands and Dinosaur include thousands of acres of remote, seldom-visited backcountry. Here's a related question that deserves to be debated: Do we need to prevent development of land that is close to or within visual range of remote, seldom-visited areas within national parks and monuments?

The New York Times ran this story about the scheduled sales. The Times story does not include sensational claims or gross misstatements. But the tones of both articles make it seem like neither reporter has ever even seen the lands they are writing about.

Below is an excerpt from the Times article:

"The inclusion of the new lease tracts angered environmental groups, which were already critical of the bureau’s original lease proposal, made public this fall, because they said it could lead to industrial activity in empty areas of the state, some prized for their sweeping vistas, like Desolation Canyon, and others for their ancient petroglyphs, like Nine Mile Canyon."

Desolation Canyon is a deep gorge carved by the Green River in central Utah. River rafters enjoy floating the mild whitewater in the gorge, and enjoy the wilderness-like setting there.

The proposed leases are high on the plateau above the gorge and would not be within view from the river. The plateau above the gorge includes a huge amount of land that sees very few humans, aside from a small number of ranchers who run cattle there. It is not a popular area for recreation - there is very little backpacking, hiking and camping activity there.

A few rough roads provide access to the plateau. If the roads were improved, perhaps more people would visit and enjoy the area. Should an oil or gas well be located there, some roads would have to be improved.

Here are questions: Do we protect this area that is "prized for its sweeping vistas" by preventing all development, thus insuring it will remain virtually unused by humans? Or do we allow limited development, including improved road access, and thus open the door for recreational use?

Nine Mile Canyon is another story. There are several existing oil and gas wells in the area, some right in the canyon. The proposed leases are on land above the canyon - not even close to the ancient petroglyphs. Do we need to protect petroglyphs, which are adjacent to existing wells, by preventing future wells on land above the canyon?

These are weighty questions that have been debated for years. Most of the articles written in opposition to development are penned by people who have never seen these areas - who have no idea how big, remote and rugged this country is. They would write better articles if they would come see the land for themselves.

Ultimately, the public needs to decide what land to protect and what land to develop. It is public land. Come see it. Walk the deep canyons and visit the arches and petroglyphs. Then perhaps you can answer my questions.

Watch my Nine Mile Canyon video for more on this subject.

- Dave Webb

A Boat Without Wheels

2008-11-08T20:53:00.000-07:00

The afternoon was a beautiful today, sunny and warm, and I really wanted to spend a few hours fishing from my boat.

As I was prepping it I noticed one of the trailer's tires was crooked - angled in when it should have been straight up and down. I looked closer and discovered the bearings were gone.

I'm glad I found the problem while the boat was still in my driveway, instead of halfway up Soldier Summit.

By the time I stopped messing with it the afternoon was far gone and I didn't have time to go anywhere.

Lousy way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

It looks like we'll get a storm tomorrow and Monday, then it will clear up and be nice for a few more days. I'll probably sneak away from work early toward the middle of the week and get my fishing fix.

One of my goals is to include a decent photo every time I blog. The photo with this post shows the Heritage Bridge over the Middle Provo, between Midway and Heber City. I took it yesterday as I shop photos for utah.com, so we can improve our Heber area content.

So I was right there, walking above the fabled Provo River. I could hear the fish calling. I had my fly rod in my truck. But I ran out of daylight and did not have time to fish. I would have found a way, had I known my boat trailer was out of commission.

I have a great trip planned for next Saturday, if the weather cooperates. I hope to hike Notch Peak, in Utah's west desert. It is about 10 miles round trip, fairly steep, to one of the most spectacular vistas in the region. Should be fun. I'm still trying to line up a crew to go with me. Let me know if you are interested.

Fishing the Price River

2008-11-03T08:43:00.003-07:00

See more of my photos from this trip.

I took the opportunity to fish the Price River for an hour or so on Saturday and was somewhat disappointing.

I've heard many good reports about that river over the years, but nothing at all about it this year. I drive past it many times a year but until Saturday I had never taken the time to stop. Since I was in the area and had a little time to spare, I decided to check it out for myself, hoping to find good fishing for nice browns.

I was there during the final hour before dark - usually a prime time when you are after trout - and I caught two browns, one about 12 inches and the other about 13. Two fish in an hour - that's not terrible, but these were skinny fish.

In the fall most streams run low and clear. This one was low but the water was a little cloudy. I only had time to try a few holes, so I can't really pass judgment on the stream. Nevertheless, I came away disappointed.

I'm interested to hear about other people's experience there.

The Price River drains a widely diverse area. Most of the water comes out of Scofield Reservoir. Above the reservoir the stream is called Upper Fish Creek and it is quality cutthroat water. I've fished there several times and always enjoyed it. Below Scofield it is called Lower Fish Creek, down to the Hwy 6 area. I have never fished there but I understand it is good brown trout water.

The White River flows alongside Hwy 6 on top of the mountain east of Soldier Summit. The White River has water quality problems and is not considered much of a fishery there along the road.

Downstream from the confluence of the White River and Fish Creek, the stream is called the Price River. It flows for several miles through a deep gorge along the highway and the railroad tracks. It is a pretty stream, with plenty of deep holes.

Maybe I'll get back there some day and give it another try. But it isn't at the top of my priority list.

I had hoped to spend several hours fishing Scofield from my boat on Saturday but my morning projects spilled over into the afternoon and I ran out of time. I needed to go to Scofield to take some photos for a client, and that also took longer than expected. With the afternoon fading fast I didn't even try to put my boat into the water.

As a general rule, I catch more fish per hour when I fish streams, but bigger fish when I fish reservoirs. With just an hour before dark, I figured my best chance to catch a few would come down on the stream. It was a nice diversion - fishing is great at any time and in any place. But this experience did not provide the break I needed.

After a long, hard week this wasn't a particularly relaxing Saturday. Maybe I'll be able to sneak away from work a few hours early and hit another stream during the next day or two. The rhythmic motion of casting gives my body something to do while freeing my brain to process. Hiking works just as well. If I don’t get in enough of that kind of thing, I start to go stir crazy...

Will Work For Fish

2008-10-31T17:51:00.001-06:00

I'm hoping to take the boat up to Scofield for a little fishing tomorrow - I'll go if the weather isn't too bad.

If it is windy I'll leave the boat home and fish a stream somewhere - probably take the fly rod over to the Middle Provo. Unless it is pouring rain - then I'll stay home.

A storm is coming in and it will end what as been a streak of remarkably nice weather.

Sadly, I've been stuck in the office, not out enjoying the sunshine. This was been a busy week. On top of normal work activities, I built this completely new website: homesweethomeutah.org/. Created the design, programmed the pages and posted the text and photos in just two days. It is good info, if you know anyone who needs help buying a home.

I also created this flyer webbstuf.com/tm/zoo-10-30-08.htm supporting Hogle Zoo's efforts to secure more funding. They game me a list of about 18,000 email addresses and I used our special email server to send the flyer to them. Another good cause.

So I'll fish somewhere close to home this weekend, and relax a bit.

Temperatures will be markedly cooler next week - our Indian summer is probably over. But we will yet have mild days that are ideal for hiking the dry desert country.

I would really like to get in two more adventure hikes before winter really sets in. I hope to hike to the top of Notch Peak, in the west desert, and to Kolob Arch in Zion Park. The Kolob hike requires some minor wading but that shouldn't be too bad if I watch the weather.

November looks busy - I'll have to fight to keep stuff from infringing on my hiking and fishing time.

Fishing Powell's San Juan Arm

2008-10-21T16:59:00.006-06:00

Typical smallmouth

Our only striper

A pinnacle alone the San Juan

This was our most productive lure

See more of my photos here.
See Aaron Webb's article about this trip

Smallmouth bass fishing was great on the San Juan Arm of Lake Powell over the weekend. We enjoyed it very much and had a great trip.

We had hoped to stumble upon a striper boil or two, but could not find any of that action.

We launched at Bullfrog and headed straight for the San Juan - about 40 miles away. We watched carefully for signs of striper boils, since wayneswords.com had predicted there might be decent striper fishing in isolated spots mid-lake. But we saw nothing.

We set up camp in Wilson Creek Canyon and fished nearby coves until dark. We caught smallmouth after smallmouth on shad-imitating lures. Hovering within casting distance of shore, we lobbed our lures up alongside weeds and rocks and then worked them back towards the boat. Most of the fish we caught were small but we managed to hook a few nice ones.

We trolled our lures as we boated between coves. In the open bay I caught a fat, 14-inch striper, the only fish of that species we saw during our trip.

Our camping spot was superb. It was sandy and flat, with a place to build a fire and plenty of kindling. We roasted hot dogs as it grew dark. The moon came up late and so we enjoyed an incredible star show during the early evening.

We seemed to be all alone on the San Juan arm. We saw a couple of houseboats anchored near the arm's mouth, and another group camped on the beach in that area, but we were probably 10 miles from them.

As the starlight grew more intense, a profound quietude settled over the lake. No sounds except waves gently breaking against the sand. The starlight was bright enough to allow us to perceive the form of the towering cliffs surround us, but we could not see details. Away from our group, there was no sight or sound produced by humankind. It was astounding.

The next morning a couple bass boats zoomed by early, and then we had the area to ourselves for the next several hours. About noon a couple more boats came by. It is amazing to have that much solitude on Lake Powell.

We explored up into the Neskahi area before turning back. We were cautious, not wanting to run out of gas. We could have explored a little farther had we been willing to boat downlake to Dangling Rope Marina to fill our tanks before heading back uplake to Bullfrog. Dangling Rope is some 15 miles below the mouth of the San Juan, so that option would have added 30 miles to our trip.

In all, we boated about 120 miles on 27 gallons of gas, in my 18-foot open bow. We had a 5 gallon can full of gas saved for emergencies. We enjoyed calm weather and glassy water during most of our trip. Had we faced a head wind, we would have needed that emergency supply.

Years ago I launched a small car-top boat at Piute Farms and explored the upper part of the San Juan arm. Now that I've gotten into the lower part I can honestly say I've poked around on every part of the big lake. To me, that's an accomplishment worth bragging about.

- Dave Webb

Lake Powell For Summer's Last Stand

2008-10-15T12:35:00.004-06:00

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Conditions look almost perfect and so I'm heading to Lake Powell this weekend. Weather should be very nice. The only down side is the full moon. (I think fishing is better when the moon isn't bright.) Oh well, I can put up with that.

I am actually taking this trip on assignment from utah.com. My mission is to explore and photograph the remote San Juan arm of the lake. That is the only part of the lake I have not been on. After this weekend, hopefully, I'll be able to say I've poked into every canyon on the lake. I'll be blogging and writing about the adventure.

I had hoped to go fish Scofield this afternoon but I haven't been able to free up time. Maybe next week.

I debated between going to Powell and going to Zion Park. Can't go wrong with either choice. But Zion will continue to be attractive for several more weeks. This may be the last weekend at Powell that is warm enough to play in the water.

I've been creating short videos for utah.com, showing scenic adventures around Utah. I'm attempting to embed one here on houseboating lake Powell. Hopefully, the method we're using to present the videos lends itself to embedding. Click on it - I think it is working.

Now's a great time to houseboat Powell. We're moving into the shoulder season and so prices are coming down. Nights are cooling off and it is nice to be in a heated houseboat. Some of the top-of-the-line boats even have hot tubs and fireplaces. Now that's style.

Me, I'll be in a tent on the beach. But I enjoy that type of outing very much. Not a bad way to spend the weekend.

Last Trip With Summer-Like Conditions

2008-10-13T12:03:00.000-06:00

With the weatherman forecasting beautiful conditions later this week and this weekend, I'm scrambling to plan trips to take advantage of what could be the last summer-like weekend.

Southern Utah temperatures will be pushing into the mid-80s. We will yet have many nice weekends for fishing, hiking, biking and exploring, but this may be the last weekend with temperatures warm enough to enjoy playing in the water at Lake Powell and the Zion Park slot canyons.

What to do... What to do...

I think I'll fish Scofield on Wednesday afternoon. Sneak out of work a little early and take advantage of the sunshine. Reports say fishing there has been very good.

For the weekend, I'm debating between Zion and Powell. Can't go wrong with either of those places.

My boss at utah.com has been talking about sending me to remote parts of the state to do a "Where's Dave" column for our monthly newsletter. I'll see if he really wants to get that going. If he does, I'll try to make this weekend's trip include a destination he wants me to cover.

Last week he had me taking photos around Ogden City, and in the adjoining canyons. The waterfall photo above came from that trip. Here are more.

Shooting Strawberry In The Rain

2008-09-20T22:33:00.002-06:00

Went to Strawberry today to shoot video at scenic points around the reservoir. It was a fun trip and we got some good stuff. We fished for a few minutes but didn't catch anything to brag about. Little fish.

I almost didn't go, fearing the weather would not cooperative. It was windy and rainy at my home in Springville and I figured it would almost certainly be worse there. But the reservoir was gorgeous, with storm clouds blowing across, raindrops falling occasionally, sunlight penetrating clouds, a rainbow, all set against a backdrop of golden aspen and deep, green pines.

I only took a few still photos and I present one of the better images at top right.

I'm making a short video presentation about Strawberry. About all kinds of recreation in the area, not just fishing. Fishing is a big part, of course, but I also need ATV riding, snowmobiling, horseback riding - all the major fun activities you can do in that area.

I still need to get some shots of big fish - that is certainly a very important aspect of Strawberry. I'll probably head up in a few days, if the weather cooperates, and do my best to put people on big fish.

I usually do well at the big reservoir. I know people who do far better, who go up every week and know the reservoir like the back of their hand. I go up 3-4 times a year - there are just too many other great places and so I spread myself too thin to become expert on any one.

Actually, what I need to do is take someone who has zeroed in on big fish, and who looks good in front of the camera. I'm much more comfortable behind the camera, so even if I hook a big one I'll want to let someone else land it for the video.

Do any of you readers want to volunteer to catch a big fish on-camera?

- Dave

Have Quagga Mussels Invaded Utah?

2008-09-16T11:51:00.000-06:00

Water and wildlife managers are concerned because they have found the larval form of what could be zebra or quagga mussels in two reservoirs in NE Utah. The suspect reservoirs are Red Fleet near Vernal and Midview on the Ute Reservation).

Further tests are needed, and the larva may not be either of the invasive mussels.

Below are news reports about the concern.

- Troublesome mussels may have invaded Utah fisheries
- Utah waters may have mussels
- Unwelcome mussels may have entered Utah waters
- Despite prevention effort, invasive mussels may

Biologists have waged an intense battle trying to keep quagga and zebra mussels out of our waters. When they become established they cause all sorts of problems. They out-compete native organisms, sucking up available food sources. They clog pipelines and cause other kinds of damage.

The mussels are established in waters close to Utah and so sportsmen are reminded to take care that they don't transport them here. Boaters need to carefully clean boats and equipment before moving from one water to another.

The DWR has this good information about the problem, and how to help keep the mussels out: Quagga mussel update

Feds Decide Bonneville Cutthroat Is Not Endangered

2008-09-10T16:38:00.001-06:00

The US Fish and Wildlife Service ruled Tuesday that the Bonneville cutthroat trout is not endangered. That's good news for the fish and for Utah sportsmen.

The fish was once through to be totally extinct, before small populations were found in isolated streams in the Great Basin. Those populations were carefully protected, and biologists have been carefully transplanting the fish into other suitable streams.

The reintroduction program has been so successful that the fish is not considered endangered. Additional work is needed, and sportsmen need to be flexible as the fish is transplanted into more waters.

Had the fish been declared endangered, the federal government would have taken control of reintroduction efforts. That could have complicated Utah's extensive sport fish stocking program, and resulted in more major fisheries being managed specifically for the Bonneville Cutt, at the expense of sport fishing..

As is, Utah has carefully reintroduced the fish while also enhancing sport fishing in affected areas.

Below are some news articles about the decision.
Cutthroat trout ducks endangered species list
Feds won't extend protections to Bonneville trout
Bonneville Trout Isn't Endangered
Bonneville Cutthroat Stay off Endangered List

New map shows Zion, Bryce, part of Grand Staircase

2008-09-08T11:54:00.000-06:00

The Salt Lake Tribune reports that the government has released a "new geologic map covering parts of Kane and Washington counties in Utah and Coconino and Mohave counties in Arizona, covering 1,900 square miles."

The map shows Zion and Bryce Canyon nations parks and part of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

The Trip says, "It represents the most recent compilation of the geology for this area and uses new mapping in many places."

It covers some of my favorite areas and so I'm anxious to see it. It will be available at the Department of Natural Resources bookstore, 1594 W. North Temple, Salt Lake City, and probably from other retails, including some on-line sources.

I'll be up at that building tomorrow, helping Blue Ribbon Fisheries plan a new information website, so I'll see if they have any in stock yet.

The Trib also has this interesting new article: Flaming Gorge: Beauty and variety

Hiking Zion Park's Subway

2008-08-07T22:55:00.000-06:00

I was scheduled to lead a group on the Subway canyoneering hike in Zion Park early this week, but we postponed when they posted a flash flood watch. The Subway is a great hike but no place to be in a thunderstorm. We hope to make the trip next week.

I've cleared my schedule so I can go fishing Saturday morning. I'm still debating where to go - if I can actually get away for the whole day I will head up to Moon Lake, in the Uintas. I've wanted to put a small boat with a fish finder on that water, to hunt down the splake. I've got just the boat and so I'm anxious to try it.

Family matters may cut into my day. If that happens I'll probably go to Strawberry.

We're making good progress editing video clips for utah.com. Here are some we've recently created:
- Dead Horse Point State Park
- Slickrock Bike Trial
- Delicate Arch
- Devils Garden
- Arches Windows Section

Check out the amazing video clip on this page showing high water in Cataract Canyon.

The recent court ruling opening streambeds to the public is a major victory for fishermen and other recreationists. It brings the opportunity to fish more waters, but will only stand if sportsmen are responsible and show a spirit of cooperation.

Wes Johnson has written this thoughtful essay about the ruling, and its consequences.

National Parks Multi-Media Content

2008-08-02T23:05:00.000-06:00

People pay me to develop content for their websites. I work hard for them and so I never have time to work on this site. My team has just completed a massive project where we upgraded and expanded the national parks section on utah.com - adding new text, photos and video clips. You can see the new pages here:
- Zion
- Bryce Canyon
- Arches
- Canyonlands
- Capitol Reef

Utah.com ranks very well in the search engines and this content should help keep them right near the top for virtually any search term related to the parks.

Websites are never done - we'll continue to improve the information and add new content, particularly new multi-media.

We'll be adding a large number of new video clips during the next few weeks. We're using video shot for the Utah Office of Tourism. They had a company shoot high quality video for TV spots and other promotions. We're using their "B" roll, which includes some excellent shots of the national parks. We edit it and format it for the web.

We're getting very good at editing video. We're also pretty good at shooting it. Professional, economical and efficient.

Some day we'll have time to develop new clips for this site.
- Dave

Scofield's Sassy Trout

2008-06-02T21:58:00.002-06:00

I fished Scofield Reservoir over the weekend and found action to be surprisingly slow. We caught three - two rainbows and a tiger trout, and had an enjoyable time. The weather was perfect - warm but not hot. The scenery is beautiful up there. The snow is almost gone now - just a little bit in shaded areas.

But, it would have been more enjoyable had we caught a dozen or more trout. We worked hard for our fish, which were fat and fish. Maybe too fat. Definitely well fed, apparently dining on Mayflies. Perhaps the fishing would have been better had the fish been a little more hungry...

Others we talked to reported similar success. Lots of fish in the reservoir, we could see them on the finder. But lazy fish not willing to exert much effort to bit my hook.

But we talked to one buy who was really catching them. He was fishing dead minnows on a long leader under a bobber. Scofield supports a large population of minnows (I think they're red shiners). This guy starts his day by using a minnow trap to catch a bunch, which he keeps on ice and uses as bait throughout the day. (In Utah you can fish with dead minnows, but it is illegal to use them if they are live. Also, the minnows can't be small game fish and cannot be from an endangered/protected species.)

Scofield has a lot of cutthroat and tiger trout that love to eat minnows. Since this guy was using their favorite food, a minnow the fish recognize and love, he was catching big fish all over the place.

Now, I report this with some degree of hesitancy. When I fish I normally practice catch and release, and I fish with flies or lures. When I hook a fish on a fly the hook usually penetrates its lip and is easy to remove. Fish often swallow bait and so the hook goes deep. It is very difficult to release fish unharmed if they have swallowed a baited hook.

I don't have any problem with people keeping a few fish, within the legal limit, if they really will eat them. Scofield has a good trout population and it won't hurt anything if a few fish are harvested. Indeed, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has increased the trout limit at Scofield to 8 fish, to encourage anglers to fish there. (Statewide, the normal limit is 4 trout).

That said, use minnows or other bait if you want a great fishing experience, and you will really eat the fish you harvest.

Me, I'll stick with my flies and lures. It is still early in the season. As the water warms a bit the fish will become more aggressive and I'll do better there.

Scofield is a beautiful reservoir with a very nice campground. It's worth a visit.

- Dave

Strawberry After Ice-Off

2008-05-18T08:40:00.002-06:00

Fishing was tough at Strawberry on Saturday (May 17, 08). We managed to catch 4, all cutts, 17-20 inches, but we had to work for them. Others we talked to had similar reports.

We launched from Renegade and worked the shorelines out from Indian Creek without getting a bite. I thought fish might be moving up toward the mouths of tributaries and so we worked shallow until stopped by weeds, but didn't find the fish.

We marked a few fish as we cruised past the mouth of The Narrows and so we went in. We used the electric motor to crawl up the channel, casting in toward shore, and we had a couple hits but no hookups.

Finally we entered a couple small bays inside The Narrows and that's where we caught our four. All were caught within 2 feet of shore. We had a couple hits out in deeper water but they didn't stick. Two of the fish were caught on a yellow Panther Martin and two were caught on a black Rooster Tail.

We tried many other lures without any luck.

The guys we talked to who had troll caught very few fish.

The fly guys out in tubes caught a few - also working close to shore.

Water was cold and there was still snow down along the shoreline in many areas. The road to Renegade was clear except in one spot where we had to drive through snow. It was no problem pulling the boat through. The launch ramp was fine but there were no docks in the water.

My guess is that fishing will improve within 2 weeks, as the water warms a bit.

Strawberry Tomorrow

2008-05-16T14:08:00.001-06:00

I had planned to be a Lake Powell right now, soaking up the sunshine, catching striped bass and enjoying the big lake. But the two guys going with me both had to cancel and so I decided to postpone the trip. I decided it is worth waiting, to share the fun with them.

My plan is to explore the San Juan arm of the lake. That's a long boat ride and I'd definitely like to have an experienced hand or two with me when I make the journey. Reports suggest the fishing is great up there right now. It should hold for a few weeks, and so I'll still get to enjoy it.

Our plan now is to head down on May 29.

Meanwhile, I'll go fish Strawberry Reservoir tomorrow. The ice is off and I think I know where I can find some big cutts.

I've put a nice electric trolling motor on my little boat. Now I want to add a better fish finder. When I get that on I will have a sweet little craft that is good for fishing and very good for cruising and exploring. It will be fun to see how it works.

Great Hike in Zion Park

2008-05-12T22:33:00.002-06:00

I enjoyed hiking in Zion National Park over the weekend, soaking in the sunshine while we hunted down ancient Native American rock art. We did find great petroglyphs. Along the way we enjoyed seeing wildflowers in full bloom, and we had fun playing in a waterfall on Pine Creek.

We managed to take some great photos, which you can see by clicking on the links below.

Deertrap rock art, located near the top of the pass between Deertrap Mountain and East Temple, approached via Pine Creek. About 1 mile from the road, up steep slickrock.

Petroglyph Canyon rock art, located just north of Hwy 9 on the east side of the park.

Zion wildflowers. Blooms were approaching their peak when we visited on 5-10. Should be impressive for a few more weeks.

Pine Creek waterfall photos. Located about .5 miles above the bridge where Hwy 9 crosses Pine Creek, just below the switchbacks that lead to the tunnel.

My Boat's Ready For Powell

2008-05-03T08:38:00.000-06:00

I had to postpone my Lake Powell fishing trip - the guys I am taking couldn't get away. So now we're scheduled for mid-May. Maybe that will turn out to be a good thing. The fishing should still be excellent, hopefully the weather will be nicer and the water will be warmer.

It will be a serious fishing trip, but it would be nice it the water is warm enough that we can jump in and play a bit.

I've done basic maintenance on my boat and I think it is ready to go. This delay will give me a chance to test it on a local lake just to be sure. It is a small jet boat that I've rigged for fishing. Not a bad little boat. I do want to put an electric trolling motor on its bow - then it will be a nice setup. Goes fast, economical to run, open so 2-3 people can fish easily. And it goes in shallow water.

I bought the boat so I could go on the Colorado at Lees Ferry and other such spots. Just need to make time to take it out.

Mid-May is coming fast.

Serious Spring Fishing

2008-04-26T08:28:00.000-06:00

The next few weeks will bring some of the best fishing of the year and I've decided to make time to enjoy it. I'll start by fishing Lake Powell next weekend.

I don't have the time - business is good and that means I'm busy. But I need and want the diversion and recreation. And the social interaction. I'll fish with family and friends, and hopefully make new friends in the process.

I'm also going to make time to improve this website. It is becoming a valuable resource and it won’t be hard to make it much better. So, I'll be blogging on a fairly consistent basis.

My approach to blogging is changing slightly. I had viewed it as a means to post major, well-thought-out articles. Well, I haven't had time to do that. So, I'll post articles the old fashioned way and use the blog to talk about the website, my plans, what's in my mind - that kind of stuff.

I do look forward to going to Powell - it is one of my favorite places on earth. I hope to get up into the San Juan Arm. I've poked into virtually every canyon on the lake, except those in the distant San Juan, so this trip should help me complete a quest. And the fishing is supposed to be excellent up there.

I'll probably go out of Bullfrog, carrying enough fuel to get up the arm and then back to Dangling Rope.

If any of you have made that trek, I'm interested in hearing from you.

And I welcome comments about all aspects of this site.

- Dave

Sand Hollow and Snow Canyon

2008-03-03T23:29:00.005-07:00

By Aaron Webb

I lived in Leeds, Utah when I a very little child—too young to be cognizant of much. I can’t picture the house; I don’t remember any of our neighbors. But I do have vague memories of the desert, specifically the red rock. I am sure that many of the images that come to my head when I think of my earlier years come from the now-legendary tales of my infant adventures, and not from direct memory, but there are specific images that have always been associated with my years down by St George.

Even after we moved up to Salt Lake City, we continued visiting the deserts of Southern Utah. Much of my dad’s family still lived down there, and we would head to Leeds, Pine Lake, or Black Canyon for family reunions, or just get together with a few uncles, aunts, and cousins and go explore the red rock.

It has been a few years since I have been able to spend consistent time in the Southwest desert as I have repeatedly moved around the country, and out of the country. Iraq is a desert, but without the awesome sandstone that makes up the slot canyons of the Escalante area, or the fins of Arches National Park. Argentina has a wonderful desert up on the northern border with Bolivia, a part of one of the most arid deserts in the world. But it lacks the red rock for which St George and Moab are famous, and the fluted canyons that have drawn tourists from every corner of the globe to Zion National Park.

Only recently, as I have returned to Utah, have I been able to continue my love affair with the desert, taking trips down to the San Rafael Swell, and Moab among other places. I have felt like a wayward son, returning at last to the family that had waited patiently and lovingly for him.

Two weeks ago I had the chance to return to Leeds and St George, my first time back in years. My dad was going down to take pictures of some of the tourist destinations, and my wife, my daughter, and I tagged along with him. Memories of our honeymoon—that is right, you can laugh all you want, but we enjoyed every minute of our honeymoon in the deserts of Southern Utah—came flooding back to us as we dropped down into the valleys below Cedar City. My wife and I marveled again at the awesome glimpses of the Kolob Canyons as we drove down I-15, tucked so cleverly behind the roadside mountains of ‘ordinary’ sandstone and shale.

Zion was not our destination this time, however. We were there to tour Sand Hollow Reservoir and Snow Canyon.

We arrived at Sand Hollow late in the afternoon, just as the winter sun was beginning to sink to the horizon. The red sandstone of the reservoir blazed in the setting sun, contrasting sharply against the dark water and the darkening sky. It was cool, but not cold out, even as the rest of the state readied for another night’s freeze. We only had a half-hour or so to enjoy the scenery before the sun set, so we started scrambling across the red rock on the reservoir shore. We showed Katie (our 15-month old daughter) the bass lurking around the deeper rock-enclosed pools of water, and the hundreds of birds that flocked to the rock-islands out in the middle of the reservoir. She took to climbing the sandstone immediately, and though she needed our help in the endeavor, she enjoyed it immensely and determinedly, refusing to give up. She only fussed when the sun set and we had to take her back to the vehicle.

Our goal for the following morning was to drive into Snow Canyon and find a trail that appealed to us. Though we were not going to take the little girl on a grueling hike, the trail we sought could not be too short, because all of us, even Katie, wanted time to soak up the desert air, and enough mileage to satisfy our itch to explore.

Snow Canyon State Park is gorgeous, 7,400 acres of wilderness consisting of lava-capped plateaus, drifting sand dunes, riparian river bottoms, and the iconic Utah red rock in all of its variety of hoodoos, slots, and spires. There are over 18 miles of hiking trails within the park, along with a well-maintained, full-amenities campground and numerous picnic areas.

We decided on the Hidden Pinyon Overlook, about half-way up the main canyon. It would be short enough to allow us time for other excursions, and to keep the kid happy, but provide a good sampling of the canyon, lava flows and all.

One of the interesting—and potentially—beneficial things about Snow Canyon is how interwoven the trails are. I could hike from the Whiterocks Trail up at the north end, all the way down to Johnson Canyon without touching the main road for more than the one-time, thirty-second period that it would take me to cross it on the way from the Whiptail Trail, towards the canyon.

From the Hidden Pinyon Trailhead, we had the option to follow the Hidden Pinyon loop, or to visit the overlook, or to continue on the Three Ponds Trail, crossing West Canyon Road. Alternatively, we could have headed south or north once we reached the junction with the Whiptail Trail, or entered the Petrified Dunes once we reached its junction.

I would imagine that so many options could seem confusing and disorienting to some visitors, but all of these trails coincide within the same small section of canyon, only 5 miles long, and 2 miles wide, and most of them are within sight and sound of Snow Canyon Drive, the main road that sits at the bottom of the canyon. There are signs placed at nearly every trail intersection, making it easy to judge direction and distance to your destination.

We decided to keep it simple for time’s sake, following along the Hidden Pinyon Trail until it reached the Overlook. There were other hikers on the trail, but not enough to make it crowded, mostly small families. The path was easy to follow and in good repair, but still primitive. I personally do not like hiking trails that are grated and improved so much that they might as well be paved—if that was what I wanted I would be walking on the road. There were some tricky places, where hikers have to duck under an overhang, or scramble between two narrow walls. That kind of hiking adds to the experience in my opinion, and I would have welcomed more. For those who do not enjoy such obstacles, either for problems related to health, age, etc, there are generally secondary routes that go around the obstacle, though I intend on taking the hard way for as long as my aging knees and back permit.

The officials at Snow Canyon, as in so many other areas of Utah, have determined to keep hikers on the pathways and away from the soft sand and vegetation. There are some good reasons for this; desert flora can be very fragile. I know we all imagine the amazingly tough and hardy cacti and junipers when we think of desert flora, even as we tromp through the tiny wildflowers, or the biological soil crust that includes algae, lichens, mosses, and fungi, all vital parts of the arid ecosystem of the desert. There are large sections of bare sandstone for those who are itching to get off of the trails, and the trails themselves are plentiful and interesting enough to sate our wanderlust without having to disturb the environment any more than we have to.

My daughter thoroughly enjoyed the trail, putting more miles on those little legs of hers. She would run away from me when I tried to rescue her from a seemingly difficult section of red rock, preferring to do it herself. I still grabbed her every now and then so that we could maintain a decent pace, more from the fact that she liked to stop and study the bugs, rocks, sand, leaves, and whatever else might have found its way onto the path, than from her not being able to keep up.

Hidden Pinyon Overlook is a bluff that sticks out over the sandstone and lava rock of the West Canyon Road and the Three Ponds Trail. The Overlook itself is capped by black lava rock and scrubby desert brush. The whole Snow Canyon area is one of the gems of greenery that Utah is famous for, tucked into the red and brown folds of the southwest desert.

From where we stood atop the Overlook, the view of the canyon below us opened up impressively. It was very peaceful up there, the only sounds coming from the light winter breeze—remarkably warm despite the horizon-grazing inclination of the sun—and the movement and conversation that we initiated.

Our no-fear daughter was adamant about exploring the very edge of the cliff. It was not a far drop, only 30 or 40 feet before the next tier, but that was enough to make us nervous. Much to her irritation, we kept her away from the bluff, only allowing her to play on the rocks on the trail.

All too soon it was time to head back. We still had a few other places to visit before the short winter day was through, and it was now early afternoon. The hike back down the trail was quicker—we had already explored all of the eye-catching scenery that we could find along the way up, and Katie was tired, so we carried her instead of letting her set the pace.

With Katie and my dad resting in the car, Rebecca and I took a stroll to the Sand Dunes to enjoy some leisure time before leaving the canyon. The Sand Dunes sit at the base of the canyon, below West Canyon Road, and beside Jenny’s Canyon. The area of the dunes is rather small, only a few hundred feet wide, and 1,000 feet long, but still sufficiently large enough to roll down the sides of the dunes, or to play football on the flat stretches. The picnic area is directly above the dunes, as are the restrooms.

There are a number of other amazing hikes within the small confines of Snow Canyon. West Canyon Road is the longest hike among the many within the canyon, open to hikers, joggers, and bikers. It extends from the Sand Dunes to the upper end of the park. The Cinder Cone Trail at the north end of the park takes visitors to the top of a 500-foot cinder cone crater, one of a few that are part of the Santa Clara Volcano, a field of volcanic activity that covers all of St George. Jenny’s Canyon is a small slot canyon just across the road from the Sand Dunes. It is short, easy to get to, easy to navigate, and makes a great candidate for an afternoon of exploration.

Florida Girl Learns to Ski

2008-02-23T22:22:00.002-07:00

By Rebecca Webb

(See more photos from this trip)

What did I do well? I went fast, very fast. Stopping, on the other hand, proved a tad more difficult for this first time skier.

My never-been-skiing-either sister, Rachel, met us before we headed out at 10 Saturday morning to rent equipment in Orem before making it to Sundance. David explained that the equipment and prices are always better when rented someplace other than the ski resort (and after the $5 hotdogs I was a believer!).

The entrance to the rental room was in the back of a posh sporting goods store but the restroom was in the front so I spent some of my time running around the building. The helpful employees explained the package options and proceeded to help us locate the necessary equipment. “The ski boot is suppose to fit tight,” they explained, so when the heel of my fat, uh, wide foot had lots of wiggle room the knowledgeable employee handed me an entirely different model shoe. Cool. But since this one seemed to fit even worse and the rest of my party were just about finished with their renting I went with the first pair. The whole process took longer than I had expected, 45 minutes or so for the 3 people needing supplies. I was glad we arrived when we had because I would have hated to be part of the line that formed behind us. Some advice, do not over-tighten the boot knob in an effort to compensate for heel freedom; it only serves to cut off vital blood flow to the leg.

So with boots, poles and slender pieces of composite material, we headed off. In an effort to ward off the cold I did what any supply-lacking, warm-blooded (and intelligent) person would do: I dressed in layers. Unmentionables, long johns, jeans and sweatpants covered my bottom half while the turtleneck, shirt, sweater and coat engulfed my top. Now, you can laugh, but of all the things I was that day, I was not cold.

Parking provided a practice-run in skiing. We were directed to park in an obscure location and given the option of skiing down a steep hill to the lift or “hike” down to the road to catch a bus of sorts. I thought the steep hill suggestion was a joke offered by the glove-less traffic director but marks in the snow proved otherwise. I’m sure the fact that we decided to go skiing on a holiday weekend at Sundance during the Sundance Film Festival had nothing at all to do with the crowds. Still, compared to Disney World, it was nothing.

Hiking downhill in skis and/or ski boots is probably doable if you are familiar with how to ski. Much to the amusement of others, my sister and I spent most of our time learning how to get up. Once we made it to the road it did not take long to board and be dropped off near the park’s entrance. We waited in line to exchange our vouchers for lift tickets. Most people were purchasing lift tickets, which come in either half or full day allowances. I concluded that I would probably only make use of a half-day ticket. Why? Because it’s extra cold in the morning so I wouldn’t make it out as soon as the park opened and then after all the physical excursion and injuries to be had, a full day would be cut short. Nope, half a day would be long enough for this beginner. A word of advice, we were given a thin metal triangle and a sticker that made up the ski lift pass. Attach the metal device onto the zipper of your outer coat and then cover the device’s opening with the adhesive ski lift pass. This way it doesn’t fall off while you’re cursing/tumbling down the mountain.

Now, not everyone in the party was to be skiing this day. David would be taking photos and Jenny and Xanthe were going to be snow boarding. Jenny has had a bit of practice and enjoys this high-speed balancing sport but Xanthe was as inexperienced at snow boarding as a baby is to crawling. After her first frustrating, long and painful trip down the slope she traded Aaron for his skis. It worked out perfectly really, my husband had a great time bruising his caboose (literally) and Xanthe enjoyed staying upright.

Watch out for the ski lift. It consists of benches that fit 3-4 people. (Neat side note: Sundance’s lift is operated on wind energy!) That seat will come up on your fast and knock you right over if not careful. I found the key was to be positioned in front of the bench, in a row with your companions and ready to sit before it comes around. The first time for me was rough because the workers won’t stop the machine for anything!

Going up the mountain was as inspiring as skiing down it is exhilarating! If you hold your breath and ask your companions to shush, there is just crisp cold, white snow, sturdy evergreens peaking out from beneath and an amazing presence of silence. It’s gorgeous.

The lift exit comes up quick and I had to watch the people in front of me sliding off to know that I wasn’t intended to continue all the way up the mountain. Getting off the lift proved pretty easy because you just have to give a little hop down and you’re there! Seeing that the benches then quickly rise up left me with no worry about being hit in the back of the head.

Most of the first trip down was spent getting back up after a fall. The concern about breaking an ankle was lessened after I found that the boot would disconnect from the ski when I fell at a threatening angle. There are only two down sides to this. 1) The ski can slide away from you while it is detached and 2) getting the boot clicked back in is a challenge when just standing is difficult. Still, I got the hang of it. I found that leaning some of my weight onto my poles made it easier.

Back on my feet, I’m cruising down this mountain, trying to keep the snow off my glasses when the next thing I know is that I have to find the beanie because it belongs to someone else. It took several seconds to gather enough of my wits to realize my glasses were missing. By this time pain was spreading from the side of my face, which had apparently made contact with the ground, throughout the rest of my head. This was bad. What a hard fall! Was there blood? No. Glasses were still intact and I spotted the beanie several feet away. This was it; I was not going to go down again. Or would I?

I made it down the rest of the mountain by falling whenever the trees zipped by too quickly. Speed wasn’t so much the problem as not knowing how to slow down! I was trying everything people suggested but it just didn’t seem to work for me! Unfortunately, the last slope is the steepest but dropping my rear and going down on three “skis” made it possible.

Everyone in our party met up at the foot of the hill and shared stories. Xanthe had a rough time on the snowboard but Jenny had stayed with her. Aaron wanted to try the snowboard and Rachel had also fallen a lot. Everyone prepared to head down a second time and I just had to go again, I couldn’t waste a ski lift pass! But oh how my head hurt!

No lift mishap the second time around had me feeling like we were off to a good start. Aaron spent most of his time falling down the first slope but it was good practice for him. Apparently, snowboarding presents quite a challenge. Xanthe was managing well on her skis and Rachel seemed to be falling less.

As for myself, I rationalized that I would dedicate the first few, more level slopes to improving the slowing techniques. Things did not go as planned. I couldn’t slow down! Now, at first the speed is exhilarating. How could it not be? I could feel the cool air whipping around but it just felt crisp and wonderful. The skis made the same sound like they do on TV and I suddenly understood adrenaline junkies. However, “You’ll have to stop sometime,” became conscious and I wanted to cry. Thank goodness I could steer! Leaning to one side and the other came so natural. Avoiding gazing bystanders and using the zigzag technique to dampen gaining speed I shot down the mountain. The resolved to fall in order to stop was painful but what else could I do? So that would be the plan, stay upright (but crouched to maintain some control) until the very last slope and throw myself on the mercy of the land. That’s just what I did.

Upon seeing someone speeding down the mountain, David began to snap photos from the bottom of the slopes when suddenly, a cloud of dust. After realizing whom it was he was considerate and tried to keep the laughing to a minimum. But I didn’t care, for all that mattered at that point was: I hadn’t hit my head! What fun.

Careful contemplation concluded that I owed it to society to not go down again until I’d learned how to slow down and stop. So I took the advice offered earlier and joined the tiny kids on their little slopes to practice. I felt a little like Will Ferrell in Elf at Santa’s shop. Still, the skills improved and I had a good time.

Everyone else enjoyed themselves too. On her fourth time down Rachel proudly announced, “I didn’t fall this time and I even went faster!” I was just a tad bit jealous. If I get a chance to do it all over again I will certainly still dress warmly but add waterproof gloves. I will be sure to stay hydrated this next time and to practice practice practice before heading to the big slopes.

Petrglyphs and Pictograms

2008-01-21T22:10:00.001-07:00

By Aaron Webb

(View more photos of Black Dragon Canyon; photos of Petroglyph Canyon. Area map.)

Somewhere around the New Year, I had a chance to make a quick trip down to the San Rafael Swell and to take my toddling daughter along for the ride. This would be her first hiking trip—she is only 14 months old—and I was excited to see how she would handle the uneven, rocky trails, and the separation from a warm, comfortable home, with toys, sippy cups, and most importantly, mom.

We were tagging along with my father, little sister, and the family dog. Our goal was to find Black Dragon Canyon and Petroglyph Canyon near the junction of Highway 6 and Interstate 70. We wanted to get some pictures of the artwork, and of the surrounding rock formations. Beyond that, it was simply an excuse to get away and enjoy the marvelous outdoors that Utah offers.

Along with Katie’s first time hiking, this was my first time in a while (I’m not going to count military marches), and I was more than a little excited to be scrambling through the redrock again as I had as a youth.

The drive from Utah County to the San Rafael Swell was relatively quick, only three hours—I am used to 18 hour trips where 12 of them are spent on the road, just to nab some photos of an arch or a set of dinosaur tracks. But three hours is still long for a girl who is has just barely seen her first Halloween. So I was delighted when my little girl was pleasant almost the entire way. I owe my sister, Xanthe, for that one. She is great with kids, and Katie has taken an instant liking to her. We spent a little more time at each fuel stop in order to let her run around and explore the snow. That seemed to keep her happy. You can never appreciate too much having a baby that is easily amused and well-behaved on a long car trip.

The temperature had dropped as we reached Soldier Summit, but now continued to steadily rise as we neared our sanctuary: the vast reaches of the magical Utah desert. I ought to let you know now that I grew up in Salt Lake, among other places, but almost all of my remaining childhood memories take place within the slot canyons, evergreen forests, and hoodoos of southern Utah.

By the time we reached the San Rafael Swell, the temperature had finally started flirting with a warm 32 degrees Fahrenheit or so. Perfect for us seasoned wasteland-dwellers. Katie on the other hand was not so thrilled. She has been hesitant in her acceptance of snow, something I had not expected. When we moved here from North Carolina, I had fully expected her to delight in the wondrous Christmas snow. Instead, she—the daughter of a Floridian girl, mind you—had tentatively touched it once, and then signaled that she wanted mommy to pick her back up.

And now she was staring dubiously at the frozen ground as we got out of the truck and started preparations for the short hike to Black Dragon Canyon. I mentioned that it was warmer now. Sure, warmer than the negative temperatures that we had been watching tick across the display of our vehicle on the way up Soldier Summit. But a temperature of a few degrees short of freezing is darn cold if you’re brand-spanking-new to it.

Katie did remarkably well. At first, starting away from the truck, I was holding her. I would put her down in the dry wash, trying to urge her to hike with us, to explore. She would take a few steps, get uncomfortably mired in a patch of sand or half-way atop a teetering rock, and she would start to whine for help. Then I would pick her up and catch up with my dad, sister, and our border collie.

It only took twenty minutes for her to become comfortable with the concept of hiking. She still struggled and fell every here and there, but she adamantly refused my hand from there on out. By the time we reached the black dragon, she was ignoring my attempts to help her climb, preferring to find her own way up the rocks. I just climbed beside her, ready to catch her when she fell.

The rock art panels in Black Dragon Canyon are marvelous. There are ornate human figures, a dog, and of course, the dragon. They are located just over half a mile up the canyon, at the base of the looming north wall—though it requires a bit of a scramble up the mounds of fallen stone and deposited sediment in order to reach the base of the rock face. The rock art is surrounded by a log barrier that makes them hard to miss. The barrier has an opening at the trailhead that leads up the loose rock.

Unfortunately, the dragon and its cohorts have been vandalized—someone outlined the drawings with white chalk. For some reason, past visitors have felt the need to add their own artistic signature to those of the ancient Indians; they scrawl or gouge their graffiti with complete disregard for the history and preservation of our dwindling examples of ancient southwest art. Just as bad, but somehow excusable to such people, they outline ancient rock art in chalk to better photograph them and make it easier to notice the figures from the trail. These practices destroy petroglyphs and pictographs and ruin the exciting experience of searching for and finding such sites for future generations.

Finding rock art is a spiritual experience for me. There is something profound about the sincere representation of a person’s life, culture, and religious beliefs left scribed onto the side of a cliff for me, hundreds or thousands of years later to come along and ponder. The earliest forms of writing and recorded history were conceived on the walls of ancient caves and canyons, giving us a link to those who passed on so long before our modern world.

I sat under the eaves of the north wall, Katie playing in the rocks at my feet, and I gazed up at the massive canyon that rose about me. The subdued red, brown, and gray of the sandstone contrasted sharply against the crisp blue sky. As I sat there I realized that I have not seen a sky so crystal blue in a long time; it almost seemed electric. I have been back east, and in the Middle East for quite a while now, surrounded by the haze and the humid gray of development and smog. Even Iraq lacked the color of the San Rafael desert around me. This was a therapy session for me.

All too soon it was time to move on. We backtracked toward the truck, walking slow so that Katie could keep up with us. She would stop every thirty seconds or so and examine the pebbles on the trail. She likes to take rocks home for her mommy. We got back to the truck eventually and drove to the trailhead for Arch Canyon and the route to Petroglyph Canyon. I took twenty minutes to run up Box Spring Canyon located at the trailhead, taking pictures of the frozen creek, while the others ate.

Then we were following a ravine that ran perpendicular to the reef, into Arch Canyon. The hike up the westward canyon is short, though steeper than Black Dragon, which is relatively flat up to the dragon itself. Arch Canyon splits a little ways in, going to the right while the tiny Petroglyph Canyon heads left. We went to the end of Arch first, eager to explore. The canyon ends at what could be a decent swimming hole dependent on the temperature of the water—in the cold of winter it served better as a skating rink as we ran and slid across its frozen surface in our hiking boots and running shoes. Katie daintily started out across the ice, and promptly did the splits as her feet flew out from under her. Bewildered but undaunted, she finally accepted my help as she stood and started out across the slippery surface again.

Above the ice rink the canyon walls close in and create a dead end that would require climbing gear to mount. At the top of the canyon wall is a set of three small arches, two of them very close, the third farther down and to the right. These arches give the canyon its name. Arch canyon is labeled as possessing a triple arch, which is a misnomer as the arches are not connected to each other.

We explored the end of Arch Canyon for a bit longer and then turned back to where Petroglyph Canyon branches off of Arch Canyon and heads in a southwesterly direction. Petroglyph is an extremely short, blunted canyon with its rock art along the black-varnished west wall, very close to the end. The walls of Petroglyph were darker than Arch, and very angular. There are two sections of rock art here, petroglyphs of herd animals and their tracks etched into the dark varnished area of wall, and then, harder to find, a faded panel only a stone’s down canyon of that. Sadly, this smaller panel had been vandalized in the past, gouged with a blade. Visitors who witness the vandalism of a rock art site should report it immediately.

Katie was starting to fuss now as we entered the canyon in search of the rock art panels. It was later in the afternoon and she was getting cold and hungry. The early evening wind was becoming frigid, and though she was bundled up, my little girl was starting to feel the clinging cold on the ends of her fingers and nose. That cut our exploration short slightly; we took enough time to find the petroglyphs and take some photos of them, and then we took off, emerging back into the gulch beside the great San Rafael reef.

I carried Katie back to the truck, anxious to get the little kid out of the cold, and to get some food in her belly. I hate hurrying through the sandstone deserts of southern Utah. I enjoy taking my time and soaking in the scenery. Like the ancient petroglyphs and pictographs and their timelessness and mystery, I have always felt that the desert hides great wonders that I will discover if I only stay long enough to watch and listen. I feel different after a weekend of bouldering or canyoneering. It is rejuvenating and awakening. I certainly enjoy the climbing itself. I enjoy the feel of the single-track racing by under my tires. I crave the adrenaline boost that fuels my last pull up a rock face. But there is something underneath it all when I stop and relax. Something subtle and quiet, almost religious.

For Katie, I doubt that the experience was so humbling. Instead, I think that she concentrated on the rock-scrambling. That is all right with me. Culture increases as awareness grows. I am not worried that she will long remain blind to the history and ecology of her home. Until then, it is neat to see her develop a taste for the outdoors, to see her focus on one stone and the path that she will have to take in order to climb around or atop it. I am eager to see in two or three years how much her love for hiking and climbing has grown.

Until then, I am going to continue to share the experience with her. I am going to continue to let her explore the vast deserts and sub-alpine forests of Utah. If she is as much of a sandstone junkie as I am when she grows up, I will know that I have done my job.

Brainwashing at its finest.

Whirlwind Trip to Spain

2007-11-23T16:25:00.002-07:00

By Aaron Webb

My wife and I have wanted to go to Europe longer than we have known each other. Rebecca has envisioned the backdrops of France, Greece, and Italy as her ultimate honeymoon since she was young. I always had in mind a visit to the castles of Germany and the British Isles. These all remained fantasies though. We stayed in the country for our honeymoon—having an extraordinary time in a few luxurious resorts of the redrock deserts in Utah—and have continued to dream of our eventual trip to Europe.

Through the years I have somehow picked up the notion that in order to go anywhere far away and truly enjoy yourself, you need to take an extended trip. I thought it would be foolish and costly to fly across the world to stay for only a few nights. That philosophy has led to the quiet death of more than one potential weekend of travel.

A few months ago, we set aside time for a vacation this October, the first one since our daughter was born. The months crawled by, closing in on the date as we surfed the net for vacation deals. We had a dream vacation in the works to go to Ireland, slowly building an idea of where we wanted to go, and what we wanted to do once there. Then, just a few months back, we made the decision that we needed to save more money; I was in the middle of a planned job change, and school and other expenses were still, as of yet, unknown. Ireland was again put on a back burner, and we began looking a little more local.

Time was moving on quickly. Katie was growing, babbling, crawling, and then walking. But we were so busy, exhausted, and discouraged by the hectic and busy turn that our lives had taken in the last year that we could find nowhere that spoke to us of rest and relaxation. Even the inspiration and the desire to sit down and plan an escape were gone. There was the baby to consider. There was work. Our schedules were ridiculous, and even on vacation it was looking like we would be working.

A few days before we were supposed to leave, my mom flew into North Carolina. She would stay and watch our little girl while we relaxed somewhere on our second honeymoon.

Only one problem: we still did not know where we were going.

Two days before our vacation started, we were just narrowing it down to a road trip somewhere along the Atlantic coast. Talk about failure to plan. My wife made the suggestion to drive down to Charleston, South Carolina, for the historic feel to the city, and the ghost tours of the old buildings. I liked the idea, so we rented a car and packed up. We did not have anything planned for lodging or food, or even specific sites to see, just a spot on a map. So we packed the tent and our sleeping bags, and everything else that we thought we might need on our improvised odyssey.

We were on the road, thirty minutes away from our home when my wife called a friend, who reminded us that the military had free flights for military families out of Charleston to Spain and Germany.

Spain.

Europe.

Rebecca got off of the phone, and we looked at each other, the unasked question very clear. I was already slowing down and getting ready to turn the car back for Jacksonville.

Back home, we rummaged in the garage until we found our passports—great place to keep legal documents—and ran back to the car as my bewildered mom laughed and held little Katie.

We did not know how we were going to swing it in the few days we had free, and we did not know whether the vacation would end up being more of a hassle than a relaxation. We did not even know if we would be able to get on the plane, for scheduling concerns, passport concerns, and a billion other little problems that seemed to rise into some unmountable wall. But we were determined to try.

We got to Charleston with enough time to drive to the beach and eat dinner at a nice little seafood joint next to the water, then drove back to the city and onto the Air Force base, where we went through the procedures required to be included on the military flight to Spain.

We were in a daze the entire waiting period, still unsure as to whether this was reality or a dream. It was the equivalent to a how a child would feel if all of a sudden he or she learned that Christmas would come twice this year. We kept talking about all of the things that we would do once we got there, the sites we would see, the food we would try, the dialects of Spanish that we would hear.

Our flight would take us to a place on the southwest coast of Spain, a town called Rota, which boasts an American Navy base. It was in the Andalucia area of Spain, the Mediterranean part of the country that boasts Moorish architecture, spicy food, and a warm climate. As we looked in our travel guide, we found plenty of castles, exotic Roman and Moorish ruins, and plenty of other mouth-watering attractions with which to sate some of our appetite.

Over and over we would look at each other in wonder.

Spain.

We were going to Spain.

Our flight was classified as Space Available, which means the military sticks you on a cargo jet, if they have room for you. Then you have to plan a return trip, again, if they have room. There were a dozen or so of us stuffed onto a plane full of armored vehicles destined for Iraq. The eight-hour flight on folding seats in a chilly aircraft was not the mahogany and suede image of luxury, but on a free flight you get what you pay for.

We stepped off of the plane into the surprisingly dry climate of south-western Spain, Andalucian ground. There was a moment of blockbuster-quality slowed time where we both simply looked to each other and smiled. We were in Europe.

Granted, we were still on an American military base, but we were there. It was already very late, so we spent the night in cheap military lodging and set off in the morning to rent another car and have my wife’s passport stamped. We had been given a ton of vague information on the correct procedure to make sure you are allowed back in the States, or are even able to successfully get a seat on a return flight. So we rushed around until the afternoon of that first day chasing stamps, papers, and signatures. As we went, we made hasty, adrenaline-fueled plans, like the huddle before the last down.

Then we were free. We had a little car—when I say little, I really mean little. Even their freight trucks are small. While I am sure that there are other reasons beside, we found out that Europeans drive tiny cars because anything bigger does not fit on their narrow streets. We drove down the Atlantic coast to an ancient town called Cádiz, the port where Cristopher Columbus set sail for the Americas on more than one occasion, and the oldest continually inhabited city in western Europe.

Cádiz was not at all the small village that I was expecting. There is a large, bustling downtown area where buses, toy cars, and throngs of people hurry from point A to point B throughout their day. But as we closed in on the historic area of town, we found archaic chapels, mansions, and fortresses, all crammed into the urban maze that is European city planning. There is a large castle out on a stretch of rocks, coral, and sand, accessible by a long stone causeway. People were off of the walkway, catching crabs and fish in the hundreds of tidal pools along the way. We found the castle gates locked, but were delighted to find the rocks an exotic playground in their own right. Anemones, sea urchins, shrimp, crabs of various size and color, and darting fish all inhabited these hidden basins of water among the treacherous footing of the jagged stone and broken coral. The incoming tide surged through tunnels in the coral, crashing up like mini geysers as we picked our way among the sharp crags and small pools.

We strolled through the streets until late that evening, enjoying the crowds, the old buildings and the atmosphere of the antique port. Finally, suffering from jetlag, tired and stressed out, we slept in our car while the gaditanos, as the residents of the old city are known, partied around us until the early hours of the morning.

The next morning, relaxing in bed until ten or eleven in the morning, we headed straight to Seville, the fourth largest metropolitan area in Spain, and an area with much historical and artistic value. If Cádiz was large, then Seville was immense. A bustling city if I have ever seen one; it reminded me of Buenos Aires, only more open. We were there on a Sunday, and still there were people and vehicles everywhere. We were searching for a local branch of our church there in Seville, and even after figuring out how to get there, it still took us another thirty minutes just to find a parking spot.

Let me warn you now how easy it is to get lost in the tight streets between 18th century—and older—buildings. On the map, you see where you are, and where you want to go. Then you get there and you find that you cannot just drive straight down the easiest route in order to reach your destination. Partly because the roads are rarely straight, and rarely last for more than two or three blocks before t-boning or making a lazy curve in some other direction. But even more confusing is the fact that all of these inner city roads are one-way. The streets were planned and constructed centuries before cars were around, and are extremely narrow. So we ended up driving around to the other side of the maze, parking half a mile from the church, and walking.

It was a nice walk, one that we had wanted to do anyway. It is a gorgeous city. Elaborately ornate buildings are everywhere downtown, and we had a lot of fun just holding hands as we walked and admired the architecture. We did not make it in time for our church meetings, so we sat on the steps and ate crackers instead, gazing at an old plaza with pretty fountains and lovely orange trees.

We took the opportunity then to finish the walk through the historical downtown and went to the royal palace and the cathedral. The palace was not open on Sunday, and you could not enter the cathedral, one of the largest in Europe, unless you were willing to pay, And we try not to spend money on Sunday. So we admired them from the outside. Looking at the cathedral gave my wife flashbacks of the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

On the way out of the city, we were trying to navigate back to Rota, our base of operations for the trip, without taking the toll road. But the non-toll roads are not as readily advertised or as easy to find, so we were having a hard time of it. After a half an hour or so of wandering up and down different routes, just as we were reaching the end of our patience with Spanish freeway planning, we stumbled into a suburb of Seville, the small town called Alcalá de Guadaira, complete with a sea serpent bridge, and a castle ruin.

Alcalá was an important city hundreds of years ago for the baked products that it sent to Seville everyday. A large percentage of Seville’s bread came from the smaller town. Even more, Alcalá was necessary to the area because of the castle. The town’s castle was one of the foremost defenses of the province.

Needless to say, we were thrilled about the castle. We spent the rest of the afternoon running along the crumbling walls of the ancient castle, which sits on a hill above the town. Alcalá has a long history; the Moors built the castle upon the ruins of a Roman settlement, whose baths have just been unearthed within the last decade.

The sun was sinking towards the horizon as we entered the castle walls, reading placards of information about the ancient structure. Boys were playing soccer in the courtyard, and the towers hovered over them, yellow and gray against a reddening sky. There was a feeling of peace there, despite the military purpose of the fortress. We climbed the walls and walked across their crumbling battlements.

Atop one of the towers, a solitary little oak, no more than a shrub really, grew out of the stone beside a worn gargoyle. It reminded both of us of the blarney stone of Ireland. So I snapped a photo while Rebecca lay on her belly and leaned over the edge of the tower to kiss the gargoyle’s head. Then we continued our exploration of the castle. Almost an entire roll of film later, the sunset was dimming in the west and we needed to leave. The castle was lit from the hillside below, bathing it in a yellow glow that shone like a beacon across the city.

Sadly, we drove away from Alcalá, intending once more to find a toll free route back to Rota. Though it took a few hours driving around on the confusing roads in the black of the Spanish night, we finally made our way back to Rota without having to pay a toll. Triumph.

There was a celebration going on in Rota when we pulled in, but I was tired, and figured that we would have other fiestas to attend, so we crashed that night at the naval lodging, exhausted and ready for a good night’s sleep. We awoke again too late for breakfast, a pattern we had set the first morning there in Spain, and begun to make plans for the morning. We wanted to go east towards Granada, Cordoba, and the White Towns. Every morning though we called in to check on outbound flights back to Charleston. This morning we were told that there would be no flights to Charleston for the rest of the week, and that the Rota airport was closing within a few days.

So we started asking about other destinations, and found that the only flight that would eventually put us back in Charleston, without pushing our luck, was leaving that afternoon. We had roughly four hours before we had to be back at the Rota airport, awaiting our flight to New Jersey, where we would spend the night and then fly down to Charleston.

Now I was kicking myself for having made sleep a priority over the party last night. You only live once, right? I think I am turning into a grumbling, creaking old man ahead of my time.

Our vacation had just been cut short by about four days. Bummed, we sat there for a while, trying to figure out what we could do in four hours. Should we stay in Rota? Should we try to find souvenirs for family members nearby? Too much to do, and so very little time.

The decision proved to be quite daring. We were going to drive out to the first of the White Towns, one called Medina Sidonia. It was just over an hour away according to the map. But we had up to this point not found much reason to trust the map, or the road signs (and the oft-time lack of road signs). Still, four hours. We could probably make it there and back in that time to catch our flight back to the States.

There was only one way to find out. This was an adventure after all, and I was determined to make up for missing out on the celebration the night before.

So we got in our rental and flew down the roads of Andalucia. Up until that point, I had been allowing traffic to race past me in their fanatic need to break the ridiculously low speed limits, but now I drove like I was not in Spain, but on the Autobahn of Germany.

The goal: to find and tour Medina in two hours.

The risk: get stupendously lost, late, and have to travel to Barcelona or somewhere else to pay for commercial tickets home.

The reward: see one more historical area of Spain in our three-day vacation.

The way was not nearly as hard as we were expecting, and with my genius wife navigating the tricky roads, and myself driving like a qualification for NASCAR, we got there in just over an hour. We found a strategic parking spot fairly quickly, and got out, cameras in hand, the paragons of tourists that we were, and began to soak in the sites of the beautiful town atop a gigantic hill.

Medina sits very high above the surrounding terrain, so much so that the rolling pastures and farmlands below have that hazy, graying quality as if you were atop a great mountain, or in a climbing airplane. The town is very obviously one of the White Towns; there were very few buildings of any other color. Roofs are still red tile and various other colors, but the whitewashed walls were the norm—I began to wonder if it was a city ordinance. Medina is clean, and very pleasing to the eye. Antique, and full of relaxed, smiling people who recline in the plazas outside of the tapas diners in the town square, enjoying their light meals and the conversations with old friends.

We climbed up to the towering chapel and paid for roaming rights. It was nothing in grandeur compared to the monolith cathedral of Seville, but possessed an elegance all its own. With bell towers that would have disappeared into the mist on a cloudy day, the chapel of Medina was an instant success on our risky venture to Medina. We sat in the tower, looking out over the broad valleys so far below, clinging to this last little bit of Spain that we would have to experience.

Finally it was time to go.

With a sad weight in our hearts, we descended from this little paradise and made our way back to the car, somewhere amid the narrow, maze-like streets of the town. It took a bit of back-tracking, but we found it. The hard part was finding our way out of the city, for the majority of perimeter roads dead-end instead of guiding you to the highway. Finally we stopped and asked a pleasant woman with a few children and she told us where to go.

Back on the highway, we turned our backs on Medina and raced once again like adrenaline junkies for Rota. I had bought a little bit of what in Argentina we would call chorizo gallego, or Spanish sausage, and some kind of old-world smelly cheese to eat with our crackers on the ride back. I kept it as a surprise from my wife until we were chasing the descending sun back towards Rota, and now we shared an authentic (minus the American crackers) Spanish treat.

Early on in our trip, we had hoped that the White Towns would provide our opportunity for souvenir shopping, and so we had not bought anything up to this point except for our meals. Medina, like the majority of Andalucian towns, is alive in the evening. Shops were not open during lunchtime, and we did not have the luxury of staying long enough for them to open later.

So, empty of tangible treasures, we found the airfield, twenty minutes later than we were supposed to report in, and turned in our rental car just in time to get our boarding passes and await our flight back home.

Sitting on the benches at the gate, we could just sit back and let our minds try to capture the fleeting images and memories of our frantic rush through Spain.

It was an amazing juxtaposition, our original wait in the air terminal, anxiously awaiting a flight to Spain, wondering if it were really going to happen. Now, we sat in the air terminal, wondering if it really had happened.

Certainly, it was different than any European vacation that I have imagined. We did not get to relax much, and we spent as much time worrying over flights and passports as we did taking in the sites of the country.

I am sure that some would say that we wasted our time. With the proper planning, and an ample amount of time, we could have truly basked in Spain’s luxurious historical sites and the exotic culture of spicy Andalucia. Truly, we still long for such a trip.

But if anyone ever asked if I would do it again had I the chance, I would tell them that I have rethought my earlier belief that it was too foolish and too costly to travel far for just a few nights. Andalucia, in three days, was one of those spontaneous adventures that I strongly feel a married couple needs every now and then.

We had a blast, and though sometimes I look back and seriously wonder if it was all in my head, I have the pictures to prove it. They were taken with a disposable camera, because we managed to misplace our digital, but some of them turned out much better than I expected, and I am including a good number of them with this article so that you can vicariously enjoy our whirlwind trip almost as much as we did.

Big Donation Will Help Utah Fisheries

2007-11-15T18:10:00.000-07:00

(Editor's note: This is a news release from Utah DWR.)

Big Donation Will Get Even Bigger
Fishing groups provide money for state’s Blue Ribbon waters

The largest donation ever given to the Division of Wildlife Resources by an angling group was received Nov. 14.

That’s when three anglers presented the agency with a $10,750 check from the Utah Stonefly Society and Cache Valley Anglers.

DWR biologists will use the money to improve fishing at waters in Utah that are part of the state’s Blue Ribbon Fisheries program. Right now, the Weber River in northern Utah is their first choice. The DWR will use the money to buy land that anglers can use to access the river. The money will also be used to make habitat better for trout.

“What’s really exciting is that these groups have actually provided more money than the original $10,750 donation,” says Walt Donaldson, Aquatic Section chief for the DWR. “Now that we have this money, other federal dollars can be used to ‘match’ the donation.”

Donaldson says the DWR should receive $12,000 to $30,000, depending on which federal program the donation qualifies for. That means the groups’ donation will result in the DWR receiving a total of $22,000 to $40,000 that it didn’t have before.

And all of that money will be used to improve fishing on the Weber River or at other Blue Ribbon waters in the state.

Dave Serdar of the Utah Stonefly Society says donations like this one are critical to making fishing even better in Utah. “It’s absolutely critical that the DWR receive funding beyond the dollars anglers provide when they buy a fishing license,” Serdar says. “Through the Federal Aid (matching dollars) program, any donation that’s given can grow to as much as three times the original amount.”

“I want to compliment these guys for raising this much money,” says Roger Wilson, cold water sport fisheries coordinator for the DWR. Wilson is referring to Serdar and Cary Asper of the Stonefly Society, Paul Dremann, chairman of Utah’s Blue Ribbon Fisheries Advisory Council, and all the members of the Stonefly Society and Cache Valley Anglers.

“We’ll put the money to good use,” Wilson says.

The Stonefly Society and Cache Valley Anglers raised the money through fly-tying and fly-fishing clinics they offered last spring.

More information about Utah’s Blue Ribbon waters is available on the Web at wildlife.utah.gov/blueribbon.

Brown Trout in Cottonwood Creek

2007-10-01T22:52:00.000-06:00

Photos form this trip | Map of Joes Valley Area | Info on Joes Valley

Cottonwood Creek below Joes Valley Reservoir supports a good population of brown trout and fishing is good there right now. I fished the stream on Sept 29, during an early season winter-like storm, and had a great time. We caught fish, so many we lost count. Most were small but there were enough big ones to keep things interesting.

Cottonwood Creek is not well know and receives light fishing pressure, yet it has become one of our better streams. It flows along State Road 29, through Straight Canyon, between Joes Valley Reservoir and the small towns of Orangeville and Castle Dale, south of Price. It's about 140 miles from Salt Lake City.

It was raining when we headed down Hwy 6, heading toward Price. When we crested Soldier Summit and looked to the east the sky was only partly cloudy and we hoped the storm would miss the Joes Valley area. The mountains sometimes channel storms south, leaving that area dry.

Nope, we got hit hard by rain, sleet, snow and cold wind. The wind was strong and made fishing conditions difficult. Enough snow fell that it collected in some spots.

But the fish, they didn't seem to mind. The stream was low and clear and the fish were hungry. I had intended to cast streamers to them with my fly rod, but the strong wind made that next to impossible. Instead, we fished lures and jigs. Fish hit everything we tried. I started with a small Rapala and got strikes in virtually every hole. Most the fish were small and very aggressive. Even tiny fish would smack the lures.

We tied on jigs trying to get deeper, thinking large fish may be holding near the bottom in the bigger holes. My brother, Glen, tried a brown marabou jig and almost immediately hooked a large fish that gave him quite a fight. He was fishing from a big rock, up 4-5 feet above the water. The fish was heavy enough that he knew it would break off if he tried to horse it up the cliff face. There was no easy way for him to get off the rock but he finally jumped to the far side, hoping he could keep pressure on the fish. The strategy worked and he managed to land a fat brown that looked to be about 16 inches.

Glen hooked another large one that broke his line. I never managed to land anything bigger than 12 inches. One memorable fish charged at my jig, its mouth wide open, and startled me so much I jerked the hook away before it could hit.

The water was so clear, we could often see the fish strike our lures. Great fun.

Most streams that flow from reservoirs have clear water and are somewhat protected from flooding. That is somewhat true here but several side canyons can bring in heavy runoff at times.

SR 29 to the reservoir is plowed during the winter and Joes Valley is a popular ice fishing water. If offers splake and an assortment of trout.

The stream parallels the road. It is often a steep scramble from the road down to the stream. Large boulders have rolled into the canyon bottom, creating large pools in the stream. The boulders and brush make it difficult to walk along the stream in places. Still, the stream bank offers open areas where there is plenty of room to backcast while fly fishing.

All in all, this is a beautiful stream, well worth a visit.

Sierra Club Highlights Utah Lands

2007-09-27T21:18:00.000-06:00

The Sierra Club has released a new report, America's Wild Legacy, "which highlights fifty-two special lands and the Club's ongoing efforts to protect them." The 56-page report includes a section on Utah's Red Rock country.

Here are excerpts from the introduction:

Some of our nation’s most spectacular landscapes — places like the Arctic, the Everglades, Giant Sequoia National Monument, Utah’s Red Rock wilderness and the Tongass National Forest — are teetering at the edge and could be lost forever.

Illegal off-road vehicle abuse is scarring irreplaceable lands like Utah’s Red Rock wilderness.

The Sierra Club has long been involved in a battle to have more Utah public land classified as wilderenss and protected by Congress. That battle has been bitter and bloody at times, with those opposing the Sierra Club saying the vast majority of our public lands should be left open for energy development and multiple use, including ATV and off-road vehicle travel.

Read the Club's description of the report. Download the introduction. Download the complete report. It offers insights into spectacular country, regardless of what viewpoint you hold.

Red Rock International Adventures

2007-09-22T21:03:00.000-06:00

Some of my kids have an interest in this website and have decided to help me develop it. That's great because I haven't had time.

Interesting side note: this is happening as they go international. Our focus will be on the greater Utah area (Yellowstone to Grand Canyon), but now and then we'll sneak in an article about other areas. Here's the rundown:

Aaron, just back from Iraq, is living in North Carolina right now but intends to move to Utah later this year. He is an excellent writer and talented artist, so he will be a great help. He has already contributed a blog entry about extreme adventure in Al Anbar Province, and he's posted some of his photos.

Lil has decided she likes cruises; she and husband go somewhere every few months. Maybe I can talk her into sharing photos and writing up a report or two.

Dan has been scanning and posting photos for me, like the one above. I have a file cabinet full of slides, but I haven't had time to do anything with them. With Dan's help we're putting the best into our photo gallery. Dan will be trekking up a waterfall in Jamacia in November. His fiancée thinks they will be there on honeymoon. Dan should bring back interesting photos and a report.

Xanthe has been my model and fishing buddy - photos of her are all over this website. She is now going to college in Idaho. I don't know why she chose Idaho - I hear it gets mighty cold up there. But she is just outside Yellowstone and so we can expect reports from that area. She also helps with internet research and writing.

We've got great plans. Stay tuned because this website will soon be rockin'.

Tour of Duty: Al Anbar Province

2007-09-18T14:20:00.000-06:00

By Aaron Webb

(See more of Aaron's photos from Iraq)

When you think of a grand adventure, what visions come to mind? Do you see slot canyons, underwater caves, and alpine slopes? What about the gear? Do you plan on stuffing your backpack with a two-man tent, climbing shoes, and insect repellant?

Or are you the person who has dreamed up images of wide, palm-crowded rivers in the deserts of a foreign country, where you patrol the wadis with rocket launchers and assault rifles, wearing armored vests and utilizing the most rugged night vision and communication equipment available?

Let me tell you about my latest journey to the ends of the earth.

I don’t even know where to start. I’m home from Iraq. It has been a few weeks now. Two and a half or so. In some ways it feels like I am slipping right back into normal life, like I have been gone to work over a long weekend or something. I don’t think I ever lost some of my rhythms upon leaving the states in the first place. Does that mean that I failed to engage the combat mindset? I am not sure.

Things are looking good. My faithful wife loves me. My nine month old daughter – she was two months old when I left for Iraq – didn’t seem to necessarily remember me, but she sure warmed back up to me remarkably fast. I have been offered a tantalizing job, writing for, and designing graphics for, redrockadventure.com, an opportunity that I am taking up with pleasure. It is a family-run business. One more way to remain close to those who I most care about. I am active in my church, and people seem not to have forgotten who I am. I am going back to school; I wonder if I will be the only twenty-seven year old freshman in the graphic arts program.

Other things are harder to gauge. I am adjusting well, but there are still hitches. I am ridiculously wary of the potholes on the roads as I drive. I hear machinegun fire on the Marine Corps ranges here at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and my ears perk up and I automatically start trying to determine distance, direction, and possible caliber of the weapons.

I anger a lot quicker than I used to. I am not nearly as patient and easy-going as a few years ago. Maybe that would have come anyway with growing up and taking on the responsibilities of an adult. I used to fancy myself Peter Pan, the boy who would never grow up. Flying would have been cool too. I have always been a free spirit of sorts, a happy, carefree guy who was always playing games, reading books, exploring Anasazi ruins, or catching snakes.

In fact, life has always been just one large adventure to me, a quest for something larger than myself. During tough times, I have even disciplined myself to think of it as a game, a challenge. That is one of the reasons I like that Italian film from the late nineties, Life is Beautiful. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t.

The desire for exploration, for adventure, for a noble quest, has always been a driving factor in who I am. It is one of the reasons I love trekking through Grand Gulch with a backpack and a camera, or rafting down the Colorado, or climbing the spires of Zion National Park. It is one of the reasons that I went to South America to preach to the people for two years, learning a foreign language and foreign customs. It is also one of the reasons I enlisted into the United States Marine Corps infantry.

Iraq was certainly adventurous, and at times, a pure adrenaline rush. Just off of the plane in Kuwait, we were gearing up and loading ammunition into magazines, checking gear, and preparing to touch down in an unstable country with a fledgling government. A familiar military proverb – hurry up and wait – describes quite accurately how you slide into a seven month trip to this place of violence. We hit the ground running, alert, pumped up, ready for the worst that they could throw at us.

And we waited.

Three weeks passed. Finally we got a mission. And from that point on, until near the last two months of our deployment, we just kept getting missions, one after another. We ran clearing ops in three of the most volatile cities of the Al Anbar province, Ramadi, Fallujah, and Habbaniyah.

We ran some pretty spine-tingling operations, a few of which made the nightly news. We were working in an area where other, more stationary units were taking dozens of KIA during their deployments. We had our fair share of casualties, some of them very serious. I myself was the casualty of a roadside IED back in March. It was not too serious, but certainly startling. There were three other Marines with me at the time, and all four of us came closer than we would have desired to the flying slag and shrapnel of shredded vehicle armor and equipment. But we suffered only six fallen brothers in our battalion. All of them were courageously committed men who had earned the respect and admiration of the Marines they worked and fought with.

I suppose that there is still a layer of reality amid all of the games and challenges of turning life into an adventure. There is still responsibility. There is still emotion, both joyous and tragic. There is consequence. There is living with the choices you have made.

When I think of memorable experiences now, I will include other things to the standard list of bouldering, scorpion-catching, and stargazing. The rate at which my heart thundered in my ears as I kicked in doors and cleared rooms immediately after being hit by an IED on the roads outside of Habbaniyah definitely rivaled any high I have ever felt while preparing to leap into the dark waters of Lake Powell from a protruding sandstone rock face.

It was a unique thrill to poke around in the bushes at the edge of the Euphrates River, looking for camel spiders, cobras and saw-scaled vipers instead of bull snakes and diamondback rattlers.

The age and history of ancient Mesopotamia were tangible enough to be felt in my bones, and thick enough to be breathed in and tasted as I looked over the vast, desolate stretches of dust and sand outside of the frantic noise of the cities. It was not unlike the heavy sense of reverence that I feel upon sitting quietly and gazing upon the abandoned cliff-dwellings of the original Southwest inhabitants.

Racing up walls, roofs, riverbanks, and hills in over eighty pounds of armor, comm. gear, weaponry, and water, while not my favorite pastime, was still a personal challenge of endurance and reckless daring. Worthy of any of my twenty-mile day hikes back home.

I was reminded of my missionary days in Argentina as I went through the neighborhoods of Ramadi, Fallujah, and Habbaniyah, meeting the people, playing with the kids, trying to learn their language and customs. It was easy to see some good coming of an otherwise violently unpleasant situation, as Marines handed out school and medical supplies to eager children, as families finally dared to emerge from their homes because we had set up secure areas where they knew that insurgent activity would be sorely impeded, where they could live, and work, and play in peace. People would beg us not to go once we were done with an op.

I think that I will learn from and grow from the undesirable memories and lessons that I have from Iraq too. The tedious hours doing busy work while the rest of my squad is out on a recon patrol. The grudging patience with, and painful obedience to incomprehensible, and sometimes inane commands.

The horrible feeling of helplessness as I watch a combat surgeon operate on a man whose lungs are gunshot and rapidly filling with blood.

And I don’t think that I am ever going to forget the stench of charred human flesh. I am not going to get over the hollow in my soul that was there as I cleaned up the armor and weaponry that a fellow Marine had been using when he was killed.

There was still more to drag me down to stark reality once I came home as well. The weight in the pit of my stomach as I attended the memorial service of one of the guys that I was just joking around with in Fallujah. The convulsing sobs of another’s wife and children as the Chaplain talks of heroic deeds and noble sacrifice.

So, looking into my own soul, I begin to preach. Peter Pan, life is a challenge. A game. You know what you have to do. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Don’t panic when you can’t control the world around you. Don’t lose sight of the joy and the wisdom that later come from living a good life, even if existence is sometimes harsh.

So with all of those sins of commission lurking out there, what kinds of things should a person do? Go on a quest. Go climb a mountain. Kayak down a stretch of whitewater. Earn a degree. Teach kids in Peru how to speak English. Tackle one of your fears or weaknesses. Turn it into a strength.

Whatever it is, go courageously, and commit yourself to a cause, an exploration. And enjoy life.

I think that there is some solace to be had in the idea, to me anyway, that my fallen brothers didn’t go sitting down, doing nothing. They were actively engaged in helping their brothers in arms win the fight. Maybe all of them were on their own quests for adventure, for meaningful, life-inspiring experiences. There are some of us who knew them who have set aside a place in our hearts for honor, for mourning, for memories. I would hope that their sacrifices would have positive, life-inspiring effects on those who will still remember them even after the war in Iraq is over with and set aside for whatever takes its place.

Guatemala Multi-Adventure Trek

2007-08-25T22:58:00.000-06:00

Here's my daughter's account of her trip
See more photos from this trip

It’s my daughter’s fault that I’m relaxing on a beach here in Monterrico, Guatemala, reminiscing about a fun trip where we mountain biked technical singletrack, explored an ancient Mayan ruin, kayaked across one of the most beautiful lakes in the world and climbed an active volcano searching for flowing lava.

Fresh out of high school, excited to go to college, Xanthe decided to spend part of the summer doing volunteer work at an orphanage in a developing nation. “Right,” I said to myself, not taking her seriously. But a few months later, when she had $1,000 in the bank, I decided she was serious and so I started to learn about Guatemala.

A friend works for a non-profit organization down there and she set up the volunteer stint. I wanted to let Xanthe see some of the sights and so I started doing Internet research about possible destinations. I soon discovered Guatemala does not offer posh, trendy resorts. Rather, it has many great albeit little-known wonders that appealed to my sense of adventure. Not wanting my little blond girl to wander around down there all alone, I happily volunteered to tour with her. (She was still on her own at the orphanage.)

I discovered that Guatemala is best known for its Mayan ruins (including Tikal and other famous sites). The country also boasts majestic volcanoes (three of which are active). Another well-known attraction is Lake Atitlan (which locals proudly describe as the most beautiful lake in the world). Atitlan is indeed beautiful, surrounded to towering, heavily forested volcanoes that climb almost straight up from the shoreline. Atitlan has become a refuge for displaced Europeans and Americans because it is beautiful, the weather is perfect (around 75F most days of the year), and the cost of living is low.

Lesser-known attractions include the country’s vast jungle/rain forest region, its wide rivers (including scenic waterfalls and some whitewater), and a long stretch of Pacific coast beach that is beautiful but almost deserted.

It soon became obvious that we could never see all interesting attractions in one visit. We decided to focus on the western side (since that is where the orphanage is located).

Usually when I travel I like a flexible schedule so I can wander a bit, adjusting to circumstance and my fickle whims. Not this time. Since I don’t know Spanish, and didn’t know the country, I elected to take the fat tourist approach and had a booking agency arrange a customized, fully-guided excursion. I told the people at enjoyguatemala.com what I wanted to do and they arranged transportation, hotels and guides.

Our trip unfolded exactly as planned and we had a very enjoyable time. Our guides were excellent (personable and knowledgeable about their sports). They kept us out of trouble and made sure we had fun.

We began by exploring Iximche, a small complex of post-classic Mayan ruins. I learned that indigenous people consider these sites to be sacred. Some come there to burn candles and perform religious ceremonies. While we were there a small group assembled on one ancient structure and played traditional music, some using traditional instruments. The music was beautiful and the performers, in brightly colored costumes, created a memorable scene.

Next we biked down a mountain above Lake Atitlan. We started out on a dirt road, riding past cultivated fields and a small village. The countryside is beautiful and that part of the ride was pleasant. We stopped briefly at a lean-to where several women were working, hand weaving cloth for rugs and clothing items. With the women’s permission, I took several photos. I understand it is customary is to offer payment when you photograph natives; I did so and the women looked grateful.

We continued our trek and soon turned off onto a rougher road, which crossed a stream several times. Ah, a little excitement. The road gave way to rocky singletrack, which plunged over cut banks where it crossed the stream. That part of the trail was technical enough that I had to get off and walk my bike over some spots.

I’m from Utah (USA), and we Utahns think we invented mountain biking. I’m not a great rider but I enjoy the sport and I’ve ridded with guides over some highly touted trails. That Guatemalan route was pretty good. And our guide really was excellent. He put us on good quality bikes and provided helmets and riding gloves. He was very enthusiastic about biking. Put him in Moab and he could work for any of the guide services there.

I learned that mountain biking is starting to catch on as a sport in Guatemala. Natives ride bikes everywhere, as a practical matter, but now some people are riding for sport, and blazing new trails through the volcanic mountains. The country has real potential for serious biking.

To end our ride we coasted down a paved road through the village of Panajachel, to the shoreline of Lake Atitlan. We ate lunch there and visited the open-air market. My sales resistance was low and I bought more than I intended. It is hard to walk away from the persistent little children and sad-faced old ladies.

Next we kayaked partway around the lake - paddling until we were good and tired. The villages around the lakeshore are very picturesque - picture postcard views in every direction. Xanthe couldn’t resist jumping into the clear water, which was cool but not cold.

I understand the lake offers good bass fishing, but I didn’t have time to try.

The next morning we meet our guide early and headed out to climb Pacaya Volcano. Hikes are possible on several Guatemalan volcanoes; some routes are quite challenging and a couple routes require multi-day backpacks. Pacaya is not one of the difficult ones. You can drive most of the way up the mountain and it is easy hiking the rest of the way if you stay on the well-established trail.

Pacaya is attractive because it is alive and unpredictable. During the past few months it has been erupting, slowly, with a continual small lava flow. Before that it threw a violent fit and shot ash out over Guatemala City, 18 miles away. The lava flow changes from day to day. Sometimes you can see the flow. Our guide hoped to get us up close enough that he could poke a stick into it. He had us hike a faint trail along the rim, searching for the lava.

We could hear it hiss and pop, but a cloud had settled onto the mountain and the mist made it impossible to see very far. It also made it dangerous to descend off the steep rim. We tried hard to find the flow, but gave up when the clouds thickened around us.

We hiked out onto new lava - which had completely filled up a valley during a large eruption last April. In spots you could feel heat coming up through the rocks. In one spot our guide shoved a stick down into the rocks and it instantly started on fire. Lava was close, right under us, but we couldn’t see it.

Pacaya is lush, like a manicured garden. Short grass, towering tress and flowers everywhere. It was beautiful in the midst.

To complete our tour we spent a night at a resort on the beach at Monterrico. The beach there is very nice, with clean black volcanic sand stretching for miles. The waves are strong and there can be strong riptides. That makes it tickly to swim, body surf or surf. But it also makes it exciting.

Small resorts and private residences sit just off the beach, along the scenic shoreline. But I was surprised because the beach was almost deserted. Even on Sunday there were only scattered groups here and there. And the beachgoers were all Guatemalans, as near as I could tell. Spanish was the only language I heard.

I gathered that the other people at our resort were young professionals with their families, taking a weekend break. The area has the potential to become a popular tourist spot, but the infrastructure (access roads, in particular) would need significant improvements.

I understand there is a small but growing local surfing community, although I did not see a single surfer.

The Guatemalan coast offers great deep-sea fishing, particularly for billfish, but I didn’t have time to try it.

It was a great trip. Now I’m anxious to go back. I think I’ll need to make several trips. I’ll be back, soon, exploring the classic Mayan ruins. I also want to boat into the jungle from the country’s small Caribbean coast. I’ve been told that Guatemala’s Caribbean coast provides easy access to the famous diving and fishing areas off Belize - that access is easier and less expensive coming from Guatemala than from Belize.

I’d also like to go deep sea fishing on the Pacific side.

Adventuring in Guatemala is affordable - I was pleasantly surprised at how cheap it is to fly to the country, stay in nice hotels and hire guides. Guatemala is one of those developing destinations not yet overrun by tourists, where you can enjoy great adventure at an affordable price.

But the country does have its problems. Traveler safety is an issue. When we read the US State Department synopsis on Guatemala we were concerned because it says there have been aggressive, violent attacks. That’s one reason I elected to go with guides rather than attempt a do-it-yourself adventure. But we had no problems and never felt threatened in any way. We took measures to minimize risk, and found the people to be friendly and hospitable.

Guatemala is a developing country. As you travel you see poverty. Many roads are inadequate and driving can be hectic. Many towns are congested and some areas look dirty and run down.

The country has an efficient bus system - busses go everywhere and it is very inexpensive to ride them. They are affectionately known as “chicken buses.” They are always crowded, with some people carrying produce and/or chickens and other farm animals. I would not recommend riding the chicken buses unless you speak Spanish fluently and take the time to learn about the culture and bus routes.

If you cruise to Jamaica or fly into fly into Puerto Vallarta you have a sanitized experience. Everything is beautiful. Third World? What Third World?

Now I enjoy a firm mattress, clean sheets and a nice steak. I don’t want to plunge headlong into trouble. But I enjoy meeting real people in real communities, muddy roads notwithstanding. I prefer to avoid sanitized resorts.

If you are really interested in seeing the country and meeting its people, consider volunteering at an orphanage. That was the highlight for my daughter.

Details:

Map of Guatemala

I booked through enjoyguatemala.com and they were excellent.

I enjoyed these tours:
Lake Atitlan Multiadventure
Pacaya Volcano Hike

Most major US airlines fly into Guatemala City
I flew Delta from Salt Lake City (SLC) to LAX to Guatemala (GUA)

Most tourists say in Antigua, an interesting colonial city. It offers several quality hotels geared for American and European tourists, plus a large central marketplace where you can buy anything - literally. Prices are good. Most tours leave from Antigua hotels. If you don’t book ahead of time, you can always find tours once you arrive in Antigua. Just walk through the market and you’ll see a number of companies.

I stayed at the Real Plaza Hotel in Antigua, Hotel Utz-Tzaba in Monterrico and Hotel Stofella in Guatemala City. All were mid-priced, comfortable and clean.

State Auction Will Sell Rec Property

2007-08-21T21:31:00.000-06:00

The Utah Trust Lands office provided the info below. (Trust Lands manages school trust property, and occasionally sells off parcels to raise money.)

Dear Prospective Trust Lands Buyer:

The Trust Lands Administration will offer over 20 properties for sale at public auction on Friday, October 12, 2007, at 10:00 a.m. The auction will be held at the Little America Hotel in Salt Lake City. Some properties are suitable for industrial/ commercial uses or residential development. Others are ideally located for individual home sites, agricultural uses, and recreational uses. The following is a brief summary of the lands that will be offered:

Beaver County:
The North Creek property consists of 52.22 acres and is located approximately 5 miles northeast of Beaver and 3.5 miles southeast of Manderfield. The property is zoned for agriculture and offers privacy, solitude, clean mountain air, great views, and country atmosphere. The Fishlake National Forest boundary is only 2 miles away. The area offers many good recreational opportunities, including hunting, fishing, hiking, and site-seeing.

Box Elder County:
The Promontory North parcel consists of 714.38 acres and is located near the eastern edge of the Great Salt Lake on the west side of the Promontory Peninsula, approximately 9 miles west of the Golden Spike National Historic Site. The property has historically been used for seasonal cattle grazing.

Piute County:
Four parcels located on the northwest side of Otter Creek Reservoir, approximately 8 miles north of Antimony and 1 mile south of Angle, will be offered. The Otter Creek parcels offer excellent recreational opportunities, including fishing and boating, as well as easy access to Otter Creek State Park on the south end of the reservoir. Two of the parcels consist of 80 acres each and have some frontage on the reservoir when it is full. The other two parcels consist of slightly less than 40 acres each. The parcels will be offered separately.

San Juan County:
Eight Montezuma Creek parcels will be offered. The parcels range in size from 0.84 to 3.69 acres and are located in the city of Montezuma Creek on the Navajo Nation Reservation. The properties are in a developed area and are zoned for commercial use. Water, power, and sewer are available to each property. Each parcel will be offered separately.

Located in a remote area approximately 10 miles north of Monticello and 35 miles south of Moab, the Photograph Gap property is situated on the road leading to the spectacular Canyonlands National Park. This property consists of 180 acres. Good agricultural opportunity exists, along with recreational and residential opportunities.

Utah County:
Three Lake Shore properties, located about 5 miles west of Spanish Fork, are ideal for agricultural and residential uses. Parcels 1 and 2 each consist of 50 acres, and Parcel 3 consists of 120 acres. Two of the properties are currently being cultivated. The third parcel is horse property. Water rights are included. Each parcel will be offered separately. State financing is not available for these properties.

Washington County:
Located in a country club subdivision 5 miles southwest of St. George, the Tonaquint – Montezuma at Bloomington parcel sits in a small canyon. The site is exceptionally scenic and quiet, due to its canyon location and minimal exposure to roadway traffic. Large single family homes and the Bloomington Country Club and Golf Course are nearby. This 15.20 acre parcel is currently zoned as open space. A zoning change and other municipal approvals will need to be obtained prior to any development.

The Shoal Creek property is located approximately 2.5 miles west of Enterprise. This 10 acre parcel is bordered on all sides by private land. Some recreational opportunity exists. The parcel is zoned Open Space Transitional.

Wayne County:
Two Hanksville properties, just outside city limits, are suitable for various uses, including commercial and residential development. This property lies south of the town of Hanksville and offers excellent recreational opportunities, with easy access to Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Lake Powell which are within an hour’s drive. Parcel A contains 80 acres, and Parcel B contains 160 acres.

State financing is available on most properties being offered. If you would like further information about any of the above properties, the auction process or financing options, please feel free to call me toll-free at (877) 526-3725 [877-LANDSALE], or visit us on the Web at www.trustlands.com.

Another Monster Catfish Caught At Huntington North Reservoir

2007-08-16T17:03:00.000-06:00

This is from a DWR news release:

Reservoir is yielding big catfish

HUNTINGTON — Price resident Calvin Grogan landed a lake-record catfish at Huntington North Reservoir on Aug. 8. The channel catfish weighed 27 pounds and measured 36 inches.

Grogan caught the fish at 10:20 p.m. that evening. Huntington North Reservoir is two miles north of the town of Huntington in east-central Utah.

Grogan was fishing from the bank near the boat dock that evening. He baited his size-2 treble hook with raw chicken meat and liver, and cast it into the water. Once he hooked the monster fish, it took him 20 minutes to land it.

This latest catch breaks a record at the lake that was established just three weeks ago by Clifton Elliot of Price. Elliot landed a 25-pound, 34-inch catfish on July 26.

This latest catch still falls short of the state record channel cat. It was caught in 1978 at Utah Lake. That fish tipped the scale at 32.5 pounds and measured 39.75 inches.

Utah’s Best Waterfalls

2007-08-07T23:02:00.000-06:00

I found time today to upload some of my better waterfall photos. You can see them here.

This new waterfall photo gallery doesn’t include falls that are found in national parks or other areas. To see those photos look at my Zion Park waterfalls, Grand Canyon Havasu Falls, and Calf Creek Falls albums.

And I’ve tweaked my Google map showing waterfall locations.

I still have photos to upload, but I’ve run out of time.

Tomorrow I leave on a trek where I’ll be climbing volcanoes and exploring ancient ruins. Now, we have some of those things in southern Utah but for this trip I’m going to Guatemala where I’ll climb the active Mount Pacaya volcano and check out some Mayan ruins.

My daughter persuaded me to go on this trip. She has been down there for a few weeks, doing volunteer work at an orphanage. I wanted to let her see some of the sights, but didn’t want a little blond girl wandering around Guatemala by herself. Should be a fun adventure.

Does it fit under Red Rock? Sure, I’ll give a report on the trip.

Get Ready For Archery Deer Hunt, Turkeys, Chukars, Pheasants

2007-08-03T20:39:00.000-06:00

DWR has released an Archery Deer Hunt forecast by region, saying the number of young bucks is up this year.

DWR includes tips for a safe archery hunt.

DWR is proposing major changes in turkey hunting, and has scheduled youth pheasant and cuckar hunts.

These are excellent, in-depth articles. Hunters interested in these species should read them.

Google Maps Show Locations of Waterfalls

2007-08-02T22:11:00.000-06:00

I've been way too busy lately, but have still found time to make a few website improvements. I've been implementing Google Maps on the site, and using them to provide an alternate navigation method.

I never actually finish anything, but my waterfalls section shows the concept. Note that when you click on one of the markers it opens a small window with a title, link and thumbnail. That gives you some info to use as you judge whether you want to click further to an inside page.

I plan to use this kind of scheme throughout the website, if I can find time to develop it. Fishing sections, in particular, will be enhanced when people can see where waters are, and see a photo of the waters, before clicking.

I'm interested in comments - what do you think about this approach.

- Dave

Echo and Kanarra Creek Adventure Hikes in the Zion Area

2007-07-14T00:08:00.000-06:00

This is one of the hottest, driest summers on record and daytime temperatures are pushing above 100 F most days in Zion National Park, but there are still plenty of great hiking opportunities.

Summer is the time to do water hikes in Zion. The most famous such hike is the Narrows - perhaps the most popular canyon hike in the world. You just head right up the Virgin River, wading and swimming in spots. It is great fun.

There are plenty of other similar hikes in that area, including the Subway. Some of these hikes are "technical," meaning you need to rappel and use other specialized techniques to get through the canyons. Permits are required to do the technical canyons.

Last weekend I lead a group on two such hikes and we had a great trip. Our primary goal was to do Echo Canyon, which is technical and requires a permit. Such permits go fast. Some can be reserved in advance using the Internet and some are held back and given out on a first-come, first-served basis beginning the day before you want to hike. We were not able to score a permit in advance and so we headed down hoping to get a permit for the next day.

You can get permits at the backcountry desk at the Visitor Center in Zion Canyon, or at the Kolob Canyons Visitor Center. I live in the Salt Lake area and so the Kolob VC is closer.

We left on a Friday morning and headed straight to the VC to see what permits we could get. I had several canyons in mind, hoping to get Echo but thinking we were prepared to do whatever canyon we could get. Luckily, Echo was available.

After getting the permits we had plenty of time to do an afternoon hike. We choose Kanarra Creek because it is close to the Kolob VC, because permits are not required there, and because I had heard it is a fun, very scenic, water hike that can be completed in a few hours.

Kanarra Creek (we have excellent photos from this hike)
Kanarra is beautiful and turned out to be more fun than I expected. From the tiny town of Kanarraville, you head east on 100 North and just follow a rough dirt road until it ends at the creek. Then you simply hike up the canyon. You are in and out of the water, which is clear and cool on a hot summer day. The canyon slots up and so it is shady, but you do have some sun exposure on the lower end.

To get up Kanarra you have to climb over two waterfalls. Logs have been placed against the cliff, and ropes extended along the logs, so you just hold on and climb up. This is a great hike for teenagers. Kids younger than 12 will probably need considerable help getting up the falls.

You just go up as far and you want, or have time, and then come back the way you came.

I was surprised at the number of people hiking the canyon. A couple youth groups were there, along with some college-age kids.

Echo Canyon (We have excellent photos from this hike)

Echo Canyon is located on the edge of Cable Mountain and the trailhead is located at Weeping Rock in Zion Canyon. You hike up the Observation Point/Cable Mountain trail. We started about 10 am and it was shady along the trail, so hiking was pleasant. The incline is steep but the trail is paved over most of the route. It is about 2.5 miles from Weeping Rock to the point where you drop into Echo Canyon and begin the technical part. Getting to the Echo drop in is comparable to hiking the Angels Landing trail to Scout Lookout. Steep but pretty easy.

It was getting hot by the time we dropped into Echo. The canyon slots up almost immediately and so we were in the shade most of the time.

We carried ropes and other technical gear and we expected to rappel. But I was surprised at how tightly the rappels were packed. We made our way down one dryfall after another, hardly having time to coil the ropes before getting them out again. None of the rappels were very high - I think the highest was about 20 feet. But some were tricky because the anchors are located right on the cliff lip, meaning you don't have any staging area to start leaning parallel to the cliff, and because some of the cliffs are concave and so you can't easily "walk" down them.

Water does not normally flow through Echo Canyon. In the spring when snow is melting, a river gushes through; it forms an impressive waterfall right by Weeping Rock. And rainstorms cause the canyon to flash, which can be deadly if you are caught in the flood.

Potholes in the canyon always hold water, even during the hottest summers. The canyon is so deep and so narrow, sunlight never reaches the bottom in some areas and so the water is very cold. This summer has been so dry, some potholes that normally hold water were dry, but plenty of others held cold water. We had to swim once. On a normal year you may have to swim 2-3 times. Two rappels ended in water, but it was never so deep that we had to tread water while disconnecting the ropes. On a normal year you may have to do that.

On both ends of the canyon the standing water was stagnant, smelly, scummy and gross. One pool had a dead snake floating. Nevertheless, you wade or swim through. You have no choice. When you drop into the canyon you are committed because it would be almost impossible to climb up the dryfalls you've just rappelled down, and because there are only a couple escape points between the top and the bottom. You've got to do down the canyon until you reach the bottom, or find a spot where you can escape.

In the center of the canyon the water was bitterly cold. If you stand in it for more than a few seconds you get seriously chilled. Some of the potholes are "keepers" where it is difficult to get out. Teamwork is required, pushing and pulling each other, to climb out. Without help, a person could easily die in this canyon so never try to do it alone.

In a keeper hole, with ice-cold water, you could get hypothermia quickly, even on the hottest summer day. Sporty wetsuits are advisable. We did not use wetsuits and we did all right, but we would have been quite uncomfortable had there been more water in the canyon.

We had to use ropes about 10 times in one mile of hiking. The hike isn't long, but it packs plenty of adventure into a small area.

Most experienced canyoneers can do Echo in 4-5 hours. We took 7 hours because some of the people in our group were slow getting up courage to rappel into deep, stagnant pools.

When we came down the last switchback, returning to Weeping Rock, the small stream that flows under the bridge there looked like the Garden of Eden. We couldn't resist jumping in and cooling off, and rinsing off the smelly mud we had picked up in the potholes. I'm sure the people sitting next to us on the Park Shuttle appreciated the fact that we had rinsed off.

It was a great hike.

This website has great trail descriptions for technical canyon hikes.

Fishing Guide to Boulder Mountain

2007-06-28T22:36:00.000-06:00

I love the Boulder Mountain area, and the canyons coming off of the mountain. It is a great area to fish, hike and camp.

Over the years I’ve helped assemble two different guides to fishing Boulder Mountain lakes. Those printed guides were valuable in their day, but are outdated now.

Internet technology has evolved to the point that it on-line guides can be very useful – perhaps even more useful than printed material. With that in mind, I’m attempting to create an on-line Boulder Mountain fishing guide. I’ve got a good start, as you can see here.

Lately I’ve been way too busy and so I haven’t been able to keep completely current on lake and road conditions on the mountain. Because of that, some of the info now in my guide may be dated. I would really like to make this a community project and so I invite all of you to help me make this the best guide available anywhere. I know there are folks out there who spend considerable time on the mountain. Please send me details about lakes and fish, along with photos.

Use this form to share your insights. Or you can simply email me, and attach photos.

Google maps are an integral part of this guide. I now have maps on-line showing the location of most lakes and I’ll add a few more as I have time.

I’ve used Google Maps and Google Earth extensively as I’ve worked on this. Google Earth is amazing. Using it I’ve identified a few lakes I never knew existed, and I hope to visit them this summer. They will probably turn out to be small and shallow, without fish, but it will still be fun to explore and find them.

My guide provides latitude and longitude coordinates for the lakes. Those coordinates are used to generate my on-line maps. You can also simply copy and past the coordinates into the Google Earth search bar and it will fly you right to that spot. You can then zoom in and out, and plan to see what is in the neighborhood.

Let me know if you have comments, or want to share info or photos.

Thanks,
- Dave

Seniors, Misadventures and Deer Creek Trout

2007-06-22T22:06:00.000-06:00

A friend, Loren Brooks, sent this in. He also goes by the moniker Doctor Sebago

Chapter 1: Although we left on time (7:30 am) for a day of fishing for Rainbow Trout, things were not going just right.

The Utah State Parks, "Senior Adventure Pass" (a 12 month admittance pass for $35.00) was not in the truck, so we flipped a U and sort of took care of that.

We had traveled about 20 miles en route to the lake when the starboard trailer tire blew out and rocked the boat and it's passengers. I-80 is a busy highway at 8:00 am in Parley's Canyon. We found a wide shoulder and pulled off the road. The tool chest was not in the truck but the tool chest in the boat came in handy for the tire change. The Hilti-jack was in the Ford truck, and we were in the Dodge truck.

If you ever have to change a tire on a boat trailer be sure to have something better then what is given by Hinckley Dodge, in the form of a jack. Laying on his back, Vern Christiansen, (age 86) worked on getting the spare tire off the frame of the trailer. Lew Warner, (age 78 +) was his assistant. Reese Memmott, (age 83) scouted the hillside for a block of wood, while "Dr S" located the "Mickey Mouse" jack that comes with the Dodge truck. The block of wood came in handy.

There were two pairs of gloves in the boat toolbox, but none of us thought to use gloves. Reese dug a hole under the tire with a screwdriver, which helped in getting the tire off the trailer, but gave him a dandy blister in the palm of his right hand. (Always use gloves when digging a hole with a screwdriver.) The bad thing about the blister is the fact that Reese had a golf game Thursday at Jeremy Ranch and it could effect his swing and putting ability. Oh well, the spare tire had enough air in it to get us to Heber, Utah for a pit stop at McDonalds and a chance to clean up our hands and arms from a wrestling
match with tires.

Chapter 2: The need for speaking Spanish is becoming important. Lew Warner ordered four "Sausage Egg McMuffins" (sem's) to go, while the rest of us were in the rest room taking care of business. We are now back in the truck. When we opened up the sack to pass around the sem's, it was discovered the contents to be four burrito's. Dr. S speaks very little Spanish, but elected to tell the lovely senorita that we got the wrong order. After the exchange Dr. S., returns to the truck with the bag of sem's only to discover the bag contains four more burritos. It was concluded that no matter what you ordered you were going to get burrito's. After another discussion with the lovely senorita, we wound up eating the burrito's which turned out to be sausage egg burrito's and they were very good.

Chapter 3: By now it is 10:00 am. The Deer Creek State Park attendant acknowledged proof of our pass and we were admitted into the park. (Dr S has misplaced the 2007-2008 Senior Adventure Pass but had the receipt of purchase, which went well with the attendant. From this point forward it was one of the best days in 2007 for trout fishing. We caught 15 Rainbow Trout and kept 14. The wind failed to come up on the lake, like it usually does, in the afternoon. The weather was perfect. We used every worm in the boat to catch these big Rainbows. Thanks go out to Mark Anderson who provided the worms. That's another chapter, which will be omitted from this episode.

Vern Christiansen, had a smile on his face. His first trout was caught on a fly behind a "dodger." Then he just kept adding to the pot with big beautiful Rainbows. He also got a beautiful German brown, on a silver Sebago and worm. Lew Warner was the victim of rotten leader on the first two hook ups. After getting some new leader from Reese, he put an "equitable" share of the fish in the pot, one of which was the largest caught on this occasion. You can count on Reese for catching big fish no matter where you fish. As for the captain of this adventure, (Dr. Sebago) he did not get skunked. Thanks to Lew Warner, Dr S now has two new tires on his trailer.

Stay in touch for a continuous series of stories and incidents relating to fishing.

Keep your lure in the water, "The waters of Life" (Randy Travis).

New Fishing and Hiking Videos

2007-06-21T22:50:00.001-06:00

Salmon & Halibut Fishing off Vancover Island (BC) With Salmon Eye Charters

Natural Bridges - An overview of hiking the national monument (7.6M)

I've been working on client projects, which included production of these two little video clips. I think they turned out pretty good.

I'm working on creating a guide to fishing Boulder Mountain. I've got a bunch of stuff about ready to post, and I'll make time to get it up during the coming weekend.

Meanwhile, I hope you are finding time to get out and enjoy the great fishing going on around Utah right now. See my latest fishing report for details.

Fishing License Required For 12-13 Year Olds

2007-06-14T16:14:00.000-06:00

Utah's Division of Wildlife Resources provided the following information:

Beginning July 1, anglers who are 12 to 13 years old must have a fishing license to fish in Utah. The license will cost $5 for both residents and nonresidents.

"Every time a young angler buys one of these licenses, $12 in federal aid will come to Utah," said Karpowitz, director of the DWR. "We're going to invest that money in fish hatcheries, community fishing waters and other programs that will make fishing in Utah even better."

For more information, call the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or the DWR's Salt Lake City office at (801) 538-4700.

Timing Could Save You Money When Buying Deer & Elk Hunting Permits

2007-06-12T20:43:00.000-06:00

Utah's Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) provided the information below:

Utah general season elk hunting permits for this fall's hunts, and buck deer permits not taken in this year's big game draw, go on sale at 8 am on June 14.

Starting July 1, hunters who don't have a valid 365-day small game or combination license must buy a hunting (small game) license or a combination license before they can apply for or buy a hunting permit.

If you buy your deer or elk permit before July 1, this requirement won't pertain to you.
On the other hand, if you have a small game or combination license that's valid after July 1, you should consider waiting to buy your permit. The cost for a general deer and elk permit will be reduced on July 1, and you'll save money by waiting.

Advice:

- If you have a 365-day small game or combination license that's valid after July 1, you'll save money by waiting until after July 1 to buy your deer or elk permit.

- If you don't have a small game or combination license that's valid after July 1, you'll save money by buying your deer or elk permit before July 1.

- If you decide to wait until July 1, you run the risk that permits might be sold out by then.

However, based on the number of permits that are still available, Division of Wildlife Resources.
officials do not believe that will happen. (About 23,000 general bull elk, 12,000 Northern Region general buck deer and 8,300 statewide general archery buck deer will go on sale June 14.)

Here's more info on the license fee changes.

Fishing Limits Increased on SW Utah Waters

2007-06-12T20:39:00.000-06:00

Utah's Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) provided the information below:

Upper and Lower Enterprise reservoirs in southwestern Utah will bedrained by August 1. The DWR has changed the fishing regulations at thetwo waters, and at Little Pine Creek, to give anglers a chance to takefish that will be lost when the reservoir is drained.

The changes apply to Uppder and Lower Enterprise Reservoirs and to Little Pine Creek (the outflow from Lower Enterprise Reservoir, for approximately 1.5 miles)

- Effective June 11, 2007 the daily bag and possession limits will be increased to eight (8) trout in the aggregate, and twelve (12) smallmouth bass without size restrictions.

A fish consumption advisory was recently issued for Upper Enterprise Reservoir due to elevated levels of mercury found in rainbow trout. Further information regarding this advisory can be found at signs posted at the reservoirs or by contacting the Utah Department of Health.

New Articles and Maps

2007-06-02T23:28:00.000-06:00

I've posted two articles written by my daughter, who has become quite a good writer and outdoors-person.

Camping and Hiking Around Moab - 18-year-olds on their first trip without parents

Hiking to Maple Lake - A hike to a beautiful little lake in the Wasatch above Mapleton

I've been working lately putting Google maps on websites, including this one. My goal is to produce a guide to all the managed fishing waters in Utah, with info and maps showing all important spots. It is going to be a ton of work, and take considerable time, but I'm off to a pretty good start.

Here's my guide to Strawberry, complete with map. I've marked some points and I will be marking more as I get coordinates. I'll also include small photos showing the locations. I'd appreciate feedback - what points would you like to see identified?

I've also started overview info and maps for Jordanelle and Fish Lake. I'll be adding many more over the next few weeks.

- Dave
dave@redrockadventure.com

Google Maps And Utah State Parks

2007-05-08T13:07:00.000-06:00

Google maps have become quite useful in a number of situations. As I have time, I’ll incorporate some here to improve this website. I’ve got specific ideas about how I can use them to lead readers to specific information about fishing and other recreational activities.

Meanwhile, at http://www.utah.com/ we’ve been incorporating Google maps on a number of pages, using them to help readers navigate to desired info. Our most recent efforts appear on our main State Parks page, with an interactive map showing park locations.

The map makes it easy to see at a glance where state parks are located. Mouse over one of the pins and the name of the park is displayed. Click on a pin and a bubble opens showing details about the park, with a link to that park’s web page.

You can pan the map and make it zoom in and out. It will zoom down to street level, allowing you to see exactly where the parks are located and plan routes.

The Google maps provides amazing detail. We’ve checked locations carefully and we think it is a great improvement. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Since this is a new service, there is always the possibility of mistakes. Let me know if you see any problems.

- Dave
dave@redrockadventure.com

Extreme Adventure Rentals Offers ATVs, Snowmobiles, Watercraft

2007-05-04T08:41:00.000-06:00

If you are looking for a fun adventure, try riding ATVs over the desert and mountain trails in Castle Valley, south of Price. It is very scenic country, with excellent trails that are not overrun by enthusiasts. And it is only a couple hours away from the Wasatch Front. It’s one of my favorite playgrounds.

Don’t have ATVs? No problem. You can rent them from a company called Extreme Adventure Rentals, located in Castledale. You can rent machines for your entire family, multiple times, for much less than you would spend buying just one ATV. My friend, Jonathan Fauver, runs the operation.

The also rent watercraft, for use on reservoirs in their area and also on major waters around the state. In winter they rent snowmobiles.

I helped them put together this website: www.earentals.com. It isn’t completely finished yet, but is a very good start.

Give Jon a call and he’ll set you up for adventure: 866-596-RIDE (7433).

- Dave

The Citadel Anasazi Ruins

2007-04-09T08:12:00.000-06:00

See our Citadel photo album.

Road Canyon juts east from Cedar Mesa, opposite Grand Gulch (its larger and more famous neighbor). All of the canyons in this area shelter good numbers of ancient Anasazi Indian ruins. Road, in particular, has some I find astounding. Road has long been a favorite destination when I want to disappear into uncharted beauty and mystery. I’ve hesitated to write about it; hoping it would remain obscure and thus protected from the hordes of hikers who overrun Grand Gulch and other nearby areas.

But, alas, Road Canyon has been discovered. Photos and descriptions can now be found on other websites. On a trip into the canyon last weekend I was surprised to find a well-established hiker path leading to the spectacular Citadel Ruin.

Road has been discovered! People are coming. It’s impossible to hide such treasures from the world. The only hope is to educate and encourage people to act responsibly when they visit these areas. So here I go, offering up the Citadel.

Anasazi people thrived in the Four Corners area from about 200-1300 AD. For reasons unknown, they chose to live in this starkly beautiful but harsh desert canyon country. They raised corn, domesticated turkeys and hunted on the nearby hills. They learned to work with native rock, building multi-room homes, large kivas for religious ceremonies, towers and storerooms. They also created beautiful pottery and intricately woven baskets.

Large groups lived in the area we now call Cedar Mesa, in SW Utah. Many well-preserved structures can be found there, along with artifacts like pottery shards, corncobs and grindstones. Many dwellings were built under alcoves, into the shelter of sheer canyon walls, where they have survived more than a thousand years.

The Anasazi, it seems, where mostly peaceful throughout their long history. But the Citadel and some other ruins suggest they went to great lengths to protect themselves from enemies. The Citadel is a formidable ancient fortress, a retreat that was virtually impossible to attack.

The ruins were built just under the rim of a towering rock formation at the end of a peninsula extending out into Road Canyon. Sheer walls make it impossible to reach the site from the canyon below. The only access is by scrambling down a rocky slope and then crossing the narrow neck of the peninsula. The remains of rock walls can be seen along the narrow neck, built as check points to control access to the fortress. Any attacker would be fully exposed to deadly arrows and other weapons used by the defenders.

I think the Anasazi lived in and farmed the surrounding area, and retreated to the Citadel when they felt threatened.

The ruins and associated artifacts are some of the most impressive in the region.

Early Anglos carried thousands of pots, baskets and other artifacts from these canyons. Many went into museums and private collections. The BLM, which manages the area, now tries to control access to preserve the ruins and relics. Happily, the hordes of people visiting adjacent canyons are well behaved, for the most part. There is almost no litter in these canyon and most hikers resist the temptation to put pottery shards into their pockets.

However, there is a growing danger that these areas will be loved to death, harmed by the vast number of well-meaning enthusiasts who visit the area. It is vital that hikers here learn to enjoy without impacting the environment. If you want to explore this area, learn about the rules and get proper permits. You need a permit to day hike or backpack into these canyons. BLM’s website has info.

The hike to the Citadel is relatively short. The trail is easy where it follows the canyon rim, but becomes moderately difficult where you have to scramble down the rocks to get onto the peninsula’s narrow neck. If you choose your route careful, the hike is safe even for children. However, if you don’t pay attention you could easily get ledged or exposed to danger on the edge of sheer cliffs. This is not country for casual hikers.

I’m not giving specific instructions for hiking the Citadel. If you know how to ready a topographic map, you can find it without much trouble. If you don’t know how to read such a map, you have no business hiking here.

If you want an easy, controlled introduction to the region, make the short hike to the impressive ruins in nearby Butler Wash.

Brown Trout in Southern Utah Streams

2007-03-27T12:42:00.000-06:00

See more photos from these streams:
East Fork of Sevier in Black Canyon
Antimony Creek

I found myself down near Bryce Canyon over the weekend and took the opportunity to fish area steams. Action was good for feisty 8-13 inch browns, rainbows and brook trout. The weather was nice – warm for March. The scenery was spectacular, of course, and it was a very enjoyable trip.

I was in the area checking on a recreational lot on the edge of the forest near Pine Lake, just north of Bryce Canyon. I love that area and go there often to fish, hike and engage in other activities. Since I enjoy the area so much, I am considering buying land and putting up a cabin. Decisions, decisions...

Anyway, the East Fork of the Sevier River usually offers good brown trout fishing in Black Canyon, north of the town of Antimony. The stream has been a family favorite for many years and it rarely disappoints. However, the stream is still recovering from a fish kill caused by ash from a fire on Mt Dutton, located to the west. The browns are coming back, but fishing is still far below the glory years of the past.

We camped along the stream and it rained steadily through much of the night. The next morning the water level was up and the stream was quite muddy. That is typical of this stream – it is susceptible to flooding from snowmelt or runoff from rainstorms.

I had planned to fly fish but the high, muddy water discouraged me. The runoff interferes with insect hatches and keeps the fish down – I’ve never done well fly fishing under those conditions.

I love fly fishing but I’m not a purist. If flies don’t work then I try something else. Rapalas are my weapon of choice for trout in water that is a little high and muddy. I use an original floating Rapala and work it slowly along the edge of the current and next to overhangs. I often cast it into the current, let it float to the bottom of the hole, then retrieve it slowly against the current.

Brown trout can’t resist such an offering. Several anyway, couldn’t resist on this trip. They struck aggressively and fought hard for their size.

The Rapala is perhaps the single most versatile lure ever invented. Variations are great in lakes and on streams, for almost any game fish. I usually remove the first hook and flatten the barbs on the other hook, to make it easier to release fish. If both hooks are left in place it is difficult to unhook a thrashing fish, but very easy to injure it. Flattening the barbs makes it harder to play and land fish, but the added challenge is enjoyable.

Deer Creek is a small tributary to the East Fork. It was running clear, albeit a little high. Three large beaver ponds on the stream’s lower end produced nice browns.

Antimony Creek is a larger tributary that offers a smorgasbord of fishing opportunity. It is often almost completely dewatered by the time it reaches SR 22, but always has a good flow up the canyon. Browns and rainbows thrive in its lower reaches and brook trout are abundant farther up the canyon. It flows off the west side of Boulder Mountain, offering mile after mile of good fishing in a scenic canyon that gets little fishing pressure.

I had a blast catching trout on a black beadhead leech pattern. Several rainbows got up and danced on their tails.

I wore Neoprene waders and was actually hot by afternoon. It felt very much like early June. In that country it often snows in early June, then gets hot a few minutes later when the sun comes out.

Actually, I might get into trouble with my brothers for writing about this area. It is supposed to be our family’s secret. Oh, did I mention there are rattlesnakes? And cougars? And Black Canyon cuts through ugly, black lava. You probably don’t want to bother fishing there.

Several popular ATV trails cut through this area, running up the canyons and along ridges. I’m not a big fan of ATVs. I don’t hate them and I see the need to have designated tails where people can ride. Unfortunately, many riders don’t stay on the trails and they are wrecking havoc in many areas. They pound the trails hour after hour, kicking up dust and smashing vegetation.

I wouldn’t mind if they were riding to get to a destination – a fishing hole for instance. But most don’t do that. They pound the terrain hour after hour, riding just for the fun of riding. So, when I’m 10 miles up the canyon enjoying solitude on a seldom-fished stream, it bugs me a bit when a swarm of these pests come thundering by, and then they thunder by again and again.

Anyway, it was a good trip.

Now I’ve got to decide if I love the area enough to buy land and put up a cabin.

- Dave

Photos and Google Maps

2007-03-10T10:20:00.000-07:00

My photo gallery is coming together nicely now, with 2-3 new albums going on line every day. At this rate I’ll have most of my best photos up within a months. Take a look, and let me know what you think.

I’ve been playing around with using Google maps on websites. They offer several advantages. For instance, on utah.com we want to post maps showing the most popular hiking trails in national parks. We planned to have a graphics person draw them, but now we are thinking maybe Google maps will work better.

1 - You can zoom them in and out, and pan.
2 - You can place markers anywhere you want, including text descriptions and links.
3 - After you get a format down they are easy to post.

We used simple versions for our Arches hiking maps, and they look fine. I think this one turned out very good: www.utah.com/nationalparks/arches/windows_map.htm

Yesterday I did one for the Angels Landing hike in Zion, incorporating some more advanced features. It works fine when viewed in Firefox, but it crashes sometimes in Explorer. Other times it displays fine in Explorer. You can see it here: www.utah.com/nationalparks/zion/angels_map.htm.

It has me stumped. I thought Explorer was fully compatible with these functions. If you have any insights, please let me know.

(Note 3-12: I solved the IE display problem. I had a command it didn't like in the script.)

- Dave

Bike Babylon Road in Red Cliffs Desert Reserve

2007-03-04T22:44:00.000-07:00

I'm just back from a very enjoyable mountain bike ride down Babylon Road in a scenic area near St George. It was an easy and relaxing ride – a great warm-up after a long, cold winter. The weather was perfect, pushing into the low 50s during the afternoon.

See my photo album from this adventure.

Babylon Road runs for about 4.5 miles, from I-15 down to the Virgin River. You get onto it from the frontage road just east of the town of Leeds. The road has some sandy sections, and it’s rocky in spots, but the riding surface is nice in most areas. It cuts through a mesquite and cactus desert, skirts scenic red rock formations and sand dunes, and ends at a very nice swimming hole at the river. (It was too cold to swim on March 3, when I was there, but we waded a bit. During May and early June conditions will be prime for swimming. It will be great fun to ride downhill to the river, play, then throw the bike into a support vehicle and let it carry us out.)

We came to ride but also had fun hiking and four-wheeling. We saw other people riding horses and ATVs. Wheeled vehicles must stay on designated roads, but there are plenty in the area that are rough and inviting.

Much of the area is included in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. It is critical habitat for desert tortoise and also supports Gila monster lizards, ring tail cats and a host of other interesting desert animals and plants. It is managed to help these species survive, but is open for reasonable recreational use. It is patrolled regularly and visitors need to learn and obey the rules.

You can see the ruins of an interesting old mill along the river and we found a fascinating panel of ancient Native American rock art in a narrow pass near the lower end of the Babylon Trail.

Roads in the reserve are rough. The main road has deep sand and on the lower end it crosses a culvert that has been washed out so only narrow vehicles can cross. Four-wheel drive is definitely needed to reach the river. I made it over the washed out section with no trouble in my little Blazer but I would have hesitated before taking a full-sized pickup across it. Conditions may vary from day to day, depending on rainfall and repair work.

Camping is allowed in one designated area. It is primitive camping – no restrooms, no water or any other facilities. Just red cliffs and sand dunes. It is a very pretty spot with great rocks where kids have fun climbing and exploring. There are two scenic natural arches in the area.

You can drive up to the camping area if you have a 4X4 and dare tackle deep sand and a steep, rocky hill. Other vehicle can park in a lot that is easily accessible and then campers can carry their gear 1/4 mile to the cliffs and sand.

The road is a favorite spot for locals and hasn’t yet been discovered by the outside world. If you visit you’ll see people but it is never crowded.

It has become one of my favorites. Very scenic and plenty of opportunity to play. I’ll be back.

This article tells about the history of the area and how it came to be called Babylon.

- Dave

New Photo Albums

2007-02-28T12:57:00.000-07:00

We've installed new photo management tools to help us organize and share photos. We've started to add albums and photos and we'll add a bunch more during the next few weeks. See them here.

We elected to use the Gallery 2 facilities. They are very powerful, and open source so we can customize them for our website.

The tools automatically create thumbnails, and various versions of photos to match your interest and download capability. You can now view regular-sized photos that download quickly, or download very large versions that can be printed.

Remember, the photos on our website are copyrighted. They are available for your personal use – wallpapers, screen savers, that sort of thing. But we ask that you obtain permission before using them for commercial ventures.

The software has the capacity to allow audience members to upload their photos. We’re debating the merits of that idea. We know some of you take excellent photos and you’d be happy to share. But we might also get some crap and we’d have to have someone monitor it constantly.

Please leave comments about photos, and share your ideas about how we can make this website better.

- Dave

Tips on Outdoor Photography

2007-02-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

I still haven't had time to post most of my best photos, but I'm working on it. I'll make it a priority during the next couple weeks.

Meanwhile, a local group asked me to do a workshop on outdoor photography. Below are the tips I presented.

Composition
Keep the background simple.

Zoom in on your subject. (Don’t try to photograph a whole body, head to toe. Zoom in.)

Place the “key subject of interest” slightly off-center. (Often eyes are the key subject. Don’t put the key subject dead center in the photo.)

Try different angles/alignments (horizontal, vertical, side-view).

Light, Focus and Exposure
Take outdoor shots in the early morning or late afternoon – the magic hours.

Lock the focus and exposure (Aim the camera at your subject, centered, then push the shutter button halfway down. Hold the button halfway down while you compose the photo. Complete the shot by depressing the button all of the way, never letting it up until the shot has been taken.)

Use fill flash when shooting people outdoors.

Use contrast (shadows, colors) to add dramatic effect.

Use a tripod when shooting in low light, or when shooting close-ups.

Learn to use the controls on your camera (portrait, landscape, action, etc.)

Read your camera manual.

Organizing, Archiving Photos
Back up your photos. Remember that memory cards, computer drives and cds eventually wear out.

On-line storage and sharing may be a good option. I use Google Picasa, which is a good, free program to help organize, optimize, archive and share photos. I’m sure there are other good services.

Early Spring Fishing Forecast

2007-02-22T14:38:00.002-07:00

I've posted a new fishing forecast that includes my predictions for the coming weeks, along with links to good reports from other sources.

Check it out.

Spring events in Moab

2007-02-19T11:52:00.000-07:00

I recently completed a newsletter for utah.com focusing on spring events in Moab. You can read it here.

Some favorite annual events will take there during the next few weeks, including the Skinny Tire Festival and Jeep Safari. These are big events that bring a fun, festive atmosphere to the town.

It’s still winter, technically, but daytime temperatures will now often climb into the 50s F, perfect for hiking and biking. Within a few weeks temperatures will be pushing into the 70s.

This is a perfect time to recreate in the Moab/Arches/Canyonlands area.

Hiking Zion National Park

2007-02-09T09:46:00.000-07:00

I’ve spent the past week writing trail guides to some of the famous hiking trails in Zion National Park, for this website: www.utah.com.

I improved the hiking overview page and posted specific hiking info about trails recommended for typical tourists. I’ve included Flash photo tours, maps and video clips for many of the hikes. The maps are pretty crude, I need to get our artist to standardize and improve them over the next couple weeks. I also need to get more photos and video for some of the trails.

Here’s the trails I’ve done for Zion:
Emerald Pools
Weeping Rock
Canyon Overlook
Riverside Walk
The Narrows
Angels Landing

I need to do the same thing for major tourist trails in Utah’s other national parks. I have photos and video for some, but I’ll need to go get more during the next couple months. I’ll probably do Arches next.

One of the challenges is finding people to be in the photos and video clips. My kids appear all over the websites I manage, as do the faces of my hiking buddies. I need new faces.

Periodically, in this blog I announce where I’m headed for my next trip and I say, “Anyone interested in joining me?” That is a sincere invitation because it helps me get new faces into my photos. I get a response now and then, and it is fun to meet new people and make new friends.

So, anyone interested in doing easy tourist hikes in Arches?

- Dave Webb
dave@redrockadventure.com

Photos from Utah's Castle Valley Ranch

2007-02-07T08:23:00.000-07:00

If you enjoy classic Western scenery, horses, cowboys and cattle, you’ll enjoy Castle Valley Ranch. If you are into fly fishing, pheasant hunting or elk hunting, you’ll enjoy Castle Valley Ranch.

The posh guest ranch is located south of Price, between the Wasatch Plateau and the San Rafael Swell. Fun country.

I do web development work for the outfit and I’ve just posted a bunch of Flash photo tours. Some of the photos are amazing.

Check them out here: www.castlevalleyoutdoors.com/photos/

Robbins Ranch - An Amazing Recreational Property

2007-02-03T08:58:00.000-07:00

I'm always on the lookout for exceptional recreational properties and I've found a great one. If I had $7 million I'll buy it in a heartbeat.

It is Robbins Ranch, located on Rock Creek, on the South Slope of the Uintas, in NE Utah. It includes 120 acres, with 1/4 mile of stream frontage, plus four spring-fed ponds that produce trout (rainbows and brookies) up to 8 pounds. The ranch is along the paved, state-maintained road leading up to Upper Stillwater Reservoir, about 28 miles NW of Duchesne.

I love to fish Rock Creek. It offers very good fishing in a classic setting, very scenic, with deer, elk, moose, and numerous small animals and birds. I've fished stretches above and below the ranch, and I've eyeballed the beautiful holes on the ranch, coveting the property that I'm prevented from fishing because it is fenced and gated.

The ranch is nestled within Ashley National Forest. The Upper Stillwater area serves as the trailhead for several excellent trails leading into the High Uinta Wilderness. The area is prime for fishing, hunting, horseback riding, snowmobiling, and numerous other activities. It would be a wonderful place to just relax, watch the wildlife and enjoy the solitude.

This would make a great family recreational paradise or corporate retreat. It is certainly a great investment - property in this area is certain to appreciate significantly during the coming years.

Seven million - that's certainly a lot of money. But people are paying that much for a home on a small lot on a Park City golf course. Park City vs Rock Creek – I'll take Robbins Ranch any day.

It is offered by Jason Husebye: 801-636-3107

Here's the listing. This link offers photos, maps and more information.

Hurst Bridge and the Vanishing Triple Arch

2007-01-30T08:20:00.000-07:00

Arches and natural bridges fascinate me – I seek them out when I’m exploring an area. Some are famous tourist attractions, like Rainbow Bridge and the multitude of arches in Arches National Park. But most of these gravity-defying enigmas are obscure, seldom visited, even though they are found in scenic areas offering great recreational opportunity.

Dozens of bridges and arches can be found in the rugged San Rafael Swell, but most are relatively unknown.

I did a fun little adventure hike over the weekend, trying to find a reputed triple natural bridge, but failed in that quest because of the rugged terrain and winter conditions. I did hike past Ernie Arch and under Hurst Bridge, and those two sights made the trip worthwhile.

The late January weather was very nice – blue sky and warm sunshine – but I underestimated the amount of snow and ice lingering in shady spots. Exclamation Bridge, described as one of the most spectacular sites in the San Rafael Swell, is well hidden in some of the most difficult terrain on earth. Viewing the steep, rugged route ahead, and realizing the sun was sinking toward the western horizon, I decided I’d have to continue my search in a few weeks, when the ice is gone and the days are longer.

I’ve since found a report that suggests Exclamation is a double bridge, not a triple. That’s a bummer, if true. I have to verify that for myself because one of my long-term goals is to find a triple arch or natural bridge. I’ve tried, but every time I approach such a mystical structure it morphs into a mere double. For example, maps show a rock span named “Triple Arch” on Lake Powell near the mouth of the San Juan Arm. But the name is a misnomer. It is really a double arch that looks like a triple from a distance.

There is virtually no information available on Exclamation Bridge, other than the fact that it exists in a slot off Ernie Canyon in the San Rafael Reef north of Temple Mountain. The sketchy details I’ve uncovered suggest it is located in a maze of deep, narrow canyons. It was apparently discovered in 2004. I got close enough to view the surrounding chasms, and their ruggedness convinced me to wait for improved conditions. The narrowness and depth of these chasms, and the height of their numerous dry falls, compare to the darkest slots in Zion National Park. It’s fun country.

If you know of a genuine triple bridge or arch, please tell me about it. And, if you’ve seen Exclamation for yourself, I’d like to hear from you. I’ll probably try to reach it in mid-March. I almost always have room for another hiker or two, if you are interested.

Hurst Bridge is well worth a hike, all by itself. It is very scenic, as you can see from my photo, and not far from the trailhead. It is difficult to find and the hike requires strenuous scrambling up steep ridges. To find the bridge you need a 7.5 minute topo map, good route finding skills, a GPS and enough time to wander through the canyon maze. It took us 4 hours to find it, and only 1 hour to hike out.

If you go into that area, carry water because there isn’t any in the drainage. And you’ll need a high-clearance 4X4 to get to the Ernie Canyon Trailhead.

So, where are the hiking instructions? I’m not going to give any. I’ll give the latitude and longitude of Hurst Bridge (N 38º 44’ 10”, W 110º 34’ 16”), but that’s all. With that, if you know what you are doing, you can study your map and plan a route.

If you don’t know what you’re doing then you have no business hiking in that country. It really is some of the roughest terrain on earth.

- Dave (dave@redrockadventure.com)

Get Involved to Benefit Wildlife

2007-01-24T21:10:00.000-07:00

The Utah Conservation Forum has put out a call for action, encouraging people to support a bill now making it way through the Utah Legislature. I helped them program an e-newsletter which is going out tonight. Here’s the call for action:

ALERT: WE NEED YOUR HELP!

HB 102 Severance Tax Amendments (also known as The Land and Water Reinvestment Act) will be reviewed by the House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Standing Committee on Thursday, January 25.

We need YOU to attend the hearing on Thursday to show your support for HB 102. (For details, click here.) Or, contact your legislator and urge them to show their support for the legislation.

Volunteer To Be Part Of Our Action Team. Click here for information.

Now my comments:

The bill will almost certainly make it out of committee, and will then need support as it moves through the legislative process. So, more help will be needed in the future.

Subscribe to the UCF newsletter and/or watch their website to stay informed and get involved.

I fully support this effort.
- Dave

Cisco Spawn at Frozen Bear Lake

2007-01-19T18:16:00.000-07:00

The info below is from the DWR’s fishing hotspots report. The info is good. I’m posting it here because it will soon disappear from the DWR report, and I think it has lasting value. The hotspots report is a good idea, but I think the page is difficult to use.

Bear Lake – Hot!

The cisco spawning run is now underway and the lake is frozen! As of Friday, January 19, 2007 limits of cisco were being dipnetted off of Cisco Beach and Utah State Park marina. The ice off the Bear Lake State Park is approximately 5-6” thick and ice anglers are reporting catching some nice cutthroat trout and a few whitefish directly in front of the marina and off the new rockpiles just north of the marina in about 35 feet of water using jigs and spoons tipped with cisco or wax worms. The ice along Cisco Beach is now about 3” thick and anglers are dipping fish while standing on the ice. Closer to shore is better for dipping cisco. There have been a couple of 4 wheelers and a few ice anglers off the Ideal Beach rockpile. Cisco can be jigged (snagged) off the rockpiles by using lures such as castmasters and spoons.

Remember a person may not possess a multipoint hook with a weight permanently or rigidly attached directly to the shank or a weight suspended below any hook unless the hook is on an unweighted dropper line that is at least three inches long. This is to prevent other fish, such a whitefish and cutthroat trout from being inadvertently snagged. Any fish that is foul hooked other than a cisco must be immediately released. A few ice anglers have been fishing off the east side from the pump house north towards Second Point and the ice in this area is about 3-4” thick.

Remember to watch out for springs and or methane vents which make or weak ice in some area and keep some areas wide open. Play it safe and wear a set of ice picks around your neck on the outside of your clothing. The picks will help you to pull yourself out of the water if you should fall through. It is also a good idea to keep a length of rope with your ice fishing equipment as an additional safety measure. The lake level is at 5910.56 feet. The lake has risen approximately seven inches since October and continues to rise. The deicers in the marina have been turned off for the year and it is now frozen. There is approximately 6” of snow on the ground at this time and night time temperatures have been well below zero with day time highs of about 15 degrees.

Details
· Location: Northern Utah
· Directions: Take Hwy 89 east from Logan, UT 38 miles
· Type: Blue Ribbon
· Size: 70,000 acres
· Elevation: 5924
· Hours: No restrictions
· Likely catch: Cutthroat Trout, Lake Trout
· Possible catch: Bonneville Cisco
· Regulations: 2 trout. Cutthroat trout must be fin clipped (adipose) in order to be kept. See proclamation for other species.
· Site amenities: Open to fishing for all ages
· Handicap access: This lake has handicap access in certain areas.
· Site description: Bear Lake provides a cold water sport fishery mainly for cutthroat and lake lake trout. A fishing license from either Utah or Idaho is valid on the entire lake. Bear Lake is located in a beautiful mountain setting and the blue color is produced by suspended carbonates in the water that reflect blue light.

Lava Hot Springs Resort

2007-01-16T22:13:00.000-07:00

Soaking in the hot pools feels oh, so good

It was 0 F outside when we slipped into our swimming suites and walked, barefoot, down the walkway toward the hot pools. It wasn't that cold where we were walking because steam from the pools came up around us, but it was still pretty chilly. There was slush on the sidewalk and ice on the handrails.

When we stepped into the first pool the water felt hot - almost too hot. We held back, the water up to our ankles, getting acclimatized. It didn't take long before we decided the hot water was better than the cold air and so we waded in. A shelf had been constructed around the edge of the pool and we sat down on it, the water coming up around our necks.

After a few minutes the water felt perfect and I could feel my body starting to relax - starting to melt. It felt luxurious.

Such was my introduction to Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. I had business in Rexburg, to the north, and decided to stay overnight at Lava because friends have gushed about the place, calling it one of the best hot springs resorts in the US.

The water is very nice. It is hot mineral water, delivered in its natural condition, exactly as it comes from Mother Earth. Soaking in it is amazingly relaxing. Many people, myself included, think it is therapeutic. The water quickly turned me into a believer.

The mineral content is high but the water does not contain sulfur and so it does not have the rank odor often encountered at hot springs.

The resort includes a series of pools, and the water temperature drops from one to the next. The first pool was hotter than I found comfortable, although a small number of people chose to soak there. The large, main pool was just right, in my opinion. It was warmer at the top and cooler toward the bottom, so it was easy to find a spot that felt exactly right.

A third pool was a few degrees cooler than the first. I found it to be very pleasant also, particularly because the input water is jetted. (There are only a few jets and so you don't have a real whirlpool effect, but it is nice to sit right in front of one and let the spray massage your back. The jetted pool also has a concrete floor, while the other pools have gravel on the bottom. But the gravel is not unpleasant.

We were there on a Sunday evening, over the long Martin Luther King holiday weekend. The pools were not crowded but the number of people there surprised me, since Lava is in an out of the way spot in rural southeastern Idaho. It is located along Hwy 30, about 11 miles from I-15.
150 miles from Salt Lake City
130 miles from Jackson, WY

We encountered a wide assortment of people at Lava – every imaginable age groups and body shape was represented. The clientele seems to be very easygoing. There was nothing about the resort or its patrons that made any of us feel uncomfortable. A group of locals, young adults, showed up after awhile and they were loud for a few minutes, but soon moved off to their own corner.

These hot springs have attracted humans for thousands of years. Native Americans considered the water to be therapeutic and made camps in the area. Fur trappers and mountain men were also attracted to the springs. Lava is located along the old Oregon Trail and immigrant trains made regular stops.

As Anglo settlers arrived they built a bustling community around the springs. Today Lava is definitely a resort town, with good numbers of motels, restaurants and B&Bs.

However, the town looks old – quaint, some would say. Most of the downtown buildings are old. Some have been modernized and look nice, but many look dilapidated. We stayed in the Tumbling Waters, which is an old two-story structure operated by the Home Hotel. The location was perfect, right across the street from the resort, but our accommodations were barely adequate. Our room had two queen beds and both were way too soft to be comfortable. The water pipes made horrific noises and the stairs clattered.

The other hotels we saw in town appeared to be similar.

I'm told there are nicer lodging options located outside the downtown area but we didn't take time to search them out.

The town's chamber of commerce website (www.lavahotsprings.org) lists lodging establishments. I called several before settling on the Tumbling Waters. Some of the B&Bs look nice but they are geared for couples. My wife and daughter accompanied me and so we needed two beds. I called one resort that looked ideal, but it was booked solid.

So, I can't offer any first hand advice about posh lodging.

I do heartily recommend the hot springs, operated by the State of Idaho through the Lava Hot Springs Foundation. See the official website for accurate info.

The hot springs are open 363 days a year (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas days). During summer months you can also enjoy an Olympic-sized swimming pool, diving platforms and a water slide. The dressing rooms have been recently remodeled and, as of Jan 1, 2007, the resort became smoke free.

During winter the hot pools close at 10 pm. In summer you can soak until 11 pm.

Over 3 million gallons of hot water flows through the pools every day. The water is not recycled, it just flows on out into the Portneuf River. With spring water constantly entering, the pools stay clean and pleasant. You don’t have the petri dish effect that can cause problems in motel hot tubs.

It’s very enjoyable to soak, relaxing, steam coming up around you, the subdued lights penetrating the fog only enough to provide fleeting glimpses of people who are just a dozen feet away.

We were there over what will probably go down as the coldest weekend of the year. Soaking, our heads and shoulders above the water, our hair froze in spots but the water felt oh, so good.

Walking back across the street to our hotel, as the air temperature dropped below 0, we still felt warm and relaxed.

Massage services are available at the resort and from many practitioners in town.

We’ll be going back.
- Dave

Strawberry Lauded; Volunteers Needed to Teach Kids to Fish; New Photo Galleries

2007-01-11T17:04:00.000-07:00

This post is a catch-all discussing several topics.

Strawberry Lauded
The American Fisheries Society (AFS) recently named Strawberry Reservoir as the Sport Fishery Development and Management Outstanding Sport Fish Restoration Project of the Year for 2006. This newspaper article gives details.

Volunteers Needed
DWR is seeking volunteers to help teach kids how to fish by participating in community fishing clubs.

New Photo Galleries
We’ve recently added 3 new photo galleries, and we’re set to add a bunch more during the next few weeks.

- The Wave of Coyote Buttes

- Hiking Zion’s Subway

Politics and Outdoor Recreation

2007-01-07T22:36:00.000-07:00

I’ve been busy the past few days updating a political newsletter for my bother, a local political consultant.

LaVarr publishes a daily email newsletter full of info about Utah politics and public policy. He and his team took last week off and they talked me into updating the thing for them.

I manage his website and provide technical support for the newsletter. I help with updates occasionally and so I know the drill: up at 4 am looking through a couple dozen newspapers and other sources for information, so the newsletter arrives in email boxes by the time they get to work at 9 am. It makes for long days, but it is fun to get that immersed in the news.

As I did my daily search I found these interesting articles related to outdoor recreation:

- Zion National Park raises its entry fee 25%
- Cost to hunt, fish may change in July
- New fishing regulations begin at certain sites
- Wharton: My predictions: Las Vegas will drain us, but the fish will be biting
- Tight Lines: Now's a good time to brush up on fishing rules
- Snowshoe hike of the week: USA Bowl - Big Cottonwood Canyon
- Avalanche safety classes and information
- Avalanche facts

2007 big game hunt application period begins Jan 17. Get more information about applications at wildlife.utah.gov/hunting.

Incidentally, I finally finished my Monument Valley photo gallery.

Now that I’m done updating the UPD newsletter I should have time to post new info on this stie.
- Dave

New Fishing Report and Monument Valley Article

2007-01-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

Most Utah trout and perch waters are frozen now and ice fishing is good. There is also some opportunity for open-water fishing. See our new Fishing Report for details.

I finally found time to write up this article on our recent Monument Valley horseback trail ride. We enjoyed a great outing and came back with some good photos and a little video.

I will also be posing a Monument Valley photo gallery and video clip, but I haven’t had time to finish them.

Should Vehicles Be Banned in Arch Canyon

2006-12-30T22:54:00.000-07:00

Conservationists have filed a petition seeking to ban motorized travel in Arch Canyon, a remote area west of Blanding in SE Utah.

The canyon, managed by BLM, contains a number of Anasazi ruins and artifacts. It has a year-round stream and provides important habitat for plants, animals and fish.

The Salt Lake Tribune ran this article about the petition. The article quotes Liz Thomas, a Moab-based attorney for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance: "We've been asking for this for a long time. We understand that the BLM doesn't have the resources to do an inventory of the canyon. But until they know what's there, they need to protect those cultural resources and species until they have more information."

Mary Wilson, spokeswoman for the BLM's state office, is quotes saying: "We'll look at the information and take action if it's warranted. But there's a well-determined process for how we manage the land. And we believe we are managing Arch Canyon in a way that protects the riparian and archeological resources."

The Anasazi canyons in SE Utah are amazing - I love to seek them out and explore them. In general, I think BLM needs to do more to protect them. But I don’t think long-established roads should be closed.

In Utah there is a hot, ongoing brawl between groups favoring motorized recreation (ATVs, 4X4s, snowmobiles) and conservationists who want large areas designated as wilderness (prohibiting motorized travel). The battle simmers at times, but usually not for long. More often it flares with ferocious intensity.

It seems to be flaring right now, with a series of events stoking emotions. We’ve reported early on these skirmishes:

Wasatch Cache National Forest expands slightly the area open to snowmobile use around Tony Grove, in Logan Canyon

Dixie National Forest schedules public meetings to discuss proposals for a new Motorized Travel Plan

Unfortunately, the two sides in this conflict are dug in, dogmatic, refusing to give an inch. As a result, it is impossible to make any real strides toward resolving Utah’s decades-old wilderness battle, or achieving a balanced plan to regulate motorized recreation.

Proponents of extreme measures make a lot of noise; in the past they have drowned out those of us who favor a rational middle ground. But lately moderate voices are gaining more attention. As we’ve reported, a new group called the Utah Conservation Forum is seeking dialog and a balanced approach.

I'm a life-long sportsman. I love to fish and snowmobile and hike and boat. I love the Uinta Mountains and other spots that are formally managed as wilderness areas. And I favor designating more land as wilderness, in places where wilderness designation makes sense.

But I also think we need a fair number of areas where people can ride dirt bikes, ATVs and snowmobiles.

Unfortunately, some ATV enthusiasts harm their own cause by riding in areas that are out of bounds.

Last year I spent some time on the Paunsaugunt and Table Cliff plateaus in Dixie Forest. Both are amazing areas with dramatic scenery. The Paunsaugunt has long produced some of the largest big game animals ever harvested in Utah.

As I explored these areas I was astounded by the damage being done by ATV rides who believe it is their god-given right to ride anywhere. I think they should be allowed to ride on designated roads and trails. But they insist on cutting through meadows, beating down stream banks and ripping up the forest. They throw up a cloud of dust that has coated everything.

I’m becoming a reluctant conservationist, disgusted by the irresponsibility of some ATV enthusiasts. They are hurting their favorite cause.

Keep the roads open, I say. But the Forest Service and BLM should enforce the regulations restricting motorized travel to roads and trails designated as open.

- Dave

Help Fight for Balanced Conservation

2006-12-21T23:23:00.000-07:00

The world doesn’t realize that many sportsmen are passionate about conserving natural resources. We probably provide more funding for wildlife-related programs than any other single group.

Most of us realize conservation must involve a balanced approach, and that compromise is often needed to build alliances.

The Nature Conservancy is one of my favorite conservation organizations because it works effectively with other organizations, including sportsmen and wildlife agencies, as it quietly, effectively, finds ways to protect and preserve some of the last best land in the world.

Now The Nature Conservancy is a key player in a new organization called Utah Conservation Forum. Other participants include Sportsmen For Fish and Wildlife, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Utah Foundation for North American Wild Sheep, Utah Open Lands, and The Trust For Public Land.

The Utah Conservation Forum is non-partisan and will serve as an information clearing house and resource for people and organizations interested in preserving and enhancing Utah's land and water and in maintaining and increasing public funding for conservation projects throughout the State of Utah. The Forum will publish an email newsletter as part of its campaign to disseminate information. The first newsletter went out yesterday. You can read it here.

A consulting group called Exoro is working with the Forum. Exoro specializes in government relations consulting and in leveraging information technology. I do some web development work for Exoro and so I had the opportunity to build the website for UCF, and also program their newsletter. We put the site together quickly and I think it turned out well. It is a good cause and I was happy to be involved.

I hope you will read their newsletter and be involved in working to protect and enhance Utah’s wildlife and wild places.

- Dave

Snowmobiles and Winter Desert Hikes

2006-12-19T21:29:00.000-07:00

I do email newsletters for several organizations including these two I’ve just completed for utah.com.

Come Snowmobile Utah

Needles, Rivers and Grand Solitude

I’m pleased with how they turned out.

Utah.com is the state’s travel/tourism website, and my employer, so I spend a good part of my life writing, shooting photos and developing other content for that website.

The snowmobile newsletter is designed to sell people on the idea of snowmobiling here. The goal is to get some of our ski tourists to consider a snowmobile adventure, since our snowmobile trails are every bit as good as our famous ski runs. It will be interesting to see what response we get.

Every month I write a newsletter to help people plan national park trips. For December I described the fun, relatively easy hike to the Confluence Overlook in Canyonlands. It is a great winter hike because the trail stays on top the mesa where you have sunshine.

I love to hike around Moab/Canyonlands/Arches, and hiking conditions are ideal in the spring and fall. But the area gets crowded during those prime months. More and more, I find myself going there in winter because I enjoy the solitude. I’ve hiked on many a sunny day in January when the air temperature reached 50 and it was downright pleasant.

Of course, there are also stormy and cold days. You just have to watch the weather and take advantage of the mild spells.

I’ve got one more big project to finish and then maybe I’ll have time to write about my recent horseback adventure in Monument Valley. It was great fun.

- Dave

My Search For A Cabin In The Woods

2006-12-11T22:03:00.000-07:00

I'm looking to buy a cabin, or recreational property where I can build a cabin. Or, maybe I’ll buy 2-3 cabins, in different areas where there are different kinds of recreational opportunities.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a place in the High Uinta Mountains, close to great summer fishing and winter snowmobiling? Where summer temperatures are cool.

But I'd also enjoy a place near the east entrance to Zion National Park. Zion is my favorite place on earth - I love hiking the park's slots. The east entrance is fairly close to Bryce Canyon and Lake Powell, and the winter weather is relatively mild. Not a bad combination.

And, who can forget Moab? I won't mind having a place just outside of town - away from the bustle but close to the myriad of recreation opportunities in that area.

It's hard for me to confine my interests to just one location and so I may just pick up more than one cabin, as circumstances allow during the next few years. I'm not rich and so I'm looking for good deals. I figure recreational property is a great investment that I can enjoy while it appreciates. To make my scheme work I'll need property that will appreciate, either naturally or because I make improvements, and property than can be readily sold if I decide I need cash.

Land values continue to rise in Utah, even while prices have faltered in much of the rest of the country. There is very little risk associated with buying property here.

I plan to take my time and carefully study various opportunities before I put any money down. I've started to compile a list of properties I find interesting. I figure others may share my interest and so I'm posting my list on my website.

I stumbled across a nearly-perfect location the other day that tempted me to settle for one property. Lots running 4-7 acres are begins sold in 6-Mile Canyon, just off Skyline Drive in Central Utah. A trout stream runs through the property. Skyline Drive is a high-mountain area much like the Uintas, heavily forested with countless small lakes and streams. It's a great place to hike, fish, ride ATVs and horses during the summer, and to snowmobile during winter.

Palisades Reservoir is located in the mouth of the canyon, just above the tiny community of Sterling. The reservoir is nice for family fishing and canoeing, and it offers a great little golf course.

6-Mile is just 80 miles south of my home in Springville, so it would make an easy weekend getaway for anyone living along Utah's Wasatch Front. And, because it is south, it would put me closer to Zion and Powell and Moab and Boulder Mountain and most of the places where I like to play.

The lot prices are a little steep for me, starting at $150,000. Add the cost of building a cabin and you're talking real money. But it is tempting. If I didn't love those other spots so much, I’d probably grab one of the lots before they are gone.

For more info, see this website and click on property for sale.

Scofield Ice Fishing & Other Waters

2006-12-08T15:39:00.000-07:00

Scofield Reservoir is frozen and offers good ice fishing, according to a news release from DWR (see below).

We’ve heard reports that Strawberry has ice on some bays and a cap down near the dam, but open water over most of the reservoir. A few brave (foolish) anglers have been fishing that new ice and they report fair to good success.

Jordanelle has ice around the Provo River inlet and some early birds are fishing there. The rest of the reservoir has open water. It will provide good action for trout and perch as the ice firms up.

Pelican Lake is completely frozen and offers fair but spotty ice fishing for bluegill.

The next good cold snap should firm up the ice on Strawberry, Jordanelle, Otter Creek and most other popular Utah trout waters. Fish Lake usually does not freeze until around Christmas. Bear Lake and the upper end of Flaming Gorge sometimes freeze during January, but sometimes stay open. Lake Powell and the waters around St George do not freeze.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources provided the following news release about fishing Scofield:

Ice is on at Scofield Reservoir

The long-awaited ice-over has finally occurred at Scofield Reservoir, signaling some of the best fishing of the year! Last week, the thermometer plunged to record lows, transforming a skiff of shoreline ice into a rock-solid frozen mass.

Early season ice fishing is traditionally some of the best of the year. Last weekend, anglers yanked out a number of 14- to16-inch rainbows, mixed with some six- to eight-inch planters, as well as cutthroats and a few pan-sized tiger trout.

Fishing success is an elusive combination of where you fish, depth, technique and tackle. It changes from day to day and hour to hour. Skill and experience are as important here as in any other sport.

Scofield Success Secrets

Conservation officer and veteran angler Mike Milburn fishes in 10 to 20 feet of water at this time of year. He tends his ice rod faithfully, jigging it periodically. Mike uses a small silver attractor like a Kastmaster or Stinger from which he removes the hook. In its place, Mike ties on 10 to 12 inches of leader, and finishes the rig with a 1/32- or 1/16-ounce chartreuse jig head. The jig head is tipped with a piece of night crawler, mealworm, wax worm or small minnow. This set-up rarely fails Mike, who always has stories to share from his last angling adventure.

Aquatics Biologist Justin Hart volunteered to share some of his secrets as well. Justin likes to fish in 12 to 15 feet of water early in the season. When his tackle hits the bottom, Justin reels in a crank or two. He jigs the bait awhile and then raises it a foot or more at intervals, methodically sampling the entire water column. In terms of end tackle, Justin uses a 1/16-ounce spoon or Swedish Pimple tipped with a chunk of minnow about the size of a dime. He has also had good luck with a curly-tail grub or ice fly and a piece of night crawler or chunk of minnow meat.

Where To Go

For locating fish, Justin offers a few recommendations. The west side just out from Madsen Bay boat launch offers good fishing. Fishing around the island is another good bet year-round. The southeast side of the reservoir is ever-popular for good reason. Time of day is important too. If you can stand frigid temperatures, early morning is a good time to dip a line.

Come January 1, a new regulation change takes effect at Scofield. The trout limit jumps from four to eight fish, doubling angler opportunity. If you haven't ice fished Scofield, this is a great time to give it a try!