Fishing Guide to Boulder Mountain

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 Those printed guides were valuable in their day, but are outdated now.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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.