Elk Viewing Begins Friday at Hardware Ranch

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.

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See You on the Radio

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)

(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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Featured Video: Houseboating Lake Powell

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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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.