See Bald Eagles In Utah On Feb 11

Utah offers many spots where you can watch and photograph wildlife and one of best related opportunities takes place on Bald Eagle Day. A large number of eagles spend the winter in Utah and they are relatively easy to find, view and photograph. Utah's Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) has set up viewing spots throughout the state to help people see the majestic birds. Over the years, Bald Eagle Day has evolved into our most popular wildlife viewing event.

The DWR provided this news release about the event:

Bald Eagle Day is Feb. 11

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

On Feb. 11, you’ll have a chance not only to see bald eagles, but to learn more about them. The Division of Wildlife Resources will hold its annual Utah Bald Eagle Day that day.

Bald Eagle Day is free. You can see eagles at five locations across the state. Viewing times vary depending on the viewing site you visit.

Northern Utah
Salt Creek Waterfowl Management Area (Compton’s Knoll), located about 10 miles northwest of Corinne

Viewing will take place at Salt Creek from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

In addition to seeing the eagles at Salt Creek, you can also see a captive bald eagle that volunteers from the Ogden Nature Center will bring to the event. The captive eagle will be at the event from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Make sure you bring your camera with you—this will be a great chance to take a picture of your kids standing next to a real bald eagle!

To reach the WMA, take Exit 365 off of Interstate 15 and travel west on state Route 83 through Corinne. Stay on Route 83 until you get to 6800 West (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)

Viewing will take place at Farmington Bay from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In addition to seeing the eagles, you may want to visit the Great Salt Lake Nature Center. The center is at 1700 W. Glover Lane on the northwest side of the WMA.

Diana Vos, the center’s director, says the center will hold special Bald Eagle Day activities for kids and families. “HawkWatch International will also bring some live birds of prey to the center,” she says. “You can see the live birds from about 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.”

You can also get a close look at a stuffed bald eagle. The eagle is on display at the nature center.

If you’re traveling north on Interstate 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 322. After you exit the freeway, the off ramp will fork left and right—stay to the right. After the road forks, take your first right turn, and continue south on the frontage road to the stop sign on Glover Lane. Turn right on Glover Lane, and follow the road west.

To reach the Farmington Bay WMA, travel to 1325 W. Glover Lane, and turn left into the WMA.

To reach the Great Salt Lake Nature Center, continue west on Glover Lane to 1700 W. After going past a "Dead End" sign, the paved road to the nature center will be on your left.

If you’re traveling south on Interstate 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.

To reach the Farmington Bay WMA, turn left (east) on Glover Lane, and travel to 1325 W. Then turn right into the WMA.

To reach the Great Salt Lake Nature Center, turn right (west) on Glover Lane, and continue west to 1700 W. After going past a "Dead End" sign, the paved road to the nature center will be on your left.

Central Utah
Fountain Green State Fish Hatchery, located east of Nephi

Viewing will take place at Fountain Green from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

If you’re coming from the north, you can reach the hatchery by taking Interstate 15 and exiting the freeway at the second Nephi exit (Exit 225). After exiting the freeway, turn east on state Route 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. Spotting scopes will be set-up at a viewing location about one mile from the hatchery where eagles often gather in a large tree.

Northeastern Utah
Split Mountain/Green River, located north of Jensen and below the Dinosaur Quarry in Dinosaur National Monument (DNM).

Viewing will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To reach the site, drive north from U.S. Highway 40 in Jensen on the road (state Route 149) to the Dinosaur Quarry.

Your first stop should be at the staging area located just inside the DNM boundary. Displays and spotting scopes will be available at the staging area, and you might be able to see bald eagles and other raptors in the distance.

You can also see live birds close up! At least two live birds of prey—and maybe as many as four—will be on display at the staging area. Their handlers usually bring the birds to the staging area in the morning. The birds are kept at the staging area until the birds decide they no longer want to cooperate with the crowds.

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 see the dinosaur bones and exhibits at Dinosaur National Monument. The Dinosaur Quarry and DNM’s new visitor center are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The visitor center also includes a small bookstore and warm bathrooms.

Southern Utah
Cedar Valley, about four miles northwest of Cedar City

Viewing will take place in Cedar Valley from 3 p.m. until dusk.

To reach the site, exit Interstate 15 at Exit 59, and travel west on state Route 56 to 3900 W. Turn right on 3900 W., and travel north to 2800 N. The viewing site is at 3900 W. and 2800 N.

Get a close look
Bob Walters, Watchable Wildlife coordinator for the DWR, says spotting scopes will be available at each viewing site so you can get a good look at the eagles. “Biologists and volunteers will also be on hand to help you spot the eagles and to answer your questions,” he says.
You can also pick up information about bald eagles and wildlife watching and birding opportunities in Utah. The material will be available for free, or for a small cost.

The best time to attend
The best time to see eagles on Feb. 11 depends on what’s most important to you: staying as warm as possible or seeing more eagles!

If staying warm is most important, attend late in the morning or early in the afternoon. Walters says the warmer temperatures during this time of the day are especially important if you bring young children with you.

Late morning and early afternoon is also the best time to get a clear view of the eagles.

If you want to see the greatest number of eagles—with fairly good light conditions and reasonably warm temperatures—attend between 2 and 4 p.m.

Between 2 and 4 p.m., eagles will start flying to trees at many of the viewing locations to roost for the night.

“If you want to see the greatest number of eagles,” Walters says, “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 take photos of the eagles, bring a telephoto lens.

“The eagles will be a fair distance from the viewing areas,” Walters says. “In the past, we’ve had photographers try to 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.

“I started Bald Eagle Day because I wanted to make people aware of the wildlife around them,” Walters says. “I wanted to whet their appetite to see more.”

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

“I think the event is still accomplishing its purpose,” he says.

Salt Lake 2002 - Ten Year Olympic Anniversary Celebration

It’s been 10 years since Salt Lake City hosted the 2002 Winter Olympic games. The games were a smashing success and the legacy they left has had a positive influence on our state.

A big anniversary celebration will be held during February, with plenty of opportunity for people to participate.

A prominent business executive named Mitt Romney headed up the Olympics and he will be in town for some of the festivities. KSL TV has this report about this visit. Here are excerpts.

Romney, the former head of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, will speak at a Feb. 18 ice skating show at Energy Solutions Arena.

The 2002 Olympic Games taught us that our aspirations can become reality. The 3,500 athletes and more than 50,000 members of Team 2002 dared to make their dreams real," Romney said.

UtahOlympicLegacy.com has detailed information about celebration events. Here are highlights:

- Relighting the Flame - A ceremonial relighting of the 2002 cauldron takes place the evening of February 8, remaining lit for public viewing through February 11.

- 10-Year Anniversary Olympic Sport Festival - Saturday, February 18

- A Tribute To Salt Lake 2002 With Stars On Ice - February 18

- Park City Community Celebration - February 1

- Utah Olympic Park Community Celebration - February 9

- Kearns Community Celebration - February 17

In addition, there are ongoing Olympic exhibits and activities at venues.

Utah Hotels Rank With The Best In The US

Recent travel industry rankings show Utah has hotels and restaurants that rank among the best in the US.

KSL.com has this report about rankings by TripAdvisor.com. Here's an excerpt:

The Grand America in downtown Salt Lake City was ranked as the second-best luxury hotel in the U.S., the Waldorf Astoria Park City ranked fifth and the St. Regis Deer Valley in Park City ranked 18th. The Sky Lodge in Park City was rated the 14th-best overall hotel in the U.S., while the Red Mountain Resort in Ivins ranked as the 16th-best relaxation spa in the country.

See the TripAdvisory.com page with the rankings.

Fox13now.com has this report about rankings by AAA. Stein Eriksen lodge in Park City and The Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City earned prestigious 5-diamond awards. AAA gave 14 Utah lodging establishments were ranked as 4-diamond. Thirteen Utah restaurants ranked as four-diamond.

Utah Now Has Massive Snow - Even Some In Our National Parks

We've just ended a string of several stormy days, and the results are dramatic. Some of our ski resorts have received more than four feet of new snow during the past week. Conditions are now very good for skiing and boarding.

Our newest resort, Eagle Point, located near Beaver in southern Utah, was left dry until this last series of storms. It now has three feet of snow and will open this Friday for daily operation.

Yesterday's storm pushed through southern Utah and dropped a little snow at Zion Park. An unnamed park employee posted an amazing photo to flickr.com - you can see it here. (It is copyrighted and so we can't show the image.)

Canyonlands National Park reports snow on Island In The Sky Mesa: Snow, snow, snow at ISKY! Highway 313 is plowed to Dead Horse Point SP but not beyond yet. Shafer Trail is closed again. (Didn't last long.)

The snow will melt quickly from our national parks - it may already be gone from exposed areas but it will linger a bit longer in shady spots. It creates dramatic scenery. Wish I could get down there tomorrow.

- Dave Webb

Major Motion Picture Studio Coming To Park City

The annual Sundance Film Festival is underway in Park City and so many of Hollywood types are wandering around town. Now, a new deal may bring some of them back on a more permanent basis, since the city has inked an agreement to bring a major Hollywood studio to town.

Here are a couple new headlines from Sundance:

• At Sundance, the economy's hot
• The Sundance Film Festival parties

KSL.com has this report about the studio deal. Here are excerpts.

Summit County and Park City officials have reached an agreement that would bring Raleigh Studios to Quinn's Junction. The deal, which has been five years in the making, also includes a hotel and entertainment center.

Raleigh Studios is the largest independent motion picture operator in the country. It produces popular TV shows like CSI:Miami and films like Iron Man 2 and The Avengers. The project, and the included soundstages, would allow Utah to compete with neighboring states for production.

There is one more step in the process, though. As part of the agreement to bring Raleigh Studios here, Park City would have to annex the land. The City Council will consider that during its meeting on Thursday. Once approved, the development could break ground this summer.

Heavy Snow In Utah's Mountains, Rain And Flood Problems In Some Valleys

Skiers and board riders are celebrating because Utah resorts have received heavy snowfall during the past few days. Some resorts report up to 30 inches of new snow, with another big storm on our doorstep.

Avalanche danger is now significant in backcountry areas. Developed ski resorts perform avalanche control work that minimizes danger. Avalanche control is also done above highways that pass through mountainous areas. The danger comes in the backcountry. If you ski or snowmobile into the backcountry you need to be very careful and take measures to stay safe. The Utah Avalanche Center has information on current conditions along with forecasts and safety information.

Valley rain has caused flooding in some areas near Logan and Ogden. In the small town of Liberty, several basements have been flooded and there is standing water across some streets. A storm coming in tomorrow could drop more rain the area and that could aggravate the problem.

Major highways have not been affected - they are safe and in good shape. Some secondary roads near Liberty have been flooded. People are advised not to drive into flood water because it may be deep and hazardous.

These storms have not extended far into southern Utah. Conditions there have been mostly dry and mild.

Travelers should monitor weather and news reports to get the latest information about these potential problems. Here are some news stories to get you started.

Standing flood water amounts to feet in some areas

Cache battles flooding; snow raises avalanche danger

Utah gets socked with mountain snow, valley rain

Record Crowd Expected At Outdoor Retailer Winter Show

Sundance isn't the only show in town this week. The Outdoor Retailer Winter Show is bringing crowds to Salt Lake City and other show venues. It is Utah's largest trade show and it is expected to draw record crowds this year. It runs today through Sunday.

Most events take place in and around the Salt Palace, in downtown Salt Lake City. Traffic will be heavy in the downtown area. Hotels close to downtown will be full and restaurants will be overflowing.

The Salt Lake Tribune has this article about the show. Below are excerpts.

The not-open-to-the-public show connects buyers from outdoor specialty stores withhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif more than 900 manufacturers from around the world.

“We are expecting an attendance uptick,” show manager Kenji Haroutunian said. “We can see hotel registration numbers are coming in quite strong. There will be 273 new exhibitors at the show. This is the biggest Winter Market ever staged, even without much snow.”

New this year is a confluence between Outdoor Retailer and the Sundance Film Festival, which also opens this weekend, as well as the fact that snowboarding giant Burton will attend the Winter Market for the first time.

“It is still exciting that the outdoor industry continues to embrace our destination and the business opportunity this trade show represents for the industry,” said Scott Beck, president and CEO of the convention and visitors bureau. “Our community’s commitment to our natural environment, as evidenced by the ongoing installation of the nation’s largest rooftop solar panel array [at the Salt Palace], is a reflection of our commitment to clients such as the outdoor industry. The participants in the two annual Outdoor Retailer Markets have helped to engender a vibrant Salt Lake community that celebrates the outdoors in many ways.”