Great Salt Lake Bird Festival Runs May 17-21

If you enjoy learning about and seeing birds and other wildlife, there is no better opportunity that that afforded by the Great Salt Lake Bird Festival. It is headquartered in Davis County, along the shores of the Great Salt Lake.

The festival includes field trips to popular birding spots, as well as to some places usually not accessible to the public.

The festivalwebsite has complete details about the event. Here's a synopsis provided by the festival:

Top Ten Reasons to Attend Great Salt Lake Bird Festival

10. See the birds in Utah - up close and personal! Exotic birds and Raptors!

9. Visit the HOT SPOTS of Northern Utah in the company of Expert Field Trip Guides

8. Experience the geology of the Great Basin; Birds already do this

7. Get to go "Behind-the-Gates" - where the public cannot go

6. It's Spring Time in the Rockies, go outdoors!

5. Learn what makes the Great Salt Lake GREAT!

4. Meet new friends; share interests and network

3. Lots of live birds, kids art, free workshops, great food!

2. Take advantage of the opportunity to meet famous people

1. 'The Big Year' birder, Greg Miller, is the Keynote Speaker. Dinner tickets sold out.

Active Duty Military Personnel Offered Free National Parks Pass

Beginning on May 19, which is Armed Forces Day, active duty military personnel will be able to obtain a free military version of the America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Annual Pass.

The pass provides access to all Utah national parks and other federally administered lands, as well as U.S. national park properties throughout the country.

The National Park Service provided the news release below:

U.S. Agencies Join Forces with First Lady and Dr. Biden to Honor and Support Military Families

Department of the Interior-led effort will provide a Military Pass for Free Access to National Parks and Other Public Lands

YORKTOWN, Va. – As part of the Joining Forces initiative to support our nation’s service members and their families, several U.S. government agencies announced an annual pass to active duty service members and their dependents, granting free access to more than 2,000 national parks, wildlife refuges, national forests, and other public lands around the nation in the coming years.

“First Lady Michelle Obama and I started the Joining Forces initiative last year as a way to honor, recognize and support our veterans and military families,” said Dr. Jill Biden. “This effort is a wonderful way to give something back, giving our military men and women and their families a chance to reconnect with their loved ones, experience the beauty of this country, and simply have a little fun.”

Beginning on Armed Forces Day on May 19, active duty service men and women – Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and activated National Guard and Reserves – can obtain the new military version of the America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Annual Pass. The pass will be accepted at National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Army Corps sites that charge entrance or standard amenity fees.

The initiative was announced today during a ceremony at Colonial National Historical Park in Yorktown, Virginia where Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Director of the National Park Service Jonathan B. Jarvis and Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) Jo-Ellen Darcy distributed the first passes to one member from each of the military’s five branches.

“Our nation owes a debt of gratitude to our service men and -women who make great sacrifices and put their lives on the lines to protect our country and preserve our freedom,” Secretary Salazar said. “In recognition of their contributions and service, we are putting out a welcome mat for these brave men and women and their families at America’s most beautiful and storied sites.”

"Our country's iconic memorials, open spaces, and majestic landscapes provide inspiration for those serving in the military, especially those far from home," said Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, whose agency oversees national forests. "In appreciation for their service, we want to encourage these men and women and their families to visit and enjoy America's wondrous lands and waterways."

"Our soldiers, sailors and airmen give so much to this country. The federal family is honored to thank them for their service by offering them an opportunity to visit the natural resources that they defend," said Assistant Secretary Darcy. "The Corps is proud to be participating in the program by accepting the America the Beautiful Military Pass at Corps recreation facilities."

Military members and their dependents can pick up a pass at any national park or wildlife refuge that charges an entrance fee or other selected sites. Members must show a current, valid military identification card to obtain their pass. The pass is also available to dependents of active duty personnel. A list of participating sites is available here.

Today’s announcement complements the Joining Forces Initiative launched by the First Lady and Dr. Biden, a national initiative to mobilize all sectors of society to give service members and families the opportunities and support they have earned. In just its first year, Joining Forces has rallied American businesses to hire tens of thousands of veterans and military spouses, schools have improved educational opportunities for military children, and the medical community has vowed better care for military families.

Where there are entrance fees, the pass covers the owner and accompanying passengers in a single, private, non-commercial vehicle at recreation sites that charge per vehicle. At sites where per-person entrance fees are charged, it covers the pass owner and three accompanying adults age 16 and older. There is no entry fee for children 15 and under.

While the pass is not available to veterans and retirees, many of these individuals are eligible for other discounted passes, such as the Senior Pass, granting lifetime access to U.S. citizens over 62 for $10, and the Access Pass granting free lifetime access for permanently disabled U.S. citizens.

For more information on the pass, please visit: http://store.usgs.gov/pass/index.html.

Where To Shoot The "Ring Of Fire" Eclipse

A rare "ring of fire" eclipse will occur on Sunday, starting at about 6:20 pm Utah time. Astronomers say southwestern Utah will offer some of the best spots to see the eclipse. Optimum viewing will occur along a line that extends through through the town of Kanarraville, over Zion Park and across Lake Powell at Wahweap.

When the moon moves in front of the sun, it will not quite cover the entire circle. In sweet spots along that line, the moon will be centered inside the sun's orb and a thin "right of fire" will exactly circle it.

Kanarraville is being touted as one of the best accessible spots that will offer excellent viewing. It is located just south of Cedar City, along I-15. Thousands of people are expected to converge on the town to witness the event.

North and south of that line, the moon will be offset, not exactly covering the middle of the sun. The farther away, the greater the offset. The sight should be impressive anywhere in Utah. This news article has more details.

Kanarraville is a good choice if you just want to view the eclipse. I want to go a step further and shoot photos and video with dramatic scenery in the foreground. Where should I go to do that? My initial thoughts were to shoot from a boat on Lake Powell, or from a spot in Zion Canyon.

The sun will still be fairly high above the horizon when the eclipse starts. The "total" part will occur at about 7:30 and last about 4 minutes, when the sun is lower. It will then take about an hour for the moon to move away. I'd like to find a spot where the background scenery will be dramatic during that entire time period.

I think I'll shoot from the top of Angles Landing, overlooking Zion Canyon. That should be quite spectacular.

It will be fun, regardless of how my photos turn out.

Timpanogos Cave Will Open For The Season Tomorrow, May 12

This season, Timpanogos Cave will mark its 90th anniversary as a national monument. Several new features and programs will be offered this year, including an advanced ticket system that will make it much more convenient to visit the cave. Staff will also use Facebook and other social media to promote the monument.

The monument provided the news release below.

Opening Day 2012

As Spring brings a fresh green coat and enticing warmth throughout American Fork Canyon, visitors are encouraged to get outside, picnic, hike and enjoy a multitude of recreational opportunities available. Starting Saturday May 12, 2012 visitors should add a visit to Timpanogos Cave National Monument to their “must do” outdoor activities list for the season. The park will be celebrating its 90th year anniversary in October, and in commemoration of this special day, souvenir cave discovery cards will be given out with each cave tour ticket in 2012.There are three different souvenir cards available, with each card representing the discovery of one of the caves in the Timpanogos Cave system. Visitors are encouraged to start planning their visit to the caves now.For the first time in 3 years the park will have a full operational season with no planned closures due to construction projects.The visitor center will be open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. through Labor Day, and from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for the remainder of the season.

Other highlights for the 2012 season include implementing a 100% advance ticket sales system for cave tours up to 30 days in advance.Cave tours not sold in advance will go on sale at 7:00 a.m. the morning of the tour. The park has created social media feeds to assist visitors with timely information via Twitter and Facebook.Visitors can connect to the park with Twitter at #TimpCaveNPS where followers can receive updates on ticket availability, weather and other timely information. Our Facebook friends can learn more about planning their visit, park resources and monument events at facebook.com/timpanogoscavenps. Park Superintendent, Jim Ireland stated, “Because of limited parking in American Fork Canyon visitors are strongly encouraged to visit the park Monday through Thursday to avoid parking congestion and sold out tours.I encourage visitors to check the park Twitter, Facebook and website at www.nps.gov/tica often for updates; or to contact the park at (801) 756-5238 for advanced ticket sales. Visitors are also invited to share their highlights, comments and tips from their visit on the monument’s Twitter and Facebook feeds.

Cave tour tickets may be purchased up to thirty days in advance starting May 12 by calling the visitor center at (801) 756-5238 and using a credit card.Ticket prices are $7.00 for adults, $5.00 for juniors (ages 6-15), $3.00 for children (ages 3-5), and children 2 and under are free.Seniors (age 62 and over) with a Golden Age Passport or Senior Pass are $3.50.Cave tours are limited to 16 participants per tour.Hiking the 1.5 mile trail to the cave is considered moderately strenuous, gaining over 1,000 feet in elevation.The cave tour and hike takes approximately three hours.The cave temperature is a cool 45 degrees Fahrenheit; light jackets, plenty of drinking water and sturdy walking shoes are recommended.

Timpanogos Cave National Monument will be holding special Junior Ranger Day activities on Saturday May 26 and Monday May 28 to kick off this season’s series of free Junior Ranger programs.Special award certificates and patches will be available to all participants. Junior Ranger programs will continue throughout the season on Saturday mornings and holidays staring at 10:00 a.m. at the Timpanogos Cave Visitor Center.

Timpanogos Cave will also continue its use of BATS for this season.BATS, Behind A Tour Specialists,is a program to educate youth on working in the national monument, protecting cave resources, and providing visitor services.Behind A Tour Specialists need to be 14 years of age or older, hike to the caves unescorted, and will be provided training and a uniform shirt.Youth interested in participating in the program should contact the park at (801) 756-5239.

Finally, the park will be continuing its highly successful evening programs again. Evening programs will be offered every Friday and Saturday evening starting May 25 from 7:00 to 8:00pm.The programs are free of charge and will be presented at the Timpanogos Cave Visitor Center unless noted.Please contact the visitor center at (801) 756-5238 for more information about summer activities.

Wolf Mountain Ski Resort Is Up For Sale

Now you too can own a Utah ski resort. Wolf Creek Utah, a 3,000-acre year-round resort, will be sold at auction on Jun1. The resort includes a ski area, golf course and real estate development.

Wolf Creek is located east of Ogden, about 50 miles north of Salt Lake City.

The Salt Lake Tribune has this article about the sale. Here are excerpts.

“That's basically the result in the downturn in the economy,” chief executive officer Rob Thomas said, explaining the reason for the auction. “A lot of this was funded by the real estate market, and when that changed and went south, that changed things for us here at the resort.”

Rob Olson, owner of Erkelens and Olson Auctioneers of Salt Lake, said the auction will take place in two phases: First, bids will be taken on the entire property; then auctioneers will entertain bids on individual amenities, such as the golf course, ski resort, lodge and individual parcels. The method that brings in the most money will then be presented to the creditors and court to consider.

No matter who ultimately takes over, it will be a seamless transition.

“This place is open for business", Olson said. "It is operating and ready to go, and I think that's a big selling point to a lot of bidders.”

What will it sell for? The appraised value is somewhere about $30 million, but at auction it is expected to sell for much less.

Huffington Post Spotlights Utah’s Spectacular National Parks

Huffington Post has this interestingarticle describing Zion, Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef national parks, and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

I'm always interested in reading other writers descriptions of natural wonders. This article has some insights, but also some questionable details. Below are excerpts, along with my comments.

The majestic landforms of the Colorado Plateau will set your imagination on fire -- along with the 100-degree dry heat -- in Zion, Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Parks.

Southern Utah does get hot during summer. I hike year-round and get out early in the morning for  summer treks. Spring and fall are ideal.

But the landscape of the parks and surrounding areas, which are not crowded at all, will look familiar. Of course, this was the land of the cowboys that you saw in the movies. Walk on the land and you hear and feel the crunch of the scrubby plants underfoot, endless dust, the winding paths around the sweet-smelling sagebrush and haunting rock formations that used to be good hiding places for outlaws.

During summer the parks are often crowded. There are also very popular areas outside of the parks that draw good numbers of people. But there are also plenty of places where you can find solitude.

In mountainous areas you generally look up at the scenery. At Bryce Canyon, you look down -- at the hoodoos, those pillars of rock that look like whimsical earthen obelisks.

Sculpted by wind and nightly freezing desert temperatures, the hoodoos got their name from Native American lore where the coyote turned the evil people to stone. The "painted" pink, white and red (iron), purple (manganese) and white (limestone) "faces" serve as evidence of the myth.

I like that.

Dinosaurs once roamed this area, and you can easily find traces of them in the gastropods scattered around the Morrison rock. Gastropods are smooth, round rocks the dinosaurs ingested and excreted much like the chickens do with their gizzard stones.

Actually, gastropods are slugs and snails. The writer was referring to gastrolith stones, which aided dinosaurs in the process of breaking down and digesting foods.

"Hobbit Land" is another place outside the park that the locals can show you. In sight of Boulder Mountain, the largest flat-topped mountain in the United States, these globular red rocks are good for climbing for experts and novices alike. Moving about them invites you to "commune" with the land by becoming a part of it -- literally. Wear your old clothes, though, when you climb these rocks. The soft Entrada sandstone that rubs off on you is impossible to remove.

Hobbit Land? I am aware of an area in Salt Lake City that is known as Hobbit Land, but I don't know of any such area in Capitol Reef. That doesn't mean it isn't there, I just don't know about it. If you kow of the place please let me know.

- Dave Webb

Flaming Gorge - History And Insights

Flaming Gorge Reservoir is the main attraction in a popular national recreation area in northeastern Utah. The reservoir is large, with deep, clear, cold water. It's a wonderful spot to fish, boat, ski, camp and engage in other activities.

The reservoir inundated many miles of the Green River, in a rugged and remote canyon with raging rapids. Its history somewhat parallels that of Glen Canyon, which was inundated by the rising waters of Lake Powell. Glen Canyon has become a famous icon representing paradise lost; it is immortalized in countless articles and photos and books, mostly promoting environmental causes.

Flaming Gorge - the canyon that existed before the reservoir - remained virtually unknown. Until now. Now a new book explores the history of the canyon, its rapids and ranches and the people who loved it.

The new book is entitled: Flaming Gorge: The Place Few People Knew. It was written by historian and river runner Roy Webb and it contains notable historic photos. The Salt Lake Tribune has this article about the book. Below are excerpts.

"Flaming Gorge was the place no one really knew," said Webb, referencing a book on Glen Canyon called The Place No One Knew, by Eliot Porter and David Brower. "It was known only by the people who floated it, a few river runners and [Flaming Gorge] historian Bill Purdy."

The little town of Linwood, home to about 100 people and the Bucket of Blood Saloon, was the only town of any size lost to Flaming Gorge. For the most part, it was bulldozed, but some buildings were moved before the gates to the dam were closed. Uncle Jack Robinson’s cabin, built by a fur trapper in the 1840s, was moved to an area near Green Lakes, making it one of Utah’s oldest surviving structures.

Webb dreamed of writing the book about what was lost to Flaming Gorge Dam since writing his first book in 1986, which covered some of the area. He quickly discovered that, unlike Glen Canyon, little research had actually been done on what was flooded.

"It wasn’t Glen Canyon, but it deserved its own place [in history]," said Webb.