FrontRunner Extends Commuter Rail Between Salt Lake City And Provo

The new FrontRunner south commuter rail line is schedule to begin public operation on December 10. A line is already in service connecting Salt Lake City with Ogden. With the new line operational, it will be much easier/faster/more convenient to travel between major cities along the Wasatch Front.

FrontRunner trains cruises at about 79 mph, according to this Deseret News article. They have limited stops and so travel time should be quite reasonable – far better than driving I-15 during rush hour.

The Provo hub is near the center of the city, and the Salt Lake hub is close to that downtown area. I often drive to Salt Lake for meetings in the central city area and I will definitely be riding the train. From my home it is an easy bike ride to downtown Provo. From the Salt Lake hub I can easily walk to most downtown destinations, or hop on UTA buses (which provide free service in the downtown area).

Here are excerpts from the Deseret News article.

The $850 million line is the third of five taxpayer-funded transit projects voters in Salt Lake and Utah counties approved in 2006. The remaining two — TRAX lines to Salt Lake City International Airport and Draper — will open next year.

The public may take a free test ride on the new line Dec. 8. UTA is asking riders to bring as "fare" a nonperishable food item to benefit the Utah Food Bank.

As the train makes its way south, it passes through the marshy Jordan Narrows and offers sweeping views of Utah Lake to the west and Mount Timpanogos to the east. It stops in Murray, South Jordan, Draper, Lehi, American Fork and Orem. Travel time between Salt Lake City and Provo is about an hour.

"If nothing else, it's worth the ride just for the scenery," Allegra said.

Even as it opens the Provo-to-Salt Lake City line, UTA is already looking to expand the system farther north and south. Preliminary work on extending the commuter rail north to Brigham City began this week. Plans to go south to Payson and possibly Santaquin also are on the drawing board.

Here is a map showing the south line route.

– Dave Webb

Trader Joe's Will Open In Salt Lake Friday

There is quite a lot of buzz in Salt Lake City about the opening of a new Trader Joe's store, at 634 East 400 South. It will open to the public tomorrow at 8 am.

Why's a new grocery store a big deal? Well, some people think it is another sign that Salt Lake is becoming more cosmopolitan, stylish and diverse. That it makes our capital city a more desirable destination.

The Deseret News has this article about the store opening. Below are excerpts.

Founded in 1958, the grocery chain includes nearly 400 stores in 34 states, carrying an array of domestic and imported foods and beverages including fresh-baked artisan breads, Arabica bean coffees, international frozen entrées, juices, fresh crop nuts, deli items, and vitamins and supplements, as well as the basics like milk and eggs.

“Anything under the Trader Joe label doesn’t have any artificial flavoring, coloring or preservatives,” said Rory Violette, who has the title of "store captain." “We carry the basics … to the exotic — at a really good value.”

A key to its success may be the unique product lines and attractive pricing — and no formal advertising.

It's all a deliberate marketing scheme, according to Westminster College marketing professor Nancy Panos Schmitt.

“People swear by various categories of goods that you can only buy there obviously, so people are very excited about Trader Joe's,” she said.

Festival Of Trees Runs Through Dec 1

The annual Festival of Trees is now underway at South Towne Expo Center, 9575 South State Street, Sandy, south of Salt Lake City. It features beautifully decorated trees and other visual treats, food, music and plenty of fun.

The Expo Center turns into a Christmas wonderland during the festival, which is open from 10 am to 10 pm daily. See the festival website for detailed information.

The event is a benefit for Primary Children's Mecial Center. The Deseret News has this article about the festival. Below are excerpts. Below that we offer a short video that provides an overview of the festival.

(Marie) Partridge has spent seven years on the board of the 42-year-old festival that organizers call a "gift of love" to children at Primary Children's Medical Center. Since its inception in 1971, the festival has raised more than $30.8 million for the children's hospital.

"It gets in your blood," she said, "and you want to do more."

The Festival of Trees attracted 100,000 people last year, Partridge said.

 

Jarvie Ranch Winter Fest

Jarvie's Ranch hosts it's annual Winter Fest the first Saturday in December. Stop by the historic ranch to participate in leather crafts, wagon rides, candle dipping, bird feeding, rope making, wool spinning and other frontier activities.

The festival runs from 10 am to 4 pm.

The historic ranch is located on the Green River in Browns Park, on the Green River below Flaming Gorge Reservoir in NE Utah. It served as an important outlaw hideout and ranching community. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid took refuge there on occasion.

Jarvie's Ranch offers a museum and some original ranch buildings, with relics from frontier life. Many kinds of wildlife are seen in the area.

While you are out that way, consider viewing the Christmas nativity scenes display at the Western Heritage Museum in Vernal (Address: 328 E. 200 So.) Museum patrons graciously loan nativity scenes and the display includes a wide variety from various cultures.

Also consider stopping by the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum, also in Vernal. The museum recently moved thousands of fossils and other specimens from on old storage building into a new curation building. There the specimens will be more accessible for study and for exhibit.

The Vernal Express has this article about the move. Below are excerpts.

Researchers doing fossil preparation in the paleontology lab will be visible to the public giving visitors a real time scientific experience.

Literally thousands of fossil bones, roughly 30,000 specimens, made the trek down the main street without incident.

The interior of the storage facility is lined with re-enforced shelving and compact track shelving with capacity to store more fossils than currently curated by the museum.

Christmas Concerts And Events Galore

There will be concerts and sing-a-longs and plays and many other kinds of Christmas activities in communities all around Utah during the next several weeks, and travelers are always welcome to join the fun.

Below we list some of the more popular events. See our website events section for a list of things happening where ever you may be.

Ogden City offers a Christmas Village with dazzling lights and live entertainment. Each cottage has its own theme and is modeled after Santa’s North Pole Village.

A Christkindlmarkt and Lantern Parade will be held at This Is The Place Heritage Park, located on the east side of Salt Lake City. It offers tantalizing food and live, festive holiday entertainment.

Temple Square is ablaze with lights and activities during the holiday season. Special activities are held ever day. The popular Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concerts are free but tickets go fast. Here's a schedule and details.

Concerts and Christmas music range from local favorite Kurt Bestor to Donny and Marie to Mannheim Steamroller and Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Here's a rundown of musical offerings.

Everywhere you go you will see Christmas lights and decorations. Many of our state and national parks will have decorations and special activities. I enjoy wandering just to see what I can find.

(The video below shows the finale from last year's Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert.)

- Dave Webb

Hike While The Sun Shines

More of Utah's ski resorts opened for Thanksgiving and the rest will open during the coming weeks. We're off to a great start on the new season.

Meanwhile, much of Utah has been basking in sunshine, with warmer than average temperatures. Conditions are perfect for hiking and biking in our redrock desert areas.

I just checked the forecast and southern Utah should be sunny and warm through the next several days, at least. Nights will be crisp but afternoons will be very nice, with temperatures pushing up near 70 in many areas.

Last weekend I hiked in Snow Canyon State Park (near St George), and had a wonderful time. It actually rained off and on Friday and Saturday morning, but Saturday afternoon was partly cloudy and warm. The sand was damp but that actually made hiking easier.

I've been exploring Snow Canyon, searching out ancient Native American rock art. I've found some great panels with impressive images. On Saturday I found the final panel on my list. It is shown in the photos accompanying this post.

I now have photos of impressive rock art adjacent to the Snow Canyon campground and two panels of figures on the east side of the park. The panel I found Saturday is just west of The Ledges Golf Course and associated subdivision, in open terrain. The other panel is in a narrow slow in a rugged canyon complex SW of The Ledges. See more of my Snow Canyon rock art photos.

The Snow Canyon area offers great hiking year-round. It offers a very nice escape when northern Utah is sopped in by cold and storm.

- Dave Webb

Happy Thanksgiving

We wish each of you a happy Thanksgiving. We provide the information below hoping it helps you have a safe and enjoyable holiday.

The Utah Highway Patrol and Red Cross are offering these safe holiday travel tips. The will be more people than usual on the highways so take care.

On Thanksgiving Day, Utah's mass transit system will offer ski bus service only. No TRAX or FrontRunner service. On Friday, Nov. 23, UTA will operate on its Sunday schedule service on bus and TRAX. Saturday schedule service on FrontRunner.

Go to RideUTA.com to see details.

Special bus service will be available in downtown Salt Lake City during the holidays. The Salt Lake Downtown Alliance provided the information below. See more details.

All aboard the Downtown Jingle Bus! Beginning Friday, November 23 through December 28, holiday season visitors to downtown can hop-on and off the holiday themed ride circulating between The Gateway, Temple Square, Gallivan Plaza & City Creek Center.

Friday evening, Christmas lights will officially turn on at many Utah attractions, including Temple Square in Salt Lake City and Thanksgiving Point in Utah Valley.

Gorgoza Park Will Open For Tubing Tomorrow (Nov 21)

Gorgoza Park, the popular family winter sports center near Park City, will open for lift-served tubing and other activities tomorrow, Nov. 21. The park posted this on its Facebook page:

Great news everyone!!! WE HAVE TUBING LANES!!! A Big thanks goes out to all the snowmakers and groomers for all their hard work. We are now able to open up for this coming Thanksgiving Holiday. Starting Wednesday, November 21st to Sunday, November 25th we will be open from 12 pm to 8 pm. We hope you all are ready for some great Tubing excitement!!

The park will open its mini snowmobile operation and other activities as snow conditions permit – hopefully within a couple weeks.

Meanwhile, SkiUtah.com is out with projections for this year's ski season. The Salt Lake Tribune has this report. Below are excerpts.

"Pent up demand" was the phrase of the day Thursday when Ski Utah and representatives of most of the state’s 14 resorts formally kicked off the 2012-13 ski season with a news conference.

Ski Utah President Nathan Rafferty was the first to use it, predicting Utah will bounce back this winter and entertain roughly 4.2 million skiers and snowboarders, people just itching to get back onto good snow after the disappointing winter of 2011-12.

"It was amazing to see how memories of last year evaporated in one run Tuesday at Brighton," he said, referring to opening day at the Big Cottonwood Canyon resort, which again was Utah’s first to open this season.

Zion Trail Closed Because Of Rock Slide; Park Celebrates Anniversary

A rock slide has prompted officials to close the Riverside Walk trail in Zion National Park. The paved trail follows an easy route along the Virgin River toward the mouth of the Narrows. The park posted the message below on Twitter. Hopefully, the trail will be reopened within a day or so.

The Riverside Walk will be closed until further notice due to a rockfall.

Zion Park celebrates its anniversary today. This is also from the Park's Twitter feed:

Today in 1919, Zion National Monument was declared “a national park and dedicated as such for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.”

Electric car charging stations are showing up in a few of our national parks. This Huffington Post article talks about how parks are using electric vehicles, and how they are using solar energy to power charging stations in Zion and Yellowstone National Park. Here are a couple quotes:

The historic Lamar Valley Buffalo Ranch, a year-round field campus, is an off-the-grid facility that is also the home of a low-speed battery electric utility vehicle used by National Park Service staffers. The remote campus derives its power from an onsite solar photovoltaic system, and the EV charging station draws its electricity from the solar array. This means that the EV is running entirely on a clean and renewable energy source: the sun.

About 650 miles south of Yellowstone lies Zion National Park, another relatively remote area where an electric-vehicle charging station can be found. Zion is located in southeastern Utah, about 165 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. The Zion Park Headquarters features a solar panel array that provides shade to the employee parking area. The parking lot is equipped with EV charging stations that are used to power current and future Zion electric vehicles.

Living Planet Aquarium Offers Free Admission On Nov 26

The Living Planet Aquarium is a popular science attraction in the Salt Lake area. It is a great place for families and students. As a give back to the community, the Aquarium is offering free admission on Nov. 26.

The aquarium is located at 725 E 10600 S, Sandy, UT 84094.

Phone: 801-355-Fish (3474)

The aquarium recently broke ground on a major expansion. See the aquarium website for details about activities and learning opportunities. This news release has background info and details about the expansion. Below are excerpts from the news release.

The Living Planet Aquarium begins construction of the 136,000-square-foot, $20 million expansion with a groundbreaking event scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, October 24 at 12033 S. Lone Peak Parkway. The expansion, which is set to open winter 2013, will take visitors from the Utah deserts and mountains, to rain forest habitats, to the planet’s vast oceans.

The Aquarium has continued to grow since opening in a small space in 2004 at The Gateway and, since 2006, in Sandy at 725 E. 10600 South. The current 43,000-square-foot aquarium in Sandy is on track to land over 450,000 visitors this year, and provides science education to an additional 50,000 elementary school students statewide. “With the tremendous efforts of a remarkable team of staff, volunteers, donors and board of trustees the aquarium has grown over 50% through the recession, confirming the demand for a larger aquarium in Utah,” said Brent Andersen, Founder and CEO.

The first floor of the new Aquarium will feature marine, freshwater, and rain forest exhibit galleries, a 400 seat banquet hall, café and gift shop. The Discover Utah Gallery will exhibit freshwater aquatic species, amphibians and mammals indigenous to Utah. The North American River Otter Exhibit will be the premiere attraction showcasing these lively animals in both an indoor and outdoor environment.

Utah Unveils Winter Advertising Campaign

Utah's Office of Tourism has unveiled its winter ad campaign, which will tout the quality of our snow and the accessibility of our ski resorts. Many of Utah's resorts are just about an hour's drive from Salt Lake International Airport, making them some of the most accessible in the country. And the quality of our snow is legendary.

www.utah.com offers many resources to help you plan ski trips and other Utah vacations.

A news release on the advertising campaign is given below. The  video above shows the campaign's TV spot that will air in NY and LA markets.

Tourism Office Unveils Winter Advertising

Integrated Campaign to Highlight Access and ‘The Greatest Snow on Earth®'

Salt Lake City -The Utah Office of Tourism (UOT), an agency of the Governor's Office of Economic Development, unveiled the creative elements of its 2012-13 Winter Advertising Campaign, Wednesday, November 14, in the Rotunda of the Utah State Capitol Building. The office presented a 30-second television advertisement that highlights Utah's unparalleled access by showing a family on board a plane that seamlessly transforms into a ski lift.

"No other ski destination in the world features eleven ski resorts within an hour of an international airport," says Dave Williams, deputy director of marketing and research at UOT. "These ads convey the ease at which visitors can go from home, to air, to our slopes, where they can experience The Greatest Snow on Earth®."

The ads will air in the New York and Los Angeles markets beginning December 31, 2012, part of the Utah Office of Tourism's $1.6 million winter advertising campaign. The spots will be broadcast on WNBC and WABC in New York and KNBC and KABC in Los Angeles. The campaign will also feature banner advertising on several travel-related websites, and digital billboards in affluent areas of Los Angeles, including a large double billboard located on the main egress of LAX.

High Country Roads Close For The Season

With heavy snow in the high country, seasonal roads throughout Utah are closing for the winter. That includes popular roads like Hwy 150 (Mirror Lake Highway), the Nebo Loop and the Alpine Loop, which provide access to many recreation areas.

The list below describes UDOT's numbered state routes which are or will soon be closed. It does not include local county or forest roads. Also, it does not include temporary incident road closures. See the Utah Department of Transportation website for updates.

SR 35 Wolf Creek Pass - Francis to Hanna - Milepost 12 to 35. Anticipated Closure December 15 based snowfall.

SR 39 Monte Cristo - East of Ogden - Milepost 37 to 55.5 - Will Close at 12 Noon, November 15.

SR 65 East Canyon - Northeast of Salt Lake City - Milepost 3 to 13.2. Anticipate Closure Noon, November 24.

SR 92 American Fork/Alpine Loop - Milepost 14 to milepost 22.5. CLOSED.

SR 148 Cedar Breaks - East of Cedar City - Milepost 0.2 to 19 - Anticipated Closure November 26.

SR 150 Mirror Lake Highway. CLOSED.

SR-153 Mt. Holly Junction Road - Milepost 11 & 14 is Closed by FHWA Central Federal Lands until November 16. There is no passage between I-15 and US 89 on this road. Use Forest Service dirt road 137 (Kent's Lake Road) as an alternative passage through the canyon. Contact www.cflhd.gov/beaver for further information. CLOSED.

SR 224 Guardsman Pass - Park City to Midway. CLOSED.

SR 190 Guardsman Pass - Big Cottonwood Canyon (SR-190/Brighton) to Park City (Junction with SR 224). CLOSED.

Outdoor Companies Ask Obama To Create A New National Monument In Utah

The battle over control and protection of undeveloped land in southern Utah continues to rage, with major outdoor companies firing the latest volley.

Many of Utah's elected leaders have been pushing for more state control over land belonging to the federal government. Leaders of outdoor recreation companies have been pressuring Utah to back away from that stand, threatening to move the massive Outdoor Retailers show to another state.

Now the recreation industry has gone on the offensive, asking President Obama to create a new national monument to protect lands surrounding Canyonlands National Park.

The proposal reminds Utahns of the decision President Clinton made to create Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, to protect land around Bryce Canyon from coal development. Clinton stood at the Grand Canyon, in Arizona, to announce creation of the Utah monument. Many Utahns were furious, yet most of us now take pride in that monument and the beautiful land it protects.

KSL has this report about the new proposal. Below are excerpts.

"We believe this sends a powerful message to all of Utah's congressional delegation," said Peter Metcalf, president and chief executive of Black Diamond Equipment Inc., a Salt Lake City-based company that has been acquiring other hardware makers around the globe. "This would become one of the greatest national monuments in the West."

The outdoor-industry leaders say Utah is blessed with a $4 billion recreation economy that's more important than mining or oil-and-gas drilling on federal lands around Canyonlands National Park. A monument would protect 2,200 square miles around a park one-quarter of that size. It would take in more of the Colorado and Green rivers and the Dirty Devil River, and such landmarks as Labyrinth Canyon, Fiddler Butte and Robbers Roost.

With Congress refusing to move any land-protection bills, the companies are reaching out to Obama, who can use his presidential authority and political capital after reelection to designate a monument on his own, said Ashley Korenblat, president of Western Spirit Cycling in Moab, a mountain biking town that draws people from around the world.

-- Dave Webb

Brighton Opens For Skiing Nov 13, Others Follow Quickly

Our weekend storm dumped 50 inches of snow in Big Cottonwood Canyon, and other areas received almost as much. That has given our resorts the base needed to open ahead of schedule. Here are the latest projected opening dates:

Nov. 13 - Brighton Resort

Nov. 14 - Solitude Mountain Resort

Nov. 15 - Snowbird Resort

Nov. 16 - Alta Resort

Nov. 16 - Brian Head Resort

Nov. 17 - Park City Mountain Resort

Nov. 21 - Powder Mountain

Nov. 22 - Snowbasin Resort

Nov. 23 - Canyons Resort

Dec. 7 - Sundance Resort

Dec. 8 - Deer Valley Resort

Dec. 21 - Eagle Point Resort

TBA - Beaver Mountain

Skiers and snowboarders have been hiking up hills at the resorts and soaring downhill on the new powder. KSL has this news report (with great video) showing conditions and telling about the early resort openings.

SkiUtah.com has also been out shooting video. We have embedded their latest report below:

We Have Snow! Resorts Will Start Opening Next Week

It's snowing at my house. Has been all day, off and on. Probably will continue all night and into tomorrow. And, after the storm clears, cold temperatures are expected. Just what we need to get the ski season rolling.

The Utah Avalanche Center has opened for the season. This storm is expected to drop enough white stuff to create some avalanche danger, so take care if you venture into the backcountry. Watch the center's reports and pay attention to its safety tips.

With snow and cold, some of our ski resorts will open next week and others open just before Thanksgiving. It's starting – another great Utah ski season. Below are opening dates announced so far. Check back because some may change, depending on snow conditions.

Nov 15 - Solitude Mountain Resort

Nov 16 - Alta Resort

Nov 16 - Brian Head Resort

Nov 17 - Snowbird Resort

Nov 17 - Park City Mountain Resort

Nov 21 - Eagle Point Resort

Nov 21 - Powder Mountain

Nov 22 - Snowbasin Resort

Nov 23 - Wolf Mountain

Nov 23 - Canyons Resort

Dec 7 - Sundance Resort

Dec 8 - Deer Valley Resort

TBA - Beaver Mountain

TBA - Brighton Resort

- Dave Webb

Hike Zion And Golf St. George

The Seattle Times has this interesting article about the excitement of hiking in Zion National Park and golfing the many quality courses around St. George. The article describes hiking in Zion Canyon, climbing Angles Landing and golfing at Sand Hollow and Sky Mountain.

The associated photo gallery has some nice photos.

Below are excerpts from the article.

At first blush, the two outings might seem to have little in common. But having done them on successive days in Southwest Utah this fall, I can identify two key similarities: Both call for sunscreen and each goes a lot better if you avoid going off a cliff.

One of the appeals of Angels Landing is that it provides breathtaking views almost from the start of the hike...

Perhaps because I had read about the danger well before the trip, I found the hike a little less scary than I had expected — but a little more strenuous, for a guy over 60. In one spot, I had to use the chain not just to hang onto, but to pull myself up, unclear where my foot should land.

Sand Hollow, listed by Golf Digest as one of the nation's 10 best new courses in 2009, has strengthened St. George's credentials as a year-round golf destination. Golfers can choose from a dozen courses in and around this city of 140,000, which sits at 2,800 feet.

Speaking of price, I paid $55, including cart, to play Sand Hollow on a weekday in September, the last month of what the course calls its "offseason." From Oct. 1 to mid-May, a round here is $100 Sunday-Thursday and $125 on Fridays, Saturdays and holidays.

St. George has an interesting selection of shops and restaurants and something we did not expect: a fantastic outdoor amphitheater (Tuacahn) where shows and concerts are presented.

Moab River Rendezvous Runs November 8-11

If you are in Moab, or want a good excuse to go to Moab, check out the Moab River Rendezvous this weekend (Nov 8-11).

Moab gets crazy in the spring and fall, when big events bring crowds to “Adventure Town.” But now Moab is settling into a more laid back pace – this is a very nice time to explore the area. A big storm is expected this weekend, so watch the forecast and take care if you get out on the dirt or slickrock. But storms never last long in this area and most fall and winter days are pleasant.

The river event provided this information. See their website for more details.

4th Annual Moab River Rendezvous

The Moab River Rendezvous is an educational gathering and celebration of rivers, conservation, history and community. In addition, the event helps support ecological restoration projects in the Colorado River watershed, conducted by Plateau Restoration, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in Moab, Utah.

Top 10 Reasons To Come:

10. Meet friends, old and new

9. Expert presenters on natural and cultural history

8. Up-to-date river education

7. Book signings

6. In town location, an easy walk to all venues.

5. Field trips to spectacular locations

4. Great door prizes

3. Historic river-running films

2. Evening social events

1. Help support conservation projects near Moab

Wild & Scenic Film Festival Comes to Utah

Interested people will have the chance to view screenings from the Wild & Scenic Film Festival on Nov. 15 at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts in Salt Lake City.

The museum provided the news release below.

U Hosts Stop On Nationwide Tour

Nov. 5, 2012 – A major film festival is coming to Utah, but it’s not yet time for Sundance.

In this case, a selection of films entirely about environmental and natural resource issues will be screened as a touring edition of the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, which is held annually in California. But for the first time, Utah locals will only have to travel to the campus of the University of Utah to see and discuss the films.

The screenings will take place on Nov. 15, 2012 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. There will be food and music to complete the event, which is open to the public. Tickets are $5 and are available from the U’s Environmental and Sustainability Studies Program, hosts of the event, or online at http://envst.utah.edu/. All proceeds from the Utah screening event will go toward student scholarships.

“We are very excited to be bringing the Festival to Salt Lake City for the first time,” says Jennifer Watt, assistant director of the U’s Environmental and Sustainability Studies Program. “Film is such an interesting and influential medium for exploring complex issues such as the environment. We think this is a great way for the community to come together and learn, in the same way the festival’s founders did ten years ago.”

A total of nine films will be screened, including “Ice,” an environmental thriller from Australia, “The Craziest Idea,” about the dam removal project on Washington state’s Elwha River, and “The Wolf & The Medallion,” a climber’s inspiring letter to his son while exploring in China.

Admission includes one raffle ticket, and additional raffle tickets can be purchased at the event for $1. Raffle prizes include products and services donated by national and local sponsors: Black Diamond, Salt Lake City Bikes, Cliff Bar, Patagonia, Osprey and many others.

Organizers encourage attendees to travel to the event in a sustainable fashion. The Utah Museum of Fine Arts is near a TRAX stop, on several bus routes and a bike valet will be provided.

In its 11th year, the Wild & Scenic Film Festival is considered one of the nation’s premiere environmental and adventure film festivals. The annual event in Nevada City, California is a kick-off for the nationwide tour. The tour first started in 2004 with two venues, but this year it will reach over 110 venues, including Salt Lake City.

ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABILITY STUDIES PROGRAM

The University’s ENVST Program is an interdisciplinary major providing students with the opportunity to explore human-nature relationships across time and culture and at varied levels of environmental scale.

The academic program is flexible and prepares students to understand the environment from a variety of perspectives, including biology and the natural sciences; humanities and aesthetics; and human behavior, policy and decision making. Undergraduate students can earn either a bachelor of science or bachelor of arts degree.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH:

The University of Utah, located in Salt Lake City in the foothills of the Wasatch Range, is the flagship institution of higher learning in Utah. Founded in 1850, it serves more than 31,000 students from across the United States and the world. With more than 72 major subjects at the undergraduate level and more than 90 major fields of study at the graduate level, including law and medicine, the university prepares students to live and compete in the global workplace. Learn more about all the U has to offer online at http://www.utah.edu.

Dead Horse Point Needs Volunteers For Trail Maintenance

The Intrepid Mountain Bike Trail is a very popular route at Dead Horse Point State Park. It's extremely scenic dirt singletrack with a few spots that are a little challenging. Overall, it is an excellent trail for families.

Maintenance work will be done on the trail this Saturday and the park is looking for help from volunteers. Park officials provided the information below:

Trail Work Day

Dead Horse Point State Park is looking for volunteers to help out for a day of trail maintenance on Saturday, November 10th. We will be remarking trails, reworking sandy areas and fixing bike racks and overlook areas.

We will meet at the visitor center at 10 a.m. and work until 3 p.m. Please bring gloves, water, lunch and be prepared to hike up to 5 miles. We will provide tools and snacks.

Please register by phone (435) 259-2614.

Utah's Massive Freeway Improvement Project Nears Completion

I-15 is a major interstate highway running north-south through the entire length of Utah, connecting many of Utah's communities. It carries heavy traffic, particularly along the Wasatch Front (the Provo-Salt Lake-Davis-Ogden area).

For the past couple years there has been major road construction on I-15 in the Provo area, and the work has often caused major traffic headaches. Now the roadwork is winding down – months ahead of schedule. Beginning Monday morning, all lanes will be open and the traffic flow will be greatly improved.

The Deseret News has this article about the early finish to the reconstruction project. Here are excerpts:

"It will be a nice relief for the commuters that drive everyday," said I-15 CORE spokeswoman Leigh Dethman. "When people drive to and from work on Monday, it's going to be a whole new experience."

Dethman said work would continue at night through December as crews complete landscaping, drainage, barrier construction, fencing, concrete work, painting and other activities. UDOT also will conduct final inspections after dark to accommodate the project's completion timeline, she said.

On Monday, the speed limit on the 24-mile stretch will increase from 55 mph to 65 mph.

Originally budgeted for $1.73 billion, the I-15 CORE project is the state's largest highway construction project ever and the fastest completed billion-dollar, public highway project in the U.S., she said.

When construction began in spring 2010, the freeway was slated for a 2014 completion. Today, the project is expected to be approximately $230 million under budget and nearly two years ahead of schedule when finished next month.

Read the entire article.

Support Traditional Navajos At Annual Rug Sale

In today's fast-paced world there are not many Native Americans in Utah who try to traditional lifestyles. It's difficult making a living by hand-crafting jewelry and wool rugs. It takes time - hour upon hour - to create things using traditional materials and methods.

And, after you create them, how do you market handmade items?

The Adopt-A-Native-Elder Program provides some help. Every year the program sponsors a rug and craft sale, held at Deer Valley Ski Resort. The sale will be held this weekend, beginning Friday, Nov 2 and running through Sunday. Here are some details. Read more about the sale here.

This special event provides attendees the opportunity to experience Navajo culture through demonstrations of weaving, singing and other traditions; and to help support Navajo elders by purchasing their hand-woven rugs and hand-crafted jewelry.

"The Rug Show offers guests a unique opportunity to learn more about the Navajo way of life and to meet 30 elders and their families who will travel from their native homeland to Park City. From its humble beginnings, just a few rugs at the Kimball Art Center, the Rug Show has evolved into what may be the largest event of its kind in the country. More than 700 rugs will be on display and available for purchase at the show. The proceeds from the rug sales go directly to the weaver."

Food and clothing collected during the show and all funds generated from the sale of rugs and jewelry go directly to the elders. The Rug Show is supported by grants from the Utah Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Summit County Restaurant Tax.

Here is a news release about the rug sale.

On a related note, the Utah Valley University Native Sun Club will sponsor its 2012 UVU Pow Wow in the Grande Ballroom November 2nd & 3rd. Here are details.