Vamoose Spring 2018

VOL.4 NO.2 • APRIL/MAY 2018

FREE COPY

GET OUT | GET GOING | JUST GO

The treasures of FOUR

CORNERS

Grab your

BEST BUDS

and hit the road because

PUBLIC LANDS Not all is lost

MOAB awaits

April/May 2018 • Vamoose Utah | 1

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April/May 2018 • Vamoose Utah | 3

Inside

VAMOOSE APRIL/MAY 2018

8

DINO REICHMUTH

“Not all who wander all lost.”

J.R.R. Tolkien Photo by Dino Reichmuth

8

WOMEN GONE WILD Moab’s adventure, food and fun offer a rollicking Girlfriends Getaway.

By Kathleen Curry & Geoff Griffin

15

21

AIRSTREAMS MADE NEW What’s not to love about Camper ReParadise’s retro travel trailers?

FROM 24 ESCAPE FANTASY CANYON

Local man creeped out by rocks.

By Darby Doyle

By Chris Vanocur

27

FOUR-CORNERED FUN

Enchant yourself with New Mexico’s history, culture and frybread.

THIS IS THE PLACE

Vernal’s McConkie Ranch petroglyphs evoke mayhem and mystery.

By Jerry Spangler

By Kathleen Curry & Geoff Griffin

CHEF 29 BACKCOUNTRY “Overwintered” spinach is packed with flavor and nutrition.

By Ari LeVaux

18

24 HOURS OF FITNESS Two dozen ways to get your motor running in the 801.

By Nick Como

4 | Vamoose Utah • April/May 2018

JOSEPH D. ROBERTS

31

MADE FOR YOU & ME

Utah’s public lands bear embracing.

By Vaughn Robison

LOOK 35 LAST Arches National Park Balanced Rock

By Jacob W. Frank, courtesy of NPS

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Get out, Get going, Just go & Stay

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@vamooseutah @vamooseutah @vamooseutah April/May 2018 • Vamoose Utah | 5

VOL.4 NO.2 • APRIL/MAY

CONTRIBUTORS GET OUT | GET GOING | JUST GO

STAFF PUBLISHER

John Saltas

EDITORIAL

EDITOR COPY EDITOR CONTRIBUTORS

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jerre Wroble Lance Gudmundsen Kathleen Curry, Darby Doyle, Geoff Griffin, Ari LeVaux, Vaughn Robison, Jerry Spangler, Chris Vanocur Katherine Baumann, Evelyn Cervantes, Joseph D. Roberts

Chris Vanocur is a freelance writer and journalist living in Salt Lake. He has been honored with both the Peabody and duPontColumbia University awards. His writing has appeared in numerous publications. He is also an amateur photographer and has been dubbed the “Selfie King.”

PRODUCTION ART DIRECTOR GRAPHIC ARTIST

Vaughn Robison Sofia Cifuentes, Brian Plummer, Josh Scheuerman

BUSINESS/OFFICE

ASSOCIATE BUSINESS MANAGER OFFICE ADMINISTRATORS TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

Paula Saltas David Adamson, Anna Kaser Bryan Mannos

MARKETING MARKETING DIRECTOR MARKETING COORDINATOR

Jackie Briggs Samantha Smith

CIRCULATION CIRCULATION MANAGER

SALES MAGAZINE ADVERTISING DIRECTOR NEWSPRINT ADVERTISING DIRECTOR DIGITAL OPERATIONS MANAGER SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES RETAIL ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Eric Granato Jennifer Van Grevenhof Pete Saltas Anna Pappadakis Doug Kruithof, Kathy Kueller Anne Bailey, Lisa Dorelli, Alex Markham, Mieka Sawatzki, Jeremiah Smith

Nick Como is a communications honcho

for the Salt Lake City Downtown Alliance.

Growing up in New York City, Como moved West when he was 21 for “the mountains, the skiing, no traffic and the quality of life.” He’s worked for Alta and Solitude ski resorts and now spends his free time in the great outdoors skiing, mountain biking, river running, canyoneering and dreaming up adventures.

COVER IMAGE: ARCHES NATIONAL PARK BY DINO REICHMUTH DISTRIBUTED FREE OF CHARGE THROUGHOUT THE WASATCH FRONT WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. ADDITIONAL COPIES OF VAMOOSE ARE AVAILABLE AT THE VAMOOSE OFFICES:

248 S. Main, Salt Lake City, UT 84101, 801-575-7003 Editorial contact: Editor@vamooseutah.com Advertising contact: Sales@vamooseutah.com

COPPERFIELD PUBLISHING, INC • COPYRIGHT 2018. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED @vamooseutah

6 | Vamoose Utah • April/May 2018

@VamooseUtah

@vamooseutah

Ari LeVaux writes Flash in the Pan,

a syndicated weekly food column that appears in more than 100 newspapers nationally. He lives in Missoula, Mont., where he hunts, skis, hunts on skis, and skis while hunting, among other pursuits.

Feel

AWAKE

N

o matter what time of year it is, we who live in the Beehive can’t seem to get enough of Moab—the little town that could. Hip, outdoorsy, bikeable, raftable—once you’ve tasted Moab’s scenery (and craft beer), you’re pretty much hooked for life.

Celebrating spring break in this red-rock adventure town might be a one-time rite of passage or an annual gathering of your tribe.

So it’s not Daytona Beach or Cancun—but it’s still a place, our place, to go wild.

In this issue, we celebrate the women who go wild—meaning women friends who road-trip and experience the wilderness together. It’s an actual travel demographic— the so-called “girlfriends getaway”—and in our Weekend Warrior feature, Travel Brigade writers Geoff Griffin and Kathleen Curry plot the perfect course (minus driving off a cliff) for all would-be Thelmas & Louises.

If you’re able to add a few more days to your Moab excursion, consider traveling south to northern New Mexico and the Four Corners area. This is the place to experience a profusion of Native American history, culture and cuisine. Griffin and Curry detail highlights of a northern New Mexico road trip in “Four Cornered Fun.” Ever wondered if there was a fun fitness activity for every hour of the day? (Uh, not so much?) That didn’t stop writer Nick Como from imagining the possibilities in his “24 Hours of Fitness.” His feature proves if there’s a will, there’s a way (at least 24 of them). Couch potatoes, step aside.

Getting your kicks on Route 66 just became a whole lot more stylish thanks to Salt Lake City’s Camper ReParadise, a company that rehabs old-school travel trailers, painstakingly updating them while maintaining their retro charm. In “Airstreams Made New,” Darby Doyle spoke with Brandon Zinninger and his family to learn what’s involved.

Newshound Chris Vanocur and archaeologist Jerry Spangler faced their fears near Vernal: Vanocur uncovered strange rocks (“Escape From Fantasy Canyon”) and

Contribute to

VAMOOSE

Spangler’s pondered macabre petroglyphs (“Headhunting”) at McConkie Ranch.

To fuel all your sojourns, you best remember to eat your greens, such as the “overwintered” spinach that Ari LeVaux writes about in “Green Gold.”

Lastly, we’re happy that Vamoose’s art director, Vaughn Robison, brought forward one of his passions in this issue. Relocating here from Oregon 11 years ago, Robison has made it his mission, more than many a local, to explore any number of federally owned lands in Utah. Especially in the face of President Trump’s disappointing decision to shrink national monuments in Utah, Robison hopes we don’t lose sight of (or appreciation for) the vast parcels of public lands that remain at our fingertips. His article, “Made for You and Me,” details the state’s federal land designations, highlighting their many treasures.

So, this spring, heed the call of adventure (with your copy of Vamoose in hand), whether it takes you north, south, east or west. And for those stuck in the city, unable to run wild on your spring break, read (or re-read) Edward Abbey’s Desert Solitaire. Let your mind, at least, get lost, and don’t come back until you feel awake.

We’re always on the lookout for freelance writers and interns.

Send a resume, links to writing samples and a cover letter to: jerre@copperfieldmedia.com

—Jerre Wroble, editor Correction: In the February-March 2018 issue of Vamoose, an article about locally made DaleBoot ski boots featured an incorrect photo.

The article was corrected online with the appropriate photo (shown below). We apologize for the error.

April/May 2018 • Vamoose Utah | 7

8 | Vamoose Utah • April/May 2018

eekend arrior Women

GONE WILD

MOAB’S ADVENTURE, FOOD AND FUN OFFER A ROLLICKING GIRLFRIENDS GETAWAY.

By Kathleen Curry & Geoff Griffin

I

t’s spring break and Moab calls. No matter who you go with—your significant other, family members, college pals or friends of a feather—Moab rolls out the welcome mat with so many options that you can create a new trip each time you visit.

One way to experience Moab is with a circle of besties, and for women, that’s a Girlfriends Getaway. After all, this is the place where Thelma and Louise had the ultimate adventure. Although the ending for the 1991 movie was supposed to take place at the Grand Canyon, many parts of the film were shot in and around Moab, including the climactic scene.

Whether it is just for some “me” time, the freedom to shop and log some spa time, or to have relaxed adventures wearing comfy yoga pants, a Girlfriends Getaway is a great reason to hop in the car with your besties.

Tell them, just like Thelma said to Louise, “Let’s keep goin’!” and then get ready to make your own “her-story.”

April/May 2018 • Vamoose Utah | 9

Thursday

Evening COURTESY OF RED CLIFFS LODGE

••••

Castle Creek Winery

Afternoon SALT LAKE CITY TO MOAB

The 3½-hour drive down to Moab starts by heading south on Interstate 15 to Spanish Fork before heading east on U.S. Route 6, which then joins U.S. Route 191 just north of Helper. Continue on 191 south through Helper and Price before coming to Interstate 70.

Head east on I-70 to the Crescent Junction exit. Pick up 191 heading south again, and you’ll head straight into Moab.

When you get into town, you’ve got several options for accommodations, Got a larger group? Check in at the Bowen Luxury House (24 W. 200 North, 800-874-5439, BowenMotel.com/bowen-luxury-house) or the Moab Pearl (2900 Rimrock Road, 435-9019263, Facebook.com/moabpearlecolodge). Both are homes with a full kitchen, multiple bedrooms and multiple bathrooms. It’s an ideal setting for everyone in the group to find their own space but also have a place to come together.

If camping out (while still having some of the comforts of home) is more your style, try Red Rock Base Camps (435-261-7799, RedRockBaseCamps.com). It’s camping—with a little help from your friends. You reserve a spot at any campground around the Moab area, and then reserve one of Red Rock’s trailers. They drop it off for you. Not only do you have a place with one or two queen beds where you can sleep and charge your phone after an evening by the campfire, but the service also comes with an outdoor kitchen trailer off the back, complete with gas stove, stainless-steel counter space, cooler and wash station with hot water.

A smaller group looking for a relaxing weekend will want to try Desert Hills Bed & Breakfast (1989 Desert Hills Drive, 435-259-3568, DesertHillsBnB.com). This family-run property sits in a quiet residential neighborhood and features four rooms and one family suite. Onsite chickens and a backyard garden provide the ingredients for fresh egg dishes for breakfast. Desert Hills also offers group tours of the Moab area.

COLORADO RIVER

Wherever you end up setting up base camp, get ready for an evening out and take a scenic drive along Highway 28 before arriving at Utah’s largest winery, Castle Creek Winery, (Highway 128, Milepost 14, 435259-3332, CastleCreekWinery.com), for a wine-tasting session. Castle Creek has their own vines and also purchases grapes from local growers to create cabernet sauvignon, merlot, Monument Red, Outlaw Red, chardonnay, chenin blanc, Lily Rose White and Petroglyph White. Pick your favorite and buy a bottle for later in the weekend.

Castle Creek Winery sits on the property of Red Cliffs Lodge (RedCliffsLodge.com), and you only need to walk across the parking lot to find the Moab Museum of Film & Western Heritage. The museum pays tribute to Moab’s Hollywood film history—from classic John Wayne Westerns to modern ones starring Johnny Depp—all shot in and around Moab. Of course, there’s a tribute to Thelma and Louise, and your group will need to pay homage.

Head upstairs to find more Castle Creek wines at the Cowboy Grill, (435-259-2002) where dinner is served. Offer a toast to Thelma and Louise while trying the Southwest ceviche appetizer, a mix of white fish and avocado served with tortilla strips. Since this is a Girlfriends Getaway, we’ll tell you to pass on the Rocky Mountain oysters and instead order the Outlaw Red Chicken as an entrée.

The bird is sautéed in Castle Creek Outlaw Red wine with onions and red peppers.

If you don’t want to worry about driving home from dinner on this or any other night of the trip, check out Moab Trail Taxi (435210-0214, MoabTrailTaxi.com) for fast and easy service around town.

The patio at Cowboy Grill

COURTESY OF RED CLIFFS LODGE

10 | Vamoose Utah • April/May 2018

COURTESY OF RED ROCK BASE CAMPS

Red Rock Base Camps’ teardrop trailer rental and delivery

Friday

NPS

••••

Sunset at The Dollhouse in the Maze District of Canyonlands National Park

Morning/Afternoon

Evening

MOAB TO CANYONLANDS

CRUISE THE COLORADO RIVER

Make reservations to take the Sound & Light Show Boat Tour from Canyonlands by Night and Day. (1861 N. Highway 191, 800-394-9978, CanyonlandsByNight.com) The tour, which has been offered since 1963, runs March through October, with departure times starting at 6:15 p.m. in March and getting later as the days get longer to coincide with sunset. It’s a slowmoving boat ride over a calm section of the Colorado River while watching the colors change as the sun goes down. Guests also enjoy a cowboy-style, Dutch-oven dinner featuring barbecue chicken, pork and beef. If you’re in the mood for something more adrenaline-pumping in the daylight, check out the company’s new Spin and Splash jet boat tour.

Sound & Light Show Boat Tour

COURTESY OF CANYONLANDS BY NIGHT AND DAY

Use social media to locate YummyTown Food Truck (82 S. Main, YummyTownFoodTruck. com). A local favorite for Mediterranean lunch dishes and Shrubs—a macerated fruit concentrate mixed with soda water in combinations such as raspberry and golden beet. In 2018, the truck is serving up breakfast for the first time with scrambled egg and gyro pitas and other offerings.

Sign up for one of the many tours available from the Canyonlands Field Institute, (1320 S. Highway 191, 800-860-5262, CFIMoab.org), a nonprofit dedicated to providing outdoor education about the Colorado Plateau. They provide a variety of half-, full-, and multiday trips on land and water, but you might want to consider joining the Women Wild

by Nature River Trip, an annual womenonly rafting trip led by CFI co-founder and director Karla VanderZanden. The four-night trip runs Sept. 23-27, 2018.

And since this weekend is about indulging yourself, after your outing today, arrange an afternoon spa party for your friends or just an individual massage at Spa Moab (79 N. Main, 435-259-7726, SpaMoab.com). Choose from among a couple’s, Biker’s Relief or Desert Woman massage.

April/May 2018 • Vamoose Utah | 11

Saturday

Dead Horse Point Singletrack trip

FRANKLIN SEAL, RIM TOURS, MOAB UTAH

••••

Morning MOAB AREA

Stop by Moonflower’s Datura Deli (39 E. 100 North, 435-259-5712, Moonflower.coop). For breakfast. They feature locally roasted Fresh Moab coffee along with baked goods, breakfast burritos and breakfast sandwiches. Call 24 hours in advance and pre-order a sack lunch to take with you on your adventures for the day.

12 | Vamoose Utah • April/May 2018

Your options for getting outdoors for the day depend on what you’re in the mood to do. Rim Tours Mountain Bike Adventures (1233 S. Highway 191, 435-259-5223, RimTours.com) was there at the beginning of Moab’s mountain biking revolution back in 1985 and continues to trailblaze in 2018 with a range of single and multi-day tours where they supply the bikes. Those who are new to the sport might want to try the half-day Courthouse Loop. Those with more experience will enjoy the Dead Horse Point Singletrack trip, which takes riders 2,000 feet above the Colorado River.

If driving is more your style, check out Outlaw Jeep Tours (281 N. Main, 435-2607451, OutlawJeepTours.com) for a ride-along tour or try driving off-road yourself with the help of an experienced guide. One of the most popular options is the three-hour Hell’s Revenge Sunset Tour.

If you’d rather spend your Saturday out on the water, Moab Jett (50 W. 400 North, 435259-5538, MoabJett.com) rides the river on New Zealand-style jet boats capable of doing a “Hamilton spin,” which is a flat spin within the boat’s own length. Their signature twohour-adventure tour provides splash jackets for guests to enjoy the ride.

Evening

MOAB: THE CHILL FACTOR April’s average high/low temps 72°F/ 42°F May’s average high/low temps 83°F/ 50°F

MOAB

Weather.com

Cap off a busy day at The Broken Oar Restaurant (53 W. 400 North, 435-259-3127, TheBrokenOarMoab.com) Famous for their Bowl of Sweet Potato Fries appetizer—with fries coated with a house blend of cinnamon sugar, salt, caramel and lemon zest—for the main course, check out the pork chop in the Oar’s signature Sriracha-bourbon sauce. The restaurant also offers a wine list and craft beers on draft from Squatters and Wasatch Brewery.

NPS

THE BROKEN OAR RESTAURANT

Broken Oar Restaurant Sweet Potato Fries

Delicate Arch

April/May 2018 • Vamoose Utah | 13

Sunday

••••

Morning NATIONAL PARKS

Grab breakfast at Love Muffin Café (139 N. Main, 435-259-6833, LoveMuffinCafe.com).

As the name suggests, they have muffins, but also breakfast paninis, including the jelly panini that features spicy sausage, eggs, Gouda, onion and grape jelly.

If your busy weekend hasn’t let you get to either Arches National Park (435-719-2299, nps.gov/arch) or Canyonlands National Park (435-719-2313, nps.gov/cany) yet, this is the time to get out there. Even if you don’t have a ton of time to spend or have a group with varying outdoor abilities, one of the great things about both of these parks is that they have short hikes that pretty much anyone can do while enjoying stunning vistas in Canyonlands or legendary rock formations in Arches. If you happen to be in Moab on April 21, the first day of National Park Week, entry is free.

PEDRO LASTRA

Delicate Arch

Afternoon

Tamarisk Restaurant

TAMARISK RESTAURANT

MOAB TO SALT LAKE CITY

On the way home, make a stop in Green River (at the junction of U.S. 191 and I-70) at Tamarisk Restaurant (1710 E. Main, 435-564-8109, TamariskRestaurant.com). This eatery, sitting on the banks of the Green River since 1979, is known for its Navajo fry bread, which is a must-try.

When your group arrives back on the Wasatch Front—exhausted, sun-kissed and basking in happy memories—finish off your Girlfriends Getaway by reciting in unison, Thelma Dickinson’s famous line in the movie: “I don’t ever remember feeling this awake!”

Pothole Point in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park

BLOOMS Fishhook Cactus (below) are one of Canyonlands’s 11 species of cacti, most of which tend to bloom in late May, shortly after the rest of the park’s wildflower species.

NPS

14 | Vamoose Utah • April/May 2018

NPS/NEAL HERBERT

Fishhook Cactus

BEAU ROGERS

4 Corners

Four-Cornered Fun ENCHANT YOURSELF WITH NEW MEXICO’S HISTORY, CULTURE AND FRYBREAD.

U

tah is The Beehive State. We’re always busy. Takin’ care of business. Gettin’ ‘er done.

Go kitty-corner across the border, and you arrive in New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment. It’s here you’ll discover a different mindset that encourages you to quit your running around and just sit back and enjoy the magic. Here’s how to have your own enchanting New Mexico getaway just over the border in the Four Corners area.

By Kathleen Curry & Geoff Griffin

April/May 2018 • Vamoose Utah | 15

Stateline survey marker

COURTESY OF GRANDMAS FRYBREAD SHACK

WOODY HIBBARD

PHIL KONSTANTIN

You’ll get to experience all four states of the four corners in one day by crossing briefly into Colorado before taking a right on U.S. Highway 160 to cross into New Mexico. Once into that state, you’ll take a brief two-mile drive on New Mexico State Highway 597 to arrive at Four Corners Tribal Park, also known as Four Corners Monument (NM-597, Teec Nos Pos, AZ, 928-206-2540, DiscoverNavajo.com).

Why should you visit? Because where else are you going to get to stand in four states all at once? The site is part of the Navajo Nation system of parks and features a demonstration center with tribal artisans who also sell traditional crafts, jewelry and food. Make sure to hit an ATM on the way as the $5 per person entry fee is cash only.

Going to the Four Corners area and not getting Navajo fry bread is like going to Paris and not having a baguette. The best places to find fry bread are generally food carts or small side-of-the-road stands. A well-known and well-loved stop is Grandma’s Frybread Shack (505-516-6425, facebook.com/GrandmasFrybreadShack) located along Highway 597 in Four Corners Tribal Park. Rather than leaving a review on her Facebook page, Grandma hands you a marker and has you write it on the wall of her shack.

Traditional Navajo crafts and jewelry

Grandmas’s Frybread Shack

Chaco Culture National Historic Park

Chaco Culture National Historic Park

16 | Vamoose Utah • April/May 2018

NPS

JAMES Q. JACOBS

From Four Corners Monument, there are a number of ways to go to experience the area.

Chaco Culture National Historical Park in Nageezi (505-786-7014, nps.gov/chcu) is a 2 1/2 hour drive from Four Corners Tribal Park. You can still tour the large buildings left behind by the thousands of people who populated this settlement from 850-1250 A.D. The park can be explored through hiking and biking or by guided tour. Thanks to limiting the lighting in the area, Chaco has been designated as an International Dark Sky Park, and the Chaco Night Sky Program lets visitors check out the Chaco Observatory. The only lodging in the park is camping, with the towns of Aztec, Bloomfield and Farmington all being a 90-minute drive away.

THE CHILL FACTOR Four Corners Monument & Tribal Park Average April temps: High 69°F Low 40°F Average May temps: High 79°F Low 50°F Weather.com

LEE WINDER

With 17 million acres spread across Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and now Colorado, the Navajo Nation is the largest Native American territory in the United States.

you can literally, “Get your kicks on Route 66,” which, as the song says, runs right through town. Route 66 is where you can check in at the historic El Rancho Hotel (1000 E. Route 66, 505-863-9311, Route66Hotels.org), which first opened in 1937.

It’s known as the “home of the movie stars,” because it was where the likes of Betty Grable, John Wayne and Humphrey Bogart stayed while filming Hollywood Westerns in the area. You’ll also want to stop in the hotel’s 49er Lounge, a place where Errol Flynn once rode a horse in and ordered a drink.

Today you don’t need a horse to go in and order a beer or margarita.

Gallup (TheGallupChamber.com) is also a town where you’ll find over 100 trading posts, galleries and shops, featuring works by local Native American artisans. While in town, check out the Navajo Code Talker Exhibit (106 W. Route 66, 505-722-2228, TheGallupChamber.com) in the Chamber of Commerce building. The collection features memorabilia from World War II and tells the story of how Navajo knowledge and skill helped the American military.

Gallup is also home to amazing rock formations, and those who drive just a few miles out of town can find them on the Pyramid Rock Trail (3 miles round trip) or Church Rock Trail (2 miles round trip). Both trails also provide spectacular views from 7,000 feet above sea level.

New Mexico’s close, and its unique landscape and culture make it worthy of a roadtrip. Let it enchant you.

Pyramid Peak

Gallup Trading Post

RICHIE DIESTERHEF

You can also just continue straight through on that 90-minute drive east to the tri-cities area.

In Bloomfield, Salmon Ruins Museum (6131 U.S. 64, 505-632-2013, SalmonRuins. com) features a two-acre pueblo ruin dating to the 11th century. There is also a museum that includes rock art and the Heritage Park on site has replicas of various Native American housing styles as well as a sweatlodge.

Aztec is also home to Aztec Ruins National Monument, where you can explore a 900-year-old ancestral Pueblo Great House with over 400 rooms. The area around Aztec is home to more than 400 natural arches that can be hiked or biked in three regions. Find maps at AztecNM.com/arches.

If history or hiking isn’t your thing, or you’re just looking to have some fun, check out live horse racing at Farmington’s Sunray Park & Casino (39 Road 5568, 505566-1200, SunRayGaming.com) with a 2018 schedule that runs every Friday-Monday starting April 20 and ending June 18.

Farmington is also the place to let out your inner caveman or cavewoman when you literally spend the night in a cave.

Kokopelli’s Cave (5001 Antelope Junction, 505-860-3812, FarmingtonNM.com) is a 1,650-square-foot cave 70 feet below ground and comes with a cascading waterfall shower, jacuzzi tub and full-stocked kitchen.

The town of Gallup sits 2½ hours from the tri-cities area, two hours south of Four Corners Tribal Park or two hours west of Chaco Cultural Park. This is a place where

Navajo rug weaving is a centuries-old tradition.

The distinctive, intricate patterns identify regions where rugs were woven such as Two Grey Hills, Ganado, Teec Nos Pos and Crystal.

April/May 2018 • Vamoose Utah | 17

24- Hours of

FITNESS TWO DOZEN WAYS TO GET YOUR MOTOR RUNNING IN THE 801

By Nick Como

6 A.M. SPINNING WITH LYA

For those of us with bad knees from years of skiing, basketball or life in general, cycling is a stellar way to workout with little impact on joints. Using the CHEK philosophy, lifestyle coach Lya Wodraska develops training programs using a whole-body approach, addressing issues in diet, exercise and overall wellness to help people enjoy a new level of wellness.

BodyWise Fitness, 1400 Foothill Drive, No. 20, Salt Lake City, 801-583-0200, BodyWiseSLC.com

7 A.M. ASHTANGA MYSORE YOGA

Full disclosure: For someone so “outdoorsy,” I can be a bit of a klutz. I’ve fallen out of a tree pose. But, after a few yoga classes, I learned I had close to zero core strength and even less flexibility. Yoga is one of those workouts that’s as tough as you make it: from restorative to core strength building— and sometimes a bit of both.

Front Climbing Gym, 1470 S. 400 West, Salt Lake City, 801-466-7625, FrontSLC.com

8 A.M. MORNING JUICING

Let’s call this one an intestine workout for colon fitness. Fresh pressed juices provide a shot of natural sugars and cleansing antioxidants. My favorite is the Local Love, made from locally sourced produce. If you really want to step up your fitness game, try one of their multi-day cleansing programs.

Vive Juicery, multiple locations, ViveJuicery.com

18 | Vamoose Utah • April/May 2018

COUNTRYLEMONADE

A

different activity every hour for 24 hours. This is one of those “not that you would, but you really could” articles the Vamoose editorial team challenged me to come up with.

Any hour of the day, Salt Lake City is brimming with fitness opportunities—and I don’t mean “fittin’ this fried-chicken sammich in my mouth” type of fitness, though we have that, too. From spring skiing to activities in city parks or group fitness classes, there is no shortage of ways to burn off that winter coat of blubber.

9 A.M. SKATE SKIING

There are two types of cross-country skiing: classic and skate. Think of classic as gently shussing forward, one leg at a time, and taking in the fresh air and mountain scenery. If you want to, in the famous words of Emeril: Kick it up a notch! Try the more aerobic skate skiing, which is akin to running with skinny skis on your feet. Solitude Nordic Center offers lessons and rentals on both styles of travel, weather permitting, until April 15.

12000 Big Cottonwood Canyon, 801-5341400, SolitudeMountain.com

10 A.M. SPRING SNOWSHOEING

There’s still snow in them thar hills as well as numerous trails conducive to snowshoeing in Big Cottonwood and neighboring Millcreek canyons. A few of

my favorites include Butler Fork and Mill B South trails (if you have avalanche training and gear). The latter provides access to Lake Blanche—one of the Wasatch’s most picturesque locations.

Visit the Salt Lake Ranger District at FS.USDA.gov

11 A.M. WALK THE DOG

Tired yet? Good, me neither. But, let’s give the puppy a workout, too. Liberty Park is a veritable Fido heaven—with ponds, ducks, other dogs, joggers, walkers—the list goes on. It is a sensory overload for our fourlegged friends and enjoyable for their humans, as well. Another plus: The sidewalks are usually well-maintained and cleared of snow during the winter.

600 E. 900 South, Salt Lake City, 801-9727800, SLCGov.com/cityparks/parks-libertypark

Nick Como sips fresh-pressed juices at Vive Juicery on 300 South in downtown SLC.

12 P.M. RUN A LOOP AT SUGAR HOUSE PARK

Sugar House Park features over 110 acres of green rolling hills with a gorgeous duck-filled lake in the middle of it all. The road that loops the park is about 1¼ miles long, making it perfect for walking, running, skating and cycling (even ski training if there’s a spring snow). Car traffic is slowed to 20 mph allowing those on two feet to be king of the road.

1330 E. 2100 South, Salt Lake City, 801-467-1721, SugarHousePark.org

1 P.M. INDOOR CLIMBING

For climbers, keeping their fingers and forearms in shape for actual rock is a challenge in the winter months. Thanks to Momentum Climbing, it is possible to get on belay year-round and pick up where you left off next spring at the crag. Novice climbers will appreciate the upper- and lower-body workout climbing offers.

Multiple locations, MomentumClimbing.com

2 P.M. DANCE CLASS

Let’s get back our feet back on solid ground and learn a thing or two. DF Dance Studio offers classes in salsa, swing, tango, hip hop, bachata and more—even twerking. I took a salsa class there once and learned I have no rhythm. Hopefully, you’ll do better.

2978 S. State, Salt Lake City, 801-466-0490, DFDanceStudio.com

3 P.M. GREENBIKE AROUND DOWNTOWN

GreenBike’s 33 stations in the downtown area allow you to enjoy unlimited trips in 24 hours for just $7! Perfect for connecting Point A to Point B and get some exercise along the way. Heading north is slightly uphill, which is a great way to warm up with a mellow pedal on spring days.

GreenbikeSLC.org

A GreenBike ride is just how Nick Como rolls

TAKE AN ADVENTURE TO THE PLANET FUN STORE

110 s. 400 w. Salt Lake City, UT 84101 clarkplanetarium.org April/May 2018 • Vamoose Utah | 19

4 P.M. TOP GOLFING

Swinging the sticks is never a disappointment at Top Golf. I usually prefer the third level to take in views of Mount Olympus and drink service for adult beverages. But, since today is all about exercise on a tight schedule, I’ll aim (pun intended) for any open and heated bay. Top Golf driving range feels more like a bowling alley, using golf skills (or lack thereof—beginners have just as much fun here) to hit golf balls toward dartboardlike targets.

920 Jordan River Blvd., Midvale, 801208-2600, TopGolf.com/us/salt-lake-city

5 P.M. SPORTS MASSAGE

I’m preferential to Healing Mountain Massage School, as costs are reasonable there—beginning around $35—for a 50-minute massage by a student. For a licensed massage therapist, it will run you a few extra dollars. Make reservations in advance.

363 S. 500 East, No. 210, Salt Lake City, 800-407-3251, HealingMountain.edu

10 P.M. MOONLIGHT SKI

As long as the spring snowpack holds, don your touring setup and skin your way up Alta’s Collins Valley. One of the few resorts to allow—almost embrace—uphill travel after resort hours, skiing by headlamp is a magical experience. Obey all closures and enjoy the stars and sounds of a winter night.

Alta Ski Area, 10230 Utah 210, Alta, 801-359-1078, Alta.com

11 P.M. BAR ROOM DANCING

Swap touring boots for comfy shoes and hit up one of the live bands at The Hog Wallow. Conveniently located at the foot of Big Cottonwood Canyon, the Wallow serves up pizzas, live music four nights a week and has friendly bartenders.

3200 E. Big Cottonwood Canyon Road, Cottonwood Heights, 801-733-5567, TheHogWallow.com

12 A.M. LAST CALL!

Yoga class meets dance club at a spin class: That’s the best way to describe this group workout. Lights dim, music pumps and energetic instructors lead you through a pedal circuit on beat. With plenty of full body motion thrown in, this a complete workout. Be prepared to sweat. A lot.

320 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City, 801718-7448, Rebel-ride.com

And you deserve it! A Bar Named Sue is one of the valley’s coolest suburban bars— with a killer whiskey list to boot. Make Johnny Cash proud and order a shot of Tennessee hooch. And then work it off with free billiards, free darts, free shuffleboard and free video games, plus a free jukebox and live music four nights a week. Shake that thang.

3928 S. Highland Drive, 801-274-5578, Salt Lake City; 8136 S. State, Midvale, 801566-3222, ABarNamedSue.net

7 P.M. SHOWER!

1 A.M. LAP SWIM

6 P.M. SWEAT IT AT AT REBEL RIDE

I keep my $10 per month membership at the downtown Planet Fitness for many reasons: It’s only $10, for one. Plus, there are showers available if I bike commute. And obviously, a full gym of fitness equipment.

175 E. 400 South, No. 100. Salt Lake City, PlanetFitness.com/gyms/salt-lake-city-ut

8 P.M. PUBLIC ICE SKATING

Wednesdays and Saturdays from 7 to 9 p.m. (in addition to other daytime hours, check the website) are the times to grab a loved one and skate for as long as your ankles hold up at the Salt Lake City Sports Complex. Enjoy two Olympic-sized ice rinks where you can learn to skate and figure skate.

645 Guardsman Way, Salt Lake City, 385-468-1925, SLCO.org/sports-complex/ ice-rink

Ready for an all-nighter? There’s no better way to get your heart rate up than with a swim. VASA goes the extra mile offering a lap pool at many of its locations, some of which are open 24 hours a day. Want to swim a mile? That’ll be 30 laps. They also have a Jacuzzi to soothe your muscles postswim Multiple locations, VasaFitness.com

2 A.M. FUEL UP

Twenty-four hour restaurants are rare in Salt Lake City, but the Village Inn near the University of Utah is open until 3 a.m. during the week and all night on weekends.

Skip the usual hangover order and choose a Cobb or Southwest salad, both under 600

NICK COMO

20 | Vamoose Utah • April/May 2018

3 A.M. GYM RATS CONVERGE

Tired yet? Neither are we, nor are the night-owl gym rats at 24 Hour Fitness at 3 a.m. Classes don’t start quite this early, so hit the elliptical to keep the blood flowing.

1121 S. Ashton Ave., Salt Lake City, 24HourFitness.com

4 A.M. YOUTUBE YOGA

The last thing we want to do is pull a muscle this late in the game, so settle in at home for some early morning yoga with Amanda Outside (google her YouTube channel).

Check out a variety of her videos with short routines of 3-20 minutes. She’s filmed several of her videos in Utah, including a tone class on the red rocks of Southern Utah, so you’ll feel right at home. Perfect for a quick stretch before we hit our final activity.

YouTube.com/user AmandaChristianTV

5 A.M. DAWN PATROL AT SILVER FORK

Hopefully, your boots stayed warm in the car, because you’ll need them again for pre-dawn ski-touring (snow-conditions permitting). If you are an advanced skier, the best bang for the buck in my opinion are the Meadow Chutes in Silver Fork (Big Cottonwood Canyon).

Non-skiers can don a pair of snowshoes and amble up the base of Silver Fork Canyon.

Park at the base of Solitude Resort and walk west across the runs near the base of Eagle Express. Silver Fork Road intersects here. Follow it until the Meadow Chutes loom above on the right, then retrace your steps.

Again, avalanche safety rules apply and don’t ski alone. No matter your mode of transport, enjoy the sunrise on the way down, when the snow is glowing pink and orange in the early morning dawn.

As a bonus, Silver Fork Lodge is minutes away and, after 8 a.m., serves sourdough pancakes, made from a century-old starter. You’ve more than earned the carbs and calories.

Big Cottonwood Canyon

After a sunrise ski tour, start your day with breakfast at Silver Fork Lodge.

9 P.M. HOT TODDY TIME

A après-ski treat, and no one makes it better than the Sitzmark Club. This classic bar in one of Alta’s venerable hotels drips with history and ski lore, but expericence it now since it closes (with the ski season) on April 15. So drink to your health and warm up before our next activity.

Alta Lodge, 10230 Utah 210, Alta, 801742-3500, AltaLodge.com

calories, and they pack enough protein to power you through the rest of the night without slowing you down.

910 E. 400 South, Salt Lake City, 801355-3753, VillageInn.com

Airstreams

MADE NEW WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE ABOUT CAMPER REPARADISE’S RETRO TRAVEL TRAILERS?

By Darby Doyle Photos by Joseph D. Roberts

What’s old is new, thanks to Camper ReParadise custom restoration

I

n 2001, Baltimore resident Brandon Zinninger was temporarily sidelined on cross-country road trip when his car broke down in Salt Lake City. While his rig waited a parts delivery at the mechanic’s shop, Zinninger stayed at a hostel in the Avenues. Over the course of three days, he fell in love with the city and its incomparable mountain access.

He decided then that he’d make a move west as soon as he could.

At the time, he worked for his father’s company—a national commercial-industrial painting business. The Zinninger family also worked on home remodel and vintage-car restoration projects, so Brandon grew up learning skills in construction and how to generally get stuff done: engine work, fabrication, electrical and design. “We had our hands on a bit of everything,” Zinninger says with a grin. “It all comes in handy now.”

Looking back, Zinninger appreciates the skills he learned from those many family projects and businesses. They built a solid tool kit of experience that he pulls from daily while running Camper ReParadise, now employing 10 people and operating out of a filled-tothe-rafters 12,000-square-foot workshop off Redwood Road.

April/May 2018 • Vamoose Utah | 21

IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR

I’m touring the Camper ReParadise shop early one morning before the work crews come in, led by owner Brandon, his parents Melanie and Steve Zinninger, and Brandon’s aunt, Kathy Miller. They walk me through some ongoing projects, a shop cat named Rivet our constant shadow.

In addition to the expected projects, like the 29-foot 1973 Airstream Sovereign being converted into a rolling display booth and all around off-road party pod for a local outdoor retailer, there’s a shipping container with huge window cut-outs being wired to create a studio space, a horse trailer with full sleeping deck getting a posh re-do, and a massive Sprinter van on deck for a complete interior remodel with custom hand-cut shelving units.

Brandon got the idea for the business in 2011, when his parents came to visit Utah and brought with them a vintage Airstream trailer in dire need of some TLC. Brandon offered to take over the hitch-to-taillight renovation and got hooked on vintage trailer restoration in the process.

“Just like tattoo artists start by practicing on pieces of pig skin,” Brandon explains, “that was my practice project to figure it all out.” They named the trailer The Tattooed Pig in homage to Brandon’s trial run.

And Brandon Zinninger quickly realized that their family’s very high-end custom trailer renovation project was part of a larger national obsession with vintage trailer redos, exemplified by an experience Melanie Zinninger shares from the Tattooed Pig’s inaugural year.

“We were in Yellowstone,” she says, “and we came out of the restaurant to see this crowd of people in the parking lot. We thought maybe they’d spotted a bear or some other animal, but they were all looking at our trailer,” in all its shiny glory.

22 | Vamoose Utah • April/May 2018

Updated interiors retain the charm

AHEAD OF THE VINTAGE WAVE

Brandon knew he wanted to focus on the highest end of custom restoration. But in the first few years, Camper ReParadise barely had a website running, and they had dabbled a bit in social media, but Brandon says the company started and stayed small by necessity. “We just didn’t have the space to tackle big projects” at their initial location in a zoned mixed-use building formerly housing a 7-Up bottling company.

By 2015, Brandon’s small shop was filled to bursting with his parents’ latest acquisition— a 1953 Boles-Aero Ensenada—alongside a growing number of major trailer renovations and food-truck reconfigurations brought to him through word of mouth.

“Moving here was a huge gamble,” Brandon says of the current location on Redwood Road, “but we can now do major engine work.” That also means they can now also tackle large-scale metal fabrication needed for building new trailers from the axles up, and a slew of other modification projects.

“We’ve learned how to design or adapt almost anything,” he says.

In the past couple of years, Camper ReParadise has sent 16 trailers to overseas buyers who’ve requested vintage re-dos or “retro look” new trailers with everything done but the electrical and minor cosmetic work.

Camper ReParadise’s results are pretty stunning, as their growing list of happy clients can attest.

“We call it ‘innovation in small spaces.’”

—Kelly Miller

“What we do best,” Brandon says, “is figure out with our clients how to creatively design and adapt their vision,” within the challenges of a very specific mobile environment. “We call it innovation in small spaces,” Miller chimes in.

As the shop fills with its first early morning employees, who are gulping from steaming mugs of coffee and itching to fire up the compressors and get to riveting, I ask if this is a typical day’s workload.

“Sure,” Brandon replies with a big smile, his arms spread wide to encompass the controlled chaos of a dozen on-going projects.

“It’s just another day in ReParadise.”

CAMPER REPARADISE 2382 S. Redwood Road West Valley City 801-972-5211| CampeReparadise.com

“We’ve learned how to design or adapt almost anything.”

—Brandon Zinninger

April/May 2018 • Vamoose Utah | 23

ESCAPE FROM LOCAL MAN NARROWLY AVOIDS BECOMING A GARGOYLE

Story and photos by Chris Vanocur

M

y most recent exotic fantasy involved a yawning lady, a camel and Hades (the Greek lord of the underworld). Pretty kinky, right? But before you dismiss this article as simply more (outdoor) porn from a Vamoose Utah contributor, please read on.

In early February, I paid a visit to Fantasy Canyon. It’s a bit south of Vernal—about a 3½-hour drive from Salt Lake City. While located in a very remote area filled with all sorts of oil activity, using the Waze navigation app, it wasn’t particularly hard to find. However, the final 20 minutes of the journey were on an unpaved road. So, be prepared for a bumpy ride, not to mention horses staring at you and wondering if you’re lost.

A BLM official in Vernal told me Fantasy Canyon is “unique.” He wasn’t kidding. The canyon is filled with all kinds of otherworldly rock formations. They reminded me of the wrinkled sorting hat in Harry Potter novels. Or, for non-Potterites, they were like sci-fi sculptures made of melted wax.

24 | Vamoose Utah • April/May 2018

Fantasy Canyon

DESTINATION: VERNAL Located in the upper east corner of Utah, Vernal (population 10,681) is about 175 miles east of SLC and 20 miles west of the Colorado border.

Approximately 85 percent of Unitah County is designated public lands, meaning most of it’s open to the public.

Twenty-seven miles south of Vernal, Fantasy Canyon is home to 10 acres of eery wind-carved sandstone formations.

Many are said to resemble living things.

Hence, the names like Yawning Lady, Camel and Flying Porpoise. Now, I’m no geologist, but here’s my layman’s understanding of how these figures came to be: Millions of years ago, a massive lake existed in this area, Lake Uinta. But eventually, the water receded, leaving rock formations exposed.

Then came erosion, weathering, the mating of clay, mud and sandstone—yada, yada, yada—and Fantasy Canyon was created.

But there’s another explanation, a darker one that I found myself immediately drawn to.

Near its entrance, one can read a sign bearing the Native American legend of how Fantasy Canyon was born. It says, “One day … the evil creatures of the nether regions, tired of the dark and the dank decided to dig up to the surface … the ground trembled and rumbled.” This, apparently, didn’t

sit well with nearby council leaders. So, they summoned the God of the North. This cold deity then turned the newly emerged underworld folks into ice. Sometime later, the West Wind got involved and blew the ice away. Once defrosted, only sand-colored resemblances of these evil creatures remain.

But before you dash out to see this enchanted land, here are a couple of quick caveats. First, Fantasy Canyon really isn’t a canyon. It sits on only about 10 acres. It’s more of a quick excursion than a full-day expedition. Next, while there is a short trail, I found the canyon’s path a bit hard to follow. But remember, I’m directionally challenged—no one will ever mistake me for John Muir.

Once you get your bearings, however, it’s truly a bewitching place. There is no shortage of exotic shapes and images. It be-

comes kind of a game trying to figure out what each formation looks like. It reminded me of a sandstone Rorschach test. You look at the rocky figures and, perhaps, see what you want to see.

But as you wander, be careful. The formations are very fragile, and a wrong or clumsy misstep could make the rocks tremble and rumble.

In the heart of Fantasy Canyon is an octagon-shaped bench, a nice place for hikers to sit for a minute and take in the surrounding wonders. It’s also here that something just a little bit creepy took place. It was mid-to-late afternoon when I took a seat on the bench, the only one in the canyon. It was getting a bit cold and as I stared at the “gargoyles, witches, aliens and screaming men” around me, I began to get a little jittery.

Maybe the Native Americans were right.

Maybe these were the remains of Hades’ henchman. If this had been a scary movie, the ominous formations would then have started howling and moving toward me.

Surely, I would have been a goner. The last scene would be a close-up of my newly sandstone-covered face, now sentenced to purgatory alongside my heathen underworld brothers. After all, one of the nicknames for Fantasy Canyon is “the devil’s playground.”

April/May 2018 • Vamoose Utah | 25

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26 | Vamoose Utah • April/May 2018

But before the eery formations could capture me, I nervously grabbed my backpack and made haste to the end of the trail.

There, I was rewarded with a nice vista of the entire canyon. This eased my fears considerably. I even found myself admiring and appreciating this offbeat, one-of-a-kind sliver of Utah.

I would recommend a visit to Fantasy Canyon, but maybe not the way I did it. I left early one morning, spent a few hours there, and then drove back to Salt Lake. This made for a long and exhausting day. A more rewarding, less taxing way of doing it would be to take a detour to the canyon if you’re in the Vernal area. The BLM office told me it gets a fair number of local visitors when things warm up, but that it still remains a bit of a secret for many Utahns. So, if you’re braver than I—and who isn’t?—head to the canyon and enjoy a fantastic, familyfriendly fantasy.

Tell the Yawning Lady I sent you.

DESTINATION: VERNAL A visit to the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park lets you learn about the prehistoric world, dig for fossils and explore a dinosaur garden.

235 E. Main, Vernal, 435-789-3799, StateParks.utah. gov/parks/utahfield-house

DESTINATION: VERNAL The rock art located up Dry Fork Canyon (10 miles northwest of Vernal) can be seen along a 200-foot-high sandstone cliff located on the Sadie McConkie Ranch Lifesize anthropmorph holding a trophy head

There will be tears: petroglyphs pecked into stone

THE PETROGLYPHS OF VERNAL’S MCCONKIE RANCH EVOKE MAYHEM AND MYSTERY.

By Jerry Spangler

F

ew travelers see Vernal as a tourism destination—and with hundreds of square miles of oil and gas wells in every direction, it is easy to see why.

But if you love ancient Native American rock art, Vernal is not only a destination but a mecca for some of the finest examples of indigenous rock art anywhere in the world.

National Geographic once called the images here the Louvre of America’s native art.

If you’ve never heard of the famed rock art,

MARK BYZEWSKI

MARK BYZEWSKI

THIS IS THE PLACE

HEADHUNTING it’s not all that surprising. Most of the very best concentrations of images are located on inaccessible private lands, and the ones in the famed Cub Creek district of Dinosaur National Monument are more difficult—and remote—to find over a brief weekend visit if you don’t know exactly where to look.

One exception to the “can’t go there, can’t find it” conundrum is the McConkie Ranch, located in what is commonly referred to as the Ashley-Dry Fork about 10 miles north-

west of Vernal. There are hundreds of images here that will make your jaw drop and your brain swirl.

It is not the remarkable precision reflected in the images painted and pecked into the sandstone, but rather bizarre—some might say macabre—subject matters that are depicted. Some of the images seem to depict nearly life-sized humans holding decapitated heads, complete with red paint that has all the trappings of dripping blood.

April/May 2018 • Vamoose Utah | 27

DAN BAUER

DAN BAUER

Fremont shield

The Three Kings panel DESTINATION: VERNAL Other must-see attractions include Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, Dinosaur National Monument and Sheep Creek Canyon Geological Area.

It is not surprising that these images have led many to speculate the ancients here were “headhunters” and the compositions depict actual events where enemies were ceremoniously dispatched to the afterlife.

Maybe, maybe not. Archaeologists are always wary of projecting our literalist modern view onto the ancients who might have viewed the world in abstract or surreal terms. Quite simply, there is no way for us today to know what was in the minds of the people who made those images.

But if the purpose of art is to make people think, then the McConkie Ranch artists succeeded many times over. It is impossible to come away from the experience with indifference. You might be revolted at the thoughts that creep into your head—or awed at the remarkable attention to detail: the eyes looking back at you, the jewelry, the hairstyles, the depictions of what seem to be husbands with their wives, the shields suggesting these were dangerous times, the tears.

Whatever the images evoke, you will come away feeling something.

Who were these ancient artists? Archaeologists refer to them as the Fremont Complex, which is an umbrella term for all of the ancient farmers of Utah between about 250 AD to 1300 AD. They might have belonged to different ethnic groups, spoken different languages, and relied on maize farming to

28 | Vamoose Utah • April/May 2018

differing degrees. But they all shared one trait: rock art.

The Fremont people typically depicted human figures with rigid trapezoidal shapes (wider at the shoulders than the waist), although there is lots of variation from one region to the next. The famous rock art of Nine Mile Canyon and Capitol Reef and the San Rafael Swell are all attributed to Fremont people. In the Vernal area, the rock art reached an unprecedented level of precision and detail not found anywhere else in Utah.

These artists even mastered rare technique called “bas relief,” where the stone was removed from around the image to leave the image itself projecting from the cliff face as a sort of sculpture. Not only is this difficult to do with metal tools, it would have been unimaginably difficult with primitive stone tools.

Based on the radiocarbon dates from ancient houses in the McConkie Ranch area, these images were probably made by early farmers. The first farmers arrived about 250 AD and might have been immigrants from the San Juan River area in the Four Corners.

They might have intermixed with local populations to produce the unique hybrid we call the Fremont today. By about 1000 AD they had moved to other areas in the Uinta Basin, and some might have persisted as late as 1500 AD in the Flaming Gorge area and in northwestern Colorado.

But for seven centuries or more, they pecked and painted their view of a remarkable world on the cliff walls in northeastern Utah where they continue to evoke wonder and awe.

To reach the McConkie Ranch, drive north of 500 West in Vernal and stay on the road until you reach the town of Maeser. Turn north on 3500 West and follow the road into Dry Fork Canyon. The turnoff to the ranch is well marked.

Remember to always respect private property here. The owners have graciously allowed visitors to wander the trails, and they keep it open through voluntary donations. Please be generous so that they keep it open for future visitors.

The main trail open to visitors is a little over 3/4 mile out and back. Also ask for permission to visit the Three Kings—perhaps the most impressive of all the rock art panels. It is not located on the main visitors trail but rather next to the road below the small visitors’ center.

Jerry D. Spangler is an archaeologist and executive director of the Colorado Plateau Archaeological Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving archaeological and historic sites on public lands.

BACKCOUNTRY

A Taste of

GREEN T

his time of year, spinach is so abundant one can cook with it by the handful. Spring spinach comes in waves, the first of which was planted last summer as a fall crop and coaxed through the winter under a blanket of snow. In spring, the overwintered spinach rages to life, with juicy leaves that are as sweet as they are lusty.

These leaves grew from roots that were well established last fall, as opposed to the second wave of spinach, planted months ago in greenhouses. It’s about the same size as the overwintered spinach but lacks the experience and terroir of the elder plants, which have had more time to accumulate nutrients.

Young spinach—including the so-called baby spinach that’s all the rage—is very convenient. It barely needs washing or any form of prep and is as tender as veal. It may not have the sweetness of an overwintered spinach, but neither does it have the bitterness.

In terms of nutrition, baby greens are “basically water,” explained a farmer friend of mine. “They aren’t as good for you as a plant that’s lived through the winter.”

He let me raid his field of overwintered spinach. The leaves were like plump, strong teenagers, in the prime of youth and vitality.

Many of the stems were a vibrant shade of pinkish red, betraying their relatedness to chard, not to mention sugar beets. This is the stuff. Green gold. My friend’s spinach, which overwintered so beautifully, was Tyee variety. A spectacular way to enjoy the subtle complexity of an overwintered

Gold

spinach is by making a very simple pesto with nothing more than spinach, olive oil and salt.

If your spinach is good but not quite top level, a more typical pesto with nuts, cheese, garlic and zest will be a very satisfying way to enjoy the season. I’ve also had great results by simply combining fresh spinach pesto au natural with year-old basil pesto from the freezer.

Salt Lake City urban farmers such as Kevin Nash (Earth First Urban Eco-Farms, 801-783-7822) often have overwintered spinach (as long as pests don’t get to it first, which happened this winter, according to Nash). By early April, Nash’s Viroflay spinach also will be ready. This heirloom variety grows leaves that can be the size of chard, he says.

The following recipe comes by way of friends in Bhutan, a little Buddhist country in the Himalayas, where chiles are king and cheese is queen, and all other foods are cooked in a combination thereof.

Those big bags of dried Mexican chiles that can be purchased in many box stores have become a lifeline to the Bhutanese diaspora. The iron in spinach, while abundant, isn’t always accessible to the consumer. Cooking spinach with foods that are high in vitamin C help make that iron more accessible. And chile pepper, it turns out, is high in vitamin C.

‘OVERWINTERED’ SPINACH IS PACKED WITH FLAVOR AND NUTRITION

By Ari LeVaux Photos by Katherine Baumann

April/May 2018 • Vamoose Utah | 29

BHUTANESE-STYLE SPINACH WITH CHILE & CHEESE 1 to 3 ounces of dried red chile 4 handfuls of spinach ½ to 1 cup Mexican cheese blend (or ¼-½ cup feta) Salt (unless using feta) Water or stock Cooking oil First, get the chile soaking. Rip out the stem ends of the pods, tearing off the good bits of flesh and discarding the stems, inner seed heads and as many seeds as you wish for the desired heat level. Tear up the leathery walls of the chile pods or leave them intact, depending on how avoidable you want the pepper pieces to be. Cover with water and soak.

Meanwhile, mince a medium-sized onion and sauté it in olive oil and maybe a little butter. Add the half-soaked chile and allow to cook, covered, with the onions. After about five minutes on medium heat, add 2 or 3 handfuls of spinach—as many as you can fit in the pan—in whole-leaf form.

If things are on the dry side, add water or stock, a half-cup at a time, until the pan bubbles with deliciousness. Cover.

After about 5 minutes, the spinach will have cooked down. Add more spinach if you can push it in, ideally another handful or two, and then add the cheese—½ to 1 cup of Mexican blend, depending on how big your cheese tooth is. Some Bhutanese expats occasionally use feta—if so, mind the salt. Cover again for about 5 minutes, then stir until all the cheese has melted into the sauce.

Add more water or stock as necessary so it doesn’t dry out. If the cheese burns it will be a chewy, lumpy mess; but if the pan is properly hydrated, the cheese will dissolve into a luxurious cheesy gravy. Add salt to taste and serve with jasmine or basmati rice—or better yet, Bhutanese red rice.

30 | Vamoose Utah • April/May 2018

ADAM SKALECKI

Canyonlands National Park’s iconic Mesa Arch

MADE FOR YOU

and Me

UTAH’S BELOVED PUBLIC LANDS BEAR EMBRACING.

By Vaughn Robison

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B

eyond the quirky cultural landscape of the metropolitan areas that hug the western slopes of the Wasatch Range are great swaths of open land. There are pockets of geographic and archaeological peculiarities shaped by cataclysmic events, carved out by the knife of time. This exceptional place we call home has been scattered with vast public lands to explore, yet how well do we know those areas? How often do we take advantage of what they offer?

As a state with a cultural identity rooted in outdoor recreation and as one with the second-highest percentage of federal lands (after Nevada), Utah is, by nature, an enigma. It not that surprising to overhear someone whisper, “I’ve never actually been there” while protesting at a Bear’s Ears rally. Or when discussing Utah’s treasure trove of outdoor destinations, it’s not uncommon for someone to say, “I was born here and have never heard of that place.”

Given the sheer volume of federal and state land designations in Utah, many of us are just plain bewildered when it comes to knowing where to go and how to best use these lands that belong to one and all.

But for as long as public lands remain a hotbutton debate topic, we owe it to ourselves to embrace them—and reclaim them with a broader understanding. Introduce yourself to the public lands within your reach and take advantage of the gift of nature, history and/or culture that they afford.

LANDS OF MANY USES A cow grazes outside of Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, while houseboats float at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

Nature might have needed eons to carve out Utah’s lands, but politicians only needed the time it took for a pen stroke to determine their fate. Over the decades, legislation, acts of Congress and presidential orders have set aside 33 million acres of Utah’s 52.7 million acres, accounting for 63 percent of the state’s land. These acres, their terrains and possibilities, have long been mired in controversy regarding their preservation, management and development.

The argument can be broken down into two opposing visions—to relinquish public lands or protect them. Balancing the two is a delicate act.

Not only did the disposal of public lands through the Homestead Act of 1862 allow for white settlement in Utah, but the protection of lands led to the creation of five national parks and 45 state parks within the state’s borders.

Consider the four major federal agencies that manage public lands, often in conjunction with one other, and the question of whether these lands should be managed for the interest of the nation or the states. The divisive debate is one from which we might never actually see the dust settle.

At this point in Utah’s history, though, we still have fresh vistas to take our breaths away, rocks to climb and rivers to fish. Our public lands boast archaeological relics aplenty, the best free campsites and a lifetime supply of family vacation destinations. And, hopefully, by embracing these lands, we’ll develop an appreciation for the outdoors and Utah’s unique offerings.

Of 13 types of federal land terms—all with their own prescribed uses and reasons for designation— Utah has 10. It’s important to remember that these lands are owned as much by a brother in the Bay Area as they are by a sister in the Twin Cities; and Utahns are lucky enough to have them in their very own backyard.

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Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

BLM

WHAT’S AT STAKE

BOB WICK/NPS

UNIQUE ECOSYSTEMS Joshua trees and chollas stand before the snowcapped peaks of Beaver Dam Wash National Conservation area, one of two National Conservation Areas in Utah dedicated to protecting the Mojave Desert tortoise.

Beaver Dam Wash National Conservation Area

NATIONAL PARKS These iconic areas, managed by the National Park Service, are the most visited public land. Utah’s tourism industry is centered around these parks, created by Congress to protect natural and/or historic features.

Utah’s five national parks—Zion, Bryce, Canyonlands, Arches and Capitol Reef— are each a paradise for sightseers and hikers, offering visitor centers, guided interpretive tours with park rangers, gift shops and well-developed, pay-per-night campsites.

NATIONAL FORESTS National forests offer everything from permit-based timber harvesting and mineral extraction to livestock grazing, wildlife and watershed protection, and recreational access. Usually less crowded than national parks, Utah’s six national forests—Ashley, Dixie, Fishlake, Manti-La Sal, Sawtooth and Uinta-Wasatch-Cache—afford free camping, unpopulated trails and a more primitive experience in nature. Maps, campfire permits and information on the dos and don’ts are available at national forest offices.

NATIONAL RECREATION AREAS Located exclusively near large reservoirs, these public lands are water-sports meccas that also provide water and power to surrounding areas. Utah’s two protected areas—Glen Canyon and Flaming Gorge— offer a bit of everything from fishing for trophy-sized lake trout in Flaming Gorge to summertime houseboat parties in Glen Canyon.

NATIONAL MONUMENTS National monuments can be created under the Antiquities Act of 1906 to protect archaeological relics and promote understanding of their historic and cultural relevance.

Utah’s eight national monuments include Bears Ears (aka Shásh Jaa), Cedar Breaks, Dinosaur, Grand Staircase-Escalante, Hovenweep, Natural Bridges, Rainbow Bridge and Timpanogos Cave, these places offer the unique opportunity to reconnect with the lands and the civilizations that once inhabited them.

NATIONAL WILDERNESS AREAS Designated by Congress under the 1964 Wilderness Act, these areas, according to the act, are “where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.” Utah is home to 31 such protected areas (Mount Nebo Wilderness Area among them) to ensure their pristine wild lands and fragile ecosystems remain intact.

Primitive backcountry camping is permitted, though travel is restricted to foot or horseback.

NATIONAL CONSERVATION AREAS These public lands are set aside to conserve and protect ecological, cultural and scientific interests. In the case of Utah’s two areas—Red Cliffs and Beaver Dam Wash—management is centered around protecting the Mojave Desert tortoise, a species that is considered threatened on the endangered species list. Recreational uses of these areas are determined by the resiliency of the habitats they protect, but both offer hundreds of miles of scenic hiking trails, rare wildlife-viewing opportunities and a glimpse into unique ecosystems.

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Moab Slickrock Bike Trail

MICHAEL BONICCE

NATIONAL HISTORIC SITES These public lands highlight the people and activities that helped shape the nation.

Utah’s sole contender for this designation is the Golden Spike National Historic Site, encompassing 2,735 acres. The site’s visitor center offers a robust history lesson about the West, with locomotives in action for public viewing and re-enactments of driving the final spike and chronicling the completion of the first transcontinental railroad.

INTERSECTIONS OF SPACES Riders cruise along the Moab Slickrock bike trail outside of Arches National Park with the Manti-La Sal National Forest in the background.

As such, many public lands flank one another, adding proximity to their list of benefits.

NATIONAL WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS While not exactly public lands, wild rivers—free-flowing bodies of water that have gone untouched by dams—are important designations as their land corridors often remain wild as well. Wild rivers are becoming increasingly rare as more and more cities seek to divert waters for agricultural irrigation and public water supply. While Utah is home to 81,899 miles of river, only 169.3 miles of the Virgin River are designated wild and scenic. This protection encompasses the iconic Narrows in Zion National Park, a hiker and photographer’s bucket list essential.

NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES Developed and managed to foster healthy populations of fish and wildlife, Utah is home to three national wildlife refuges, including Bear River Migratory Bird, Fish Springs and Ouray. Wildlife watching and photography are key activities, while hunting, fishing and trapping are part of each area’s population management plans.

NATIONAL TRAILS Utah’s 18 National Recreation Trails contribute to the health, conservation and recreation goals of its people. They range from world-class mountain biking on the Moab Slickrock bike trail to Nordic skiing on the Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail between Park City and Echo Reservoir. You can also explore Utah’s 583 miles of the California, Old Spanish and Pony Express national historic trails.

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François Lebeau

Last

LOOK NPS/JACOB W FRANK

Predawn stars over Balanced Rock at Arches National Park GET OUT, GET GOING AND JUST GO April/May 2018 • Vamoose Utah | 35

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