VOL. 2 NO. 1 • SUMMER 2016
GET OUT | GET GOING | JUST GO
Weekend Warrior
Camping and glamping around the Colorado Plateau
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Sip & Saunter Outings that lead to a thirst-quenching watering hole
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Trailblazer Kayaking expert and guidebook author Gary Nichols
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Camp Chef
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fuel your
adventure 2 | Vamoose Utah • Summer 2016
Summer 2016 • Vamoose Utah |
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The Mars Desert
INSIDE VAMOOSE
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BY JERRY SPANGLER
BY LIZ GALLOWAY
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SIP ‘N’ SAUNTER Pair your outdoor adventure with beer, wine, spirits and soda. BY LIZ GALLOWAY
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TRAILBLAZER Kayaking expert Gary Nichols BY COLBY FRAZIER
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MADE IN UTAH
Camp Chef products elevate outdoor cooking
ANCIENT MESSAGES Experiencing the mystery of Nine Mile Canyon
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A HIKE YOU’LL LIKE
Day hikes to get you shape for the season BY LIZ GALLOWAY
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SECRETS OF THE SAND Reasons why you (and your kids) should play beach volleyball. BY GAVIN SHEEHAN
I SKATE 40 WHY Even with mainstream acceptance,
BY DARBY DOYLE
skateboarding is mostly still a crime.
BACKCOUNTRY CHEF
BY JOSH SCHEUERMAN
Dutch-oven soda bread BY DARBY DOYLE
DEREK CARLISLE
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WEEKEND WARRIOR Camping and glamping in the red-rock wonder of the Colorado Plateau
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Issue 1 • VOL. Summer 20152016 2 NO. 1 • SUMMER
Utah
CONTRIBUTORS
GET OUT | GET GOING | JUST GO
STAFF PUBLISHER EDITORIAL EDITOR COPY EDITOR CONTRIBUTORS
PHOTOGRAPHERS
PRODUCTION ART DIRECTOR ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR GRAPHIC ARTISTS
BUSINESS/OFFICE ACCOUNTING MANAGER ASSOCIATE BUSINESS MANAGER OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR TECHNICAL DIRECTOR BUSINESS DEPT. ADMINISTRATOR MARKETING MARKETING MANAGER MARKETING COORDINATOR CIRCULATION CIRCULATION MANAGER SALES MAGAZINE ADVERTISING DIRECTOR NEWSPRINT ADVERTISING DIRECTOR DIGITAL OPERATIONS MANAGER SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES RETAIL ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
JOHN SALTAS JERRE WROBLE LANCE GUDMUNDSEN DARBY DOYLE, COLBY FRAZIER, LIZ GALLOWAY, JOSH SCHEUERMAN, GAVIN SHEEHAN, JERRY SPANGLER CAMERON BLACK , DEREK CARLISLE, NIKI CHAN, DEANNA FRANCO , ED GERTLER , TY MANNION, JOANNE MILLER, LANE JOHNSON , KIRK NICHOLS , GREG SCHAEFER, JOSH SCHEUERMAN , TRICIA SIMPSON , ALAN YOUNG DEREK CARLISLE MASON RODRICKC SUMMER MONTGOMERY, CAIT LEE, JOSH SCHEURMAN CODY WINGET PAULA SALTAS CELESTE NELSON BRYAN MANNOS ALISSA DIMICK JACKIE BRIGGS NICOLE ENRIGHT LARRY CARTER
LIZ GALLOWAY
Liz Galloway is a travel and lifestyle writer with addiction to adventure. She has been published in dozens of online and print outlets, done celebrity interviews and covered international events. When not writing, she is scouting for great food, wine, flying helicopters and seeking the next outdoor thrill. She has a background in marketing and is a nomad at heart. Contact Liz at liz@thelotuseffects.com
JENNIFER VAN GREVENHOF PETE SALTAS ANNA PAPADAKIS DOUG KRUITHOF, KATHY MUELLER, JEFF CHIPIAN, JEREMIAH SMITH, MICHELLE PINO, SIERRA SESSIONS, LISA DORELLI, TYSON ROGERS
COVER IMAGE: CAIRN AT KODACHROME BASIN STATE PARK BY DEREK CARLISLE 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
COPPERFIELD PUBLISHING, INC • COPYRIGHT 2016. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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DARBY DOYLE
Former wilderness ranger and recovering archaeologist, Darby Doyle writes about food, cocktails and outdoor adventures from her home base in the foothills of Utah’s Wasatch Mountains. She’s the proud mama of teenage boys, goofy Labradors and a gaggle of backyard hens.
JERRY SPANGLER
Jerry Spangler is a professional archaeologist and executive director of the Colorado Plateau Archaeological Alliance, a Utah-based nonprofit dedicated to preserving and protecting Utah’s archaeological resources. He is the author of Nine Mile Canyon: The Archaeological History of an American Treasure and co-author of Last Chance Byway: The History of Nine Mile Canyon.
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DEREK CARLISLE
Your Bliss Is Calling The word “vamoose” is slang meaning “to leave hurriedly, to decamp.” And that pretty well sums up what most Utahns feel every Friday afternoon. Even if we don’t actually load up our vehicles with camping gear and hit the highway, we can feel Utah’s siren call. It’s the weekend, and Zion’s legendary parks and backroads await. With spring and early summer upon us, we’re eager to shake off the winter doldrums. But that doesn’t mean our adventures need to be hard-core to the extreme. We’re not all decathlon athletes or LoToJa cyclists. Vamoose doesn’t necessarily mean, “Get out of here and scale a mountain peak.” It could simply mean, “Get out of here … and follow your bliss.” The pursuit of happiness is foremost a pursuit, and it helps to have a guide. We need a cairn, like the one on the cover of this magazine, to mark our path. This edition of Vamoose is chock full of inspiration and reasons to get going, designed to allow you to experience Utah in your own way and at your own pace. Some activities can be savored in town, some just outside of town and others way out of town. As can be seen in Liz Galloway’s article about sure-fire hikes, not all outings require a great deal of preparation or planning. And if you have friends or family coming to visit, Galloway designed a weekend road-warrior trip to Moab that includes remote-as-remotecan-be camping and luxurious desert “glamping” and bike rentals along the Colorado River. She also lined up a number of outdoor adventures that pair well with locally produced beer, wine, spirits and, yes, Utah County-ites, even gourmet soda pop. Paying tribute to green and ethical tourism, Jerry Spangler offers a responsible way to savor Nine Mile Canyon while Colby Frazier shines the spotlight on kayaking expert and river-guidebook author, Gary Nichols. Darby Doyle writes about Camp Chef, a Utah-based manufacturer of outdoor-cooking equipment and Dutch ovens, and offers her own Dutchoven recipe for Irish soda bread. Closer to home, Gavin Sheehan delves into the extremely popular sport of beach volleyball (yes, even in land-locked Utah) while Josh Scheuerman explains why, at the ripe old age of 38, he remains an avid skateboarder. Editing these stories has me excited for summer. For me, my pursuit of happiness usually lands me in Zion National Park. Nothing beats mornings hiking on trails above the Virgin River and evenings relaxing under skies filled with brilliant stars. That’s what I call bliss! So get going and go after yours. Feel free to share your adventures and suggestions with us. With this, our third issue, Vamoose now has a Facebook page and a website (VamooseUtah. com). Or contact us directly at editor@vamooseutah.com.
DEREK CARLISLE
Jerre Wroble, Editor
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Camping and glamping in the red-rock wonder of the Colorado Plateau BY LIZ GALLOWAY
When it’s time to get out of the office and decompress, you’ll find that Utah’s remote back roads, byways and scenic highways are easily within reach. Pick up Interstate 15 south to U.S. Route 50 for starters, then head east through a changing landscape of sandstone fortresses and scrubby roads to your first destination. We’ve created a weekend road trip that includes swanky “dirt chic” glamping along with rustic wilderness camping, dramatic lessons in history and getting to know the outdoors like an old friend. Dirt seekers and gypsies are welcome. 10 | Vamoose Utah • Summer 2016
Thursday
••••
Horseshoe Canyon’s Desert Soul
A couple hours south of Salt Lake City, the little town of Scipio is the turnoff point to snake up scenic U.S. Route 50 to US-24, with its unusual shapes luring you to numerous lookouts. A quick stop in Salina to hit Mom’s Cafe (10 E. Main St., Salina, 435-529-3921) for a country breakfast will keep you full until you’re fireside at Horseshoe Canyon trailhead.
TY MANNION
State Route 128 along the Colorado River near Moab, Utah
the night at the BLM-managed Hans Flat Ranger Station (Recreation Road 777, 435259-2652, NPS.gov/cany/planyourvisit/ maze.htm), a wild and scenic campground west of the canyon, filled with Native American spirit. And then, relax. You’re in for an evening of epic sunsets, soul searching, fireside s’mores and Milky Way stargazing. A vault toilet is provided, but no water.
DEREK CARLISLE
DEREK CARLISLE
An extension of Canyonlands National Park, Horseshoe Canyon is where some of the West’s most noteworthy rock art can be seen. The canyon is a 30-minute drive down on a dusty (but graded and well-marked) dirt road. Tomorrow’s hike to the Great Gallery will evoke passages of Edward Abbey’s Desert Solitaire. Camping is not allowed in the canyon itself, so stake out a camping spot for
Summer 2016 • Vamoose Utah |
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••••
DEREK CARLISLE
Friday
Great Gallery Panel Friday: Rock Art Panel Loop
DEREK CARLISLE
Pop open your roof-top tent bright and early for a morning of hiking. Hint: stick to the cairns. A perfect start to your “warrior” weekend, stock your daypack full of water and protein snacks, and warm up your hiking legs with this 6.5-mile journey to ancient petroglyphs (etched in rock) and pictographs (painted on rock).
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Rested and refueled, take the scenic Highway 128 along the Colorado River Gorge (a favorite for film commissions) to your next destination: Fisher Towers Campground (drive east on SR-128 for 21 miles to a gravel road signed “Fisher Towers.” Follow road south for 2.2 miles to the Fisher Towers Trailhead and picnic area. You’ll find a 5-site campground suitable for tent camping available on a first-come, first-served basis. Vault toilets, fire pits and grills provided, but no water. The $15 fee to the BLM will be some of the best dollars you’ve ever spent. Moab BLM Field Office, 82 E. Dogwood, Moab, 435-259-2100).
GREG SCHAEFER
The evening sun alights Fisher Towers
At the canyon floor, you’ll wind along three miles of canyon cliffs to the complex designs and humanistic figures of the famous Holy Ghost panel at the Great Gallery, which features Barrier Canyon-style etchings dating back an estimated thousand or more years. Grab your selfie sticks, because everyone will want a photo before zigzagging back to camp. Sick of adventure yet? We didn’t think so. Once back to your car, hit the gas on US-24 north and join Interstate 70 one hour away, then east to the Highway 191 for your drive to Moab. There, you’ll be welcomed by mom-and-pop shops with rows of kitschy gifts. Make time to stop for green eggs and ham at Love Muffin Cafe (139 N. Main St., Moab, 435-259-6833, LoveMuffinCafe.com).
With your snooze-spot covered, you have the rest of the afternoon to hike around and explore outlooks tucked between the towers and expansive river basins as you wind to the southeast. The area to the south is known as Onion Creek and is a breezy haven for hawks seeking thermals. You may even see climbers, scaling spots like Stolen Chimney, gaining some serious altitude. Plan on four hours for the hike before cutting back to camp.
GREG SCHAEFER
Climbers on the Stolen Chimney route, Ancient Art Tower
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Saturday
CORTESY MOAB UNDER CANVAS
••••
Moab Under Canvas
White Wash Sand Dunes
DEANNA FRANCO
Sand Dunes and a Glamp Basecamp
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DEREK CARLISLE
Colorful mesas along the Colorado River
Next up, take your camping up a notch with luxury safari tents and full-service basecamps, providing easy access to the White Wash Sand Dunes (BLM.gov) for the day’s outing. From “glamp” campsite Moab Under Canvas (13784 US-191, Moab, 801-895-3213, MoabUnderCanvas.com), you’ll have four walls of sturdy tent and, gasp, an en suite bathroom to detox the past two days of sweat. These pre-fab tents provide plenty of desert chic a few miles north of Moab’s Main Street. Another glamp option is TerraVelo Tours (TerraVeloTours.com), a traveling basecamp that navigates for you with bike tours and pre-booked private camps. Don’t get too comfy after you’ve settled in because the outdoors are calling. If you’ve opted for your own itinerary, the White Wash dunes are a 45-minute drive northwest of Moab (travel north on US-191 to Interstate 70, proceed 7 miles west, take exit 175, and head south on Ruby Ranch Road) where you can traverse ATV trails on your own wheels. A permit is required if venturing on your own, so plan ahead, or book a tour with High Point Hummer & ATV (281 N. Main St., Moab, 435-259-2972). Wind down with a stunning view from the door of your posh glamp spot. More park and trail information is available at Utah State Parks OHV & Field Office (82 E. Dogwood, Moab, 435-259-2100).
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Sunday
DEREK CARLISLE
••••
Poison Spider Bicycles
ALAN YOUNG
DEREK CARLISLE
Green River Coffee
Slickrock of Moab 16 | Vamoose Utah • Summer 2016
Colorado River Gorge, Bike Rides & Coffee With Locals
Utah is blessed with some of the best bike-riding trails in the world, with a backdrop of the La Sal Mountains, petrified sand dunes and the Colorado Gorge. Largely a world without color, the tremendous cliffs more than make up for it. Hit the pavement with your rental bike from Poison Spider Bicycles (497 N. Main St., Moab, 800-635-1792, PoisonSpiderBicycles. com) and traverse the entire length of the Moab Canyon Pathway (13.2 miles) or a portion of it, like Deadman’s Ridge (5.5 miles). Easy access can be found along the south side of the Colorado River, a place that leaves you feeling as if you’re at the edge of the world. Consider yourself lucky if you’ve secured a spot at one of the luxury glamp spots where you can return for a hot-shower rinse before getting back on the road to return to city life. Finish your four-day, taming-thewild adventure by traveling up US-191 to Interstate 70. Then make a beeline to Green River for a stop at the hippy-esque Green River Coffee Co. (25 E. Main St., Green River, 435-564-3411, GRCoffeeco.com), a locals’ hangout, and a great spot for a cappuccino, eclectic furniture, walls full of memorabilia—plus a burrito the size of your head. Get back onto US-191 and travel north to Interstate 15 and Salt Lake City. This is an adventure for those with a fondness for stretches of legendary landscapes and memorable summer road trips. Make this the summer you hit the road and turn up Billy Ocean’s song “Get out of my dreams … and into my car.” Your next adventure is just around the corner.
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THE GRE AT OUTDOORS Pairing adventures with booze and other libations
BY LIZ GALLOWAY
Macabre Wall
O
ne of the best parts of being outdoors is the rigorous butt-kicking you get from hiking, biking and exploring our deserts, lakes and mountains. Utah has always had braggin’ rights to high-country adventures but with the growth of craft distilleries, wineries and breweries mushrooming throughout the state, the Beehive State can now boast booze brands with some of the most complex and well-executed refreshment on the market. So, if you’re ready to bring together the world of booze and summer adventures, we’ve done the homework for you.
Local vodka lover, Keenan Davies, shows off the popular Five Wives Original 18 | Vamoose Utah • Summer 2016
Trading in its 1920s bootlegging history for modern-day high adventure, Ogden’s outdoor paradise offers rugged outdoor climbing opportunities and celebratory imbibing to rowdy souls anywhere. Along with hosting the premier climbing event of the region, Ogden Climbing Festival, every spring, Ogden offers indoor climbing at The Front Climbing Club (225 20th St., Ogden, 801-393-7625, FrontOgden. com) and iRock Climbing Wall (2261 Kiesel Ave., Ogden, 801-528-5350, iRockUtah.com). Then, take what you’ve learned to the great outdoors, up Ogden Canyon, where you can test your footing on the Utah Wall (located about 1.8 miles up Canyon Road from Harrison Boulevard). Utah Crack’s multi-pitch climbing route, just up from Waterfall Canyon, is a relatively easy route for an afternoon. On the north side of the canyon, another favorite challenge is Macabre Wall, offering up jagged edges of quartzite chaos in the Alpine area (access it from the Jump Off Canyon Trailhead at approximately 495 North on Harrison Boulevard in Ogden. Look for the vertical wall above and hike to it). But if you’re looking for a shorter route that’s less intimidating for beginners, choose the 40-foot wall at the 9th Street Crag (travel east on 9th Street to the top. Park and walk up the dirt road until you intersect the canal road and then travel north. Follow the road about a hundred yards to the trailhead.) The trail works its way up in the north-easterly direction leading to the crag) or take in 26th Street’s Bouldering Park (travel east up 27th, Lake or 25th streets until you reach the end of the street). After a little mountain madness, we suggest you drag your sweaty, dirt-covered self to Ogden’s Own Distillery (3075 Grant Ave. Ogden, 801-458-1995, OgdensOwn.com), just 10 blocks from Historic 25th. Restock on slick souvenirs, handcrafted herbal spirits and Five Wives Vodka for that celebratory drink to the great outdoors. Ogden’s Own plans to offer new tasting tours with extended hours beyond its current noon-5 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday, thanks to new Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control rules going into effect July 1.
TY MANNION
NIKI CHAN
Cracks, Crags, Historic 25th & Multiple Wives
TY MANNION
Views of the high Uinta backcountry on a Red Pine horseback tour
Vaqueros, Trails & Whiskey With a View
JOANNE MILLER
Pairing your inner horse whisperer with a flight of whiskey is a time-honored tradition every mountain man or woman should take advantage of. To experience the high-Uinta backcountry the way it was meant to be, book a three-hour Canyon & Creek Ride tour with Blue Sky Utah (2071 State Road 32, Wanship, 435-2520662, BlueSkyUtah.com). Meander through mountain meadows to a refurbished old-style saloon where your personal chef will prepare a three-course meal over an open fire. There’s plenty of time to relax or explore the surrounding trails and wilderness. These all-inclusive tours start at $550 per person, beginning June 1. If you’re looking for other vaquero-style excursions, you can book with Red Pine Adventures (2050 W. White Pine Canyon Road, Park City, 800-417-SNOW, RedPineTours.com) for private mountainland trail rides beginning mid-May, starting at $75 per person near Canyons Resort. OK, you dig the mountains, and you’ve led the charge on your outing. Now there’s no better way to reward your palate than a tour of High West Distillery (27649 Old Lincoln Highway, Wanship, 435-649-8300, HighWest.com) to sample the subtle smells and flavors of its distinctive rye and oat whiskey blends. We recommend the tour at Blue Sky Ranch for behind-the-scenes sampling, and flights ranging in price from $15 -$25. High West is a must on this list for its quality spirits, working ranch and smallbites restaurant.
High West is the world’s only distillery-dude ranch
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Raft, Zip & Sip
Rafting the Provo with the High Country Adventures crew
The Foundry’s classy feel invites you to partake in the art of wine tasting.
COURTESY HIGH COUNTRY ADVENTURES
TY MANNION
You may be notorious for seeking out an adrenalized day, and that’s what you’ll find with High Country Adventures (3702 E. Provo Canyon Road, Provo, 801-224-2500, HighCountryAdventure.com). Try the Raft & Zip combo, perfect for anyone looking to turn their day into one heck of a party. Raft the Provo with a boat guide or opt for the self-guided tour and kayaks, then head over to Sundance Resort for the finer things, including a 2,100-foot drop with Utah’s largest zipline. Make it a multi-generational sky race, or test your date’s derring-do with these parallel ziplines over the Wasatch mountains. Strap in for an experience of a lifetime starting at $99 per person. Getting thirsty after all that adrenaline? There’s something refreshing about a cold beer or chilled wine after a good day of adventuring. You’ve got a couple of options for a dose of the outdoors at Sundance Resort. The Owl Bar (Sundance Resort, 8841 N. Alpine Loop Road, Sundance, 801-223-4222) is often referred to as the “outlaw hideout” (the original Rosewood Bar was moved to Sundance from Thermopolis, Wyo. In its day, it was frequented by Butch Cassidy’s Hole in the Wall Gang). It’s a cozy piece of history and a summery vantage point to sip crafty cocktails with balanced flavors and new twists on the traditional. If flights of California Chardonnay are more your style, slip on your fancy pants for more wine tasting at the resort’s Foundry Grill, part of the Sundance Wine as an Art program.
DEREK CARLISLE
Sunset Sailing & Utah County Soda
How long has it been since you’ve sailed Utah Lake, the largest body of freshwater west of the Mississippi? Set sail from Lindon Harbor for an afternoon on the water, or a dinner cruise that fades into night. You can almost imagine you’re floating on an exotic ocean with pelicans skimming the surface and skies brushed with amber and lavender sunsets. So unless you hate beauty, or are just plain boring, we suggest checking out a lazy day on the lake. We’re fans of the on-point service, and outfitters like Bonneville School of Sailing (1113 S. 400 East, Springville, 801-636-5204, BonnevilleSailing.com; tours running from North Dock Utah Lake State Park Marina, 4440 W. Center St., Provo) are running tours now through October from $95-$135 for 2-5 people. Or spend a romantic evening on a sunset dinner cruise and enjoy the outdoor the beauty of Utah Lake. VIP Boat Rentals are also available through TK Water Sports (2132 W. 600 South, Lindon, Reservations: 801-367-0668, TKWaterSports.com) with dinner cruises starting at $75 per person. The nearest brewpub to Utah Lake? Try Hopper’s or Bohemian Brewery up north in Salt Lake County! It’s not all that surprising that alcohol-eschewing Utah County is missing out on the explosion of craft distilleries and brewpubs embraced by its neighbors. So consider cruising with a cooler stocked with a variety of ice-cold Hopper’s or Bohemian beers. Or when in Rome, go teetotaler and enjoy the specialty craft sodas of Station 22 Café (22 W. Center St., Provo, 801-607-1803, Station22Cafe.com). From Boylan’s Original Root and Birch beers and Wasatch Brewery’s Brigham’s Brew to Henry Weinhard Black Cherry Cream Soda, Flying Cauldron Butterscotch Beer and Snake River Sarsaparilla, you’ll have a chance to choose a refreshing beverage from among dozens of very groovy nonalcoholic brews.
Utah Lake Festival Regatta
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TY MANNION
Station 22 Café’s specialty nonalcoholic brews are a delight.
JOSH SCHEUERMAN
A bit of charcuterie to accompany a river view and Castle Creek wine
Red-Rock Riding, Cowboys & Summery Chardonnay
Off-roading should be on everyone’s bucket list, so why not make the pilgrimage to America’s off-roading capital in Moab? The windsculpted scenery and slickrock trails of the Sand Flats Recreation Area attract dirt-lovin’ Jeep mania from around the world. Jeeps and Polaris RZR’s tend to be the vehicle of choice for this Moab Disneyland, with some outfitters letting you bring along your own UTV. We suggest Moab Cowboy Country Offroad Adventures (97 S. Main St., Moab, 435220-0746, MoabCowboy.com) for some of Utah’s most sought-after trails like Hell’s Revenge, where you can navigate a steep course of rock crawling for yourself. Tours start at $79 per person. These tours are off the beaten path, so you’ll be parched and ready for some fruit of the vine. To that, we say, truck, yeah! Take your goggle-tanned face and dusty clothes to the tasting bar at Castle Creek Winery (14 UT-128, Moab, 435-259-3332, CastleCreekWinery. com) for locally produced Cabernet and Chardonnay. Known for daily tastings, Castle Creek, perched on the banks of the Colorado River, has won numerous awards for its grapes grown at 4,000 feet, made all the sweeter with Moab’s cool nights and quality grapes from Spanish Valley. The winery is located on the working Red Cliffs Ranch off Highway 128, so you can take in the Wild West history while you’re soaking up some vino.
DEREK CARLISLE
Moab Cowboy Country Offroad Adventures
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DEREK CARLISLE
DEREK CARLISLE
“We are so small and meaningless when on a big mountain.” —Hoby Darling
After your hike, Zion Canyon Brew Pub is a great gathering spot.
Climbing With Angels, Zion Road Trippin’ and ZCBC
A summer road trip to Zion National Park is not one to be overlooked, but save your flip flops and neon crocs for après-hike relaxation around the fire. Heading up Zion’s most popular and challenging hike to Angels Landing demands a sturdy pair of hiking boots. Hovering over the 1,400-foot knife-edge cliff while gripping a metal chain can seriously freak some people out. There are no outtakes on this hike. Though the rewards are worth it, and the views stupidly surreal, the narrow path is motivation for hikers to take their time and come back safely. For a more moderate hike while in the canyon, hit the Zion Narrows. After you’ve survived Angels Landing, we’d say it’s beer o’clock somewhere, and the sunny patio at Zion Canyon Brew Pub (95 Zion Park Blvd., No.2, Springdale, 435-772-0336, BrewPubSpringdale.com) is beckoning you at the base of the canyon. An extension of the Zion Canyon Brewing Co.—southern Utah’s first microbrewery, the pub serves up plenty of handcrafted beers and pub grub that should play a lead role in your national-park adventure. Open daily, with live music and post-hike karaoke, you can whet your appetite and get a handle on the desert pulse. Let your tongue linger on the Redemption IPA, or the seasonal pumpkin and apricot ales. Proost! The outdoors are a place to reconnect and can be transformative. I touched base with Skullcandy’s Park City-based CEO, Hoby Darling, who says: “The outdoors are my place of peace, calm and challenge. They help orient me when work or life is crazy … we are so small and meaningless when on a big mountain.” So step away from the phone, get outdoors, and go for a little social media detox (except for all those awesome photos you are going to take). What part of your future self is going to join the adventure?
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GARY NICHOLS
Gary Nichols’ kayaking goal: to do something new each time.
Gary Nichols in the Endo Hole in Westwater Canyon on the Colorado River
Trailblazer
GARY NICHOLS
BY COLBY FRAZIER
24 | Vamoose Utah • Summer 2016
E
very spring, Utah’s snowpack melts and tumbles down a million rivulets, into thousands of creeks that form hundreds of rivers—an annual procession—the velocity and magnitude of which is noted on obscure government maps and websites in the form of “cubic feet per second.” Assuming you have a plastic boat, a paddle, assorted safety gear and sufficient know-how, little-known streams like Ferron Creek, Chalk Creek, Cottonwood Creek and Muddy Creek—as the numbers attached to them rise to, say, 400 cubic feet per second (cfs)— could be floated. But what then? What if the number next to Cottonwood Creek reads 1,000cfs? Maybe Cottonwood Creek is actually just a ditch, or maybe ranchers have strung barbed-wire fences across its surface, or there’s a human-killing logjam halfway down the sucker that can’t be avoided. Maybe. In the late 1970s, there was one source to turn for information about the conditions present on nearly any stretch of Utah water: Gary Nichols, a kayaking instructor at the University of Utah who, inspired by a pure love of seeing new places,
had for years endeavored to kayak down every stretch of boatable water in and around Utah. And so, a call to Nichols was prudent before striking out to explore an unfamiliar stretch of whitewater. “My goal in kayaking,” Nichols says, was “to do something new all the time. I was trying to do that.” Nichols found a book that listed all of the stream flows in Utah, noting each one that had a flow of 400cfs or higher, and he struck out to explore each of them. As word spread about Nichols’ efforts, his phone began to ring. “People started hearing I’d been somewhere they hadn’t heard of, so they’d contact me and say, ‘Why don’t you write a book so we have access to it?’” Nichols says. “At first, I didn’t want to do that, but after enough requests, I finally just wrote a book and self-published it.” That book, River Runners’ Guide to Utah and Adjacent Areas, first published in 1982, remains in print, most recently updated in 2002 and published by University of Utah Press. It continues to be the most comprehensive guide to kayaking in Utah. Shortly after the first edition was published, the West saw several years of massive snowpacks and spring runoffs—a time that allowed Nichols to run a few stretches of wild rivers that today are little more than 2-feet-wide dry washes, choked with brush. KIRK NICHOLS
Utah’s celebrated kayaking expert wrote the book on Utah river running.
ED GERTLER
Dwarfed by the sheer walls of The Chute, Nichols navigates a narrow canyon cut by Muddy Creek.
Nichols running the Jarbidge River
LANE JOHNSON
“I had great fun during the high-water years,” Nichols, now 65, says. “There are a couple of rivers I got on that I don’t think have ever had water since.” For the purposes of kayaking, Nichols explored some uncharted territory, paddling and documenting numerous first descents, one of which, loosely known as Cottonwood Creek, remains his favorite stretch of whitewater in Utah. A section of it that flows out of Joe’s Valley Reservoir and along Highway 29 toward Castle Dale bewitched Nichols. The challenging drops and hulking boulders mid-stream provide a kayaking experience unlike any other in the state, Nichols says. The allure of Cottonwood Creek was increased, and it continues to be noted by boaters to this day for its unique aquamarine color, making the run as beautiful as it is challenging. “That was one of the places a friend of mine and I discovered in the early high-water years in the ’80s,” Nichols says. “We had never heard of it. We went down there and hit a bunch of rivers that came out of the Wasatch Plateau and couldn’t believe it. There were just incredible rivers. We thought we’d died and gone to Idaho or somewhere.” The most challenging stretch of water discovered by Nichols was a place called Sixth Water, an artificial river created by a tunnel that delivers water from Strawberry Reservoir to points west. Sixth Water, Nichols says, was given the distinction of being the first true Class V (the most difficult classification of whitewater) in Utah by one of Nichols’ pals who accompanied him. Sixth Water, as Nichols knew it, was short lived, though. A new tunnel was built that delivered water to a lower section of the river, effectively de-watering the stretch that Nichols had found so challenging. While the impact of Nichols’ book is hard to gauge, his influence on the sport of kayaking in Utah is perhaps best measured through his teaching. Since 1978, Nichols has taught a kayaking course at the U of U. During these 38 years, Nichols estimates he has taught more than 10,000 people the basic Eskimo roll—a fundamental skill that is to kayaking what tackling is to football. Over these years, Nichols has watched the popularity of kayaking ebb and flow. The sport, he says, seemed to peak in the early 2000s, reaching a low in the lead-up to the Great Recession, when Nichols went from teaching four classes with 20 people in each class to one class with 10 people. In recent years, though, Nichols says more people seem interested in learning to kayak. This spring, he taught two beginning kayaking courses. Although the sport is well represented on the pages of Outside Magazine, with shots of kayakers hurling themselves off 100-foot plus waterfalls, Nichols says kayaking is a great sport for anyone who loves being outdoors and exploring hard-to-reach places. “I try to tell them it’s just one of those things you can do the rest of your life,” Nichols says. “It’s a great way to stay active, and it gets you to places that you may have a hard time getting to otherwise. From there, you can make it whatever you want. You can stick to easy, scenic, beautiful places; you can do moderately hard, you can do as hard as you want. It just has unlimited potential.” During his time as a kayaking instructor, Nichols says he’s taught multiple generations of families to kayak. As he passes kayaking skills down, certain chapters of Nichols’ book act as an epitaph to wild places that have either been destroyed by man, or that are no longer favored by a natural world under assault by warming temperatures. This is another lesson that any person who has bobbed down a river in a plastic kayak can attest to: Rivers are delicate and unreal places that can easily be wrecked by the whims of developers, government engineers and politicians. In the 1986 revised edition of River Runners, Nichols, whose modest softspoken nature seems to run counter to the list of burly first ascents he notched while exploring Utah, extolls the importance of exploring, appreciating and coming to know hard-to-reach places in the world. The context involves a stretch of the Virgin River between the towns of Virgin and La Verkin, which was lost to a water project. “The river is now buried in a pipeline and the deep, beautiful canyon has been desecrated by construction. The many animals and birds, including some bald eagles, will have to move elsewhere to find the life-giving water that has been stolen from them,” Nichols writes. “A couple men are richer; the rest of us are poorer. Hopefully, revising this guide will make more people aware of the variety of rivers found in Utah so that, through awareness, we can work to preserve them. Maybe future development projects will not slip by as unnoticed as this one did.”
Summer 2016 • Vamoose Utah |
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“Dependable, quick, reliable. Camp Chef puts a lot of thought into their products,”
CAMP CHEF
Utah-based company elevates the outdoor cooking experience.
says Brett Prettyman, an avid outdoorsman who wears many hats. As director of communications for Trout Unlimited, president-elect of the Outdoor Writers Association of America, writer/producer of the popular television show The Utah Bucket List, and father of three busy kids, he’s used Camp Chef gear in about every imaginable setting, from prepping breakfasts for film crews to feeding his daughter’s Girl Scout troop. “Their Dutch ovens are the only ones I own, and during the Bucket List shoot, we used their stoves to feed the entire crew. It’s pretty much the best gear in the business to use for any kind of car-camping situation.” When Camp Chef owner Ty Measom started the Utahbased company in 1990, he recognized that people working and recreating in the outdoors were struggling trying to find solid and durable equipment built to last. The original Camp Chef 2-burner camp stove fit the bill with sturdy construction, versatile packable design, powerful burners, and—crucial for cooking in Utah’s unpredictable outdoors— substantial fold-up windscreens on three sides. For everything from parking-lot tailgating to setting up deer camp, this Camp Chef stove became an industry go-to for feeding a crowd. By using a standard propane tank adapter, these sturdy stoves can handle making several big meals over multiple days, without the waste and hassle of using smaller single-use 16.4 ounce fuel cylinders. The company headquarters in Hyde Park—north of Logan—serves as a jumping-off point for field-testing Camp Chef products in the nearby Bear River Mountain Range. Since the debut of the original camp stove, Camp Chef products have grown with consumer demand to include BBQ boxes, flat-top griddles and pizza ovens. The company also makes single-burner backpacking stoves, but the majority of Camp Chef products are geared toward cooking for a group, from classic Dutch ovens to substantial patio smokers, grills and even backyard fire pits. My husband recently went on a snow goose hunt on the chilly Nebraska plains, where a Camp Chef portable oven kept a crew of hungry hunters happy three meals a day in the shooting blind. He told me later, “The camp cook made everything in that oven: breakfast burritos, steak and potatoes, cheesesteak sandwiches, braised pork ribs, you name it.” I fed him salads for a week after in recovery.
BY DARBY DOYLE
Photos Courtesy of Camp Chef
Camp Chef’s Smoke Vault
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Camp Chef’s classic 2-burner camp stove
Camp Chef’s founder Ty Measom
It’s hip to be square: Camp Chef square Dutch oven The Dutch ovens are especially well designed for camp cooking with coals or at home on the stove-top range and in the oven. Folks who’ve had the dreaded ‘ashesdrifting-into-the-dinner’ fiasco occur with traditional-lidded Dutch ovens will be pleasantly surprised when they use a flatsurfaced Camp Chef lid, which, when flipped over, doubles as a griddle or skillet. At a recent Outdoor Writers Association conference, Prettyman recalls staff from Camp Chef prepared a full Dutch oven breakfast at the Lee Kay Education Center, and “it was everyone’s favorite meal. They did an amazing job cooking everything in cast iron.” He also recommends the Camp Chef Cookbook for anyone nervous about Dutch oven cooking, especially over coals, saying “that cookbook made me dive into the world of cooking on coals. It even specifies the number of coals you should use on top of the
No delivery needed: Bake your own artisan pies in the great outdoors using a Camp Chef pizza oven lid and underneath the oven” to get the best results. A unique square Dutch oven option available through Camp Chef allows for greater surface area available for cooking on camp stoves, and has a notch to thread a meat thermometer into the oven, making for hands-free roast meats cooking when utilizing a thermometer remote. The folks at Camp Chef claim, “Great tasting food will always bring people together and Camp Chef has that figured out.” We’ll happily agree to that.
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Outdoor cooking for a crowd is made easy with Camp Chef grills
Summer 2016 • Vamoose Utah |
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Chef
Backcountry Irish Soda Bread Recipe
BY DARBY DOYLE
It’s not just for St. Patrick’s Day. Unleavened soda bread is an easy and quick way to make bread in camp or at home. If making in camp, combine all of the dry ingredients (everything but the butter and buttermilk) and pack in a zip-top plastic bag in advance, then mix in the butter and buttermilk while getting the coals ready.
Directions
DEREK CARLISLE
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
In a large bowl (or ziptop bag), combine all ingredients except for the butter and buttermilk. Stir well (or shake bag) to mix well. When ready to make bread, cut in 2 tablespoons chilled butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Make a well in the center of the flour mix; add 1 ½ cups of buttermilk. Stir together until just moist (don’t overbeat or you’ll have a tough dough). Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead gently 5 or 6 times (just until the dough comes together). Pat dough into a ball, and then flatten gently to make an 8-inch round. Lightly butter a 10- or 12-inch cast-iron Dutch oven. Place dough in center of baking vessel and cut a shallow “X” into the top with a sharp knife.
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Irish Soda Bread Serves 6-8 people
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (or use up to 2 cups whole-wheat flour for denser, more nutritious bread) 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoons caraway seeds ½ teaspoons kosher salt 2 tablespoons cold butter 1 ½ cups buttermilk
FOR OVEN BAKING:
Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for about 35-40 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. In the final 10 minutes of baking, brush the top of the loaf with about 1 teaspoon of melted butter. You know it’s done if you firmly tap the bottom of the loaf with a knuckle, and it makes a sharp “thwack” sound.
FOR COOKING ON HOT COALS:
Place 9-10 hot coals spaced evenly in a circle just inside of the diameter of the Dutch oven. Do not place any coals in the center of the circle. Set the Dutch oven over the coals, and set lid in place. Cover lid evenly with 10-14 hot coals. After 25-30 minutes, check the bread. It should be starting to get firm and have a bit of crackling on the surface, but not burnt. If it is still springy or moist to the touch, return lid and top coals and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. When bread is almost done, remove the bottom coals, brush the top of the bread with 1 teaspoon or so of melted butter. Return lid to Dutch oven and cover lid with 14-16 hot coals. After 10 minutes the top should be nicely browned.
COOL ON A WIRE RACK. SERVE IN WEDGES WITH OF Utah BUTTER. Summer 2016LOTS • Vamoose | 29
ANCIENT MESSAGES
EXPERIENCE THE MYSTERY OF NINE MILE CANYON
BY JERRY D. SPANGLER PHOTOS BY TRICIA SIMPSON
S
ome people like to curl up with a good mystery. Myself, I’ve always had a penchant for unsolved mysteries, or better yet a mystery that may never be solved. Nine Mile Canyon, tucked behind the Book Cliffs in east-central Utah, is an archaeological mystery that defies scientific explanation. Why is this place, of all places, home to an estimated 100,000 individual Native American images pecked and painted onto the sandstone cliff walls? There is no other place anywhere in the continental United States that has so much indigenous rock art. So why here? And why is the density of images beyond comprehension? Despite nearly 30 years of documenting these sites and applying various statistical modeling to the problem, the answer to the mystery of Nine Mile Canyon’s ubiquitous rock art still eludes me. What has become abundantly evident during my research is that Nine Mile Canyon is indeed a national cultural treasure, in effect a unique glimpse into the minds, thoughts, dreams and aspirations of people who lived here a thousand years ago or more. One local advocate, disgruntled by local ambivalence toward preservation, told me, “If Nine Mile Canyon were located anywhere
but Utah, it would already be a national park celebrated the world over.” Yet, the national treasure that is Nine Mile Canyon remains largely unknown to the vast majority of Utahns who generally zip past the canyon turnoff on their way to betterknown destinations such as Arches and Canyonlands. There are hundreds of locations scattered throughout Utah with spectacular ancient rock-art images that draw visitors from throughout the world. But Nine Mile Canyon features a near-continuous gallery of images extending nearly 45 miles (Nine Mile Canyon is much, much longer than nine miles, but that is another mystery for another time). Many of these images are easily visible from a recently paved road. Others are visible from hiking trails in four different locations in the canyon developed by the Bureau of Land Management and School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration. And it would take several lifetimes to see it all. Nine Mile Creek, which meanders verdantly through the bottom of the canyon, was undoubtedly a rich source of plants and animals for prehistoric hunters and gatherers for thousands of years. At about AD 200, a few maize farmers began to arrive
and constructed pit houses and granaries along the canyon bottom. There probably were not that many of them. And then something as-yet-unexplained happened about AD 900: The canyon’s population exploded to levels never seen before or since. Hundreds of farmers moved into the canyon, constructing houses not only on the canyon bottom but on every ridgeline and pinnacle top—some of them fortress-like towers more than a thousand feet above the creek. By about AD 1250, most—if not all—of these people, had abandoned the canyon. The ruined foundations of their homes and granaries are reminders of their brief tenure here. But even more inspiring are the cacophony of rock-art images they left behind that seem to whisper to us so many centuries later. Archaeologists refer to these people as the Fremont Complex, but we really have no idea what they called themselves or who their descendants are today (several modern tribes claim affinity, although DNA evidence suggests closer ties to the modern Puebloan groups of Arizona and New Mexico). Experiencing Nine Mile Canyon used to be a rugged “adventure” involving a narrow two-lane dirt road with deep ruts, mud pits continued on p. 34
Redman Village rock shelter at Nine Mile Canyon
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Meandering Nine Mile Creek
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Summer 2016 • Vamoose Utah |
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Nine Mile Canyon provides a nearcontinuous gallery of images extending nearly 45 miles. The mysteries of Nine Mile Canyon, continued from p. 32
U.S. DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION
Bison petroglyph
left by the summer thunderstorms and an almost certainty of flat tires. Today, the paved road makes the canyon and its archaeological wonders accessible to visitors traveling in the flimsiest of cars and even motorcycles. It takes about 2 1/2 hours to get there from Salt Lake City. First drive south on Interstate 15 to the US-6 turnoff to Price and Moab and then continue another hour southeast to the small town of Wellington. The road into Nine Mile Canyon is well marked and is located on the east side of the only Chevron in town. Best to gas up here since there are no services once in the canyon (and no cell phone service). The rock-art sites, located on the north side of the canyon next to the road, begin about 25 miles onto this road, and by about 35 miles, they become almost continuous. These sites are not marked with any signs so you are on your own to find them. (Hint: try scanning the flat, varnished cliffs on the first and second levels with binoculars). The hiking trails can be found 42 to 45 miles inside the canyon. These trails are well marked, and they lead to some of the most impressive sites anywhere in the canyon. When exploring Nine Mile Canyon, please remember: Much of the canyon is private property. Please respect the “no trespassing” signs as you observe the images from the road. Never touch rock-art images. The oils on your skin can accelerate the erosion of the images themselves. It is never acceptable to add your own images, names, initials, dates, or anything else to the sites. This is, quite simply, vandalism that can carry hefty federal and state penalties. Take photos and make sketches, but never do rubbings of the images (it abrades the images much like sandpaper would). Chalking of the images to enhance contrast is also not acceptable. If you observe any illegal or inappropriate behavior please report it to the Price BLM at 435-636-3600. Let’s all work together to protect the past for future generations. Jerry Spangler is a professional archaeologist and executive director of the nonprofit Colorado Plateau Archaeological Alliance, a Utah-based coalition of archaeologists, scholars, historians and preservationists dedicated to the protection of cultural sites and Utah’s archaeological resources. Learn more at CPArch.org.
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Summer 2016 • Vamoose Utah |
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A HIKE YOU’LL Day hikes to get you in LIKE shape for the season.
I
t’s hard to say “summer hikes” without thinking of the Uintas, quartzite mountains, high-country lakes, and icecold waterfalls. So, shake off a long winter’s nap, say bye-bye to the treadmill, and soak in the allure of Utah’s peaks. Time to go rogue, hit some altitude and show off to your friends. These top five spots will get you enthused, even if the only trekking you’ve done is from an armchair with the National Geographic channel. It’s what you put into the hike that makes the trail special, and you’re sure to welcome the watering holes on these hikes when the summer heat hits.
Drive time from SLC: 1 hr. 15 min. Average hike time: 1.5-3 hours Average calories burned: 355 Round trip: 3.8 miles Rating: Easy to Moderate
DEREK CARLISLE
Stewart Falls From Aspen Grove Trailhead
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This all-seasons hike is easily accessible, even for the wee ones. You’ll hit plenty of snowpack before late May, so be prepared. You won’t see the full greenery and flowery meadows until warmer months. This is the perfect trail to check off your list, or to ease into the season if you need to hit those hike preppin’ lunges. After the steep sandstone cliffs of Provo Canyon, you should be excited to get on the trail. Start at the Aspen Grove turnoff just past Sundance Resort. It’s an easy elevation gain, with the steepest incline at the beginning, leveling off for most of the trail. Next, you’ll hit an outcropping over a peaceful indentation in the Uintas and see the rush of the 200-foot falls through dazzling views. Pop open a beer under the spray of the falls or scramble up to the chilled pools hidden on the limestone shelves.
CAMERON BLACK
CAMERON BLACK
BY LIZ GALLOWAY
Drive time from SLC: 1 hr. 47 min. Average hike time: 4 to 5 hours Average calories burned: 940 Round trip: 6.2 miles Rating: Moderate to Technical
Frary Peak, Antelope Island
If you’re looking for a more rigorous season starter, Antelope’s Frary Peak is waiting. With open trails full of juniper, this 28,240-acre island is a hiker’s Eden, a refuge to more wildlife than Noah’s Ark. Frary Peak offers a ridiculously beautiful scenic hike with panoramic views of the Wasatch and Oquirrh mountains, miles of winding ridges and plenty of bison sightings. The great part is you can choose chunks to explore, or brave the entire length to the top. The trail is more difficult from the ridgeline to the peak, with steps built into the mountainside to assist in more technical areas. With miles of beauty to take in, you won’t even mind the occasional biting gnats, mosquitos or brine flies that make their home on the island. Don’t forget the binoculars, and on the way down, make sure to wade into the Great Salt Lake, and scrunch your toes in the highmineral Oolitic sand.
Drive time from SLC: 1 hr. 49 min. Average hike time: 2.5-4 hours Average calories burned: 720 Round Trip: 4.2 miles Rating: Easy to Moderate
Ibantik Lake From Crystal Lake Trailhead
If you want to get above treeline with a big dose of the high Unitas, this is your trail. Hidden in the Notch Peak ridgeline, you’ll feel like you are farther from civilization than you really are. The hiking options are plentiful, and Ibantik is a smart destination for a day hike or overnight but can also be part of a bigger loop to hit Wall Lake, Lovenia, Bench and Notch lakes. Crystal Lake is located just off Hwy 150, near Trial Lake, about 26 miles east of Kamas. You’ll enjoy a steady incline, with a few spots to push through, but overall, it’s great for the average hiker. One of the biggest payoffs are the sunsets and lake reflections that only backcountry hikers can enjoy. Especially from the 10,600-foot Notch Pass with plenty of flowing streams and lakes below. Snowpack still lingers in June, so the best time to hit this trail is late summer, with plenty of time to refuel after a day’s hike at the Notch Pub (2392 E. Mirror Lake Hwy., Kamas, 435-783-6244, TheNotchPub)
DEREK CARLISLE
DEREK CARLISLE
DEREK CARLISLE
DEREK CARLISLE
Ibantik Lake
Summer is time to connect to Utah’s rugged terrain, scenic lakes, and trailheads and master your backcountry journey from start to finish. Any routes you’d like to share with us? We promise we won’t tell anyone.
Drive time from SLC: 43 min. Average hike time: 1.5 hours Average calories burned: 375 with another 620 on the Via Ferrata Round Trip: 2.5 miles Rating: Easy to Moderate
Waterfall Canyon and Ogden’s Via Ferrata
This is an easy hike to skip out of the city for a day at the top of Ogden’s 29th Street. There are a few loose rocks and talus to navigate, but the trail is in pristine condition and will most likely already by blazed by hikers of all ages. The falls are a great place for photos, dropping 200 feet before hitting the canyon floor. While there, be sure to explore the Via Ferrata climb (an extra 3-4 hours) that lies up the talus slope for staggering views of Ogden Canyon. Located in the private reserve, this is a safe climbing route with fixed anchors, steel cables and ladders, only accessible with a guide and gear. No previous experience is necessary as long as you’re not afraid of heights.
Drive time from SLC: 1 hr. 49 min. Average hike time: 4.5 hours Average calories burned: 1,640 Round Trip: 13.2 miles Rating: Moderate to Difficult
Amethyst Basin From Christmas Meadows Trailhead
This is a trail you dream about for a buttkicking full-body workout (think tight buns), soul searching and your own fairyland in the making. So, if you’re looking for Uinta culture with a few of the real high points, this is the hike for you. Starting 47 miles up Mirror Lake Highway, you’ll hit this high-elevation lake about 6 miles in. There are plenty of chances for off trailing interspersed with aspen meadows and countless bodies of water along the way. You can soak in the unbeatable alpine setting over a couple of days of camping or fast pack it in one day. No matter what you choose, you’ll have the adventure of a lifetime with a legendary hike in your own backyard.
Summer 2016 • Vamoose Utah |
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Sand Secrets of the
The top seven reasons you (and your kids) should play beach volleyball. BY GAVIN SHEEHAN • PHOTOS BY DEREK CARLISLE
W
e know we live in landlocked Utah. The closest thing to a sandy beach is next to the chilly Great Salt Lake, or stretched out for miles in the sand dunes of Eureka. But guess what? One of the most popular summer team sports in the state happens to be beach volleyball. Salt Lake City is home to one of the best facilities in the Mountain West—Wasatch Beach Volleyball, with both indoor and outdoor courts located at The Sports Mall in Murray. AVP Next, one of the biggest volleyball developmental programs in the United States, has a stake in Utah (one of only three in the Mountain West zone), which signs people up for competitions and competitive play. So what is it about the sport that makes it popular in an area without a suitable beach? We put together a list of seven reasons why you should throw on some spandex, lather up the sunblock and give the sport a try. For this list, we consulted Mike Manczuk of Wasatch Beach Volleyball and Warren Van Schalkwyk of Club GSL to offer their insights on what makes this a must-play sport during the summer—especially here in Utah.
1.
Fun in the Sun
While the argument can be made that most sports are meant to be played outside, this is one of the few where layered clothing and hats can be a detriment. This is a game meant to be played in the bright sun with minimal layers, helping you soak up that Vitamin D and get a natural tan that didn’t cost you anything but some exercise. Of course, we do advise you take the proper precautions and add the right amount of sunblock, sunscreen, and after-sun aloe lotion for your time out in the heat. And don’t forget to keep water on hand so you don’t become dehydrated.
For more information, contact: Wasatch Beach Volleyball
The Sports Mall 5445 S. 900 East, Murray 801-708-3513 WasatchBeachVolleyball.com Wasatch Beach is home to six courts that host weekly volleyball leagues, weekend tournaments, and individual and group instruction.
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2.
Boosting Your Stats
Studies conducted on players before and after their games show that beach volleyball heightens certain attributes in the human body. “Playing in the sand will help you increase vertical, speed and agility, and the overall ability to perform better in any sport,” says Manczuk. In essence, whatever your primary sport is, playing a few rounds of volleyball each month is believed to help improve skill sets in other sports. It’s like giving a frequently used muscle a new workout to build its strength.
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3.
Scholarship Opportunities
High school athletes are always on the lookout for university scholarships. And it can be especially daunting if they’re seeking opportunities in the four most popular sports programs: football, basketball, soccer and baseball. But that’s primarily on the men’s side. For women, volleyball is one of the most soughtafter scholarship programs around, with basketball, gymnastics and tennis not far behind. According to Manczuk, “Sand volleyball is exploding in the U.S., as college programs are now offering scholarships to young women, with PAC 12 programs also now recruiting for the sport.” Sure, like all sports, volleyball is competitive, but the schedule and demands are less hectic than other programs, making it ideal for athletic women who truly want an education while they play their sport.
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4.
Outdoor Advantage
Players who choose to compete on outdoor sandy courts appear to have a slight advantage over those who play on indoor courts. According to Manczuk and Van Schalkwyk, this is primarily because indoor players are relying on the stable ground to be a constant whereas outdoor players have to adapt to changing conditions in the sand as they compete. The experience often gives those playing outdoors more dexterity, a point not lost on the indoor players. If indoor players play outside, they’ll learn the “secrets of the sand.” Anything to gain an advantage over your opponent, right?
Liberty Park Sand Courts
5.
Improved Reaction Time
Every sport relies on a game plan to build a winning formula. Much like basketball, volleyball relies on the ability to read your opponents and be able to work with teammates to score points and prevent opponents from scoring. The slight difference between basketball and volleyball is that basketball is more reactionary while volleyball is precautionary. Rather than chasing down your opponent 1-on-1 and reacting to his or her actions with team support, volleyball’s 2-on-2 or 3-on-3 play forces players to read multiple opponents at the same time, watching their strategies and adjusting how to react. This kind of play improves reaction time and the ability to read players, ultimately helping predict what will happen in the game.
Volleyball increases hand and body reaction
38 | Vamoose Utah • Summer 2016
6.
Joint Benefit
If you think volleyball is a young person’s sport, you’re dead wrong. Oftentimes on local courts, you’ll find players of multiple ages mixing it up with those 10 to 30 years younger than themselves. “Playing in sand is better for your body and helps to strengthen your joints,” according to Manczuk. “[It helps to] not break them down as in hard-surface sports. Many top beach pros play professionally into their 40s and recreationally into their 50s and 60s.”
Popping, hopping and launching into great shape
7.
Fun for All
One of the primary selling points for a Utah sport is that it’s something everyone can learn to play easily, and therefore, can become one of the ultimate family get-together sports. Whether it be the entire family at a barbecue passing the time before the cookout,or just something to do as a group at the park, beach volleyball is an activity that most anyone can join in on or watch for fun. “It’s the best way to spend a day with the family in the summer,” said Van Schalkwyk. “The kids are getting a workout, learning new skills, and Mom and Dad are sitting in the shade with their coolers. And after the game, go jump in the pool to cool down.”
West Point Park Sand Courts
Summer 2016 • Vamoose Utah |
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. … I
D R Y WH EBOA T
9th & 9th Park
A K S
Even with mainstream acceptance, skateboarding is mostly still a crime. STORY AND PHOTOS BY JOSH SCHEUERMAN Blake Patterson, Boneless
T
he roller-coaster history of skateboarding has seen some highs and significantly more lows as the sport has elbowed its way into a corner of mainstream culture today. From skateboarding’s early beginnings in abandoned swimming pools in sunny California to its now more common appearance on urban streets—sparking a surge of “No Skateboarding” signs—the sport is ever in search of new territory in which to flourish. Even today, skateboarding is a fringe sport. In most open spaces around the country, it’s still banned. That’s right, most of the skateboarding you see outside of skate parks is deemed illegal. But ask any teen: Skating is primarily a mode of transportation. For most kids, a
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bike, board, or bus represent the only way to get around, so most will not be hassled just for skating from spot to spot. But when they hang out and have their decks with them at malls or parks, they can and do get tickets, even without proof of vandalism. Skateboarding has evolved over time, and its popularity has grown exponentially. From its humble backyard and illegal roots, skateboarding now has its own action sports TV contest, which morphed into the summer and winter X-Games. In 2003, the International Association of Skateboard Companies created the global “Go Skateboard Day,” held annually on June 21 “to define skateboarding as the rebellious, creative celebration of independence it continues to be.”
According to American Sports Data, skateboarding’s popularity continues to grow with more than 2,400 skate parks worldwide and 12 million skateboarders. The $4.8 billion industry skews young. According to Boardtrac, 70 percent of skaters are under the age of 18. Few keep skating into their 30s, but I know of dads who are now taking their kids to skate parks for the first time. If you give a skateboard to an adult, he or she will most likely decline, but it’s the easiest way to put a smile on their faces. Skateboarding also attracts its share of girls and women. According to Public Skatepark Guide, about a quarter of skaters are female. When you compare that with traditional sports like baseball and football, it is a pretty good number!
Fairmont Park THE LOCAL SCENE
Growing up in West Valley City, I started skating at around 12 years old when I entered junior high. Like most kids, I grew up riding my bike around the fields and dirt roads that made up the West Valley farming community. After playing soccer in elementary school, my friend’s dad built us a mini-ramp in his backyard. And I veered into skating and snowboarding with the same friends whom I skate with today. In the 1980s, skateboarding was a fad city fathers hoped would slowly retreat back to the sunny beaches that had spawned it. City officials were quick to ban skateboards in parks, shopping centers and schools. Backyard mini-ramps proliferated, and Pepsi half-pipe contests were held at Raging Waters. As the ‘90s slid in, so did urban skateboard ledge and rail tricks. Skaters started receiving trespassing tickets and, as a result, they banded together to start petitioning for their own skate parks, where they could cavort legally. While Taylorsville Skatepark was one of the first city-funded and widely known parks in Utah, a number of factors contributed to its downfall. The park was built poorly in an unpopular part of town, and when skaters stopped frequenting the park, it became a hangout for non-skaters and individuals with too much time on their hands for graffiti and violence. It simply put a sour taste in the mouths of city officials across the valley. However, the popularity and success of the sport started to change the minds of those in power. Some cities received additional park funds through the Salt Lake County ZAP tax to build their own skate parks, and many more quality parks came into being for a new generation of skaters. There are currently more than 60 skate parks across Utah—including Logan, Layton, Price, Heber, Sandy, South Jordan, Oakley and Sugar House. Park features continue to improve with more sophisticated and professional qualities. Currently, West Valley City is building the state’s largest skate park at 31,000 square feet. The behemoth will feature the only snake run and doorway obstacle in the state. Skate parks now operate with their own rules and etiquette designed to keep them free of vandalism and litter, and to encourage safe skating by stressing the need for helmets and safety gear. Skateboarding is a largely unsupervised sport, which means skaters learn from their peers and work at their own pace.
Kubasa Bakenra, Ollie
DYI Boys and Girls Club
Ashton Jones, Backside Boneless
RISK VS. REWARD
Skateboarding is and always will be an individual sport. Unlike most group sports, where a team can help deliver the victory, a skater has to be determined to overcome obstacles and self-doubt alone. Our peers will rally around us to help us land a trick or holler and smack their boards to applaud our victories—but the defeats are always our own to bear. A determined skater pays for his progress with bruises, blood, broken bones and torn muscles. Inside or outside the parks, you can expect to deal with injuries. Last year, I skated into a bolt on Main Street causing instant face-tosidewalk, a concussion, six stiches and two black eyes. Back when I skated more often, my ankles took the most wear and tear. Plus, there’s been ligament damage, road rash as well as scarred elbows and knees. But kids have rubber bones, I’ve learned. Either that, or they are used to rolling out of a fall. With practice, it becomes easier to keep injuries to a minimum. Skating encourages individuals to get out, stay active and garner some scars. One truth is known to any skater from any era: the sport requires you to stay determined to get back up and continue the fight to land a new trick or skate a new spot. And the camaraderie always helps: cheering on friends for a new trick landed or getting a high-five from those who just want to enjoy the ride. Summer 2016 • Vamoose Utah |
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WHAT MAKES A GREAT
E T A SK
K R PA
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katers have long gravitated to abandoned swimming pools and urban architecture, so skate parks tend to favor these designs, usually combining elements of stairs, pools, ledges and rails. The degrees and slope tend to be less aggressive and shaped and designed by skaters rather than construction companies. The quality of skate parks is also increasing with spray concrete, forms, rebar, but also 3D modeling software for blueprint designs. There are traditional features in some parks such as pool coping and skateable benches or landscape boxes to resemble the surrounding city. Skate parks vary in size and features, from deep bowls, transitions and half-pipes, to stairs, hand rails and unique skate spots. Here are a few of my favorite Utah skate parks to check out:
Fairmont Park
FROM BEGINNERS TO ADVANCED
Quinn Taylor, Tailslide to fakie
DIVING COURSES LET THE PROFESSIONALS AT NEPTUNE TAKE YOU TO THE NEXT LEVEL
9th & 9th (Jordan Park) 1000 S. 900 West, SLC
This park is great for beginners to intermediate/advanced skaters which features a 3/4 bowl, hips, drop-in and small to large handrails.
Park City 1400 Sullivan Road, Park City
Park City expanded the original skate park which was primarily bowls and pool coping to include more street features and more transitions for beginner and intermediate rider levels.
Logan 500 S. 595 West, Logan
Scuba Basics • Advanced Certification Specialty Training • Childrens Programs Exotic Diving Trips
2445 S. 900 E. | Open 7 days a week neptunedivers.net | 801.466.9630 42 | Vamoose Utah • Summer 2016
One of the better parks in Utah, the 17,000-square-foot park naturally flows into the surrounding park flawlessly without fencing and includes a few quarter-pipes, 3/4 bowls and a large open skate area for practicing ground tricks.
Kearns 5850 S. 4800 West, Kearns Although it’s a smaller park, it was designed and built by SITE Design, who added a euro-gap, pool, hand-rails and skateable planter boxes. They also used color concrete to break-up the monotone of the traditional gray.
Fairmont 1040 E. Sugarmont Drive (2225 South), SLC This one may be a contentious qualifier, but it’s got heart. Built on the grave of the Sugar House city pool, it also features another pool, but one which had to be broken out and re-poured due to the quality of the original build. This park also has lights for night skating and has been a proving ground for skate tours, local pros and the neighborhood ‘ol men to skate when the kids are in school.
Summer 2016 • Vamoose Utah |
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44 | Vamoose Utah • Summer 2016