December 11, 2018
Bird of the day…
~An American Symbol
November 29, 2018, Dead Horse Ranch Park, Cottonwood, AZ
Coming up: The Painted Desert National Park, a train ride, and a Christmas dinner show.
~Utah Lake State Park
Provo, UT
We spent two nights at Utah Lake State Park located in Provo, UT. The campground closed on October 1st; however, since we had reservations we were allowed to stay. We were the only campers there, except for one host site.
Adjacent to the park is a bicycling, hiking, walking trail. On the other side of the trail is an old ranch and the photo below shows what it looks like.
Utah Lake is unique in that it is one of the largest freshwater lakes in the West and yet it lies in an arid area that receives only about 15 inches of rainfall a year. The mouth of the Provo River, where it empties into Utah Lake, was undoubtedly a very popular camping place for the early inhabitants of Utah Valley.
OoO-Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon
If you are ever in Orem or Provo a ride to see the falls is a must. At the falls there is a paved trail, miles long, that runs along the Jordan River that you can walk, It is beautiful.
Bridal Veil Falls is a beautiful foot “double-cataract” falls along Hwy 189 in Provo Canyon. It is most impressive in spring and early summer when flows are highest and wildflowers surround the area. You can view the falls from a highway pull-off or hike to its base.
~An Old Barn…
~Midway, Wasatch Mountain State Park, and Provo Canyon, UT
This barn was erected in 1902 when Francis Tate, an English emigrant, established a dairy farm in the location below Soldier Hollow. Tate used local red pine on a foundation of “pot rock” which was commonly used on structures in the area.
The barn became part of Wasatch Mountain State Park in 1961. It was used for agricultural purposes but during the winter of 1996, the barn fell into disrepair as a result of heavy snow.
The Tate Barn was restructured to stand as an iconic representation of the Heber Valley’s agricultural history as it was introduced to the world during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.
A group of local citizens, public agencies, civic organizations, contractors, suppliers, and philanthropists was formed and led by Friends of Wasatch Mountain State Park to reconstruct a barn similar to the original structure.
~OoO-Provo Canyon
~Early this morning…
~
early this morning
clouds touch the valley floor
hiding the mountain peak
early morning light shines through
setting autumn colors ablaze
~
I woke up this morning to this beautiful sight.
~Wasatch Mountain State Park, Midway, UT, Jordanelle State Park, and a few birds
~The moon was full last night (10/24/18). Didn’t capture a good photo, but I like the leaves in front of the moon in the photo.
oOo-Wasatch Mountain State Park
We took a ride from Jordanelle State Park to Wasatch Mountain State Park one day. It is a beautiful, older state park, established in 1961, and it even has a golf course. It is located in the northern part of the state within the Wasatch Range on the north and west edges of the Heber Valley in Wasatch County near the city of Midway. The Wasatch Range is a mountain range that stretches approximately 160 miles from the Utah-Idaho border, south through central Utah in the western United States. It is on the western edge of the greater Rocky Mountains. (some info was taken from the Web)
Didn’t see any RV sites in Wasatch Mountain State Park that would accommodate big rigs, so plan carefully if you want to visit this area. I would highly recommend Jordanelle State Park, but not in the busy summer months.
oOo-Midway, UT
The town of Midway was settled by Swiss Mormons and its Swiss architecture is prominent today. More information on the history of the town here – Midway, UT
There are several Bed and Breakfast places to stay in Midway all portraying the Swiss influence.
However, we did find some Toms hanging out with a few ladies on the golf course in the state park.
I am so glad the birds finally found the feeders I hung out. There are Western Scrub Jays, Black-capped Chickadees, Mountain Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, American Gold Finches, House Sparrows, Black-billed Magpies, and a wonderful surprise, several Cassin’s Finches. I don’t ever remember seeing so many at one time before.
I have seen lots of hawks in the area, some probably migrating through, but haven’t been able to identify them with certainty. I saw a flash of a white-ban on a hawk today and I think it was a Northern Harrier.
~Why do people love to fly fish?
Why do people love to fly fish? I don’t know the answer to the question, but I understand it is a very popular sport.
While on a walk at Jordanelle State Park we came upon this young man fly fishing. He was totally focused on his task.
Being outside surrounded by mountains, standing alongside a stream or wading out into the middle of a river, seems like a peaceful way to spend the day.
The rhythm in the motion of casting, the rhythm of the water as it flows downstream, and the rhythm of sounds, which might go unnoticed, must all add to the state of mind that brings joy to the sportsmen.
I have never tried to flyfish, but it looks intriguing.
