Vamoose Utah September 2019

FREE

VOL.5 NO.7 • SEPTEMBER 2019

COPY

GET OUT | GET GOING | JUST GO

BEAUTIFUL MUSIC AT THE TANK

PEAK COLORS

EXPLORE UTAH’S SCENIC BYWAYS

VAMOOSE RENDEZVOUS

Rendezvous WINTER

SATURDAY, SEPT. 28 • THE GATEWAY September 2019 • Vamoose Utah | 1

PRESENTS

RENDEZVOUS SATURDAY 2PM-8PM THE GATEWAY

Rendezvous WINTER

SEPTEMBER 28 NORTH RIO GRANDE ST.

MOUNTAIN CULTURE FESTIVAL

MOVIE PREMIERES • SPEAKER SERIES • POW CLIMATE CHANGE PANEL DISCUSSION

@RNDZVS_UT | VAMOOSEUTAH.COM/RENDEZVOUS2019 2 | Vamoose Utah • September 2019

September 2019 • Vamoose Utah | 3

8 LIFE IS A HIGHWAY

Experience a dream weekend touring Scenic Highway 89

BY KATHLEEN CURRY AND GEOFF GRIFFIN

14 AUTUMN AT ALTITUDE

Peak colors along the Mount Nebo Loop amp up the awe factor

BY KATHLEEN CURRY AND GEOFF GRIFFIN

18 DÉJÀ VU

20 ROAM WITH A VIEW

RV pursuits among the campgrounds, lakes, history and aspens groves of the Energy Loop

BY REBECCA CHAVEZ-HOUCK

24 BACKCOUNTRY CHEF

September Salsa: A labor of zesty love

BY ARI LEVAUX

26 BEAUTIFUL RESONANCE

The TANK may be empty but is full of good vibrations

BY JOHN RASMUSON

28 SPREAD THE STOKE

Celebrate Utah’s mountain culture at the Vamoose Rendezvous

BY CLAIRE MCARTHUR

Scenic Byway 12 from Panguitch to Torrey is an unforgettable drive. Yet, somehow, this writer had forgotten

BY CHRIS VANOCUR

INSIDE

KEN LUND

Nebo Loop Road

4 | Vamoose Utah • September 2019

September 2019 • Vamoose Utah | 5

VOL.5 NO.7 • SEPTEMBER 2019

CONTRIBUTORS

GET OUT | GET GOING | JUST GO

STAFF

PUBLISHER DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

EDITORIAL

EDITOR PROOFREADER CONTRIBUTORS

PRODUCTION ART DIRECTOR GRAPHIC ARTIST

BUSINESS/OFFICE

ASSOCIATE BUSINESS MANAGER OFFICE ADMINISTRATORS TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

MARKETING

MARKETING AND EVENTS DIRECTOR MARKETING AND EVENTS ASSISTANT

CIRCULATION

CIRCULATION MANAGER

SALES

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR SALES DIRECTOR, EVENTS DIGITAL OPERATIONS MANAGER SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES RETAIL ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

John Saltas Pete Saltas

Jerre Wroble Lance Gudmundsen Rebecca Chavez-Houck, Kathleen Curry, Geoff Griffin, Ari LeVaux, Claire McArthur, John Rasmuson, Chris Vanocur

Geoff Griffin and Kathleen Curry are the ultimate weekend warriors in pursuit of Utah-based adventures for Vamoose Utah.

Chelsea Neider Sofia Cifuentes, Sean Hair

Paula Saltas David Adamson, Samantha Herzog Bryan Mannos

Samantha Smith Anna Kaser

Rebecca Chavez-Houck is a former Utah state representative now serving as executive director of Better Boundaries. That still leaves time for her to go “glamping” with family and friends and discover new places to visit.

Eric Granato

Jennifer Van Grevenhof Kyle Kennedy Anna Papadakis Doug Kruithof, Kathy Mueller Kelly Boyce

On the cover: Utah fall foliage by Austen Diamond Courtesy of the Utah Office of Tourism Distributed free of charge throughout the Wasatch Front while supplies last.

Additional copies of Vamoose Utah 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 2019 • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED @vamooseutah

6 | Vamoose Utah • September 2019

@vamooseutah

@vamooseutah

John Rasmuson spends his days trying to put the right words in the right order. He wrote a column for City Weekly for 12 years that won awards every now and then when he got the words just right.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

A

utumn is not sneaky. It advertises rather boldly that summer’s end is nigh, and, yes, winter is coming. It gives us a chance to replay the magnificent days of spring and summer that have come before.

Not only do we remember, but we celebrate, reminding ourselves of the good times we shared with friends and family, the adventures we lived. We fill satchels full of produce at local farmers markets and relish the bounty of summer.

Some wash it down with Oktoberfest beers at Snowbird while others might even squeeze in one last camping trip or road trip before the snow flies, if only to gawk at the epic hues of pink, orange and gold alpine foliage that illuminate mountain passes and canyons.

So, why are you sitting here? We chose “Scenic Byways” as the theme for September because if ever there was a time to hit the road, it’s now. We’ve outlined a number of color runs for you, including Geoff Griffin and Kathleen Curry’s guide to Highway 89 and the dramatic Nebo Loop. Chris Vanocur found time for a little personal reflection traveling Scenic Byway 12, when it dawned on him that the “All American Road” was one he’d traveled earlier in his life but had not known how to find his way back to it.

In her Roam With a View column, Rebecca Chavez-Houck highlights the “Energy Loop” in Manti-La Sal National Forest

~JAR[O]

COLOR RUN in central Utah. And if you’re staying home to harvest your tomatoes, Ari LeVaux (author of the syndicated Flash in the Pan column) has a recipe for a zesty batch of Labor Day Salsa.

For those intrigued by land art, John Rasmuson journeyed to Rangely, Colo., to enter an abandoned tank that is now a veritable concert hall where musicians and visitors can create or tune in to ethereal music while experiencing a resounding reverberation.

Finally, we top off our fall content with a feature about an event of our own, the Vamoose Rendezvous. This is our second Rendezvous of 2019, one that looks forward to the coming ski and boarding season. Planned for Saturday, Sept.

28, at Salt Lake City’s Gateway mall, this free family-friendly event features representatives from a multitude of outdoor vendors and gear—including our presenting sponsor, Woodward Park City. In addition, there will be films, demonstrations and panels about the environment, outdoor safety and more. We’re excited to usher in fall with this event and hope you’ll join us.

On that note, get your motor running and head out on the highway. Be sure and bring along a copy of Vamoose to guide you to the road less traveled.

—Jerre Wroble

September 2019 • Vamoose Utah | 7

LIFE IS A HIGHWAY

WEEKEND WARRIOR

Experience scenic Highway 89’s drive of a lifetime

BY KATHLEEN CURRY & GEOFF GRIFFIN

8 | Vamoose Utah • September 2019

Logan Canyon Scenic Byway

KASIARUNACHALAM

U

.S. Route 89 is a one-of-a-kind highway in the American West. Running north and south from Arizona to Montana, the 1,250-mile route has had many nicknames: “The National Park Highway,” “America’s Most Scenic Road Trip,” and the “Boulevard of the National Parks.” National Geographic extols its geological diversity, listing it as a Top 10 Drivers’ Drives. “Open roads rarely come finer,” the listing reads.

The highway runs through the heart of the Beehive State. It’s a jumping off point to Utah’s national parks as well as spots known only to locals, accessing deserts, canyons and forested mountains passes—through tiny farming towns as well as thriving cities.

U.S. Route 89 first opened in 1926, originating in Flagstaff, Ariz., running up to Utah and continuing through Idaho, Wyoming and Montana, all the way to the Canadian border.

A great way to get to know Utah is to drive U.S. 89 from one end of the Beehive State to the other. The following itinerary takes you south to north with multiple suggestions for places in which to linger. How you travel to the Arizona border before the trip, and return home from the Idaho border afterward, is up to you.

Thursday Night

Thursday

••••

Big Water, Utah

Bask under the starry skies at Dreamkatchers Lake Powell Bed & Breakfast

COURTESY DREAMKATCHERS LAKE POWELL BED & BREAKFAST

Kick things off from the southern end of the state, with your first night near the Arizona border in the town of Big Water at Dreamkatchers Lake Powell Bed & Breakfast (1055 S. American Way, Big Water, 435-6755828, DreamkatchersLakePowell.com). After you drop your bags in one of the three rooms (hopefully you brought your own brown-bag dinner snacks—sandwiches, salads, fruit and wine—since dining-out options in Big Water are limited), head up to the rooftop jacuzzi and enjoy views of the stars with no surrounding light pollution.

September 2019 • Vamoose Utah | 9

Aspens in Manti-La Sal National Forest

Friday Morning

Big Water to Bryce Canyon National Park

The breakfast menu at Dreamkatchers includes Swedish pancakes with lingonberry preservers or baked French toast stuffed with peach cream cheese.

If you want to head south on U.S. 89 across the border to Lake Powell, you’re just a 20-minute drive from Wahweap Marina (LakePowellMarinas.com), the most southwestern point on Lake Powell, where you’ll find a large fleet of houseboats and recreational watercraft plus restaurants, a campground, swimming pools and lodging.

Another option is to head east on U.S. 89 toward Kanab, a 50-minute drive. Once you arrive in Kanab, 89 turns north. A drive of another 20 minutes will bring you to Mount Carmel Junction and the turn-off to the east entrance to Zion National Park (NPS.gov/ zion) at Utah State Route 9. You’ll find shuttle service into the park from March through late October. To really see the park, though, you’ll most likely want to spend more time here and stay the night in nearby Springdale.

Continuing north on U.S. 89 for about 45 minutes, the next major turn-off is Utah Scenic Byway 12 (see “Deja Vu,” p. 18) a road that will take you to Bryce Canyon National Park (NPS.gov/brca) in about 20 minutes.

Even a brief visit here at the overlook viewing the expansive crimson-colored hoodoos is well worth a detour. You can then return to U.S. 89 to continue your explorations.

10 | Vamoose Utah • September 2019

Panguitch to Ephraim

Just past the turnoff to Scenic Byway 12 on U.S. 89 is the town of Panguitch. If you’ve made stops along the way, it should be close to lunchtime. Tandoori Taqueria (5 N. Main, Panguitch, 435-962-9395, TheTandooriTaqueria.com) features the tandoori taco, made with Indian-spiced chicken, sauces and toppings—wrapped in a naan shell. It pairs well with the housemade kombucha and don’t forget the dessert of honey flan brûlée.

From Panguitch, remain on 89 until you reach Gunnison. Here, the highway jogs off to the east, but adventurers can also head west on Utah Route 28 to arrive at Yuba State Park (StateParks.utah.gov/parks/yuba), a 22-mile long reservoir where you can enjoy beaches, warm waters and year-round fishing. There are also zip lines featuring a 1,500 foot ride over desert landscapes with views of the reservoir.

Returning to Gunnison and getting back on U.S. 89, in about 15 minutes, you’ll pass through historic Manti—home of the Manti LDS Temple—followed by Ephraim a few miles further. Once in Ephraim, there are multiple ways to enter into Manti-La Sal National Forest (FS.USDA.gov/mantilasal), where you’ll find deep sandstone canyons, meadows, lakes, archeological sites and several scenic drives perfect for leaf-peeping, including Elk Ridge State Scenic Backway, Ephraim to Orangeville Road and La Sal Mountain Loop State Scenic Backway.

Friday Night

Ephraim to Spring City

Depending on which detours you’ve taken during the day, it may be getting close to dinner time. Before heading out of Ephraim, consider stopping by Kalama’s Island Style (61 S. Main, Ephraim, 435-283-3577). As the name suggests, Leslie and Rick Kalama, who hail from Hawaii, serve up traditional island plates along with poke and sashimi.

From Ephraim, it’s about 10 miles on U.S. 89 to Spring City, a National Historic District with more than 50 historical homes.

One of these homes is The Osborne Inn (216 S. Main, Spring City, 435-462-9338, OsborneInn.com), a good mid-point stop for your overnight stay. The restored Victorian house, which first opened to boarders in 1896, has four guest rooms with private baths. Feel free to explore the town on complimentary bicycles.

JOHN BUIE

••••

Friday

Friday Afternoon

Saturday Morning Spring City to Draper

Use those bikes to ride over to Das Cafe (33 N. Main, Spring City, 435-4627484), a German restaurant that opens at 7 a.m., with breakfast available all day on weekends. Get a German sausage with your eggs or try the “Mormon Mocha,” a mixture of hot chocolate and Pero that is topped with whipped cream.

After breakfast, travel north on U.S. 89 for 40 miles to the junction with U.S. 6. Go left onto Utah State Route 116, which later turns into U.S. 89. Traveling north, it’s just a few miles to Exit 258 that will take you to Fifth Water Hot Springs. Head exit east toward the mountains about 10 miles up Spanish Fork Canyon. You’ll see the turn off for Diamond Fork Road that takes you to Three Forks Trailhead. It’s the starting point for a 4.5-mile roundtrip hike that gives you a chance to see some beautiful waterfalls and soak in relaxing hot pools.

Saturday

••••

Dramatic autumn hues of Manti-La Sal National Forest

Saturday Afternoon Draper to Perry

Returning to U.S. 89, travel north through Utah County to Lehi where U.S. 89 merges with Interstate 15. Just north of the Point of the Mountain in Salt Lake County, take the 12300 South exit into Draper, where a lunch stop at Oak Wood Fire Kitchen (715 E. 12300 South, Draper, 801-996-8155, OakWoodFireKitchen.com) will not disappoint. Their oak-fired baked Neapolitan pizzas and skillet cookies are the perfect antidote for the hunger pangs resulting from your hike to the hot springs.

After lunch, head west to State Street (which is actually U.S. 89), and then travel north covering the length of Salt Lake Valley up to 400 South in downtown SLC. There, U.S. 89 jogs west to 300 West, where you’ll turn right and continue north to Davis County, as U.S. 89 parallels I-15 all the way through Bountiful. It briefly merges with the interstate while passing through Centerville and Farmington, then branches off again just past Lagoon amusement park.

Just north of Ogden on U.S. 89, you’ll pass through the town of Willard, where you can take a left at 750 North and travel a few miles to Willard Bay State Park (StateParks.Utah.gov/parks/willard-bay), a fresh water reservoir on the flood plains of Great Salt Lake. The reservoir’s warm waters are perfect for boating, swimming, water skiing, birdwatching and fishing.

The drive along U.S. 89 between Willard and Brigham City is also where you’ll find Utah’s Famous Fruit Way (Facebook.com/UtahsFamousFruitWay) in full harvest mode. You can buy top-quality produce picked fresh at local farms from stands all along the route.

Saturday Night For dinner, just south of Brigham City, you’ll find Maddox Ranch House (1900 S. Highway 89, Perry, 800-544-5474, MaddoxFineFood.com), a Utah classic since 1949. The gigantic steakhouse is noted for its grilled beef and bison steaks and fried chicken served with a basket of homemade rolls and cornpones and raspberry butter. It’s best to call en route (or in advance) to get a reservation. And don’t forget to finish up with a slice of peach pie After dinner, head northeast through Sardine Canyon on U.S. 89 and stay on the route for about 30 minutes until you reach Logan, where you can take the unique opportunity to stay overnight right in the heart of a college campus at Utah State’s University Inn. (650 N. 875 East, Logan, 800-231-5634, Hotel.USU.edu). Once you’ve checked in, it’s just a short walk over to the Old Main building and a beautiful view overlooking Cache Valley dressed in its fall finery.

JOHN BUIE

Perry to Logan

September 2019 • Vamoose Utah | 11

••••

Sunday

Sunday Morning When it comes to breakfast, Herm’s Inn (1435 Canyon Road, Logan, 435-792-4321, HermsInn.com) features a rich sausage gravy poured over fried chicken and a buttermilk biscuit. Also, when they say their pancakes “are bigger than your face,” they’re being modest. These flapjacks are closer to the size of a hubcap.

As for the final stretch of U.S. 89 in the Beehive State, it winds 40 miles north through Logan Canyon, over the mountains and down into Garden City, located next to Bear Lake (BearLake.org). Getting there, the highway follows the Logan River until it heads into the mountains, rising to an elevation of 7,800 feet, offering exquisite views of Bear Lake’s turquoise waters.

The hourlong drive from Logan to Garden City is ablaze with autumn hues, set off by evergreens and the blue waters of area lakes, rivers and reservoirs.

Before returning to Salt Lake City, consider stops at Ricks Spring, Tony Grove Lake and Bear Lake Viewpoint. Or, at Guinavah-Malibu Campground in Logan Canyon, take a 5-mile (uphill) hike to Wind Cave, a unique limestone formation with giant alcoves worth exploring.

Traveling U.S. 89—Utah’s “Heritage Highway”—unlocks adventure every step of the way. It’s truly the path to Utah’s heart and soul.

12 | Vamoose Utah • September 2019

Bear Lake

CHRIS

Logan to Garden City

international food festival

and craft beverage experience

tickets include multi-cultural cuisine and craft beverages from Utah’s best ethnic restaurants, distilleries and breweries thursday, October 17th

7 pm - 10 pm at La Caille 9565 Wasatch Blvd. Sandy, UT VENDORS INCLUDE:

For tickets and a full list of vendors go to devourutah.com/promotions

September 2019 • Vamoose Utah | 13

AUTUMN AT ALTITUDE

PIERCE MARTIN

Golden aspens line the route to Mount Nebo

Peak colors along the Mount Nebo Loop amp up the awe factor

BY KATHLEEN CURRY AND GEOFF GRIFFIN

W

hen the Latter-day Saints arrived in Utah in 1847, they drew upon the Book of Mormon and the Bible for place names. They named the southernmost peak of the Wasatch Range, which happens to be the range’s highest peak, Mount Nebo.

In the Old Testament, when God wanted to show Moses the Promised Land, he sent the prophet to the top of Mount Nebo in Jordan for a good view of the area. Of course, God didn’t allow Moses to actually enter the Promised Land, and some religious traditions believe Mount Nebo is Moses’ final resting place.

Jordan’s Mount Nebo is only 2,300 feet above sea level and is best described as a ridge. Utah’s Mount Nebo is 12,000 feet above sea level, and at that altitude, it might well have been the best place for Utah pioneers to view what they thought of as their own “promised land.”

Located between Payson and Nephi, Mount Nebo is actually a series of three peaks. It was long thought that the southern-most peak was the tallest, but during surveying in the 1970s, it emerged that the north peak, at 11,929 feet, was actually about 50 feet taller than the south, and about 100 feet higher than the middle peak. Once hikers reach any of those summits, there’s a ridge line that connects the three, but that hike is generally only recommended for well-equipped, experienced climbers.

14 | Vamoose Utah • September 2019

One way to experience Mount Nebo and the many recreation opportunities around its base is to drive the Mount Nebo Scenic Byway (FS.USDA.gov), which runs between Payson and Nephi. The entire route is 38 miles long and can be driven straight through in about 90 minutes, but, given the many colorful stops along the way, it’s unlikely you’ll drive straight through.

Coming from the north, take Interstate 15 through Utah County to Payson, exiting at 800 South and travel east to 600 East, then turn right to get on Nebo Loop Road, also known as Forest Road 015.

After a drive of about 15 miles, or 30 minutes, there’s a turnoff for Payson Lakes Campground (FS. USDA. Gov; to reserve, phone 1-877-444-6777 or visit Recreation.gov). With 98 single camp sites, 10 double sites and three sites that can host larger groups, it’s ideal for overnight camping.

Continuing along the loop, the turnoff for Nebo Bench Monument Trailhead is about 25 miles into the drive. This is a hard, strenuous hike that rewards hikers with stunning views. At the trailhead exit, turn right onto Mona Pole Road and continue about a quarter of a mile to the North Peak Trailhead. This is where hikers begin a 9-mile round-trip hike to the northernmost—and tallest—of the three peaks. The hike rises nearly 4,000 feet in altitude, but the first 3.5 miles up are fairly gradu-

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September 2019 • Vamoose Utah | 15

PIERCE MARTIN

Enjoy nature’s paintbrush along the Mount Nebo Loop

16 | Vamoose Utah • September 2019

CORY MAYLETT

At nearly 12,000 feet, Mount Nebo is the highest peak of Utah’s Wasatch Range

Devil’s Kitchen is the “mini Bryce Canyon” of the Uinta National Forest

CORY MAYLETT

al. The difficult part comes during the final portion of the trek, when the trail rises 1,300 feet in less than a mile, and most of that is traveling over loose shale and black limestone. Plan on 6 to 8 hours.

There are also two other trails up to the Nebo peaks that approach from the south and west, but when considering difficulty and accessibility, the North Peak Trailhead is generally the most-used route, particularly for first-timers.

For those looking for great scenery but not a strenuous hike, continue south on Nebo Loop Road for another 5 miles to reach the Devil’s Kitchen. While that name might sound like it would be a daunting outdoor spot, its named for its scenic red-rock pillars and other formations. It features a paved trail, an observation deck and a picnic area. Use the trail to hike half a mile (round trip) to see red-rock hoodoos that have earned this spot the nickname of a mini Bryce Canyon.

After Devil’s Kitchen, Nebo Loop Road continues south for a few more miles before ending at State Route 132. Turning right there leads straight down to the town of Nephi, which is just 6 miles away.

Recreational opportunities abound in the Mount Nebo area, ranging from easier hikes such as the 2.7-mile Jones Ranch Trail to the more difficult 4.7-mile hike on the Bennie Creek Cutoff Trail. And if hikes, camping and views aren’t enough, the fall foliage will stop you in your tracks.

Whatever option you choose, after gazing out upon the vistas along the Mount Nebo Loop, you may agree with others that it is just the place to view the promised land.

September 2019 • Vamoose Utah | 17

3

Utah’s Scenic Byway 12 serves up national parks, national monuments and out-of-this-world vistas

This “All-American Road” is so unique, it’s a destination all its own A journey through time: Millions of years ago, these cream-and-red sandstone formations were sand dunes

DÉJÀ VU

The drive from Panguitch to Torrey is unforgettable. Yet, somehow, I’d forgotten how to find my way back.

PHOTOS & STORY BY CHRIS VANOCUR

U

tah’s Scenic Byway 12 is staggeringly beautiful, one of the most stunning roads in the world. And, at least on one stretch, it can be terrifying to drive. And for me, it provided an unexpected answer to a longtime mystery.

Intrigued? Then, let’s go for a drive.

Scenic Byway 12 is 124 miles long, winding west to east, from Panguitch to Torrey. A sign not far from the west entrance informs travelers that they are on an “All-American Road.” This means the road is so lovely and unique it is a destination unto itself. Only a third of

18 | Vamoose Utah • September 2019

America’s scenic byways receive this distinction You want proximity to national parks? Byway 12 is that roadway, paving the way to Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef. State parks? Yup, accessing as it does Escalante Petrified Forest and Kodachrome Basin.

You can even throw in a national monument: Grand Staircase-Escalante.

And along with all the big names are any number of off-the-beatenpath adventures.

But the road’s beauty can be fickle. Driving east as I did, motorists hit early stretches where the scenery is pleasing but not necessarily awe-inspiring. Just when you start thinking this byway is nothing special, however, you round a bend and are instantly filled with wonder.

Not only will you see the sandstone “stairs” that make up the Grand Staircase just past Henrieville, but you’ll also find yourself driving through the two red arches in Red Canyon. Mountains, vistas and hoodoos are all part of the natural voodoo this byway does so well. There are stretches that literally offer scenic overlooks every quarter mile.

Be forewarned, though, peril is lurking.

Between Escalante and Boulder, a section of Byway 12 known as the Hogsback awaits. It’s only a short part of the byway, but extremely narrow. Drivers find themselves faced with sudden and dramatically steep dropoffs on both sides of the road. In fact, when I posted on Facebook that I was about to traverse this byway, one friend cautioned me about the Hogsback. He wrote, “Warning, Chris! The road from Escalante to Boulder goes along the top of a cliff with nothing on either side. Like driving down the deck of an aircraft carrier ... but not that wide! Two tiny lanes. A steering-wheel gripper!”

Now, for drivers who might be afraid of heights (i.e., me!), here are a couple of pro safety tips. First, just keep your eyes on the road and quietly repeat to yourself, “Don’t look down. Don’t look down.”

Secondly, to steady your nerves before or after the Hogsback, make a pit-stop at the Kiva Koffeehouse (Highway 12, mile marker 73.86, Escalante, 435-826-4550, KivaKoffeehouse.com). Normally, I’m not

a fan of commercial establishments in scenic areas. But I love this place. Open seasonally between April and October, this java joint may have the best view of any coffee shop in the country. Also, their baked goods are the bomb. An extremely tasty raspberry vanilla scone goes down easily when overlooking the awesomeness that is Byway 12.

Finally, as hinted at earlier, this scenic road also helped me resolve a decades-long mystery.

When I was a very young TV reporter, I hazily remember being on assignment in Southern Utah. My photographer was driving, and I was writing on deadline, so I didn’t pay attention to where we were. But occasionally, I would look up and be astonished at how lovely the road was. For years, this was a cherished memory. It was also a frustrating one, though, because I couldn’t remember exactly where I had been or how to get back.

Until now.

Driving on Byway 12 in the late spring of 2019, I had an epiphany outside Escalante. Suddenly, it all came rushing back. The beauty, the winding roads, and the unparalleled splendor. This was the mythical road I traveled in my youth. Such an unexpected reunion filled me with both joy and an overwhelming sense of nostalgia.

Traveling the byway a second time, I couldn’t help but compare this long and winding road to my own life’s journey. Moments of unsurpassed beauty and, yes, some white-knuckle terror. But there’s more to it than just that. Forty years ago, I fell in love with the West and decided to put down roots here. This uniquely Western and noble pathway somehow reassures me I made the right choice. Byway 12 reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from Jack Kerouac’s epic, Beat Generation novel, On the Road. Kerouac wrote, “I was halfway across America, at the dividing line between the East of my youth and the West of my future.” This passage seems to sum up the way my life has unfolded. It also speaks to the timeless appeal of Utah’s Scenic Byway 12, an all-American road.

September 2019 • Vamoose Utah | 19

NATURE’S WIND CHIMES Grooving with the aspen groves of the Huntington-Eccles Canyons Scenic Byway

BY REBECCA CHAVEZ-HOUCK

J

ust as we’re getting used to the rhythm of the summer camping season, a discernable chill settles in. Utah’s bright green deciduous forests ease into a brilliant canopy of gold, orange and red. Aspen groves, in particular, are best at putting on this color show. Not only do they wow us visually, they calm us when the wind wafts through their leaves while we sit around a campfire. I also listen for their tremblings as I fall asleep with our RV’s windows slightly ajar. Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) are truly “nature’s wind chimes.”

To catch their color show, many of us head up nearby canyons in the Wasatch mountains. However, I’ve often heard that the 86-mile Energy Loop, spanning from the town of Fairview to Huntington and Eccles canyons, is a “not to be missed” fall-foliage drive, so I took some time recently to explore the area. Here, you’ll find not only changing leaves, but historical sites, great hikes, good fishing and an array of campgrounds in the area, a few of which my husband, Martin, and I stayed at.

The Energy Loop—officially called the Huntington-Eccles Canyons Scenic Byway—is located within the Manti-La Sal National Forest of central Utah. We started our camping trip outside of Price at Scofield State Park (435-448-9449, StateParks.Utah. gov/parks/scofield), accessing it from State Route 96 off of U.S. 6.

Due to heavy spring rains this year, the reservoir was were quite full. We stayed in the park’s Mountain View Campground, close to the reservoir marina, which features 34 total sites, one with electricity and water hookups, as well as nearby showers and flush toilets. Even though it was chilly, we saw a number of folks on kayaks and boats the day we were there.

This state park also offers updated campsites at Madsen Bay 20 | Vamoose Utah • September 2019

Campground that have both electricity and water hookups, but with less foliage between the sites than at Mountain View. After spending the night at Scofield, we continued south along UT 96, and then traveled west on UT 264. Along the way, there were 16 informative interpretive pullouts that share the history of the area.

Off of Utah 264 (also known as the Skyline Drive) is Lower Gooseberry Reservoir, where you’ll find two primitive campgrounds, Gooseberry Reservoir Campground and up on the hillside above the reservoir is the Gooseberry Campground (877-444-6777, FS.USDA.gov). Both have pit toilets and are “pack it in, pack it out” facilities. Gooseberry Campground, with its nine single sites and one group site for up to 40 people, is probably best for smaller rigs and tent camping. It’s nestled right in the middle of an aspen grove, so it’s probably pretty amazing to be there in the fall. Larger trailers and fifth-wheels will be more suited to the Gooseberry Reservoir Campground.

There’s evidence of the coal industry on this drive. Coal mining sustained many families in this region, notably the Skyline Mine. Below the mine is Electric Lake, which contains the submerged ghost town of Conellsville. There were a lot of anglers testing their luck at the lake, but Martin struck fishing gold when we stopped at nearby Boulger Reservoir (located on a dirt road off of Utah 31 just about a quarter mile west of Electric Lake).

We enjoyed a delicious meal of rainbow trout later that evening when we camped at Old Folks Flat Campground (21 miles north of Huntington on Utah 31, 877-444-6777, FS.USDA.gov).

We had originally reserved Site 4 but found Site 2 more to our liking (there are only four single sites—three of which are res-

NPS

Healthy aspen groves are rich in biodiversity

ervable—and five group campsites, all of which are really nice). The campground has flush toilets but no hookups.

Our drive to Old Folks Flat Campground took in the prime area of Huntington Canyon. We also recommend checking out the site near the Huntington Reservoir dam where the Huntington mammoth was discovered on Aug. 8, 1988. You can learn more about it at the mammoth exhibit at the Utah State University Eastern Prehistoric Museum (155 E. Main, Price, 800-817-9949, USUEastern. edu/museum/exhibits/mammoth).

Martin Houck sinks a line at Boulger Reservoir with the couple’s “View” RV parked in the distance

Along the way, we noticed the scars from forest fires and pine beetle infestations that have taken their toll on the canyon’s trees. We asked Paul Rogers, the director of the Western Aspen Alliance (WAA), about the impact of forest fires on aspen groves, and he noted that fires help maintain the aspen groves’ ecosystem.

The WAA was first created by Utah State University and Forest Service scientists to disseminate research to managers and solicit feedback from the field. Its members now include researchers, managers, landowners and conservationists from the Western U.S. and Canada. The group focuses on the health of regional aspen groves, many of which are faced with drought and overconsumption of new tree shoots by herbivores (elk, deer, cattle and sheep).

Rogers says that a number of groves in the lower elevations on the Colorado Plateau are either dying or in bad health. Rogers encourages visitors to listen for bird calls

REBECCA CHAVEZ-HOUCK

Aspen Groves Reborn Through Fire

September 2019 • Vamoose Utah | 21

REBECCA CHAVEZ-HOUCK

Fires help maintain the ecosystem of aspen groves, says Western Aspen Alliance director Paul Rogers

and look for other animals that depend on the aspen.

“Healthy aspen are rich in biodiversity,” he says, “so if whole forests are dying or groves are unhealthy, you have an impact on the ecosystem of dependent plants and animals in the area.” The health of the aspen groves also affects water usage.

For more information, visit the WAA website, Western-Aspen-Alliance.org, which provides a wealth of information, including a field guide on its home page.

Less than a mile southeast of Old Folks Flat Campground (on Utah State Route 31), we stopped at the Stuart Guard Station— which is now a museum and visitor center—a must-see if you are traveling the area. However, it’s only open on summer weekends between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The guard station was constructed as part of a Civilian Conservation Corps project in 1933 and contains a variety of interpretive exhibits, photos and artifacts, as well as Forest Service memorabilia.

22 | Vamoose Utah • September 2019

Additional primitive Forest Service campgrounds are located along the loop, including Flat Canyon Campground and Forks of the Huntington Campground (FS.USDA.gov).

We ended our byways weekend at Huntington State Park (2 miles northeast of Huntington on Utah State Route 10, 435687-2491, StateParks.Utah.gov/parks/huntington). It’s a fully appointed campground with electric and water hookups as well as flush toilets and showers.

As we settled in for the night next to Huntington Lake, we watched the distant alpenglow alight the northern reaches of the San Rafael Swell. It’s something I hope you’ll be able to enjoy sometime this fall.

See you at the campground!

Mon- Sat 8-6:45 Sunday 10-5 9275 S 1300 W 801-562-5496 glovernursery.com

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Celebrat i

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ninth & ninth 254 south main September 2019 • Vamoose Utah | 23

BACKCOUNTRY

SEPTEMBER SALSA

Canning salsa is a labor of zesty love

BY ARI LEVAUX

L

abor Day is unique among holidays in that nobody really “celebrates” it. It lacks the excitement of New Year’s, the virtues of MLK Day, the mystery of Easter, the love of Mother’s Day, the sorrow of Memorial Day, the unity of the 4th, the excesses of Thanksgiving and the baggage of Christmas. It’s easy to find people who celebrate any and all of those holidays. Labor Day, not so much.

A few politicians and advocacy organizations take advantage of the holidays as they extol the importance of labor and fair compensation. Then, we cut to school shopping and the last three-day weekend of summer.

It’s too bad Labor Day doesn’t get more love, because labor is a concept that truly should be celebrated, elevated and appreciated. Good labor makes the world a better place and makes the laborer a better person. In the kitchen, good labor makes good food. What’s not to love about that?

I was at the hardware store last week, and the seasonal aisle was packed with canning jars on both sides. Canning jar sales are booming, because this kind of lovely labor is catching on.

Since the original Mason jar design was created by the Ball brothers in Buffalo, N.Y., 130 years back, the design has hardly changed. One recent innovation by Newell/Rubbermaid, which now owns Ball and Kerr jars, has been to introduce amber colored jars that filter out UV, for longer-lasting food. I have to ad24 | Vamoose Utah • September 2019

mit I’m intrigued.

In the meantime, this Labor Day, I’ll be making salsa. It’s a jar of all trades, the joker in the deck, and the most versatile and valuable component of my pantry. If I need to grab something quick for a potluck or a road trip, or if I have company, a sack of chips and a jar of my own salsa fixes the problem, with extra points for your labor.

If you pour canned salsa on eggs, you have huevos rancheros.

Blended with cucumbers, it’s gazpacho. With avocado, it’s guacamole. Mixed with gin and clam juice, it’s a drink. By itself, canned salsa is a spicy marinara that goes on eggplant, pasta or pizza.

This recipe assumes some canning knowledge on your part and requires basic canning gear. And it requires a food processor, blender or similar way to liquify tomatoes. This liquefaction unit will also serve as a measuring unit, as the quantities are large.

The best tomatoes for this are high-acid slicing or canning tomatoes. Normal tomatoes, that is. Tomatoes that are red and round. The pepper component is where we really personalize the salsa. Any kind of pepper, in virtually any form, can be used, including both hot and sweet. But it’s the hot ones that determine not only the heat, but much of the flavor. Dried, pickled, smoked, green and red peppers ... the more the merrier. Diversity is flavor. Just remember to wash your hands before you use the bathroom, as well as after.

CANNED SALSA

10 cups of chopped tomatoes (two blender loads) 10 cups of chopped peppers, seeded as necessary 5 cups chopped onions 2 cups carrots 2 cups cilantro 1 cup chopped garlic 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 cup cider vinegar (to ensure the whole business is acidic and safe) Puree all vegetables to the max. Add all of the loads to a large pot, stir it all together, and bring to a boil. As it heats, use corn chips to sample the salsa, adjusting salt, black pepper and chile pepper if necessary. Turn off the heat and immediately transfer the hot salsa into warm sterile jars and screw on sterile lids. They will seal as they cool on the counter.

All year long, you will enjoy the canned fruits of your labors of love. Give the gift of love in a jar, trade the gift of love in a jar. Heck, if it’s legal where you are, go ahead and sell it. After all, Labor Day is about getting paid for your labor.

IRYNAMELNYK

Ari LeVaux writes Flash in the Pan, a syndicated weekly food column that has appeared in more than 50 newspapers in 21 states. Learn more at FlashInThePan.net.

September 2019 • Vamoose Utah | 25

COURTESY OF THE TANK

BEAUTIFUL RESONANCE The TANK may be empty but it’s full of good vibrations

BY JOHN RASMUSON

A

n hour’s drive southwest of Vernal, Utah, brings you to Rangely, Colo., where the chamber of commerce’s welcome sign boasts of a town “way outside of ordinary.”

And so it is. Rangely has no traffic lights. No Walmart. No McDonald’s. It has tumbleweeds on Main Street along with lots of pickup trucks plastered with dried mud. Although the town of 2,400 residents is home to two museums and a college campus, the ambiance is industrial. Rangely has been an oil town since it was incorporated in 1946. Most of its buildings are utilitarian with ribbed metal roofs. Most are single-story, built low to the ground. In fact, the tallest structure in town is a six-story water tank with the Rio Grande Railroad logo painted on the side. The 26 | Vamoose Utah • September 2019

steel tank is outside of ordinary in more ways than one.

Built by the railroad in the 1940s, the silver tank was brought to Rangely in the mid-1960s to anchor a power plant’s fire-suppression system. It was sited on a knoll whose shape, color and texture are elephantine. But the underlying shale could not support the big structure. It was too heavy. Even before water was pumped into the tank, the cylindrical wall sank, bowing the half-inch steel floor upward. Unusable, the tank stood idle and rusting for years. Its only visitors brought cans of spray paint or six-packs of beer.

Then, in 1976, while on a Chautauqua tour overnighting in Rangely, sound artist Bruce Odland was introduced to the tank

COURTESY OF THE TANK

by two oil-field workers. Its “dizzyingly beautiful reverberation nowned, 40-second reverb.

Could she demonstrate? I asked. She allowed that she was a effects” so impressed him that he returned time and again in the ensuing years. The tank’s interior became a secret performance “tank-trained vocalist” who had been singing there since childvenue for him and a coterie of musicians. Odland’s Leaving Eden hood and was willing to lend her voice to a demonstration.

Thereupon, she tilted her face toward a midpoint in the tank wall CD was recorded there.

Plans to dismantle and scrap the tank in 2013 caused Odland and began to sing. As she did, ethereal notes eddied around us. to try to save it. He organized Friends of the TANK, which in- I watched her mouth moving, but as if she were a ventriloquist cluded local governments and businesses. Its two Kickstart- projecting her voice, the disembodied sounds cascaded down er campaigns raised enough money to buy the structure and 9 from above. It gave new meaning to “surround sound.”

She then invited me to sing “Amazing Grace” acres around it. Donations also paid for electricity, with her. I quickly agreed. My tank debut bathrooms, ventilation and other amenities. began tentatively, following her lead.

The small porthole that had limited the She slowed the tempo to prevent instruments that could be brought inthe words from being lost in a side was replaced by a cut-out door reverberating loop. My barilarge enough to admit a sousatone served as a counterphone. balance to LightShade’s The TANK Center for soaring soprano, and Sonic Arts opened for I experimented with business four years ago. the effects of aiming Wrote music critic Alex my voice at differRoss in The New Yorker, ent places in the “One road to the mutank where it was sical future now runs amplified and rethrough Rangely.” directed. As the The road is already final notes of the well traveled. Among duet faded into the tank performthe darkness, I ers are the Colorado was smiling involChildren’s Chorus, untarily. I felt like jazz trumpeter Ron hugging her.

Miles, and the Grammy Award-winning Make Your vocal ensemble, RoomMusicians from near and Own Music ful of Teeth. And more far flock to make music in If you want to sing to come. A headline in the the TANK in the tank, or play your Los Angeles Times announced, sousaphone, it is open to the “Forget Carnegie Hall. Musipublic every Saturday morncians rush to rural Colorado to ing. No reservation is needed, and play The TANK.” The annual solstice there is no cost. If you want a private celebration brings out-of-state visitors to recording session for your band or Osmingle with townies in welcoming the onset mond-like family, you can book the tank by the of summer. hour on its website. For less than $100, tank engineers will record your session in two-track stereo and provide a recording on a USB drive. If you want a “professional session” with multi-track recording, LightShade will make the arrangements.

I arrived at the tank on an April morning. I had arranged for For practical reasons, the tank season runs from May to Octoa tank engineer to meet me at the foot of the gated driveway, let ber. The unheated interior is too cold most days between October me in and show me around. I was studying the deer and raccoon and June. On the other hand, afternoon temperatures on sumtracks in the mud when she drove up. A 20-something woman mer days may be oppressive. with long black hair and prominent blue eyes got out of the car But, regardless of the season, any road trip to Vernal’s Diand introduced herself. Samantha LightShade then led the way nosaur National Monument or McConkie Ranch petroglyphs up the steep, gravel driveway to the tank. As she unlocked the should include some tank time. There are plenty of ordinary steel door, she asked me to take off my shoes. The interior was towns in the West, but The TANK Center for Sonic Arts confers dark except for a string of white Christmas lights tracing the out-of-the-ordinary status to Rangeley all by itself. circumference at floor level. I walked across the convex floor—a parabola, she said—to the east quadrant of the tank. The steel The TANK Center for Sonic Arts was beginning to radiate the heat of the morning sun. She stood 233 Colorado Road 46, Rangely, Colo. in the middle. There, like the owner of a gull-wing Tesla X show970-368-2657 ing off its marvels, she explained the tank’s acoustics and its reTankSounds.org

Surround Sound

September 2019 • Vamoose Utah | 27

O

utdoor enthusiasts rejoice: The semiannual festival known as Rendezvous is hitting Salt Lake City in September— with an epic lineup of gear and apparel brands, retailers, athletes, film premieres, speakers, food trucks and breweries— all to celebrate the best parts of the mountain culture lifestyle.

On Sept. 28, take the whole family to The Gateway (400 W. 100 South, SLC, 801-456-0000, ShopTheGateway.com) from 2 to 8 p.m. for an afternoon celebrating snowsports and the approach of winter. The free event features a vendor village with top local and national brands showcasing the latest gear and apparel.

“You can get your eyes on the newest gear before they hit the stores and engage with brands, and their riders, from around the world,” says Kyle Kennedy, director of sales and events for Vamoose Utah, the publication behind the event. “For example, Weston Snowboards will be doing splitboard demos, showing participants how the board transfers from ‘ride’ to ‘climb’ mode.

Spliting the board to skis and applying skins allows riders to climb terrian without a lift.”

Burton Snowboards, Milosport, Black Diamond, 686, Nitro Snowboards, Salomon Snowboards, Dang Shades and Dragon Alliance are just a handful of the brands with booths at the event.

“We get to show our brand alongside other brands who also

28 | Vamoose Utah • September 2019

DS COUR TS EY

BY CLAIRE MCARTHUR

OF NI TR O

Celebrate Utah’s mountain culture at the Vamoose Rendezvous

SNOW BO AR

Spread the Stoke

C atch O ff line’s Nort h American movie premiere at R ende z v o us

have a focus on making our adventures in the great outdoors amazing,” says Anthony Clark, regional sales manager at Dragon Alliance, which makes innovative eyewear and accessories.

“We love introducing our brand to new consumers.”

Attendees can enter contests and be eligible for prizes and giveaways, plus they can purchase food and drink from an array of breweries, distilleries and food trucks.

Utah Avalanche Center is hosting a “Know Before You Go” snow-safety talk to prepare riders for backcountry adventures, while Salt Lake City photographer Bob Plumb is presenting his photo series from a recent snowboarding trip above Annapurna Base Camp in the Himalayas in north-central Nepal. A locals-only photography exhibit will also be on display.

After the sun sets, check out the North American premiere of Offline, a Nitro Snowboards movie offering an escape from the hectic online world we live in through good old-fashioned snowboarding. You can also catch the world premiere of pro-snowboarder Bode Merrill’s latest film, Contrast.

Protect Our Winters will host a climate-change panel discussion that will be recorded and streamed via pro-snowboarder

Rendezvous attendees check out the latest gear

DEREK CARLISLE

DEREK CARLISLE

Camper ReParadise shows its wares at spring Rendezvous

Dragon Alliance hands out goodies at spring Rendezvous

Sept. 28, 2-8 p.m.

The Gateway, 400 W. 100 South, SLC For festival info, visit: VamooseUtah.com/rendezvous2019 Or phone: 801-575-7003

COURTSEY OF NITRO SNOWBOARDS / BOB PLUMB

Vamoose Rendezvous

DEREK CARLISLE

Griffin Siebert’s podcast, The BootPack Show.

“We have a really amazing panel to answer questions, from professional athletes and Olympians to scientists,” Kennedy says.

Woodward Park City is the presenting sponsor for the fall Rendezvous. As a youth-inspired community, Woodward has created a 66,000-square-foot indoor and outdoor action sports facility for athletes ranging from beginners to professionals.

“At Woodward, we strive to stoke the passions of the most passionate people,” says Tucker Norred, senior marketing manager at Woodward Park City. “Rendezvous is an event to bring out your inner kid while finding your new favorite activities.”

Look for the action at the north end of the Gateway on North Rio Grande Street. Park on the street or in Gateway’s convenient parking garage.

September 2019 • Vamoose Utah | 29

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LAST

LOOK A still from the North American premiere of Nitro Snowboards’ film Offline screening at Rendezvous Photo courtsey of Nitro Snowboards/Bob Plumb

September 2019 • Vamoose Utah | 31

32 | Vamoose Utah • September 2019