Leaving the security of its nest, a curious baby burrowing owl hops short distances in search of bugs. Story begins on page 22.
Photo
by
Lydia Ripplinger
DEPARTMENTS
6 Honeycomb 10 Trivia
30 Poetry
32 Kitchens
36 Explore Utah
46 Last Laugh
FEATURES
12
Town Refuses to Give Up the Ghost
New owners of an old hotel help revive Thompson Springs with art and ingenuity.
Story by Jacque Garcia Photographs by Eric Odenthal
16
When the Deser t Blooms
Fueled by non-stop rain and snow, superblooms of wildflowers set Utah’s desert ablaze with color.
Story and photographs by Tom Till
22
Eye on the Sky
A state biologist finds her dream job surveying southwestern Utah’s diverse birds of prey. By Rachel Fixsen
40 Wild Blue Wonder
The blue waters of Bear Lake earn it the nickname “Caribbean of the Rockies.” The trout are so big they’ve been mistaken for monsters.
Story and photographs by Joshua Hardin
TOM TILL
Travel along an All-American Road with canyon overlooks, scenic valley vistas and a 502-foot dam.
Tickets $68. Full Day Bus Tour. Lunch Included.
Call (307) 382-2538 for more info!
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SPRING 2024 Volume 7, Number 2
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Iguana restaurants ask: Red or blue?
BY JOSHUA HARDIN
Mexican food aficionados are used to being asked one question when ordering an entree: red or green?
The prevalent proposition asks diners the preferred pigment of the chile covering and spice level of their dish. It’s so common that neighboring New Mexico, famous for its chile growing industry, has made it their official state question. Meanwhile, Salt Lakers have a different twist on the colors of the inquiry: Red or blue?
The state capitol has two well-established options when it comes to restaurants with Mexican heritage. While some diners have inclinations to which is favored, the rivalry between the two is friendly. And why not, both are represented by the same reptilian totem, an iguana,
and trace their roots to the same married Mexican innovators.
Ramon Cardenas, born in San Luis Potosi, and wife Maria, born in Chihuahua, shared a passion for cooking and creating recipes that featured the diverse flavors of their birth country. The couple met in San Francisco after immigrating from Mexico, wed and moved their young family to Salt Lake City where they opened the eatery Casa Grande in 1965.
“It was tough making a living at first, because most people around here didn’t know much about Mexican food in those days. There were only three Mexican restaurants, and there weren’t very many immigrants either,” Ramon said in a 1991 Salt Lake Tribune report. “People thought we were from another world when we opened our restaurant. We’d walk into the grocery store and everybody would
turn around and look at us like they were thinking, ‘Now who are they?’ ”
It took 20 years, and the couple built a loyal customer base before opening their next restaurant, Red Iguana, a name Ramon chose with the hope that few people would forget it. The original building on 300 only had four tables for up to 18 people, but frequently had lines of customers along the sidewalk anticipating an opening to eat.
When a fire destroyed the first building a year after its introduction, Red Iguana eventually moved to its current site at 736 W. North Temple St. The new space had a slightly larger dining area but the
At 12.5 feet tall and 33 feet long from head to tail, the red iguana, Xochitónal, stands outside of Red Iguana 2 (below) on W. South Temple.
restaurant’s popular reputation preceded it. Crowds gathered, yet frequently commented happily the “to die for” food was worth the wait. Thus, phrase “The Killer Mexican Food” is painted on the vintage sign outside.
The Cardenas children, Lucy and Ramon Jr., started washing glasses, greeting customers, cooking and performing other restaurant tasks at a young age. As an adult, Ramon Jr. served as head chef and, with his 6’3” frame, became a larger-than-life character that customers relished interacting with. After Ramon Jr. suddenly died from a brain aneurysm in 2004, Lucy purchased the restaurant from Ramon, Sr. Today, Lucy, husband Bill Coker and more than 150 employees continue cooking family-favorites including the Killer Nachos, Ramon Jr.’s Quesadilla San Francisco and Ramon’s Famous Fish Tacos.
The menu’s marvels of Mexican cuisine give a tour of the Southwest ranging from carnitas a la Michoacán, Yucatan cochinita pibil (barbecued pork) and papadzules (corn tortillas dipped with pumpkin seed sauce), Sonoran-style shrimp and Monterrey machaca (dried
spiced meat) with eggs. Perhaps Red Iguana’s most famous offerings are Oaxacan-inspired takes on Mexico’s national dish “mole,” passed down from generations of Cardenas cooks.
Mole is a sauce made of dried and fresh chilies, nuts, spices, herbs, vegetables and fruits. Ingredients vary and can include almonds, raisins, chocolate and banana aside protein options like chicken, turkey or pork. The plates span all colors of culinary creation: coloradito (red), negro (black), amarillo (yellow), pipian (pumpkin) and verde (green).
Immortalized in a Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives episode, host Guy Fieri exclaimed “Holy moley!” after sampling Red Iguana’s mole assortment during filming. The chef doubled down on the wordplay after the endearing pun, declaring the restaurant an example of “love, peace ... and taco grease!”
to share more Mexican food love and ventured a new downtown location. Kris Cappaert and husband Ed Primosic purchased the new site, dubbed the Blue Iguana. Sandwiched between office buildings at 165 S. West Temple St., the location might go unrecognized if not for the blue neon-lit canopy and tunneled staircase descending to an alley entrance draped by a rainbow of papel picado “fiesta” banners.
Blue Iguana’s recipes are reverent of their origin (both Iguanas share a rendition of Killer Nachos for example) but veer into different directions. Cappaert and Primosic travel to Mexico multiple times yearly on the lookout for new menu ideas. Head chef Manuel Castillo applies artistic techniques to dishes, from the familiar enchiladas suizas to unexpected fare gleaned from uncovered precolonial Aztec recipes.
A time-honored plate is Molcajete, consisting of grilled steak, chicken, shrimp, chiles, cactus and bacon-wrapped cheesestuffed jalapenos in a tomatillo sauce sprinkled with panela cheese served in a stone bowl. Blue Iguana’s mouthwatering take on margaritas, especially the “Iguanarita,” made with tequila, triple sec, Rose’s Lime Juice and a custom mix, also garner rave reviews.
By 1998 the Cardenas family sought
Expansion has come again for both restaurants. Red Iguana opened a lasting second location, 866 W. South Temple St., surprisingly about two blocks away from its first. Red Iguana 2 would be a curious decision for most businesses, but helped the restaurant weather reduced traffic from a light rail construction project on their street. The nearby spot also reduces the wait times, maybe just a little bit. Recently, another incarnation, the quick-service Taste of Red Iguana opened at City Creek Center Food Court, 28 S. State St., while Blue Iguana opened a new location in the A-East Terminal of the Salt Lake City International Airport. With even more answers to Salt Lakers’ question, “Red or blue?” the Cardenas legacy looks to be in good hands.
Johana Ortiz serves at Blue Iguana at 165 S. West Temple St. in Salt Lake City. Eclectic wall decor is an important part of the Red Iguana experience and atmosphere.
JOSHUA HARDIN (ALL)
Utah has played starring role in many Westerns
BY TOM HESS
Utah first appeared in a major Hollywood movie, The Deadwood Coach, in 1924, a century ago. To mark the 2024 centennial, Gibbs Smith, a publisher in Layton, has released a new edition of a 2010 book on Hollywood’s undying affection for Utah. The 2024 edition includes a foreword by Hollywood actor and director Kevin Costner of Yellowstone fame.
Costner is filming four Western movies in Utah under the title Horizon: An American Saga. The first chapter is expected in theaters June 28. In his foreword to When Hollywood Came to Utah: Centennial Edition, Costner tries to explain why he chose Utah over New Mexico and other locations.
“I don’t know that I chose Utah,” Costner wrote. “What I do believe is that Utah had been speaking to me for a long time, since I was a little boy, really. Whispering. Showing off its quiet beauty. Confident
that I would someday come here. That I would one day come, and that it would work its magic so deeply into my soul that it would mark me forever. I honestly believe that. … A steady wind has been pushing me my whole life to this point. To Utah. To Horizon.”
The Hollywood book covers Utah’s movie history by county and one of the many movies and TV shows filmed there: Iron (Drums Along the Mohawk, 1939), Washington (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance
Kid, 1969), Kane (The Outlaw Josey Wales, 1976), San Juan (The Searchers, 1956), and Grand (The Comancheros, 1961). The new chapter in the centennial edition is “A New Horizon.” The chapter is built in part on the author James V. D’Arc’s 2023 interview with Costner in Moab, discussing Horizon’s filming location.
“I am haunted when I see this location,” Costner said. “I can’t walk away from it. I can’t disown it. Even when it didn’t make economic sense to come here and shoot it, I still came, because it would not have been the same movie. Every morning, and throughout the day, I stop while directing and look around in gratitude at what the majesty of these mountains and these rivers have afforded me.”
When Hollywood Came to Utah: Centennial Edition By James D’Arc
Published by Gibbs Smith
360 pages, hardcover, $45
1956’s The Searchers was shot in San Juan county. Yellowstone’s Kevin Costner chose Utah to film his four Western movies.
WARNER BROS.; LINSON ENTERTAINMENT (BOTTOM)
TRIVIA
BLOOMS
1 With a range in Utah that spans deserts to mountain slopes, Indian paintbrush owes its dazzling display of red, orange, yellow, pink and purple hues not to flowering petals, but what plant part?
2
Pedicularis groenlandica grows in Utah’s marshy lands and mountain stream beds. The flower’s twisted upper petals and two side lobes resemble the head of which animal?
3 Made by steeping the woody stems – not the flower-like spores – of the ephedra plant, “Mormon tea” is reported to have health benefits for treating hay fever, asthma, sinus congestion and headaches, thanks to this pick-me-up chemical compound that is also available as a little red pill.
4 In early August, you can find more than 120 different floral
5 The largest-known living tree in the world is Pando – a 106acre stand of 47,000 genetically identical, interconnected quaking aspens in Fish Lake National Forest. While aspens produce seeds from fuzzy blooming flower clusters called catkins, Pando’s growth of new trees comes from its long root system (12 miles if laid end to end). What does the Latin word “pando” mean in English? GENERAL
species – including columbine, Jacob’s ladder and lupine – in this area within Little Cottonwood Canyon. What is the name of the area – synonymous with bowl, vessel or trough?
DANIEL LINDHARDT
questions by LUCAS McFARLANE
MULTIPLE CHOICE
6
Convolvulus arvensis is a noxious climbing weed that poses a threat to Utah agriculture. What is the common name of this gnarly plant?
a. Phragmites
b. Field bindweed
c. Scotch thistle
7
Which water-loving, heattolerant trees create a snowlike effect in late spring when their blooms are fully developed and they float away on the wind?
a. Lilac
b. Desert willow
c. Cottonwood
8
Commonly found in the desert plains of Utah, this padforming cactus may feature yellow, orange, violet or pink blooms.
a. Mammillaria
b. Peyote
c. Prickly pear
9
Utah’s soil is typically alkaline and made of sand or clay. Which of these blooming perennials does not do well in this soil?
a. Rhododendron
b. Hydrangea
c. Lilac
10
This invasive ornamental is prohibited by the Utah Department of Food and Agriculture. It produces unimposing blooms with yellow bracts and contains a latex sap throughout the entire plant structure that irritates the skin.
a. Dame’s rocket
b. Myrtle spurge
c. Musk thistle
TRUE OR FALSE
11
For the best tulip growth, plant your winter-hardy bulbs in your home gardens in November.
12
After an infestation of crickets destroyed early Mormon pioneers’ crops in the mid-1800s, they watched Native Americans eat sego lily bulbs and did likewise, saving them from starvation.
13
Jimson weed is a poisonous native plant whose large white blooms open in the evening and morning and fade during the day.
14 The Utah Department of Natural Resources recommends picking wildflowers as a keepsake.
15
Like other legumes, southwest Utah’s desert rock pea (Acmispon rigidus) captures carbon from the atmosphere and stores it in the soil.
NPS/KAIT THOMAS (ABOVE AND BELOW)
Couple breathes life into Thompson Springs with art and ingenuity
Town refuses to give up the ghost
story by JACQUE GARCIA photographs by ERIC ODENTHAL
Thompson Springs is a little like Pluto, the former planet. Thompson Springs is no longer a town in Grand County, but it’s not a ghost town either. With just 40 residents for decades, it’s called a “census-designated place,” – i.e., we’re not all dead and gone, just mostly; and mostly known for being close to something even more ancient: pictographs and petroglyphs.
One commercial building – count it, one! – has stood the test of time and remained open and in use as the town’s cultural hub and social center: the Desert Moon Hotel.
Thompson Springs was a mining town, and miners and prospectors kept the Desert Moon busy.
AJ Rogers, born in Thompson Springs in 1953, paints a picture of a bustling center of business it once was.
“I’ve been there longer than anyone else still kicking,” Rogers said. “There were many miners and prospectors that kept our hotel and cafe busy. It was like the gold rush. People came from all over the world to stake their claim.”
Rogers’ grandparents built the hotel in the 1930s, complete with a cafe and an open-air dance hall. They were pioneers of a sort, leaving family and friends in Idaho for a new life in the desert. Their hotel has gone through a lot of changes since then, most recently in the hands of new owners, John Ripley and Bridget Adams.
In much of the same spirit, they were pioneers, too. When Ripley and Adams moved to the area, they brought with them a dream to bring more art and expression to the town. They purchased and have since refurbished the Desert Moon Hotel and RV Park, complete with the old dance hall, rumored to have been the mining-era brothel.
John Ripley and Bridget Adams became Desert Moon’s new owners in 2020 with the ambition to create a space for art and expression. The hotel has seen many changes since it opened in the 1930 – most recently, refurbishment and a colorful palette.
“We wanted to help revitalize the town,” Ripley said. The couple came in the middle of 2020 when the world was going crazy, a good opportunity to create something new.
The world changed during the pandemic, so they set off to build a new life together: one that allows them and others to express themselves and feel free.
Adams and Ripley are both entrepreneurs and artists: Adams a tattoo artist and Ripley a festival promoter. The two met in the festival world, both playing their own role to create a space in Thompson Springs for art and expression. According to the two, this experience is key to the world they hope to create at the Desert Moon.
Since they purchased the hotel, they’ve hosted a musician’s retreat, thrown a small music festival and covered the walls of the hotel in murals. And they’re getting involved in the small town more deeply than simply owning the hotel: Ripley is an active member of the town’s water board, and Adams worked as the board’s secretary.
It’s hard to build in the desert without considering resource usage. They talk about building a “sustainable desert resort.” And to that end, they got rid of the
“Having a space in the desert, it’s so wide open that it’s possible to totally immerse yourself.”
– Bridget Adams
coal boiler, replaced propane appliances with electric and are converting their building to solar.
Their vision for the hotel includes a food truck, an event space, a garden, a tattoo shop and a trading post. With housing prices pushing locals farther from Moab, plus the I-70 highway traffic, they’re optimistic they’ll have the business to support these ventures. Already, the hotel is routinely fully booked during the spring and fall high season, and the RV park hosts eight full-time residents.
As for AJ Rogers, he has been observing the progress of the hotel since it changed ownership and has seen the town grow as a result.
He is pleased to see paint on some of the buildings and an effort to clean up the town, but he would not want to see Thompson Springs get crowded. “This town could use a few good people – a few,” he said.
Ripley and Adams support Rogers’ sentiment. As Adams puts it, “Having a space in the desert, it’s so wide open that it’s possible to totally immerse yourself. I hope it’s always a space for people to come and get away from it all. To relax and breathe and be a part of the desert.”
BRIDGET ADAMS
Sego Canyon, north of the Desert Moon Hotel, features ruins of mining ghost towns and petroglyphs on the cliffsides.
Winter snow and spring showers give life to wildflowers across Utah’s deserts.
Moab photographer Tom Till captured datura, a night bloomer, before sunrise when the blossoms close.
Tom Till captures superblooms across Utah’s desert landscape
When the Desert Blooms
story and
Wby TOM TILL
ildflowers love Utah’s desert after rain and snow. I experienced and photographed my first superbloom – a rare event where a massive amount of wildflowers bloom at once – in May 1979 and have since spent a lifetime pursuing the ultimate Utah desert wildflower photos.
After a winter and spring where the snow and rain seemed to never stop, I saw fields of lupine along the Colorado River near my home in Moab. The opposite of most of the warm-colored desert flora, lupine is a vibrant blue and usually grows at higher elevations, but this one and only time it covered the area called Richardson Amphitheater. I have gone back to the area many times, but have only ever seen a few spindly plants.
Later that year, in what is now a Moab Valley subdivision, yellow bee plant covered giant fields. Many years later, I saw a similar display that was so big I had to use a drone to show just part of it. The smell was intoxicating as I walked through the flowers.
In May 1997, I stumbled onto a superbloom on the way to Capitol Reef National Park. As soon as I left I-70, I was surrounded on all sides by millions of desert primrose plants in bloom. As I drove to Hanksville, stopping often to shoot with my 4x5 camera, I remembered visiting this area five months earlier, when three feet of snow covered the ground, and the roads were unplowed. It had to be that amazing event, I figured, that caused this inspiring sight.
Late on the same day, I was shooting bee flowers near Hanksville with Factory Butte in the background. I looked down to the ground and saw blooms emerging from cracked earth that was gray but becoming bluer as the sunset approached. Looking straight down, I shot an intimate landscape of that scene, and it later became a bestseller in my Moab gallery. Customers would often ask if I had planted the flowers myself. My gardening skills could never compete with Mother Nature.
Last winter and spring followed a non-stop period of rain and snow in the
Wildflower seeds and bulbs may remain in Utah’s parched soil for decades, awaiting perfect conditions to bloom. At Factory Butte near Hanksville, yellow bee plant thrives during rare periods of superbloom. Beautiful
Moab area. It ended a 20-year drought – the worst since the ancient Native Americans were plagued by the same thing. There was so much snow that I am certain some of it in the nearby La Sal Mountains didn’t melt last summer.
Overall, it was the best bloom I have seen in my 50 years here. One area along the Colorado River had thousands of prickly pear cactus blooms. It wasn’t
just the number; at times it was the size. Prince’s plume blooms – spiky yellow sabers – were over 10 feet tall.
I would often spend hours shooting the ultra-crimson blooms of the claret cup cactus and the snowy white primroses that grow along canyon rims. Nature surprises me with its sudden bursts of beauty. Can life in the desert get better than that?
photographs
phacelia and yellow bee plant, left, push through cracks of dried mud near Factory Butte.
Lilies often appear in the annual blooms in the La Sal and Abajo mountains. After a drought-busting winter and spring, Dead Horse Point State Park, above, was ground zero for the 2023 superbloom – a desert photographer’s dream come true.
DESERT
EYE ONTHE SKY
Ride along with a state biologist who keeps watch over birds of prey
by RACHEL FIXSEN
As a great horned owl displays her defensive posture against an incoming peregrine falcon, biologists in Cedar City record the birds’ health and habitat for the Division of Wildlife Resources. Observation is integral to the conservation of Utah’s raptor population.
LLOW, GRAY CLOUDS threaten rain – or maybe snow – over Cedar City as Danielle Finlayson steers a Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) pickup truck to the start of the raptor survey loop she’s been following twice a month all winter.
Finlayson is the conservation species biologist for the Utah DWR’s Southern region, and she’s collecting the last round of data for the season on the Cedar Valley Route, which has been surveyed for three decades.
We’ve only been on the road a few minutes when Finlayson’s sharp eye spots a bird, what looks like a white ball of fluff perched on a powerline. She confidently identifies it as a kestrel, noting its position and size (roughly between that of a robin and a crow). Kestrels are known for seeking prey from perches on powerlines, she tells me. Another giveaway is that kestrels often bob their tails up and down. This one isn’t, but a look through binoculars reveals the bird’s characteristic rust tones and speckles, and the slate-gray areas on its head and wings; Finlayson can tell it’s a male.
She pulls out a silver clipboard with a data sheet to record the observation. Later she’ll enter the information into a database, gradually adding to the body of observations that have been collected using the same protocols for many years.
Monitoring data helps DWR understand the habits and health of wildlife in the state, which in turn informs the Utah Wildlife Action Plan, a guide for managing species that need conservation attention. The current version of the action plan was adopted in 2015, and it is being updated now.
We spot a large bird with a band of white on its tail. Finlayson identifies it right away as a ferruginous hawk, the largest of the North American Buteo hawks. An identifying characteristic is its large “gape” – the corners of its mouth stretch to behind its eyes.
Last year, Finlayson found a ferruginous hawk nest on a platform next to a set of railway tracks, with a ladder conveniently leading to it. She placed numbered
KRISTA HONG EDWARDS
bands on the chicks as quickly and gently as possible. These identifying tags allow biologists to track birds’ movements, behaviors and life cycles.
The populations of raptor species seen on the Cedar Valley survey route are generally healthy, and so not a high monitoring priority for DWR, but the information gathered is still valuable. Finlayson continues to survey the loop to maintain the continuity of the data. And it’s fun. She’s seen as many as 70 raptors on this route.
Finlayson has been in her position for about a year, and she loves it. Early in college, she tried different majors until she landed on wildlife biology. She remembers thinking, yup, this is where I belong.
She completed a master’s degree at Brigham Young University, where part of her final project focused on golden eagles. By analyzing images from cameras placed around springs in the West Desert, Finlayson observed that golden eagles
A bald eagle watches over its domain in southern Utah. Division of Wildlife Resources biologist Danielle Finlayson documents health and habitat of raptors. A prairie falcon mother looks after her chicks. She has returned to the same nest for more than 10 years.
use those water sources for drinking and bathing – refuting a common idea that the species meets all of its water needs through its prey.
GOLDEN EAGLES ARE a favorite of Finlayson’s. Not only did she study them for her graduate program, but she admires their hunting skill and fighting spirit. She’s seen video of a golden eagle, with a wingspan of about 6 feet, attacking a California condor, with a wingspan as long as 10 feet.
Finlayson is so familiar with the survey route that she expects to find certain species in specific trees. She pulls over to scan a cottonwood in the distance, looking for her favorite bird.
“Usually this is the one spot on the survey I’ll get goldens,” she said. Through a spotting scope she can identify a hulking bird in the tree’s branches.
“One of the reasons I know he’s a golden is they have really beautiful golden
feathers on the nape of the neck,” she explained, describing a detail perceptible through the powerful scope. It also has a smaller, daintier bill than a bald eagle, she said.
Elsewhere on the route, Finlayson spots a raptor over a field, and she can tell by its size and the slow flapping of its wings that it’s a bald eagle, even though it’s a juvenile and does not yet have its distinctive white head and tail.
“He was so dark – that’s probably a first year,” Finlayson said. Bald eagles, she explains, take five years to mature, and their white pattern gradually appears over that time. They can live for up to 30 years.
Bald eagles have a conservation comeback story. They were considered endangered in the lower 48 states as early as the 1960s. In the 1970s, the Environmental Protection Agency banned the use of DDT, a pesticide that was effective in controlling mosquitoes and other pests but washed into waterways and was absorbed by fish. Bald eagles that ate those fish developed health problems that caused them to produce weak shells that reduced the success rate of eagle chicks.
By the 1990s, the species had recovered enough that it was moved from the endangered to the threatened list; in 2007, it was delisted completely.
Other birds continue to face threats to their survival. California condors, the largest land birds in North America, were nearly extinct in the 1980s. Conserva-
UTAH DIVISION OF WILDLIFE RESOURCES; TAYLOR KENNEDY/ALAMY (LEFT)
LYDIA RIPPLINGER (BOTH)
In a marsh in southwest Utah, a barn owl searches for its meal, typically up to 12 mice. As a baby burrowing owl gets ready to leave its nest, it will pursue anything that gets its attention, including a nearby quiet photographer or wildlife biologist.
tionists increased their numbers through captive breeding efforts, and birds were released back into the wild in the 1990s and 2000s. Now there are 300 wild California condors in the United States, with some living in southwest Utah.
California condor recovery has slowed because of lead poisoning. Lead bullets used by hunters fragment upon impact. When a game animal is harvested, some of the fragments remain in the discarded waste. Scavenging wildlife then inadvertently consume the lead. California condors are exclusively scavengers, and therefore are highly vulnerable to lead poisoning.
“Even this year, we’ve had quite a few lead deaths,” Finlayson said.
DWR encourages hunters to use nonlead ammunition, especially if hunting in the Zion unit, where California condors are known to live. Finlayson heads the
non-lead ammunition initiative, through which DWR offers hunters vouchers to purchase non-lead ammo.
A HUNTER HERSELF, Finlayson is familiar with the reasons some have been reluctant to make the shift to non-lead ammunition. Many believe non-lead ballistics are inferior, but Finlayson says technology has improved to the degree that she finds non-lead bullets perform as well or better than lead.
“I know a lot of people now who use it not because of environmental reasons, but because they prefer the ballistics,” she said.
She also acknowledges that some hunters just have a large stockpile of lead ammunition, and they don’t want it to go to waste. Hunters who want to use lead ammunition can still protect raptors by packing out the gut piles from the animals
they harvest. If they can show the DWR that they’ve done so, or that they’re hunting with non-lead ammo, they can enter to win a raffle prize.
We finished the roughly 35-mile route in about two hours and saw a total of 13 raptors of six different species – not a lot, compared to what Finlayson sees in midwinter, but enough to make the journey rewarding.
We saw harrier and red-tailed hawks, in addition to ferruginous hawks, golden and bald eagles and kestrels. The second kestrel lifted off from its perch and flew a distance, then came to a hover in midair, flapping its wings but remaining stationary.
“I could just watch them do that all day,” Finlayson said.
Watching wildlife helps Finlayson understand the health of the ecosystem, but it can also be a simple delight.
Found often along Finlayson’s route, American kestrels, left, are the smallest raptors in North America, but can still catch both rodents and other small birds for their prey. Nesting along Duck Creek near Cedar Mountain, osprey are excellent fishermen – catch, but no release.
DIXIE LEE PHOTOGRAPHY; LYDIA RIPPLINGER (LEFT)
POETRY
MICHAEL GREENE
As the land awaken for summer, Utah shares her voice, inspiring poets to record the sounds for all to hear.
Sounds of Utah
Jim Garman, Richfield
What sounds of Utah are we able to hear, and are they faint, or perfectly clear. I have to tell you I really don’t know, still listening for the sound of falling snow.
Of course you can hear a Jazz basketball game, if they win or lose, noise will not take the blame.
Listen to the wild animals at Hogle Zoo, or is hearing a roaring river just for you?
At the airport, sounds of planes coming down, at a Jordan Circus, you can listen to a clown. A statewide minor attraction, Jello being slurped, maybe it wasn’t slurping, maybe they burped.
Resonance of Utah
Garry Glidden, St. George
There lies a symphony of sound in the heart of Utah’s vast expanse, where crimson canyons carve stories in stone and mountains stand sentinel over desert plains.
Listen closely to the skies, where hawks soar on thermal waves. Their piercing cries are echoed through the canyons, a testament to freedom’s flight.
In the quiet moments at dawn, mourning doves sing their melancholy tune, a lament for the passing night, yet a harbinger of the promise of a new day.
Running waters cascade over ancient rocks in the valleys, where rivers rush. Their rhythmic melody is a timeless refrain as they carve their path through the land.
Amongst the sagebrush and scrub oak, roadrunners dart with lightning speed. Their quick footsteps are a percussion of the desert floor, a dance of survival in the harsh landscape.
In the stillness of twilight, owls call out from their hidden perches. Their haunting hoots pierce the darkness, guiding travelers through the night.
Feel the whisper of the winds as they sweep through canyon walls. Their gentle sighs are a reminder of nature’s power and the ever-changing face of the land.
In the heart of bustling towns, church bells ring across the streets. Their solemn toll is a call to worship and a reminder of the community’s strength.
Amidst the laughter and joy, merry-go-rounds spin in circles. Their cheerful chimes blend with children’s delight, a carousel of innocence and wonder. In the sanctuaries of solitude, silence reigns supreme. It is a sacred symphony of stillness, where the soul savors quiet contemplation.
But amidst the serenity, children’s laughter rings out, a joyful chorus of innocence, as they chase dreams under the Utah sun.
And in the stadiums and arenas, where sports fans gather in fervent devotion, cheers erupt like thunder, A cacophony of passion and pride.
In Utah’s tapestry of sound, from the heights of the mountains to the depths of the valleys, every note, every echo, weaves a story of the land and its people.
Wind
David Rosier, Spring City
People make predictions for our storms and sunshine in the desert we call home. They’re always right when they say wind will howl, will tear across the country, often hot and dry or blistering with ice and cold, screeching from the south southwest in fits
of fury, gusting, growling, grating, crassa common sound in Utah’s dusty waste, all turbulent, cacophonous and harsh, a wounded lion roaring in the night. Yet somehow, to the homegrown soul it shrieks of hearth and recognizable affairs.
Utah’s Symphony
L. Brent Jones, St. George
the quiet, of the darkened night, is shattered, by the dawn, and the sounds, of a reawakening, with its, contemplating yawn.
that’s where, the sounds of Utah will begin, as we let those sounds, come in, which will transform, our very thinking, where distractions, now grow thin.
the timely rooster’s crow, awakens us, and invites the birds, to sing along, from meadow larks, to cooing doves, then the seagull, comes in strong.
if you listen close, you’ll hear their melody, that brings peace, to consciousness, which will welcome in, a brand new day, with so many things, to bless.
now your ears are tuned, to nature’s call, which open eyes, to see, the beauty, that surrounds you, that sets, your spirit free.
that’s where Utah, plays its symphony, with sounds, that are unique, that brings a majesty, of sights and sounds, and if you’ll listen, they will speak.
the rushing wind, through a sandstone arch, the quiet trickle, of a stream, the rustling, of a gentle breeze, like a soundtrack, to a dream.
the splashing, of a skipping stone, over clear blue, mountain lakes, as the wildlife stop, to sing along, with the sounds, the river makes.
the call of cattle, in a meadow green, as the sprinklers, set the beat, as the farmers, add their tractor’s hum, down one row, then repeat.
then add to that, the sounds of love, that our precious, people bring. then come and see, and come and hear, the song, that Utah sings.
The Cecret Sounds of Hiking
Ellen R. Liebelt, South Jordan
The crunch of the gravel as you hike the trail
The click of a beetle as it hides near by
The burble of the stream as it tumbles along
The buzz of bees as they visit colorful blooms
The rustle of leaves as a breeze briefly cools
The caw of a raven as it flies high overhead
The chatter of a chipmunk as it sits on a rock
The hum of a jet as it crosses the clear sky
The swish of water as it quenches your thirst
The greeting of others as if encouraging on
The quiet of the sun as it sparkles on the lake
The sigh of relief as you rest at your goal!
SEND YOUR POEMS on the theme “On the Road” for the Summer issue, deadline June 15, and “Canyons” for the Fall issue, deadline July 15. Send to poetry@utahlifemag.com or to the mailing address at the front of this magazine.
SCOTT BAXTER
South of the BORDER
No shortage of flavor in this culture-packed cuisine
Recipes and photographs by DANELLE McCOLLUM
SOMETIMES ADDING SOME spice to life is a necessity at the dinner table, which is easy to do with this collection of suppers from south of the border. Thanks to the combination of savory and fresh flavors almost always present in Mexican food, dishes like the “Slow Cooker Chicken Posole” are favorites no matter the season. Settle in and celebrate this culture through Mexico’s cuisine.
Slow Cooker Chicken Posole
This slow cooker soup is perfect to leave simmering away during the day for a stellar dinner later. The recipe features warm chicken and broth to contrast with cool and fresh veggies and is perfect for picky eaters when you serve toppings and mix-ins on the side.
In the bowl of a slow cooker, combine the broth, hominy, diced tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, garlic and seasonings. Add the uncooked chicken breasts. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred. Return the chicken to the slow cooker, along with the 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. Season soup with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with desired optional toppings, including: lime wedges, sliced radishes, diced avocado, chopped onion or green onion, diced tomato, chopped cilantro, cotija cheese and hot sauce.
4 cups chicken broth
1 25 oz can hominy, drained
1 10 oz can diced tomatoes and green chiles
1 10 oz can green enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp paprika
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped Salt and pepper, to taste
Ser ves 8
Green Chile Chicken Chimichangas
These baked chicken chimichangas are set to satisfy any craving, loaded with savory flavors, chicken and cheese. The chicken for this recipe also works well in tacos, enchiladas and burritos. Make a big batch and serve leftovers.
Add the chicken to a lightly greased slow cooker. Combine the diced tomatoes and green chiles, spices and cornstarch in a small bowl; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours. Shred chicken with 2 forks and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Preheat oven to 425°. Spray a large cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Combine the shredded chicken mixture with the cheese. Fill tortillas with chicken and cheese mixture. Roll up tortillas burrito style, tucking the ends in, and place them seam side down on the cookie sheet. Spray the tops of the chimichangas generously with non-stick cooking spray. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Meanwhile, combine the salsa verde, sour cream, cream or half and half, lime juice and honey in a medium saucepan. Simmer over gentle heat until slightly thickened and bubbly. Spoon sauce over chimichangas before serving. Garnish with sour cream, tomatoes, avocado, shredded lettuce, additional cheese and cilantro, if desired.
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cornstarch
Salt and pepper, to taste
6-8 medium size flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 16 oz jar salsa verde
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp honey
Ser ves 6-8
What’s in Your Recipe Box?
We are interested in featuring your favorite family recipes. Send them (and memories inspired by your recipes) to editor@utahlifemag.com.
Grilled Steak Tacos with Mexican Crema
This recipe features simple, fresh ingredients that don’t need a lot of work to be delicious. With three basic ingredients, those who want an easy supper need only add preferred toppings to please everyone around the table. Try the crema on other dishes, too.
Cut skirt steak into 10-12-inch strips. On a large baking sheet, drizzle steak with olive oil, turning to coat evenly. Season with steak seasoning of your choice, salt and pepper. Preheat grill to medium high heat. Place steak on grill and cook 4-6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Remove from grill and slice steak into thin strips. Serve in warm tortillas with Mexican crema and your favorite taco toppings. To make the crema: whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate until serving.
2-3 lbs skirt steak
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp steak seasoning
Salt and pepper, to taste
Small flour or corn tortillas
Crema
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp adobo sauce (from canned chipotle peppers)
1-2 Tbsp lime juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
Ser ves 8
Rodeo honors Cedar City girl who loved horses
The rodeo at Cross Hollows Arenas memorializes Cedar City youth Wendy Wood, who is remembered for suffering a head injury from a horse-riding accident at age 5 and afterward never giving up on her dream of rodeo.
Wood’s parents found a horse she could ride – one that could sense when Wendy began losing her balance, enabling her to compete in Little Britches Rodeo. Wendy died shortly after graduating from Cedar High School. The Cedar City Rodeo Committee named the rodeo for Wendy. Now a PRCA event, this rodeo honors families with special needs children. Sky Nine Ranch of New Harmony is host, and Stephen Wade Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram of St. George is sponsor. Events include breakaway roping, mutton busting, and
more. The rodeo stays exciting with PRCA’s top talent competing, along with young‘uns new to the rodeo arena. Purchase tickets at sky9events.com.
Wendy Wood Memorial Rodeo MAY 31-JUNE 1, CEDAR CITY
WHAT TO SEE
Historic Rock Church
From 1931 to 1934, volunteers hauled rocks by wagon to build the church and carved benches, stairs, and moldings by hand from Rocky Mountain junipers.
75 E. Center St., (435) 572-0304
WHERE TO EAT
The Pub Craft Kitchen
Eat like a local and try the Chipotle Cheese Bagel, a BLT with ham, turkey, bacon and onions topped with chipotle spread and cream cheese on a freshbaked cheese bagel.
86 W. Center St., (435) 867-1400.
Young riders start by holding onto their sheep as long as they can. More dangerous events include wrestling steer to the ground.
LENSTREK PHOTOGRAPHY
Party band brings fun jams to festival
The Ogden Music Festival brings together Utah bluegrass and Americana bands and their fans.
Pixie & The Partygrass Boys began as a group of ski bums playing house parties in the Cottonwood Canyons of Salt Lake City. Remembered for their silly outfits and sing-along anthems, the band has been touring since the release of their 2018 debut EP Utah Made. Their fourth album, The Chicken Coop Sessions: Vol. 1, pays homage to the house parties they played.
Josie O and The Big Six lamented the lack of Honky Tonk music in the Wasatch. This boot-stomping super group features members of Pixie & The Partygrass Boys, Pompe ‘n Honey, The Hollering Pines, Theoretical Blonde and Hot House West. Blending country classics with original compositions and a touch of old-time flare, Josie O and The Big Six explore the origins of the yodel.
Get headliner tickets for Molly Tuttle, Say She She and more at ofoam.org/ogden-music-festival. (385) 240-0994.
Ogden Music Festival MAY 31-JUNE 2, FORT BUENAVENTURA
WHAT TO SEE
Utah State Railroad Museum
Children of all ages love trains. The Wattis-Dumke Model Railroad sends four model trains through recreations of the Lucin Trestle, Union Station and 25th Street. 2501 Wall Ave., (801) 629-8680.
WHERE TO EAT
Angry Goat Pub & Kitchen
Located in historic downtown Ogden, the Angry Goat serves appetizers, lunches and dinners that evoke country life, with service that matches country hospitality. The Rosemary Chicken dinner entrée is 8 oz. of chicken marinated in rosemary and garlic. Sides include oven-roasted beets and sweet potato tots. 2570 Washington Blvd., (801) 675-5757.
OTHER EVENTS YOU MAY ENJOY
JUNE
BRYCE CANYON ASTRONOMY FESTIVAL
JUNE 5, BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK
Bryce Canyon is an International Dark Sky Park, offering a clear nighttime view of planets, stars and the Milky Way around the time of a new moon, when the moon rises and sets with the sun. The festival includes astronomy-themed activities during day and night. Utah State Route 63, (435) 834-5322.
UTAH SUMMER GAMES OPENING CEREMONY
JUNE 7, CEDAR CITY
Ten thousand athletes will parade through Southern Utah University’s Eccles Coliseum, kicking off summer games for tennis, gymnastics, golf, volleyball, horseshoes, corn hole, basketball, baseball, volleyball and more. 352 W. University Blvd., (435) 865-8421
KOKOPELLI RELAY
JUNE 7-8, MOAB
Cyclists team up – from four to eight person teams – for a 530-mile ride beginning in Moab, continuing through Friday night, with a total of 24 legs, taking the backroads of southern Utah, through two national parks, and ending in Ivins. (801) 851-5520.
TRIVIA
ANSWERS
Questions on pages 10-11
1 Modified leaves called “bracts”
2 Elephant (common name: elephant’s head)
3 Ephedrine
4 Albion Basin
5 “I spread”
6 b. Field bindweed
7 c. Cottonwood
8 c. Prickly pear
9 a. Rhododendron
10 b. Myrtle spurge
11 False. Plant in September or early October.
12 True
13 True
14 False. Pollinators, birds and other critters rely on wildflowers for food and habitat.
15 False. Desert rock pea and other legumes capture nitrogen.
Trivia Photographs
Page 10 Albion Basin
Page 11, top Sego lily
Page 11, bottom Prickly pear cactus
Hundreds of artists, vendors and festival-goers celebrate musical arts in Ogden every year.
OGDEN MUSIC FESTIVAL
WILD BLUE WONDER
The waters of Bear Lake defy description. So do the raspberry shakes.
BEAR LAKE’S BLUE WATER is so stunning it boggles the mind. Vibrant shades of turquoise pop against the surrounding mountains, with crystal clear water creating the effect of a giant natural swimming pool.
The lake sits on an ancient seabed, and over thousands of years the water has dissolved the limestone and suspended tiny particles in the water. That’s what gives the lake its unique and striking blue-green color – the limestone reflects the sunlight in a way that makes the water look almost electric.
Hikers who explore near the lake can see evidence of this unique geological feature in the exposed limestone cliffs and formations.
As the weather warms, sailors unfurl a spectrum of bright spinnakers harnessing the wind. Sunbathers recline on beach towels laid upon the white sand of the lake’s surrounding rim. Picnickers unpack vivid umbrellas and ice-filled coolers. Fly fisherman calmly cast neon lines that bounce into the breeze and undulating waves of shallow coves.
Newcomers might be forgiven for briefly mistaking this place for idyllic getaways like Aruba or Jamaica. The clue that this is a more northerly locale is the snow that coats on the Wasatch and Bear River ranges in winter. It’s no coincidence vacationers and locals alike call Bear Lake “The Caribbean of the Rockies.”
Travelers converge at this northern Utah corner where the lake straddles the Idaho border while sitting only 15 miles west of Wyoming. Motorists driving between Salt Lake City and Yellowstone National Park, 275 miles north, find Bear Lake a welcoming stop.
Those arriving from the lake’s west on U.S. Highway 89, the Logan Canyon Scenic Byway, cut through sheer cliffs and verdant forests of lodgepole, ponderosa and aspen before cresting to a dramatic rise at The Bear Lake Overlook and Visitor Center. The view here presents a panorama of the sparkling sapphire waterbody seemingly hovering above fields of petite yellow wildflowers.
ONE SUGGESTED TRAIL near the overlook is the 1.5-mile Limber Pine Nature Trail leading to a giant 560-year-old tree. After leaving Logan Canyon, the road descends to Garden City, population 630, named for the successful vegetable and fruit crops cultivated by the area’s first settlers.
Those arriving from the lake’s east on State Highway 30 pass through a gentle ascent over high plains through hills dotted with black volcanic boulders and fragrant juniper trees. Shortly after the blue shape of the lake comes into view, the road arrives at Laketown, population 300. This agricultural community is home to rodeo grounds, fields planted by fruit growers and a Daughters of Utah Pioneers museum holding local farming relics that the public can view by appointment.
Both settlements serve as hubs to explore the nearly 20-mile-long expanse of Bear Lake. Taking the northern route on Cisco Road from the intersection at Laketown leads up the lake’s east shore.
Happy campers can find spots with uninterrupted waterfront views at Cisco Beach and South Eden Campground, Rainbow Cove with its adjacent campground or North Eden Campground at the Utah-Idaho border.
Power boaters, kayakers, paddleboarders and fishers can be found at Bear Lake State Park. Vistors shouldn’t miss the famed raspberry shake, available at most stops along Bear Lake Boulevard but most noticeably at LaBeau’s with its 10-foot tall rotating shake.
story and photogrpahs by JOSHUA HARDIN
Here lies a subduction zone where a dipping fault created the lake more than 250,000 years ago. Tectonic subsidence continues today, slowly deepening the lake along the eastern side, though RVers and sleepers in tents rarely feel the ground move.
Westward beyond Laketown, the road rounds along Rendezvous Beach, now a district of Bear Lake State Park named for the location of the Rocky Mountain Rendezvous held in the summers of 1827 and 1828. Mountain men including Jedediah Smith and Jim Bridger convened here to trade with fellow Anglo trappers and the Shoshone, Ute and Bannock tribes.
Mountain man Philip Covington described the rendezvous in his journal: “Plenty of fine horses, plenty of fine brandy and whiskey at $2.00 a pint or tin cup full, plenty of goods and groceries of almost every description. Horse racing and shooting were carried on to a considerable degree, while card-playing and drinking was not neglected.”
Rendezvous Beach has long been a meeting place and may be the birthplace of Bear Lake’s moniker. Historical records suggest British-Canadian fur-trader Donald McKenzie is the first person of European descent known to have seen the lake.
After following the Bear River upstream on a hunting expedition and attending an Indian gathering on the beach in 1819, McKenzie named the area Black Bear Lake, later shortened to Bear Lake, for the surroundings’ abundance of black bears.
AS HIGHWAY 30 AGAIN curves northward aside the lake’s west shore, other rocky beaches attract sun-seekers who stop to observe the lake’s ever-morphing blue color. Beachgoers also search the water for the so-called Bear Lake Monster, a serpent that swims faster than a horse runs on land.
The lake’s unique water properties led to the evolution of several endemic species not naturally found anywhere else. Fish include Bonneville and Bear Lake white-
fish, cisco (a small, silvery salmon-like fish), sculpin (an angularly-finned, sandy-toned bottom dweller that blends in with its surroundings) and Bear River cutthroat trout. Wildlife managers also introduced lake trout that have been recorded to grow up to 30 pounds. Fish can be caught from the shore or by boats launched from the Bear Lake State Park Marina or other ramps across the lake.
On the outskirts of Garden City is the former town of Pickelville, now annexed by the larger municipality. A large pinelog building called the Pickleville Playhouse stands out. Modeled after a theater in Idaho, LeGrande and Betty Larsen founded the playhouse in 1977 with the more playful “pickle” spelling. The Larsens hand-built the building, despite having no construction experience, with the help of six sons and one daughter.
The theater grew, and playhouse actors now perform up to 13 sold-out weekly shows, ranging from melodramas to
Paddleboarders Clara, Kathleen and Marin prepare for a day on the west shore while sailors use the lake’s gentle winds to navigate the waters.
Diners eat with a different view below classic cars at Cody’s Gastro Garage in Garden City. A few miles south is the Pickleville Playhouse featuring shows like Shootout at Shadow Mountain. Next door is the Lighthouse Retreat marked by Lighthouse Pointe, available for nightly rentals.
PICKLEVILLE PLAYHOUSE
With azure waters and beautiful beaches, it’s no wonder vacationers and locals alike call Bear Lake ‘The Caribbean of the Rockies.’
Broadway classics. Youngest child Andrea Larsen Davis now owns the theater, and grandchildren TJ and Derek Davis serve as writers and partners. TJ created and plays a popular recurring character, the likable crook “Juanito Bandito.”
This year’s productions include the allnew Western adventure Welcome to Dangerville as well as fan favorites Newsies and The Play That Goes Wrong.
Highway 30 merges at a T-intersection with Highway 85 in Garden City. Labeled Bear Lake Boulevard, the thoroughfare is lined with shops, T-shirt boutiques and restaurants, but a 10-foot-high plastic rotating raspberry shake near the intersection signals the biggest business in town.
The landmark belongs to LaBeau’s, one of the oldest establishments offering the frozen refreshment, but locals and frequent visitors hotly debate which store sells the best rendition of the cool concoctions. Zipz, Hometown Drive-In, Quick ‘n’ Tasty Drive-In, even the city’s
Chevron gas station, among others, attract lines of devoted followers who may wait up to a half hour to be served on busy weekend evenings.
After a day of soaking up the sun, the chance to rehydrate seems worth the wait with the only hazard being a brain freeze if the newly purchased shakes are eaten too quickly.
NO ONE IS QUITE SURE who made Garden City’s first raspberry shake. Recipes vary from producer to producer and are tightly guarded secrets, but basically consist of vanilla ice cream and the ripest, sweetest, raspberries possible. Other flavors like banana, rhubarb or hot fudge are sometimes combined with the customary berry. Most mixtures overflow their cups and are so thick they must be eaten by spoon rather than straw.
Rich County residents do widely agree that the first person to plant raspberries in the region was German immigrant Theo-
dore Hildt. More than a century ago, Hildt experimented with a dozen raspberry varieties as he happened upon a microclimate conducive to producing the tart treats. Swings of cool nights and warm days contribute to the resilient raspberries’ succulent nature.
A few rows of raspberries exploded to 80 acres in Hildt’s heyday. Today, the yield is less than an eighth that size due to risks from fungal viruses and hailstorms, but farms persevere. The harvest usually starts the third week of July and lasts 3-4 weeks, requiring the labor of pickers from within a 150-mile radius.
The annual Bear Lake Raspberry Days festival, this year Aug. 1-3, celebrates the raspberry harvest with pie-eating contests, Miss Berry Princess Pageant, musical performances, a craft fair and a boat parade on the lake.
This corner of Utah offers an escape to the wild blue wonder and a raspberry shake with your name on it.
Utah, the Modesty State
story by KERRY SOPER illustration by JOSH TALBOT
Who can argue with the virtue of modesty – at least in its broadest sense, when it means not bragging about your wealth, Ivy League education, or impressive pickleball accomplishments? But what about the longstanding tradition in our state with dressing modestly?
Don’t get me wrong – I don’t think we should become clothing optional, like some Californians and Floridians I’ve met. And given the extreme translucency of the average Utahn’s skin (thanks to those Nordic forebears), an abrupt shift away from heavy layering might result in Dermageddon. I’m just saying that maybe we should avoid being overzealous.
Here’s an example of what I mean. Back around 2010, an older woman in our neighborhood saw herself as a freelance community modesty officer. She showed up at our house one night, because she heard that our family was going on a months-long trip to France and wanted to give us a gift: a censored travel guide to protect our children from “inappropriate sites/sights” in Paris. She had used a sharpie to blot out every work of art, statue, gargoyle, poster, etc., that featured any bare skin.
Not intending to take the guide with us, we must have accidentally packed it in our luggage, because our kids found it in our Paris apartment. Fascinated by all the black boxes, they decided to play an unconventional version of “I spy with my little eye…” in which they matched censored images with the real-life paintings and statues. (“Hey – there’s that naked guy from page 15!”). We were exhausted, though, and just grateful that our kids were no longer complaining about all the museums.
Here’s another example of modesty policing gone awry. I was not prepared for the strict enforcement of modesty regulations at a Utah “girl’s camp.” I had them clarified for me with an exclamation mark when I was asked to be a helper at one of these camps for one day – mostly just
schlepping gear, food and craft supplies. Because it was so hot that week, I showed up in shorts and flip flops, and breezily went about my labors for a couple hours, occasionally taking breaks to do awkward, dadbod calisthenics (like squats) in an empty field. I sensed something was wrong when I spotted a group of female organizers watching me
from a distance with concerned looks on their faces. A few minutes later I was approached by their leader who laughingly told me that I should probably call it a day since I was distracting all the women with my nice legs. My shorts and flip flops technically broke the camp rules. Finally, I had an awkward experience at the university where I teach, showing
clips from A Room With a View (a classic period film about English folk doing the grand tour of Italy) to 70 freshman students in a Western Civilization class.
Although the film is highly tame, there was one part I had to avoid: a scene where three men skinny-dip at a “sacred pond.” The clip is mostly innocuous but could easily offend if taken out of context.
This was the era of clunky VHS tapes, so I carefully prepared my notes ahead of time, writing down when to start and stop clips. I even stupidly included the time stamp for the sacred pond scene with a note to “AVOID THIS.”
Things started to go wrong when I discovered that the lights in the classroom had only one setting: completely on or off. And thus the only way I could see my notes in the dark was from the faint glow of the VCR’s LED lights.
Predictably, disaster arrived when I misread my own warning and pressed play at the worst possible point. I heard the collective gasp from the students first and then looked up in shock to see a 30-foot-tall naked guy running out of the pond, directly toward the camera. In alarm, I quickly reached for the stop button – but accidentally pressed pause instead. Panicking now, I stabbed randomly at buttons and just sent the clip into an unstoppable play-pause, play-pause loop. This made the naked guy run forward in jerky slow motion, like the Bionic Man.
Ultimately, I crawled behind the podium, unplugged the entire system, dropping the room into complete darkness and making the students laugh even harder. Trying to gain some control over the chaos, I yelled out vague apologies while tripping over a garbage can. After finally finding the lights, I melted into a puddle of defeated laughter and was unable to say a single coherent word during the remaining 10 minutes of class. In the following weeks, I was a little paranoid about getting in trouble, but nothing happened.
I still have random nightmares to this day, though, in which one of the university’s modesty officers (or is it my sharpie-wielding neighbor?) shows up, interrogates me about the Bionic Man in the pond miscue and instructs me to go home to cover up my distracting legs.
