Ski season is finally here! Time to start haunting the weather app and planning your time off around good powder days. For some Utahns, though, time on the mountain is spent on the clock. Gonzola Artola, a supervisor in the lift operations department at Northern Utah’s Snowbasin Resort, is entering his fourth winter as a liftie. What it’s like to work at Snowbasin Resort? I … [Read more...]
Alta’s Wild Old Bunch: the 100-Plus Members Are Bonded by a Love of Life and the Love of Skiing
Skiing is a way of life for Bob Murdoch. As a youngster, he took his wooden skis with a single leather foot strap and slid down hills at the local golf course. Now he skis Alta's slopes three days a week. "I ski for the thrill of it. I used to ski the steepest slopes and the deepest powder, but I don't do that anymore," Bob says, admitting he has slowed down some. Now he sticks … [Read more...]
For 100 Years, the Wasatch Mountain Club Has Been Inviting People to Meet Up and Explore Utah’s Ample Splendors
Utah is full of amazing outdoor activities, but many residents refrain from enjoying them for various reasons. Perhaps the most prevalent one is they don’t know anyone to introduce or accompany them to hike, ski, bike, camp, snowshoe, river raft or participate in other adventures. History of the Wasatch Mountain Club For 100 years, the Wasatch Mountain Club has been inviting … [Read more...]
Legal Battle Over Utah Wilderness
Conservation groups are fighting to preserve 175,500 acres of public lands in Utah that the Bureau of Land Management has plans to lease for 130 oil and gas developments—a move that would be extremely detrimental for the wilderness areas, wildlife inhabitants, and the fight against climate change as a whole, says the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. On Sept. 12, the Center … [Read more...]
The Cottonwood Canyons Foundation—Improving Millcreek, Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons for Today, Tomorrow
Twelve years ago, when Cottonwood Canyons Foundation Volunteer Jean Acheson pulled a pale-yellow volunteer t-shirt over her head for a wildflower festival, she had no idea it would become part of her wardrobe. She became deeply acquainted with the flower adorning her shirt, a red Indian Paintbrush. In fact, every wildflower found in Millcreek, Big and Little Cottonwood … [Read more...]
Mix safety with scenery while visiting Zion National Park
It's no walk in the park Angel’s Landing is one of Zion National Park’s most noted and popular destinations. The 1,488-foot feature winds through a path of constantly rising slick rock and exposed cliffs. The sights are unlike any other in the world. But the hike is also one of the most dangerous in the world. Even when conditions are perfect, the trail involves an … [Read more...]
A Labor of Love: Arborist Christopher Little cares about trees
Arborist gives urban trees a trim Christopher Little makes his living climbing trees. Kids might dream of growing up and having a job that includes tree climbing, but Little made it a reality. Little is an arborist. “An arborist is someone who works with trees in an urban setting. As opposed to a forester, an arborist works on trees at homes and properties removing … [Read more...]
Krishna Food Forest & Farm—what is the permaculture concept?
Mimicking natural ecosystems The Krishna Food Forest & Farm , located behind the Sri Sri Radha Krishna temple in Millcreek, is a wonderfully accessible place for anyone in the area to learn about ecological food production while engaging with the Millcreek Permaculture Guild, a friendly community and leadership team. It is run by the Millcreek Permaculture Guild, which … [Read more...]
Utah Hunting: Modern Day Big Game Hunting Cooperatives
Putting red meat on the table Utah Hunting Although my grandfather was an avid duck hunter and helped to start Utah’s first duck hunting club, and my father was an avid pheasant hunter, neither of them introduced me to hunting big game. I started hunting mule deer when I was 21 and a poor undergraduate wildlife student at Utah State University. Forty-four years later, I … [Read more...]
A Short Introduction to Utah Native Trees
While there are roughly 45* native tree species in Utah (an exact consensus cannot be found), this list highlights just seven, selected for their prevalence and curiosity and arranged according to elevation. Enhance your next outing by stopping to commune with them. Listen for a moment. Take the leaves and limbs in your fingers, inspect them, ponder their design. You don’t … [Read more...]