Provo Spelunking: 2016

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Canyons day two Nov. 30th

A sunny show of day twos coditions

Day two at the Canyons was much better. Me and my roommates went around 11 am and this time around the road conditions were great. Near perfect roads took us only around 90 minutes total to go to and from Provo. Milosport Snowboard Shop charged only $17 dollars for a ski wax and only took around 15 minutes which I found to be a pretty good deal and good service. Mind you this was for a pair of skis and two snowboards. Snowboard and boot rentals are also available at UVU for students for only 20 dollars a day from the outdoor adventure center where I also got a free hat and pair of sunglasses.
Mountain conditions were good on the 30th. Machine made snow that was well groomed, light 5 mph winds, and sunshine made for some great skiing! Very few people seem to ski Canyons on weekdays. The same run, Kokopeli was open, but we were able to ski until 4pm because of the short lines and little wind. We were able to get about 15 runs in total. Canyons skiing is comparable to skiing Copper Mountain and Beaver Creek in Colorado. Annual snowfall at the canyons is 380 inches, which is comparable to the 250 inches expected at Beaver Creek. However Canyons gets some 30 less days of snow on average, meaning more high powder dumps than Colorado's more regular dustings.
With good conditions and few people the canyons can make an amazing trip even with just one run!

Canyons skiing the day after opening

Link to video of the conditions

After a week long delay, Park City opened its slopes to skiers and snowboarders alike on November 27th. I eagerly hit the hills on the 28th after an evening of snow. The road conditions were bad on the drive up from Provo, lagging at speeds of only 45 mph in the canyons leading up to the resort. I was shocked to see that almost no one was on the roads or at the canyons when we arrived. Though open, there was only one run open, Kokopeli, a blue with a small amount of trees and a few good sized jumps toward the bottom. At 19'' the snow conditions were less than ideal but astoundingly good for early season skiing. I was especially attentive to staff and lift services as this was my very first time skiing in Utah. Everybody was incredibly nice and it felt like being back home in Colorado. The Red Pine Gondola was a treat to ride as it is covered and the winds were reaching 45 mph towards the top of the lift. It was snowing heavily and hard coming in fast from howling winds through the canyons. After skiing for about an hour it was almost no fun because of the piercing wind and low visibility. Unfortunately around 2pm the staff warned that soon the Gondola would be closed down, and because there was only one run open and none servicing the base we would be stuck at the top for an unforeseen time until they could rescue us on snow cats. on this word we headed back down and home. Over all it was an awesome first ski of the season and I am looking forward to more!

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Y Mountain: A Brief History

Brigham Young University's Y Mountain is nothing short of an icon here in the Utah Valley. Due east of the main campus, "the Y", as it is known colloquially by residents of the valley, stands at an elevation of 8,572 ft. and rises 788 ft. above the surrounding valley. It is much larger than it seems, stretching 380 ft. tall and 130 ft. wide. It is made of concrete, and as of recently is lined with LED bulbs around the edges used for lighting it during the evenings of BYU homecoming week during October. The Y Mountain wasn't always called such, and was previously known by early settlers by its Ute name of Wahdahhekawee, which means "blessed mountain". In 1906 a proposition was made to paint the graduating class year, '07, on the mountain by Brigham Young High school juniors, which was contested by the president of Brigham Young University's president George H. Brimhall. To compromise, the suggestion was made that instead BYU would be painted on the mountainside. In April of 1906 the historic construction of the proposed BYU began, as thousands of buckets of whitewash and sand were hauled up the mountain by students and faculty. Many hours of labor passed and only the Y had been completed. The rest of the letters were postponed to be completed on a later date, and were eventually abandoned leaving the large white Y standing alone. From 1907 to 1973 a tradition of "Y day" was carried out in which students would take thousands of gallons of whitewash via bucket brigade to the Y to be repainted, which was discontinued in 1975 when BYU would contract a helicopter to deliver the some 20,000 gallons of whitewash needed to repaint it. In 1911, the bottoms and tops of the Y were altered, giving it the look it bears today. "Lighting the Y" began as a tradition in 1924, where students would carry pieces of oil drenched cloth and soaked mattress pieces and set them alight on the Y. This method produced only about 20 minutes of fire and was discontinued due to wildfire risk in 1985, and instead strings of electric 25 kw bulbs were lined around the Y, powered by diesel generators, allowing the monument to be lit for several nights in a row. in 2014 the Y was outfitted with LED bulbs mounted in the concrete that could be lit remotely, however the tradition of creating a mock bucket brigade still remains, and the lights are lit in sequence to appear as if being lit by torch as they were in the past. In 2013 BYU was allowed to purchase 80 acres of land surrounding the Y in order to control its preservation as usage, however it is still open to tourists and students who wish to climb the 1.3 mile trail to the top as I did this past month!

Here you can see the whole of BYU campus and surrounding areas of the east Utah Valley. Utah Valley University can be seen in the top left of the city grid. Utah lake shimmers beautifully int the background.

Here my ward and I sit on the the top left of the Y. As you can can see it is truly immense. I can only imagine what it would've been like trying to paint it!

At around 10 AM the sun just begins to rise above the mountains peak. Moments after this shot, a student leaped from this peak equipped with a glider and soared to the valley below just feet above our heads

The climb to the top of the mountain is grueling. It got very hot just after the sun peaked above the mountain, and the footing of the trail is loose and difficult to progress. Though it is a short hike up (only just under a mile and a half) it was exhausting! I went on a Saturday morning, and the parking lot was almost completely full by 9:30 AM. The Y itself was scorching hot around noon. I recommend going in the early morning hours to beat the rush and heat. The area surrounding the Y is gorgeous, and several offshoots from the trail lead to more natural areas. Along the hike there are some learning opportunities as there are informational signs at every turn with information about the nearby plants and animals, warnings, and history about the Y and its construction. Near the top are newly constructed binoculars that can be used for free for viewing the area below including a map that shows landmarks of the area. It was awesome. All of BYU and most of Provo and Orem can be seen through the lenses. The drive up to the parking lot can be confusing without GPS as there are several ways to wind up to the area. I recommend taking a car with a good reliable engine as the roads are extremely steep (we're talking San Fran kinds of steep). It was a remarkable experience and will be a repeat hike for me!

Friday, September 30, 2016

Yellowstone National Park- Waterfalls and Wildflowers Galore! Photos of the acclaimed Porcelain Pools

In August I had the opportunity to visit the beautiful western side of the Yellowstone National Park on my way to a family reunion. The sights were some of the most amazing I had ever experienced in my life. The raw untouched nature baffled me, and this kind of virgin land is difficult to find anywhere in the United States. The power I felt standing at the brink of the lower calls was unmatched even to visits to Niagara. The surrounding canyon was glorious. Sheer rock carved by torrential waters lead to an ancient river steadfastly flowing below. Though the park was packed with summer visitors, the sights were easy to peruse and if one area was crowded a short drive took you to an entirely new adventure. Wildflowers were prevalent this time of year and in full bloom.

Old Faithful Geyser only 5 minutes from eruption

Yellow Thrush on the river bank

Cascading waters of Yellowstone's Lower Falls

Pink Clover

Purple Fleabane

Colorado's State flower the Columbine (this one's purple)

The Porcelain Basin, named for the white deposits of Siliceous Sinter (aka geyserite), is an expanse of thermal fields. It smells strongly of sulfur for miles around due to the sulfuric gasses and acid that seep from deep underground(see top of post for video). Super heated water laden with minerals aids in the growth of bacteria leading to the various colors found within the pools. Since its opening, the Porcelain Basin has claimed hundreds of lives due to the fragile nature of the crust around the pools. Walkers beware!

Porcelain Pool "Dead man's pool" Dubbed for its high heat

Large Expanse of super heated waters in the Porcelain Basin

Trees can be seen growing from these crystal clear Pools

Petrified wood lies in the heat of this pool

Honey suckle growing off a cliff near Lower Falls

Monday, September 19, 2016

Incredible fish pond in Boulder, Colorado and Wildflower Pics!

After a 3 mile hike along a dried up river in the mountains to the west of Boulder, CO I come upon a waterfall. Upon dissent I view at the bottom of the fall a pool held there by sticks and logs. The video shows and explains the wonder that followed!
Link to video on my you tube channel:Click here to view the video

Below are some pictures I took on the hike along with species info.

A mountain daisy, I believe a Fleabane- Edible but tastes gross. Seen growing right next to fish pool out of a rock.

Red Elderberry- Poisonous and pretty gross (not fatal)

Friday, September 9, 2016

Squaw Peak at sunset

This past week I took a quick trip to squaw peak around 6:45 pm to catch the gorgeous sunset and dusk hours on the mountain. A twenty minute hike to the top from the outlook takes you to the summit where you can catch some truly spectacular views.