Fire in the Sky

Park City Silver Passport Park City-area resorts have just announced a "Silver Passport" that lets you ski Park City Mountain Resort, Deer Valley and The Canyons for one low price. The passport must be purchased in conjunction with lodging and is valid beginning Dec. 6. Lodging close to the resorts is already filling up fast. Book now for prime holiday dates. May we recommend: Silver King Hotel Crestview Condominiums Powderwood Resort Carriage House Condominiums

August brings incredible beauty and potential danger in Utah's national park country. At dawn, as the sky turns amber, the air is usually cool and calm. But "monsoon-like" thunderstorms often boil up on August afternoons. These storms usually bring only virga - rain that evaporates before it hits the ground. It's a rare and glorious occasion when rain actually falls in our desert canyons.

Storms highlight the beauty of Zion Park. The cliffs and pinnacles, normally pastel, glisten with vibrant colors. Rainfall is channeled into streamlets, which cascade over the canyon walls as a thousand waterfalls.

It's awe-inspiring to see thunderstorms rumble across the Grand Canyon or Monument Valley. Watch lightning play across the sky over Arches or Canyonlands and you'll never forget the experience. It's better than Time Square on New Years Eve.

This is a great month to visit Utah. But take care because lightning can pose a real danger. And flash floods occasionally bounce boulders around as they tear through our canyons. Take cover in your vehicle or some low, sheltered spot if lightning moves close. Get off the high points. And never enter a narrow canyon if rain is likely in the drainage above. Often flash floods cause damage miles downstream from the area where it is actually raining.

High Country Escape

The Uinta Mountains in NE Utah provide a wonderful escape from summer's heat. These mountains are the antithesis of our red-rock deserts. They are the highest mountains in Utah and they shelter lush forests, over a thousand lakes and streams, and all kinds of wildlife. In the Uintas it rains almost every day - and it snows or hails on many summer days.

The Uintas offer hundreds of miles of backcountry and protected wilderness accessible only to backpackers and people packing with horses or llamas. A few roads skirt the edges of this area and provide access to countless campgrounds and trailheads, and waters teaming with trout. This is a paradise for fishermen and people who love wildlife.

The Flaming Gorge and Mirror Lake scenic byways (highways 191 and 150) cut across the Uintas on the east and west, respectively. The Mirror Lake Byway is a popular play spot for people from Utah's heavily populated Wasatch Front. It's a wonderful area but it's often crowded. The Flaming Gorge Byway is never crowded and provides access to more remote mountain areas, as well as spectacular Flaming Gorge Reservoir and the popular Green River blue-ribbon fishery.

This weekend there's a great mountain bike festival in the Vernal/Flaming Gorge area. The annual Dinotrax Festival will be Aug 7-10 and will showcase the area's awesome singletrack. For information call Altitude Cycle (435) 781-2595.

If you have kids, you can’t visit this area without going dinosaur hunting. Dinosaur National Monument is located just a few miles east of Vernal, on the Utah/Colorado border. Hundreds of fossilized bones are exposed at the Monument’s main quarry. In Vernal, the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park also showcases a large collection of fossils, along with life-size replicas of dinosaurs.

Upcoming Major Events

Native American Contest Pow Wow:The 5th Annual West Valley City event will be August 22-24 at the Multi-Cultural Center, 1350 West 3300 South (6 miles southwest of SLC). Everyone is welcome. Bring your own chairs. Admission is $3 per day or $7 for a weekend pass. For more information please contact Harry James, Sr. at (801) 973-2078.

Moab Music Festival, Aug 30-Sep 14. This unique festival offers a series of chamber music concerts featuring internationally acclaimed artists, set amidst the striking natural beauty of the red rock canyon country in southeastern Utah.

31st Annual Oktoberfest at Snowbird, Aug 30-Oct 5. Offering 6 weekends of national & local German Polka bands, local & national crafters, roaming entertainment and German food. Offered Saturday, Sunday and Labor Day. This event is FREE and is fun for the whole family! 801-933-2110.

Rocky Mountain ATV Jamboree, Sept 15-20 on the Paiute Trail in the mountains and canyons of central Utah. Participants can choose from an extensive list of guided rides. Overnight rides are also possible. Call 800-639-0528 to get a registration packet, or register online at www.rockymtnatvjam.org.

We've been surprised at how fast lodging is booking up at our ski resorts. We always get a few summer calls from people planning ski trips but this year bookings are already coming in strong. You should book now if you want lodging near resorts during the Christmas/New Years season.

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