Take A Dive At Bonneville Seabase

Writing in Sunset Magazine, Peter Fish observes: "What Utah does not have ― and you may have noticed this if you've ever visited here ― is an ocean. An ocean of any kind. Which is why (Linda) Nelson and her husband and dive-shop partner George Sanders had to create a substitute."

Fish wrote this article about Bonneville Seabase, a series of naturally warm, deep pools just south of the Great Salt Lake. The water's chemistry is similar to ocean water and the pools have been stocked with a large number of ocean fish. Below are excerpts from Fish's article.

What Nelson was looking for was a place to teach scuba diving. Once an exotic, expensive sport, diving has become a mainstream pastime in the United States, with more than 3 million adherents. And Utah is a scuba center: By some estimates, it ranks as one of the top 15 states with the highest percentage of divers per capita in the nation. "We have a lot of outdoorsy people," Nelson explains.

Seabase has four main dive areas: White Rocks Bay, Habitat Bay, Bubbling Sands, and the Abyss. White Rocks Bay is roofed so divers can use it during winter months when the air temperature hovers at zero. Habitat Bay teems with pompano and puffers and angelfish, many of which are rescued fish ― some, for example, retirees from the flashy aquariums at Las Vegas casinos. There are also two nurse sharks.

Read the entire article.

Solitude Will Open For Skiing On Friday

Solitude Ski Resort gave its pass holders a sneak preview of the upcoming season by opening its lifts on Halloween. The resort has moved up its opening day, which is now officially set for Nov 6. It will be the first Utah resort to open for the season.

Skiers showed up in customs to ski on Halloween. KSL TV was there and shot video you can see on this page.

Recent storms have dropped some snow in the Cottonwood Canyons, and Solitude is making snow to add to that base. The Nov 6 opening will be one of the earliest in Utah ski history.

Below are the latest opening dates for other resorts, as reported by Ski Utah.

Alta Ski Area - Nov 20
Beaver Mountain Resort - TBA
Brian Head Resort - Nov 21
Brighton Ski Resort - Nov 16
The Canyons - Nov 27
Deer Valley Resort - Dec 5
Park City Mountain Resort - Nov 21
Powder Mountain - Nov 28
Snowbasin, A Sun Valley Resort - Nov 26
Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort - Nov 21
Solitude Mountain Resort - Nov 6
Sundance Resort - Dec 11
Wolf Creek Utah Resort - TBA

Extreme Sunshine Forecast For Utah This Week

Utah will enjoy beautiful Indian Summer weather this week, making it ideal for all kinds of outdoor activities - from biking and hiking to golf and fishing.

Southern Utah will be particularly nice. In the St George/Zion Park area temperatures are expected to reach into the mid-80s during the early part of the week and cool slightly to the upper 70s later. There will be nary a cloud until Friday night.

Moab temperatures will push into the mid-70s.

Northern Utah will also be very nice with highs around 70 early on and then cooling to the mid-60s. Showers may move in by Saturday night, but things look awful good until then.

I can't decide - should I go fishing or hiking? Either way, I'm doing something. Got to get out and enjoy this weather because the snows of winter aren't far away.

- Dave

The Australian Looks At White-Knuckled Rafting Ride In Utah

Writer Stanley Stewart took an adventure ride out of Moab and came away singing the praises of southern Utah's red rock country and whitewater rapids. Here is his article. Below are excerpts.

The greatest of these wilderness reserves is Canyonlands, a chaos of spectacular canyons and monoliths and fissures, of faults and buttes and mesas, so violent that it is penetrated by only a handful of dead-end tracks. This is the earth stripped to its contorted bones, displayed in vivid colour. It is a place where you expect dinosaurs to turn up around the next corner, the only creature large enough to match the scale and the primeval character of the landscape.

Through this confusion flow the mighty Green and Colorado rivers, the destination of white-water rafters from across the world. The best of the rapids are Grade IV+. Grade V is about as rough as you can get while still entertaining the idea that you might come out alive. But only a sports-mad Gladiator would write home about the rafting alone. For sheer drama everything here takes second place to nature.

Utah is Mormon country and Mormons are not big on nightlife and fun. But Moab is different, and that difference has made it the focal point for tourist activity on the Colorado River. There are book stores, coffee shops, a string of motels and B&Bs, a visitor centre and, most remarkable of all, two pubs and a winery. The restaurants may not be world-class but if you are a vegetarian you won't have to survive on omelettes.

A strange wind announces the rapids, funneled through 600m-high cliffs. The surface of the river begins to roughen and we feel ourselves being pulled gradually but powerfully towards white water.

One moment we are drifting serenely on a calm mature river, the next we are in the grip of a deranged adolescent torrent: gangly, out of control, falling over itself, unsure which way to go, a chaos of confused impulses. Then we hit the big water.

Astride the pontoons it is like riding a bucking bronco. The whole raft rears suddenly into the air, its bow pointing at High Noon, then just as suddenly it is plunging downwards to bury its nose in the boiling river.

The big waves that hit us head on, washing over the raft and knocking us back on our heels, aren't the chief excitement, but big holes in between the waves that open like watery canyons beneath the bow and into which we drop, leaving our stomachs behind, like bungee jumpers without the bungee. From the bottom of the big holes, the big waves look very big indeed.

We lose count of the rapids we shoot during the course of a wild and wet afternoon. We are in a stretch of river known as Cataract Canyon, and we have hardly stopped laughing and wiping the river out of our eyes when the next big water is on us.

Read his entire article.

Reserve Now For Heber Valley Railroad's Polar Express

The popular Polar Express train ride is being offered again this year by the Heber Valley Railroad, with rides offered from Nov 21 through Dec 23. Tickets sell out quickly so get them now.

The classic Christmas story unfolds during the ride. Here's part of the event description:

"Don't miss the ever popular trip to the North Pole! A wonderful experience for the whole family. Elves serve hot drinks and treats while sharing favorite carols and a Christmas story. Children's eyes light up when Santa climbs aboard.

"Experience the Polar Express in first-class style! All first-class passengers will enjoy their hot cocoa with whipped cream, served in a ceramic, Polar Express souvenir mug, and will receive a special Polar Express souvenir ticket."

See this website for more details.

Get Your 2010 Utah Scenic Calendar

Every year the Utah office of tourism publishes a calendar featuring stunning images from all around Utah. The calendars are very popular and sometimes sell out, so we encourage people to get them now.

The Office of Tourism provided this information: "Now in its 38th year, the publication highlights many of Utah's iconic destinations, outdoor activities and events through photography and graphic design. A photo of Canyonlands National Park's Angel Arch, taken by Utah photographer Willie Holdman, was selected as the cover image.

"Other featured destinations include all five national parks, Monument Valley and Temple Square."

Order the calendar.

Here Comes The Snow

A big winter-like-storm is expected to dump on Utah Tuesday and Wednesday. Mountain areas could receive heavy snow and benches could pick up 2-3 inches. Valleys will have rain turning to snow and could see some accumulation.

The storm is expected to hit Tuesday morning during the commute and could snarl traffic. Roads across mountain passes may become treacherous. Major highways should stay open but may develop some snowpack, depending on how fast the flakes come down.

If you are traveling cross-country, monitor the weather and plan on taking extra time to reach your destination.

On 10-26-09, 11:09 am, the National Weather Service issued this Winter Storm Watch saying, "Conditions will become favorable for significant snowfall in the higher terrain of northern and central Utah beginning Tuesday and lasting through Wednesday evening."