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Category Archives: Characters

Includes all posts that are about the characters that surround the Lake.

300 Miles of Stark Desolation: A Guest Blog by Chad Harris

- Lake Level: 4197.5′ -

As someone who formerly loved to ride I have a lot of respect for our new friend, Chad. He seems to have found that mountain biking isn’t just a good form of exercise but that it also is a mode of transportation that can take you places you may have never dreamed of going. Chad Harris holds a professional mountain bike racing license and lives, trains and works in Salt Lake City. When the racing season ends the native Utahn enjoys exploring the shores of Great Salt Lake on his bicycle and in his canoe. Chad blogs about racing and thought provoking ideas, you can follow his musings at www.hooptedoodle.typepad.com. – Nicole

Let me make one thing clear from the beginning: The cycling opportunities around Great Salt Lake are terrible. There I said it, but it’s a lie. Great Salt Lake is the last destination in Utah I would recommend for a cycling adventure. For that Utah has Moab, St. George, Vernal and Park City. Those places have buff single track, paved rural roads, ideal weather and communities that cater to cyclists’ needs. Great Salt Lake has none of that. Read the rest of this entry →

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Watersheds: A Guest Blog by Bruce Thompson

- Lake Level: 4197.5′ -

In my time working in the non-profit world and in environmental education, no single person has impacted me more than Bruce Thompson. Aside from his incredible and detailed work developing education programs and materials that introduce kids and adults to our natural world, Bruce’s passion for and knowledge of everything from birds to bugs to scat is not only intimidating – it’s inspiring. Read on to see why I have become, unabashedly, a member of the Bruce Thompson fan club! – Heidi

Something that most rabid fans of Great Salt Lake have in common seems to be some epiphanic “born again” moment, during which out of the ashes of ignorance this “big, salty, buggy and stinky” entity rises in our minds like an aquatic phoenix to become some epic paragon of unrequited beauty. It happened to me in 1996. Read the rest of this entry →

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A Trip to Promontory: A Guest Blog by Cindy Lund, In Memory of Tim Costello

- Lake Level: 4198.4′-
- 220 Miles Round-Trip -

Note from Nicole: Cindy Lund is a dear friend to both Heidi and me. She has come along with us on our journey this summer to help drive when she is able, keep track of our finances, and help us not lose our sanity in the midst of it all. Unfortunately last September she received the call that no daughter wants to get. Her father had become ill and rushed to the hospital. He passed away a few days after she reached his side to say farewell. As I have scheduled events for our blog I asked Cindy if there was one place she could go this summer where would it be? This is a story from her heart about revisiting that one special place that she knew she could find her Dad’s heart and soul once again riding on the rails of a train.

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Alluring Antelope Island: A Guest Blog by Crystal Carpenter

Note from Heidi: I have long been inspired by the dedication and passion of so many people who have, at one time or another, been called by the Lake. At the top of that list is my dear friend, Crystal Carpenter, who spent much of her career at Antelope Island State Park, and knows the Lake and her whims and fluctuations better than I ever will. As such, it seems only fitting that Crystal tell you about Antelope Island – and the allure it still holds for so many. Read on for her story.

The first time I set foot on Antelope Island, I stood on the rocky shoreline of Lady Finger Point as a young woman in my early twenties, still innocent of Great Salt Lake’s ways. My friends brought me out for a canoe trip to the island’s south shore. After a lunch of vintage cheddar, rye crackers, fruit and tea we each took a section of canoe, raised it above our heads and carried it to the water. The winds were blowing around 15 mph when we began our journey. We had no idea of the ride Great Salt Lake had planned for the three adventurers from Logan. Read the rest of this entry →

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A Swim in Great Salt Lake: Hold the Salt Please?

- Lake Elevation 4198.2’ –
– 60.2 Miles Round-Trip –
– 1 Mile in the Water –
–Water Temperature 65° F –

“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt

Thank God I don’t live in the gray twilight. And thank God my Dad taught me how to swim.

During a decade that brought fear, Black Tuesday, the Dust Bowl, food riots, and thousands of closing banks, there was a magical event that gave swimmers hope. The hope and the fortitude to cross the finish line, to accomplish something most wouldn’t even try and to believe in the human spirit. It all started in 1927 with a local swim legend named Orson Spenser.
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Utah Lake to Great Salt Lake: A Cycle of Recovery

- Lake Level: 4198.1′ -
- 126 Miles Round-Trip -

Utah Lake feeds the Jordan River which is the second largest source of water into Great Salt Lake. Since everything flows downstream I wanted to investigate this key component in the dynamic, interconnected ecosystem of Great Salt Lake.

We planned on attending the annual Utah Lake Festival * and going to see the headwaters of the Jordan River. However, the festival was canceled due to rising water levels. Since I have been trying to go with the flow and accept change in my life I made a few phone calls and was directed to a different festival called Carpapolooza, a Utah Bow Fishing event. We decided to head south to find adventure.
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Sailing Great Salt Lake: The Raging Bull

- Lake Level: 4197.7′ -
- 68 Miles + 8.2 Nautical Miles Round-Trip -

I’ve been sailing on Great Salt Lake before but this time I found myself in chilly weather and waves that were 2 -4 feet high rivaling any mechanical bull I’ve ridden. On Friday, May 27th, Cindy, Charles, and I got to sail aboard the “Chesapeake” with Lance Fairbanks. Then on Monday Heidi, Sarah and I joined Lance aboard Tim Loveday’s sailboat “Goin’ Rogue.”

Cindy picked me up at my house in her still dirty — even after a very long car wash — Subaru and we drove out to Great Salt Lake Marina*. For several years now this has been the only marina on Great Salt Lake open due to low water levels until recently when the Lake began to rise so dramatically. With water levels rising Antelope Island Marina* is open again and accessible to most sailboats.

Upon our arrival three other boats had just come in claiming there was no wind. We met up with Great Salt Lake Photos” href=”http://greatsaltlakephotos.com” target=”_blank”>Charles Uibel, photographer extraordinaire, and climbed aboard the Chesapeake for our first sailing adventure of the summer and what we thought would be a calm outing.
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Avatars by Sterling Adventures

What is Summer of Salt?

If you have ever thought of Great Salt Lake as a dead sea, this blog is for you.

Maybe you know that the Lake is a haven for wildlife - millions of birds from all over the world stop here to rest, dine on brine shrimp and brine flies, or raise their young before they migrate to warmer climates. But the Lake is not just for the birds, bugs and shrimp.

The Lake is an invaluable resource for people, too.

Whether you seek solitude or adventure, a livelihood or an escape - the Lake has provided for the people on her shores for thousands of years - and is right at your fingertips.

This summer, join us as we explore both the nature and people of Great Salt Lake.
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Distance Traveled

2524.6 Miles Driven

34 Nautical Miles Sailed

1 Mile Swam
Help us tell the story of Great Salt Lake!

We anticipate driving more than 4000 miles this summer, and between the rising cost of gas, numerous carwashes, and continual stocking our survival kit, we can't do it without you!

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About Nicole Anderson

I recently graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Environmental Studies and a minor in History. During my undergraduate years I have completed three internships: Friends of Great Salt Lake, Utah Rivers Council, and most currently with Bear West Environmental Consultants. I am certified as a Utah Master Naturalist in Watersheds. I'm a volunteer speaker for The Nature Conservancy.

I am looking for full-time employment. I hope to find work where I can make our environment a better and healthier place to live.

I have written:

New Adventure Rockies Rocky Mountain Region Guest Writer June 20, 2011
Danger Cave: Exploring a Forgotten Culture, from:NewWest.net

Patterns of Change: Documenting Habitat, as well as Bird and Human Use in Bear River Bay: Particularly the Great Salt Lake Minerals Proposed Expansion Area, from www.keepthelakegreat.org.

nma9999@xmission.com