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Category Archives: The Human Touch

Includes all posts that are explorations of places affected by humans, industry, archeaology etc.

Great Salt Lake: Sand, Salt, and Memories

- Lake Level: 4197.5 -
- 58 Miles Round-Trip -

The solstice is defined as either the longest or shortest day of the year and signals a change in the seasons. The autumnal equinox marks the beginning of fall and the when the length of our days and nights are nearly the same. It corresponds to the center of the Sun crossing the celestial equator as it moves northward.

The autumnal equinox marks the first day of my favorite season of the year. Autumn. The autumn air is cool and crisp; with a faint scent of campfire wafting through the air. The leaves in the trees slowly turn beautiful shades of orange and red. The geese are slowly returning the Lake and surrounding wetlands after their long migration.

The 21st seemed like the perfect date to have our Summer of Salt and birthday celebration dinner. It was the two days before the equinox, the middle of the week, and right between Heidi’s birthday and mine. We packed up our cars with everything (except the kitchen sink) and left the hustle and bustle of the city behind; we were looking forward to a nice quiet dinner with the ambiance that only the Lake could offer. Read the rest of this entry →

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US Magnesium: Light Metals, Heavy Subject

- Lake Level: 4198.2 ‘ -
- 32 Miles Round-Trip -

As I write this I am sitting on a blanket on the hood of my car in the boat launch area at Ogden Bay. It is three o’clock in the afternoon and the sun is glaring down on me, warming my skin. Other than the click-clack of the train cars rolling by in the not too far off distance, it is quiet.

Dragonflies by the dozen flutter overhead, with the occasional butterfly flitting around the sunflowers that grow wild along the dirt road. The phragmites seem taller than usual and are choking out other plants and taking over empty playa. The runners from these plants spread like spider webs along the dried Lake bed. The Lake and the surrounding marshlands always seem to change; it never ceases to amaze me at just how quickly this happens. Read the rest of this entry →

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Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge: Finding Refuge in Change

- Lake Level: 4198.0′ -
- 138 Miles Round-Trip -

A couple of weeks ago I relaxed on-board the Avalon after a cool dip in the Lake with friends. She made her way back and forth toward the harbor in the cool night breeze gently blowing through my hair and filling the sails. The seasons have begun to change and summer is coming to a close. As the stars slowly appeared in the night sky I reflected on my life. From where I sat on the boat I looked up at the millions of stars poking through the black abyss of the universe. I was awestruck by their magnitude and comforted by knowing they are always there.

This summer has been a whirlwind of outings, gatherings, hiking, boating adventures and writing. I have met new people and traveled new places. I love it here. Here at the Lake. I feel at peace. On average I think I have been out on the Lake or in the marsh between two and three times a week. All summer long. The marsh has continued to call to me and I have slowly learned to love the millions of birds that come here to nest and forage each year. Read the rest of this entry →

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The Bonneville Salt Flats: Making a Mark

- Lake Level: 4197.9′ -
- 256 Miles Round-Trip -

From the vantage of I-80, the Bonneville Salt Flats look like nothing more than an empty landscape. The horizon is blurred by heat waves that make the mountains float. The flatness of the salt allows one to see the curvature of the Earth.

Such a harsh and empty expanse may put some people off – who would want to make the drive through that nothingness, let alone stop for longer than a few minutes? But for others, it is an opportunity. Rocks in the desert spell out names, marriage proposals, poetry. Tire tracks skew off the freeway and into the mud or salt – a place where a weary traveler couldn’t take anymore unbroken landscape and had to test its limits. A piece of art in the shape of a tree is one artist’s attempt to end the monotony.

It’s a canvas. A place to make a mark.

When Sarah, Disa and I drove out on Sunday, August 14th, people from all over the world were gathered to make their mark on the salt flats – the kind of mark that could go down in history.

Bonneville Speed Week, 2011.

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Bear River: How’s it Flowing?

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

A recent trip to Bear Lake — often called the Caribbean of the West — with my family made me wonder how it is all connected and where the water goes. Bear Lake was fuller than I had ever seen it and in places it looked as though the nice homes on the shoreline might opt to buy flood insurance. The tremendous spring rains the state has had this year brought several parts of this Lake and its wetlands back to life.

On the way into Montpelier, Idaho we drove across a bridge that spanned the Bear River. My Dad asked me why it was so small in comparison to the Bear River Canal. I didn’t know the answer. After all the Bear River is the single largest source of water flowing into Great Salt Lake and I had always assumed that Bear Lake was part of that river system. But is it? Read the rest of this entry →

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The Great Saltair: Ghost Town or a Monument to the Past?

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

It stands alone on the southern shoreline of Great Salt Lake along I-80. We drive past it as we hurry along down the road. We see it all the time but do we really see it for what it is? For what it was? Once known as the Coney Island of the West this landmark sure has changed over the years. As I give this monument to the past a closer look I wonder if a ghost town can consist of only one building? The Great Saltair, a building that has been rumored to be cursed and given its unique history, it just may be.

Watching the weather over Great Salt Lake at Saltair

The structure itself isn’t that old but the land it rests on is rich in history. Almost 120 years ago the Salt Lake and Los Angeles Railroad Companies combined their resources with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to build one of the most distinctive lake resorts of all time: The Great Saltair. 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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Stansbury Island: An Adventure with Percy

- Lake Elevation 4198.5’ -
- 114 Miles Round-Trip -

Percy is a rescue dog Heidi adopted from CAWS. I thought it would be fun to take Percy along on our latest adventure to Stansbury Island. I am not used to traveling with dogs. It took us twice as long to gather his gear (leash, water, and treats) as well as our own.

We reached the exit for Stansbury Island at high noon with Percy sprawled across the back seat relaxing from the drive – he had no idea what was in store for him. The sun was beating down on the desert sand as we ventured down a dirt road that leads to north end of the island. As we drove onto the island I couldn’t help but wonder if this land mass was still an island or merely a peninsula. Read the rest of this entry →

The Sun Tunnels: Performing the Solstice

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

One week ago today, a small town appeared in the desert just south of the Lucin Oasis.

The people came from all over the world. A contingency from France, a group of land art aficionados from California, and a rag tag bunch of strangers from the Wasatch Front all gathered to wait – milling around and kicking up dust from the desert floor. In all, there were about 50 people. Read the rest of this entry →

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The Spiral Jetty: Beauty in a Wasteland

- Lake Level: 4198.6′ -
- 247 Miles Round-Trip -

“The Spiral Jetty is where I house my faith, faith that this Earthwork exists without my having to see it, faith in the oscillations of a rising and receding lake where the spiral is covered and then momentarily exposed, the expanding and contracting systems of energy that stimulate us, stretch us and allow us to grow.”*

Terry Tempest Williams
Note to the Reader, Tenth Anniversary Edition of Refuge

I am not a woman who relies on faith.

I have seen the oscillations of the rising and falling Lake – this year alone is enough to make me a believer. I have seen the systems of energy that stimulate and stretch people to growth – or at least, I have seen the results of that energy.

But I have not seen the Spiral Jetty.

Which is why Nicole and I decided to make a trip with Charles to see it before it disappears again. Robert Smithson built it when the Lake was at 4197’. It’s a foot and a half higher now, and rising at a record-breaking pace.

Read the rest of this entry →

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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