Settling into Utah

Climbing to the top of a red sandstone ridge, I peered over the top and took in the vast expanse of red cliffs – needles and arches and amazing geologic features stretching as far as the eye could see. Just a month ago, I would never have imagined I would be at Canyonlands National Park in southeastern Utah. Due to an unusual set of events, I found myself accepting a position in Ogden, UT, just north of Salt Lake City for a three-month summer stint. Struggling with real estate and missing the great outdoors, I began to peruse job postings when I came across an opening that intrigued me immensely. It was through the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, the same agency that I worked for three years ago, and would involve working with sensitive birds and mammals, particularly flying squirrels and pikas, and would also involve horseback riding. It just sounded too cool to pass up, so I sent a letter of inquiry and my resume, and before I knew it I was being offered the job. I talked it over with Nate, and we both agreed that this was something I needed to do, so I accepted, and the next thing I knew, I was on my way to Utah.

We left on Friday June 27th, heading west on I-40 and swinging north on old Route 666 up through Shiprock, NM and Cortez, CO. We stopped for lunch at Burger King and then continued north, passing hoards of bicyclists, many of whom had camped out at a high school in Cortez. I suppose there was some sort of biking event, probably from Moab. We eventually crossed the border into Utah, but weren’t even aware when it happened because, apparently, Utah does not welcome us. We didn’t even realize we were in the state until about 18 miles in! Our destination was Canyonlands National Park, the only Utahan national park we hadn’t yet visited. We entered through the easternmost route and spent the day trekking four trails, looking at things like potholes (holes in the rocks that support rainwater and all sorts of aquatic life), some amazing canyons, old cowboy ruins, and needles: huge stalagmite-shaped rock formations that tower over the desert. I was beat after the 2.5 mile trail, attesting to my lack of shape. Real estate doesn’t really keep one fit and trim, I must say! It was good warm up for my job, though!

After our visit to the park, we headed up to Moab, land of the outdoorsman, and decided to eat dinner at the Moab Brewery, since Nathan loves his beer, and we’re both intrigued by a brewery in Utah! The food was typical brewpub fare, which isn’t stellar, and the beer sampler, which was supposed to include nine microbrews, only came with seven, but Nate had a good time. The décor suited the area, as the walls and ceiling were covered with rafts and tents and people climbing rocks. This is truly an outdoors person’s dream.

From there, we headed over to the miniature golf course across the street. It was pretty scary, actually. The entire course was old, and all the trees had dropped seeds and leaves all over each of the greens. It was getting dark, and the aging course had no lights. The greens were also very warped, so that added to the challenge. The craziest part was when we had to cross over a wooden bridge that spanned over the go karts. All the wood was rotting, and they had a few unsecured reinforcement planks you were supposed to walk across to get over. I thanked my lucky stars once I got across, and fortunately the return bridge was a little less questionable.

That night, we stayed at the local Motel 6, and what a Motel 6 it was! We usually stay at Motel 6s because they’re mostly identical…no surprises. Well this one was A-1! All the rooms were accessed from the inside, which was unheard of, and the rooms were spacious. Plus it had wifi, which I guess isn’t as unusual as I’d thought, but it was free! The only downside was the sewage-esque smell outside the place. Bleh.

On Saturday, we went back to Canyonlands, this time entering through the north entrance. I’d been told you need at least two days to see the place, and it’s very true. If we had four wheel drive, we could have taken even more time, since we couldn’t access the west side of the park without it. Nathan really wanted to do the giant loop trail around Upheaval Dome, a geologic formation that no one seems to know the cause of. Theories include shifting salt, volcanism, and a meteor. We found out it was over 8 miles long, not counting the trek into the crater, and after less than a mile, I had to veto the endeavor because it was going to be over 100 degrees out, and I was already dying as it was. Instead, we doubled back and did the shorter overlook trails, and honestly I wasn’t all that impressed with this “dome.” It was essentially just a craterish bunch of tall cliffs. From there we did a few more interesting hikes including one to the end of the Island in the Sky, which overlooks the vast wilderness of the park. It was an amazing view with snaking canyons and incredible geologic formations. Words and pictures don’t really do it justice, so you’ll just have to go there for yourself!

After an exhausting and very hot day, we headed up toward Salt Lake City. We drove through vast unpopulated stretches of east central Utah. It’s so desolate, but I’m sure the stars are incredible at night! We stopped for lunch at the Taco Time, a northwestern chain, in Price. I got a quesadilla that was fried up like some sort of greasy pastry. It was really disgusting. Nate wasn’t too happy with his nachos, either. Oh well. Then we continued up toward Ogden, driving through some incredible green mountains and past a brush fire being fought by a helicopter. It’s always so crazy to see them tackling a huge fire with a tiny bucket, but I guess it works for them! We arrived at I-15 right past Provo and headed north from there. I swear, the Salt Lake City metro area has to be the LONGEST metro area yet! It’s at least 80 miles from Provo to Ogden! Phew! So after another hour of driving through Salt Lake and vicinity, we finally arrived at our Ogden exit.

We followed the directions given to us, heading north on the frontage road and west on an unassuming road that took us through the town of Clinton. I followed the road along the curve and headed north again before turning west one more time in the town of Hooper. We arrived at the Ogden Bay Wildlife Management Area around 7pm and found our way to the cabin.

Set amongst a series of work sheds and Val the groundskeeper’s home, our silver cabin awaited me. Other than a ding from a car collision and a few dead moths caught in the screen door, it didn’t look TOO scary. My boss Kevin had warned me about the insects, but I was more worried about the spiders, which I had yet to see. Upon opening the door, you enter the living room, complete with a tv, two couches, and a chair. To the left is an office of sorts, just an extention of the livingroom. Behind that is my bedroom, which has two access doors, one to the office, and one to the hallway in the back. I was lucky enough to get a bunk bed, closet, and some shelves to myself! It had been rumored that I would have a roommate, but Megan, whom I met at this time, was kind enough to move out into the double bunk bed room so I could have it to myself. That really made my day.

So Nate and I started unpacking a bit of my stuff before heading out again. We test drove the route to my office, and then we scoped out Rooster’s, another brewpub. Again, I was very unimpressed by the food, getting pasta that left me extremely garlicky, but Nate enjoyed his beer, and that’s really all that matters. Then we decided to call it an early night and checked in to another nice Motel 6. This one actually gave us a huge room! It was easily twice the size of the typical double bed room – it must have been the VIP suite or something! It was nice to have a bug-free place in which to sleep for the last time in a while.

On Sunday, we had quite a bit of time to kill before Nate’s flight, so we headed out in the morning to find some things to do. On our drive through Salt Lake, we’d discovered a number of places we wanted to visit, so we decided to head back down and see what could be done. Our first stop was a fun center way south in Lehi called Liberty Land. When we drove past the first time, we noticed this place had a roller coaster that wasn’t listed on the Roller Coaster Database. I was pretty excited to come back and get the first pictures of the place (even though it is now listed, it’s still picture-free). Well, it wasn’t to be because, like most things out here, it was closed on Sunday. So we’d driven the 60 miles for nothing! We headed back to Thanksgiving Point, a touristy area with shops, a dinosaur museum, and the world’s tallest manmade waterfall, but that was closed too! I was starting to think that this state is imposing funless Sundays for all of us! Well, we luckily noticed a Cabela’s outdoor shop pretty close by, so we decided to go there for lunch. As much as I don’t agree with hunting, I really REALLY love elk meat, and I knew we could get some here. So I had an elk sandwich, and Nate had a buffalo burger, and they were both great! Then we decided to check out Timpanogos Cave National Monument because we knew that would be open. So we drove the 10 miles out there just to find out that the cave tour takes 3 hours, and Nate had to be at the airport in the next 2 hours. So instead, we took in the beauty of the park, driving through the lush forests, perusing the reservoir, and taking a short hike. On the drive back, we noticed that Boondocks, another fun center, was open, so we stopped and did a quick 18 holes at the mini golf course. I actually beat Nate this time, which is a rarity! It was a nice way to top off the trip.

From there, we had to go to the airport, so we rushed up there, got Nate checked through, and parted. It was sad to see him leave, but I knew he would be back in about 3 weeks, so that’s something to look forward to. Ahead of me lay the daunting act of meeting my roommates and settling into my new home.

When I got back, my roommates were no where to be found, but June, the local stray tabby was there to greet me, looking for food. I sat on the pavement and gave her some attention. She was so lovey and reminded me of Dot to the point that I was in tears. Eventually I had to pull myself away and run to the store to pick up any necessities. Once I returned, I met Kacie, my second roommate. My first impression was that she was incredibly loud and brash. Though she didn’t look it, she sounded exactly like a sorority chick…actually, if you watch Saturday Night Live, she sometimes talks like that annoying character that plays with her hair and always tries to one-up other people with her stories. She doesn’t do either of those things, but she talks the same way! I immediately thought this girl would be hard to get along with. Well, I found out that she enjoys sushi, crossword puzzles, cats (she’s the one that feeds June), and we have a lot of other things in common. It’s so weird! Anyway, I made some phone calls that night and claimed the top bunk in my room. I slept surprisingly well, despite having to get up at 3:30 for work. I did notice a gigantic wolf spider on my floor, and I hope that’s not a trend.

My first day at work went pretty well. I met Kevin, my boss, at the Division offices and also met Chris, a volunteer birder who would come along and help us do our breeding bird surveys. We were out until 11am, stopping every half mile along a transect and identifying birds. I did all the recording, as I am not very good with bird ID’s, but I had a great time being out in nature and doing something biology-related again. Chris was a whiz with birds, and it would be interesting to learn more from her. Kevin seems like a nice guy, and it turns out that he’s also new at the Division, having started about 6 weeks ago, so that lowers the pressure a bit. I think he’s a bit ditzy, but at least he’s nice. We’ll see how this goes.

Tuesday, we spent the day releasing a Great Basin rattlesnake and hiking to the top of a waterfall. It was only 1.2 miles, but it was quite steep and exhausting. Kevin’s luckily just as, if not more, out of shape as I am, so we took some nice breaks on the way up. Once there, we scouted for black swifts, though we didn’t see any, and got to enjoy the refreshing spray from the waterfall. It was an enjoyable day.

Wednesday we started early again. I was picked up by Kevin and BLM employee Tracy at 5:15, and we headed up to Brigham City to meet with Kurt, another Division worker. He was gracious enough to take us on a tour of Box Elder County, the northwestern most county in the state. We drove for hours, mostly checking out sage grouse sites, and even crossing the border into Nevada a bit. We saw lots of cows, a few actual sage grouse, and some antelope. The landscape was very dry – a desert without cacti, actually. There were lots of rolling, treeless hills and vast expanses of wilderness. It was really interesting, but a bit draining. We were out until after 8pm! But now I know all I need to know about NW Utah. And more!!

Upon returning home, I met my third and final roommate Mike, who had been house sitting for the last few days. I was deep in conversation with Kacie when he walked in, but when I got a chance, I introduced myself cordially and, to make conversation, I told him I’d heard he was from WI, and I asked where. He said he went to school in Steven’s Point, and I was all, “Oh, cool. I’m from Illinois!” and then he got grumbly saying how he lived in Hoffman Estates for a year and hated it. I got the distinct impression he dislikes Illinoisans as many Wisconsiners do, and while I can’t blame him (I know a lot of rotten Illinoisans), I felt a bit offended! Well, I’ve talked with him a bit since, and he’s a rather quiet guy (as I’d been warned on before), and I think maybe he was just being sarcastic or something at the time, but he seems ok now.

Thursday things were pretty easy. We just did important work around the office, getting necessary equipment and getting ready for next week. So far, it’s been a fun job, and I’m hoping it gets even better. We’ll hopefully start the pika and flying squirrel work soon. Kevin is so supportive about bulking up my resume, too, and is willing to let me work on any sensitive species project that interests me. Some possibilities are boreal toads and kit foxes. I can’t wait!

As for this weekend, on the Fourth of July, I woke up around 8:30 and spent the morning doing a hike around the property, checking out the 11 mile loop. It was enjoyable – I didn’t see another person the whole time, and I saw a plethora of waterfowl including cormorants, great blue herons, and avocets. I also saw a stag with a huge, velvety rack that leapt over the fence only 20 or so feet from me. I hadn’t even seen him and fumbled for my camera, but by the time I snapped the picture, he was quite a ways off. It was great exercise on a lovely day. The clouds obscured the sun, so the temperature remained tolerable. If I do that more often, I’ll be in shape in no time.

That evening, I drove down to Taylorsville to visit with my friend Trish, whom I’ve known for about 16 years. She was having a BBQ at her house and kindly invited me to join them. I had a wonderful time visiting with her and her family, meeting some great new people, and catching up. I also got to meet Zoe, their golden retriever puppy, and all of Trish’s rats, who were so cute! We enjoyed a delicious BBQ dinner, followed up with fireworks that they set off themselves. I enjoyed it from the safety of my car, as always. It was wonderful to see everyone again, and I’m looking forward to seeing them again since I’m back in town.

Saturday I drove around town, going to the mall and the library. Sunday, I drove up to Logan and saw the UT State University campus, saw S&S Power (roller coaster and ride manufacturer), went to the zoo, saw the world's largest fishing fly, went to the mall, and just tooled around town. It's BEAUTIFUL up there, nestled in the mountains. And it's a big bio school. I could get my PhD and Nate could work at S&S. Hah, yeah right. That night, I met up with Kevin around 7pm and we drove waaay out to the West Desert in preparation for bird surveys the next morning. We didn't get to bed until 12:30, and he thought we could get up later than I thought, but he's the boss...and we were totally late for bird surveys. Ugh. We did what we could, though, and racked up the hours, but it was a dud. We did have two juvenile antelope approach us pretty closely, though. That was magical.

Oh yeah, and the whole way up, he insisted on listening to "Soft Sunday Sounds" on the radio...religious stuff and any time a good, upbeat song came on (when we couldn't get a certain station), he'd change it. Oh well.

On the way back, we stopped for deep fried chicken gizzards. Isn't that the grossest sounding thing?? You know me, though. I have to try everything. It wasn't QUITE as cartilage-y as I'd have expected, but it was pretty bad, anyway. Still, I'm glad I can say I've tried it! Bleh!

Tuesday, I worked EIGHTEEN HOURS! No joke! I got to work at 8:30, and we went out to Bud Phelps Preserve up near Logan, and saw all sorts of restoration habitat. We left work at 2:30, and I had to go down to meet Kevin, Kim (his counterpart in SLC), and Tracy (whom I met on that tour of Box Elder Co. - she's totally cool and works for BLM) for batting out of SLC. I left at 4pm, and I didn't get back until 4am!! It was an exciting night. I usually dislike batting, mostly because I hate mist nets, but with the four of us, we set things up just fine - four separate ones, but it worked well. We caught 2 birds and 19 bats! It was insane! Plus, a raccoon stole Kevin's box of cookies. It was pretty funny, but frustrating, too because that was going to be my dinner for the night.

So yeah, overall I really like my job. There is so much variety, and no jerky people to work with, and it's been one adventure after another. It's like a biology sampler. Hehe. I'm looking forward to flying squirrel work, as I'm more of a mammal person than a birder (by the way, we're doing burrowing owls today!) but the pika stuff is kind of daunting - it sounds dangerous! I hope I survive the summer!

On Wed., I had the day off due to having already worked 33 hours by Tuesday. Phew! I came into work and charged my phone. Then I headed off to Nickelcade, the local arcade, and had a blast playing video games and winning tickets. It's much like the Nickel City in Albuquerque in that lots of the old games don't work or eat your nickels, but it was still lots of fun. Then I went out to the Eccles Dinosaur Park and enjoyed walking amongst the life-sized dino replicas and perusing the museum. It was a great way to spend my day off.

So let's see, what else...guess I'll tell you about the peeps I know out here. Kevin's my boss, and he's really down to earth and nice. He's LDS, which I was hoping for because most LDSers are laid back and don't have a temper. Based on our conversations last night, he thinks I work too hard, so I guess that isn't a bad thing. ;) I feel bad because we do work insane hours and there are times he just wants to take the day off and see his family or whatever, and I am psycho about racking up the overtime so I can take off when Nate comes into town or when I go to OH in a few weeks, and I almost never let him leave. Lol. Well, I'm glad he notices I'm a hard worker and doesn't think I slack, which is always a fear of mine.

Then there's my roommates at the cabin. They're all interns, making $20 a day. Eep! I first met Megan, who's from NH and is pretty quiet and friendly. Then there's Kacie who is loud and brash and talks like a total valley girl, but we actually have a lot in common. They're both 22. Kacie has been letting me use her phone charger since the one I got from Verison is a piece o crap, but I HATE relying on other people...plus, she's out of town through Friday, and we'd agreed she'd leave the charger with me, but she forgot, and now I have to come into work to do it. I tried to get a new one, but for some reason they needed the original receipt from my purchase of the phone to get me a new one and had no record of me, so I may need to BUY it, which is just rediculous. Ugh, I hate technology...and don't get me started on that computer of mine! It, too, is having charging issues...

Finally, there's Mike...the guy from Wisconsin. Well, he's ok-ish...quiet, though. Except that, over the weekend, when it was only the two of us at the cabin, I was still in bed, and I heard him use the restroom...he didn't shut the door, but the WORST thing was that he DIDN'T WASH HIS HANDS!!! Ewwww! So now I'm grossed out to touch anything in the cabin, thinking that his penis germs are all over the place. Sick! I am NOT amused. :P

So on that happy note, I'll leave it at that...I may actually get my PNW story on here sometime soon. It's completed. I just have to make it to the library when my computer has a charge so I can get it uploaded. Yay!! So that's life 'til now. Next up: Burrowing owls!