Happy 4th of July


Thursday, July 4, 2019

Today was a day of planning.  We have set ourselves up for our exploration of Grand Teton National Park and the iconic Yellowstone National Park.  Thank goodness for good Wi-Fi at McDonalds…I knew they were good for something!

We went exploring Utah Lake State Park today.  The Park is made up of parking lots, boat launches, and the lake.  It advertises itself as a bird watching destination, but it is obvious that information is old.  The marsh area is now behind a man-made berm.  You can see where the trail used to lead out into the marsh, but it is closed off.  Water levels here are high.  One of the breakwaters has been recently added to.  It looks a little bit like the efforts on some of the Great Lakes in the last year.

The boat launches were lined up with boats being taken off trailers while others were being loaded.  A steady stream of watercraft was entering and exiting the harbour area.  It was a zoo.  Enforcement is strict.  A harbour boat sits at the entrance to the lake randomly pulling boats over for inspection.  A DNR (Department of Natural Resources) vehicle tours the harbour area.  Every boat is inspected for contaminates from other lakes.  The boaters clean their boats before entering the water and clean them again upon removal.  A typical boater’s day here appears to be, 2 hours pre-cleaning, 2 hours of boating, and 2 hours of post-cleaning…not my idea of a relaxing time.  I sure hope it is worth it!

Distance Traveled = 24 km (to McDonalds and back).  Wildlife Sightings = Mourning Dove, Robin, Western Kingbird, House Sparrow, California Quail, Black-necked Stilt, Glossy Ibis, American White Pelican, Killdeer, California Gull, Great-tailed Grackle, Magpie, Mallard, Canada Geese.


The marsh that used to be.... Utah Lake State Park


Busy Harbour


Water sports beneath snow-capped mountains

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