Family Trips Over the Years


Many happy memories have been recorded over the years with these slide clips made while our family of three children grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah. From spring, fall, summer, winter, ... precious moments reflect these fun times.

Jeffrey, Judy, then James blessed our house with joy and happiness. The fun was seeing the children grow in knowledge as we visited many of Utah's unusual sights. Often, these were those not on the tourist maps. Oh no, we took off on almost vacated dirt roads ... the old Pony Express route once used to deliver the mail during pioneer times. Indeed, driving out into this desolate area would more likely find you an eagle before you had contact with another human being. Nights were equally thrilling. As a brilliant sunset slowly came upon you and darkness crept over the landscape, the heart skipped a beat. You were truly alone with nature.

Fish Springs is a desolate but fascinating spot. A pioneer book, Holy Murder, the story of Orrin Porter Rockwell, claimed that out in this most isolated spot, miles from any town, lied a warm spring pool ... perfectly round and bottomless!

Our trek this day was go out and locate this spring which was said to be just one mile south of the Fish Springs area. We discovered there were no roads leading south from this boggy, swampy mud. Instead, we did discover a 20-foot rock rimmed round pool brimming with very warm water one mile to the north! Indeed this must be the spring. The water was perfect bathing temperature. It was crystal clear, but appeared black as one stared into it's deep mystifying center. A ranger stationed at Fish Springs told us that he had dived into the pool and never did touch bottom. However the deeper he dove, the hotter the water.

Just a few feet to the north of this beautiful pool were two springs .... one pouring boiling hot water... the other cold water. Yet these two springs were just a few feet from each other! Who can explain this mystery? Many of the springs at Fish Springs are enticing... the water being ideal swimming temperatures ... quite warm, with temperatures ranging from 70 to 75 degrees. Most are an irresistible temptation for some. However, this particular warm spring has an overhang which is easy to get caught and trapped under water because of the jagged rocks. Thus, "NO SWIMMING!" for those with other ideas.

Fish Springs is an ideal bird refuge. The warm waters provide a rich breeding ground for fish, which in turn attract a wide variety of birds.

Now, many miles away from Fish Springs, we came upon a lake loaded with fish. Some seem sickened by some disease. Hundreds lie very near the shoreline dying. Son Jeff braves picking up one of the carp to show "his catch."

In this country, we were stopped by sheep grazing in the open unfenced desert. Windmills pumped water from wells beneath the ground to provide the only water available for the livestock. Too, we were in volcano country. Old volcanos, relatively recent in geologic time had vented and poured lava over much of this desert landscape. We tried to find several hot springs attributed to some of the volcanic activity here. Some had since dried up. Others left enormous porous travertine mounds which were being mined for the beautiful ornamental color and random patterns these old hot springs created over countless years of seeping deposits of limestone.

Still another area, just across the border into Nevada, we come upon the "ninth largest geyser area in the world" .... Beowowe. Unfortunately geothermal drilling over recent years has completely destroyed the Geyser field. These pictures were taken just before a complete destruction of the area had taken place. Two large venting pipes placed many years earlier had blown away the original valves and were now wildly and loudly venting hot steam and mineral. An alarming, deafening roar accompanied these two furiously out-of-control taps of explosive energy lying just a few feet below our feet. The steam shot up sixty to seventy feet, making a spectacular sight for anyone approaching this old volcanic slope. The message of Beowowe is clear. A geyser area such as this, and Yellowstone, can easily be destroyed by thoughtless experimental actions.

Our family of five -- James, Dianne, Judy, Jeffrey (and myself), rest on the slope just feet away from these two roaring pipes. Also nearby are several hot springs, a few small periodic geysers, boiling mud pots and steam vents. No wonder this was considered the ninth largest geyser field in the world! It had almost every feature of Yellowstone.

Truly, Beowowe was one of the highlights of our expeditions into the seldom traveled, but fascinating country nearby.

Large white mounds were left from the large mineral deposits. It gave the appearance of snow in the middle of summer. One of the problems in using many geothermal areas is the mineral content that comes up with the steam. It can quickly clog up turbines which convert the steam into power.

One can appreciate the amount of thermal energy being vented at Beowowe. Waters are boiling hot. Steam rises from pools, vents, and other features much the same as with Yellowstone. Geyser areas such as this are quite unusual in that silica must be in high concentrations in the water in order for geysers to form. Silica forms a very strong vessel for the boiling waters -- a vessel that withstands the tremendous explosive pressures of steam explosions below the surface which, in turn, cause geyser action.

In southern Utah, at Arches National Monument, watching the sunrise is a breathtaking sight. Today it attracts a small but dedicated group -- some geology students from a college far away. Delicate Arch seems far from delicate compared to some of the other Arches in this area. To stand beside this massive rock formation makes one feel like an ant. (Note Jeffrey and James. barely visible, standing to the left side on the apron of the arch)

One can walk these sandstone rock slopes and almost stick like a fly. The sand provides good footing for climbing on quite steep slopes. To watch from my photographer's viewpoint, though, put my heart in my throat since just in the foreground and not shown in this camera view is an enormous drop-off of perhaps 100 feet! Gulp! But that is part of the excitement of Arches. It is a display of natures most massive art.

Lastly, but certainly not least is this final view of our very favorite western park, Yellowstone. Traveling north we end up at Mammoth Hot Springs at dusk. Antelope and deer are nearby this day. They seem unafraid of the hundreds of visitors that come to Yellowstone to see this true wonder of the world. No man should leave this earthly life without first seeing Yellowstone!


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Page Modified April 30, 1999