Sept. 21, 2005 7:20am Sunrise on Timp. Looking out my window, the top half of the mountain is spotlighted by the rising sun against a cloudless sky. Night lingers on the lower half of the mountain, shaded by the false horizon of the…Read More

Sept. 21, 2005

7:20am
Sunrise on Timp. Looking out my window, the top half of the mountain is spotlighted by the rising sun against a cloudless sky. Night lingers on the lower half of the mountain, shaded by the false horizon of the mountians across the valley. Above the first ridge, just reached by the sun line, the Wild Mountain Maple trees shine red above the shadows and on high, ice fields sparkle white against the gray rock walls of the top ridge line, almost 6,500 feet above Heber Valley.

11am
We left for a fall foliage drive over the mountain on spectacularly scenic UT Rt 92. She didn’t want to take the time to make the trip over and back on Rt 92, so we go the faster way, starting south toward Timp on US 189 (see my forthcoming journal on the drive through Provo Canyon for details.) I stopped for a photo along the lake shore. The Heber Creeper, a steam engine scenic train ride partway down Provo Canyon, was crossing the dam, creating a scene of blue lake water in the foreground, yellow train cars just above the lake, a belt of bright red maples above the train, and the snow and rocks of high Timpanogos topping it off against a blue sky. I can’t show you this picture because I use 35mm film.

Taking the Orem exit, we followed 800 N St. to to I-15 northbound, toward Salt Lake City. About 10 miles up I-15, we exit right onto UT Rt 92 (sign for Timpanogos Cave National Monument). The second left, at the light, between the stone pillars for "Treasure Mountain" is the entrance to Cabela’s. Outdoors men know Cabela’s, but we have been to the two original stores in Nebraska and Kansas, and they were playhouses compared to this one. For those who don’t know, Cabela’s is a sporting goods store on steroids, and well worth visiting, for on top of what seem to be miles of racks of camo clothing, it has wildlife displays. There is a large, walk-through aquarium exhibiting fresh water game fish, a museum of stuffed wildlife from the African Plains (I counted 30+ critters), including two lions attacking an antelope. Another large room features big game of North America–-bears, moose, elk, deer. Mounted trophy game lines the walls of the store. Then there is Big Game Mtn., an artificial mountain populated with stuffed animals of all sorts smack in the middle of the store. Hungry? Cabela’s cafeteria (upstairs) serves buffalo, ostrich, and elk burgers along with the unusual fare.

Heading east on Rt 92, toward Mt Timpanogos, more than 7,000 ft above us, we passed the Micron Plant. Built at the top of the tech bubble to employ almost 3,000 people, this white elephant is now staffed by 200 workers.

Closing in, the Wasatch Range mountain wall seems to shoot straight up from the valley floor. The road enters a narrow canyon at the base of the mountain wall and we began the gradual climb up American Fork Canyon, equally specular but very different from Provo Canyon. Rock spires shoot straight up from the canyon floor. Entrance station, free for Golden Eagle/Golden Age pass holders, otherwise, $3 for three days, or free if you drive straight through without stopping. You will want to stop.

A few miles up the Canyon is Timpanogos Cave National Monument. The cave itself is 1,100 feet. above the parking lot and entrance station. You hike. Allow at least 45 minutes for the hike to get to your scheduled tour, and it’s best to make reservations. Bring warm clothes. The cave is 50° year round. There are modern restroom facilities, snacks, and a water fountain at the parking lot.

A few mile beyond Timpanogos Cave, we turned left at the sign for Tibble Fork Reservoir. Just as the road enters a small mountain valley, we stopped on the right at Tibble Dam, and walked out to the middle of the dam for the view. Below the dam, the narrow canyon perfectly frames a fine Alpine view. Across the lake, there are nice views of the surrounding mountains and fall foliage. A little further along the road, at the large parking lot, there are restrooms and drinking water. This a great place for a picnic.

Tibble Fork road dead ends just beyond the parking lot at a campground, so we reversed direction and returned to Rt 92, turned right and begin the steep climb to the pass at 9,000 feet. Campers and RVs are not allowed. The smaller your car, the more comfortable you will feel on this narrow, twisting road.

Unfortunately, there only a few pullovers along the road, so stop when you see one. The views of the valleys open out as we climb, with dashes of red, orange, yellow, and dark green, scattered across the rocky mountain slopes. Wild flowers lined the side of the road. Nearing the pass, we entered the high Aspen forest. Fall comes later to the Aspens, so now we are back in a summer scene, surrounded by green and wildflowers. At the summit, we turned left on the road to Cascade Springs, a small cold water version of Yellowstone’s Mammoth Hot Springs. There is a restroom at the parking lot, and the short walk around the springs is most pleasant. Although the surrounding valleys- Heber Valley, Utah Valley, and Salt Lake Valley– where civilization lives, is desert or near desert, it is verdant in the mountians. There is so much precipitation in the mountians that part of Timp is classified as a rain forest. The trail around Cascade Springs passes through heavy forest, with lots of Columbines in bloom in the spring.

There is a fine view of Heber Valley from the top of the dirt road running up hill from the parking lot, but then turn around and return to Rt 92, for the best is yet to come.

Returning to Rt 92 at the summit, a left turn starts the 4,000 ft. decent back to Provo Canyon. I shifted into 2nd gear, gearing down to hold down speed on the steep road. About 3/4 the way down, we knew we were coming on a tourist by the smell of burning brakes. This is not a road to fool with. Downshift, don’t ride your brakes. Shortly after the summit, we saw the first of many bright orange "No Trespassing" signs marking Robert Redford’s extensive mountain property, which he has mostly preserved in their natural state. Hunting is allowed in the surrounding National Forest, but not on Redford’s land. Hence, the signs to keep hunters out.

On the left, at the top of one of the hairpin turns, a short driveway to a large wooden gate is the entrance to Redford’s house on the ridge overlooking Sundance. Starting the decent from this or the next hairpin turn, looking to the left at about 10 o’clock, we saw the devastation wrecked on the forest by a big avalanche in 2004 that killed two snow boarders– an inverted V of downed tree trunks stripped clean of their branches by the avalanche. Dead tree trunks, all laying pointing downhill. One of the bodies was not discovered until the following June. It was, as described in the newspaper, "partial remains." Translation: savager animals got there before the recovery team. The mountians are not to be taken lightly, and you had better shift into 1st on this stretch of the road.

We stopped at Aspen Grove, the Mormon church’s family retreat and mediation center to look at the trees across the way, which were the brightest reds we saw on the trip. More photos.

Next stop, Sundance. We always stop at Sundance. Sometimes, we just drive to Sundance, described by Conde-Nast Traveler as "One of the most beautiful places on Earth", for the view from the parking lot. Sundance has water fountains, modern restrooms, a fine restaurant, souvenirs, and ice cream. A stroll around the landscaped grounds along the mountain brook is always in order. In the summer, glass blowers work behind the main building turning trash beer and wine bottles into art and glasses for the Sundance restaurants, part of Sundance’s recycling program. You can buy the glasses or glass art at the gift shop and at the art center.

Leaving Sundance, a right turn on Rt 92, another steep decent, and a we were back at US 189, about 8 miles from Heber City (left turn).

2:30pm, Heber City
This drive can also be done from Salt Lake International Airport, starting out on I-80 east to I-15 south or from Salt Lake City (I-15 south: Las Vegas). If at all possible, visitors should drive it both directions, for the scenery is different and both spectacular, although the described route from Utah Valley to Heber Valley is a bit more impressive.

I've been quizzing people who have seen fall foliage in both Vermont and northern Utah. 80% say Utah is better. Fall in Utah tops Vermont several ways. First, there is the setting. Vermont's hills can't hold a candle to the peaks of the…Read More

I've been quizzing people who have seen fall foliage in both Vermont and northern Utah. 80% say Utah is better. Fall in Utah tops Vermont several ways. First, there is the setting. Vermont's hills can't hold a candle to the peaks of the Wasatch Range, where fall centers on 11,970-foot Mt Timpanogos and 12,002-foot Mt Nebo, great craggy mountains where rock and glaciers and evergreen forests provide the setting for fall colors.

Second, fall is off-season in Utah but high season in Vermont. Room prices are at their lowest. We drove more than 20,000 miles seeing Utah's fall over six years, never made an advanced room reservation, and never needed one. Highways are free of traffic, except on the weekends when Salt Lake City goes to see fall, but even then, there is no comparison to grid locked VT Rt. 100 (except UT Rt 92). Restaurant prices also drop, with a flood of 2-for-1 coupons in the Park City Record. Rental car prices at the airport are also at their lowest.

Fall lasts 6-8 weeks, including the late colors in Zion Canyon, Utah's fall runs from late August to mid-November. Vermont is good for about a week, 10 days at the most. There are four seasons in Utah's fall. First, the preliminaries, a few red bushes and trees that only hint at what is to come. Second, in early September, come the spectacular red wild mountain maples, fully the peers of Vermont's famed Sugar Maple.

Third, in late September to mid-October, the glorious golden Aspens arrive, followed by pastel season, when the lower mountain slopes take on the colors of the palate of an Impressionist artist at the end of long day, mottled mountainsides of muted oranges, purples, and brown, unlike anything we have seen anywhere else.

It's hard to say whether the maples or Aspens are the stars of the show, but there are a lot more Aspens. The maples are most concentrated in the foothills west of Heber City. Prime viewing is from UT Rt. 92, and Wasatch Mtn. State Park Golf Course, where a September round on the Lake Course is surrounded by blazing red trees beneath the high mountain tops, sometimes capped with snow. Aspens are everywhere. Top viewing from UT Rt. 224 traveling south from I-80, and UT Rts. 92, 150, 35, 39, or any mountain road north of Zion National Park and west of Capitol Reef National Park. Utah's Rt 12 between Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Parks, one of the most scenic drives on Earth, is at its best when the golden Aspens ring vast Boulder Mountain.

Do not miss riding the lift at Deer Valley if the Aspens change while the summer lift still operates.

US40 east of Heber City climbs 2,500 feet up a canyon whose walls display every possible color and the canyon floor is bedecked with cottonwoods along the stream bank. Stop at the visitor's center at Strawberry Reservoir to see the salmon spawning (late August to October), surrounded by Aspen groves.

More or less in order, scenic fall day trips (if -- I should say, when-- you encounter a herd of cattle or a flock of sheep ambling down the road, go very slowly, but try not to stop. You have to bluff them out. If you stop, they will surround you and trap you, and they are (except as noted) paved roads.

(1) UT Rt 92 ($3 day use fee), with a stop at Robert Redford's Sundance Resort for lunch, ride up the lift, and a stroll around the grounds. We have driven scenic highways all over North America and Europe, and parts of South America and Africa, and our vote for the most scenic drive goes to UT Rt. 92 in the fall. Be sure to go both directions and take all the side roads. When you come to the dam along the side road to Granite Flats Campground, stop for the view downstream from the middle of the dam.

(2) Follow Midway's Main St. onto UT 224. Turn left at the sign for the Inn on the Creek. Turn left at the end of the road, and bear right at the fork in the road. The Y-intersection offers a choice. Bear right up and over Guardsman Pass (rough dirt road) to either Park City (aspens) or Brighton (Big Cottonwood Canyon) (maples and aspens). Bear left, then right at the Visitor's Center to drive up Snake Creek Canyon.

(3) I-80 east to WY/UT 150 to either UT 32 or UT 214. The Mirror Lake highway, a National Forest Scenic Byway. On Rt. 150 ($3 fee) south from Evanston, do not miss the short side trip to the incomparable Mirror Lake (near mile marker 32) with a pretty but flat trail circling the 9,000 ft. high lake, and a stop at Provo Falls, a series of 10 cascades and waterfalls, near mile marker 24.

(4) Mt. Nebo Scenic Loop, another National Forest scenic Byway. Take US 189 toward Provo to I-15 south, exit at Payson and ask directions. The Scenic Loop ends at Rt. 132. For a fast return, go right on Rt. 132 to I-15. The scenic return is to retrace your way back to the Santaquin Canyon road and take it to I-15. Restaurants in Payson and in Nephi.

(5) I-80 east to I-84 west to UT 161 to east-bound UT 35. When you descend from the mountains on UT 35, there are choices. If your timing is right, fall in Grand Teton National Park, about three hours north via UT 16 and WY 89, which is a gem. Yellowstone is next door, and while Yellowstone is no great shakes for fall foliage, it isn't very crowded in the fall. Stay overnight in Jackson Hole or Yellowstone. Return by US 189 and I-80 via Hoback Canyon, a good place to see mountain sheep and Aspens.

Or go north on UT 16, then east on US 39 & 89 through Logan Canyon. From Logan, return either by reversing the itinerary or by continuing to I-15. Although longer, the reversed itinerary is far prettier, and the views going this direction are quite different than what you saw on the way.

Or head south on UT 16/WY 89 to Evanston and pick up either WY 150 (slow) or I-18 (fast) back to your hotel.

Or turn around and go back the way you came. The scenery is quite different driving this direction, with no sense of doing what you have already done.

(6) Rt 224 from Kimble Jct to Park City. Follow the signs for Deer Valley. Just after the road becomes divided, turn right on Royal St. to Silver Lake Lodge and ride the lift through the Aspens to the great views from the top of Bald Mtn. Start back the way you came, but take the first left and follow the dirt road back to Heber Valley.

(7) Take UT 32 toward Kamas, but go straight at the four way stop in Francis on to UT 35 [great fall Aspens]. There is a beaver dam, pond, and lodge in the stream on the right near milepost 32, just across from the higher of two stretches of fake rock lining the cliff. Cliffs along the highways that are especially prone to falling rock are covered with concrete for stabilization, and then the concrete is colored to look like rock [also along US 189 on both sides of the tunnel near Rt 92]. Turn right on US 40 to Muir's Smokehouse in Fruitland where the menu tops for fine smoked meats and homemade pies, but if you never had one, opt for the bargain priced Buffalo Burger. We lunched at Muir's once while showing a visitor from a big eastern city around. During lunch, we fell into conversation with a cowboy taking a break from the round up who came by Muir's for lunch-- half a peach pie. Citified dudes are surprised to run into real cowboys on real roundups, but it happens here. The cowboy didn't arrive on horseback. It was his day to use the Jeep.

Continue toward Heber on US 40 to Strawberry Reservoir Visitor's Center where you can see a salmon run late August-October. The roads circling the reservoir have good Aspen views. There is also a beaver lodge along the side of the road between Fruitland and the summit, but it is impossible to spot from the highway going this direction. Go to the top of the hill and turn around, watching the ditch, which is really a little stream, along the side of the road for the dam.

(8) US 189 to Provo, I-15 to US 6 east to UT 96 to UT 264, turn left on UT 31 to Huntington. At Huntington, turn around and take UT 31 to US 89 back to US 6. Mostly Aspen. Great mountain scenery.

CLIMATE: Heber Valley is a high altitude [5,500 feet] semi-arid steppe (10-15" annual precipitation) with an almost perfect four-season climate. Precipitation is highly microclimatic. We live on the east side of Heber Valley, with about 10" precipitation a year, but we can a see temperate rain forest…Read More

CLIMATE:
Heber Valley is a high altitude [5,500 feet] semi-arid steppe (10-15" annual precipitation) with an almost perfect four-season climate. Precipitation is highly microclimatic. We live on the east side of Heber Valley, with about 10" precipitation a year, but we can a see temperate rain forest on the mountians across the valley. We can see the top of Alta ski resort from our windows, 8.5 miles away. One major winter storm dumped 6.5 feet of snow on Alta over six days. We never had to clean our driveway. I skied 85-90 days a year for each of the last seven years, and only twice had to slow down to about 50mph driving to the ski area on account of the weather. The Wasatch Range, rising 6,000-7,000 feet above Heber Valley, blocks most of the storms, keeping the valley relatively snow free. And there are lots of snow plows.

WINTER:
Winters are not extreme, with an occasional low around -20°, but the strong sunshine and low humidity lets kids walk to school in shorts and T-shirts in mid-winter. Anyone living where the humidity exceeds 30% will never understand this until they experience it.

The valley is picture-postcard snow-covered from December to February, but it's no problem.

The Wasatch Mountains, forming the south, east, and west sides of Heber Valley, are the heart of an incredible snow belt (250-500" annual snowfall) that produces the best recreational skiing conditions in the world.

SUMMER:
Summer is high season, when the people living in the Salt Lake Valley escape to Heber Valley for a break from the summer heat. Summers have hot, dry days and cool nights, the most remarkable being the all time high of 104° preceded by a low of 48°. Summer highs average 85°, and lows are 40° cooler. Bring a sweater. We don't find it unusual to change clothes three times a day in the summer and to use wool blankets at night. Summer also has the most diverse recreation. Be careful of the summer weather forecast when the weatherman talks about "monsoon rains" coming. A monsoon, most famous in India, does not mean lots of rain. The normal weather pattern in the northern hemisphere is that winds and storms move from the west or northwest. The monsoon is a reversal of the normal pattern. In America’s southwest, including Utah, it refers to occasional short rains that come from the south or southwest, out of Mexico.

The Monsoon last for 2-3 weeks around the first of August. This year, in three weeks of monsoon weather, it rained three times in Heber Valley. The biggest one lasted for 10-15 minutes. Monsoon rains are largely restricted to mountain thunderstorms. Do what the weatherman advised one day, "The chance of rain is 30%. Don’t change your plans."

Monsoon does raise the humidify from the summer’s typical 10-15% to 30-35%, which can it a little sticky in the early afternoon.

FALL and SPRING:
Fall and spring bring consistently low humidity, lots of sunshine, pleasant days, and often chilly nights. Expect mountain snow in the high elevations by mid-September, but no accumulation. Snow can linger into June at the higher elevations, so keep that in mind if you plan to do mountain climbing or mountain biking.

Fall and spring are low season, except for hunting season when motels get crowded. Fall offers most of the summer activities without crowds and at lower prices. Toping it off, the fall foliage rivals Vermont. My straw poll found that 70-80% of those who have seen fall in both Vermont and the Wasatch(the mountain range around Heber Valley) prefer the Wasatch.

In spring, the high mountains are still snow covered, and you can ski in the morning and golf in the afternoon. Snowbird, 75 minutes away, sometimes stays open until the Fourth of July.

WHAT ABOUT PARK CITY? The famed resort town, Park City, is only 15 miles and 1,200 Ft. higher than Heber Valley. Why not stay there, since their close proximity makes all the recreation activities about equally accessible, except for golf and fishing? Park City offers big…Read More

WHAT ABOUT PARK CITY?

The famed resort town, Park City, is only 15 miles and 1,200 Ft. higher than Heber Valley. Why not stay there, since their close proximity makes all the recreation activities about equally accessible, except for golf and fishing? Park City offers big discounts in the summer on rooms, but keep it in perspective. Park City’s Stein Eriksen Lodge’s prices drop from $650 in the winter to around $200 in summer. Heber Valley’s Homestead Resort is around $200 year-round, and offers more to do than Stein’s. Park City, being higher, is a bit cooler, 5-10°, but, being over 6,000 feet in altitude, Park City will leave you a little breathless with any exertion. Park City offers better shopping. Heber Valley has one advantage: a spectacular mountain setting. You have to go to the national parks to beat Heber Valley’s scenery. By comparison, Park City is borderline ugly. Heber Valley offers lower priced restaurants and a greater range of dining– Park City’s dining choices are pretty much limited to California Yuppie cuisine. Park City has a slick resort atmosphere. Heber Valley still has pockets of the 1950s and of the 12th century if you get to know the thinking of the natives.

Utah officialdom declares that Utah’s drinking laws are neither incomprehensible nor hinder getting a drink. So here they are. You decide. Beer: Watered-down 3.2% beer is sold at SOME grocery and convenience stores (local laws prohibit sales on Sundays in some places) and in restaurants that…Read More

Utah officialdom declares that Utah’s drinking laws are neither incomprehensible nor hinder getting a drink. So here they are. You decide.

Beer: Watered-down 3.2% beer is sold at SOME grocery and convenience stores (local laws prohibit sales on Sundays in some places) and in restaurants that only have beer licenses. Real beer is sold at state liquor stores, in private clubs, and restaurants with liquor licenses.

Wine: Wine is served in restaurants (ONLY if you order food) with liquor licenses (the state limits the number), private clubs, or can be purchased at the state liquor stores--nowhere else. Liquor stores are closed Sundays and on state and federal holidays.

Liquor: Sold in state liquor stores or by the drink in licensed restaurants (if you order food) and private clubs (without ordering food). Liquor stores are closed Sundays and on state and federal holidays.

Private Club Membership: Adult visitors can purchase a temporary membership to any private club for $4, valid for three weeks for the visitor and up to 7 guests. A separate membership must be purchased for each private club. An existing member can sponsor a guest provided that there is a "pre-existing relationship between guest and sponsor". The sponsor is required to remain in the club while the sponsored guest is present. There is a chance of getting "sponsored" by entering and asking.

Brown Bag: At the discretion of the establishment, patrons can pay a corkage fee to BYOB wine in licensed restaurants and private clubs. You can carry out unfinished wine from a restaurant or private club if the bottle is re-corked. This can save a lot on wine, as the markup is typically two to three times the state store price.

Utah Liquor Licenses: Full service in licensed restaurants and private clubs. Liquor by the drink, wine by the glass or bottle, and beer in bottles, cans, and on draft. Liquor, wine, and real beer (over 3.2) are sold in State Stores.

Restaurants with full licenses offer liquor, wine and real beer from noon to midnight and 3.2 beer from 10am to 1am. Patrons must order food to be served alcohol. Restaurants with limited liquor licenses serve wine and real beer from noon to midnight, 3.2 beer from 10am to 1am. No liquor.

State Liquor Store Locations:

Park City: 1901 Sidewinder Dr.
The largest store in Park City has one of the best wine selections in Utah.

524 Main Street, Kimball Plaza at Kimball Junction (I-80 and UT-224)
Forget the store on Main St. in Heber City, which has a very limited stock and higher prices.

Where to get a drink in Heber Valley:

Most of the restaurants are associated with the better hotels, like Homestead, Inn on the Creek, Blue Boar Inn. There is a seedy bar (3.2 beer only) and pool hall on Heber City’s Main St. that looks like a scene out of the Wild West. The Owl Bar at Sundance is a real Old West bar imported from Wyoming. There's 3.2 beer at the grocery stores and some convenience stores. The Other End is Heber Valley’s only private club. I’ve never been there, but here is the report I got from a Park City acquaintance: "I travel a lot, and that’s the only place I’ve been anywhere in the world that I was afraid to enter. We looked though the window and took off."

Heber Valley and Park City have the same phone book. The Yellow Pages have no listings for "liquor", and the only one for "beer" is for a microbrewery, and there is one listing under "wine." There are 94 listings for Mormon churches.