Utah Adventure Journal

All summer the town of Lava Hot Springs bustles with the hum of tourism. Families in RV’s fish the Portneuf River, high school kids on dates float on rented tubes down the easy riffles. Old people soak in the natural thermal pools–despite the blazing sun–and about 10,000 people cram into the olympic swimming complex. Middle […]

As I stood and poured the water out of my kayak, watching the river careen around a blind corner downstream, I felt alone and scared. My buddy had been in the lead and didn’t see me get sucked back into the hydraulic where the pounding water imploded my skirt, filling the boat with water. I […]

It began with a single drop that fell from a darkening afternoon sky and slapped into the baked sandstone. It left a nickel sized stain that lingered a few seconds before evaporating, but then another fell, and another. The porous rock absorbed the drops and the features of the land turned darker and more colorful […]

Only in Utah… …Can you ski, bike and kayak in one day with a transition time of less than 30 minutes from leg to leg. …Can you ski some of the best runs in the world, with your pick from hundreds of local trails for a recovery bike ride to follow. …Can you learn to […]

Just as the snow from winter begins to melt, our thoughts and plans turn to the upcoming whitewater of summer. We polled some of the local veterans with similar questions to assist with the planning of our trips for this season, and as always–there are some unanimous responses (Ray’s Tavern, Cataract Canyon, a camera, sunscreen). […]

When speaking about the responsibilities of being President, George W. Bush once said: “You never escape the presidency; it travels with you everywhere you go. And there’s not a moment where you don’t think about being president. Unless you’re riding mountain bikes as hard as you possibly can, trying to forget for the moment.” While […]

How many different sports call Utah a Mecca? Add a new one; Snow kiting. Utah has become the destination spot and fastest growing population base for snow kiters in the country. Most of us have seen or heard about kite surfing, using a huge kite (think Wal-Mart Snoopy Kite on crack) and a surfboard to […]

In these strange economic times most people I know are sticking to basics and any money for frills is very judiciously spent. If it’s not a necessity, it better pay back some dividends like a good investment should. Which is why, even though skiing has always been considered a luxury, you need not be in […]

by Bruce Tremper
2nd edition (2008)
The Mountaineers Books
318 pages

An interview with Bruce Tremper

Spring Corn on the East Ridge

Between 2001 and 2005, there were more than 1,100 search and rescue operations at National Park units in the state, according to recently released data. Of those, 60 percent involved men, and most ran into problems while hiking or boating. Heat, fatigue, a lack of preparedness, insufficient equipment, and darkness led the list of sources […]

Dead Horse Point State Park is getting ready to open three new hiking and biking loops in May. The non-motorized trails will consist of three nested loops varying in difficulty. The easier Intrepid Loop is approximately one mile long and links into the two larger trails. The Pyramid Loop is intermediate in difficulty, and the […]