Cassandra Morin 9 posts 0 comments

As Heber Valley locals, we are familiar with the need to hit the brakes as the person driving the car in front of us slows down to admire the view. If we’re lucky, they’ll pull over at a scenic overlook to take in the scenery we often take for granted as we hurry from one engagement to another. We may shake our heads, but we’re equally guilty of coming around a bend and gasping audibly at the beautiful view. The truth is, the average Heber resident doesn’t take the time to play tourist in our backyard. Mural artist, John…

“Poets talk about “spots of time,” but it is really fishermen who experience eternity compressed into a moment. No one can tell what a spot of time is until suddenly the whole world is a fish and the fish is gone.” — Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It and Other Stories There are few places in this world where the paradox of time becomes as apparent as it does to an angler on their own secret section of their favorite river. Time dictates the unique patterns and rhythms of the seasons. A skilled Fly fisher observes…

“Once you start to learn even a little about fungi, it feels like you can’t see the world the same again.” Erin Moore, Secretary Mushroom Society of Utah My first mushroom forage happened by accident while studying abroad in Northern Germany. As I hiked through the woods with my host parents on a rainy autumn day, we were attracted off-trail by bright red amanita muscaria, or fly agaric, the fairytale mushrooms with their red, white-spotted caps. Some were as large as dinner plates, and I was enchanted. Later, we happened…

“Your thoughts are incredibly powerful. Choose yours wisely.” – Joe Dispenza, You Are the Placebo: Making Your Mind Matter I’m sitting in my hotel room, listening to the river running over rocks outside the window and reflecting on what I’ve just experienced. Less than five minutes ago, I was lying on a yoga mat on the floor of a conference room with hundreds of other people, doing something pretty incredible for a group that size: meditating. I’ve spent the past five days at a workshop with renowned meditation guru and…

Now that the temperatures are dropping, it’s the perfect time for a weekend road trip or stay-cation. The true bonus is the breathtaking fall foliage that begins to pop in the High Uintas in roughly mid-September, and puts on a dazzling show through October. A short drive from Heber up State Route 32 takes you past the Jordanelle Reservoir, providing gorgeous views of the water and surrounding mountains. Kamas Valley is home to a growing population, and once you’ve driven through, it will come as little surprise. Nestled…

“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” Margaret J. Wheatley Right now, it’s still just a wild field with two signs on opposite ends advertising a vision of what this land will become. The goal: to build a second high school alongside a technical college that will not only create exciting new learning and employment opportunities, but also accommodate the growing population of our beautiful valley. When ground was broken at the site on May 23 of this year, those involved in…

“Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at the stars because we are human?”  – Neil Gaiman Poets, authors, painters, and musicians have dedicated masterworks to the stars for centuries. Ancient humans crafted their entire cities after the patterns of the cosmos, and some of the earliest cave artwork bears a record of their splendor. The night sky inspires us, fills us with wonder, and can change how we perceive ourselves in relation to the Universe. How tragic then that an estimated 74 percent of humans…

The soil is finally thawing, the sap’s beginning to run, and for those of us who choose to garden, it’s time to place the first small seeds into the dark soil and wait for the miracle of an emerging bud to appear. It’s no wonder ancient scientists became obsessed with alchemy, the transformation of matter. How does a tiny, dead-looking remnant of a once vigorous plant create new life when buried underground? No matter how many times I plant my garden with bulbs or seeds, I find myself marveling over this transformation…

When families come to the Heber Valley, it’s usually to take advantage of the many outdoor recreational activities our beautiful valley boasts: mountain biking, hiking, snowmobiling, and more! As Spring awakens the land and the rivers swell with fresh mountain snow runoff, one of the more popular family adventures is fishing. And no wonder, with eleven new state fishing records set in Utah last year, alone!  Our valley is ideally situated at the base of the Uintah Mountain range – the birthplace of many rivers that not…