Heber Valley Life

Author: Mark Avery

  • Coin Collecting & Storytelling on the Wasatch Back

    Coin Collecting & Storytelling on the Wasatch Back

    In 330 BC, Alexander the Great minted large silver coins called tetradrachms, featuring Hercules wearing a lion-head skin helmet on the front and Zeus enthroned, holding an eagle, on the reverse. These coins and their successors replaced the Greek Athenian Owl silver stater as the primary monetary trade instrument in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East for almost 200 years.

    Coins don’t only hold monetary value; they tell stories. They visually depict historical figures, events, and symbols, giving us a glimpse into the ruling monarch, religious and political climate, economic conditions, and cultural values of their era. The designs and inscriptions on coins are historical snapshots of our past, present, and hopes for the future.

    Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, medals, and related objects. Coin experts trained to identify and grade coins are called numismatists, and ancient coin experts are classical numismatists.

    Numismatics can tell us much about societies long after their fall. Ancient Biblical coins include Greek and Judaean varieties, mostly bronze and silver. Then the Romans arrived, minting a massive quantity of bronze, silver, gold, and even lead coins and medallions.

    MORMON $20 GOLD PIECE
    TETRADRACHMS

    Every Roman Caesar had his own collection of coins stamped with his image, with hundreds of depictions on the reverse, including gods, goddesses, angels, soldiers, standards, battle scenes, and monuments. Even their wives and children issued coins. When Rome began to fall to the Goths and Vandals in the 4th century AD, the Empire moved to Constantinople, later becoming the Byzantine Empire. Christian themes became popular on late Roman coins after the adoption of Christianity, starting with Constantine the Great (307-336 AD).

    Today, authentic Greek, Roman, and Byzantine coins are abundant and fairly priced. Counterfeits exist, some dating back to the original coins. Medieval coinage, including those of Western kings and queens, Crusaders, and Eastern empires, are also attainable. The Chinese minted countless coins, often with a square hole and usually of bronze, some weighing nearly a pound and several inches in diameter. Modern world and U.S. coins offer collectors many options.

    For centuries, coins featured rulers, gods, or sacred animals. However, in 1772, the American Congress opted to switch things up. With the introduction of the dollar, the design sparked debate. Congress chose Liberty instead of then-President George Washington, differing from Old World coinage. An eagle appeared on the reverse, a throwback to Roman antiquity. Over a century later, Washington’s image first appeared on the U.S. quarter in honor of his 200th birthday and later on nickels minted in 1866 and 1909-1910.

    In the U.S., initiatives like the 50 State Quarters program and the American Women Quarters program help tell the nation’s stories for future generations. These programs have also inspired many younger collectors to explore numismatics.

    In Utah, coin collecting started with settlers crossing the Mormon Trail. With the discovery of gold in the West, including Utah, local merchants demanded more coinage, leading governing leaders to mint gold and silver tokens. The most famous and highly collectable of these are the Mormon $20, $10, and $5 gold pieces. Smaller commerce tokens, often bronze or aluminum, were common in Utah. Cafes, mercantiles, cooperatives, and department stores issued them from the mid-1800s through the mid-1900s.

    Today, collectors seek silver dollars, half dollars, and twenty-cent pieces minted at the Carson City Mint (1870-1893), which bear the distinctive “CC” mintmark. The Denver Mint started striking coins in 1906 and still produces U.S. circulation coins, mint sets, and commemoratives. New Orleans, a branch of the United States Mint, produced gold and silver coins between 1838 and 1861, and again from 1879 to 1909, marked by a distinctive “O” on the reverse.

    In 2021, Mark Avery, a retired USAF officer-aviator, founded the Wasatch Coin & History Club. Mark and his family moved to Heber City in 2019 from Saint Charles, Missouri, the launch point for the 1804-1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition. Incidentally, this expedition was commemorated in 2000 with the Sacagawea or “golden” dollar, featuring the Shoshone guide. These coins have a copper core clad by manganese brass, giving them a golden color.

    The Wasatch Coin & History Club aims to educate the public on significant leaders and events using coins and storytelling. Examples of presentations include “The Concept of Liberty Depicted on Coins,” “Coins and Places of the Ancient Frankincense Route,” “World War II Through Coins and Bills,” “Alexander the Great and His Legacy,” and “The Assassination of Julius Caesar with Coins.” The club awards young members collector coins at every meeting. Another goal is promoting numismatics—learning coin value, characteristics, grades, and history.

    Utah coin collectors are served by Salt Lake City and Provo coin stores and online dealers. In the Wasatch Back, we welcome a new addition to coin collecting: Coinzio. Opened in September 2024, Coinzio features rare coins, including ancient, bullion, and jewelry.

    Owners Chris Fazio, Sarah Foster, and Jay Tims bring extensive experience. Chris is a third-generation family coin business owner and a certified coin grader. After running a top-rated coin shop in Utah Valley, Chris and Sarah teamed up with Jay to bring Coinzio to Heber City—the first coin shop in the Wasatch Back. They found the perfect location, an older home remodeled into a business with added security features, giving Coinzio a vintage look—ideal for selling coins ranging from 3000 BC to 2024. Their prices are highly competitive, even underpricing Salt Lake City stores. Future plans include educational talks, and special displays highlighting ancient, classic, and modern coins, including the latest 3D high-relief coins.

    Visit Coinzio: a coin, bullion, and jewelry store, at 841 South Main, Heber.

    Join the thriving community of coin collectors and history enthusiasts. Wasatch Coin & History Club every last Tuesday from 6–7:30 PM at the Wasatch County Library.

  • Soaring the Skies

    Soaring the Skies

    The rugged Piper Pawnee tow plane taxis forward on Runway 22 at Heber Valley Airport, taking up the slack on my tow rope. I give the pilot a thumbs-up, and we roar down the asphalt, the Pawnee towing me skyward in a slow right-hand turn over the pastures west of Southfield Road and toward Deer Creek Reservoir and the mountain ridges east of Wallsburg Valley. At 9,000 feet on the altimeter, I release from the tow rope and begin my search for lift, the essential ingredient for sustained soaring flight. Except for the wind rushing over my cockpit, the blessed silence of unpowered flight soothes my soul. A hawk circles above Strawberry Ridge, a paraglider swoops below Mt. Timpanogos, and I enjoy the view. I am climbing 300’ per minute on uplift created by rising thermals and redirected westerly winds over the lemon-green hills below.

    Heber Valley Airport, established in 1947, was developed by local aviation enthusiasts who formed the Heber Valley Flying Service (HVFS). Russell McDonald served as chief flight instructor, head mechanic, and general manager. In 1949, Heber Valley Airport (HCR) secured funding from the Civil Aeronautics Authority (now the FAA) to pave and extend the runway. Once extended to 4,400’, the runway became suitable for both powered and unpowered aircraft. Soon, gliders, balloons, and small propeller-driven aircraft operated from HCR. Due to the end of GI Bill funding, flight training at HVFS ended in 1952, though gliders, balloons, and small private aircraft continued to take to the blue skies above Heber Valley.

    In 1991, David Robinson opened Soar Utah, a gliding operation still launching unpowered airplanes and teaching glider pilots how to soar. With the 1984 airport master plan, the HCR runway lengthened to 6,900 feet, and airport services grew to accommodate both private and commercial propeller and jet aircraft. HCR’s gliding community grew as well, thanks to Soar Utah. Competing for airspace with the powered aircraft community, HCR air motorheads fly everything from bug-smashing Piper Cubs to powerful warbirds like the P-51 Mustang, Stearman biplane, and T-41 Trojan. Highly aerobatic planes, including the Red Bull-standard Extra 300, are also hangared at HCR. Nadeem Abu Haidar, owner of OK3 Air, is a former Navy fighter pilot and experienced aerobatic pilot who owns and flies an Extra 300. His red, white, and blue aircraft can often be seen performing loops, rolls, and more above Heber Valley. But we’ll address aerobatic flying from HCR in a future article—along with ballooning!

    While David Robinson helped start and lead the soaring community at HCR through Soar Utah, many glider pilots and their aircraft form a dynamic and vibrant aviation community. Fun fact: “gliding” and “soaring” are often used interchangeably, though “soar-plane” sometimes refers to the lighter, more aerodynamic varieties of gliders. The Utah Soaring Association (USA) is integral to Utah’s glider training and club activities at several airports, including ours.

    The path to an initial glider rating (FAA certificate) usually takes about three months with two weekly lessons. To solo a glider, trainees must be at least 14 years old, and to become an FAA-certificated Private Pilot, one must be at least 16. A medical certificate is not required, but glider pilots cannot have a medical condition that prevents the safe operation of a glider. Interested glider (soar-plane) pilots can join the USA for a small initiation fee and annual dues. Instructors provide one-on-one sessions, typically lasting about two hours, which include ground school, flights, and debriefing. The cost of training includes club membership, glider usage, and tow-plane services. Instructional flights usually range from $65 to $75.

    The Utah Soaring Association hosts various events and competitions, including regional and national gliding competitions.

    HCR has ideal soaring conditions—mostly clear skies and active thermals—and is a popular spot for gliding. The real charm of soaring in the Heber Valley is the pristine, majestic views and the great lift available from both thermals and ridges (mechanical lift created by prevailing winds rising off the windward side of mountain ridges).

    Heber Valley glider pilots are a supportive and active group, with many opportunities for learning and competition. A few notable members of the glider community at HCR include:

    John Ackerson, O.D.

    Everyone’s favorite Heber City eye doctor of Ackerson Eyecare, and soaring enthusiast who loves to participate in and share the joy of the sport.

    Dave Robinson

    A glider and tow-plane pilot and a founder of Soar Utah at Heber Valley Airport. Dave conducts towing operations at Soar Utah in his Piper Pawnee, equipped with a retractable tow rope.

    Paul Schneider

    An experienced local glider pilot and instructor. Check out Paul’s excellent video, The Art of Soaring in Utah, on the Utah Soaring Association’s website.

    Many other members and instructors are listed on the website. Besides posting all the information you need about gliding and how to get started in the sport, the site features fantastic pictures, video clips, and contact information for aspiring glider (soar-plane) pilots. Or, if you just want to experience the silent thrill of soaring, orientation rides are available.

    To learn more visit:

    skyvector.com/airport/HCR/Heber-Valley-Airport

    utahsoaring.org

    utahsoaring.org/heber-city-orientation

  • Off The Beaten Path.

    Off The Beaten Path.

    Juxta-positioned between Daniels Summit, Strawberry Reservoir, and Wallsburg, are some of Heber City’s favorite “get up and go” trail networks. A bit further southeast on US 40 from Daniels Summit sits Strawberry Reservoir, and east from there, the road to Hanna, Utah, leads you back up into the higher Uinta mountains for a virtual smorgasbord of additional trails. I love the autumn season in the Wasatch!

    Fall may be the most glorious time of all for exploring Daniels and Strawberry. Autumn leaves of red, orange, and yellow cover all trails and fill the streams with floating masterpieces. The rich colors highlight tall green pines and white-barked Aspens dropping golden petals. This may be the best time of year for the longer mountain biking and hiking adventures from the summit down to Wallsburg and Strawberry Creek / Reservoir. Late summer temperatures are cooler up at Daniels Summit and Strawberry than down in the valley, making it the perfect time for hiking and biking. Many of us know that Dutch Canyon, WOW, and Bonanza Flats multi-use trails are amazing in their own right, but I want to share with you some of our less-known and certainly our less-crowded trails.

    From Daniels Summit, expect a great pedal or hike from either side of US 40. Access points are easy to find, with parking more limited for non-four-wheel drive vehicles on the east side. West of the Summit, and north of the Snowmobile Center, a large, free parking lot accommodates vehicles hauling hikers, horseback riders, and bikers. What I like is the ability to “make your own path without getting too lost” — it’s a relatively easy uphill trek to Strawberry Ridge / Peak. If you can leave a car in Wallsburg before driving up to Daniels Summit Lodge parking, a whole new route down from Big Glade / Strawberry Ridge awaits you! It’s an enjoyable ride along the expansive forest service road on mountain bikes. For adventurous mountain bikers or hikers willing to do the two-car shuffle, a marvelous journey awaits, starting from the east side of Hwy 40 along excellent trails leading up and southeastward along a narrow forest road and then down to Strawberry Creek and Reservoir. Year-round bonus: these routes are also fun on skis or snowshoes in the winter. There are many trails to explore in the area. I’ve marked a few to get you started!

    Finally, if hiking or mountain biking is not your thing, but horseback riding is, you can arrange horseback trail riding at Daniels Summit through the Lodge. Whatever trail-negotiating method you choose, there is something for everyone in the Daniels Summit / Strawberry wilderness area. So get out there and explore! And don’t forget your camera!

    FOREMAN TRAIL
    STRAWBERRY NARROWS TRAIL

    Strawberry Narrows Trail

    Mountain Bike | E-Bike | Hike | Trail Running

    A must-ride trail! This is a high-voltage scenic ride. To experience the whole thing as an out-and-back is 24 miles. I suggest starting at the eastern end, riding what you want, then turning back. The trail rolls up and down, for about 2,400 total elevation.

    trailforks.com #804

    Circle-Main Canyon

    Mountain Bike | E-Bike | Hike | Trail Running | OHV | Horse | Snowmobile

    A moderate and steady climb for most of the journey, you will gain 1,069 ft in total elevation. At 5 miles in each direction, you will clock a 10 mile trek out and back. The terrain is dirt/gravel road.

    trailforks.com #046

    Foreman Trail

    Mountain Bike | E-Bike | Hike | Trail Running

    A shorter option is a northward traverse from Daniels Summit parking area to the Boy Scout Camp slightly down-valley toward Heber Valley, then looping back southeast along US 40 and cutting south, up and through fields and trees back to the parking lot — about 4 miles round-trip.

    trailforks.com #3090

  • Leaders in Aviation.

    Leaders in Aviation.

    Nadim AbuHaidar is the owner of OK3 Air, the sole Fixed Base Operator (FBO), fuel provider, and FAA-certified aircraft maintenance provider at Heber Valley Airport. Nadim’s mother is from New York, and his father is from Lebanon — they met, got married, and raised a family in Beirut, a kaleidoscope city of diverse personalities, politics, cultures, and religions. Nadim’s father was in the aviation cargo transportation business, and his father-in-law ran operations for Pan American Airways — he even organized the first US Presidential airlift flight, flying President Franklin Delanor Roosevelt to Casablanca, Morocco, to meet with UK Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, aboard Clipper I.

    Nadim was born in 1966 in Beirut, the primary business center and political-cultural capital of Lebanon. However, Lebanon in the 1970s became increasingly divided along religious, ethnic, and political lines — a spiderweb of intersecting interests and parties, most armed and dangerous. Tensions led to the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990); this civil war and invasion forced Nadim’s family to immigrate to the United States in 1982, where Nadim attended a boarding school in Connecticut. Nadim excelled as a student, athlete, and student pilot. He learned aerobatic flying and worked with the famous husband-wife aerobatic duo, the French Connection. Nadim earned a BA in 1988, then spent a winter skiing and working in Park City, Utah. While in Utah, he applied and was selected for the US Navy Aviation Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, FL. Nadim earned his commission as an Ensign in April 1990 and went to US Navy basic flight school and advanced jet training in Texas. With his Wings of Gold, Nadim was selected for F/A-18 Hornet fighter training at El Toro, CA, the US Marine Corp F-18 Replacement Air Group (RAG). His first fleet operational assignment in Hornets was aboard the USS Carl Vincon, where he completed two deployments in the Persian Gulf and South Indian Ocean. Returning to Lemoore Naval Air Station in 1996, he flew Hornets at Miramar, CA, and Fallon Naval Air Station, NV – completing Top Gun Class in April of 1997. His next assignment was training the fleet at the Strike Fighter Weapons School at NAS Lemoore, CA — his job was to fly with and evaluate the best fighter pilots in the US Navy. On a side note, the F-18 Hornet, and F/A-18 Super Hornet, are built by Boeing Defense in St Louis, MO. Boeing had purchased McDonald Douglas, the same manufacturer that built the two USAF aircraft this author flew in the US Air Force, the F-4 Phantom and the F-15 Eagle. One main difference between Naval and USAF fighters is that Nadim flew his aircraft from a moving aircraft carrier’s short deck, often at night in raging seas. No thanks, this writer was happy enough flying from long runways solidly planted on terra firma!

    Nadim separated from the Navy in 1999 and moved back to Park City, Utah. An avid skier and pilot, he met and taught flying with Dave McCoy, owner of Wasatch Aero Service at Heber Valley Airport.

    In 1989, the runway was lengthened to 6800’, allowing jet aircraft operations. Nadim bought Wasatch Aero Services from Dave McCoy and helped develop not only a first-class FAA-certified flight school but an aircraft fuel and maintenance service business as well. In 2003, Nadim along with Greg Peterson, another ex-USN fighter pilot, organized and put on the first Heber Valley Aerobatic Air Show and Aircraft Fly-In. Nadim renamed Wasatch Aero Service to OK3 Air in 2005. OK3 is a term used by USN fighter pilots — if your jet’s tail hook catches the #3 wire when landing on an aircraft carrier this usually results in an “OK” (both a grade from the air boss and a safe landing). OK3 Air caters to private and charter business aviation, fixed wing, and rotary aircraft, and both jets and turboprops. Additionally, OK3 serves smaller general aviation aircraft. OK3 is also the only Pilatus PC-12 turboprop service center in Utah. Nadim prides himself on treating his employees and customers with “top gun” service and support.

    Travis Biggs is the Heber Valley Airport Manager, a demanding, multi-role responsibility he has excelled in full-time since 2021. Travis hails from the historic mountain gold mining area of Nevada County, California. Famous for rich gold strikes in the late 1800s and infamous for the ill-fated Donner pioneer expedition — many of whom perished in the terrible winter of 1846. Travis panned for gold in the Yuba River as a kid, graduated High School in 1995, and worked with his father as a general contractor in the area. He served a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Chile and then studied at Utah Valley University. While at UVU, Travis took an introductory flight course and fell in love with flying — switching from pre-med studies to aviation, to become a professional pilot. He earned his Private Pilot’s license at Provo Airport in 2000, before they built the control tower there. After terrorists hijacked airliners and attacked America on 9/11, Travis, unable to get a loan to continue the expensive Pro Pilot program, switched majors to Airport Management at UVU. To earn money, Travis traveled back and forth to Nevada City, where he worked in his Dad’s flooring business and obtained his Instrument pilot’s rating.

    In 2008, with his BA in Airport Management, pilot’s ratings, and a background in construction/contracting, Travis met his mentor, Kevin Smith, the Truckee Tahoe Airport Manager. On Kevin’s advice, Travis began volunteering at Heber Valley Airport and entered a Masters of Public Administration program at BYU in 2014. He still commuted on weekends back to Nevada County to earn money in the flooring business. Travis got married back in California and now has four children. In 2016, he moved his family to Heber City and became the assistant airport manager for Dennis Godfrey at Heber Valley Airport. Travis earned his MPA in 2017 and took over as the part-time airport manager when Dennis left; Travis also served as a part-time Heber City manager. At the end of 2020, he accepted the offer to become the full-time airport manager at the fast-growing Heber Valley Airport, where Nadim AbuHaidar was helping run the Wasatch Aero Service and a very busy Part 141 pilot training/aircraft maintenance program and charter flying business, in addition to performing as an aerobatic pilot.

    Heber Valley has become the busiest high-elevation airport in Utah. Which begs the question: Exactly what does an Airport Manager do? Travis has a multi-hatted position, ensuring that the airport safely handles everything from private jet charter services to hot air balloon operations. He represents the diverse interests of local and out-of-town pilots, Nadim’s FBO (OK3 Air), the Heber City Council, citizens, and myriad federal, state, and local government and non-government entities. From snow removal, runway and taxiway repair and lighting, airport fence building/maintenance, hangar construction, airport equipment maintenance, facility engineering, and airport emergency response, to name a few of his responsibilities. Travis is a very busy guy. His budget is always tight, so much so that he must recruit and train volunteers and part-time hourly employees to get the job done. Travis continually interacts with government entities, including the Federal Aviation Agency, the National Transportation Safety Board, and the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT). Travis’ ongoing training involves university courses, American Association of Airport Executives certifications, and seminars/meetings with AAAE and AOPA research programs. He also works with the National Business Association of Airports on overall airport business management awareness. The finance world of running an airport is a nearly full-time job in and of itself — budgeting, grant applications, contracting, following federal and state financial regulations, etc. Legal considerations include working with state, city, county, and private attorneys representing various government and private interests pertaining to the airport and its operations. Wildlife management is one interest — keeping birds, animals, and pilots safe on airport property and the air above is an important responsibility; preparing and updating daily notices to Airmen, a federal requirement, is just one more duty in his “quiver of airport safety arrows.”

    Wrapping things together, Travis is also the HVA Public Relations campaign manager. One issue is the Heber Valley public’s concern about future air operations in the valley. While HVA will not see commercial airline activity in the foreseeable future due to airspace and terrain safety limitations, we are experiencing growing private jet and general aviation operations. Another aspect of HVA PR activity is the annual hosting of airshows/fly-ins, winter and summer festivals (think Snow Fest, snow sculptures, smores, skijoring (horses towing skiers) and night balloon glows in winter and Taste of Heber foodie shows, art murals on hangars and hot air balloon rides in summer). One HVA tenant is the Commemorative Air Force (CAF), which fosters aerospace history education by rebuilding and maintaining aircraft from as far back as World War II. The CAF museum at HVA is a fantastic showplace of aviation history and ongoing CAF operations for youth and adults alike. Travis is also in the planning stage for an event he calls Plane Air, with student and adult art and writing competitions along the theme of All Things Aviation.

    As for the eclectic and near-impossible job of being an airport manager, I leave you this humorous quote from an essay by Ben West, Airport Manager at Warrensburg, Missouri: “Airport Managers are always wrong…even when they are right! They are usually the last person to be consulted on decisions affecting the airport… but the first to get the blame when those decisions fail!” I also reference a funny Airport Manager Wanted, Job Description by James Smith, Deputy Airport Manager at Huntington Tri- State Airport in West Virginia: “Must have extensive background in aviation — must not be too old or too young but ‘old enough to know better and young enough to enjoy it.’ Must have engineering experience and practical know-how in all phases of building roads, runways, taxiways, hangars, fuel installations, electrical, gas-line, sewer and water systems, and all other utility systems…” The job description goes on to add all the intricate financial, legal, political, psychological, public relations, engineering, zoning and other understanding skills an airport manager must have or quickly learn to do the job satisfactorily.

    Luckily for HVA, we have Travis Biggs and Nadim AbuHaidar working together to run a premier, growing airport and FBO that serves the entire Heber Valley and Park City.

  • Timpanogos Cave

    Timpanogos Cave

    Perhaps Timpanoga hunters, as their ancestors referred to themselves, were the first to discover the cave that now bears their name. Without a written language, there is no such recording. “Timpanogos” comes from the Timpanogos tribe who lived in the surrounding valleys from AD 1400. The name means “rock” (tumpi-), and “water mouth” or “canyon” (panogos). The Timpanogos are a proud tribe of Native Americans who once lived in central Utah, from Utah Lake in the east to the Uinta Mountains in the west, and south into Sanpete County. In the 19th century, Mormon pioneers came by wagon trains into the Utah territory. During this time, the Timpanogos were a principal tribe here, based on population, land occupied, and influence. Their languages included broken Spanish and English, while Timpanogos leaders spoke several dialects of the Numic branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Today, most Timpanogos live on the Uintah Valley Reservation. They are enrolled in the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation.

    Mount Timpanogos (or ‘Mt. Timp’ as some locals call her), is the second-highest mountain in Utah’s Wasatch Range. Timpanogos rises to an elevation of
    11,752 ft (3,582 m) above sea level in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. Nearly all of the exposed layered walls of the mountain are made up of limestone and dolomite; remnants of an ancient sea that once covered large swaths of Utah and Nevada. Older rock lies under the limestone. All were later thrust over 12,000’ above sea level — Mount Timpanogos itself is the tallest peak in the southern Wasatch Mountain Range, formed and shaped by basin and range “block” faulting. At its northern flank are embedded a series of caves that now make up Timpanogos Cave National Monument. The author highly encourages his readers to visit this magnificent Cave, and take a guided tour into the heart of the sacred mountain that thunders. The Cave is open from May through September, depending on snow conditions of course, since the Wasatch Mountains can receive up to 800 inches of snow a year.

    In the midst of all the excitement of rediscovering Timpanogos Cave, that Fall, George Heber Hansen (1884-1951), Martin’s son, and Wayne Hansen (1903-1989), Martin’s grandson, were hunting on the other side of the canyon. Using binoculars to find deer, they saw yet another cave entrance between the other two caves. A few days later they brought the 74-year-old pioneer cave-finder, Martin Hansen, back to the entrance — Martin was the first to enter the cave, now called Middle Cave.

    The Cave

    Mount Timpanogos National Monument and all cave tours are managed by the National Park Service. A 1.6 mile paved trail leads to the cave entrance with an elevation gain of 1,092 feet. The three caves that make up the Timpanogas Cave system — Hansen Cave, Middle Cave, and Timpanogos Cave — are only viewable on guided tours when the monument is open. They are interconnected through tunnels which were blasted from the limestone in the 1930s by President Franklin Deleanor Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration. Wear a jacket or sweater as cave temperatures hover around 46 degrees Fahrenheit. Some of the cave features include colorful speleothems and helictites (hollow, twisting and spiraled tubes of deposited calcite and aragonite which is the same mineral sea shells are made up of). These helictites and anthodites are found in Timpanogos than other caves worldwide. The Timpanogos speleotherms include: cave bacon, cave columns, flowstone, cave popcorn, cave drapery, stalactites and stalagmites. Having been in a lot of caves as a former geologist and spelunker (cave explorer), this covers a wide gambit of cave formations.

    One enters Timpanogos Cave through a manmade entrance that is close to the entrance discovered by Martin Hansen. Walking down a tunnel, tours continue on to Middle Cave, before passing through another manmade tunnel to Timpanogos Cave. Finally, tours return to the surface through a manmade exit near the original entrance.

    Inside Timpanogos Cave
    Timpanogos Cave Stalactite

    The cave system is embedded in Deseret Limestone, a Mississippian age limestone, as old as 340 million years, according to some geologists. The cave cavity resulted from a series of offset faults of the larger Wasatch fault. After this, acidic hydrothermal water action and uplift of the Wasatch Mountains, completed the cave system as we explore it today.

    The Great Heart of Timpanogos is a large speliotherm formation with a few legends associated with it that involve two young lovers: Red Eagle and Utahna. Red Eagle plans to marry beautiful Utahna, but many braves have the same idea. Red Eagle decides he will say he’s a god in order to convince her. However, Red Eagle is killed by a bear (or warrior dressed as a bear) and Utahna, in despair, leaps from the precipice of Timpanogos. The real god of Timpanogos is touched and melds their bleeding hearts together, placing them in the cave for eternity.

    For 100+ years the legend and stunning natural wonders of Mount Timpanogos have drawn people from all over the world. How grateful we are to our predecessors who sat around a fire and dedicated themselves to preserving the majesty of our mountain princess and her cave that thunders.

    Cave Discovery

    According to the Timpanogos Cave National Park website, the official discoverer of the first of three cave entrances into the mountain that thunders was Martin Hansen (1847-1934). Martin accidentally discovered what is now called Hansen Cave in October 1887. The story goes something like this: Martin was cutting timber when he came across some cougar footprints. Following the tracks, he discovered an opening — the entrance to the small cave that would eventually be named after him. He did not enter the cave that day, but he did come back to explore and, with others, created a rough trail straight up the mountainside. Unfortunately, within a few years of the incredible discovery, “souvenir hunters and miners had damaged the cave, selling much of their treasures to museums, universities, and commercial enterprises who made decorative objects from the cave deposits.”

    Several years later, in 1913, a second cave, not far away, was found by two teen boys, James Gough and Frank Johnson. The teens were climbing up a dolomite slope and found a natural entrance to the larger Timpanogos Cave. Inside, they discovered amazing limestone formations; including the Great Heart of Timpanogos. Although, many people came out to explore the cave, interest in it died away, and the cave and its location faded into folklore. Thankfully, on August 14, 1921 an outdoor club from Payson, Utah came to investigate the rumors of a second cave. One of the club’s members, Vearl J. Manwill, rediscovered the opening to Timpanogos Cave. Manwill wrote, “[That very night] by the light of campfire, [we] discussed our find, and talked about ways and means to preserve its beauty for posterity instead of allowing it to be vandalized as Hansen’s Cave had been.”

    Getting to the Cave

    Take the Alpine Scenic Loop in American Fork Canyon up to the Timpanogos Cave National Monument Headquarters and parking area.

    On the way home, consider completing the Alpine Loop, heading east to visit Cascade Springs then down into Soldier Hollow Golf Course for lunch. Alternatively, take the Alpine Loop south visiting and eating at Sundance Mountain Resort then exiting back to Heber Valley via Hwy 189 /
    Provo Canyon.

    Fun Facts

    Uintah or Uinta? Early maps spelled the name as Uintah with an “h.” Major John Wesley Powell left off the “h” in his publications, deeming it unnecessary for pronunciation. Throughout the area both spellings are still used. For example: Uinta Basin and Uinta Mountains, but Uintah County and Uintah Lake.

    The “Real” Legend of Timpanogos: At least twelve recorded versions of the Legend of Timpanogos exist today. Though the legends vary, most explain the curious outline of a woman that can be seen in the peaks of Mount Timpanogos or the origin of the Great Heart found in the Timpanogos Cave System.

    The first print version of “The Legend of Timpanogos” was told by Eguene Lusk “Timp” Roberts in 1922 while gathered around a bonfire in Aspen Grove the night before an annual hike to the cave. This version was quickly accepted as an authentic Indian legend. However, the story would continue to take on a life of its own throughout the years; a compilation of Timpanogos legends was published in 1988 by Effie W. Adams, and The Timpanogos Storytelling Festival features three versions. The legend was used as the basis for an opera by Professor William F. Hanson that premiered in 1937, and was adapted into a ballet in 1994 by Jacqueline Colledge of the Utah Regional Ballet Company. The ballet, Legend of Timpanogos, was performed at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics and is still occasionally presented by URBC.

  • Shoot for the Stars

    Shoot for the Stars

    At Soldier Hollow, west of Charleston, Utah, and Deer Valley Reservoir, against the southern end of the Wasatch Mountains in the shadow of Mount Timpanogos, our nation’s top biathletes train and compete against the best from nations across the world.

    Speed skiing around a hilly course at Soldier Hollow is a challenge for the best of us; now add a loaded rifle strapped to your back, an Olympic-caliber shooting range, and targets. Local Wasatch County biathletes and brothers, Phillip and Daniel Radu describe the experience, “In the Sprint biathlon event, we individually start through the opening gate at a specific time, usually 30 seconds between fellow biathletes, and compete against the clock and hit all our targets. We ski three laps around the course, two shooting events, one prone and one standing. The targets are 50 meters away, five of them, about golf ball size for the prone event and softball size for standing.” Phillip shares, “My legs are pushing those skinny skate skis as fast as I can safely go, and my heart is beating so loud coming into the shooting range. I slow down some as I approach the range to get my breathing in control, slam them [the skis] into a V to stop, rip the .22 caliber off my back, pause, aim, fire, and then sling it back over my shoulder and pump those skis back up the track toward the finish line.” It’s a grueling, demanding, yet thrilling adventure!

    Oh yeah, training doesn’t stop when the snow melts. Donning nothing but a bicycle helmet for safety, serious biathletes trade in their winter skis for roller skis; imagine two “ski-boards” on wheels, strapped to your feet on a hinged binding. From the late spring to the late fall, until the tracks are covered enough to allow regular skiing, you will see these athletes buzzing around the paved trails at Soldier Hollow Nordic Center. You may now have an outsider’s view of what a biathlete can accomplish. Biathlons are one of the oldest competitive sports on earth. According to Spartan myth, ancient gods, like Apollo, charged around a challenging course on spirited stallions, before and during the first Olympics, firing long arrows from giant bows slung over their shoulders.

    Just as biathlons have changed over the centuries, so too have the courses and facilities used for the sport. Soldier Hollow is one of three Olympic Biathlon Nordic training centers in the United States, and is now undergoing a significant renovation and upgrade to ensure top biathletes have the best chance of reaching their peak performance goals, including, someday, standing on an Olympic podium accepting a bronze, silver or gold medal. Additionally, this year, the United States Biathlon Association voted to move its headquarters from Maine to Utah’s Soldier Hollow Nordic Center. Soldier Hollow was home to Nordic skiing and biathlon competitions during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and numerous other international Nordic events. You can get tickets to watch the International Biathlon Union (IBU) World Cup Biathlon competition at Soldier Hollow Nordic Center from March 8th-10th, 2024. Top biathletes from around the world racing and shooting on skis is an exciting event to witness. Select seats with catered services are reasonably priced and available online, while general admission is free for spectators.

    Soldier Hollow’s major expansion and upgrade operation is being fueled by a Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation grant. Three goals drive this collective renovation effort:

    1. Becoming a long-term gateway for year-round multi-use trail operations.
    2. Creating space for large, international events, including the World Cup and, potentially, Olympic Nordic Events.
    3. Developing world-class training, coaching, competition, conference, administrative, and aprés-ski areas for athletes and spectators.

    A new 17,000-square-foot facility will incorporate a modern training gym, youth coaching area, Nordic equipment rentals and sales, a 200-person conference/awards/events room, and an apres-ski area with food, beverage, and music services. Construction efforts are underway for this facility at the race-track center, which will handle more competitive Nordic skiers and biathletes, spectators, recreational biathletes, and skiers, in addition to the Soldier Hollow ski patrol cadre, organizers, and administrators. General Manager, Luke Bodensteiner, a former Nordic Olympian, told us that the upgrade will serve all trainees, trainers, public skiers, and mountain bikers in the summer. The completion date is projected to be just in time to host the IBU World Cup in March. A very exciting decision by the World Olympic Committee to make Utah the sole location under consideration for the 2030 or 2034 Winter Olympics adds great value and excitement to this investment.

    Programs will expand as well. Soldier Hollow Nordic Center currently hosts Youth Nordic and Biathlon, Post High School Elite Nordic and Biathlon Development, and Masters Skiing programs. They focus on about two dozen nationally ranked elite athletes and will host the National Cross-Country Ski Championships during the first week of January 2024. Their annual Schutesenski Festival, just held in October, draws athletes from the US Ski Team, US Biathlon Team, and the local area for a fun-filled event. US Olympic XC Skier and Gold Medalist, Jessie Diggens, joined the Festival this year. New courses at Soldier Hollow include a much expanded Nordic Ski Trail system, Biathlon Course, a Spring-Summer-Fall Mountain Bike trail system, and a paved roller-ski training course. Mountain Bike races held over the past few years will grow to include nationally ranked racing events. The public has an opportunity to use this amazing year-round trail system through an annual Soldier Hollow membership — perhaps the best deal in Utah for accessing a world-class multi-use trail system and apres-ski/bike facilities. On a daily basis, Soldier Hollow offers the public outstanding cross-country and speed skating ski trails for a small fee, including ski rentals and sales. They even offer introductory and advanced biathlon training experiences designed for participants 10 and older, including larger groups. Their Bronze, Silver, and Gold Olympian Biathlon Experiences are unique in the world and include a summer-only, on-foot Bronze group session for 8-10 people; Silver and Gold private sessions that offer a semi-competitive biathlon experience on skis or snowshoes, and on-foot in summer, with up to seven of your friends. Each session includes a safety briefing, instructional range orientation, and time for practice. As their brochure promises: “If you elect to stage a short competition, the biathlon course will raise heart rates, and give participants a sense of authentic biathlon competition. Participants are challenged to hit all five targets, and will come away with a new appreciation for Olympic Biathlon!” Session cost in 2022-2023 was $125.00 per person, and each training-competition experience lasts 75 minutes.

    Phillip (17) and Daniel (19) Radu are some of Utah’s top up-and-coming biathletes who will benefit from the renovations. With ski instructors for parents, the boys have been skiing since the age of three. They began nordic skiing at Soldier Hollow when they were seven and biathlon at age 11. The brothers have attended Soldier Hollow Charter School and Park City Winter Sports School. Today, both athletes are focused on the national events that will qualify them for the World Biathlon Championships. The brothers share that they are excited about the upgrades and expanded training and competition opportunities at Soldier Hollow. “We did really well last season and look forward to training and competition starting in December for the 2023-2024 season!”

    Soldier Hollow is also home to a fantastic public golf course with a gift/pro shop and restaurant, a winter tubing hill, the Nordic Yurt, and a famous Sheepdog Contest! The ski/mountain bike center rents Rossignol cross-country skis and E-Mountain bikes. In the future, with its renovation, expect even more year-round fun and sporting activities, adventures, and dining in Heber Valley’s Soldier Hollow Olympic Park. How will you ‘Shoot for the Stars?’

     

    Soldier Hollow Nordic Center utaholympiclegacy.org

  • Winter Trails

    Winter Trails

    The beautiful Wasatch Back, Heber Valley, and west Uintah Range are home to a wide and growing collection of multi-use trails; many available for use in winter by Fat Tire Mountain Bikers (FT), Cross-Country (XC) and Back-Country (BC) skiers and boarders, and snowshoers. Hikers are not allowed to use the groomed trail system as they sink deep into the snow and may ruin the trails. There are groomed roads for winter hiking in most areas. Further, your dogs are welcome to join you as long as you pick up after their mess. Also, no motorized vehicles are allowed other than the machines that make and groom these trails. Let’s take a tour of our trails, starting to the West of the Heber Valley.

    Wasatch Mountain State Park Trail System

    Wasatch Mountain State Park (WMSP) hosts an amazing collection of rangers, guides, and volunteers to help safely access incredible terrain and geology, including ‘lost mines,’ gorgeous views, rugged roads, and numerous multi-use, all-season trails. Starting at the park headquarters, where folks can rent FT bikes and XC skis, a multi-use summer/winter trail system begins. For beginners, the winter golf course trails and Green all-season trails wind up Snake and Pine Canyons, and offer FT riders, XC and BC skiers the opportunity to practice and test their skills and equipment with little fear of a bad crash.

    However, the Green trails are limited and quickly turn into Blue and Black all-season trails. Summer hikers and mountain bikers share the trails, as do winter FT riders, XC and BC skiers, split-boarders, and snowshoers. The longest and most popular trail is the WOW trail, which starts just above the SP Campground and climbs Pine Canyon to the bottom of Bonanza Flats. Most mountain bikers (summer) use a two-car relay system to start at the top and fly to the bottom — a few bent bikes and broken bones have occurred on this challenging path! In winter, the WOW trail is ungroomed, but a few hardcore FT bikers tackle it early before the snow gets too deep, and a few more BC Skiers and Split-Boarders climb the trail then negotiate the WOW and side trails down Pine Canyon in rather dense tree-covered terrain.

    About two miles from WMSP HQ/Pond, driving or riding east along Pine Canyon/River Roads, then north up Dutch Hollow Road, is the WMSP Dutch Hollow multi-use, all-season trail system. This is my favorite trail system in the Park, with trail names like Prospector, Donkey Ridge, The Barrell, Boneyard, and 1000 Turns. In summer, the mountain biking here is phenomenal.

    Last winter, some friends and I climbed to the top of Burnt Ridge. I was on BC skis while my friends climbed in snowshoes, holding their snowboards. We skied/rode a steep slope down to the parking lot. Pure fun and a great workout! Finally, there are a few trails groomed by residents for FT riders, and the snowshoeing and XC/BC skiing are fantastic back in Dutch Hollow. The longest trail, up Dutch Hollow Road, eventually leads to the intersection of two canyons and a few old silver mines.

    Wasatch State Park to Park City and Deer Valley Connector Trail System (In Development)

    The Dutch Canyon Trail System in Wasatch State Park will eventually connect via multi-use trails to Park City and Deer Valley. This system will likely utilize routes up Pine Canyon then through Bonanza Flats, and from Dutch Hollow along the foothills west of SR 40 then along the base of the new Mayflower-Deer Valley ski complex and Deer Crest Portal. This will be a non-winter mountain bike trail system, but in winter, a few sections will be accessible on skis and snowshoes, except where they cross ski resort downhill trails.

    Mayflower/Deer Valley Resorts Trail System (In Development)

    According to a new agreement, and plans in development for winter use, many of these trails will be ski lift-accessed for skiers with passes in winter. Any skier with safety straps or brakes and a pass could use these trails, including Telemarkers (TM) and BC skiers. Snowboarding will not be allowed on Mayflower and Deer Valley properties. In Summer, however, hikers and mountain bikers will have access as they do at Deer Valley Resort’s trail system, using lifts/gondolas to access them. Mayflower will add a lot of new multi-use trails and trail extensions. Some trails here may not require a ski lift pass to access, but which of these will be accessible by FT Mountain Bikers and XC Skiers/Snowshoers during the winter remains to be determined. Currently, the Mid Mountain and other multi-use trails, accessed from parking lots, including the Ontario Mine and Empire/Guardsman Pass Road parking lots, are open for XC/BC skiers and snowshoers without a ski lift pass. However, only a few are groomed in winter for FT Mountain Bikers.

    Jordanelle/Coyote Ridge Multi-Use Trail System:  In winter, this is a groomed FT mountain bike, snowshoe, and XC/BC trail system best accessed from a small parking area and Cutthroat Trail Gate at the apex of the Heber City – Francis Road, Hwy 32, south of Jordanelle Reservoir. A multi-use trail around the Reservoir also begins at Rock Springs, SP. However, south of Hwy 32, in the Coyote Ridge or Jordanelle Ridge area, numerous groomed and well-maintained trails provide some of the best biking, snowshoeing, and XC/BC skiing near Heber City.

    Big Pole Trail System

    Only a few minutes by car or bike from downtown Heber City, the Big Pole trails cater to hikers and bikers in summer and XC/BC skiers and snowshoers in winter. The trails are maintained but not groomed in winter. To get there, take Center Street east from town to Little Pole Road, hang a left, and follow the road a few miles to the Big Pole Trailhead. Located in a private community, parking is limited. Here, as at Jordanelle/Coyote Ridge, an abundance of rugged Keatley Volcanic Epoch lava-mud-rock flows cover the hills — there are various trail options, from under three miles to a 10+ mile loop. All boast incredible views of the Wasatch and Mt. Timpanogos to the west, and once you get to the top of the trails, of the High Uintah Mountains to the east.

    Soldier Hollow Trail System

    Soldier Hollow also boasts a new, world-class, late Spring-Summer-Fall Mountain Bike trail system that, in many places, intersects their winter Nordic trails. This did not stop them from hosting several FT Mountain Bike races last season, and they are thinking about grooming at least one trail for permanent winter FT riding that steers clear of the Nordic ski tracks. Soldier Hollow has hosted several mountain bike races (in conjunction with NICA and UHSCL, and others) over the past few years and plans to offer several national-level mountain bike races in the future. Besides, with a Soldier Hollow year-round membership, the public can access all their trails all the time, rent E-Mountain bikes if needed, and enjoy this fantastic single-track paradise with its new apres-ski/bike facilities.

    Soldier Hollow Trail System, New for 2024

    As we’ve seen, the Wasatch Back-Heber Valley-western Uintah mountains offer many excellent multi-use trails, many of which cater to year-round sports. This winter, you might want to rent or buy a Fat Tire Mountain Bike, XC or BC skis, or snowshoes and navigate the trails in Dutch Canyon, Jordanelle/Coyote Ridge, Big Pole, or Soldier Hollow. Let’s, pray for snow and get ready to play outside!

     

    VOLUNTEER OR DONATE TO OUR TRAILS IF YOU LOVE YOUR TRAILS

    — please consider volunteering and becoming a member. Wasatch Trails Foundation: wasatchtrailsfoundation.org

  • Geology & Cultural History of the Heber Valley Region

    Geology & Cultural History of the Heber Valley Region

    Most articles and books on geology, anthropology, and history start with the early beginnings and progress chronologically to more modern times. For this article, we’ll follow suit, and begin with taking a look at Heber Valley’s geological history, with relatively late volcanic activity, faulting of the Wasatch and Uintah Mountains, Ice-Age glaciers, formation of the Heber Valley, and channeling of the Provo and other local rivers and streams. Culturally, we’ll summarize the man-made features of our environs, including the dams, reservoirs, highways, byways, and trails.

    Let us begin!

    Repeated ear-splitting roars of venting lava and steam preceded fast-moving mud and lava flows, shaking the valley floor, heaving like wild-water rapids, expelled from a series of volcanoes. The east-west trending chain of volcanic vents stretched along a fault corridor between what is now Park City and Oakley. Now called the Keatley Complex, this sequence of volcanic eruptions was our area’s last major violent geologic event. Geologists estimate this cataclysmic period occurred approximately 30-40 million years ago when explosive volcanic eruptions dominated this area. As they cascaded south, the speeding lava flows gathered rocks, water, and dirt, burning up trees and occasionally burying them in steaming ponds to eventually become petrified wood. Evidence of these extensive lava-mud-rock flows can be explored today in the road cuts south of the Jordanelle Reservoir between US 40 and Francis. Though the volcanic cones are gone, victims of collapse and erosion, the underground volcanic intrusions include the “Park Premiere,” a source of Park City’s precious metals. Closer to Heber City, the Mayflower mines boasted rich silver-lead-zinc-gold veins and views that are hard to beat of the Wasatch Back, Heber Valley, and west Uinta Mountains. A hodge-podge of old mining and fire roads, hiking, and biking trails, remnants of narrow-gauge railroad beds, and newer ski trails crisscross the terrain east and west of Heber Valley.

    Along with the massive lava flows, the Keatley volcanic sequence also heated underground aquifers in the Wasatch Mountains. Today, remnant deep, hot rock structures heat the water that once flowed through the lower levels of the Mayflower mine tunnels, and fills our thermal spring “hot pots” in Midway, including the world-famous Homestead Crater. The crater is not a volcanic cone but the result of a slow buildup of travertine rock layers, a form of limestone associated with thermal springs. Not nearly as warm as several other hot pots in Midway, or even when it was created thousands of years ago, the Homestead Crater spring within the travertine cone, accessed via a tunnel bored through it, is a comfortable 90-92 degrees. You can and may want to get scuba-certified in Homestead Crater!

     

    Much later, around 17,000–32,000 years ago, a gradual decrease in global temperatures and massive snowfalls froze rivers and stacked layers of ice and snow in multiple faulted valleys in the Wasatch and Uintas, shaped by ongoing uplift and faulting. In the Wasatch, beautiful Mount Timpanogos marks the western skyline — our serene Princess holds a cirque below her, the final resting place of a once mighty glacier, and still held a permanent snowfield through the early 1900s. Some still call the cirque and winter snowfield “Timp glacier” — indeed, some years find the snow remaining through summer, and perhaps some glacial ice remains at its rocky core. To our East, the Uinta valleys were home to dozens of glaciers — the longest, called Blacks Fork glacier, snaked 22 miles from its cirque in the northern Uinta Mountains. In the south, larger but somewhat shorter ribbons of ice enjoyed greater snowpacks on more gently dipping sandstone and limestone slopes. While the Keatley volcanic complex and Heber-Francis highway offer views of stacked layers of lava, mudstone, and chunky Brescia flow, Mt. Timpanogos and the Uinta Range offer views of U-shaped carved glacial valleys, cirques, and glacial boulder outwashes called moraines.

    Our modern Heber Valley/Francis Road development was made possible by the damming of the Provo River by the Core of Engineers beginning in 1987. One of three major dams and reservoirs along the Provo River, the Jordanelle covered Keetley, Hailstone, and Jordanelle. Since 1993, the reservoir and surrounding shores have become part of the Jordanelle State Park, used by campers, rock climbers, anglers, boaters, windsurfers, and other land and water sports enthusiasts. From Jordanelle Dam, the Provo River resumes its flow south and west through Heber Valley, veering toward Charleston and into Deer Creek Reservoir. Above the dam, behind Coyote Ridge, snow accumulates in winter and hosts fat tire, snowshoe, and cross-country ski trails. The volcanic lava-mud-rock flows that line the road are impressive and extend south to Red Ledges and the Big Pole trail system Southeast of Heber City.

    Just to the west of the Jordanelle Dam, a significant fault line generated massive rock layer uplift and separation between igneous granitic rocks of the Park City formation and sedimentary beds of limestone, sandstone, quartzite, and conglomerate deposited by ancient seas and rivers. Look for tell-tale upside-down V-shaped rock formations thrust skyward across the Wasatch Back in this area. To the East, similar faulting helped shape the uplifted Uinta foothills. Further downstream along the Provo, both glacial till, from boulders to glacier-ground sands, igneous granitic-volcanic rocks, and shattered sedimentary rock layers are found in and along the river and foothills. Importantly, flyfishing is robust and productive in this section of the Provo River, and fly-casters in waders are seen nearly year-round here! Spilling into Deer Creek Reservoir, the Provo keeps nutrients flowing to feed a variety of wildlife and open waters for fishermen. Kite surfers, boaters pulling skiers, and wake surfers enjoy the summer waters. Deer Creek Dam is the earliest remaining such structure, built in 1941 across the upper, eastern end of Provo Canyon. The Heber Valley Railroad (HVRX), or “Heber Creeper,” began as a branch line of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad that connected Heber City to Provo, Utah. Now, she runs down Provo Canyon to Vivian Park, offering spectacular views of Mt. Timpanogos, Deer Creek Reservoir, Sundance Mountain Resort, and the Provo River Canyon.

    As Heber Valley, Wasatch Back, and Uinta Range residents and visitors, we enjoy the best that Fire, Ice, Rock, and Man have created over the past thousands of years. And the landscape is still being shaped:  The Provo River meanders and changes course both naturally, and sometimes, with our help. Resorts take advantage of the glacial valleys and cirques that now provide ski and snowboard terrain for all abilities. Dams and reservoirs provide anglers and boaters with giant, rock-lined pools to play in. Water heated from below soothes our tired bodies after a long day on our feet, riding bikes, or plunging downhill on our skis and snowboards as we negotiate numerous and expanding trails above us. We enjoy creation at its best here and are thankful for it.

    1 Geologic map of the Charleston Quadrangle, Wasatch County, Utah by Robert F. Biek and Mike Lowe, 2009

    2 Geologic Map of the Heber City Quadrangle, Wasatch and Summit Counties, Utah – Download. Robert F. Biek, 2022

    3 “Way We Were: The era of explosive volcanoes in Park City”, Jul 17, 2020, by Sherie C. Harding, PhD, Park City Museum

    4 UTAH’S GLACIAL GEOLOGY, by Bob Biek, Grant Willis, and Buck Ehler, Utah Geologic Survey, Volume 42, Number 3. September 2010

    5 Wikipedia, Heber Valley Railroad, August 2022.

  • Discover Disc Golf in the Heber Valley

    Discover Disc Golf in the Heber Valley

    The Heber Valley has caught the wave of a global sporting trend: disc golf is on the rise, with the region playing its part in this rapid expansion. For those unacquainted, this popular sport uses rules similar to golf; however, instead of hitting balls into designated holes, players throw small plastic discs (think mini-Frisbees) at a target.

    Disc golf is usually played on a course with 9 or 18 targets, which are wire baskets, hung with chains designed to catch the discs. Players throw a disc from a tee pad in hopes of landing it into a basket for a score. Similar to par, the goal is to complete each ‘hole’ in the least amount of total throws.

    Formerly known as Frisbee golf, the sport originated in the early 1960s. Students at Rice University in Houston, Texas, used trees as targets. At the same time, those at Pendleton King Park in Augusta, Georgia, tossed Frisbees into 50-gallon metal trash cans. Today, the game, now known as disc golf, is exploding at an extraordinary rate.

    In the US, 2022 saw an average of 4.3 disc golf courses installed daily, a 50% surge compared to 2021. The year’s close saw over 9,000 disc golf courses scattered across America, contributing to a worldwide tally of 14,048 courses spread over 40 countries (The 2022 Disc Golf Growth Report by UDisc, 2023). As of April 2023, there are 107,853 active members of the PDGA (Professional Disc Golf Association) worldwide.

    Even more attractive, 90% of disc golf courses invite players to tee off without charge, with only a handful of private US venues charging an average daily fee of $5. This budget-friendly sport easily undercuts more traditional pastimes such as golf (with 16,000 courses across the US, the average round will set you back by more than $50), and tennis, boasting 14,684 facilities nationwide, many of which come with substantial private club membership fees.

    Another rapidly growing game, pickleball, holds a slight edge with 10,724 facilities available to the public. However, private pickleball clubs do exist, often requiring members to pay monthly or annual dues.

    Scott Belchak Designer of the Wunder Course
    Bobby Course Builder and Maintainer at Wasatch Wunder
    Wasatch over Wasatch

    Disc golf’s appeal extends beyond its affordability. The sport is swiftly becoming a family-favorite, with growing numbers of parents and children enjoying the game together. Concurrently, there’s been an increase in both youth and adult competitions for men and women alike. Take professional player Page Pierce, for instance. Known for her skillful technique and accuracy, Pierce’s throws outmatch those of many men in the sport (Paige Pierce Is Taking Disc Golf To the Moon”, 2023 ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED).

    Heber City Parks and Recreation installed a beginner-friendly 9-hole disc golf course in Southfield Park several years ago. In Midway, a multi-use park, which includes a dog park, boasts a 9-hole disc golf course offering longer holes than Southfield. It’s a picturesque spot featuring a stream, playgrounds, and youth ball fields.

    It’s also no ‘wonder’ that one of Utah’s most exceptional disc golf and hiking experiences can be found right in our backyard at the Wasatch Wunder Disc Golf Course (DGC). The Wasatch Wunder DGC provides a challenging mix of wooded fairways, bridge-crossed streams, short technical holes, and several lengthy ones that put any disc golfer’s accuracy and driving skills to the test.

    The course owes its existence and ongoing upkeep to a lively team of dedicated and hardworking volunteers. Scott Belchak, Jacob Beach, and Bobby Grieve are among the lead builders and maintainers of the Wasatch Wunder DGC, with Belchak also spearheading the organization and promotion of tournaments at the course. A seasoned designer and builder of several disc golf courses in Utah, Belchak’s expertise has been instrumental in bringing the Wunder DGC to life.

    In addition to upcoming tournaments, WunderMent taking place in May and WunderFall in September, the Wasatch Mountain State Park, and Wunder DGC are also gearing up to host the Utah State Disc Golf Tournament in October 2023. This small-town event promises big-time excitement, so stay tuned for more details.

    Perhaps the most breathtaking course “set amidst the stunning mountain terrain of Wasatch Mountain State Park,” and taking high-altitude disc golf to a whole new level is ElevateUT Disc Golf’s new course: The WoW. Situated west of The Wasatch Wunder on Guardsman Pass with 8,400 feet of elevation, the WoW boasts spectacular mountain meadows, aspen groves, winding rivers, and dramatic vistas.

    This incredible 5,600-foot long, par 56 course was the catalyst for disc golf’s journey at Wasatch Mountain State Park. The Wasatch Wunder was created to utilize the nine existing baskets previously acquired by the State Park. With the success of the Wunder, it comes as no surprise that the first tournament held at the new course had the, pardon the pun, WoW factor.

    Wasatch over Wasatch (WoW) hosted their first fundraising disc golf tournament July 29-30. It was a fun, action-packed two days of excitement and camaraderie!

    Players of all ages, from kids to seasoned pros, showed off their skills and love for the sport. The competition was fierce, and there were some jaw-dropping moments on the course, including two aces!

    The WoW tournament wasn’t just about competition; it was about giving back too. Thanks to the non-profit’s efforts, the generosity of MVP Disc Sports, and the tremendous support from participants, a whopping $9,902 was raised for the project, and for ElevateUT Disc Golf’s mission to increase disc golf courses in the area.

    If you want to explore a little further out from Heber City and Midway, Trailside Park in Silver Springs / Park City boasts a nine-hole disc golf course that is a fun, hilly experience. In Provo, my favorite is the Utah State Hospital’s 18-hole DGC with manicured lawns, hills, trees, long fairways, and a bit of history in the form of a 1930s-era stone amphitheater and “castle” above the 17th and 18th holes!

    The future looks lofty for disc golf in Heber Valley—be sure to grab a disc and join the fun!

  • Heber Valley Airport Revamp

    Heber Valley Airport Revamp

    From its humble beginnings in 1947 until today, Heber Valley Airport (KHCR is its national identifier) reflects pioneering aviation history, growth, change and a whole lot of flying. In its early years, KHCR was known for a diverse collection of classic general aviation and warbird aircraft and their pilots. Russ McDonald and a few partners bought the land, developed a 3,300’ runway and started a fixed base of operation (FBO) they called Heber Valley Flying Service (HVFS). HVFS began with a small (45 x 60 feet) hangar with adjoining office space and a 1945, 65HP, single-engine “taildragger” called an Aeronca Champion. On 7 September 1947 Russ McDonald began teaching folks to fly — he also fueled and fixed the Champ and ran the business. Russ added three more taildraggers, using skis instead of wheels in winter to fly from a field with no snow removal equipment. By 1948, catering largely to WWII veterans using the GI Bill to take flying lessons, the Heber Valley Airport was a busy airfield. In the 1950s, with GI Bill flight training winding down, HVFS had to shut its doors and Russ McDonald went to work at United Airlines. He still flew his Pitts biplane and P-51 Mustang from KHCR, and other folks flew gliders. For a time, the airport was almost exclusively a glider airport, and at one point, the glider community saved the airport from extinction (a story for another day). In 1991 David Robinson started the gliding club, Soar Utah, which is still thriving today.

    Heber City completed a new airport master plan in 1984. According to this master plan the FAA was asked to significantly increase the length of the runway from 4,400 ft long and 100 ft wide to nearly 6,900 ft long and 75 ft wide. This request was made in order to “make the area more accessible to recreationalists” and to realize additional income. While the airport already had “twin engine aircraft and occasional Learjet and turboprop planes”, they wanted to increase their jet fuel sales by accommodating jets and overflow traffic from the Salt Lake and Provo airports (See Heber City Airport 1984 Master Plan). Once the new 6,900’ runway was paved with parking, and taxiways completed, new hangars, buildings, and fuel, oil, and other services were added creating a full time FBO. Although there have been multiple FBO’s at the airport, the original FBO’s helped create contracts and lease agreements that made sense back in their day. However, after a few decades it became clear that these agreements were out dated, and needed to be significantly changed and updated. During the past few years, the city has been thoroughly committed to creating a new Airport Master Plan, a new Airport Layout Plan, and new legal agreements/contracts between them and the current FBO, OK3 Air.

    Today the Heber Valley Airport and OK3 Air have a new breed of customers — corporate and private jets, turboprop aircraft and even helicopters. Each of these aircraft can be fully serviced at the airport. The airport also currently has over 75 hangars, which house a variety of aircraft. Unfortunately, jet and turboprop aircraft customers demand more complex and expensive services, including jet fuel (Jet A). Some pilots consider OK3 Air’s fuel prices and services to be too expensive. Because of high costs, some general aviation and classic aircraft operators have chosen to leave KHCR for other airports in the greater Salt Lake area including Ogden, Logan, Provo and Spanish Fork. The current FBO (OK3 Air) has invested considerable resources to handle the larger and faster aircraft that have begun frequenting the airport. Because of these investments, they have become the leading private and commercial air traffic servicer in the Heber Valley-Park City-Kamas area. Fuel prices at OK3 Air are sometimes among the highest in the nation — a cost associated with a sole, full service FBO and maintenance provider. Many non-pilots in the valley wish OK3 would increase fuel costs in order to discourage more air traffic, but most pilots would obviously like to see a reduction. To its credit, OK3 Air does a quality job catering to its target audiences aircraft and aircrew of many types, and it is an official, Part 145 certified aircraft repair station with FAA-licensed technicians, many of whom live in Heber City. OK3 is a big part of our city’s gateway to world-class skiing, dining, and cultural events in Heber Valley, Sundance Resort, and historic Park City, Utah. OK3 Air is a factory authorized service and warranty center for some of the aerospace industry’s top manufacturers, including: Pilatus, GARMIN; ASPEN Avionics; COBHAM / S-Tec; PS Engineering; Honeywell; L3 and Trig Avionics.

    The former exclusive contract between the City and OK3 Air prevented competition in the form of a smaller, general aviation-focused FBO with lower cost / lower octane general aviation fuel and maintenance services. This situation very recently changed with the approval of a new Airport Master Plan signed by the City and the Airport, which allows OK3 Air to continue services as usual while also providing an opportunity for a new, general aviation-focused fuel and services provider (FBO) to set up and operate at the airport. The Heber City Council vote to approve the plan secures critical FAA funding and safety oversight of the Heber Valley Airport and established a long-term (20 year) airport development strategy. The Wasatch Wave published a detailed article on the Master Plan adoption in their July 5, 2023 newspaper2. A few highlights include: Provision for a new FBO that caters to light general aviation aircraft; Areas designed for existing and new community events like aviation and car shows, and expansion of the current Commemorative Air Force Museum; Relocation of runway, taxiways and some structures to increase the safety area bordering the runways / taxiways, and opportunities for more hangar space which is in big demand at KHCR. Final FAA approval of the operations infrastructure is evolving. All this means that not only will Heber Valley Airport continue to serve its current customer base, but that our local pilots, who would like to once again experience affordable flying in classic and general aviation aircraft, from Heber Valley Airport, once again, have a bright future at KHCR!

    So, what is already going on at the airport in the wild world of general aviation? Heber Valley Airport manager Travis Biggs’ mind and hands are full of plans and improvements. One project he helped start is a mural painting program on the back of existing hangars on the north end of the airport. The murals,  created by local artists (many are high school and college students), depict legends of flight, and the history of flight.  Travis is also thankful for the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) who runs a great little air museum that opened in May of 2002. The museum hosts many well-attended community events each year and is located in the last hangar on the South-East corner of the field. The CAF is a national organization that rebuilds and flies WWII and other military aircraft called “warbirds” at their various “Wings” across the USA. The Utah Wing, located at Heber Valley Airport has its own Stearman Biplane and other on-loan aircraft. They host an authentic WWII Hangar Dance and Classic Plane-Car Show every year. You can even bring your car and snap a photo of you with your family and friends with either the Stearman or a visiting warbird. Anyone can join the CAF and help run the museum and other events — we are all “CAF Colonels” for an annual membership fee that supports the CAF warbird maintenance and flying operations.

    Also calling KHCR home is the local Chapter of the Experimental Aviation Association (EAA), the same folks who host the world-famous, annual Oshkosh fly-in, featuring hundreds of aircraft from around the country. The EAA supports local pilots flying their own aircraft from Heber Valley and features guest speakers at their meeting on the second Monday of each month in the KHCR airport managers building. The EAA has also provided hundreds of free “Young Eagle” flights for kids between the age of 8-17. Adults 18 and older that want to learn what it takes to get a pilot’s license can also experience free flights with the EAA through the “Adult Eagle” program. EAA members donate their time, fuel, and airplanes, simply because they enjoy sharing their love of flight. Additionally, Heber Valley Airport is home to Soar Utah, which offers glider / soar-plane instruction. Travis also expressed excitement abouth the balloon flights and future balloon festivals that Heber Valley Airport will host. Finally, KHCR is home to several private aircraft owners, including respected aerospace engineers and a champion Reno Air Race pilot-engineer. There are a few WWII and later era “warbird” pilot-owners, several “taildragger” and classic aircraft owners, world class sailplane pilots, and some classy turboprop and jet aircraft owners. This population of general aviation pilots and aircraft owners will likely expand as Heber Valley Airport, along with its surrounding community, grows. A handful of our current local residents learned to fly right here at our Heber Airport. Today they are pilots flying for the airlines, as corporate pilots, or as search and rescue pilots etc. This tradition continues today. Dozens of our local youth have and are preparing for careers in aviation. Some of them are obtaining flight experiences right here in the valley through private flight instructors or through Utah universities like Utah State and Utah Valley University. Perhaps someday we will get another flight school here. So buckle up your seatbelts and we’ll see ya soon as we soar above Heber Valley!

  • Scavenger Hunt Adventure

    Scavenger Hunt Adventure

    A bright summer sun lights up the large red barn west of a pioneer home site off Southfield Road. Chirping birds in two tall pines are momentarily silenced by the Heber Creeper’s shrill whistle as she rolls southwest along the historic Heber — Provo railroad line. Suddenly, my Minepro metal detector beeps loudly, indicating a metal object approximately 8” below (according to the digital readout). I am detecting around a brick walkway that leads to the now boarded-up front door. I dig a circular hole in the reddish soil roughly 6“ in circumference around the center of the return — an approximate bullseye. About 5” down I stick my pinpointer in the hole and hear the growl and vibration that tells me I am close to uncovering history!

    Not all Treasure is Silver and Gold, Mate!
    – Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean

    I love hunting for history. Even the smallest articles have a story and those stories help us understand those who have come before. And when we understand them, we can better understand ourselves. The object I discovered that day was a lightly worn brass token almost the size of a modern quarter and later determined to come from a Café that was operating in Salt Lake City as late as 1935. After I gently cleaned the dirt off the token, using only soapy water and a soft cotton cloth, words letters and numbers appeared: “Café Grill…Good For One…12½ Cents…Cigar…1600 E 300 N”. It must have been a big stogie to cost 12½ cents back in those depression era days. Later that day, under a grassy rise a few feet from the walkway, I also detected and uncovered a large brass padlock, with “Miller” etched in script on its face. More research revealed that the respected Miller Lock company was bought out by York in 1905. I found a similar padlock selling on eBay for $45 — mine is in slightly better shape. The owner of the property, a friend, lets me keep the finds. I leave him with an old Lincoln cent and some buried metal farm tools I dug up earlier. No gold or silver yet but some interesting relics from our Heber Valley past.

    As a geologist, I am drawn to the rich mining histories of both Wasatch and Summit counties. Much of my free time is spent hiking and exploring the old mining sites. Today, a 2.7-mile hike takes me along a trail that partly follows a turn of the century (1890-1915) narrow gauge, mine railway. I gain almost 2,500 vertical feet before reaching the abandoned shafts and large tailings of a once-productive mine. This is quite a feat considering I am also hauling my detecting tools, backpack, and rock hammer with me — this ‘scavenger hunt’ will require a bit more effort. Here, Heber City, Midway and Park City miners once labored in tunnels that reached depths of 2,300’. This specific site was part of a complex that once produced thousands of ounces of gold, silver, lead, and zinc. Old assay buildings, cabins, latrines, storage bunkers, and even a saloon dot the site, mostly buried in pines on the south side of a creek. The majority of abandoned Wasatch Back mines are either part of Wasatch Mountain State Park or were bought by the Extell Corporation for development of the new Mayflower Resort complex. Detecting in these old mines is now almost impossible due to state and private property restrictions. But today is a Bonanza-Eureka day as I uncover Wasatch Back history once again in the form of narrow gauge railroad spikes, mining drill bits once used to set explosive charges to listen up the ore, a silver fork and spoon, a broken pocket knife, several high-grade ore/mineral specimens, and a pewter cup that perhaps once watered a thirsty miner!

    Uncovering our rich past is not limited to those with metal detectors and rock hammers. Sometimes a historical object with a story to tell can be found half-buried in an old wall or attic space while remodeling, or even hidden in the pages of an old book that once belonged to someone’s great-grandparents. The publisher of Heber Valley Life Magazine found a variety of historic artifacts, including old tin holders with colorful labels, while remodeling the old building that now houses Heber City’s own magazine and printing company!

    Finally, there are many local fields, ballparks, fairgrounds, old home sites, municipal parks, and other places that make for great detecting and scavenging. It is vital to get permission first before detecting/exploring on private property or State Park properties. National Parks are strictly off-limits.

    To learn more about detecting, scavenging, and collecting history I recommend reading back issues of local newspapers and magazines. You can also join a local historical society, talk to the folks at the Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum on Main Street, or attend a meeting of the Wasatch Coin and History Club (held on the last Tuesday of each month at the Wasatch County Library in Heber City from 6-7:30 PM). Happy hunting!

    List of Tools for Beginner Treasure Hunters

    1. Inexpensive metal detector
    2. Garret pinpointer
    3. Extra batteries
    4. Sturdy trowel
    5. Canvas or tough nylon pouch with handle to carry extra batteries, and items found.
    6. Small, sturdy steel shovel (optional)
    7. Metal or plastic sand  scooper with small holes to catch coins in sandy areas (optional)
    8. Hand-held GPS map and place marker (optional)
    9. Small towel to dry things off if it rains
    10. A few Ziploc bags for extra found items

    List of Tools for Advanced Treasure Hunters

    All the above PLUS:

    • You’ll want an advanced metal detector and pinpointer capable of differentiating iron, silver, copper, and gold with a depth meter and waterproof 11” coil.
    • Extra coil for deeper detecting – 16” (optional)
  • The Mayflower Star Mine

    The Mayflower Star Mine

    In January, 2019, while skiing down to the Sultan Express Chairlift at Deer Valley, I noticed the outlines of an old silver mine below the lift to the East, and a large mine tailing area even further down the mountain.

    As a trained geologist, whose first job after college was exploring for geothermal energy and related epithermal ore deposits in Utah and Nevada, my curiosity was raised! In May of 2020 I finally got the chance to hike up and visit these old mines of the Park City Mining District, Mayflower Complex. The large tailings hill I saw from the chairlift was part of a rich silver-gold-lead-zinc mine called the Star Tunnel, the highest and north-western-most working mine in the Mayflower Complex. For the next three years I made numerous hikes up to the Star Tunnel and surrounding mines. Today, they are all abandoned, with remains of a once thriving miners camp complete with saloon, cabins, latrines, workshops, storage buildings, assay offices and, of course, mine shafts and tailings piles.

    The story of the Mayflower Mine, especially the Star Tunnel, has been forgotten over time. Most of the attention, both historical and commercial, went to mines and other historic ruins closer to Park City, like the Silver King, Judd, Dailey, Crescent, Thaynes, and other great producers of silver, lead and zinc. However, only the Mayflower, and a few other small mines near Park City, had not only these “big three” minerals, but were also quite rich in gold. In fact, The Mayflower and Pearl veins, accessed by the Star and other tunnels, were some of the richest gold and silver producing veins of the entire Park City Mining District.

    The mines first opened at the turn of the century. Unfortunately, the underground tunnels, as in other mines, quickly flooded. The water was hot, with temperatures in the tunnels reaching 150 degrees. The same aquifer that feeds the now famous Homestead Crater and surrounding hot springs in Midway, also poured steamy water into these tunnels. After a certain depth and relatively short timeframe, mining was abandoned at the Star and other tunnels. The narrow gauge railway that brought the rich ore down was pulled up, and the area was temporarily abandoned. The lower Mayflower Mine, closer to Highway 40 and the Jordanelle Reservoir, continued to produce into the 1960s. Other mineable minerals included iron and copper, but silver, lead, zinc and gold were the real money-makers.

    Early miners and mining engineers shared interesting stories about their lives underground in the Mayflower and other Park City Mining District tunnels. Several of the volunteers at the Daughters of Utah Pioneers museum in Heber City recalled how their fathers worked in these mines, enduring long hours in tight spaces, drilling, blasting and hauling ore from the tunnels.

    Later attempts to get the Star and other upper Mayflower tunnels working again met with some success; including construction of a drain tunnel which is now a water source for the small Glencoe Canyon stream and potentially for the new Mayflower Resort development. However, the water and temperature issues in the deeper tunnels prevented further exploration and soon she was another ghost camp. The Star Tunnel’s tailings are immense, covering several kilometers and towering over two hundred feet in height. The miners once produced high quality bricks and lead for sealing pipes and other uses. In later years, a large electrical plant was built above the mine, closer to the Sultan Express and Mayflower ski lifts of Deer Valley Resort. Other, nearby rich but smaller ore deposits were prospected and mined, including the Glencoe Mine.

    MINERS AT THE MAYFLOWER MINE, PHOTO BY J.A. CROCKWELL, CA. 1891 | Park City Historical Society and Museum
    MINERS AT THE MAYFLOWER MINE, PHOTO BY J.A. CROCKWELL, CA. 1891 | Park City Historical Society and Museum
    MAYFLOWER MINE, CA. 1950 | Park City Historical Society and Museum
    MAYFLOWER MINE, CA. 1950 | Park City Historical Society and Museum

    Perhaps the most important and interesting features of the Mayflower mining complex includes the flora and fauna-rich Glencoe Canyon, with its rain and drain tunnel-fed stream, and the surrounding ridges, gullies and hills. Historical ruins abound, from early telegraph/telephone poles and lines to cabins, mine buildings, mine shaft riggings, diggings, tailings, etc. With a little effort and investment, the once rich Star Mine could easily be restored for tourism, serving both Deer Valley and Mayflower Resort guests in addition to the public. Plans for bike and hiking trails in Glencoe Canyon and surrounding areas already exist and at least one trail is already built that gets explorers close to the Star Mine. Of course, the once public (BLM) and mining company — owned land is now private, bought up and consolidated by Extell Corporation of New York/Utah. In partnership with the Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA) and potentially with Deer Valley, Extell has cut out ski runs, roads, expensive home sites and is building a large hotel and condominium complex. Perhaps a partnership can be worked out between the developers/resorts and Wasatch County Parks and Recreation to establish a historical and natural attraction, accessible by the public, around the former Star Mine. The Extell Senior Vice President for Development, Kurt Krieg, did a fantastic job helping develop the Gerald Ford Amphitheater and Botanical Garden in Vail, CO. His expertise will ensure that Mayflower is a beautiful resort and could also be used in establishing a historic site, perhaps complete with an outdoor concert amphitheater below the Star Mine ruins. Local artists would be sure to utilize such a venue.

    Numerous articles have been published regarding this new resort development and partnerships by both local news, real estate and development corporation writers and are easily accessed online. There are also several excellent articles on the history and geology of the Park City Mining District and the Park City Museum is a great place to visit and learn more about our incredible mining and early ski resort history.

    As we move into the future it is important we preserve what we can and not forget our past and those who paved the way for us to be where we are today.

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