Harrisville, Utah
I almost left with regret the parking at
the exit #31. Indeed a good weather had
returned and moreover there was a Wi-Fi
connection. But finally it was necessary
to leave. I cross the border between Idaho
and Utah at the top of a pass, then I land
in Harrisville in Wal-Mart to go shopping
and to bivouac.
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| Landscape in Idaho |
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| Landscape in Utah |
Antelope Island
On October 30th the day was sunny at the
bottom of Rocky Mountains. I had like
project to spend three nights on Antelope
Island connected to the continent by a
long dam. The island is located on Salt
Lake at an altitude of approximately 1350
meters high. I hoped to be able to make
excursions in State Park. I establish my
bivouac, then after lunching I went on the
path of Lakeside Trail. I made some nice
meetings as well geological as animal.
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| Lakeside Trail,
Ranger map & GPS tracklog,
roundtrip 9km69 |
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| Geological
sculptures |
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| WOW, Watch Our
Wildelife |
The following day I undertook a long
walking connecting three trails in the
hope of observing fauna. Que nenni, if not
imposing landscapes and geology carved by
the watering weather. I returned harassed
but happy to my truck. Physical activity
is excellent therapies.
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| Junction Trail, Split Rock loop & White Rock, GPS tracklog, roundtrip 23km |
November 1st was a true day of All Saints'
day, glaucous. After a fast visit of
Fielding Garr Ranch I progressed on the
track for gaining 305 meters. Except for
bisons no wild animal was visible. I
returned empty-handed to my truck.
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| Sentry Trail, GPS tracklog, roundtrip 10,43km |
The following day the sun was there, I
again fitted my walking shoes to climb
Frary Peak at 6596ft (2010 meters) of altitude with
a gain of 640 m. The booklet promised to
see a bighorn sheep, alas it was not
there for a photograph. In the middle of
afternoon I stationed on the carpark of
Wal-Mart at Layton.
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| Frary Peak Trail, GPS tracklog, roundtrip 12,20km |
In four walking days in a quasi lunar
landscape I had traversed nearly 58 km.
Back to my truck I read again the famous
page of "The Glorious Whitewasher" told in
“the Adventures of Tom Sawyer” by Mark
Twain.
How Real is Real?
"He (Tom Sawyer) would now have
comprehended that Work consists of whatever a body
is obliged to do and that Play consists of
whatever a body is not obliged to do.
And this would help him to understand why
... performing on a treadmill is work, ...
while ... climbing Mont Blanc is only
amusement."
Tom Sawyer, in The Glorious Whitewasher,
by Mark Twain
Salt Lake City
The visit of Salt Lake City, at the bottom
of Rocky Mountains at about 1320 m of
altitude, proceeded under a blue sky and a
hot autumnal sun. It was founded in the
19th century by the pioneers members of
the church of Jesus-Christ of the
Latter-Day Saints, Mormons. The urban area
counts more than two million inhabitants,
nearly 85% of the state of Utah from which
the half is Mormon. As most American
cities it is structured out of grid with
the characteristic that streets are 132ft
(40m) wide to allow a wagon pulling by
four oxen to turn.
The city does not have great attraction if
it is not “Temple Square” whose visit is
disappointing, buildings in a
quadrilateral of which most interesting
would be Salt Lake Temple whose access is
reserved to the members of church LDS,
“Latter-Day Saints”.
I visited “Beehive House” where Brigham
Young lived, successor of the founder of
LDS, Joseph Smith. Its dimensions and its
luxury testify to the opulence of the
church, its founder was not a follower of
poverty. I settled for the weekend at KOA
Kampground.
