Help Us Make Utah Number 44

Currently, 43 states have felony provisions in place for those who intentionally abuse animals. Our goal is to make Utah the 44th state.

The current law in Utah carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $2500.00 fine for torturing an animal. Help us substantially increase these penalties.

This is an outrage--cruelty is cruelty, whether it is directed to an animal or a human! Animals are family members, no different (in a lot of people's eyes) than a human family member. A simple slap on the wrist (or turning your head all together) when someone is cruel to an animal is the same as saying this cruelty is OK. It is NOT.

Sign the petition at HelpUsHelpThem.org

New Victories for Utah Backcountry

Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) has scored another victory in getting the Book Cliffs / Desolation Canyon area designated as untouchable by the greedy hand of developers and oil companies.

The article says "Over the past six years, the Bush administration has shown little regard for protecting Utah’s most spectacular public lands from the heavy hand of oil and gas development, and we’re expecting things to only get worse as time runs out on this terrible legacy of public lands mismanagement. "

But because of the efforts of SUWA and the support of people like you, we have received three favorable decisions on the oil & gas front, and have been able to push back on the administration’s drive to “drill it all.”

Read the rest of the story and voice your opinion.

Skiing should not be dangerous, says a Utah court

According to an Associated Press story, "Skiers assume the potential for injury when they try to navigate a steep mountainside, but not all risks are inherent, the Utah Supreme Court ruled Tuesday, clearing the way for a lawsuit against [Snowbird Ski] resort...William Rothstein suffered severe internal injuries when he skied into a wall at Snowbird in February 2003. He sued and claimed the resort was negligent."

Let's all just forget about taking responsibility for anything we do, and when things go wrong, find someone to sue. Hey, it's the thing to do these days, and it is easy, and there will always be a lawyer out there that can help you get a lot of money for an injury that results from your own carelessness, or lack of skill, or not being properly prepared, or whatever...

This reminds me of the lawsuit brought against Zion National Park when a Boy Scout outing went bad and several of the participants ended up dying. (I can't find that one online--I think it was sometimes in the mid-90s-- but what a surprise, here is another one.)

Wake up people! Skiing has risks, and so does hiking, climbing, biking, whatever you do for fun in the outdoors. If you are not prepared to take responsibility for taking those risks, STAY HOME. Don't engage in lawsuits like these that could ruin the sports for the rest of us.

Black-footed ferrets released in Utah and Colorado

According to a story on the Utah DWR pages, ferrets were introduced at Snake John Reef last month in an effort to not only increase their populations, but also to hopefully aid in research to produce a vaccine for sylvatic plague. Similar to black plague in humans, sylvatic plague can wipe out a ferret population.

Utah's ferrets have been dying off due to the disease and officials are trying to stop that. These guys that were released were given a vaccine. They will be monitored, and the effectiveness of the vaccine determined.

Good luck to the ferrets!

Adopt a Horse

Salt Lake Wild Horse and Burro Center (8605 W. 12600 South, Herriman)
December 8-21
Adoption Times: 9 am - 3 pm
Information: 877-224-3956

Every year the wild horse population is culled and the horses are available for adoption to the public. Even if you can not adopt at this time, the event is a unique and educational, and well worth the drive.

The 2007 event will be held from December 8-21 at The Salt Lake Wild Horse and Burro Center in Herriman. There will be over 100 geldings, one year and older along with six yearlings, all halter trained by the Gunnison Wild Horse Prison Program.

All animals are first-come-forst-served, and can be had for as little as $25!

Pat Bagley publishes Survival Guide for Utah

A post on DailyCartoonist.com announces a new book by the infamous cartoonist and Utah resident Pat Bagley. They quoted him as saying, "We have a state that is unique; it’s like no other place in the world, and I think the people ought to be warned before they get here." Gotta love Bagley!

• Here is one of his cartoons that I got permission from the SLTrib to post.
  
• Check out the book on Amazon.com.
  

Capitol Reef National Park

Have you been to Capitol Reef lately? It's one of Utah's best kept secrets. Packed with human and natural history, as well as some great hikes and stunning views, Capitol Reef is a great place to spend a few days. Even in the winter!

New Utah License Plates Released!

Two new plates, both updated versions of the current SkiUtah (in circulation since 1985) and Delicate Arch ( released in 1992) plates are now available from the Utah DMV. These new plates' designs incorporate Utah tourism's new slogan--Life Elevated.

Resort Openings Report

I took a drive up Little Cottonwood Canyon yesterday and I must say things are looking a bit bleak. It was pretty cold (my car thermometer said 26 deg) so the snow making machines were going full force. But Snowbird looked sad and Alta not much better.

Latest news on openings:

• Solitude - Open!
  
  
• Snowbasin is opening on Thanksgiving Day, but not necessarily for skiing and boarding. If the snow conditions are good, they will open the mountain to snow sports, otherwise visitors will be able to take scenic foot passenger gondola rides, or hang out in the restaurants, lodges and shops.
  

  The Thanksgiving Day Feast 2007 “Le Beaujolais Nouveau cest Arrivee” will be happening at Needles Lodge from 11:00 AM until 6:00 PM. Guests will enjoy the fun of the celebration of the arrival of Beaujolais Nouveau, one of the most animated rituals in the wine world, as well as enjoying an extraordinary Thanksgiving Feast offering.
  
  

• Sundance scheduled to open Friday December 7th
  
  
• Park City Mountain Resort is scheduled to open for skiing and riding on Friday, November 23. The Resort will operate PayDay Lift, which will service Homerun, with additional terrain to open as conditions permit.
  

  Before you hit the slopes, come ride the Alpine Coaster, the only one in Utah! The Alpine Coaster, along with Legacy Sports, Kristi’s Coffee Café and Legends Bar & Grill open Wednesday, November 21.
  

  
  
  • Wednesday, November 21
    
    
    • Alpine Coaster: 10 am to 4 pm
      
    • Legacy Sports: 10 am to 5 pm
      
    • Kristi’s Coffee Café: 10 am to 4 pm
      
    • Legends Bar & Grill: 11 am to 5 pm
      
    
    
  • Friday, November 23
    
    Skiing and riding in addition to restaurants and shops
    
    
    • PayDay Lift: 9 am to 4 pm
      
    • Legends Bar & Grill: 11am to 6 pm
      
    • Legacy Café: 10:30 am to 3 pm
      
    • Alpine Coaster: noon to 4 pm
      
    • Kristi’s Coffee Café: 7:30 am to 5 pm
      
    • Legacy Sports: 8 am to 6 pm
      
      
    
    
  • Friday, November 30
    
    
    • Gorgoza Park: 1 pm
      
    
    
  • Wolf Mountain - Nov 22
    
    
  
  

Where is the Snow?

Salt Lake area ski resorts were supposed to open this weekend, but mother nature is not cooperating! Not only is there not enough natural snow to allow smooth sailing down the slopes, but it isn't even cold enough to make snow.

Only a handful of the resorts have decided to go ahead and open with limited runs and lifts operating. The others are holding on to see what the weather gives us.

Resort	Expected Opening Day
Alta	TBA
Beaver Mountain	TBA
Brian Head	Nov 22
Brighton	TBA
The Canyons	TBA
Deer Valley	Dec 8
Park City	Nov 21
Powder Mountain	TBA
Snowbasin	Nov 22
Snowbird	TBA
Solitude	Nov 16
Sundance	Dec 7
Wolf Mountain	Nov 22

Fly Into Salt Lake City and Ski Free

Park City ski resorts (Deer Valley, The Canyons and Park City Mountain) will be sponsoring their Quickstart Program again this year. Fly in today and ski this afternoon. Convert your airline boarding pass into a same-day lift ticket to the Park City resort of your choice. For free! For real!

This is a great way to get visitors to try out the resorts. A lot of visitors come here just for the skiing, but some, who maybe come in for a trade show might not think they have time to check out the slopes and they don't want to put out the bucks for a lift pass if they are only going to ski for a couple of hours. This program helps alleviate that situation and gets people who might not otherwise find out how awesome our snow is onto the slopes.

I wonder if they would accept a bus pass ;->

Email of the Week

Steve asks: Are there Trolleys for tours in Salt Lake City? Maybe they have wheels on it and are rentable??

Well, Steve, sorry but there no trolley tours. They used to have them but when TRAX was built, they went away. But there other options. But since you asked (and thanks for the idea), I put together this article on Salt Lake City Tours.