Salt Lake City TempleWhen I first went in the spring of 2006 I had the pleasure of spending two full days touring Salt Lake City’s Temple Square. But before I discuss that fine adventure, allow me to fill you in on a few facts concerning Antelope Island.
Antelope Island is a 20+ mile long mountain range on the northeast side of the of the Great Salt Lake, and when the water level is high it is entirely isolated except for the causeway. At the island’s widest point it is a mere 5 miles across, and it peaks out at a little over 6,000 feet (lake level is 4,000 some odd feet above sea level). From my elevated campsite on the northwest side of the island, I could gaze out across the Great Salt Lake, and easily be fooled into thinking that it was a vast inland bay--it is immense. You can actually see the curvature of the Earth, and I ain’t kiddin’ neether!
The ancient Lake Bonneville that covered this area, some 14,000 years ago, was exceptionally deep at its zenith. You can still see the lake’s ancient terraces marking the fluctuation of the rising and falling shorelines. Where I make camp it was once under a good 1,000 feet of fresh water; yes, fresh water not salt. The island teams with a managed heard of bison, and while trekking across a corner of this expansive island I came upon a trophy pronghorn buck. How appropriate that I should see a pronghorn on Antelope Island.
I was told by a Ranger that March was usually a very pleasant month on the island, but that t’weren’t so on the days I wuz thar. It was cloudy, partially cloudy, and very windy at times. At night it was (EXPLETIVE DELETED) cold, and every so often I was shocked awake by the melting ice that had fashioned itself upon my mustache. On this morning I awoke to 3 inches of heavy, wet snow upon the ground. This unexpected snow storm spoiled my plans of going into Salt Lake City and enjoying the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on Sunday morning. The roads were dangerously icy.
Now most of you will be ignorant of my having been a LDS, so my having visited, “This Is The Place” (Bringham Young’s immortal words upon seeing the valley for the first time), was quite a delight. I chatted with numerous missionaries, and frustrated them by confessing that I will return to the Church at the 11th hour when my unabashed, reckless life nears its end. The missionaries I talked with were measurably disappointed at my flippant attitude, especially when I informed them that I have slapped the clammy hands of death away from me on numerous occasions. Nonetheless, I have to say that Temple Square was a wonderful enclave of interest to me: the architecture, history, and just being able to touch the walls of the temple ushered me into a mood of silent awe.
I have to say that I grew envious of these young, wide-eyed missionaries, and their absolute trust in their doctrine of salvation. I am convinced that it is far better to believe more (faith), and research less (intellect pursuit), than to research more, and believe less. Ignorance is bliss, unless fanaticism replaces ones humanity.
Needless to say, I had a HOOT walking the grounds of Temple Square for two full days alone, and I ate like a King—the Lion’s House Pantry Restaurant has some excellent slop. Oh, and one more thing: I toured the Beehive House (Young’s personal residence and office, and stood by the desk, and room in which he and Samuel Clemens faced off. If you want to know more about their humorous and contentious intercourse, read Mark Twain’s, “Roughing It.”
Furthermore, I had to laugh when a gracious tour host informed me that the Tabernacle was constructed without a single nail or steel spike. Admittedly, that in and of itself is not humorous, but what was, was the fact that during its construction, the LDS women and children would gather together in their respective homes, sing hymns, and whittle long, square pegs that were then hammered into round, augured holes. Yes, Virginia, you can put a square peg in a round hole. After hammering this square peg into the hole they would introduce water which would swell the peg and tighten its grip within the encasing wood.
Last but not least, if you ever get a chance to tour the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint's Conference Center, it will overwhelm you with its colossal vacancy! I was told that it can seat 21 THOUSAND people at a time; each level seats 7 thousand people. The interior is visually incomprehensible! The organ is over 4 stories high and the auditorium could hold, side by side, two—TWO Boeing 747’s. And for you bean counters, the Conference Center is 1.5 million square feet in total. But the thing that amazed me the most was how they changed the hundreds of ceiling light bulbs. Some where accessible by crawling through the attic and having a floor crew tell the attic rat where the burned out bulb was, or—the worst yet—they could ride a cherry picker up to the ceiling, and change them that way. The fountain outside the center’s wall is 67 feet tall which leads me to believe that the interior may be well over 8 stories high, perhaps higher. For me to change a bulb at that height would require some heavy sedation, and phobia counseling afterwards.
Oh, and one more thing. I only camped out and braved Antelope Island’s inclement weather for two nights. On the first night of our arrival to SLC (the wife was along and caught a flight to Baltimore, MD the next day) we spent in a cozy room at the La Quinta Inn, as we did upon her return They serve one substantial breakfast in the morning, and delivered at your door a “free” local newspaper.
Most of the pictures below are of my summer trip with a good friend from California’s Mojave Desert.
The water depth where this picture was taken was approximately 2 1/2 feet deep, and 30 feet off from shore.Be sure to wear some sort of foot wear as the lake bottom is loaded with sharp crusts of sand.
When I got out of the water, after an hour pruning to a gooey white color, I headed back toward the showers to rinse off. But before I got half way back I began to crust over with salt. I started to worry that I might not make it back to the restroom shower before I rubbed myself raw, and bled to death. But what really gave me cause for concern was when I passed the static figure of Lot’s wife. She was looking back toward Salt Lake City.
Each star in the photo represents a step, and each step is nearly washed out due to the extreme grade. I am standing on a step just above Larry’s head as we made our way down Frary Peak on Antelope Island.
Gnats—gnats by the millions, perhaps tens of millions, all running
from the white legs of doom!
As I walked through great stretches of resting gnats (the grayer sand in front) a rolling shock wave of overwrought gnats moved in a vanguard of prickly irritation. Sometimes when they swarmed about breathing became a guarded endeavor, and opening ones mouth was unadvised. They also like flying up your nose. You had no choice but to walk through them to get to the water, and back through them when you headed for the showers. It was funny to watch the gulls along the beach. They would saunter up to the reclining gnats, and then make a waddling charge through them. With their heads down low, necks out stretched, and mouths agape, they would eat as many of these tasty little boogers as their mouths would hold. I must have coughed up several mouthfuls myself.from the white legs of doom!
Sunset over the Great Salt Lake
Mirror image and the Wasatch Range
The OH-MY-GAWD trail up to Frary Peak.
Early Spring Snow on Antelope Island
Monument to the Gulls and the Angel Moroni on Temple Spire
Looking South From Frary Peak
Sunset Over the Great Salt Lake Copyright © 2008 Jonathan Aspensen All rights reserved. No part of this website, nor any of its contents, may be
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