Memorial Weekend at Bear Lake

If you're planning a trip to Bear Lake, the first phone call ought to be to Bear Lake Lodging.  Whether you're a party of two or a group of 30+; they have the perfect accommodations.  They put us up in the Burgon Cabin with 6 bedrooms, 2 family rooms and 3 bathrooms on 3 levels with breathtaking view in all directions.  Our 6-year old grandson put it best when he excitedly said to his buddies out on a hike "guys, you gotta get used to this view - it's spe-tacular!"

Another great resource is Melinda at Bear Lake Valley CVB.  She is a great resource for pretty much everything Bear Lake has to offer, from special events, to lodging, to activities to places to eat, etc. etc.

The Yazzie Family-Burgon Cabin-upper balcony

Alyssa basking in the amazing view and sunshine!
It's easy to see why Bear Lake is commonly called "The Caribbean of the Rockies".

View from the front door.  This was a wonderful place to spend time discussing the latest adventures with a kitchen, dining area and family room big enough for all 29 of us.

 After spending time in an RZR last weekend in Moab, I was really looking forward to the contrast of the sand and slickrock to the forest of the mountains surrounding Bear Lake.

RZR 800 we rented from Bear Lake Fun.  They are a great place to rent all kinds of water toys as well as  all types of 4-wheelers - right in Garden City.  Bear Lake is 20 miles long and 8 miles wide with 48 miles of shoreline so they have 3 other locations around the lake.  Two other families in our group also rented from them and were impressed with their customer service.

Four very dusty, dirty but pleased friends after several hours of jeeping and 4 wheeling.
(There's that gorgeous lake again!)

In all of our trips to Bear Lake, we had never made time to visit the famous Minnetonka Cave. In fact, it was thanks to the suggestion of Melinda with Bear Lake Travel Council, that we visited there. The above picture is the walkway to the entrance of the cave; very cool, especially for the kids and much less work to get to than Timpanogos Cave.

The majority of us had never seen Minnetonka Cave before so we really had a great time.

Monday morning before we left, several of us biked the perimeter of the Bear Lake - 50 miles.  This gave us some different perspectives of the lake.  Can I just say WOW!!

Thanks to some of our wonderful friends for sharing a fun, exciting, memorable weekend with us at Bear Lake!!

Skinny Tire Events, High Point Hummer and Aarchway Inn combine for an adventure-filled Moab weekend.

Moonshadows Ride - Skinny Tire Events

Moonshadows bike ride - Open Air Cafe at Dead Horse Point State Park - May 18, 2013
We've become big fans of The Skinny Tire Events.  The two we have attended were very well orchestrated with incredibly friendly staff and indescribable views.

Anna & Roy at one of the overlooks from Dead Horse Point.  (Moonshadows Bike Ride) 

Sunset over Dead Horse Point State Park with Canyonlands National Park on the distant horizon.
(Moonshadows Bike Ride)

High Point Hummer

High Point Hummer proved to be the perfect place to rent our RZR 900 from.  They provided us with a detailed map allowing us to find all of these stunning vistas as well as many more - too many to post.  May 19, 2013

Roy and Anna at the far end of Tusher Tunnel - short hike just off the trail.  May 19, 2013

Delicate Arch - Arches National Park

Phil overlooking the famous Delicate Arch at sunset. - May 19, 2013

Turret Arch, Windows Section, Arches National Park.   Just after sundown May 19, 2013

Aarchway Inn.  Late night BBQ in the courtyard.  They were so friendly and accommodating; providing us with everything (except the food!) we needed to finally get a good meal after a very busy, exciting day.  They are a great place to stay, especially when you participate in a Skinny Tire Event.  Aarchway Inn is the hub of the ride's activities and events.

Back to High Point Hummer for Canyoneering

165 foot rappel - Kane Springs.  Check out Anna starting to descend from the top!

Above:  The position we amateurs take.
Below:  The position our High Point Hummer professional guides take.

Our canyoneering group - Phil, Ronelle, Anna, Nick (guide), Roy and Andy (guide).  Thanks to Skinny Tire Events, High Point Hummer and Aarchway Inn for an awe-inspiring weekend that pushed us to new limits -physically and mentally.

Presidents' Weekend Get-away - 2013

Kodachrome Basin State Park on Friday was almost entirely snowless with a gorgeous clear blue sky.  It was so fun scrambling around with our good friend Anna and her 9 year-old son.  I'd forgotten what a great place this is for families.  

Kodachrome Basin State Park - Ronelle and Phil

Kodachrome - notice the famous "pipes"

Bryce Canyon on Saturday; we'd planned to snowshoe but decided we could hike it.  There were places snowshoes would have been good but mostly they would have been in the way - it was 4 hours and 5.5 miles of red rock hoodoos, archways, narrow paths (no path in many places) in snow and ice surrounded by the most breathtaking blue skies you've ever laid eyes on. 

Bryce Canyon - Brooke and Jayson

Bryce Canyon-almost to the Peekaboo loop

Randy - literally in snow up to his knees

Yours truly sliding from an upper path to a lower one-
no, I'm not carrying a purse; its a bag of snowshoes.

Heading up Navajo Loop trail to the rim trail

Bryce Canyon - Navajo Loop - headed up to the rim trail.
 Little did we know we still had a looong way to go!

Bryce Canyon - look close . . .
Randy had switched to shorts!

Looking back down at the switchbacks coming
up from Navajo Loop - Bryce Canyon

On to St. George for 50-60 degree bike riding!  Can I just say biking in Winter, Spring and Fall in Southern Utah feeds my soul!!

Anna, Ben, Kim, Brooke, Jayson, Todd, Ronelle, Phil
Entrance to Tuacahn Amphitheatre

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2013 Road Bike Rides We Recommend

#1 - March 9-12 - Skinny Tire Festival - Moab, Utah - will be our first time at this event.  We are really looking forward to it.  Hope to see everyone there!!  If you haven't already, you need to reserve your lodging very very soon (today).  I'm especially looking forward to the yoga classes being offered the morning after the ride - designed specifically for cyclists.

#2 - April 20 - Spring Tour de St. George - St. George, Utah - Our 3rd year at this one.  Absolutely wonderful!!  The views will blow you away.  The terrain is so varied, the ride so well supported - this is a ride for all levels and ages.

#3 - May 18 - MoonShadows - Moab, Utah - Ride starts on the north end of Moab at 5pm; goes to Deadhorse Point where dinner is provided as the sun sets over Canyonlands National Park.  After dinner, the bike lights come on and we ride by moonlight back to Moab!

Antelope Island by Moonlight 2012 - KarinMarie and
Brayden about to start.

#4 - June 1 - Ride The Gap - Parowan, Utah - Another ride sponsored by Spin Geeks; the flattest ride in their series and great for first time riders.

#5 - July 19 - Antelope Island by Moonlight - Great Salt Lake, Utah  - This popular ride will celebrate its 20th year this summer.  Always held on a midsummer Friday night with a full moon, Antelope Island by Moonlight is a WONDERFUL event for the whole family.  Road is closed to cars and bikes must be fully lit with tail and headlights.

#6 - July 20 - Desperado Dual - Panguitch, Utah - This is Utah’s only fully supported one-day, 200-mile cycling adventure.  There are also 50 and 100 mile options.  I always thought these Jerseys are the coolest of any race.

Finished!  Fall Tour de St. George 2012 - Phil and Ronelle

#7 - Sept. 20-21 - Salt to Saint - Starts at Utah's State Capitol and ends in St. George.  This race can be set up with relay teams of 8 or 4 or even just the brave solo rider.  Don't be intimidated by the distance, this is a great ride for cyclists of all abilities.  An eight man team averages 3 legs totaling about 50 miles a person.  We've done it the past two years and had more fun than you can imagine.

#8 - October 26 - Fall Tour de St. George - St. George, Utah - This is the Fall version of April's race.  The routes are changed and so is the scenery.  Nothing matches the temperatures and colors of Utah's Dixie in October.

Bar J Wranglers

The Bar J Wranglers - left to right:
Bryan Humphrey, Donnie Cook, Danny Rogers, Tim Hodgson, Scott Humphrey

For years our family has enjoyed the Christmas concerts at UVU.  

Our favorite has been the Bar J Wranglers.  

"Some folks call it a western music show; some call it a stand-up comedy show with masterful cowboy music; others call it the best musical experience in the west.  Call it what you want to - the fact remains - The Bar J Wranglers from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, deliver some of the purest harmony, best musicianship and funniest ranch humor ever seen on stage.  As soon as the Bar J Wranglers take to the stage, listeners leave behind their busy life and settle into a time long ago - a time of the singing cowboy."

Click here to watch a you tube video of the Bar J Wranglers.

Click here to go to the Bar J Wranglers website.

Click here for ticket information.

They're back!

Wednesday, December 12 at 7:30 p.m. at UVU's UCCU Center (formerly the McKay Events Center).  

General admission seating is only $10.  Bring your family and friends and enjoy a night of good music and fun comedy to help bring in the spirit of Christmas!

Merry Christmas from the RIU Crew!

What Difference A Year Makes

Our intrepid motorhome drivers - Jim and Eileen

Todd starts with the first leg

gets us right off in the lead

Manti Temple - Ronelle in foreground

RIU Team - Anna, Rick, Phil, Todd, John, Roy
(minus Audra-riding, Ronelle-taking pic)

For the most part in life, the second time you do anything it's easier.

This year's Salt to Saint relay bike ride was a perfect example.

We took 3.5 hours off of last years time.

There were many reasons why our time was so much faster.

1.  The weather:  Last year it was windy, cold and raining for about 15 hours of the race.  This year we couldn't have ask for better riding conditions. No rain, very little wind and awesome temps

2.  We know the course.  We could put each rider out when they could do their best.

3.  Better/Faster transitions.  With the better weather we had more teammates out to help trade the timing chip from one rider to the next.

Somewhere in Sevier County on the famous Hwy 89
Anna, John, Phil, Audra, Rick, Todd

Sooo happy to be here!

Another successful transition-

John, Todd, Roy

Audra - sort of sleeping

Not sure who this was - 

but loved the feet hanging out trying to sleep

Anna bringing on the sunrise in a spectacular way!

Todd- another great sunrise pic

The Salt to Saint bike relay is 430 miles from the State Capitol in Salt Lake City to St. George, the race is broken down into 24 legs.

You can have teams of 8, 4 or 2 so you can make it as hard or as easy as you want.

We are an 8 man team made up of 5 men and 3 women with biking abilities from the casual rider that gets out 3 maybe 4 times a year, to the one who enters multiple races a year with a goal of being in the top ten.

The legs average about 17 miles each, so that's only about 55 miles each for  an 8 person team. 

Because of the way this race is organized, it is possible for riders of all levels compete and have fun with their  friends.

Salt to Saint has a great website.  Check it out and start putting your team together for next September's ride!

See ya on the road!  

Fearless Phil getting ready to go out - again!

St. George, Utah

We survived AND beat our time by 3.5 hours!!!