This is a friends video of a snowmobile caused avalanche.  It might have looked small but make no mistake while it may look small this is extremely dangerous and could have easily killed someone.

Utah is a great destination for ATVing and snowmobiling. If you are looking to have a great adventure with snowmobiles in Utah’s gorgeous back country, you should give Adam a call at Uinta Recreation.  801-613-0288

UINTA RECREATION IS UTAH’S PREMIUM OUTDOOR RECREATION OUTFITTER!

Offering Utah premium ATV Rentals, snowmobile rentals, and guided tours along with world class fly fishing and guided horseback rides. Serving many Utah locations including Park City, Heber City, Midway, Salt Lake City, Provo and even southern Utah locations of Cedar City and Duck Creek Village.

Full Disclosure: I wasn’t paid and received no benefit to promote Uinta Recreation. I know the owner and I know that he is a great guy who loves to show people the Utah outdoors. He is extremely seasoned in the Utah back country and is highly trained.

About a year ago I began another blog.  MyAtvBlog.com.  The design is being completely redone so right now its very simple. I recently updated it if you would like to check it out.  It chronicles life with an atv. Here are some photos from my ride on Tuesday. See more here.

I think a lot of my readers thought I was bragging about how great my guitar teach was in my post about How to Find a Guitar Teacher. Well its all true… Jon Dansie’s Starchild Music Productions was nominated for Utah’s Best of State Award.

“This is a big #$%^ing deal.” Vice President Joe Biden.

Starchild Music Productions has been nominated for Best of State in the Arts in Education category! We are very pleased and grateful for this nomination. THANKS to everyone for coming to the Studios and sharing your love of music, not only with us but, with your friends and families as well. We have grown a lot this first year in our current studios. We couldn’t have done it without YOU!

The nomination for Best of State is something we take very seriously. We know that if you were not happy with our services this nomination could not have happened.

We pledge to continue doing everything we can to meet your needs and exceed expectations as a full service teaching studio, gear shop, and repair facility.

Jon, Brandon and Floyd  - Starchild Music Productions

When I was at Sundance, we won a Best In State Award. It is the gold standard of Utah’ Business. Jon, Brandon and Floyd should be extremely proud. I know they have worked tremendously hard. These guys do what they do because they love it not because it makes money. I envy anyone who can do what they love and make it successful. Great Job Guys!!!

And one more thing…

Jon and Co do more charity work than any business I know.  Here is one of their latest giving projects. Starchild Donates Guitar for Hugs For Life

My buddy Floyd Kunz has decided to bust out on his own and start his own guitars, guitar gear and luthier service. Its called Artisan Guitar Works.

I was at Floyd’s shop and found that he  is currently selling a really cool wall mount guitar hanger from Grip Studios.

Our hangers are built from the finest materials. They’re strong and durable and will support many times the weight of any guitar or bass. You can rest assured your axe is in good “hands”. Our hangers are machined and balanced so your instrument fits securely. The grip is equipped with a rubber  cushion so the neck and headstock of your guitar or bass is well protected. Won’t harm nitrocellulose finishes.

We at Grip Studios believe strongly in our products and most importantly in the satisfaction of our customers. Bottom line…we stand behind our work. Each piece comes with our 30 day Money Back Guarantee and a Life-time Warranty against defects in craftsmanship.* Grip Studios Website

Buy these at Artisan Guitar Works.

A little bit about Floyd

Music has always been an integral part of Floyd’s life, starting with the 45 and 78 rpm records he found at his Grandmother’s home in Arizona. His parents gave him his first guitar when he was 12 years old and he’s pretty much had one in his hands since then, whether playing, building or repairing them. He does it all. Floyd plays bass in The Jon Dansie Band. Floyd has worked at many different guitar stores from Guitar Center to mom & pop shops. About 8 months ago Floyd decided to bust out on his own. Stop by and visit Floyd at Artisan Guitar Works in 650 E. Union Square Suite B. Sandy, UT..

Fish Lake national Forest

I love the outdoors. I love living in Utah where we have millions of acres that can be used for recreation. I spent 4 days last week in one of our National Forests enjoying the wilds with my family that includes a pregnant wife, a young child (age 3) and a foster son with disabilities.  I mention this because if this land was designated wilderness we would not have been able to enjoy it.

Last night I read about a new bill making its way through Congress that looks to limit 24 million acres of land in many of my bordering states. These are areas I have access to use but they are under attack. I write this post to stick up for their rights.

I hate it when some idiot from New York who has never been to my state, and is not elected by me, but has the balls to tell me and my state how we will be forced to handle public  lands in my area.  This is exactly what is happening to neighboring states with House Bill H. R. 980 also known as the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection ACT (NREPA).  Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) is trying to designate 24 million acres of National Forest land in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming as Wilderness and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System.

Why is this bad? The name of the bill sounds sappy nice.  Who doesn’t want to preserve the wilds? The problem is Maloney wants to make the land completely unusable.  Turning it into NWPS land makes the land completely useless. The land is already protected because it is National Forest. It is managed by the US Forest Service whose mission is “to provide the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people in the long run.”

It’s about use people.  National Forest land is useable to all people. It can be used by hikers, campers, atvs, jeeps, mountain bikers and many other kinds of outdoor recreation.  Different businesses can be permitted to use Forest Service Land. It is not an open free for all of raping the forest. Businesses must get permits and permission to use the land. Everything requires an environmental study to see the impact.

There is an economic cost to closing land.  Utah schools are heavily funded by logging and mining on Federal lands. When the ability to mine or log is limited the ability to fund Utah government disappears. It leaves a large economic gap.  It also limits recreation and tourism dollars by strongly restricting outdoor activity thus lowering sales tax and related business associated with  recreation.

What good is a wilderness if there are no jobs to fund trips into the vast expanse of our world? Extreme limiting of our natural resources is a recipe for disaster. Just take a look at how poor countries with no natural resources are. It is impossible to be an economic powerhouse without natural resources. Just look at North Korea. I am not endorsing a systematic rape of all timber and minerals of America but we do need to use them and use them prudently. Wilderness designation locks them away forever.

Closing this land by making it “wilderness” limits what can be done with the land. It limits economic uses as well as use by the public. It limits access.  It limits land managers ability to manage the land to the best of their ability.

On federal lands in the United States, Congress may designate an area as wilderness under the provisions of the Wilderness Act of 1964. Wilderness areas are subject to specific management restrictions. Human activities are restricted to non-motorized recreation (such as backpacking, hunting, fishing, horseback riding, etc.), scientific research, and other non-invasive activities. In general, the law prohibits logging, mining, roads, mechanized vehicles (including bicycles), and other forms of development. -National Wilderness Preservation System.

Zach has disabilities that make hiking extremely difficult

Wilderness designation removes all mechanical travel including biking. The system limits access to the handicap, the elderly and others with mobility problems. It limits the use of chainsaws to clear existing trails; it limits the use of helicopters in the maintenance of land, people rescues and other necessary jobs including the logging of damaged, diseased and dying forests.

Wilderness designation also limits logging which despite what a lot of environmentalists think is often beneficial to the forest. Look at the damage of the bark beetle.  Even famous enviromental activist Robert Redford has allowed logging on his Sundance Resort. Redford understood that the health of the forest sometimes neccesitates man’s help when fires and other natural forest elements are limited by man. The forest in its natural state fixes its self but with the absensce of fire the forest needs the help of man. Logging can and must be done responsibly. We are a long way away from the irresponsibility of strip logging.

The problem with designating additional Wilderness Areas is that any type of active management, such as timber thinning or prescribed burning, is restricted on those parts of the forest. However, trained wildlife biologists know that active management is the key to forest diversity.

Many people believe that wilderness protects the forest and its wildlife species from man. Science simply does not corroborate that belief, in fact the studies above and many more prove that active forest management, including prescribed fire, reduces the build-up of fuel levels within the forest and protects against catastrophic wildfires and protects biodiversity. Further, wilderness designations severely limit what can be done to mediate the damages after a catastrophic event such as a wildfire or storm.

National Wild Turkey Federation Senior Wildlife Biologist Dowd Bruton of Traphill, N.C Testimony before members of the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee

There are too many people that think that wilderness designation is the best way to protect the forest from man. It is not. All it does is limit the management’s ability to manage federal lands and fails to make a better healthier wilderness.

Because of this I am asking everyone to send a message.  I have included my letter below.

The Honorable Nick J. Rahall II

Chairman Committee On Natural Resources

1324 Longworth House Office Building

Washington DC -20515-0001

Dear Chairman Nick J Rahall II (D-WV),

As a concerned and responsible motorized outdoor recreationist, I am writing to ask that you oppose H.R. 980, the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (NREPA), introduced by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY).  The bill will designate 24 million acres in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming as Wilderness and components of the national Wilderness Preservation System.

H.R 980 would close all the trails to responsible motorized access in these areas. Our public lands are for the enjoyment of all Americans and not just an elite few. Enthusiasts include families with small children who recreate together, active senior citizens and the handicapped who enjoy the freedom to access the outdoors that off-highway vehicles provide. We cannot afford to close any more trails to responsible motorized recreation without providing an alternative riding opportunities. Therefore I am asking you to please oppose H.R. 980.

Sincerely

Eran Bair

This is a republish of a post by Del Albright of the BlueRibbon Coalition about public lands being closed by outdoor enthusiasts who fail to act.

Del is a full time land use and access advocate, working to save trails and riding areas for responsible motorized recreation. Retired CDF firefighter; long time ago soldier and veteran; and outdoor recreation enthusiast. He has done a tremendous amount of work for keeping the Rubicon Trail in Kalifornia open fighting all the eco-nazi nut jobs.

Utah is under attack by groups who would remove all access to public lands. A large majority of these groups DO NOT live in Utah but fight against our ability to enjoy public lands in a jeep, on an atv, on a horse and even on a bike.

View from the Locked Gate
A bit of sarcasm about an access lesson

By Del & Stacie Albright, BlueRibbon Coalition

The gal in uniform with the big gun on her hip smiled and waved as she installed the recessed pad lock on the gate. I guess she thought we were happy about the road being closed. Her rugged 4×4 government-bought pickup truck that was kinda parked in our view had all sorts of signs and decals declaring she was a public servant. We figured it must be true.

She had sent us an official-looking letter a while back asking for comments, but the fish were a’bitin’ so we missed out on the letter-writin’. We figured someone else would write those darn letters. We figured wrong on all accounts.

It was a heck of a view we had – trees, rocks, trails, roads, wildlife, mountains, creeks, and vast open areas beckoning to the adventurer in all of us. It’s easy to recall my Dad, Elmer, telling stories of roaming this kind of back country area 40 years ago with the freedom of a jack rabbit in the Mojave Desert. He always told us to get outdoors and have fun while taking care of the land. He figured we would all have the same freedom. He figured wrong.

The ability, and most importantly the opportunity that my dad had to take his kids out and teach us how to fish, hunt, hike, play and breathe in the fresh air is all but gone now. My mind wanders off and I think of what can happen if we continue down this dangerous path of management by closure.
Soon it will be just a happy memory of our nine year old when she was able to see nature, hike, take pictures and jump in and out of our 4 wheel drive while we were on the hunt for a new camp spot. Soon she will not have the opportunity to teach them the same lessons and family traditions that came naturally and innocently in her youth to her tots.

Our view now is tainted, to say the least. Padlocks, iron pipe, closed signs, reinforced hinges, and small-print letting us know under no uncertain circumstances that the land beyond the gate is CLOSED to access – unless of course you want to haul your buns in there via boot rubber.

Now, as I stand here watching that same gal in uniform jump back into her four wheel drive (that I paid for) and drive on down my old favorite trail I get a lump in my throat and I get a little teary eyed just thinking about the view our kids are going to have from this same locked gate that’s in my backyard. I don’t think I’m figuring wrong anymore.

Back to the future: in reality, there are things we can all do to prevent this (sarcastic) scenario from happening. You’ve read tons of articles on getting involved, joining groups like BlueRibbon Coalition, and ensuring your family and friends have a place to ride. Just do it. Visit www.delalbright.com and www.sharetrails.org for more things you can do right now. Make a difference and help prevent closures from blocking our “view” any more. Join up, donate and get in the game. Please, before we have nothing left to figure on…

Ok I know some of you out there think I have become a tinfoil hat wearing, government despising, end-of-the-worlder freak known also as a gun owner. I promise I don’t have a tinfoil hat, I am not building a bunker, I am not planning the overthrow of the government or anything like that. But I have decided to take a gun class to learn more about how to use my gun to protect my family and myself.

For those of you not in the know… I own a Glock 23.  (nerd link) Its a compact automatic handgun in 40 Caliber S & W.

My Story of Why I got a Concealed Carry Permit and Why I bought a Glock 23.

Anyway my friend JoeB of Alpine Geographic tipped my coworkers and I to a good opportunity to attend a class taught by a worldclass instructor.  The class is this Saturday, my birthday by the way, and is entitled Glock Gun Fighting 101.  The class will be taught at Swanson Tactical in Ogden

The class information.

Requirements:
Attendee must have a current Utah Concealed Firearm Permit (CFP) or an out-of-state permit that is recognized by the State of Utah. Glock pistols only.

Class Description:
An 8-hour day of combat-related drills, live-fire exercises (LFXs) and situational training exercises (STXs), built around the use of the Glock pistol for personal protection and focusing on the unique aspects of its design.

Completion of this program also makes the attendee eligible for future firearms training opportunities, if so desired.

Instructor:
The primary instructor is Randy Watt, Assistant Chief of Police in Ogden, Lieutenant Colonel and Commander of the 1st Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Gunsite Academy instructor and internationally respected special operations trainer. He is supported by several assistants who have extensive training and experience in firearms use and dangerous encounters. Instructor bios are available upon request.

I think the class is going to be very helpful and if nothing else should be entertaining being with my coworkers. I will post a report of the class.

It turns out that Randy Watt is a war hero and a great American. He is a special forces bad-ass and he is an expert marksman as well as  being awarded three four bronze stars (one with Valor device), a Meritorious Service Medal and a Combat Infantryman Badge.

Update: Randy earned his fourth bronze star a few days ago.  He will be back training the public very soon.  Its rumored to be Mayish.  I had a blast in his class.  Randy is an firearms expert and one hell of a good trainer. I hope that many other get to train under him.   We got to shoot a couple hundred rounds in a gorgeous shoot house.

The biggest reason I live in Utah is the outdoors.  The skiing is incredible. I have skied from CA to Vermont and no snow is as good as Utah’s. That said my biggest love is Jeeping and ATV’s (My ATV Adventure Here).  When the snow melts in the spring and the mountains open up I am in heaven on my bike or in my jeep. With the snow pack still measured at 100 inches plus in my favorite backwoods spots, early spring leaves the west deseret a great place to go and get out.  Today was just such a day. Enjoy the photos.

Sundance Resort is offering full-day ski passes to all facebook fans for only $12!! This incredilble deal is good TOMORROW ONLY, that’s THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18TH ONLY.

To receive the discount, you must prove that you are one of our fans. Simply go to your facebook profile, click on INFO and print out that page (your INFO page should show that you are a fan of our page). Present this page to the Sundance Ticket Office to purchase your full-day ski pass for only $12!

If you already have a season pass, get your friends to become fans so they can ski with you for only $12! Just remember to have them print out the INFO page.

Please be prepared to show photo ID when redeeming this offer. See you tomorrow for some powdery, fun, $12 skiing and snowboarding!!

Visit the Sundance Facebook Page!!!

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost 1874–1963 The Road Not Taken from Mountain Interval. 1920.

Sometimes I get to escape on my atv into the mountains of Utah… Today was one of those days.  There is something very special about being out in nature alone. Listening to the wind, looking at the lay of the landscape and feeling drops of rain upon your face.