The radiant light of the sunrise penetrated the shadow of the Salt Lake Valley, casting dynamic shadow and fire glow of red hues on the mountains. As morning cemented itself, the sun revealed the ceaseless cerulean blue sky, penetrated by the jagged, rugged pinnacles of the snow dappled Wasatch Mountains. My mom and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful spring weather with an excursion to the Great Salt Lake and Antelope Island State Park.
I have an interesting history with the Great Salt Lake. In 2004 when I drove through SLC on the way back from my summer sojourn in Yellowstone, the nineteen year old intrepid traveler in me made it a point to see the city's namesake lake. Coming from the east coast, in my opinion going to Salt Lake City without seeing the lake is like a visit to New York without seeing the Empire State Building. In this pre-age of ready access to GPS I relied on a crumpled road map and directions from locales. I was directed to the old Saltair Resort, which in its heyday (1890s-1940s) was the spot in Utah, hosting top acts like Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald as well as being a resort for bathers. It is now a ghost, a distant ethereal memory as the lake no longer reaches the shores of Saltair (water fluctuates in Salt Lake, among other factors led to the demise of the resort).
I pulled into the Saltair Parking lot and followed the signs (THIS WAY; ALL CARS DRIVE THIS WAY) I was skeptical as this was flat, albeit hard sand, but a truck and another car started driving through. Within moments I found myself stuck in the sand. The police ended up helping tow me (and another car) out and chaining up the area (they admitted the sign was pointed the wrong way and they too got stuck in their trucks) - it was a terrifying and an amusing experience. I never did see the lake, only the coarse sinking sand. I vowed that one day I would return to Salt Lake City and return to set my eyes on the water...
Today nearly 10 years later, I have returned. Antelope Island is located about twenty-five minutes north of Salt Lake City. We drove through numerous suburbs before the desert salt air opened up the landscape to an arid supernatural place. A sparkling crystal blue lake, an inland ocean, spans for miles meeting the distant horizon. At first glance it is hard to fathom that this lake is the second saltiest body of water in the world (second only to the Dead Sea). The only life that the lake sustains is the brine shrimp. The abundance of brine shrimp makes the Great Salt Lake a refuge for birds, with hundreds of thousands of birds resting and refueling in the desert waters.
The Great Salt Lake is the largest lake west of the MS (though Flathead Lake in Montana is the largest freshwater lake) - for centuries it has intrigued and mystified explorers from Jim Bridger (the first explorer to record the Salt Lake (non-Native American); some Spanish traces may have been in the area) The water was so salty that Jim Bridger at first believed he had reached the Pacific Ocean - only to realize it was a lake with no outlet...John Muir referred to it as: "one of the great views on the American Continent."
The Great Salt Lake at its current level is 75 miles long and 35 miles wide, this can vary widely depending on the snow pack/drought/rain patterns. Utah is in the midst of a bad drought and the ranger mentioned that the lake levels are low at this time.
Antelope Island is a refuge on 28,000 acres. The island is characterized by chiseled dry high-desert peaks, marsh land, sagebrush and grassland, all surrounded by the beauty of the vast blue of the Great Salt Lake, Wasatch Mountains and a wide open sky. Antelope Island is one of ten islands in the lake and the only one accessed via car (via bridge). It is the largest of the islands with a population of native pronghorn (the namesake antelope), bighorn sheep, mule deer, countless birds as well as a herd of 800 bison (not original to the island but native to Utah. The bison have adapted beautifully to the island desert landscape; they are managed by the state with an annual Buffalo Round-up a la Custer State Park in South Dakota.)
As we crossed the bridge to Antelope Island, the smell of thick salt air filled my senses. For a second I felt I was standing at the precipice of the ocean. The lake sparkled like diamonds in the sun, quiet and peaceful, as the rhythm of birds sang desert songs as they feed on the tiny brine shrimp. Life persists even in this American Dead Sea. Salt in itself is a conundrum...we need it to live, but too much can kill us. The element is a fusion of two of the most deadly elements...Salt.
We started our tour of the island at the visitor center. The helpful rangers filled us in on the history and geology of Antelope Island. It is amazing how much salt is in the lake. The ranger showed us a large cup that they filled up with Salt Lake water, the water evaporated within a week leaving 1/3 of the cup with pure salt! Though the water can only support brine shrimp - perfect for birds, the island has nutrient rich grasses perfect for wildlife.
The Great Salt Lake has no outlet, so tributary rivers are constantly bringing in small amounts, trace amounts that build up over time as the rivers flow into the lake. Once in the Great Salt Lake much of the water evaporates leaving the salt behind. GSL is the remnant of Lake Bonneville; a great ice age lake that rose dramatically from a small saline lake 30,000 years ago...ancient terraces etched into the landscape are reminders of the boundaries of the ancient lake (much larger than the current lake - imagine how great that lake was in size!)
We drove the eastern road from the Visitor Center along the Farmington Bay...this rocky grassland byway is straddled by 6,000 feet mountains, rocky and harsh landscape, the sort of place you can get lost exploring in wonder and curiosity. Wide Open grazing land is perfect for hooved animals, particularly bison...driving in we saw a lone bison soaking in the sun and eating grass. We also saw a large coyote running fast towards the shore. The Salt Lake haunts your senses as if you are in a faraway wilderness...it is a colorful contrast of natural tones, deep blues, vast sandy plain and the deep blue water reflecting the color of the sky.
We stopped briefly to tour the Fielding Garr Ranch, a historical area that used to be a working ranch and is still used by rangers and park staff as an educational tool and for bison roundup.
My mom and I got out of the car, lacing up our hiking boots and hit a lonely desolate dirt path to the south end of the island. This hike afforded us wonderful views of the surrounding terrain and the lake. I took dozens of pictures, each slight difference in angle stirring the adventurer's soul. This wilderness is dry and harsh, beautiful and resilient. Half way through the hike we spotted ten bison, some crunching their grassy lunch, others taking a nap. We later saw fifty bison, some running fast as the wind (Bison are largest N.A. land mammal at two tons, but can run 35+ mph)
Antelope Island has numerous trails, campgrounds, boating and recreation opportunities. It is desolate relaxation, a step outside the busy SLC freeways into the unvarnished wilderness. I highly recommend this rendezvous into the land of 'sea' and 'salt.'
Further reading/Interesting links about Great Salt Lake
http://geology.utah.gov/surveynotes/gladasked/gladgsl_islands.htm
http://www.utah.com/stateparks/great_salt_lake_facts.htm
http://stateparks.utah.gov/park/antelope-island-state-park
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