What’s up everybody?
Here in Utah on the 24th of July we celebrate Pioneer Day. What is Pioneer Day?, you ask. Well its the day that the Mormon Pioneers first stepped into the Salt Lake Valley after being driven from their homes in Nauvoo, Illinois in 1847. For us Utahns it kind of a big deal. Its a state holiday and for the most part the majority of the people get it off. In essence its another 4th of July and we celebrate it much in the same way. Fireworks, parades, and barbecues are all on the menu. You know, typical family fun.
Around this time our family gathers around for a Family Reunion. Every year we choice a different place to go and the same thing always seems to happen. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family but they have a hard time making decisions. Honestly it like herding cats. I don’t know if you have ever tried to herd cats. Don’t! Its nearly impossible. Picking the location is not the problem but trying to plan out activities and meals is another story altogether. It might be crazy but in the end we eventually figure it all out.
For this years trip we decided on Bear Lake and I was less than thrilled about it. I know that I mention this in every post that I do about large bodies of water. I’m not a water person. Never have been but I’m really trying hard to be one. Well, maybe not that hard. At least I’m trying. I am not going to lie, when I initially heard that we were going to the lake the first thing that I did was to try to research somewhere else to go while everyone else went to the lake. Ultimately though, I knew that it was something that everyone wanted to do and that I would have to suck it up and be an adult about it
Here is a little background info for you. Bear Lake is a freshwater lake that sits on the border of Utah and Idaho. This 109 square mile lake is almost equally split in half by the two states. The lake is know for its unusual turquoise-blue water, much like the waters found in the Caribbean. This coloration is due to the refraction of the calcium carbonate or limestone that is found in the water. Because of the lakes composition many unique species of fish have evolved and can only be found here. Unfortunately some of the species that once thrived in the lake have gone extinct.
Many Native American Tribes knew of the Bear Lake Valley but it was mainly inhabited by the Shoshone. It wasn’t until 1818 when French-Canadian trappers, working for the North West Company, entered the valley to become the first non-Native people to lay eyes on the lake. The southern end of the lake became home to several Mountain Men Rendezvous.
Now a days the lake is surrounded on the south and west sides by small communities. One of the most notable is Garden City. Recreation is the big draw to the area. Obviously, the lake is at the center with boating, sailing, swimming, laying on the sandy beaches, and plenty of other water activities. If the lake is not your thing there is plenty of other things for you to do. A hundred of miles of ATV trails will take you deep into the surrounding mountains of Utah and Idaho. You can also travel into the mountain if you so desire. There are several smaller cave system that are ripe for exploring. We took the opportunity to visit Minnetonka Cave. I’m going to get into that just yet. Thats an adventure for another time.
We had reserved a group camp sit in the North Fork Campground. The campground is located a few miles up St. Charles Canyon from the small town of, you guessed it, St. Charles, Idaho. North Fork isn’t the largest campground around. It is made up of several smaller sites and the group site which will accommodate up to 50 guests. Each site does have camp tables and a builtin fire pit. There is only one pit toilet for the campground to share. Which isn’t too bad I guess, at least you get one and don’t have to poop in the woods. The campground itself is surrounded by large trees and St. Charles Creek passes through it. It also gives you access to North Fork Trail, which is a 55 mile path that takes you up the backbone of Wasatch Mountains. There are plenty of option as the trail is open to motorcycle, bikes, horses and good old human legs. We didn’t have the time to checkout the trail and quite frankly, I don’t think I would have been able walk it. Not that I would try to walk the full 55 miles without being better prepared for it. Another time maybe. There is only one complaint that I had. The dirt is very fine and had a tendency to get everywhere but even that wasn’t that big of a deal.
Here is my tip for you. If you are planning on going to the lake go early to find a good spot. There are several areas you can stop at but they are first come first serve and they fill up fast. Unless you have a spot at one of the marinas that are around. I’m not really familiar with them so I can’t tell you a lot about them. I guess I’ll have to look into it one day.
We left camp about 9:00 am and found a nice spot that would accommodate our whole group. We had rented some kayaks and we brought some inflatables to take out with us. The majority of us mainly sat in our inner tubes and let the waves take us wherever they wished us to go. Which was mainly back to shore. Others paddled their way around the lake in the kayaks and other boats. For me I hung out in the shallows and played with Odin. Odin really loves to play in the water. We can’t even water the yard without him attacking the hose or sprinklers. He doesn’t like to take baths though. Goofy pup. We enjoyed the quality time together regardless.
We spent the majority of the day playing in the lake but everything fun eventually has to come to an end. We did have one more stop to make before we went back to camp. I forgot to mention this earlier, Bear Lake is also famous for their raspberries. They even have Raspberry Days during the first week of August. You can not to go Bear Lake without having one of their famous raspberry shakes. There are several place that you can get them but I would suggest going to Quick ’N’ Tasty. I have been here a few times and have yet to be disappointed.
I may not be a water person but it is starting to grow on me. I really enjoyed spending some time at Bear Lake. Getting away from the city and not have to worry about my other responsibilities was nice to do. I will have to admit that I have been thinking about purchasing some kayaks for ourselves. We’ll see if that happens. I could change my mind again and remain a land animal. Its fun how your attitude can change over time.
Well thats all I have for you this time.
Until next time. Thanks for stopping by.
Josh
