A ReTurN to UtaH! The BomB!
December 2025 marks a return to Utah after many trips to Salt Lake, Park City, Moab and St George spanning 32 years.
Most recently, and heck it's been 12 years ago - 2013- I attended the Sundance film festival in Park City with the VIP guidance of Dallas' Micheal Cain. Of course, it was and still is a bougie hollywoodie fest but one event stood out. One night we had passes to a special large tent party probably holding a few hundred people downtown with a secret musical guest. As we entered the tent, the wafting of pot smoke was evident and intensified as the stage was about to be taken by the surprise performer. And then - Boom! - there he was - the notorious Snoop Dogg! The convicted felon who served time for his exploits then has become overexposed promoting everything from Corona beer, Gucci, Addidas, Samsung and Gatorade and even appearing in the Olympics. What a ride. Before the show was over, I must say I was quite stoned even though I didn't partake, as the tent became one giant bong chamber providing contact buzz for all the attendees - I even remember going out for air. Admittedly there is Snoop fatigue nowadays but that was quite an experience back then.
Dallas, Texas folks who became unwelcome in Colorado found the snow in Utah the best in the country and began flocking there in hoards turning Park City into another Aspen. Skiing Snowbird and Deer Valley including hanging out at the posh St Regis and bombing around the downtown is pretty intoxicating in itself but of course is now ungodly expensive but worth it for a quick visit. Also, xc skiing in the Olympic park put together for the 2002 Olympics is a must do if you're a winter sports guy like this Bendie. Oh and otw if you are in Salt Lake a visit to Temple Square is a must whether you are LDS or not, stunning sight and explains a big part of Utah's culture and history.
But all of that pales in comparison to the annual trips I planned with my great friends on multiple Jeep trips starting in the early 90's where sometimes we never saw another soul for days. It was the red rocks land of one of my idols - Edward Abbey's Moab - The Arches and Canyonlands. Back then everything was coordinated by telephone calls and faxing itineraries with no cell phones, Internet, GPS or digital cameras born witness to the photos you see here from my old Olympus OM-1 printed in old photo albums that are stained and falling apart. The main drag of Moab consisted of a few restaurants and a half dozen shady no-tell motels. And it’s now, with all the worlds hotel chains locked in there, has become known as the Ft Lauderdale of the west with huge crowds in the spring and summer. In my opinion it's to be avoided accepting the winter months a season there when I havent been. It will be shocking to see the changes of over 30 years.
Gotta share this whopper of a story!
On one summer trip deep into The Maze portion of Canyonlands your amigos stunned some rafters and their guides on the Colorado River who were on multiday rafts trips headed to the Grand Canyon. With the river in sight at one point on the 4-day trip and it scorching hot out, we decided to descend the 2,000 ft drop from steep sheer cliffs with the reward of getting in the river to cool off and in fact bathe as we were a stinking mess. We frolicked in the water and dreaded the climb out for sure. As a group of rafters came into view, they steered towards us not believing their eyes.
"Are you guys Ok?" and "Where in the hell to did you guys come from?"
We visited a bit with that and explained it all and one guide, a senior guy quipped
"Ive been bringing rafts down here for 20 years and never seen a soul here. If you cant get out we can probably get you on these rafts - you'll be on for another week or so."
"Nah we have jeeps up there and of course we just Can't Wait to Climb out to the Top in this blazing heat!" Yeah, Right!? .....and so it was.
With much anticipation, with our 2025 rendition of Moab we will indulge in the writings of Abbey, who practically invented the vibe there and perhaps see the red rocks with a dusting of snow (but not Too Much!) and with no crowds. Can hardly wait! If you haven't done it, do it in the off season when it's quiet and serene and enjoy.
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