[Rockhounds] field trip to Silver Island Mountains, UT, Part 2

[Ted]

Don:
Great story and it sure sounds like a bold yet fun collecting trip. Thank
you for sharing!

Ted Kowalski
Fredericksburg, VA USA

-----Original Message-----
From: rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com
[mailto:rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com] On Behalf Of DonH
Sent: Saturday, July 04, 2009 6:45 PM
To: rockhounds at lists.drizzle.com; rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com
Subject: [Rockhounds] field trip to Silver Island Mountains, UT, Part 2


Unlike what you might think from the description, the salt flats are 
right north of Route 80 on the Nevada border.  Visitors can take a 
2-lane asphalt road out a little way on to the site.

The observation road takes you safely through the unstable brown mud 
flats and into the stable white salt flats. About a mile or two out 
there is an interpretive sign and a cul-de-sac where you can park. 
There is also a ramp upon which you can drive down on to the salt. 
Another misconception some might have is that the flats are bone-dry and 
mirror-smooth.  Actually, it had just rained and there were puddles, and 
the surface is somewhat rough and ridged.  There was much consternation 
among the visitors, and my companions, about whether I should venture 
out on to the flats.  After having read all the cautions on the website, 
I felt confident I could navigate the center of the site and avoid 
shorting out my electrical system or falling through the thin crust near 
the edges.  There were two British gentleman standing there, totally 
awestruck and somewhat dumbfounded by the sight.  They had binoculars, 
and I agreed to keep the observation deck in sight and they would watch me.

I said, "I'm going in," and crawled along at 10 MPH until I was a mile 
or so out.  Then I took the photos and some videos.  On the way back, I 
realized, "I am at Bonneville, where land speed records are set."  So I 
gunned it and turned on my high beams, heading back to the deck with 
flavor.  As I approached, new visitors who had come out to the deck were 
standing in the salt, taking pictures and fooling around, but began to 
stop and stare as the black beast thundered toward the area.  I had 
intended to take the ramp, get airborne and land on the deck, making a 
360 turning stop while doing a country holler.  Then I realized two 
things: my car and I had already used 8 lives in Idaho, and I was not 
about to risk the 9th; and the big puddles were right in front of the 
ramp (the BLM advisory tells you to never speed through the saturated 
saltwater puddles, for obvious reasons).  So I slowed down and did a 
victory lap when I got up the ramp.  Before I could park, two other 
cars, whose drivers had obviously been sitting there wondering if they 
should try driving the flats, and apparently inspired by my success, 
roared down the ramp and across the salt at all due speed.  The father 
of the family that was standing out on the flats came running over and 
asked if I was the driver of the "black rig" and what was it like out 
there, should he take his family in the truck, etc.  I said, "should I 
just go with you?"  I said goodbye to Kay and Blaine and they went back 
to their campsite with the other collectors.  The family followed me out 
as I went a second time.  I took a few more pictures.  They were 
thrilled, and I showed them on my GPS-enabled laptop exactly where we 
were, and gave them extra copies of my printouts from the BLM Bonneville 
web site, and left them to enjoy the unique natural wonder.

I collected some salt from the edge of the site, and while the material 
contains complex hoppered crystals, they are small.  They are also 
ephemeral, and I will take some nice photos of the specimens and let 
nature take its course.

On my way home on Route 80, I was passed by a vehicle that was honking 
and had people leaning out of it waving.  It was the family in the 
truck.  I guess they had a good time.

When I got back to West Jordan, I went straight to the Tesoro station 
and got two carwashes.  The clerk just stared at me and said "Um, what 
do you want again?"  I said yes, TWO car washes.  Yes indeed.


http://mysite.verizon.net/res12qvqt/flats3.jpg

http://mysite.verizon.net/res12qvqt/flats4.jpg

http://mysite.verizon.net/res12qvqt/flats5.jpg

http://mysite.verizon.net/res12qvqt/flats6.jpg


Don



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