A visit to the Pinewoods Resort in the Cedar Mountain Valley

Tucked away just East of Duck Creek Village is the Pinewoods Resort a popular spot for recreation in all seasons. From snowmobiling in the winter with an average of 250 inches o snow each season to the many Off Road Trails for the ATV'ers to explore. Base camping from the Pinewoods Resort makes for the perfect spot to hit all the popular recreation spot East of Cedar City. The Cedar Mountain Village is uniquely situated in the center of the world famous scenic, historical and geological sites, it offers access to an awesome array of contrasting scenic areas and an incredible diversity of recreational activities.

The Pinewoods Resort has been here for over 30 years serving people from all walks of life and all places in the World. From the Lodge, the Mountain Home the Inn to an RV park, the Pinewoods Resort can accommodate and provide you with a first rate get away for your visit at the Resort, a Cabin or just parking in the RV Park. With many on-site activities from horseshoes, children's play area a volleyball court, common picnic area and fire pits, hot tub, game room or archery range you can relax and kick back for some good rest and quite peaceful recreation.

We received an invitation to come down and host the radio show from the Pinewoods Resort and had no idea what was in this area, but upon arrival we knew coming here was a good choice for a vacation spot. Bryan Romney, General Manager of the Resort and his staff have been nothing but accommodating every need and are more than willing to share all they love about living here full time with anyone willing to ask. Recommendations on what to do and where to go abounded at ever corner for us and we took advantage of just a few. There are so many special places to explore here a group could visit here many years in a row and still never see it all. We took a ride on Rhino's and ATV's to the scenic overlook for the Virgin River Valley to take in the view of Zions National Park and the Virgin Valley drainage in the morning and then came back to Duck Creek Village for pizza at the local coffee shop, then head out to Turkey Tracks for an afternoon ride. The views in the morning where spectacular and the wildlife we saw on our afternoon ride was a special treat as we blazed through the thick pines.

And for dinner, we experienced fine dining at the Pinewoods Restaurant which offers a warm ambiance inside the rustic country inn. Their specialty is Elk Tenderloins, which I must admit was a surprise I took full advantage of and loved every bite. But for those looking for a little more standard meal, they have it covered with a 5 page menu to choose from. And you better leave room for one of their awesome desserts too!

Our room in the Pinewoods Lodge was comfortable and cozy, offering a full kitchen, wireless internet, and all the comforts and conveniences of home for the recreational lover or business travelers. Business traveler's or corporate retreats can easily be handled with accommodations for 40 to 50 in the meeting room, with breakout rooms available in the Restaurant, Mountain Home or the Inn.

Getting to the Pinewoods Resort is approximately a 3 1/2 hour drive from Salt Lake City, just off Utah Highway 14, 31 miles East of Cedar City or 10 miles from U. S. Highway 89 at Long Valley Junction. Out of State guests can fly into Cedar City, St. George or Las Vegas Nevada via Skytwest-Delta connection.

To contact The Pinewoods Resort call toll free reservations at 1-800-848-2525 or 435 682-2512 or visit their newly redesigned web site for additional information @ www.pinewoodsresort.com.

Fenced In or Fenced Out at Anasazi State Park Museum

Boulder - Anasazi State Park Museum staff hosts Fenced In or Fenced Out? Between Fences March 23 - May 12. This is a Museum on Main Street exhibition organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, funded by the U.S. Congress, and brought to visitors by the Utah Humanities Council.

This thought-provoking exhibit displays the dominant features in our lives and our history. Thousands of types have been invented, millions of miles have been produced, and countless rivals have seized post, rail, panel, and wire to stake their claims. In 1871, the Department of Agriculture estimated the total value of fences in the United States at
1.7 billion, a sum almost equal to the national debt.

In addition to this traveling exhibition, Anasazi State Park Museum features an incredible collection of Ancestral Puebloan pottery and artifacts. For more information, please call (435) 335-7308.

RIVER RAFTING TO THE TUNE OF THE MOAB MUSIC FESTIVAL

FESTIVAL OFFERS RIVER RAFT TRIP WITH CONCERTS

Moab, Utah, March 1, 2007 --- Come, let the Colorado be your “Moon River.” In advance of its upcoming 15th Season (August 30 - September 15), the Moab Music Festival announces the details of its annual Musical River Raft Adventure, a “dream maker” if ever there was one. The June journey down the Colorado River features nightly concerts by six extraordinary musicians, fine food and wine, lively companionship, and even a naturalist to guide guests to petroglyphs and petrified wood. Join a select group for good company, spectacular nature and exquisite music.

“A totally unique experience!" says Leonard Bernstein’s daughter Jamie who has been a repeat guest on the trip. "You’re traveling down the Colorado River with this gorgeous scenery, guided hikes, and good company. And then in the evening, you are regaled with beautifully performed music followed by a splendid meal. What more could anyone want?”
Guests who just want a laid-back experience will have four days and three nights on a flat-water stretch of the Colorado River as it ambles through Canyonlands National Park. Those who are ready to run the largest rapids in America, the famous Cataract Canyon rapids, may opt for an extra day and night and a scenic flight back to Moab, taking off from the shores of Lake Powell. Tag-A-Long Expeditions of Moab provides all equipment and guides and the large J-rig boats that travel down the Colorado.

All patrons gather in Moab for dinner and a concert before they embark the next day for their immersion in music and nature through a wonderland of redrock canyons and cliffs. Along the way they will stop to explore beautiful side canyons, ancient Anasazi ruins and fascinating geological sites. One afternoon includes a “floating concert,” a wonderful program played while gently drifting through the shifting, red-rock panorama; another afternoon provides an opportunity to hike the “Loop Trail” amid ancestral Puebloan rock art.

The flat-water trip concludes at “the Confluence,” the point where the Colorado and Green Rivers meet, in the heart of Canyonlands National Park, where flat-water-only participants will say goodbye and return to Moab via high-speed jet boat, just in time for dinner. Those choosing to crank up the level of adventurousness will go on to run the major rapids of Cataract Canyon, spend an extra night on the River, and return to Moab on a scenic flight which will take them over the river and rapids they just experienced.

The astounding beauty of chamber music performed by some of America’s finest musicians makes the trip truly unforgettable. Six outstanding performers will offer concerts ranging from classical to folk music along the way. Sought-after soloist and chamber musician violinist, Tim Fain, returns to the musical river excursion, as does Metropolitan Opera Company cellist Jeremy Turner. Also joining the adventure will be celebrated guitarist Marc Teicholz. While these classically trained musicians will be offering works by the great masters, they will also join in with traditional musicians Paul Woodiel, three-time New England Fiddle Contest champion whom Leonard Bernstein described as “a first-class performer,” and the Moab Music Festival’s Artist-in-Residence, flute and bagpipe player Christopher Layer, one of the premier traditional musicians in the U.S. and principal pipe soloist and flutist for the Trinity Irish Dance Company.

Pulling together the program is violist and Moab Music Festival Artistic Director Leslie Tomkins. She promises exciting concerts in venues ranging from the grotto the New York Times has called “Nature’s Concert Hall” to hidden canyons and beaches. “The splendors of the Canyonlands landscape bring a new dimension to chamber music.” says Tomkins. “The repertoire was written for intimate spaces like homes, but it turns out that there may be no more intimate concert experience than a handful of people enjoying inspired performances in a private corner of the wilderness.”

The 2007 flat-water expedition takes place from June 17-20. The rapids add-on extends the trip by one day. The itinerary includes rafting, swimming, hiking, or if you prefer, just relaxing. And, every day, there is a wonderful concert. “It is an amazing opportunity for those who simply love beauty,” says Bernstein. “The land, the music, the river all come together in a wonderful relaxed environment of good people and fun.”

Places are still available for the four day/ three night benefit river. Proceeds support the Moab Music Festival’s 15th Season in September 2007. More information is available on the Festival’s website www.moabmusicfest.org or directly from the Moab Music Festival at (435) 259 –7003

Black Bear Applications Accepted Only On the Web This Year

Applications for Utah black bear hunting permits will be accepted only through the Internet this year.

You can apply for a permit at wildlife.utah.gov beginning Feb. 1.

Applications must be received through the Web site no later than 11 p.m. on Feb. 28 to be included in the draw for permits. Draw results will be available by March 29.

"In the past, black bear hunters could apply through the Internet, or with a paper application," says Judi Tutorow, wildlife licensing for the DWR. "Because so many people have access to the Internet now, and there are so many advantages to applying online, we won't be accepting paper applications for black bear permits this year."

Tutorow says when you apply online, you can submit your application in a matter of minutes. After you submit your application, you'll receive a confirmation that it was completed correctly and that it will be entered in the draw.

If you make a mistake while applying, the system will warn you about the mistake so you can correct it.

"The Internet provides so many advantages that it doesn't make sense to apply any other way," Tutorow says.

In 2006, more than 6,400 hunters applied for a Utah black bear permit. Of the more than 6,400 hunters, only 230 applied with a paper application. Every year, about 100 hunters who applied with a paper application the year before switch to the Internet and apply online. "Based on that trend, we believe there will be about 100 hunters who wanted to apply with a paper application this year," she says.

If you don't have a computer, Tutorow says there are plenty of places to find one. "If you don't have access to the Internet, come into a DWR office," she says. "You can use one of our computers, and we'd be happy to help you apply.

"Public libraries also have computers and librarians who can help you use them. And you probably know someone who has a computer in their home and would be happy to help you use it."

If you have questions, or need assistance, please call the DWR's Salt Lake City office at (801) 538-4700.

Get Permission First

Tutorow encourages hunters to obtain written permission from landowners before applying for a hunt that occurs on private land. "Written permission is required to hunt private property, and we encourage hunters to obtain that permission before applying," Tutorow says. "We don't want hunters to draw a permit and then find they can't use it because landowners won't give them permission to hunt the area."

The DWR doesn't have a list of people who own land where black bear hunts occur, so hunters need to take the time needed to locate the landowners.

Less than 25 percent of Utah's black bear hunts occur on private property. Hunts that do occur on private property are indicated by an asterisk in the 2007 Utah Black Bear Proclamation, which will be available by Feb. 1.

Utah's spring bear season runs April 7 - May 31. The state's fall hunt runs Aug. 25 - Sept. 30 and Nov. 1 - 25.

For more information, call Utah Wildlife Administrative Services at 1-800-221-0659, the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or the DWR's Salt Lake City office at (801) 538-4700.

Thirty Desert Bighorn Sheep Find a New Home

Bighorns released in southeastern Utah

Lake Powell -- Thirty desert bighorn sheep in Utah have a new home.

The Division of Wildlife Resources released the sheep in the Dirty Devil drainage north of Lake Powell on Jan. 18. The transplanted animals included 19 ewes, five lambs and six rams.

The DWR contracted with Pathfinder Helicopters to catch the elusive animals in locations in southern Utah that have numerous bighorn sheep. Entangling the sheep in nets, fired from a helicopter overhead, was the first step in capturing them. The sheep were then airlifted to trucks and trailers for a road trip to their release site.

Before being released, the sheep received health examinations, vaccinations and ear markers. Six of the sheep were also fitted with radio collars. The collars will allow biologists to monitor the sheep's movements, their survival and the eventual success of the release.

Of the six rams that were captured, one was 3½ years old, two were 2½ years old, and three were yearlings. Biologists prefer to transplant young rams because they're less likely to wander away from the release area. They also have a longer life expectancy than the older rams.

The bighorns released on Jan. 18 will supplement an existing bighorn sheep population on the west side of the Dirty Devil River.

The DWR released a small group of sheep in the area 10 years ago. This population has slowly increased in size, but there's still plenty of room for more sheep.

Biologists hope the recently transplanted population and the existing population will connect with each other. That connection would speed the growth of bighorn populations in the desert country of southeastern Utah.

Bringing Bighorns Back

Desert bighorn sheep are native to Utah. However, because of disease, by 1960 their populations had declined to very low levels.

Since that time, the DWR and conservation groups, including the Utah Chapter of the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep, have worked together to bring bighorn sheep back.

Through their efforts, desert bighorn sheep can now be seen throughout much of their former range in Utah.

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Contact: Brent Stettler, DWR Southeastern Region Conservation Outreach Manager (435) 636-0266 or (435) 636-0260

Department of Natural Resources Breaks Ground on Energy Efficient Building

What: Groundbreaking for the new Department of Natural Resources Price Regional Office Building

Who:
Speakers:
State Senator Mike Dmitrich
Carbon County Commission Chair Bill Krompel
DNR Executive Director Mike Styler
Others expected to be in attendance:
State Representative Brad King
Carbon County Commission
Price City Mayor Joe Piccolo
Scott P. Evans Architect and Associates
Ascent Construction
DFCM

When: 9:00 a.m.
Saturday, January 20, 2007

Where: 345 N. Carbonville Road, Price, Utah
(take exit 240 off Highway 6, turn west, first L at the Chevron station)

Why: Four Southeast Utah Region Divisions of the Utah Department of Natural Resources have been housed in numerous facilities around Carbon County. The new building will consolidate the offices into a central location, thereby reducing the overhead costs and providing the opportunity for better communication and coordination of activities and programs.

“This building will be energy efficient,” said DNR Executive Director Mike Styler. “Several deep wells will be drilled near the building and the water will circulate through pumps providing heating and cooling.”

The 12,000 square foot building will house the Divisions of Wildlife Resources, Water Rights, Forestry, Fire and State Lands, and Oil, Gas and Mining. Construction is expected to be complete by October 2007. Construction will cost an estimated $2.5 million.

Volcano and Lava Flows at Snow Canyon State Park

Ivins * Though its name indicates otherwise, there is no snow right now at Snow Canyon State Park. Venture to this southern Utah park Saturday, January 13 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and learn about volcanoes and the volcanic activity responsible for the lava flows in the park. Hike to the top of the Snow Canyon cinder cone during this 1.5-mile round-trip hike. Space is limited and registration is required.