Day 14: Flaming Gorge & Smokey Bear!

As we drove the Flaming Gorge-Uintas National Scenic Byway, we passed through what is considered one of the richest areas for wildlife & their fossilized ancestors in the western U.S. It is also a very rigorous road to travel – 10 switchbacks & 8 degree slopes on narrow two-lane roads makes for labored & scary experiences!

We had to pause for a herd of Bighorn Sheep as we drove the roadway leading to the Red Canyon Visitors Center. Once inside the Visitors Center, we discovered Smokey the Bear was visiting! He was there to promote forest fire education. Kimi & Shaun were treated to a personal talk about the history of Smokey the Bear & how the message the US Forest Service has promoted has changed over the years, since 1944, when Smokey made his first appearance. The kids received gift bags full of Smokey related goodies.

After a picnic lunch overlooking the gorge, & possibly Wyoming, we spent a couple of hours hiking along the gorge ridge. We witnessed the damage a beetle invasion has inflicted upon the Ponderosa Pine trees. The beetle bores into the trees & lays its eggs,which clog up the “tunnels” that pull water up into the tree; the larvae chew their way out, leaving even more holes. Eventually the trees die.

We also saw the remnants of controlled burns – purposeful fires that help reduce dangerous tinder & that help the pine trees grow. Their pinecones need the extreme heat of fire to stimulate the seeds inside to start growing. This goes back to Smokey’s change of messages – no longer to prevent all forest fires, but to prevent wild fires.

After we finished hiking, we drove to Flaming Gorge Dam (first passing a herd of…cows – no sheep – on the way out from the Visitors Center). We arrived just in time to take a tour of the facilities, which demonstrated how the dam was built plus let us see how the huge power generators turn water power into electrical power. At the end of our tour, we discoved Smokey the Bear - for some reason, he was shorter than before ; ) He gave Kimi & Shaun autographed copies of his biography this time, plus posed for pictures.

On our way back to Vernal, we stopped at Stella’s Steak, Seafood & Smokehouse. This could have turned out badly – the place really didn’t look like much, & we were the only ones in the place – but the food was quite good & we left happy & full!