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Show The Salt Lake Cribune MOVIES * COMICS « TV TUESDAY, MARCH 26, bre ak OUTDOORS & RECREATION Utah Wilderness Association Made a Difference Easy-to-Hike Mountain Offers Colorful History In the spring of 1979, a small group of dedicated environmentalists gathered to organize the By Paula Huff and Tom Wharton THE Utah Wilderness Association. SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Not long afterward, staged a memorable fund-raiser at the University of Utah to give the fledgling organizationa boost Oneof the wilderness group's founders, Dick Carter, had left The Wilderness Society in frus- the archaeologist andtrails coordinator for the Fishake National Forest. “I took the chainsaw andleft the horse. When I walked back to get something off the horse. it was gone, Therewere big cougartracks where the horse had been Leonard found the spooked horse unharmed down tration. Carter had been askedto travel to Washingtonto lobbyfor Alaska wilderness andparks. Car- the canyon Brian Headresident Bill Murphy, who has spent much of the past 15 years skiing and hiking peaks throughout southern Utah, has seen Delano under many conditions during different seasons. He calls the hike one of southern Utah’s best and most scenic adventures. The peak ns the highest in Piute and Beaver ‘ad De On Top Of counties, straddlesthe line between the two counties. Murphy tells the storyof sharing the windswept peak with a cougar and watching 40 mountain goats forage among the iundralike grasses above timber- line. Elk and muledeerfrequent the ter wantedtostay in Utah to work on U.S. TomWhartonThe Salt Lake Tribune Whennearing the Delano Peak summit, skiers take off their skis and hike along the ridge line. Though smaller than national organizations like the Sierra Club and The Wilderness Society and teaus and even distant Mount Neboon the southern the fast-growing Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, Carter's organization always took a decided- edge of the Wasatch Front are visible on a clear winter area Though not officially designated as wilderness, few places in Utah of- fer the solitude of a mid-March ski (oman tourto the peak’s summit, the high. ——=——=—=——— est point within 110 miles in any direction. And, according to M. Riddle, author ofthe Fishlake National Forest Backcountry Guidefor Hiking and Horseback Riding, Delano might be the easiest peak over 12,000 July 4th, 1994." wrote one hiker. “We witnessed a beautiful sunset that was beyond the human eye I hiked this for two risons [sic], visitor. ly independent stand on a variety of issues When the1984 Utah forest ser- wrote another vice wilderness bill appeared to “One to prove I could and two todo it to re- memberthebeautyof my girlfriend The summit is bald and rocky, offering views into what appearto be the remainsofthe volcanoes which bein trouble, for example, Carter broke ranks with the national groups on Box-Death Hollow formedthe Tushars millions of years ago. Though high winds and sun can make the snow crusty, open bowls with fewtrees appeal to telemark skiers. whenhe sensed controversy over aminethreatenedtokill thebill Manynever forgave him, but the result was the passage of Utah's most important wilderness Becky Hylland, information specialist for the Utah Geologic Survey, said Delano Peak is located on the northern edgeof theBig John Caldera. Forest Service wilder- ness. day \ Delano Peak 2169 fi authors Edward Abbey and Barry Lopez DELANO PEAK — Bob Leonardwill never forget the day he workedon a trail near the summit of 12,169foot Delano Peak in the Tushar Mountains. I had packedin a chainsawwith a horse,” recalled Dark, reddish- bill. brown rocks on the north of the summit consist of a BLM Wilderness: Much the welded tuft. The grayrock on the southwesternhalf of feet to hike in the West the peak is rhyodacite, a younger memberofthe Bul- Murphysaid skiers can normallyenjoya trip to the summit from late November until early June each lion Canyon volcanicformation. There are some visible lodgeat the Elk Meadows ski area whichis guardedby 11,985-foot Mount Holly. When the resort is open, nor- years ago, but the work of glaciers, wind anderosions resulted in its sharp, pointed appearance. Leonard saidthat, as far y drewfrom the Project 2000 pro- Peak, a distance of about 3.5 miles from the parking the west lured American Indians to the ar their points were made, they turnedto the Tushar: area. And Carter's group — sensing a stalemate — broke away from the food year. Most start fromthe parkinglot of the upper day dic skiers can purchase a single ride on thetriple chair andthenstart skiing along the west side of Mt. Hollyto aridge. Theythen followtheridgetothe topof Delano Dueto the high winds onthe top, expectto take off your skis and walk thefinal few hundred yardsto the rocky peak. A mailbox marks the summit. More than one skier and hiker has been inspired to pen a short verse or story while on the summit, where views of same thing happened in the cur- rent Utah Bureau of Land Man- crystals in somepiecesof rhyodacite. Delano Peak was created by ash fromavolcanic explosion 24 million agement wilderness debate. While the national groups withcess seeking consensus, the Utah Wilderness Association stuck with it. outcroppingsof obsidianin the Mineral Mount, Utah Wilderness Coalition's 5.7million acre proposal and offered ‘The Tushars were a supermarket for these people,” he said. “There wereelk, mountainsheep, small game. all kinds of plants, berries, grass seed andother deposits of rocks they liked to makearrowheads out of. its own plan to protect about 3 million acres. Murphysaid the mining historyof the Tushars rivals Wheeler Peak in Nevada, Brian Head Peak. the Pine Valley Mountains, the Wasatch and Markagunt Pla- That plan still seems like the best compromise, but, sadly, it Paula Huff/The Salt Lake Tribune Joel Hathorn of Boise returns from Delano Peak @ See DELANO, C-8 has been ignored Carter and full-time wilderness association employees George Nickas and Gary Macfarlane earned credibility with many county commissioners, rural state legislators and Republican politi- WHY ALLEYE? The group earned a reputation, envied by manynational organizations, for listening and trying to come up with creative solutions to solve difficult problems. The organization took up an otherrole in its later years. It served as a counterbalance to the state’s largely consumptive hunting and fishing community. Wooldridge, who pursues the bugeyedfish wheneverhe can RMAis essentially a forum for walleye-aholics to sharesecrets on the elusive wolvesof the water and Local Anglers Enjoy Chasing Mie a Tot amore fon an fiabing Elusive Fish for trout,” says Wooldridge. “It does get frustrating, but that is part of the challenge. It makes it that much more rewarding when you catch them By Brett Prettyman THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE The story you areabout to readis true Walleye opportunities in the state It is about people who gave up trout fishing cians. are not only increasing, but some reservoirs with the predacious fish “because it was too are being managedto propagate the easy” and anglers who bid a sure thing’ to pursue¢ hardest to catchfish thereis. We would always like to see I didn't catch onethefirst three more warm-waterfisheries, but the 1 is doing a good job at Wil lard Bay and Starvation,” said Wooldridge. “Places like Yuba and or four times I went walleyefish of ing,” says Wesle Kearns. ‘The chal enge ate at me Schneider is among a growing group of Utah anglers making the Deer Creek could use somehelp. says the DWR’s position mefish toless abundant warm-water e is to utilize them in resvith habitat conducive to movefiomthestate's traditional ga species like lar} bass, walleye and smallmouth pie, perch and plet are muskie not deemed as an nagement wise havea hard time water species viable populations be. Division of havea propensity to over biologist. Don Wildlife Resourc It is prob: bly due to accesArcher sibility and opportunity It couldalso have with al age fish populations. T words, the fish eat them. selves out of house and home. Some anxious angiers have been to get walleye in their fa- warm-wat setvoir that they planted paredto trout fishers Lake resident John S t dr M helped form Rocky = ——_ : eeBrett eerie PrettymanThe Salt ean Lake Trbure John Swanke and Dennis Schulz of South Weber fish Willard Bay for walleye W andusing hounds to hunt cougars and bears. It demanded the establishment of no-hunting wildlife preserves in City Creek Canyon and in the High Uintas. It even came out against non-native trout in the Uintas, a stand that angered many traditionalists Made People Think: Mostly the group madepeople step and think. It took intelligent, well thought out — if not always popu lar — stands onwilderness, wildlife and environmental issues that gave it respect and influence which extended far beyond its small membership and limited budget Sadl tion w Macfarlanequit a few years ago Nickas is leaving to we for a Montanawilderness organization. And Carter seemed tired and discouraged in the last few years. The group seldomoperated on an annual budget of more than $100,000. Its staff made up in professionalism and dedication ked in funding a time when environmental g glers (RMA) seven years ag Our primary fishing. bi atleve ‘ warm-water species projects,” It issued a Wildlife Manifesto which caused consternationin the Division of Wildlife Resources and earnedit an undeservedreputation as the state's leading antihunting group. The Utah Wilderness Association took strong stands against the sandhill crane hunt, bear baiting 1 say i Yuba.” said Archer ® See WALLEYE, C-4 tes are polarized, the inde. pendent andintelligent voiceof the Utah Wilderness Association will be greatly missed |