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Show f , ' ,-v . .. - - i w :' i - t l :'"" r :- : j rd' tf 1,1 t :- if'fy.ii s , ' !S' ' 4 ;;i i: ii ( I 4 Asms. ! I I ' . iri -. 7:v:swg lit :ii-:4SkWSA . Ji! . ' . .. ::,::.v-:ils .;ti7ii ..&&&vX9r ' ... . ......................... . ... Hosts at Kings Creek Campground at Tropic Reservoir clean fire pit area in main campground. camp-ground. Here, 16-year-old Dan Case helps "The flag is always flying high," says campground host Lee Case at Kings Creek campground. "Except when it rains, he says, "and then we take it down. We're careful to raise the flag snappily each morning," he says, "and to lower it each evening at sunset." Paying proper attention to the care of the nation's flag is just typical typ-ical of the way Case and his family take care of everything at Kings Creek. "We took the job sight unseen," he says, "and we fell in love with the place as we drove in." The Cases had never been to the area, and simply took the word of Larry Laurence of L & L Corporation Corpora-tion in Orem who contracts campground camp-ground hosts for Forest Service campgrounds all over the west that Kings Creek is special. "We were amazed by the beauty of Red Canyon, excited to see antelope just over the top, stunned by the awesome view on the plateau, and excited as we came to expanses of meadow and stands of trees. It was just what we were looking for," he said. "The quiet blue of .Tropic Reservoir and the wooded campground was made to order for us and others who come here to camp seem to share our opinion." Kings Creek campground, located on the Powell District of the Dixie National Forest, is found by turning south on the road to Tropic Reservoir from Utah Scenic Highway 12 near the East Fork of the Sevier River. Seven miles down the well graded dirt road, sparkling Tropic Reservoir pops into view and a right turn takes the traveler past the north end of the reservoir to the secluded campground. camp-ground. Only a few campers take advantage advan-tage of the beauty of the location says Case. "For some reason campers just don't seem to know I what a special place this is. Not only that, the fishing has been ; good," he added. Since arriving at Kings Creek, the Cases have made it a point to j get acquainted with the area. They have toured nearby Kanab Canyon, Cougar Hollow, taken the Kaibab-Dixie Kaibab-Dixie Forest tour and visited in Hatch and Panguitch when they can get away. ' Case and his wife Carol are par- i ents of nine, three boys and six i girls. Eight are grown and only ' young Dan is left at home. He ac-1 ac-1 companied them for the summer-; summer-; 5 time job and adds his 16-year-old i enthusiasm to that of his youthful parents. lt Case is retired from the sheet f metal industry where he spent 35 years specializing in stainless steel fabrication and installation and traveling all over the U.S. for restaurant chains. He spends his .winter months now working with me Salt Lake City Department of Recreation and sings with the Utah opera for a hobby. The Cases are committed to Kings Creek from the week before Memorial Day until the week after Labor Day. The campground filled up for Saturday on the Memorial Day weekend, but Sunday emptied it out fast with a blustery snowstorm. snow-storm. There are 35 campsites and i an amphitheater and fire ring. Just to the west of the regular campground, camp-ground, the large group area with its space for 150, its 10 fire pits and tables and large group amphitheater am-phitheater is a favorite spot for re- mom and dad, Lee and Carol Case with campground camp-ground duties. Family spends time off doing same as everyone else, touring the area. Kings Creek Campground Hosts Taking Care of 'Their' Guests unions and other organizations. It was the site for the first regional inter-agency fire camp held in June. "Those firefighters were some of the neatest campers we've ever had," said Case. The Cases are natives of Utah. She is from Pleasant Grove and he is from Salt Lake City. They live in Magna and love small towns. "We love people and couldn't have a better job for meeting people peo-ple from all over. We've had campers from Germany, British Columbia, Florida, New York and many other interesting places," said Case. The Cases' job is to maintain order, and that has not been difficult, diffi-cult, he says. Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. until 7 a.m. with genera tors allowed at all other times. They keep restrooms clean, clean the fire pits, and police the campground, camp-ground, boat ramp and generally see that everything is in good order. They keep in touch with each other and with the rest of the county by radio. "We love to see the wildlife wander through the campground. It seems like the rest of the world is far away when a doe and her two fawn come through, or an elk meanders me-anders along," says Case. Jeff Bott, at the Powell District office in Panguitch, is their Forest Service superior, and they work directly di-rectly with Jake Bagnell also. Their small travel trailer is home for the summer months at the first campsite camp-site at the entrance to Kings Creek campground. iv. |