May 25, 2006
F!@# Terry Tempest Williams* (aka The Great Salt Lake)
When people in Indiana find out I'm from Salt Lake City, I inevitably get asked about the Great Salt Lake. I'm always a little embarrassed to admit that I have never been there. Oh sure, I went to a concert at SaltAir once, which is right by the Great Salty Lake, but it's not like you go recreating in the lake. But I heard this so often (esp. from my friends in Ecocriticism who were reading Refuge by Terry Tempest Williams) that I decided I would have to visit the lake when I was home this summer. When I told people here what I wanted to do, they looked at me like I was crazy. What? The Great Salt Lake? Why? It stinks and there are flies. But I was determined. Luckily, I persuaded Steve to come with me.
The worst part about the Great Salt Lake is the smell. It's an olfactory sensation you just can't describe via pictures or words. Try rotten eggs, brine shrimp, manure. Mix them all together and let them sit in the sun for a couple days. We really only got whiffs of this scent, but that was plenty. Still, I didn't want to let a nasty smell deter me. We headed across the sand to the water. Now, I was wearing flip-flops, naturally. I mean, I was going to the beach. Why not? There were plenty of warnings along the beach why you don't wear flip-flops.
I almost lost mine several times in the sludge.
And then there was this:
I don't know what it was, but I touched it. Ew.
Still, we persevered.
Once we got nearer the water it wasn't so bad. Steve tested it out for us.
Seemed ok, so we went on in.
We wanted to see how far we could walk before it got deep. We went surprisingly far and saw some interesting things along the way.
Such as....
Sadly, this wasn't the only bird to perish in the salty waters. We saw a couple more. And yes, we were walking in that water. But, it's really no different from when Venice was flooded.
I think we should give the Salt Lake a new nickname. I was thinking Pinstriped Lake.
It really was beautiful. And the water wasn't too bad. Here's a tip: don't go if you have open wounds (Steve) or just shaved your legs (me) because ouch. Anyway, scenery:
And a self-portrait. I love how I think I'm getting a nice picture and then I end up with Steve pulling a face. Jerk.
The aforementioned SaltAir:
I thought I did so well with my flip-flops and the sand and everything, until I met a pocket of sludge. It was disgusting. I almost got stuck.
We drove to Chevron after and bought some water to wash our feet and shoes off and then took a scenic tour (with extended detour) to Tooele because hey, I'd never been. It really wasn't worth going. We ended the night with some frozen custard at a park. How lovely.
*Title by Steve.
Posted by kea at May 25, 2006 10:14 AM