Driving Around the North Shore of the Great Salt Lake

[sawtooth4x4]

Saturday we felt like a road trip. I decided to go around the north side of GSL. I decided to follow SE Promontory Road. I was hoping I could get up into the mountains and explore a bit. When I was checking it out on google maps, it looked like there would be quite a few places to explore with lots of roads.

Well on my drive, everything was fenced off. And as I got around Promontory Point on the lake there was a gate across the road. No Tresspassing. Some Company named Northshore Rock Products has a gate across the road. Isn't this a county road? They shouldn't be able to gate it off.

Anyway, whatever they are dumping into the GLS is really weird and bright red. I couldn't get a very good picture of it.

Stuff going into the lake.

It was really windy Saturday

 

[Kevin B.]

The promontory itself is almost entirely private property. I see about a square mile of BLM land way the heck out on the point. I don't know if those are county roads, but I doubt the BLM is going to fight very hard to maintain an open ROW to access one square mile of land.

 

[rockdog]

They aren't dumping anything into the lake. The north side has a way higher salt content. Therefor it is red in color. The railroad causeway keeps the north and south divided, keeping them at different salt percentages. Worked on drill platforms in the 70's on the north end. You ought to see the water pour through the causeway openings. Blue pouring into red. Kinda cool!

 

[sawtooth4x4]

Yeah, probably not. I was thinking it would be cool to be able to drive around it. Alas, another failed expedition. HA Ha

We ended up going out to Salt Creek Road and up to Interstate 84. Then back home. I'll have to do some more exploring out there. It was pretty cool.

 

[sawtooth4x4]

That picture I took was just in a canal next to the shore line. It was weird, the water right next to it was bluish green.

They aren't dumping anything into the lake. The north side has a way higher salt content. Therefor it is red in color. The railroad causeway keeps the north and south divided, keeping them at different salt percentages. Worked on drill platforms in the 70's on the north end. You ought to see the water pour through the causeway openings. Blue pouring into red. Kinda cool!

 

[Caleb]

It's actually an organism in the water that makes it pink in color, I've heard it referred to as an algae, not sure if that's accurate or not.

http://www.livescience.com/26675-salt-loving-microbes-lake.html

As mentioned, there isn't much blm land around the promontory area. The quarry companies and fishing companies have that area pretty much locked down entirely. You can head out through the Golden Spike monument area and get out to the spiral jetty. You can get a bit further south if you want, but you'll be back tracking to get back north. From the Spiral Jetty, you can make it around the north side of the lake all offroad from there I think up to the point that you hit the bombing range on the west side (a bit before that but not terribly far from there IIRC, it's been quite a while since I've been out there). After the bombing range if you want you can head back in on a dirt road where you end up going past Magcorp and can come out a couple different places (likely just north of Delle) but could end up going past Badger Island and coming out at the south end of Stansbury Island. The only problem with that route is I believe Stansbury is under lock and key and you won't find out till you are most of the way down the west side of Stansbury.

 

[rockdog]

Nope Caleb, your wrong. Do a quick google search and you will find most all the fresh water enters the south end. Therefor the salt content is way higher on the north end.

 

[Caleb]

Nope Caleb, your wrong. Do a quick google search and you will find most all the fresh water enters the south end. Therefor the salt content is way higher on the north end.

Lol, I'm not saying the salt content isn't higher (trust me, I'm very familiar with the lake as I used to live on a boat on that lake for atleast 4 months a year), I'm saying it's not the high salt content that makes it pink. It's the organisms that live there (due to it being so salty) that make it pink. Read that article I linked or the hundreds of others you can find with a Google search.

 

[rockdog]

Lol, I'm not saying the salt content isn't higher (trust me, I'm very familiar with the lake as I used to live on a boat on that lake for atleast 4 months a year), I'm saying it's not the high salt content that makes it pink. It's the organisms that live there (due to it being so salty) that make it pink. Read that article I linked or the hundreds of others you can find with a Google search.

Yep, your right! I didn't read far enough into the article I was reading to get that.

 

[sawtooth4x4]

Cool thanks for the info.

I called Box Elder County and they confirmed the Road ends at the gate. The only way around is through Golden Spike Monument.

Trying to do some research to see if there is anything to see out there.

Anyone know what Locomotive Springs is? I saw a sign for it near the National Monument for Golden Spike, but we never ran across it in all the road we covered.

 

[moab_cj5]

There are lots of cool things to see out there. There are quite a few trip reports for the trans continental railroad, and a trip I did last year.

 

[rholbrook]

We came back that way from Freeze Your Tail Off overnighter It was a fun drive but we came out through Golden Spike

 

[Thardy]

Anyone know what Locomotive Springs is? I saw a sign for it near the National Monument for Golden Spike, but we never ran across it in all the road we covered.

I grew up in Corinne and spent some time out at Locomotive springs. I haven't been out there fro 15ish years and from what I hear it isn't what it used to be. We would go out there and fish/party/hunt when we were teens. I heard that they don't send much water down there any more do to the lack of irrigation water upstream. It might be worth checking out, but you may find mostly dried up marsh land. Like I said though I haven't been there for 15 or so years. last time I was out there it was great. All the other stuff is just what I've heard.

 

[Troop92]

Trying to do some research to see if there is anything to see out there.

Anyone know what Locomotive Springs is? I saw a sign for it near the National Monument for Golden Spike, but we never ran across it in all the road we covered.

Sounds like we need to plan a Saturday expedition.

 

[sawtooth4x4]

Sounds like we need to plan a Saturday expedition.

Yeah. That would be cool. I need to get out before i get slammed with work again.

 

[mesha]

It's actually an organism in the water that makes it pink in color, I've heard it referred to as an algae, not sure if that's accurate or not.=Quote]


Interestingly, similar organisms that make water pink and live in oxygen deprived environments are possibly responsible for the permian mass extinction. 95% of life on earth died because those bacteria farted hydrogen sulfide gas.
http://www.geosociety.org/meetings/2003/prPennStateKump.htm

 

[moab_cj5]

Here is the trip report for the trip we took last year about this time:
http://www.rme4x4.com/showthread.ph...evil-s-Playground-amp-Grouse&highlight=kelton

If you want to see something really cool, check out Devil's Playground on the south end of the Bovine Mountains. Then head up toward Rocky Point. Right as you turn NW toward rocky point from the emigrant trail, there are some awesome rock formations to explore. Post 14 in that thread has the pics.

I am looking at heading out there on Black Friday.

 

[Spork]

Went out to the Spiral Jetty today, took the wife and kids and it was a great day for it. Hit up Golden Spike and the ATK rocket garden also.

 

[sawtooth4x4]

Cool. That's some crazy salt.

 

[joshbmx1201]

what area is all that salt located? my wife really wants to see. cool pics!