The Very Best of Utah:
Field Trips, Daytime Activities, and Special Event
Sunday, June 27, 2010
- Field Trip: Kennecott’s Bingham Canyon Copper Mine Tour (plus TerraTek Tour)
- Field Trip: Wasatch Front Geologic Tour with Dick Goodman and Rick Ellis (plus TerraTek Tour)
Monday, June 28, 2010
- Daytime Activity: Olympic Park Tour/Shopping at Outlet Mall
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
- Daytime Activity: Temple Square/Downtown SLC Tour
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
- Daytime Activity: Great Salt Lake Tour
- Special Evening Event: A Night Under the Utah Stars
Thursday, July 1, 2010
- Field Trip: Thermo Geothermal Site Visit
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Field Trip: Kennecott’s Bingham Canyon Copper Mine Tour (TerraTek Tour)
As the second largest copper producer in the United States, Kennecott Utah Copper (KUC) provides about 13 percent of the U.S.'s copper needs. Kennecott’s Bingham Canyon Mine is the largest man-made excavation in the world. To give you some idea about the size of this mine, it’s three-quarters of mile deep and more than 2-3/4 miles across at the top. Every year, Kennecott produces approximately 300,000 tons of copper, along with 500,000 ounces of gold, 4 million ounces of silver, about 30 million pounds of molybdenum, and about 1 million tons of sulfuric acid, a byproduct of the smelting process. Rio Tinto purchased Kennecott Utah Copper in 1989 and has invested about $2 billion in the modernization of KUC’s operations. KUC employs 1,800 people.
Visitor’s Center
Standing at the overlook within the Bingham Canyon Mine, you can see, hear, and feel the breathtaking and awesome magnitude of the largest man-made excavation on earth. While you watch the action in the mine, a descriptive narration recorded in several languages explains the operations. From the overlook, you can watch 240 and 320 ton capacity haulage trucks deliver copper ore to the in-pit crusher, where the material is reduced to the size of soccer balls before being loaded onto a five-mile conveyor that carries the ore to the Copperton Concentrator. Inside the Visitors Center, you will take part in interactive displays and exhibits – including 3-D microscopes to examine rock and mineral samples, and displays showing how copper is used in your everyday life. You will also see exhibits ranging from old mining artifacts and model trucks to modern-day operations and environmental engineering as well as three-dimensional models that provide an educational and entertaining experience for people of all ages.
Details: June 27th, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Cost: $40 includes bus, tour, lunch.
Field Trip: Wasatch Front Geologic Tour with Dick Goodman and Rick Ellis
This trip will focus on the geology of the Wasatch Front and will be narrated by Richard Goodman, Professor Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley and Rick Ellis with the Utah Geological Survey.
The Wasatch Range stretches about 160 miles from the Utah-Idaho border, south through central Utah in the western United States. It is generally considered the western edge of the greater Rocky Mountains, and the eastern edge of the Great Basin region. According to the Utah History Encyclopedia, Wasatch in Ute means "mountain pass" or "low pass over high range.” Since the earliest days of settlement, the majority of Utah's population has chosen to settle along the range's western front, where numerous river drainages exit the mountains. The mountains were a vital source of water, timber, and granite for early settlers. Today, 85 percent of Utah's population lives within 15 miles of the Wasatch Range, mainly in the valleys just to the west. This concentration is known as the Wasatch Front and has a population of just over 2,000,000 residents. Salt Lake City lies between the Wasatch Range and the Great Salt Lake.
In many places, the mountains rise immediately from the valley's base elevation of 4,330 feet to well over 11,752 feet producing steep inclines. Since they top out just below 12,000 feet, Wasatch peaks are not especially high compared to the Colorado Rockies or even the Uinta Mountains, the other main portion of the Rocky Mountains in Utah. However, they are sculpted by glaciers, yielding notably rugged, sweeping upland scenery comparing well with other prominent ranges of western North America. They also receive heavy falls of snow, in many places over 500 inches per year. This great snowfall, with its runoff, made possible the Mormon success story here, leading to a prosperous urban strip of some 25 cities along nearly 100 miles of mountain frontage.
The Cottonwood Canyons, a particularly rugged and dense area just east of the Salt Lake Valley, shelters small mountain coves that harbor four world-famous ski resorts (Alta, Brighton, Solitude, and Snowbird). The eastern slopes of the Cottonwoods drop to the Snyderville Basin, which contains Park City and its three neighboring ski resorts. Much of the eastern side of the range from north of Salt Lake City to the Bear River Mountains is especially gentle in comparison to the rest of the range. The range widens significantly east of Ogden, sheltering a high mountain valley known as the Ogden Valley.
Details: June 27th, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Cost: $40 which includes bus, tram at Snowbird Ski Area, tour, lunch. MAXIMUM 50 PARTICIPANTS.
NOTE: The Kennecott Bingham Canyon Copper Mine and Wasatch Front Geologic tours will begin with a site visit to TerraTek’s facilities. A boxed lunch will be provided through the generosity of TerraTek.
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TerraTek Geomechanics Laboratory Center of Excellence
TerraTek is a leader in geomechanics laboratory testing and analysis—providing multidisciplinary expertise in geosciences and engineering including unconventional gas recovery (providing accurate estimates of shale classification, gas-in-place reserves, and completions effectiveness), drilling and completions performance (full-scale drilling and completions performance evaluation—wellbore and reservoir depth, plus pressure and flow rate simulations for extreme environments), core log integration (correlations for advanced log analysis—technology and services) and rock mechanics (advanced laboratory testing of rock mechanical properties, providing cross-disciplinary technologies in mechanics, geology, and geophysics).
Monday, June 28, 2010
Daytime Activity: Olympic Park Tour/Shopping at Outlet Mall
Olympic Venues – Olympic Park
Tour guides will board your buses and take you to the top of the world's highest altitude ski jumps and to the world's fastest bobsled, luge and skeleton track where Olympic history was made. Watch athletes in summer training as they ski jump off the plastic surfaces of the K90m and K120m nordic hills and launch themselves into the air off the freestyle aerial kickers before landing in the pool. Visit the interactive Alf Engen Ski Museum, which chronicles Utah's ski history, and the newly remodeled 2002 Olympic Exhibit with photos and memorabilia, the Big Air Grill, and retail shop.
Alf Engen Ski Museum
Thirteen years ago, Alan Engen had an idea for a ski museum. Today, visitors to the Utah Olympic Park can take a year-round, interactive journey through the Alf Engen Ski Museum inside the Joe Quinney Winter Sports Center. A tour through the 4,000-square foot museum includes a 10-minute film that traces Utah's ski history and then evolutionary displays on cross-country skiing and Nordic jumping. There are games of skill in ski jumping and touch-screen displays.
The Alf Engen Ski Museum was built to preserve the rich history of skiing in the Intermountain region by providing a world-class facility, which highlights the many contributions made in ski area development, athletic competition, snow safety, ski innovation and ski teaching techniques.
2002 Eccles Olympic Museum
The 2002 Eccles Olympic Museum is located on the second floor of the Joe Quinney Winter Sports Center. Detailed displays include equipment of athletes like Joe Pack, Tristan Gale, Derek Parra, Bode Miller, Sara Hughes and many others used during the 2002 Olympics. The public can hold an Olympic torch, watch Olympic highlights and view displays from the Opening and Closing ceremonies. Pin enthusiast can admire a pin display which includes every officially licensed pin from the 2002 Winter Olympics. Activities available for additional fees include bobsled rides (on wheels) and zip line (longest in Utah--follows path of ski jump)
Factory stores
Visit to the Tangers Outlet mall at Jeremy Ranch. Many National Brands for all ages – Tommy Hilfiger, Coldwater Creek, Pearl Izumi, Carter’s, Nine West, Coach, Gap, Ralph Lauren, J Crew.
Details: June 28th, 9:30 am to 5:00 pm. Cost: $40 includes Olympic Park admission, and tour, lunch on own.
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Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Daytime Activity: Temple Square/Downtown SLC Tour
Temple Square is the most popular attraction in the state with several million annual visitors. It occupies a full city block in the heart of Salt Lake City. High walls surround the complex, with wrought iron gates providing ingress on all four sides. Within is the magnificent Mormon Temple, the Mormon Tabernacle and Assembly Hall, as well as various monuments, statuary and two visitor centers.
North Visitor’s Center
Playing the movie “Legacy” about the westward trek of the Mormon pioneers. Open 9:00 am – 8:15 pm daily.
Tabernacle
Organ recitals (30 min.) on Mon – Sat @ 12:00 and 2:00 pm.
Conference Center
Tours daily @ 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
Joseph Smith Memorial Building:
The Joseph Smith Memorial Building, the former Hotel Utah, contains the Family Search Center with 200 personal computers for your use in tracing your family ancestry. There is a café on the lobby level and two public restaurants on the 10th floor. Great views for lunch (no caffeine or alcohol served).
Family History Library:
Open Mon 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, Tues – Sat 8:00 am – 9:00 pm. The library provides information sheets for attendees to fill out in advance of their library date. This allows for a more productive family search experience for the visitors.
Details: June 29th, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Transportation by UTA Trax or by foot (6 blocks). No cost. Please register however. Guide will be provided by the Church of the Latter Day Saints.
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Wednesday, June 30, 2010
The Preserve Manager, Chris Brown, and a naturalist guide from The Nature Conservancy (TNC) will lead a group around the 1 mile boardwalk, talk about international bird migration, and history of the Great Salt Lake.
Nature Conservancy: The Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve
The Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve is a unique system of salt and fresh water marshes, ponds, pools, sloughs and mudflats. It is a rich feeding ground for tens of thousands of migrating birds, which use the Great Salt Lake as a resting point on their journeys from Canada to points in Central and South America. In fact, some of the largest gatherings of wildlife ever recorded on the Great Salt Lake have been observed here. The innovative visitor center at the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve offers you the chance to experience and learn about the wetlands and its birds while keeping your feet dry!
Antelope Island
Antelope Island State Park, the largest island in the Great Salt Lake, is home to a roaming herd of 500 bison. Pronghorn and bighorn sheep also share the rangelands that overlook the desert lake. Opportunities to view wildlife are available on backcountry trails, which are open to horseback riding, mountain biking, hiking and cross-country skiing. A visitor center offers information on the island's unique biology, geology and history.
Details: June 28th, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Cost: $40 includes bus, tour, lunch.
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Special Evening Event: A Night Under the Utah Stars
Dinner at the Millcreek Inn
What better way to close out a wonderful visit to Salt Lake City than to dine under the summer stars in one of Utah’s many beautiful canyons. Just twenty minutes from downtown, The Millcreek Inn is located in Millcreek Canyon and provides fine dining in a rustic, western environment. Indoor and outdoor dining with entertainment of the most beautiful surroundings.
Details: June 30th, 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm. Cost $95. includes complete dinner and transportation to and from the hotel.
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Thursday, July 1, 2010
Field Trip: Thermo Geothermal Site Visit
This field trip visits the 10-megawatt geothermal power plant in Thermo, Beaver County. It is the first commercial-scale facility to use a new technology that allows the plant to generate electricity using geothermal heated water that is at a much lower temperature than was previously possible. The Thermo plant will generate enough electricity to power about 7,000 homes.
Details: July 1st, 8:00 am to 7:00 pm. Cost: $80 includes bus, food, and tour.
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More visitor information is available at: www.visitsaltlake.com/visit/