Trailing of the Sheep Festival

Sometimes festivals don't always live up to the hype.  The Trailing of the Sheep Festival in Ketchum, Idaho, however, is not one of those. MSN Travel rated it as one of the top 10 fall festivals in the world, while USA Today called it one of the 10 best fall festivals in America.  From humble beginnings 20 years ago the festival in 2015 attracted 26,000 people from 36 states and eight foreign countries.  The festival's goals are to preserve the stories and history of sheep ranchers and herders as well as celebrating the rich cultures that have been part of the sheep industry.  Scots, Basques from northern Spain, and  herders brought in from Peru have all contributed to the rich cultural tapestry found in the festival.  Even a few Mexican, Chilean, and Mongolian people can be found working the sheep.
One of the many highlights of the festival is the Friday, "For the Love of Lamb" event in Ketchum. Ten participating restaurants offer the best in "American Lamb Baaaites" starting at 4:30 pm and ending when food is gone. The event is totally free! The streets were full of people following maps from restaurant to restaurant.  It reminded me of some crazy scavenger hunt.  Everybody was having a good time and eventually were too full to continue. Here is a mouth-watering list of the items offered by the restaurants:

Lamb Meatballs with Idaho Mint Tatziki

Shepherd's Pie

Lamb Meatballs

Lamb Lasagna

Roast Lamb

Denver Style Lamb Ribs

Moroccan Lamb Tagine

Lamb Strudel

Lamb-chetta

A very enjoyable presentation was held later in the evening in the local theater by some of the newer members of the industry.  Young people who will be the next generation of herders gave a presentation called "Sheep Tales Gathering: The Next Generation"  Some of the stories were very humorous while others were passionate and or emotional as these people told of their lives and their families.  

On Saturday the Folklife Fair was held a few miles south of Ketchum in Hailey.  Booths offering every kind of sheep or wool product you can think of were located in one section of the grounds while the cultural celebrations and performances were held adjacent to them.  During all this time on a large ranch north of the fair the 2016 National Point Qualifying Sheepdog Trials was going on. These trials go on for three days and anyone who has not seen these dogs work should spend at least two hours watching.  The interaction between the sheep, dog, and herder is fascinating once you understand what is expected.  Handouts and the announcer get you up to speed in a very short time. I would expect that many of the thousands of spectators left wondering where they could buy one of these Border Collies to bring home.

The grand finale of the festival is Sunday noon with the Big Sheep Parade.  It is an authentic trailing down Main Street as part of the annual trek to winter pastures.  1,500 sheep are moved through town by ranchers and dogs.  It is a popular part of the festival for young and old alike as the sidewalks are packed with spectators.  With all these people and sheep some precautions are necessary and parade etiquette rules are passed out.  To summarize: Stay calm. Stay on the Curb. No dogs. Keep actions and voices low so as to not spook the sheep.

The Trailing went without any problems this year and I would only suggest that they tighten up the preceding parade.  The parade started at noon but dragged very slowly for an hour. It was past 1 pm before the sheep passed by and this happened so rapidly that it seemed a little anti-climatic

Bryce and Zion National Parks

Fall is a great time to visit Utah's parks.  The temperatures are cooler and fall colors are a bonus. Do not, however, expect the crowds to diminish. Both Bryce and Zion are loved to death. Weekends can be especially busy.  Zion's shuttle system is very efficient but at times even it becomes overwhelmed.

Utah Scenic Byways should always be taken

On the way to Bryce in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

BRYCE

ZION

Pack plenty of patience when visiting Zion

Capitol Reef National Park

Capital Reef National Park does not get the visitation that the other better known Utah parks get, but that is part of its charm.  The scenery is spectacular but in a much subtler way.  The unique feature of the park is the Waterpocket Fold.  The fold has often been called a wrinkle in the Earth's crust but the dimensions of this fold go far beyond a simple "wrinkle". It extends almost 100 miles and through its history has always been a barrier for travel, similar to a barrier reef in the ocean.

The small visitor center is located in the Fruita Historical District.  In the 1880's a small group of Mormon pioneers established a small community here, which by necessity, had to be self-sufficient. They used the water from the Fremont River and Sulphur Creek to build an irrigation system that created an oasis for this hardy and independent group.  Always small, they grew apple, peach, pear, and apricots for themselves and for trade.  The park still maintains the historical orchards and a few of the pioneer buildings.  One of the most quaint and peaceful campgrounds you will ever find is also run by the Park Service next to the orchards.  Deer and turkey relax in the orchard and surrounding areas and campers are provided ladders and fruit poles if they wish to harvest some of the fruit.

Young bucks playfully spar with each other in the orchard.

The largest buck was beginning to get a bit more aggressive towards the smaller bucks as the rut progressed.

Petroglyphs, believed to be made by ancestors of the Hopi, Zuni, and Paiute tribes can be found in the park.  Animals and deities are easy to figure out while the other symbols probably describe travels, clan symbols and calendars.

Moab, Utah

Moab is a small town with a large boast.  Touting itself as the place "where adventure begins", a drive down main street soon makes you a believer.  If it has wheels, you can rent it here. Cycling, climbing and hiking are huge, but if you are more into motorized vehicles the choices are endless.  Jeeps, hummers, dirt bikes, and every type of OHV, ATV, UTV human designers can come up with are for rent here.  The area has many trails designated off-highway use from easy to downright dangerous.
When you get tired of land travel, the Colorado River is a good place to get rid of the dust.  A canoe or kayak is a peaceful way to enjoy the great scenery but scenic jet boat tours or white water rafting will add even more adventure to the trip.  Balloon or helicopter rides, skydiving, horseback (or mule) rides, and golfing give even more choices.

The real magnet for tourists, however, is the spectacular scenery surrounding Moab.  A preview of what scenery lies ahead can be obtained by traveling to Moab via Scenic Byway 128 off from Interstate 70.  This is a must for the first time tourist.

The centerpiece of Moab's attraction is Arches National Park and its beautiful red-rock formations including the most concentrated collection of arches in the world.  You can drive into the park anytime but be prepared to share it with a lot of admirers from mid-morning to late afternoon. Getting there at sunrise and returning to Moab by mid morning is the best solution for photographers.  A return to the park late afternoon (remember, it is only a few miles north of town) will give you stunning sunset red rock pictures.

The most popular arch in the park is Delicate Arch and it has its own parking lot (usually full) and a constant stream of hikers.  Often the hikers come in large groups and a party-like atmosphere ensues.
If you expect to photograph the arch without spectators in the frame expect to have a challenging time.

Another photogenic formation is the "three gossips".

Another popular area is Windows Section but almost anywhere within the park a short hike will get you away from all the crowds and give you plenty of opportunities.

Arches NP by itself would be enough incentive alone but there are other spectacular parks nearby. Nine miles north of Moab lies Dead Horse Point State Park  towering 2000 feet above the Colorado River.  It is often called Utah's Grand Canyon.  Legend has it that cowboys in the 1800's used the point to capture wild horse by running them through a narrow inlet and then using the canyon's steep walls to trap them.  A band of horses was left corralled there and died of thirst although they could see the waters of the Colorado 2,000 feet below them.  

South of Moab lies Canyonlands National Park which is divided into three distinct units.  Closest to Moab is Island in the Sky section.  The Needles unit is the farthest from Moab while The Maze is the most remote and requires a high-clearance vehicle.