Thanksgiving Feast - Dutch Oven Style

Did you know the Dutch Oven is the official cooking pot of the state of Utah? That's right, the Dutch Oven

was designated Utah's official cooking pot in 1997 for its historic use by early Utah settlers.

The Dutch Oven, a popular outdoor cooking tool for both Utah pioneers and modern-day outdoor enthusiasts, can be used to prepare a wide variety of delicious cuisine in settings usually reserved for roasting hot dogs and S'mores.

Dutch Ovens are cast-iron pots with snug fitting lids that are specifically designed for cooking directly in the coals of an open fire. The oven’s lid is equipped with a tall iron lip, allowing coals to be added to the top of the pot, baking the contents of the oven evenly, much like an modern household oven. Dutch Ovens work so well in fact, that many people who've used them in the outdoors have incorporated them into their regular cooking repertoire.

If you’re looking for a fun new dish to add to your Thanksgiving feast this year, why not consider baking one of your courses in a Dutch Oven? You might just end up with a new classic. And you’ll know exactly what to prepare on your next camping trip.

Here’s a couple recipe ideas to stoke your creative cooking fire!

Thanksgiving Roasted Herb Turkey

Cooking a full turkey is always a labor intensive process. Why not make it fun by doing it in a Dutch Oven?
Here's how:

• 1 turkey
• 1 onion
• 2-3 cloves garlic chopped
• 6 cloves garlic pressed
• 1 cup water

Basting Sauce

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 tsp dried mint leaves
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried sage
• 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
• 1/2 tsp sweet basil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

Thaw turkey if frozen. Before preparing the turkey, light a pile of at least 50 charcoal briquettes for the Dutch Oven.

Place thawed turkey in a 15 inch Dutch Oven. Slice onion into large pieces and place them in the turkey cavity with the chopped garlic cloves. Rub the remaining pressed garlic over the outside of the turkey. Pour water in the bottom of the Dutch Oven. Put the lid on the pot and add 15-20 briquettes to the bottom of the pot and 20-25 on top.

Melt butter in a separate pan and add the herbs to create a basting sauce. Frequently baste the turkey with the herb sauce as it cooks.

Add fresh coals about once an hour. Cook the turkey until the center of the turkey's temperature reaches 170 degrees.

Marshmallow Sweet Potato Casserole

What could be a better marriage between outdoor cooking and Thanksgiving than borrowing marshmallows from the campfire classic Smores, and adding them to the traditional Thanksgiving sweet potato dish?

• About 8 sweet potatoes or yams
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/2 pound marshmallows

Boil the sweet potatoes in water until they are tender. This can be done in the Dutch Oven first or in a regular stove-top pot, whichever is easier given your cooking conditions. Remove the skins and mash the sweet potatoes. Add butter, milk, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and paprika. Butter the sides and bottom of the Dutch Oven and fill it with the mashed sweet potatoes. Place the marshmallows on top of the sweet potatoes. Bake the casserole by placing 10-15 coals below the Dutch oven and 5-10 coals on top. Let the dish bake until the marshmallows become golden-brown.

Bighorn Sheep Festival in Moab - November 20-21, 2009

Head-butting bighorn rams fighting it out for the rights to mate with the top female sheep in the herd. How often do you get a chance to see exciting wildlife behavior like this in a wilderness setting?

Only once a year at best. Most of the year rams (male) and ewes (females) hardly interact at all, living their lives in separate family groups. But at the Bighorn Sheep Festival in Moab in late November, you'll have an opportunity to see some of the most exciting activity of the year. The breeding season, or "rut," is in full swing and male bighorns are clashing horns in their annual competition to attract the attention of the lovely ladies.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is hosting its annual Bighorn Sheep Festival in Moab this November 20th and November 21st. DWR biologists will keep a watchful eye on the whereabouts of Moab's bighorn sheep leading up to the event, and guide those attending to the most likely spots for a sighting. Biologists will lead the group to likely spots near paved roads in Moab Canyon and along the Colorado River Corridor. Event attendees should bring spotting scopes or binoculars if they can, and the biologists will provide them for those who can't. You're welcome to follow along in your own vehicle or join the group in vehicles provided by the DWR guides.

The guides will meet the public on Saturday morning (Nov 21) at 8am at the Moab information center. Sheep watchers should expect the event to last until early afternoon. While DWR Outreach Manager Brent Stettler can't guarantee a close-up encounter, but he adds, "We almost always see sheep."

For more info about the event visit the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources website. Or contact Brent Stettler personally at by phone at 435/613-3707, or by email at brentstettler@utah.gov.

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Cut your own Christmas Tree this year in Utah's National Forest

"The perfect Christmas tree? All Christmas trees are perfect!" - Charles N. Barnard

Maybe so, but that doesn't mean that any old tree will do. For many families going out and picking the perfect Christmas tree is a long standing tradition. And for some, that tradition isn't complete without hiking into the woods, selecting the perfect tree, and cutting it themselves.

In Utah, permits to cut Christmas trees on national forest land are starting to go on sale. District offices in Fishlake and Dixie National Forests are now selling permits, costing about $10. Between now and the end November, permits will go on sale in forests across the state.

All species of trees except Ponderosa pine trees can be cut with a permit. Trees up to eight feet tall may be selected and they should be cut near the ground - about eight inches above the ground. Rules vary in each Ranger District. Here's a link to the specific rules and regulations for cutting trees on the official US Forest Service website. Try to select your tree from a densely forest area, where thining the stand will be a benefit the forest.

Horsethief Campground outside Canyonlands National Park - Campground of the Week

It's too cold to even think about camping in northern Utah right now...in fact it's snowing in as I write this. So if you've got camping on your mind, you've got to be thinking southern Utah, where it'll be considerably warmer. It was actually perfect near Moab this past weekend, where Sonja and I spent a couple days working on landscape photography and squeezed in a little bit of climbing as well.

Saturday morning we woke up early to catch sunrise with our cameras at Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park. If you're interested in the details on how to photograph the iconic landmark, check out my article here on www.examiner.com. We arrived late Friday night, so we didn't want to drive all the way into the park, but wanted to be within striking distance Saturday morning for our date with the magic of sunrise. So we stayed at one of my favorite BLM sites in the Moab area, Horsethief Campground. You can also find this description with all the campgrounds in the state of Utah in my guidebook Moon Utah Camping.

Horsethief Campground Scenic rating: 7

This new campground is an excellent alternative to the limited camping options in the northern part of Canyonlands National Park. The campground is a few miles from the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park. The large campground sits on a plateau-like landscape with expansive views to the southwest of the 11,000-foot peaks of the Herny Mountains. Well-spaced sites with flat gravel tent pads sit in a pygmy forest of pinyon pine and juniper trees. On the downside, these small trees and the scrubby sagebrush dotting the campground provide little shelter from the sun or wind. In this desert environment that regularly sees temperatures above 100 degrees F, this lack of shade is a real concern. Three gravel loops named after different horse breeds lead to sites with good privacy.

Campsites, facilities: There are 60 sites for tents and large RVs. Picnic tables, barbeque grills, garbage service, and vault toilets are provided. There is no drinking water. Leashed pets are permitted.

Reservations, fees: Reservations are not accepted. The fee is $12 per site. Open year-round.

Directions: From Moab, drive north on Hwy. 191 for nine miles and turn left onto Rte. 313 following signs to Canyonlands National Park. Continue 12 miles on Rte. 313 and turn right onto a gravel road signed Horsethief Campground. Continue 0.5 mile to Horsethief Campground.

GPS Coordinates: N 38 35.050' W 109 48.854'

Contact: BLM Moab Field Office, 435/259-2100

The Alpine Loop Scenic Byway: the best scenic loop drive in the Wasatch

The scenic Sunday drive is an American Classic! Like Thanksgiving turkey, apple pie, or Super Bowl Sunday, the Sunday scenic drive is an American tradition. Americans have always been fond of their cars and there's no better way to enjoy your automobile than taking it for a cruise. No traffic, no pressure, no time limits. Just you, your car and the road, and the scenery, of course. Not all scenic drives are created equal however. One of the key components of an enjoyable scenic drive is that it needs to be close to home, yet far enough away that it feels new and exciting.

If you live along the Wasatch Front, there's not a prettier stretch of pavement for a weekend gettaway than the Alpine Loop connecting American Fork Canyon and Provo Canyon. The Alpine Loop Scenic Byway (State Route 92) can be approached via American Fork Canyon through the town of Alpine, or alternatively from Provo Canyon (US Highway 189). Either way you approach it, the Alpine Loop promises stunning vistas and brilliant fall scenery. The loop drive curles around Mt. Timpanogos, one of the most dramatic summits in the Wasatch Mountains. Along the way, get out and stretch the legs by checking out Timpanogos Cave National Monument in American Fork Canyon. If you're interested in extending your outing, consider hiking up to the cave system. This is the last weekend the cave is open for tours before it closes for the season. The three cavern cave system is accessed via a paved trail that gains over a 1,000 feet. The cave can only be visited with an official National Park Service tour. Tour tickets are available at the monument, the tour takes approximately 3 hours.

Provo Canyon's Bridal Veil Falls offers another beautiful opportunity to get out of the car along this drive. The narrow ribbon of falls cascades down a 600 foot high step-like limestone rock formation on the south side of the canyon. The falls can be viewed by pulling off the highway at the Bridal Veil Falls/Nunn's Park parking lot. A short walk up the Provo River Trail (0.5 miles) will lead to the base of the falls.

The Alpine Loop Drive is best done in the next few weeks. Early fall storms have cloaked the upper reaches of Mt. Timpanogos in a blanket of white (see the photo above), adding to its already dramatic appearence, but the road remains snow free. The road won't be open for long though, it closes for the winter season as soon as it's covered by snow.

Here's the view looking west down American Fork Canyon - Photo by Mike Matson

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For more info: on driving the Alpine Loop Scenic Byway, on camping along the Alpine Loop, onTimpanogos Cave National Monument, on Bridal Veil Falls

Five fun ways to enjoy the fall colors in the Wasatch Mountains

Autumn has officially arrived and the Wasatch Mountains are awash in fall color! The aspens and maples are starting to turn and the palate runs from a deep gold to fiery red. Autumn is one of the most enjoyable times of year to experience Utah's mountains, but the best colors don't last long. When the first storm of the season rolls in, many of the leaves get knocked off the trees and before you know it, things have that, stark, wintery feel. The next two weeks will be the peak of the fall color.

Here's five quick ideas on how to get out into the Wasatch Range and enjoy the color while it's at its best!

1) Hike to Mary and Catherine Lakes near Brighton at the top of Big Cottownood Canyon. This chain of small mountain lakes (also includes the pond-like Dog and Martha Lakes) sit in a series of saddles above Brighton Ski Resort near the crest of the Wasatch Range. At just under four miles round-trip, the hike is a great half-day outing. The scenery gets progressively more impressive as you hike up, culminating at Catherine Lake, which sits in the bottom of granite cirque perched between Big Cottonwood and Little Cottonwood Canyons. Keep your eyes peeled for moose grazing on the foliage around the lakes. Their huge antlers are especially impressive during fall!

2) Rock climb at the Hellgate Cliffs above Alta in Little Cottonwood Canyon. In the rock climbing world, Little Cottonwood Canyon is known for its clean granite rock and vibrant bouldering scene. But up near the top of the canyon near the little town of Alta, you'll find excellent sport climbing on white and black streaked limestone cliffs. Great views all the way down the canyon give climbers a chance to appreciate the beautiful fall colors while they clamor up the rocks.

3) Spend a day with your camera on Mt. Timpanogos. Mt. Timp, as locals call it, is the jewel of the southern Wasatch. At 11,749 feet, Timp is the second highest peak in the Wasatch Range, and stands dramatically above the town of Provo. Its open slopes and steep topography make it a stunning place to take pictures. And if you have the energy to get there, the summit offers dramatic 360 degree views. There are photo-ops all along the trail and at the base of the mountain at the Sundace Resort. So pick your adventure and don't forget your camera!

4) Take a scenic drive up Big Cottonwood Canyon, over Guardsman Pass, and down into Park City. If you're looking for a low-key weekend adventure, just hop in the car and take a mountain drive. It takes about an hour to drive from Salt Lake City, up Big Cottonwood Canyon, over Guardsman Pass, and back down into Park City. Guardsman Pass will close for winter once it starts to snow, so this is the best time to cruise this scenic route. Enjoy dramatic views of the Wasatch from down in the canyon and wide open vistas over Park City and the Heber Valley from the pass. Golden and orange aspens line the road, with the brightest colors at the upper elevations. Note: Guardsman Pass is not paved. The road is well graded and appropriate for most cars.

5) Mountain biking in Park City. Park City is northern Utah's mountain biking capital. Trails branch out like a spider web from downtown in every direction. Because Park City is higher in elevation than Salt Lake, the fall colors are significantly more pronounced. Riders will be welcomed by a constant birage of crimson from the rocky mountain maple trees lining the single track. If you need somewhere to start, check out the Lost Prospector Trail right above town.

For more info: On the hike to Mary and Catherine Lakes. On climbing at Hellgate Cliffs in Little Cottonwood Canyon. On Mt. Timpanogos. On driving over Guardsman Pass. On mountain biking in and around Park City. For a map of Park City mountain bike trails.

Buckskin Gulch Story Published in the Utah Adventure Journal

Check out my latest feature story about Buckskin Gulch in the fall issue of the quarterly magazine, Utah Adventure Journal. The magazine is new this year, it's free, and can be found at many of the outdoor shops in Salt Lake City like REI, IME, Black Diamond, Christy Sports, Canyon Bicycles, etc. They go fast, so pick one up soon! If you're a Salt Lake local, it's definitely worth checking out. You can also read the story and see the photos on-line at their new website www.outdoorutah.com/adventurejournal.