The first time I heard these two words in a sentence I was 15 and admiring every word that came out of Butch Parker's mouth. He was the new boy in town and as we didn't often get any new boys in Coos Bay I had decided he was worth checking out. He often talked about Bear Lake since he was from Randolph, Ut, a tiny town not far from there. I don't remember anything specific he said about it except that it was "fun" and "pretty". But when I was in Logan, Ut recently and heard that Bear lake was not far from there I had to see it for myself.
Fast Forward 24 years later and here I am, driving in my minivan, Kelly Clarkson blaring from the CD player and 3, 11 and 12 year-old girls singing every word. We are en route to Bear Lake. The Caribbean of the Rockies it has been called. I have heard conflicting stories about it thus far. "It's a small lake", "It's a large lake", "it's cold", "it's like bath water." I am going to decide for myself exactly what this lake is like. We go around a bend and there it is. And I think to myself, "you were right, Butch Parker, you were right." It is simply gorgeous, breathtaking, and pretty.
I can hardly wait as we pull our vehicles right onto the beach. I've heard that you can wade out forever and still touch and I'm anxious to find this out for myself. I get out of my car and the first thing I realize is the wind. It's strong. My cousin Andrea says to me that it has never been windy like this before. I sigh a breath of relief because I was just about to eliminate it as one of my favorite places. Now I can give it a real chance, ignoring the wind factor.
My summary of Bear Lake is this:
I LOVE IT. It is beautiful. It is a combination of the two things I love the most in nature. Crystal aquamarine water and the mountains. As for the water temperature? It's definitely not bath waer but it's not freezing cold either. You can get right in and stay all day if you like.
But once you got out it was very cold with the wind.
As for the size of the lake? It's huge. Plenty of space around it for all to enjoy.
Stats of Bear Lake:
109 Square Miles
Elevation at 5,924 feet
Get's it's color from suspended Limestone deposits below the water surface
Over 250,000 years old
2nd largest freshwater lake in Utah
Called the "Caribbean of the Rockies"
7 comments:
sounds great! I have never been there we'll have to make a trip!
That looks like so much fun. I have never been there but would love to visit someday.
We had a family reunion at Bear lake a few years ago and it was so much fun. I love it there too. Sorry to hear that it was so windy though!
So are there bears there?
you look like you all had a fun time. I have never been to Bear Lake but have heard a great deal about it
Loved your description Darilyn. I'm actually trying to remember if I've been there or not, if not, I've been to a couple of lakes like it in - yeah - Montana! I think Flathead lake comes to mind.
From my Mama:
What a pleasant surprise to see the "Bear Lake view" once again. The Parkers have been buzzin' about your comments. The pictures seem so familiar. Our family had quite an experience (8 years!) up there. Thanks for being one special lady to our clan. Give your family a hug from the Bishop & Judy.
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