SUU Community Education hosts Weekend Road Trip to Capitol Reef
By Haven Scott
Bring a friend and enjoy a weekend hiking some of southern Utah’s most magnificent trails while learning about the forests, vegetation, and insects surrounding us with SUU Community Education’s Weekend Road Trip to Capitol Reef.
The three-day getaway begins Sept. 27 with a meet and greet hosted by instructor Bill Branham, who spent his career working for the United States Forest Service and more recently worked as the Utah Prairie Dog Recovery Coordinator for SUU Regional Services.
“This tour will be very special to those who care about our forests, nature, and the animals that enrich our lives, culture and history,” Branham said. “The route is designed to offer an overview of Utah’s national parks, monuments, and forests while hiking several iconic trails.”
On Sept. 28, participants will take guided hikes in Cedar Breaks National Monument, Dixie National Forest, and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument on their way to Capitol Reef National Park.
A trip to Fishlake National Forest, Capitol Reef National Park, the Cathedral Valley, and petroglyph trails are scheduled for Sept. 29 as well as a hike through the Kingston Canyon Trail Sept. 30 before departure back to Cedar City.
Participants will also discuss management of Fish Lake’s oldest resident, known as the Trembling Giant, or Pando — Latin for “I spread.” Pando is a clonal colony of single male quaking aspen that shares one massive underground parent root system. Not only is Pando among the world’s oldest known living organisms, estimated to be 80,000 years old, but the entity is also widely considered the heaviest known living organism on earth with an approximate weight of 13.2 million pounds.
Guests will stay in Loa at the historic Road Creek Inn, SUU’s “University of the Parks” field station. Originally built in 1912, the building once housed many merchants and was a part of the Zion’s Cooperative Mercantile Institution from 1920 to 1928.
For those who prefer spending time with their four-legged friends, bring your canine and learn something new at a dog-training seminar and positive dog-training course with local trainer Gail Workman.
SUU Community Education will host a one-day dog-training seminar Sept. 18 for those who want to see if dog training is right for them. On Sept. 25, there will be a five-week course for those who want to learn how to train their dogs using the “clicker” method.
Workman has been training dogs for more than 30 years. Participants will train their dogs how to walk on a loose leash, sit, stay, wait, lay down, come when called, be controlled at the owner’s side, and leave something alone. Dogs must be current on all vaccinations, and owners must bring their records to the first class.
SUU Community Education establishes community partnerships by generating fun, cultural, and educational opportunities for those who love to learn. These courses are taught by local professionals for the purpose of increasing participant knowledge and developing new skills.
For a complete lineup of more than 30 community classes being offered this fall, visit suu.edu/wise, email bewise@suu.edu, call (435) 865-8259, or stop by SUU Community Education at 136 W. University Blvd., Suite 3, in Cedar City.
