I had originally written visit antelope island on my list...but it's on the great salt lake, so visiting Saltair was kinda the same thing.
Ok FINE. it wasn't. We'll visit antelope island too.
We had to go and check out this phenomenon that happens at the great salt lake every year.
Facts.
The great salt lake is the largest lake west of the Mississippi. In the ice age it was lake Bonneville after the ice age it receded and became the great salt lake. (sadly none of this was shown in the Disney movie)
Because water feeds into the lake but does not flow out, the water evaporates and leaves behind salt.
When I was little, there was so much salt in the lake that your whole body could float. They have removed a lot of the salt so I don't think you can do that any more.
Also due to the high levels of salt....the only things that can really survive are brine shrimp (sea monkeys) and brine flies. These stupid flies make a ring around the lake a few feet deep (sometimes more) and as you make your way to the lake you have to honestly close your mouth and run through them. Once to the lake you can usually swim without them bothering you. Here is a video if you want to see it.
The brine shrimp used to be as thick as the salt...or at least it felt like that when I was young. They are an important part of the birds migration as they are the nutrition that gets them to where they need to go.
Now that I'm older I am AMAZED that we ever went swimming in it.
Because of the salt it STINKS like a rotten sulphur egg fart. yuck.
You do get used to it after a while though :)
ANY WAYS...back to my phenomenon. When it gets hot the flies get to be extremely abundant....so the spiders come in to help balance things out.
They are orb weavers. And they were a sight to see I gotta tell ya.
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| Just like out of a horror movie....this was looking under from one side of the dock to the other. |
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The grasses that surround the lake and rocks were blanketed with these webs and spiders.
There were thousands and thousands of them.
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| Once out on the edge of the lake, away from the flies and the spiders and this stagnant 100 degree dry heat, there was a lovely breeze that cooled us down. |
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| And of course. there were rocks to throw. for the next hour. |
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| Spencer trying to see the brine shrimp |
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| A slurpee was the perfect way to cool down. |
As a former arachnophobe....I have to admit....this was even freaky for me.
