The University of Utah Block U

The University of Utah’s giant Block U is a very prominent feature that can be seen from pretty much anywhere in the valley. It’s not so much of a hike as it is a short jaunt but it is kind of cool to see. I have absolutely no interest in sports, particularly college football, but like I said you can see it from all over the valley so it’s cool to come get up close.

From what I can tell, you can actually drive right up to this, but I stumbled upon another blog that accessed it from Tomahawk Dr. Since we had just done the Limekiln which is off of Tomahawk, we figured we would just do that.



Quick Details:

Length: .35 miles out and back.
Difficulty: DR2. Paved.
Elevation Gain: 42 feet.
Restroom: No.
Dogs? Yes, leashed. Please clean up after your furry friends.
Other Info: Be sure to stay on the path and mind the surrounding private property.

To Get Here:

From downtown, take South Temple east to Virginia St. Turn Left. This road will start winding up the mountain. Turn right onto Chandler Dr, and another right onto Tomahawk Dr. Take this to the end. Be sure to mind the no parking signs and not park in the circle.

To skip the short walk, take Virginia St to Popperton Park Way. Then switchback up the roads from there.

The Trail:




At the end of Tomahawk Drive there will be a circle. You can’t park anywhere in the circle so will have to park just before it on the road.



There is an old road between these properties that provides access to the road that the Block U is located on. Lots of scary signs about private property, but I think that really the gist is, stay on the path and don’t veer into peoples yards.



Its a nice wide path at least.



The path will eventually pop you out onto New Bedford Dr. And you can just start seeing the U.



We made it. It’s freaking HUGE!



Unfortunately they are trying to restore the vegetation so you can’t go walk on it right now. That is a little disappointing, but oh well.



Information sign.

First constructed at this site: 1905
Fabricated in Concrete: 1907
Light added: 1969
Rebuild with new concrete, lights, and erosion control: 2006

It lights up when there is a game, and will flash if the U wins. It says athletic events, and does not specify football. I mentioned sportsball isn’t really my thing but I have only noticed it lit up during football season. Maybe I am mistaken.

The blog I read claimed this was the 2nd block U and the 1st in Utah. From what I can find on wikipedia, this is actually the 3rd block letter. The first was built in 1904 an L representing Lahainaluna High School in Hawaii. The 2nd was the UC Berkeley C in California created in 1905.
It ‘s a little fuzzy here, but from what I can tell BYU planned to build a BYU block in 1906, and then decided to reduce it to the Y. But, U of U beat them and erected theirs first the following year, so it is the first block letter in Utah. But the sign says 1905. But it also says there was a long tradition of painting it, so maybe wikipedia went by more permanent dates. I guess that matches the Fabricated In Concrete date.

The Y, at 380 feet tall is taller than the U at 100 feet tall.



The U again.



The view below.



View from across the street.



One last look.



Walking back down the road you can see a bit of downtown peaking out.



I like seeing the leaves work their way down into the snow. This happens because the darker colors absorbs more heat.



Back on the little pathway between properties.



A look at the mountains.



Working our way down the windy roads, another view of downtown (PSP).



There are some weird sculptures on this property. I thought it might be Popperton Park, but it appears to be a private residence. Not sure if you can visit the sculptures.

Well, that's not really much of a hike but it is still coo to see such a prominent feature up close. Still not going to rate it.

As for difficulty, Like I said I am pretty sure you can drive right up to it, which would be a DR1. Or you can do what we did and it’s all paved with little elevation gain so DR2.

Dogs are allowed, leashed. Please clean up after your furry friends.

The Limekiln In Limekiln Gulch

There is a wonderful historical building located along a short trail above the university of Utah called The Limekiln. This 150+ year old building was used to dry out lime to make different products which were used for building construction, and other uses. We’ve explored here before, but it had been a while and we had recently hiked to the saddle up above it via Dry Gulch so I wanted to come back and see them.



Quick Details:

Length: About a half mile out and back with the option to keep going.
Difficulty: DR3. Easy peasy
Elevation Gain: 173 feet
Restroom: No.
Dogs? Yes, leashed. Please clean up after your furry friends.
Other Info: Keep in mind this is a historical monument and do your part in preserving it.

To Get Here:

From downtown, take South Temple east to Virginia St. Turn Left. This road will start winding up the mountain. Turn right onto Chandler Dr. and then another right onto Tomahawk Dr. Drive about 400 feet and look for the trailhead to the left. It is between houses.

The Trail:



The trailhead is right next to the private driveway. Be sure to stay off the private property. If there are no tracks, follow strait back from the dog waste station.



Not far back you will see more signs to keep you on the right path.



Into the scrub oaks.



I made a panoramic to show the snowy south slopes, and the dry north slopes.



Before long you will see the limekiln up on a short hill.



You can either climb up here, which really isn’t that bad, or you can go around and approach from the back. We decided to go easy, and add the short distance around.



From the front.



Snowy to the south, dry to the north. Also, that saddle is the one we hiked to a few weeks ago from Dry Gulch just on the other side of the ridge to the right.



Now we’ll swing back towards the limekiln.



Fun tree tunnel.



I love this cool old building.



The whole thing.



The valley below. At least we got up above the funk.



The saddle again.



Information sign. This thing was built in the 1850’s! They would layer lime and wood in the ovens then burn the wood which would dry out the lime to be used in buildings and other uses.



Inside the leftmost chamber. Unfortunately the thoughtless college students still find a way to trash them even with all the grates and fences.



The next chamber.



The next.



The right most one.



You can see where it connects to the chimneys in this shot. 2 ovens per chimney.



Front and side view.

A short but somewhat steep climb will bring you to the top.



The base of the chimneys. I guess they originally went higher but they decided not to restore them.



Snowballs at the bottom of the hill.



Only maybe.. ~20 feet or so higher and the view of downtown is significantly better.



We could have gone down the short way, but meh, it was such a short trek we decided to take our time. However, neither of us was in the mood to keep going to the saddle today. Maybe another time.



Passing by the front again.



Winter is a fun time to play: 'Is that dark shape a nest or a critter". It’s usually a nest, but sometimes its a porcupine like we saw on the Wild Rose Trail.

Wow, that was a lot shorter than I remember it being, I wanted something shorter and easier but maybe not that short. We decided to check out the nearby Block U. afterwards.

Super, super short trail, pretty darn easy even with the snow. And you get to see a really old piece of history! And as I mentioned you have the option to continue up to the saddle, and if desired you can make a loop by going down Dry Gulch. Going with 9 squirrels today.



As for difficulty, it is super easy to get to the Limekiln DR3. If you decided to continue up I would probably bump it up to a DR4.

Dogs are allowed, leashed. Please clean up after your furry friends.

Butterfly Biosphere At Thanksgiving Point

Thanksgiving Point has so many neat things to go see. Right now they have a new attraction called the Butterfly Biosphere. From what we can tell it is a limited engagement February - March, we all agreed they put so much into it that it has to be a permanent feature. Time will tell. Anyway, my Mom heard about the new exhibit and mentioned she wanted to go so I thought, we should bring her out to this. It was actually a lot cooler than I was expecting so I am glad we went. Last time we were here we did the Ashton Gardens Tulip Festival and that was pretty cool, so I thought this might be as well.



Quick Details:

Cost: $20 Per Adult. $15 Per Child or Senior. Children Under 3 are free.
Hours: Monday - Saturday 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Reservation Required: Yes. There is limited room so tickets should be purchased in advance.
Additional Information: Dress lightly! It is 80 degrees and 60% humidity in there.
You cannot touch them, but they might land on you. If you want to increase the chance of that, wear bright colors. We noticed they seemed particularly attracted to blue.
If your child is afraid of flying insects, this is not a good choice. The amount of terrified children we saw swatting at these beautiful butterflies was a little upsetting.

The Adventure:



The Thanksgiving Point water tower. The exhibit is right next to this, so pretty easy to find on the large grounds.



Butterfly Biosphere! This is exciting.



Tarantula.



Scorpions.

Okay, the main room they let us in to, appeared to be it. We were very disappointed for a minute because we were expecting an open experience and so far all we can see are these tiny little enclosures and some climb toys for kids. Were were not at all impressed.

Then Landis noticed a glass wall in the back… Oh! There’s the butterfly exhibit! There is a sign at the top of the ramp that says no strollers, no coats. I was a little surprised by the coats deal. It’s to prevent a spot for the butterflies to hide out in, oh and uh, it’s 80 degrees and 60% humidity in there, you don’t want it, trust me.





There is a short wait on the ramp down into the biosphere where they have a bunch of mounted butterflies and other bugs on display.





Eventually you can see into the biosphere, which actually appears to be a giant greenhouse.





Here you start seeing some of the butterflies you will get to enjoy.



I love the colors on this one.

I noticed that they appeared to only let the same number of people in, as the number who came out, so they obviously have a limit to # of humans inside. This is probably a good thing.

Eventually it was our turn and we, and the family behind us were lead to a little airlock style room, basically no direct access into the biosphere. in one door, and it must be shut before the next door is opened. Very similar to how they did it at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium. This helps ensure no escapes, although it is not perfect as we had a last minute addition to our group of a guy who had a butterfly attached who had to go back in to release it.

Anyway, there is a short little spiel about the rules. Watch where you step, you can’t touch them, but they might land on you. If they do land on you and you don’t like it, don't swat at them, shake your clothes, etc. Then we were allowed inside.





There is a little handout to help identify the butterflies.

*The handout is very helpful but there are lots of factors that come into identifying butterflies and variables including sex, and alternate morphs. I tried to identify as many as I could, but don’t take my word for it. I am fairly confident in the Blue Morphos, Giant Owls, and the underside of the Malachite's, but the rest… eh, not so much.



These were my second favorite ones of the day, and one of the more common in the biosphere, the Blue Morpho.



Here is what the top side looks like. So pretty!



I think there are some butterflies here that are not on the handout. But this one might be the Julia Butterfly, I’m not sure. The wing shape doesn’t seem to match.



A look into the biosphere. They really have created a jungle in here. It’s incredible.





I love the eyeball on this ones wing. This is the Giant Owl Butterfly, named for the giant owl eyeball.



I guess they like oranges.



More of the cool Giant Owls.



Another pretty guy. This one has similar color patterns to the hummingbird moths I saw on Mount Van Cott. I’m not 100% sure, but I think this is a female Great Mormon Butterfly.



Its impossible to get a shot of them flying, but I like the colors here.





A couple of black butterflies. Again, not 100% sure but I believe these are different male morphs of the Great Mormon Butterfly. Bottom one I am a little more confident about.



A bunch of Giant Owls hanging out on the waterfall. I am kicking myself for not getting a picture of the orchids they had growing on the waterfall. I was more interested in the butterflies at the moment. But the orchids were pretty.



Pretty flowers.



Another feeder bowl with a couple of the Blue Morphos.



A little closer to his face.



I think this is a Malachite Butterfly, named after the color of the stone.



I believe the top guy is a zebra longwing and the bottom is a golden longwing.



An open malachite. These guys look like the swallowtails we have seen on local trails like Ferguson Canyon. Although, now I am realizing swallowtail covers 550 different species. I’m not 100% sure which one I typically see around here haha.



The butterflies are just.. everywhere!



Grecian Shoemaker.



If you catch one of the Blue Morphos in the sunshine it is practically magical. They shimmer!



In flight.



Mom and I both really liked this flower but it didn’t have a sign, so I’m not sure what it is.



I think this is the top side view of the Giant Owl.



I love the purple coloring, but can’t seem to find a match for this one on the handout.



Another Malachite. This one shows off the malachite stone color (green) on the wings better.



Not sure what this one is.



Another pretty one I cant identify.



More pretty flowers.





Golden Longwing open and closed.



This very damaged blue morpho shows a good example of what the top and bottom look like.



Another Grecian Shoemaker.



Not the best shot, but these were my favorite. that splash of red against the black is just amazing! Of course, it doesn’t match anything on the handout, and again, not 100% sure, but I think this might be one of the female morphs of the Great Mormon Butterfly.



Popular corner.



Probably the best in flight shot I caught all day.



Not so great, but it does show the shimmery look of them in the sunlight.





Open, closed.



I just love these black as ink ones.

I think this is one of the female morphs. I have gone into the wikipedia rabbit hole trying to identify some of these butterflies and learned a fun fact. Great Mormon butterflies are from Asia, and are not at all located anywhere near here. yet, they are actually named after Mormons. The females have 3 different morphs, so the name is a reference to the old multiple wives things Mormons used to practice.



Another one.



Oh cool! They even have cocoons!



Some recently opened ones.



I didn’t notice any labels until now. Attacus Atlas, that’s the Atlas Moth. I wonder if they will have those, or if these are not living. I would love to see an Atlas Moth, those things are huge!



More cocoons.



OH my gosh! We actually got to see one emerging! How cool is that!



More of the pretty flowers.



The pond and waterfall. One of the workers informed us there is a turtle in there somewhere named Soup. Unfortunately the water was too murky to see it.



Some more of the giant owls. I didn’t think I caught one open today, but I guess I did.





Couple more.



Landis got a little friend.



Then this guy got a friend. They really seem to like blue.



Another decent face shot.



I think this is another morph of the Great Mormon.



Pretty flower.



Pretty guy on a pretty flower.



Pretty flowers.



These ones are called crown of thorns.



Okay I think this is the flying shot of the day.



More pretty flowers.



Another malachite.



Another malachite showing the top side.



I think this one is the Halloween Butterfly, but I’m not sure. The wing shape wants me to say it’s one of the longwings.



I liked these plants too.

Well, we were having fun but had just about enough of the heat and humidity. So we decided to move on.







More of the pinned butterflies.



Giant beetle.



Pretty display.

There actually quite a bit more fun stuff for the kids to enjoy, but since we didn’t have any today we decided to skip those.

After a tour through the gift shop, we stopped by the on site cafe for dinner. The burgers were actually really good, and not too expensive. So, even though there are now a ton of food options around here, no need to leave the complex to get something good and affordable.



The water tower at night.



The Museum Of Ancient Life. I’ve been meaning to come check that out some time. I think I will try to do that this year.

That was a LOT cooler than I was expecting! It was so awesome to see all the butterflies flying all around us, I particularly enjoyed the larger ones, and all the vivid colors. The biosphere is also beautifully landscaped it was really cool. We all had a wonderful time and I would consider making a return trip. 9 out of 10 squirrels.




As for difficulty, it was paved. There was a staircase, but also a ramp so I believe it is ADA accessible, at least through the biosphere. DR2.

It should be obvious, but dogs are not allowed.