EE2
2 >>TTHE
H E CCITY
I T Y ≥» TTHURSDAY,
H U R S D A Y , MMAAYY 116,
6 , 22013
013
TTHE
H E SSALT
A L T LLAKE
A K E TTRIBUNE
RIBUNE
E
DUCATION
EDUCATION
H I K E O F TTH
H E W E E K •» SSPPO
OO
OKY
H
G
U
L
C
H
G
H
National pastime alive
and well in the Avenues
Gamesmanship •»
Gamesmanship
League organizers
organizers say
say
League
they strive
strive for
foraafeeling
feeling
they
ofmutual
mutualrespect.
respect.
of
By NICHOLAS
NICHOLAS J.
J. PAPPAS
PAPPAS
By
Specialto
toThe
TheTribune
Tribune
Special
On May
May 11,
11, the
the Avenues
Avenues
On
baseball league
league held
heldits
itsannuannubaseball
al Diamond
Diamond Day
Dayfundraiser,
fundraiser,
al
an event
event used
used to
toraise
raisefunds
funds
an
to sustain
sustain the
the league
league and
and to
to
to
celebratethe
thenational
nationalpastime.
pastime.
celebrate
With more
more than
than 200
200 playplayWith
ers ages
ages55to
to 12,
12,the
theleague
leagueisis
ers
one of
ofthe
the oldest
oldestand
and largest
largest
one
in the
the state.
state. In
In aa state
state that
that
in
prides itself
itselfon
on outdoor
outdoor activactivprides
ities,children
children have
have aaplethoplethoities,
ra of
ofchoices
choices during
duringsummer
summer
ra
break. Baseball
Baseball is
is one
one that
that
break.
makes each
eachchild
child the
the star,
star,orormakes
ganizers say.
say.
ganizers
"From the
the time
time the
the batbat“From
ter steps
steps up
up to
to the
the plate,
plate, ununter
tiltheir
theirat-bat
at-bat isisfinished,
finished,the
the
til
gameis
isall
allabout
about them,”
them," said
said
game
Luke Smart,
Smart, board
board member
member
Luke
ofthe
the league.
league. “Every
"Every eye
eye fofoof
cuses on
on the
the batter
batter and
and evevcuses
eryone holds
holds their
their breath
breath as
as
eryone
the pitch
pitch races
races toward
toward the
the
the
plate."
plate.“
With many
many team
team sports,
sports,
With
the game
game can
can be
be decided
decided by
by
the
the best
best players.
players. One
One athletathletthe
forwardcan
cantake
takecontrol
controlin
in
icicforward
socceror
orbasketball
basketballwhile
whilethe
the
soccer
other kids
kids stand
stand and
and watch.
watch.
other
The Avenues
Avenuesbaseball
baseball league
league
The
makes itit aapoint
point that
that every
every
makes
playergets
getsan
anopportunity
opportunityto
to
player
bat, giving
givingparents
parents aachance
chance
bat,
to cheer
cheeron
ontheir
theirchildren.
children.
to
One parent,
parent, Salt
Salt Lake
Lake
One
County Mayor
Mayor Ben
Ben McAdMcAdCounty
ams, has
has enrolled
enrolled the
the newnewams,
est recruits
recruits to
to the
the league,
league,
est
his 7-year-old
7-year-old twins
twins and
and
his
PHOTOS BY
BYSCOTT
SCOTTSOMMERDORF
SOMMERDORF | The
TheSalt
SaltLake
LakeTribune
PHOTOS
Tribune
Left»
Homer Riva-Cambrin,
Riva-Cambrin, 8,
8, excitedly
excitedly runs
runs onto
onto the field
field as
he and
and his
his Alligators
Alligators team
team are
are ininLeft
• Homer
as he
troduced. The
TheAvenues
AvenuesBaseball
Baseball League
Leaguekicked
kicked off
off its
its season
season on
on Saturday.
Saturday.
troduced.
Right»
Players on
on The
The Avenues’
Avenues' Sharks
Sharks team
team listen
listen and
and sing
sing along
along as
astheir
their manager,
manager, Sean
Sean BarBarRight
• Players
nett, sings
sings“Take
"TakeMe
MeOut
Outto
to the
the Ballgame”
Ballgame" before
before the
the first
first game.
game. Salt
Salt Lake
Lake County
County Mayor
Mayor Ben
Ben
nett,
McAdams threw
threw out
out the
the first
first pitch.
pitch.
McAdams
4-year-old son.
son. While
While the
the
4-year-old
boys still
still participate
participate in
in SatSatboys
urday morning
morning soccer,
soccer, they
they
urday
have already
already warmed
warmed up
up to
to
have
the league,
league, spending
spending their
their
the
free time
time practicing
practicing throwthrowfree
ingin
in the
the yard.
yard.
ing
"So many
many kids
kids these
these days
days
“So
have opportunities
opportunities to
to do
do
have
individual things
things — video
video
individual
games, playing
playingon
onthe
the InterIntergames,
net, spending
spending time
time on
on their
their
net,
cellphones," McAdams
McAdams said.
said.
cellphones,”
"This is
isan
anopportunity
opportunity to
to get
get
“This
outside, be
be active
active and
and learn
learn
outside,
to socialize
socialize and
and rely
rely on
on and
and
to
count on
on your
your peers.”
peers."
count
Commissioner Bart
Bart Cocke
Cocke
Commissioner
approached McAdams
McAdams to
to
approached
throw out
out the
the first
first pitch
pitch at
at
throw
the Diamond
Diamond Days
Days celebracelebrathe
tion, an
an honor
honor the
the mayor
mayor
tion,
gladly accepted.
accepted. While
While he
he
gladly
joked that
that he’d
he'd prefer
prefer to
to have
have
joked
oneof
ofthe
themachines
machinespitch
pitchfor
for
one
him, his
his pitch
pitchsailed
sailed smoothsmoothhim,
lyacross
acrossthe
the plate.
plate.
ly
At aa glance
glance
At
TheAvenues
Avenues baseball
baseball league
league isisopen
opento
to all
all children
children ages
ages
»» The
to 12,
12,with
withthe
theleague
league split
split into
into four divisions. There is
is
55to
alsoaaPony
PonyLeague
League for
for players age
and 14.
14.
also
age 13 and
Donations remain
remain important
important for
for league
league growth.
growth. Field
Field
»» Donations
rental costs
costshave
havegone
gone up
up from
from $450
$450 last
last season
season to
to
rental
more than
than $2,100
$2,100 this
this season.
season. The
Thecost
costper
per child
child ranges
ranges
more
from $65
$65 to
to $105
$105 for
for the
the season.
season.
from
Any questions
questions or
or information
information requests
requests can
can be
be directed
directed
»» Any
to Bart
Bart Cocke
Cocke at
at [email protected].
[email protected].
to
"I was
was happy
happy to
to do it,”
it," McMc“I
Adams said.
said. “The
"The kids
kids are
are rereAdams
ally enjoying
enjoying it,
it, and
and it’s
it's aafun
fun
ally
opportunity to
to meet
meet and
and get
get
opportunity
to know
know some
some of
ofour
our neighneighto
bors."
bors.”
While the
the recent
recent death
death of
of aa
While
Utah soccer
soccer referee
referee has
has made
made
Utah
national headlines,
headlines, the
the AveAvenational
nues baseball
baseballleague
leagueremains
remains
nues
committed to
to sportsmanship.
sportsmanship.
committed
In any
any sport,
sport, even
evenwith
with young
young
In
kids, competitive
competitive energy
energy is
is
kids,
unavoidable,
but
Smart
feels
unavoidable, but Smart feels
the attitude
attitude in
in the
the league
league is
is
the
one of
ofmutual
mutual respect.
respect.
one
"In the
t h e end,
end, we
we shake
shake
“In
hands and
and congratulate
congratulate each
each
hands
other because it’s
it's all
all about
about
other
the kids,”
kids,"he
hesaid.
said.“That’s
"That's why
why
the
we do
do this,
this,we
wewant
want the
the kids
kids
we
to develop
develop their
their skills,
skills, learn
learn
to
to compete
compete and
and build
build their
their
to
confidence, but
but above
above all
all we
we
confidence,
just want
want them
them to
to have
have fun.
fun.
just
And they
they do.”
do."
And
[email protected]
[email protected]
Spooky Gulch is
is aa short
short
Spooky
but intensely
intensely narrow
narrow slot canbut
yon in
in Grand
Grand Staircase-EsStaircase-Esyon
calante National
National Monument.
Monument.
calante
greatarea
areafor
for hikers
hikers of
of
ItIt isisgreat
all ages,
ages,but
butyou
youmay
maywant
wantto
to
all
stay out
out of
of the
the narrows
narrows ifif you
you
stay
are claustrophobic
claustrophobic or
or of
of sizsizare
able girth.
girth. Watch
Watch for
for snakes.
snakes.
able
Getting There
There •» The hike is
Getting
near Hole
Hole in
in the Rock
Rock Road,
Road,
near
which isiswell-signed
well-signed just
just southsouthwhich
east of
of Escalante
Escalante on
on State
State
east
ERIN ALBERTY
ALBERTY | The
The Salt
Salt Lake
Lake Tribune
Tribune
ERIN
Road 12.
12.Check
Checkat
at the
the Grand
Grand
Road
Staircase-Escalante Visitors
Visitors Center
Center to
to check
check road
road conditions
conditions bebeStaircase-Escalante
fore departing.
departing.
fore
Travel 26
26miles
milessouth-southeast
south-southeast on
on the Hole
Hole in
in the Rock Road.
Travel
At 26 miles,
miles, you
you will
will take
take Dry
Dry Fork
Fork Road
Road northeast.
northeast. ItIt curves
curves left
left
At
after about ½
Vi mile;
mile; shortly
shortly after
after that, take
take the
the left
left fork in the
the
after
road. After
After another
another mile,
mile, the
the road
road ends
ends at
at the
the parking
parking area
area and
and
road.
trailhead overlooking
overlooking Dry
Dry Fork.
Fork.
trailhead
Directions •» From
From the
the parking
parking area, cairns
cairns lead
lead you
you northeast
northeast
Directions
down across
across aahalf-mile
half-mileor
orso
soof
ofslickrock
slickrockto
to the
the sandy
sandy wash
wash of
of Dry
Dry
down
Fork. You
You may
mayhave
haveto
to pick
pick your way down, as
as the
the cairns
cairns aren’t
aren't
Fork.
always easy
easy to
to spot.
spot. Almost
Almost as
soon as
asyou
youreach
reachthe
theflat,
flat, sandy
sandy
always
as soon
area you
you will
will see
seethe
themouth
mouth of
of another
another slot
slot canyon:
canyon: Peek-a-Boo.
Peek-a-Boo.
area
There are
are handhand-and
and footholds
footholds carved
carved up
up the
the rock
rock into
into the
the canyon
canyon
There
mouth. By
Byall
allaccounts,
accounts,this
thiscanyon
canyonisiswell
wellworth
worthaastop
stopto
to explore.
explore.
mouth.
To get
get to
to Spooky Gulch, continue
continue east
east in
in the
the wash
wash about
about 0.7
To
mile to
to a flat,
flat, sandy area. The
The mouth
mouth of
of Spooky Gulch is
is to
to the
the
mile
north. IIexplored
exploredabout
aboutaaquarter-mile
quarter-mile of
of the canyon, which
which
north.
extremelynarrow
narrow and
and dark.
dark. At
At some places, you may
may have
have
isisextremely
to turn
turn sideways
sideways or
or walk
walk on
stopped and
and
to
on your
your knees
knees to
to pass.
pass. II stopped
turned back
back at
at a
a short
short climb
climb because
because II was
was eight
eight months
months pregpregturned
nant. ItIt isn’t
isn't aa difficult
difficult climb,
climb, though,
though, and
and the
the slot
slot canyon
canyon contincontinnant.
ues
a
short
ways
farther
before
it
opens
up.
ues a short ways farther before it opens up.
ErinAlberty
Alberty
– Erin
12
12
Esca ante
Escalante
Petrfied
Petrified
Forest
Forest
State
Park
State Park
Detail
Detail
area
area
Hole in
in the
the
Hole
Rock Rd.
Rd.
Rock
Trailhead
Trailhead
Source: Google
Google Maps
Maps
Source:
Dest nat on
Destination
H k ngtime
t me
Hiking
Round tr p miles
m es
Round-trip
E evat on gain
ga n
Elevation
Dfficuty
Difficulty
Slot canyon
canyon
Slot
hours
33 hours
miles
33 miles
315 feet
feet
315
Easy
Easy
Low point
point 4,654’
4,654'
Low
Start 4,954’
4,954'
Start
MILES
00 MILES
Tra head restrooms
restrooms
Trailhead
Dogs allowed
a owed
Dogs
B kesallowed
a owed
Bikes
Fees
Fees
0.5
0.5
1
No
No
Yes
Yes
n/a
n/a
No
No
4,950'
4,950’
1.5
1.5