Introduction

I happen to have had the opportunity to drive by this very interesting lake a couple of times. The first time was on my drive from New York to California, and then from California to Colorado. It looks very pleasant and if the camera captures the lake with the sky just so, it is truly remarkable. I cannot say the same for the smell. It is pretty horrific if you ask me, so my suggestion is to definitely bring a clothespin to place on your nose if you happen to want to go sightseeing in the area. As with all my posts, my photos are original and my own work. Come along with me on a short tour of Great Salt Lake.

If you ever wondered what a pair of white Converse looked like next to a clear stinky lake, here you have it. I thought the contrast was pretty special in appearance. If you can see that little white mound sticking out of the lake, you guess it correctly that it is salt.

Geology of Great Salt Lake

The Great Salt Lake ("GSL") is the remains of Lake Bonneville, a freshwater lake of the Pleistocene era around 75,000-7,250 B.C. The GSL is the largest body of water between Michigan and California, it also is the largest salt lake in the western hemisphere.

The lake is fed by many streams originating from the mountains. The high salinity is caused by minerals and no water flow out of the lake and water evaporation. The valley surrounding the lake holds deposits eroding from the mountains and these deposits have filled the valley thousands of feet deep.

Depending on the year the surface of the lake can increase or decrease. For instance, in 1962 the lake elevation was 4,192 feet above sea level and in the 1980's the lake reached an elevation of 4,212 feet. The area has been used by the First Nation for centuries as hunting and fishing grounds. Europeans caught sight of the lake in 1703 by Baron Lahontan. During 1776, an exploration of the area by Dominguez-Escalante produced the myth of a river that flowed from the Pacific Ocean to the GSL. This alleged myth was a verbal communication between the First Nation and the Dominguez-Escalante crew, which a map was drawn up for evidence.

Many years passed until Jim Bridger reportedly saw the lake in 1824 and in 1826 a group of trappers spent some time researching the lake, purportedly concluding that there was not a river flowing from it to the Pacific Ocean. In 1843, the Fremont expedition searched for a river flowing west to the Pacific, and concluded that the lake occupied part of a great basin which had no drainage to the sea.

By 1845, the first Mormon pioneer party reached the GSL and Brigham Young accompanied by other leaders visited the lake. By that same year the GSL was supplying salt to settlers.

Conclusion

The high salt content of the lake has made it unusable for swimming, but very resourceful for collecting brine shrimp for fish food. There have been the occasional resorts like the Saltair from 1893 until 1930's, but none have stood the test of time. Currently, people like to sail on the GSL and collect minerals for health products, or just drive on by to enjoy the amazing scenery. So, if you would ever like to test buoyancy this place is a great prospect, definitely a photo-op moment. Peace.

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Camera: iPhone 6+
Photographer: @eaglespirit
Date: 2015
Location: Utah

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