The Spiral Jetty

Utah is an odd place. The same remoteness, natural resources, and beauty that attracted the Mormon pioneers has attracted environmentalists, explorers, adventurers, and artists and all have had an impact on the landscape. Robert Smithson was one of those taken with Utah's unique characteristics and came here in the 1970's to build his Spiral Jetty on the north end of the Great Salt Lake.

Shortly after it was built, the Spiral Jetty disappeared under the lake and didn't re-emerge until 2002 when I was first thinking of moving back. I've long been intrigued by it but didn't get the motivation to actually visit it until Saturday.

It's a rough journey down 16 miles of dirt road from the west side of the parking lot of the Golden Spike National Historic Site which isn't exactly on the beaten path itself. It was well worth it though for the sheer bizarreness of the setting and the beauty of the work.

It's also one of the rare places where dogs and art can mix. Izzy was a bit disturbed by the environment, but Boo seemed quite inspired by the work. He normally despises any sort of body of water, but he waded straight through the water to the center of the spiral before walking back to shore.