Kodachrome Basin State Park: truly a love story


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KANE COUNTY — Hollywood has made a lot of money putting love stories on the big screen. But no movie was ever made about Bob and Mira Ott.

Probably because no screen would be big enough.

"We were married in ‘51, and this year we've got 64 years," said 81-year-old Mira, who still gets around without much of a problem. “We have differences of opinion, but he's still my very best friend."

They were high school sweethearts at a time when that meant something.

"And I hated him because he teased me too much," Mira said with a laugh. "But I sure do love him.”

Oh, it could've been a blockbuster, maybe with the film title "Lifelong Lovebirds of Kane County.” But, no. Their love was destined for something bigger — some place bigger — to fully explain how rock-solid their marriage is.

"That's what it means to us: everything, this place. It’s special,” said Bob, age 84.

He was talking about Kodachrome Basin State Park in Garfield County.

"We tell the public, sometimes, that it's the closest they can get to heaven,” Bob said.

A lifetime of love

He and Mira started spending time together at Kodachrome well before it became a park in 1963 — before tourists required paved roads and RV-hookup campsites.

"We started from scratch; cleared the grass, the weeds, the brush. But as kids, we would come out here on field trips, and that's what got us started out here,” Mira said.

It became a lifetime of adventure.

Bob and Mira built trails, named many of the rock formations, and even built and ran a small store in the park.

"Oh, goodness. We just had lots of good times, lots of good times,” said Mira, looking at the old wooden store.

Bob and Mira Ott talk about their love for Kodachrome Basin State Park in Kane County. The state park was formed in 1963, but the Ott's love story with the land goes back much further. (Photo: Mike DeBernardo, KSL-TV)

It broke their hearts when they knew it was time to sell.

“It was difficult," Bob said. "But, you see, we're in the shade of a hundred (years old)”

Mira could barely speak when asked about what the store means to her.

"That's how much I love this place. I can't talk,” she said through tears.

That store is still in the park, though, run by different owners.

“We still come to the park often, but we don’t usually stop at the store because we don’t want them to think we’re looking over their shoulder,” Mira said.

However, she doesn’t mind sharing some of the stories during her time here — like the one about the time a young woman kept saying how excited, and nervous, she was to visit Salt Lake City.

"She just kept asking me about it, and I said, 'Why do you want to go to Salt Lake City? Have you been there before?' (She said,) 'No, but I want to see a Mormon and their horns,'" Mira said. "I got right up and said, ‘Look at me, look at me. I'm a Mormon. Do I have horns?’ She was really surprised,” Mira laughed.

Preserving the legacy

Those stories and the history of the park should never be forgotten. That’s why the new park manager listens whenever he meets up with the Ott’s.

"I've been a manager here for eight months,” said Jon Wikan, whose family is also from the area. “The scenery here is unbeatable, bar none. Between the people and the scenery, what more could you ask for of a place?”

Wikan enjoys telling visitors about hiking in the rock formations or camping under the "stove pipe" spires.

Mira Ott talks with Jon Wikan, park manager at Kodachrome Basin State Park in Kane County. The state park was formed in 1963, but the Mira and her husband, Bob, have loved the land much longer. (Photo: Mike DeBernardo, KSL-TV)

He also loves the story about how Kodachrome Basin got its name. Members of the National Geographic Society came here, saw the colors, and compared it to the popular Kodak film at the time. The name stuck.

“Sometimes when I’m out in the park, I get upset when I forget my camera, because the colors and the scenery change all the time,” Wikan said.

He loves telling those stories, but the deeper stories — well, 61 years’ worth of them — take time.

"They're treasures to us, memories,” Mira said.

"And the public, they can witness the same experiences if they come out here and spend some time and walk in the back area,” Bob said. “They will love it like we do.”

Contributing: Mike DeBernardo

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