SMA PLT PENETRATES RESTRICTED AREA PRIOR TO ESTABLISHING CONTACT.

Narrative

ENRTE VFR DIRECT FROM ALBUQUERQUE; NM; TO TWIN FALLS; ID; WE PENETRATED THE RESTR AREAS W OF SALT LAKE CITY WITHOUT CLRNC FROM THE CTLING AGENCY. WE HAD CONTACTED CEDAR CITY FSS WHEN PASSING OVER THAT FACILITY AND ASKED IF THE RESTR AREAS WERE 'HOT.' FSS ADVISED US THAT THEY WERE COLD. ABOUT 50-60 NM S OF THE RESTR AREAS WE CONTACTED SALT LAKE APCH FOR RADAR FLT FOLLOWING. WE HAD BEEN TRYING TO CONTACT THEM EARLIER BUT WERE UNABLE DUE TO OUR RELATIVELY LOW ALT. WE WERE FLYING LOWER THAN NORMAL BECAUSE OF STRONG HEADWINDS. AFTER ESTABLISHING FLT FOLLOWING WITH SALT LAKE APCH THE NEXT XMISSION FROM APCH WAS TO CONTACT CLOVER CTL. CLOVER CTL INQUIRED ABOUT OUR ENTRY INTO 'HIS' AIRSPACE. WE RELATED OUR CONVERSATION WITH FSS AND CLOVER CTL TOLD US TO PROCEED TO OUR DEST. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF: 1) FSS HAD TOLD US TO CONTACT CLOVER CTL. 2) SALT LAKE APCH HAD ADVISED US ABOUT THE AREAS. 3) WE HAD INQUIRED ABOUT THE RESTR AREAS WHEN ESTABLISHING CONTACT WITH SALT LAKE CITY ATC. 4) WE HAD CONTACTED CLOVER CTL PRIOR TO ENTERING THE AREAS. MY COPLT AND PARTNER WHO WAS OPERATING THE RADIOS SAID HE HAD CALLED CLOVER CTL WITHOUT RESPONSE AND WAS MONITORING CLOVER CTL'S FREQ 134.1 FOR ACTIVITY PRIOR TO OUR ENTRY IN THE AREA.