Utah Places: Butterfield Canyon

Another monument to mans insatiable appetite for metal ore, and an indomitable will to dominate the earth. This view is the Bingham Canyon overlook, reachable by traversing the Butterfield Canyon Road from Herriman up to the saddle, then turning north for a further short distance.

Butterfield Canyon is a lovely glen in the sprawl and squalor of cities that have sprung up across the west of the Salt Lake Valley in the last thirty years. After many years of decrepitude, the canyon was the recipient of extensive reclamation efforts by its principal property owner, the Kennecot Corporation. The area is now a show place and a delight to the eye year-round.

Bikers and peddlers love the harsh grades and switchbacks. It makes a nice picnic drive for a weekend afternoon too.

Links:

Bikers
Bikers
4wd

Utah Places: Virgin River

The Virgin River cuts across southern Utah like a meandering giant knife. It leaves deep scars across the land from its passage as it carries the burden of silt and rock ever southward. Some of the scars of passage have left behind the most fascinating chronicle of passage. Twisting and tortuous, the Virgin River Gorge guides the north/south avenue of Interstate 15, which many travellers pass over, never stopping to consider how the passage was crafted. One grain at a time, the river has worn away at the rock an eaten the river bed down. The wind and rain have worked their part. Every bright sunbeam in the merciless heat, all the long nights of frost and freezing, even geological disturbances like fault shifting and earthquakes have done their work on this twisted, alien moonscape, producing such a blasted hades of rock and sand that even desert-adapted struggle for a bare foothold in the most inhospitible barren spots. Not even hardy lichen venture onto these rocks in the savage, baking heat of the full sun.

The easiest way to see the marvel of desolation is from the comfort of your air-conditioned car. For the hardy and boot-leather restless, try the Virgin River Recreation Area campground as a base of operations. Hosted by the BLM, it is virtually empty all year round, and give convenient access to explore the marvelous desert surroundings.

While you are there, take note of the fact that you are within the region now known as the ¨Arizona Strip¨, so notorious among those who battle against the raging wildfires that spring up in the area so frequently.

Utah Places: Wasatch Mountain State Park

You can make a free and beautiful traverse between Salt Lake Valley, Heber, the ski resorts, and Park City. All summer long. Not many use this road, and its a good thing. It summits over Guardsman’s pass, and there are trails connecting in every direction, including connections from American Fork Canyon, Heber Valley, Cascade Springs, and other locations along the Wasatch. The roads are only good enough for light traffic, but ideally suited for vehicles like the 4runner. A more spectacular vista of the skyline all around cannot be found anywhere. Be sure to wear cold weather gear -- its always cold and windy up here.

Good place for a Sunday afternoon drive to look at wildflowers. All the side canyons along the way compete for the best.

More info here.

Utah Places: Forest City

A ghost story. In Utah. This one is sadly all true.

Read r the Wikipedia entry about the mining town of Forest City, Utah.

It makes good reading, especially for those not well informed about infuenza epidemics and what effect that had before widespread public immunization.

If you're really going to go to all that trouble, find out about some of the serious 4wd trails around Mineral Basin and Pittsburgh Lake. There are a few that are real challenges! They are all good fun, and most of the Utah 4 wheelers are a bunch of wussies who cry if they see a scratch in their paint. But if you can get past that, and are not above stacking a few rocks to compensate for not having lockers you can crawl with the best of them!

The guys in the YouTube video make a big deal about a few rocks, but it's really not that bad of a trail, especially travelling in such a big convoy.  I've always gone by myself, of course.  Lots of fun.

The paint and the rockers on the 4runner have no reason to save anything anymore. And Ruth, you would not believe what kind of punishment I have put those tires through. Don't worry about flat tires.

You should see some of the places I have driven at Topaz Mountain. You would not want your boots on that kind of terrain! The 4runner cruised over it at 5mph, with no problem.

Utah Places: Silver Flats Reservoir

Not only is this a beautiful place, but not many come here. It is isolated enough that the fishing pressure is light, so you can always count on catching a few, enough to have a good feast around the fire at night. It's just on the limit of alpine splendor, which is why I have always liked it. And the long history of American Fork Canyon has always fascinated me, which is another reason I kept going back there so many times.

There are some good hikes and 4wd or ATV trails above here. Be careful, though. Not maintained, any more. Some of them are washouts. Some are dead ends. Some are just plain dead drops a thousand feet to no where.

One day, soon after I bought my brand new 4runner, I was having the time of my life following old mining roads above silver flats high in the mountains. The trails were a thrill because many of them were so very steep, I could not see the ground of the downhill side of the mogul past the end of the hood. Looking out the windshield, all I could see was empty space in front of me. Then, the front end would roll over the hump and down, and I could see down the next hill.

This was very fun, and I was following tire tracks, so I thought it was relatively safe, driving it alone without anyone to spot. Then all of a sudden, I came to what appeared to be another mogul that gave me a very funny feeling. I stopped well short, and walked up to the top to look over. It was not another mogul at all!

I was standing atop a tailings dump, that emptied down a sheer cliff!

At least 1000 feet below me were the ruins of an old pickup truck and assorted other old machinery long since abandoned and tossed over the precipice. If I had followed the leading wheel tracks a few more feet, afraid my momentum would have carried me over that ledge.

Am I better off today? I am not so sure, but I am mighty relieved that my trusty 4runner was not hurt!

Utah Places: Alpine Loop

There isn't a photo that does any part of it justice. The entire loop is a tour of magnificence, either direction you approach from, the Alpine side, or the Sundance side.

 A Profusion of Wildflowers

 Wyethia

Timapnogos is the crowning centerpiece throughout the drive. Around every corner there are sights and scenes of wonder to behold.

 Epilobium

Every season the tableau changes. From spring to summer through fall, there is never a day that the scene is the same. The road closes sometime early in the winter, whenever county snow plows can no longer push their way safely through the deepening drifts. Then they abandon the road until next spring to the ski touring and snow machines.

The mountain itself is so loved and so popular, there are hundreds of attractions on the sides and within the near vicinity. I will only list a few of the less visited and rarely known. The others, you can find yourself as you wind around the foot of Timp, working your way over that venerable old shoulder.

Utah Places: Temple Mountain

The upper San Rafael Swell is every bit as bit as beautiful to me as say, Zion Canyon. But in different way. Temple Mountain is good example. Home to ancient desert dwellers from ages past, now somewhat trashed by uranium mining, and continued erosion by jeeping and 4wheeler, ATV and mountain bikes and motocross bikes rip the place. But haunting beauty still looms through the dust. And many lovely canyon hikes of everlasting splendor are within a stones throw.

Temple Mountain

 

Pictographs near Temple Mountain