Timpanogos trails, Boulder Mountain, and Hell's Backbone Grill

My time in Utah was filled with lots of new riding. Every time I rode this trip I explored something new.

As usual I sought out new sections of the Great Western Trail. This trail weaves through the heart of the mountain west, and through my whole life of riding. Many of my western adventures include a section of the GWT. Ticking off a new section of this trail is a time-honoured tradition for me when I come to Utah. 

This is nice single track off of Mt. Timpanogos above Orem, UT. After riding these trails for many days, I embarked with friends on a ill-fated tour in which the plan was to go south on the Great Western Trail and other roads down to Boulder, Utah. Things did not work out but it was really fun anyhow. You can read and look at pictures of it here.

After our failure to launch, my friends skiWill and Ben camped north of Joe's Valley reservoir in a high mountain valley where we rode for an afternoon:

After riding some casual single track and seeing up close the Southern Skyline drive section again (the far ridge in the above picture), we were more psyched than ever to come back next year for a real bid on the Trans Utah route.

A few days later my wife and I and baby went down to southern Utah to the Escalante area, where I got to recon more of the GWT. 

The trail reached to the high mountain of Boulder Top, which reaches upwards 10,000+ feet. The trail I chose turned gamey and I played around in this meadow. 

I returned down in time for reservations at Hell's Backbone Grill, which is the best restaurant on the planet, and even better because it is perched on the cusp of the Escalante Grand Staircase, which is varied echelon of tan, to brick, to deep red sandstones carved from the Escalante river. The Family and I camped and hiked there for several days and escaped to this dream world. Its difficult to express how great this place is, but here is picture:

 We saw many (50 or so) bike tourists who were linking up Capitol Reef National park, Boulder mountain, and the Escalante. I envied them so, and my wife and I vowed to go on a tour with Imogen as soon as we are able.

The restaurant sources much of its meat from local ranchers, and vegetables from its own organic farm that's just down the road. I ordered the pork chop with stonefruit barbecue sauce---the best porkchop I've ever had. For desert I had the bread pudding made with molasses bread and apricots.

Ridge Trail: Great western trail, American Fork, Utah section

I just got back home from my three weeks in the west. My goals while over there were many, the most important was to see my brother in the bay area get married. But personally, after a year in the flat cold of eastern Canada, I wanted to reconnect with my friends and the western mountains that I love. Over the years of living in Utah, one persisting quest that emerged was a goal to ride as much as I can of the Great Western Trail (GWT), specifically the Utah section.

The ride here I planned to take from alpine loop pass, separating Sundance canyon with AF, and traverse the Ridge Trail north toward the Tri-canyons associated with the Salt Lake City section that I and everybody has ridden too many times to mention. The ridge trail section, on the other hand, is seldom ridden, or hiked that I can tell. Most people in Utah valley are motorized. With my sea-level lungs, my father-in-law dropped me off at 8,600 feet.

Everything was slow except my heartbeat. Through the aspen glades and single track. I hike-a-biked over motorcycle rutted loose climbs soaking in the mountain environment, riding where I could. I was home. My plan was to try to ride into the Tri-canyons and find a friend to drive me back to Utah valley where I was staying. But plans are just that. After hiking up terrain to rugged to ride in Mineral basin, looking up at the Snowbird tramdoc at 11,000, a mile or two, and many hours away, I decided to turn back at the 5hr mark and ride home.

The Great Western Trail: Salt Lake to Boulder--The Gauntlet Thrown Down

I am throwing down the gauntlet. I've been researching and compiling a Great Western adventure. The last one was Mantua to Layton on the worst of possible game trails (see link on sidebar). This new version starts from Salt Lake City and heads into the mountains on single track trails, ATV paths, four-wheel drive roads, and gravel roads, all the way to Boulder, Utah. The route should take 4-5 days with two resupply points.

The first leg of the tour goes through the northern Wasatch via Mill Creek canyon to the Crest, over Brighton and down into Provo Canyon, back up to the southern Wasatch at Vivian Park through motorcycle paths. Camp somewhere in the mountains and head over a pass and down on forest service roads to cross highway 6 at Trucker, Utah (ghost town), and then south on the famous Skyline Drive (see below Google Earth image).

Ride the Skyline drive till you want to camp somewhere, and ride it the next day for about 100 miles, till you meet the fork for the Great Western Trail ATV (GWT) route. Take the route down a huge elevation drop till you run into I-70 and ride about 10 downhill till you are out of the mountains to the town of Salina, Utah. At Salina get a motel, buy a whole pie for yourself at Mom's Cafe, and watch crappy cable TV for as many days as your legs need. When you are ready, head back into the mountains via the I-70 frontage road till you meet back up with the GWT. Head south east on the GWT ATV trail network for 80 miles or so till you roll into Teasdale, Utah. Rest. Go south of Teasdale on 4wd roads up Boulder mountain to Donkey Reservoir and take various forest service roads and trails that rim Boulder mountain till you drop down onto the highway 12 and ride it out a few miles to the Hell's Backbone Grill in time for dinner.

There are a few mystery sections that sources say there is a trail/road there, but I could not spot it on Google earth. And there looks like there are two passes that may include some helacious cross country bushwhacking for a mile or so. More research needs to be done. I have already ridden about 1/4 to 1/3 of the route, and for some of the other places I have a good sense that they are going to be great riding. From Boulder, one could easily ride on Hell's Backbone road all the way to Escalante, and from there keep going on the recently devised Trans Utah Escalante to St. George route listed on bikepacking.net and the brainchild some St. George riders at 2-epic.com.