Saturday I woke up and no plans so I loaded the CanAm on the trailer and went for a ride. Being a very short notice of going I was going solo, not what I like to do but escape was more important at the time. Packing up lunch and other necessities I was on the road quickly. Driving up Spanish Fork Canyon I was going on a recon mission to see what damage had taken place in one of my favorite canyons and stream that runs through it.
Arriving at the designated parking area I unloaded and readied the Outlander for the trail ride. I was on the trail in just a few minutes and up the first grade to the railroad tracks and then into the canyon. Getting on the trail I changed my mind for the first part of the morning and decided to take a trail that I had wondered about but never taken. Trail 117 cuts across the creek and up out of the canyon and follows the powerline. I followed it until I saw a small spur trail marked as 310 open to ATV and Motorcycle traffic only.
I took it. Never been up here so it was a fun exploration. The first part of the trail was a little rutty and off-camber but not bad at all. I cruised through the first section of the trail as it passed through the meadows of the valley floor and made its way through the sagebrush and grasses. As I ascended up the first hill the flora changed from sagebrush to Juniper and Pinion pine, Utah cedars. The next uphill section was a little steeper but still a straight shot with a little bit of riprap. Climbing the flora continued to change and became a mixture of Pinion and fir trees. The change was nice to see and the fire hadn't reached this area. Each hill crest brought new vistas and views of the canyons and mountains surrounding the area. Great views of the southern Wasatch front with Birdseye Peak, Loafer Mountain, and Mt. Nebo along with the rest of the Manti LaSal mountains.
The next hill was significantly Steeper and longer with a couple of steps along the climb. The Outlander handled the challenge without missing a beat. Cresting the top of this hill climb brought even greater views of the landscape and bigger pines. The next hill had a step that was more challenging. This step made me think about how to get over it, my first attempt was a fail, a quick backup and reangle to the rocks and the Outlander crawled over it. After clearing that small challenge the next hill in view was looming. It was steep, off-camber, and loaded with steps and riprap. I slowly approached this next climb with much angst.
As I approached the bottom section of this climb I could tell that this was going to be the end of the trail since I was alone and even with other folks I'm not sure I would attempt it. This hill was extremely off-camber and lots of loose riprap with steps throughout. I slowly approached the climb and made the determination in a wide spot in the trail to turnaround. I made the turnaround in a sketchy spot but again the Outlander handled the situation without a problem, me on the other hand had severe puckerage happening....lol.
Turned around, I made quick time to return to trail 117 and then back to the original trail I had planned to run, Trail 725.....that will be another report coming soon.
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