Ephraim Canyon--Keebler

This is the seventh post on Ephraim Canyon Trails. The Keebler Trail is newly cut this year. Please view the other posts before venturing there. Here is a good website with great photos:  thank you Utah Mountain biking. We parked at the Willow Creek Road trailhead and rode part of the Templar Trail, then .2 mile on the main road to the Mirkwood Trail.  About .2 mile in, there is a signpost marking the Keebler trail.  More photos coming on future rides.

https://www.trailforks.com/trails/keebler-trail/

Goes between the Lake Hill Campground road and the Mirkwood Trail.  .7 miles one way.  95% soft dirt, 5% slightly gravel.  Deep Forest Factor=excellent

 

Photos don't do the forest justice.  Gorgeous deep forest.  There won't be much fall color here.  For that, ride the lower trails.

The trail is designed for bikes, but horses are allowed.  Be considerate and don't ride if it's muddy.

This is looking down off the steep drop off, but you certainly can't tell.

Nice view looking north.  Mount Nebo and Timpanogus are visible.

Yep, this is a great ride.

Sign posts at the top...Lake Hill road

Parking at the Willow Creek Road Trailhead...newly gravelled.

Place to rest at the "top" next to the Lake Hill road.

View of Ephraim and the Sanpete Valley.

The following photos are courtesy of Utah Mountain biking.

Turn off from the Mirkwood Trail.

Fairview Canyon--Cottonwood Ridge

 

We picked the perfect weather and timing for this short, easy ride. We rode it on October 20, 2022. It includes expansive vistas on all sides of mountains and valleys.  Apparently, our ride was just days after sheep and cattle left and before the deer hunters arrived.  Not another person or vehicle.  We had it all to ourselves.  There were some empty camp trailers. 

To get there, go up Fairview Canyon.  Google directions to "Cottonwood Ridge."  Turn into the Skyline Drive Parking area and proceed up Skyline Dr. about a mile until the sign shows up.  There is parking at the pullout there.  

We parked a little closer to the gate/cattle guard.

View of the gate and roadway with the cattle guard.  We had to open the fence gate to get the horses through.  An option is to drive over the cattle guard and park anywhere after that.

Track for the day:  4.6 miles round trip. About 700 feet elevation gain.

 Trail is mostly a well defined two track with options to ride around through the trees.  90% dirt, 10% slightly rocky.  We turned back when the trail got REALLY rocky as we approached Pine Crown Peak.

This is an interesting geological formation we call "The Wall."  Made of solidified

 mud from the "Great Flood".  You can even spot fossils if you look closely.

On "top" we found some lovely evergreen forest.

Lots of aspen, some still with color.

Looking  towards Skyline Drive

View of Pine Crown Peak

Ephraim Canyon~~White Pine

A short, but nice trail a little further up Ephraim Canyon.  Probably best in July through September.  We rode on August 4 and there were still a few wildflowers left.  This IS a biking trail that is probably used quite a bit on the weekends.  We were there on a weekday and didn't see anyone else but a woman hiking with two dogs at the intersection of FS road and the trail.  I like the deep forest of evergreen and aspen.  I like the small water feature that provides enough for the animals thirst.  I like the soft, dirt trail and the peace and quiet. I do like the nice place to park, even though it catches the dust from passing vehicles. I don't like the washboard, dusty road for 1.2 miles.

The yellow arrow shows a turn out for parking.  Enough room for a couple of rigs.  Another option to park is the pink arrow with a clearing and dispersed camping area.  To reach this pullout, go past the turnoff to Lake Hill. (the paved road stops). Drive about 1.2 miles further.  It is about 1/4 mile past the hairpin turn.  If you reach the Great Basin Station, you have gone too far.  The photo below shows the pullout parking area.


 We weren't too sure about the access road, but it looks do-able with a trailer.  This is shown in the photo below.  It is steeper than it appears.  The photo is an optical illusion.  The road actually goes downhill.

This is a third parking option.  Not pointed out on the map, but easily seen from the pullout parking.

Our track for the day, August 4, 2022.  About 4.7 miles total. My GPS was being "crazy", but it shows the general track.  The side trek to the left was a "wrong" turn.  When the two track gets to a "Y" intersection keep to the right.  Follow the bike tracks, not the two track.  We ventured on the " wrong trail" encountering multiple log falls and eventually we could go no further, so we turned back to find the "right" trail. In looking at the map I realized we had gone on the wrong side of the meadow and pond.  The elevation is around 8,300' to 8,800'.  Trail conditions= 95% dirt, 5% slightly gravelly or rocky.

Our track on August 9, 2022.  2.6 miles. We explored the short dirt road that went to Cottonwood Creek and saw the beginning of the Pioneer Trail.  We cut the ride short and did not go down the Pioneer. 

The two track going through what looks like a popular dispersed camping area.

If you reach this across the trail, you are on the WRONG one.

This shows a portion of the small streamlet.  It is only 6 to 12 inches wide, but the water is clear.

Once we got on the correct trail it was smooth riding.  It is 98% downhill with quite a grade, but not too bad.  It provided a fun ride back up and gave the horses a great workout.

Looking at the old pipeline aquaduct that goes over Cottonwood Creek.

The dirt road back from Cottonwood Creek.

This is where we turned back on August 4.  It is at the confluence of the White Pine and Pioneer Trails and FS road 1105.   

Little streamlet.

This is almost back to the trailer.