Deep Creek Mountains, June ’14

I originally posted this trip report on ExpeditionUtah in June of 2014.  I’ve received so much feedback on this trip report, I decided to re-post it here on my personal blog.


The seed for this trip was planted in my mind last August. When I read that a legal settlement had resulted in the re-opening of several historic routes in the Deep Creek mountains.

A snippet of the press release: “Under the settlement announced Monday by officials for Utah and Juab County and a number of environmental groups, the federal government agreed to reopen Granite Canyon, Toms Creek and Trout Creek roads in the Deep Creek Mountains.”

Good enough for me! Subsequent research and phone calls to the BLM and Juab county revealed that the new routes wouldn’t be opened until June 1, 2014. So, I put it on my calendar and bided my time.

Last Thursday, after confirming with the BLM that the gates were in fact now open, it was finally time to go! So after work I pointed the Jeep’s hood west and let the old pig roar on I-80 for Wendover. From there I headed south towards the turn off for Ibapah and Gold Hill.

First stop was to check out the old Indian caves right off the main road there. I know of half a dozen other similar caves in the vicinity that also show signs of ancient occupation. Strange to think about it – but this area was more densely populated ten thousand years ago than it is today.

Two caves right here, with the larger one showing little sign of occupation. But it’s aspect makes it drafty, it’s not hard to see why the Old Ones preferred the smaller cave to live in.

Cave occupied by Indians 8,000 to 10,000 years ago
Cave occupied by Indians 8,000 to 10,000 years ago
Indian cave near Ibapah
Indian cave near Ibapah

It’s been a good ten years since I last looked in this cave. It had pot hunter digging then. This time, the old pot holes were loosely filled, but there were a few new ones to take their place. Pot hunting seems quite popular in this little cave…

Pot hunters holes in floor of cave
Looters holes in floor of cave

From there I passed through Gold Hill, heading south towards Overland Canyon. I took a short side trip to snap a couple pictures of Clifton along the way.

Site of Clifton ghost town
Site of Clifton ghost town

Next stop, the Canyon Station ruins at the mouth of Overland Canyon.

Canyon Station Pony Express station ruins
Canyon Station Pony Express station ruins

Then it was south past Callao and west again along Tom’s creek up Tom’s canyon.

Approach to Tom's Canyon
Approach to Tom’s Canyon

Callao is in the distance below in this pic.

Tom's Canyon road, Callao in the background
Tom’s Canyon road, Callao in the background

Tom’s canyon is an absolute gem! The road has just enough steepness and obstacles to make a short wheelbase and low range welcome and to make you pay attention to your line in spots. It was a fun drive. As with every other canyon I’d visit on this trip, the creek was running full and filling the entire canyon with it’s roar. The scenery fantastic. I saw nobody my whole time spent in Tom’s canyon.

Old cabin in Tom's Canyon
Old cabin in Tom’s Canyon

 

Tom's CanyonI stopped to camp for the night just short of the gate that had just been opened, near the creek and an old cabin. A thoroughly delightful camp spot!

Campsite at old wilderness study area boundary in Tom's Canyon
Campsite at old wilderness study area boundary in Tom’s Canyon
Beautiful camp spot
Beautiful camp spot

 

I made a small fire and roasted brats over it for dinner before sipping a bit of the Irish and enjoying a cigar before bed.

Sundowner and cigar
Sundowner and cigar

 

I didn’t use a tent on this trip, sleeping on my cot under the stars all three nights. Next morning I headed further up canyon, past the previously closed gate, to see what I could see.

Newly re-opened WSA boundary gate in Tom's Canyon
Newly re-opened WSA boundary gate in Tom’s Canyon

You can only go about another 1.5 miles after the old gate, but it sure is a pretty 1.5 miles! The whole canyon is just fantastic. Tom’s was one of the highpoints of the whole trip and the canyon I’d pick to camp in again if I had to choose from all I visited on this trip.

View of upper Tom's Canyon
View of upper Tom’s Canyon
End of the road in upper Tom's Canyon
End of the road in upper Tom’s Canyon

 

From the top of Tom’s canyon I backtracked to the foothills and took a turn up a rough Jeep trail that goes up the next canyon to the north – Middle canyon. The trail was tight and rough, obviously rarely travelled by anything larger than a SxS.

It eventually ends in a saddle overlooking Scott’s Basin. That’s where I wanted to take a hike this morning to see what I could see. Some pics from down in Scott’s Basin.

Hiking Scott's Basin
Hiking Scott’s Basin
Stream in Scott's Basin
Stream in Scott’s Basin

 

I knew there was supposed to be petroglyphs somewhere in the basin and I wanted to find it, so once I got to the area with the most likely looking boulders, I started searching the rocks for art. I found a couple small petroglyphs, but then after about an hour of searching I came on a fantastic pictograph panel. I’d heard nothing about pictographs here and certainly nothing about a nice big panel. Totally unexpected!

Pictograph panel in Scott's Basin
Pictograph panel in Scott’s Basin
Closer view of rock art in Scott's Basin
Closer view of rock art in Scott’s Basin
Snake pictograph
Snake pictograph

While I was checking out the rock art, I became aware of a loud humming, or buzzing sound in the background. Having heard similar sounds a few times before, I figured there must be either a very active beehive nearby, or… Yup, something dead.

Fresh mountain lion kill
Fresh mountain lion kill

A VERY fresh lion kill. Couldn’t have been any older than the night before. It hadn’t started to smell bad yet, was still moist and juicy and the eyes still had a fair amount of clarity in them. Probably from that same morning, only a few hours old. Shame I hadn’t arrived in time to see old long tail filling his face with deer!

Mountain lion kill site
Mountain lion kill site

From there, it was a long steep hike back to the Jeep. Then a rough drive back down to the main road, where I stopped in some shade at the Callao CCC campground for lunch.

Callao CCC campground
Callao CCC campground

 

After lunch I headed up Indian Farm Creek canyon just for grins. It’s stupendously rough and beautiful, with plenty of places to flex out a Jeep if you are so inclined. Some good camp spots near the mouth of the canyon too.

An old building of unknown to me purpose near the mouth of Indian Farm.

Approaching Indian Farm Creek Canyon
Approaching Indian Farm Creek Canyon

 

A rock shelter, with more pictographs inside.

Rock shelter with pictographs inside
Rock shelter with pictographs inside
Pictographs inside rock shelter
Pictographs inside rock shelter
Rock art inside rock shelter
Rock art inside rock shelter

 

Next up was Granite Creek.

Ever think you’d see this? Done by the BLM no less?!

WSA boundary in Granite Creek, removed by BLM
WSA boundary in Granite Creek, removed by BLM

 

It’s the old WSA boundary/barricade. Previously cemented in, looked like forever, but it’s down now!

Stream crossing in Granite Creek Canyon
Stream crossing in Granite Creek Canyon
Barrier still in place blocking access to Camp Ethel
Barrier still in place blocking access to Camp Ethel

Still about another mile and a half short of Camp Ethel. You can see the downed timber behind the barricade. I walked up it about half a mile, it’s in bad shape aside from all the downed timber. Will take some resources and some work to make it passable again. I’m purely guessing that based on what I read about the legal settlement, this part is on Juab county. Hopefully they are able to get ‘er done so people can drive the rest of the way up.

Anyway… The road veers right at this barricade, crosses the creek and dead ends in a nice little meadow. I decided to camp there for the night. Some pics of camp and some of the views from there.

Camp in Granite Creek
Camp in Granite Creek
Reading material for the evening
Reading material for the evening
Camp coffee kit
Camp coffee kit
Granite Creek camp site
Granite Creek camp site

The next morning I headed back down and then over and up again to check out Trout Creek canyon. Tons of cool stuff around there. Too much to list of show pictures of it all. But here’s some of it.

Stone cabin
Stone cabin
Trout Creek placer mining ruins
Trout Creek placer mining ruins

 

Tiny bucket line
Tiny bucket line
Trout Creek ghost ranch
Trout Creek ghost ranch
Ghost ranch
Ghost ranch
Ghost ranch
Ghost ranch
Stone and pole structure
Stone and pole structure
Old bottle
Old bottle
Inside ranch headquarters
Inside ranch headquarters

Then it was time to head back down towards the town of Trout Creek for lunch.  For lunch, I stopped in at Barbara Mumm’s bed and breakfast, where she made me an enormous cheeseburger on the grill and fed me all the farm fresh deviled eggs, potato salad and fixings I could stuff down my gullet.

Mumm's Bed and Breakfast
Mumm’s Bed and Breakfast

 

Good stuff! Then I took advantage of the very reasonably priced gasoline to give myself a comfortable fuel cushion and continued on my way.

Heading up Pleasant Valley draw.

“Junk Mail” box in Pleasant Valley Draw

Pleasant Valley was pleasant enough, but kind of tame, so when an obscure two track heading up a side canyon beckoned, I took it. Turned out to be a good call – the side canyon was incredibly beautiful. Huge, fantastically shaped boulders, greenery and wildflowers of every description in absolute profusion.

Plus this little gem of an unexpected find.

Unexpected cave, showed evidence of long occupation
Unexpected cave, showed evidence of long occupation

One of the more unusual caves I’ve come across. It’s kind of like just a big hollowed out granite boulder. The fire black on the roof speaks of countless fires. The Old Ones lived here for sure and the old timers of more recent times put it to good use as well. There’s a little natural vent hole above the modern fire ring.

Signs of recent use
Signs of recent use

 

I tried heading cross country from there on faint two track but ran into posted private ground and had to turn back to the main road in Pleasant Valley, which I continued on up to my destination for this last night of the trip – Blue Mass.

Been to Blue Mass quite a few times before, just a very pretty area to hang out for an evening. Bunch of pics from the area and camp on this the last night of the trip.

I call the rock on the right Finger of Fate, I'm sure the locals have another name for it
I call the rock on the right Finger of Fate, I’m sure the locals have another name for it
Blue Mass ghost ranch
Blue Mass ghost ranch

 

Long abandoned cabin, Blue Mass
Long abandoned cabin, Blue Mass
If boots could talk
If boots could talk
Finger of Fate in the background
Finger of Fate in the background
Cozy camp site for the night
Cozy camp site for the night
What my camp typically looks like, everything I need for a good meal and a great nights sleep
What my solo camp typically looks like, everything I need for a good meal and a great nights sleep
Glorious morning at Blue Mass
Glorious morning at Blue Mass
Old ranch house in morning light
Old ranch house in morning light
I remember when that roof looked better
I remember when that roof looked better
Current occupants
Current occupants
Rock chuck just getting out of bed and yawning
Rock chuck just getting out of bed and yawning
This old building has held up well
This old building has held up well
Must have been quite the place in its day
Must have been quite the place in its day

Sunday morning I was up and the Jeep was rolling towards home by 6:30am. I headed out via Tippett and Ibapah, taking the road through the Goshute res just because I was feeling so good.

Totally uneventful trip home, nothing more to report.

– DAA

 

 

 

Summary
Exploring the Deep Creek Mountains
Article Name
Exploring the Deep Creek Mountains
Description
Exploring newly re-opened routes in the Deep Creek Mountains.
Author
Publisher Name
Coyotestuff.com
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8 thoughts on “Deep Creek Mountains, June ’14”

  1. Another great trip report. I’ve spent a bit of time in this area. Backpacking when the roads were closed. Deep Creeks are a magical place. You show some pictographs I haven’t seen, but don’t show some I have seen! Need to get out there again.

    1. Thanks Dan! The Deep Creeks really are a very special place. I’ve spent quite a bit of time out there the last couple of years, but I still need to get out there some more!

  2. Dave,
    Hope things are well with my friend. Sure like your pics of the deep creeks, as I was looking and reading I could remember camping In Some of those actual spots.
    I took two of my kids when they were little and stayed right by that old cabin in Toms.

    We caught a mess of Bonneville cutthroats and cooked them on a willow rack, put a little salt on em and had a great dinner before going to bed.

    Been so busy working haven’t been out and about for months. We need to plan an outing.

    Best,
    Garry

  3. I’m continuously amazed at all that Utah has to offer ! Each time I review one of your trips I get envious. I have got to make the trip. Thanks for sharing. Great pics as always.

  4. Great review! However the ghost ranch comments made me sad! My family built those ranches, and I can tell you the history of those forgotten people. The cabin is called Bobcat Ranch, and had a Hermit vet that lived in it till the early nineties. The upper cabin was part of the Henroid Ranch, and still had people living in it the eighties. I am glad you enjoyed my home. Few people get to see the gem in the dessert.

    1. Wow! Thank you so much for sharing that! I’m always thirsty to know the heritage of these areas. I have asked a few people living in Trout Creek and Gandy about it but they didn’t know. The Henroid Ranch is a name well known in the area. Bobcat Ranch. I like it!

      Anything you are willing to share about the history and heritage, anytime, I’m grateful to listen!

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