Utah West Desert Wonders and Beauty

[roverrocks]

Spent five days in November 2014 exploring byways, backroads, and easy two-tracks in and amongst the mountains ranges, desert valleys, desert springs, and volcanic wonders of the vast, lonely, beautiful Utah West Desert. Seeking-solitude and exploring the West Desert are synonymous terms. If you can't find off-the-beaten-track solitude in the Utah West Desert then you never will. Here are the two Gazetteer/Atlases one needs with Benchmark being the best plus some pictures of my routes marked in green. Also three pictures of a large settler constructed fort a short distance out of Delta, Utah called Fort Deseret which is crumbling back into the desert after 150 years.

 

[roverrocks]

Utah West Desert Wonders and Beauty cont.

#1-Pahvant Butte (extinct volcano) at dawn.
#2-The deeply eroded volcanic NE face of Pahvant Butte.
#3-South face of Pahvant Butte. The long level middle slope is most probably an ancient bench/beach of prehistoric Lake Bonneville.
#4-A West Desert sunrise on a volcanic plain.
#5-A West Desert oasis. The Clear Lake Waterfowl Management Area.
#6-The terminal point of an ancient lava flow.
#7-Baker Hot Springs 20 miles north of Delta, Utah as the crow flies.
#8-A Baker Hot Springs natural pool of which there are many.
#9-Starting the seven mile easy two-track journey to beautiful Fumarole Butte (extinct volcano) from the north.
#10-Ancient massive lava flows just east of the Fumarole Butte location.

 

[mph]

Nice pics...I need to get out there sometime! Time...Looks a great place to explore!

 

[roverrocks]

Utah West Desert Wonders and Beauty cont.

#1-Getting closer to beautiful Fumarole Butte (extinct volcano)from the north route in.
#2-Beautiful Fumarole Butte. Seven miles in from the north or five miles in from the south. The south route in is very easy.
#3-Beautiful Fumarole Butte.
#4-A remnant of the vanished mining town of Joy, Utah in the Drum Mountains. Mt. Laird at 6,433 ft. is in the background.
#5-A scenic view northward from the vanished Joy, Utah area.
#6-Heading southward on the west side of the massive House Range on a windy dusty day. One soon drops down into the Tule Valley with great views of the House Range just to the east.
#7-The Tatow Knob (8,416 ft) in the House Range.
#8-Swasey Peak (9,669 ft) in the House Range. My wife and I hiked to the top with a friend in 1988. What a view from the top plus Bristlecone pines to behold.
#9-The magnificent western face of Notch Peak (9,665 ft) on the right in the southern House Range. A true landmark of the West Desert from miles in all directions. Myself, wife, and sons hiked to the top from the east eastern side (9 mile roundtrip) in 1999. What a view from the top!!!!
#10-The rapidly setting sun on Notch peak taken from the Tule Valley. One of the truly epic views of the vast West Desert.

 

[1leglance]

Please tell more about the Hot Springs...
I have always wanted to check out remote stuff like that but can never remember when planning a trip. '
Thanks

 

[roverrocks]

Utah West Desert Wonders and Beauty cont.

#1-Part of the northern Drum Mountains in the early morning light a few miles north of the vanished Joy, Utah site.
#2-Famous Topaz Mountain to the north of the Drum Mountains. A view of the south faces of Topaz Mountain. My next destination. A rock hounding mecca.
#3-A closer view of of the south faces of Topaz Mountain and an info sign.
#4-The end of a route near Topaz Mountain from the south. The high ridge in view lies at about 7,000 Ft. There are several routes to the base of Topaz Mountain from different directions.
#5-A southward view back across the Topaz Valley from the base of Topaz Mountain with the Drum Mountains in distant view.
#6-The east face of Topaz Mountain.
#7-Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) dominated white flats along the road northward towards the Pony Express Route and the Dugway Mountain Road.
#8-Going northward along the East Dugway Mountain Road which makes a 27.5 mile loop of the Dugway Range and connects to the Pony Express Route/Road on both ends. Granite Peak out in the Dugway Proving Grounds is to the right.
#9-A northwest view from the northernmost Dugway Mountain Loop Road out into the vast Great Salt Lake Desert.
#10-Another magnificent view out into the Great Salt Lake Desert from this loop road which is well worth taking. The high mountains to the left across the desert flats are the Deep Creek Range. There are a number of side route vehicle trails out into the Dugway Range from this loop road which I did not try out. A number of old mines in the Dugway Range one could explore.

 

[roverrocks]

Utah West Desert Wonders and Beauty cont.

#1-Black Rock Pony Express Station Monument. Granite Peak (7,082 ft) is in the distance between Black Rock and the stone monument.
#2-Entering the Fish Springs NWR from the east along the Pony Express Road.
#3-The Fish Springs Range taken about 12 miles south of the Refuge on the way towards Sand Pass.
#4-Wild horses in the Whirlwind Valley which lies to the east of the House Range,
#5-A scenic two-track route up into the Cricket Mountains which lie 25 miles southwest of Delta, Utah
#6-A spring-fed water trough up in the Cricket Mountains. To the right of the trough is an invasive tamarisk. A terrible pest in the West.
#7-Easy scenic two-track trail up in the Cricket Mountains.
#8-The eastern start of the Gunnison-Black Rock gravel road at it's junction with State Highway 257. Crystal Peak off to the far west is my later destination along this rode and is one of the true wonders of the West Desert. A white beacon amazing to behold.
#9-More wild horses along the Iron Mine Pass Road.
#10-Iron Mine Pass and Road in the northern San Francisco Mountains about five miles off the Gunnison-Black Rock Road. A scenic 15 mile loop that comes off and goes back to the Gunnison-Black Rock Road.

 

[roverrocks]

Utah West Desert Wonders and Beauty cont.

#1-A good view of native West Desert vegetation near Iron Mine Pass.
#2-A scenic view northward of the huge dry Sevier Lake bed taken from the Iron Mine Pass Road. This lake bed is 25 miles long. The high peak to the left of center in the far distance is Notch Peak.
#3-A distant (30 miles) view of Crystal Peak to the west.
#4-Approaching Crystal Peak from the east along the Gunnison-Black Rock Road.
#5-Crystal Peak area from the east.
#6-Crystal Peak (7,106 ft) is a massive white volcanic tuff mountain in the northern end of the Wah Wah Mountains. Estimated to have formed some 34 million years ago and it predates the Great Basin Desert formation and topography. The Peak lies in the North Wah Wah Mountains Wilderness. The Gunnison-Black Rock Road passes over Crystal Pass just a short distance north of this amazing white beacon.
#7-Heading north on the 20 mile long Tule Valley Road between the Gunnison-Black Rock Road and Highway 6/50.
#8-The four mile long Tule Valley Hardpan with the Barn Hills on the left (west) and high Notch Peak fifteen miles to the north.
#9-Going southward on the Blind Valley Road in between the Barn Hills on the left and southern House Range on the right.
#10-Looking back northward up Blind Valley from whence I came.

 

[roverrocks]

Utah West Desert Wonders and Beauty cont.

#1-The southern terminus of Blind Valley. The distant high peak to the left of center is Frisco Peak (9,660 ft) about 30 miles to the south in the San Francisco Mountains.
#2-The site of the vanished settlement of Ibex, Utah in the southern Barn Hills.
#3-A scenic West Desert view up Barn Canyon in the Barn Hills taken from near the site of vanished Ibex, Utah.
#4-A concrete dam on a small canyon runoff drainage at the site of vanished Ibex, Utah in the Barn Hills.
#5-Moonscape-looking scenic peaks on the southern end of the Barn Hills.
#6-Heading west on the Snake pass Road. Gunnison, Utah along the Nevada/Utah border is about forty miles distant.
#7-Heading westward near Snake Pass along the Snake Pass Road. A view of part of the Confusion Range just to the north.
#8-An early morning view of Great Basin National Park in Nevada and interesting wind-blown clouds.
#9-A view of (hard-to-see-in-the-dark-cloud-shadows) Crystal Peak seven miles to the east taken from the Pine Valley Road. Crystal peak is near the center.
#10-Heading eastward on the Gunnison-Black Rock Road with Crystal Peak on the right (south).

 

[roverrocks]

Utah West Desert Wonders and Beauty cont.

#1-Crystal Peak from the northwest with the desert bunchgrasses golden in the morning light.
#2-Looking westward from Crystal Pass. A scenic cold morning in the Utah West Desert solitude.
#3-Heading south into Grassy Cove in the Wah Wah Mountains.
#4-An old burn area on the slopes of the Wah Wah Mountains from the Grassy Cove trail.
#5-Looking northward down Grassy Cove from whence I had come. A scenic West Desert trail through the Wah Wah Mountains.
#6-Coming down the Lawson Cove trail in the Wah Wah Mountains going eastward toward the distant Wah Wah Valley Hardpan.
#7-The Wah Wah Valley Hardpan with high Frisco Peak looming nearly 5000 feet higher.
#8-Going up an easy scenic two track route of ten miles through Long Valley in the Wah Wah Mountains. The route ended near Wah Wah Summit Pass at State Highway 21.
#9-Looking back down Long Valley towards the Wah Wah Valley Hardpan area from whence I came.
#10-Part of the scenic Long Valley trail in the Wah Wah Mountains.

 

[roverrocks]

Utah West Desert Wonders and Beauty-The Last Set of Pictures

The last set of Utah West Desert pictures from November 2014 exploring.

#1-Coming down the Long Valley Trail summit towards the southern Wah Wah Valley floor.
#2-A view of State Highway 21 in between the Wah Wah Mountains and the San Francisco Mountains. This eastward view shows over 11 miles of roadway through the Wah Wah Valley in between the mountain ranges. Vast, very vast country.
#3-A desert virga rainbow while passing over the San Francisco Mountains.
#4-A high mountain pass over the Mineral Mountains northeast of Milford, Utah. Right at the edge of the cloud bank covering the mountains that morning looking eastwards at the sunlit lowlands.
#5-Coming down the eastern slope of the Mineral Mountains.
#6-Traveling northward on an easy two track along the eastern base of the Mineral Mountains. Heading northward towards South Twin Peak which is an extinct volcano.
#7-Interesting volcanic uplands along the way to volcanic South Twin Peak.
#8-The south face of volcanic South Twin Peak rising high above the flats.
#9-Volcanic North Twin Peaks about four miles from South Twin Peak.
#10-An extinct small volcano named Black Rock near Kanosh, Utah.

 

[roverrocks]

Nice pics...I need to get out there sometime! Time...Looks a great place to explore!

The West Desert is an amazing vast scenic area. One can do many visits out there and just scratch the surface of possibilities.

 

[roverrocks]

Please tell more about the Hot Springs...
I have always wanted to check out remote stuff like that but can never remember when planning a trip. '
Thanks

I did not get in the water but the tubs looked very inviting. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...Zjdh44f9tYDDEcQ&bvm=bv.79908130,d.cGE&cad=rja

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...RzMTd8u9SUuoT9g&bvm=bv.79908130,d.cGE&cad=rja

 

[peneumbra]

There are some smokin' hot deals on property in that neighborhood, and just over the line in eastern NV. The only drawback is, it's not easy to get pizza delivered...

 

[SmoothLC]

Beautiful - some great places to explore in the West desert.

Pizza optional.