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| Crest road and Big Baldy |
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| Big Baldy summit |
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| Maple Canyon |
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⦁ The best way to see this range is to run the crest road with a 4wd or dual sport cycle. The road is easy 4wd when dry except for a rubbly section north of Wales but that can be bypassed. Use an app like peakbagger to view topo maps. There is a Verizon signal and so sat images are available too. Part of the southern section goes thru private land but passage is allowed. It's all cattleguards but for one gate on the whole crest road. Get cracking before the land owners change their minds. Wales has no gas but Levan and Fountain Green do. Posted 2021.
⦁ CREST ROAD - I got on it just north of Gunnison at mp 1.2 on highway 28. At 3.3 miles in there is a crude road going left to the NE saddle el 5900 of THE CATERPILLAR. It's a short but steep walk to the summit at N39 13085, W111 48622. A higher summit NE of the saddle might also be a part of The Caterpillar. Another 1.3 miles up the crest road is a main fork that leads to Mellor Benchmark el 6672. Go right and stay on the main road for 1.7 miles then an easy 4wd road goes up the south ridge for nearly 2 miles to survey junk at 14160, 45936. The crest road took me thru private land to a fork at 22641, 45514 el 8300. Left is the crest road and it goes about 11 miles to the main road connecting Wales to Levan. It's easy 4wd. Going right at the fork takes you into the southern Maple Canyon and down to the west side road. Near the mouth there are power lines going up a side canyon. A good road goes up that canyon for about 7 miles to towers on Barton Peak el 8457. A gate at 20194, 46257 el 8100 might be locked but there were no signs against walking the last mile. Some of this goes thru private land but that wasn't gated. That road also goes thru the Maple Canyon WMA where an easy 4wd road goes NE for a bit over a mile to peak 7008. There is a camp spot there with a hell of a view. The crest road goes on north less than a mile to the south ridge of BIG BALDY el 8775. It's an easy walk up the ridge. The next peak of interest is BIG MOUNTAIN el 7900+. Mostly smooth FR1024 departs the crest road at 28518, 41948 and goes nearly 5 miles to it with shady camps at the end.That's a good looking grassland out there with no cattle. A white point below the end of the road has a view into an abyss. Another road departs the crest road at the same spot as FR1024 and it goes 2 miles to peak 7775. Both roads are good for ebikes. Next, the crest road comes to FR101 that connects Wales to Levan. The crest road continues north as FR69 but 8 miles north of FR101 is a rubbly stretch that's tricky for two wheelers. It's better to bypass by dropping to Wales and coming back up in Maple Canyon on FR66. That's better scenery anyway. There is a safe looking pipe spring along FR101 at 29031, 40813 el 6850. The crest road goes past MORONI BENCHMARK then peak 9548 also has a road. The crest road goes on to the east ridge of the SALT BENCHMARK el 9997. It's a short walk to the reg at 39886, 44590. Then retrace nearly 5 miles and go down Log Hollow. The best water I saw is Cool Spring there at 37071, 42501 el 9050. The road goes on down to highway 28 at mp 44.8. Posted 2021.
⦁ MAPLE CANYON is a mecca for climbers and it's hard to find a camp spot. The trails are shown on the topo and there is a map at the TH. I hiked up the middle fork then came down the left fork but that fork is overgrowing at the upper end. I made it in shorts OK but take a machete and chainsaw to be on the safe side. It took 3 hours. There is a parking fee but it ain't used for trail maintenance. BOX CANYON is another attraction here but I skipped it. Posted 2021.
⦁ HORSE HEAVEN MOUNTAIN el 8475 has a fire break and game trails up the NW ridge. Take 100 South out of Levan to a dam a half mile downstream from the Chicken Creek Campground. Walk across the creek below the dam and then up an ATV trail for half a mile into Maple Hollow. Start up the ridge at N39 31832, W111 46829 el 6300 and keep going up the ridge to 30757, 47753 el 8200 where you stay low left of center to avoid a thicket. Return to the ridge at 30670, 47620 el 8400 then on to the cairn at 30671, 47500. Nearly 5 hours, 2500 gain, rarely steep. Some light brush for now. But like rust, brush never sleeps so get cracking while you can. The campground is free but covered with cow shit. PIGEON CREEK is the next canyon to the north but it's sunny and boring and even more cow shit. Posted 2021.
⦁ PEAK 8360 is SW of Horse Heaven Mtn with towers on it. Take highway 28 south from Levan to mp 26.3 and follow a smooth road for nearly 6 miles to the summit. Cars make it half way then it's too steep. DEEP CREEK is on the north side of the peak. A good road starts at mp 26.5 and goes 4 miles then it's an ATV trail on to the crest. Some good camps are along the road and no cattle. Posted 2021.
⦁ CEDAR HILLS HIGH POINT el 8040 has an easy 4wd road to the east saddle el 7260. Drive out of Fountain Green on the graded Big Hollow Rd to the 4wd road at N39 39529, W111 33281 el 6500. It goes 2 and a half miles to the saddle and is ebikeable. Then hike up the east ridge staying left around some scrub. It tops out then go left 300 feet to survey junk at 37874, 32600. 90 minutes, 800 gain, some light brush near the summit. Posted 2021.
