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Great Western Trail
MAP NO. 3 Tony Grove Creek A trail concept was conceived about 1980 by Utah horsemen, hikers, and the U. S. Forest Service to build a regional trail along the Wasatch Crest. The idea languished until about 1985 when the idea was expanded to create a trail that extended from the Grand Canyon to Yellowstone National Park. Shortly thereafter two backpackers from New York City hiked from Canada to Mexico along this embryonic trail system, and now the Great Western Trail (GWT) is becoming real. In 1991, Chuck Christensen of Alta, Wyoming, undertook, on a mule, the trek from eastern Idaho to the Grand Canyon and since has pushed the idea of an international trail. Previous editions of CACHE TRAILS referred to the Highline Trail as a trail from Emigration Campground in Idaho on IDAHO 36, connecting Mink Creek and Ovid along the top of the Bear River Range to Gibson Basin about 5 miles north of Beaver Mountain. That trail, now the Idaho segment of the GWT, goes through Emigration Campground, Copenhagen Basin, and Green Pass, around Midnight Mountain, and past the top of Paris Canyon, Bloomington Lake, Egan Basin, and Gibson Basin. It is being developed by the Caribou National Forest Service and others as part of the overall GWT. The northern Utah section of the Great Western Trail is a collection of trails through the Logan District of the Wasatch/Cache National Forest. The segments that make up the route of the trail are listed from north to south including some parallel segments to accommodate motorized vehicles. The maps show the relationship of all the segments to each other and the segments ending on FS[245], the Left Fork of Blacksmith Fork Canyon. The fourth map of this group shows the highway connections to the Ogden District but the connections are not described in the text. The main trail segments are:
Sink Hollow 601 Several of the segments making up the Great Western Trail system make excellent hiking and mountain-biking routes with good access points and make nice loop trails or in-and-out trails. The segments can be fitted together from the maps and the explanations of the segments give some trail information. An example is the trail from the LOMIA Campground on FS[081] to Old Ephraim's Grave. It is described under Trail 127 (Ricks Canyon) and Trail 013 (Steel Hollow). Another example, of about 10 miles length, starts at the Beaver Mountain turn-off sign. It follows Trail 605 (Stump Hollow), through Peter Sinks, then Trail 054 (Turkey),about a half-mile of Little Bear Creek to FS[174], then follow the road to the USU Field Station just off US 89. Automobile access points to the GWT are: 1. US 89 at the Beaver Mountain Road UT 243. US 89 at the USU Field Station. 2. FS[007] Temple Fork, Logan Canyon (from US 89). 3. FS[081] Right Fork, Logan Canyon, including Cowley Canyon Road FS[047].
4. FS[245] Left Fork, Blacksmith Fork Canyon (from UT 101). Further information about the GWT can be obtained from the following sources: 1. Uinta National Forest, P.O. Box 1428, 88 West 100 North, Provo, UT 84602. 2. Caribou National Forest, Federal Bldg., Suite 294, 250 South Fourth St., Pocatello, ID 83445. 3. Coronado National Forest, 300 West Congress St., Sixth Floor, Tucson, AZ 85701. 4. Wasatch/Cache National Forest, Regional Office, 324 25th St., Ogden UT 84401. 5. Wasatch/Cache National Forest, Logan District, 1500 East US 89, Logan UT 84321. 601 SINK HOLLOW GWT Map: Tony Grove Creek Distance: 2.8 miles to the Idaho line from US 89 at the Beaver Mountain sign. Grade: 3.5% from the UTAH-IDAHO line at 7490 ft to the sign at 6952 ft. The entrance segment of the GWT is a rather gently sloping road that has been used in the past for obtaining timber and firewood. It is an easy walking trail to Gibson Basin in Idaho. The Gibson Basin access is FS[011] to and beyond the Beaver Creek Campground in Idaho. The Forest Service Visitors Map shows the Utah trail and the Idaho trail numbers as different numbers. The trail is used as much in the winter as in the summer. It is an excellent cross-country skiing area. There is a parking lot at the point where the trail meets the Beaver Creek Road FS[011]. The Beaver Creek Road is part of the original road (1872) from Logan to Paris, Idaho. It is still possible to drive to Bear Lake on the old road. 605 STUMP HOLLOW GWT Map: Tony Grove Creek Trailhead: Parking Lot near the Beaver Mountain sign on US 89. Distance: 4.5 miles from US 89 at 6952 ft to Peter Sinks at 8200 ft. 1.9 miles from US 89 to the Stump Hollow saddle at 7800 ft. 1.1 miles from the saddle to the highest point at 8350 ft. 1.5 miles from the highest point to Peter Sinks. Grade: 5% overall. 8% to the saddle. 9% from the saddle to the highest point.
The Stump Hollow to Peter Sinks section of the trail was constructed
in the summers of 1992 and 1993 by Forest Service personnel and
some volunteer help. It is a new trail except for short segments
in Stump Hollow. The trail was moved from the bottom of Stump
Hollow to the sidehill to avoid damage from spring run-off and
provide overall better drainage. Much of it is shaded and pleasant
walking. The trail turns left, after reaching the saddle at the
top of Stump Hollow, and climbs up toward the ridge that overlooks
Brush Canyon. It continues almost the same elevation to Peter
Sinks. Peter Sink, the largest sink in the area, was the site
of a very low winter temperature measurement a few years ago.
The trail across the Sinks is marked by rock cairns since the
area is treeless and the cairns can be seen easily. Peter Sinks
can be reached from FS[055], which starts at the summit of Logan
Canyon on US 89. At about 2.5 miles on FS[055] there is a road
west, FS[173], leading to Peter Sinks. It is about 2.5 miles to
the Sinks. 054 TURKEY GWT Map: Tony Grove Creek Distance: 2.7 miles from the deepest sink at 8200 ft, to Little Bear Creek at 7120 ft. 2.6 miles to West Hodges Canyon at 6493 ft. Grade 6%.
Turkey Trail was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)
about 1934 at the same time that the CCC built the buildings of
the USU Field Station. Why Turkey trail? Only the boys who built
it know. The trail goes down Little Bear Hollow for a short distance
but turns left abruptly avoiding the very steep and brushy hollow.
The trail becomes an old road, FS[174] and stays above the cliffs,
on the right, until it breaks out of the trees and you get a great
view of Logan Canyon. The terrain opens and levels somewhat and
at this point you can go right into the lower part of Little Bear
Creek Hollow, following deer trails and remnants of old CCC trails
to the USU Field Station or you can continue on FS[174] to West
Hodges Canyon and then back to the Field Station. It is about
a mile longer. Water is available at the Field Station or at the
spring a quarter of a mile above it. The Great Western Trail goes
south to Temple Fork Canyon. 142 WORM FENCE GWT Map: Temple Peak Distance: 3.6 miles. Grade: 5% from West Hodges Canyon at 6493 ft to the highest point at 6880 ft. 10% from the highest point to Temple Fork FS[007] at 5960 ft. This is another segment that is higher in the middle than at either end. It follows a CCC-constructed trail along which was built a zig-zag or worm fence. Parts of the fence can still be seen. The trail goes through some maple trees, and as you come down the other side you can see the open valley of the Temple Fork of Logan River. The original road up Logan Canyon was started about 1870 and by 1872 was in full use up Temple Fork to get lumber for Logan and the Logan LDS temple. The road is now FS[007]. Trail 142 is also open to off-road vehicles. FS[007] TEMPLE FORK GWT Map: Temple Peak Distance: 4 miles from the end of Trail 142 at 5960 ft to Mud Flat at 6680 ft. Grade: 4%. The Temple Fork Road FS[007] can be traveled in a passenger car under good conditions. It may be followed under average conditions for only a couple of miles. It would be well to check with the Forest Service on the road conditions before taking your car.
The road is included here because it is part of the GWT and because
Mud Flat is a reference point for three travel adventures. One
is FS{007} (note the curly brackets) which goes eastward, ultimately
intersecting with FS[055], and goes on to Meadowville at the south
end of Bear Lake or to Hardware Ranch in Blacksmith Fork Canyon.
The Forest Service Visitors map should be the very minimum requirement
for this adventure. The other two adventures are alternate segments
of the GWT. One is 056 Willow Creek and the other is FS{056}.
Both are described below. 056 WILLOW CREEK GWT Map: Temple Peak Trailhead: FS[081] 2.3 miles from US 89. Turn right at the turn-off on the Right Fork of Logan River. The road ends about a half-mile beyond the end of the paved road. The other end can be reached from FS[007]. Check the map. Distance: 1.5 miles. Grade: 8% from Mud Flat at 6680 ft to the Right Fork of Logan River at 6000 ft. This newly improved segment is a pleasant hike from the Temple Fork drainage to the Right Fork of Logan River drainage. It ends at about 2.3 miles from US 89 along FS[081], part of which is paved, part is rough, and a half-mile is non-vehicular walking. The paved part ends at the LOMIA Girls Camp and is the beginning of FS[047] Cowley Canyon. The Willow Creek Trail has some remnants of a Forest Service telephone line that went to Mud Flat. The lower part of the trail where it follows the Right Fork was rerouted in 1992 to avoid wading in beaver ponds. The beaver were introduced several years ago after being trapped out in the 1830s. They like it here.
A loop can be traveled using the Willow Creek Trail 056, FS[153],
and Little Cottonwood Trail 055 that also intersects FS[081].
FS{056} LONG HOLLOW GWT Map: Temple Peak Trailhead: An Alternate route to Trail 056 (Willow Creek). Distance: 3.4 miles from FS[007] at 7430 ft to Old Ephraim's Grave at 6680 ft. 2.2 miles from Grave to FS{147} at 7280 ft. Grade: 4% from FS[007] to Grave. 5% from Grave to FS{147]. This unimproved road is an alternative path suitable for high clearance vehicles as well as hikers and mountain bikers. The gravesite is not far from the springs that form the headwaters of the Right Fork of Logan River. The gravesite is the approximate location of the shooting, in 1923, of a large grizzly bear by a local sheepherder, Frank Clark. The story has become a local legend. A large stone monument was placed near the site with some local poetry engraved on the stone by the owner of a Logan monument firm. More information about the story can be found in the USU Library Archives.
Finding FS{147} may cause some anxiety because a number of old
roads and trails that crisscross the area. Dog Spring is on FS{056},
and FS{147} is about a half mile south. The Steel Hollow Trail
013 intersects FS{056} a short distance beyond the top of the
hill after passing the spring. 127 RICKS CANYON GWT Map: Temple Peak and Boulder Mountain Trailhead: See Trail 056 WILLOW CREEK. Distance: 3.9 miles from the Right Fork of Logan River at 6000 ft to FS{147} at 7560 ft. 2.5 miles on FS{147} to FS[047] Cowley Canyon at 6710 ft. Grade: 7% from the river to FS{147}. 6% from FS{147} to FS[047].
This hiking trail, which is parallel to the Long Hollow Road FS{056},
leads south from the river, climbing gently, up the canyon. It
passes the Steel Hollow Trail 013, which connects with FS{065}
to get to the Ephraim gravesite. The grade increases over the
second part of the trail, passing through a fir forest to get
to the high, open ground (7600 ft) before coming to FS{147}, a
vehicle road. FS[047] is maintained for all vehicles (in good
weather). Much of FS{147} can be traveled in good weather in a
high clearance vehicle. FS[047] COWLEY CANYON/HERD HOLLOW GWT Map: Logan Peak, Boulder Mountain Distance: 9.8 miles from US 89 at the Right Fork of Logan River on FS[081] at 5244 ft, to FS[245] on the Left Fork of Blacksmith Fork Canyon at 5600 ft. The middle is 6715 ft. Grade: 7% on the Cowley Canyon side, 4% on the Herd Hollow side.
This road is a motorized vehicle road and can be traveled with
a passenger car in good weather. It is a parallel route to the
hiking trail down Richards Hollow 019. The Cowley Canyon section
is on National Forest land; about half of Herd Hollow is private
land. The latter part is open cattle grazing country with few
trees until you get to FS[245]. (The entire road can be badly
rutted in wet weather.) 019 RICHARDS HOLLOW GWT Map: Logan Peak Trailhead: FS[145], Left Fork Blacksmith Fork Canyon, or FS[047], Cowley Canyon. Distance: 8.4 miles from the intersection of FS[052] and FS[047] at the top of Cowley Canyon at 6715 ft to FS[245] on the Left Fork of Blacksmith Fork Canyon at 5445 ft. Grade: 3%.
FS[052] starts in an open area that is used for loading cattle
to be hauled down FS[047] but soon begins to wind around. Trail
019 starts on the left after about 1.5 miles on FS[052]. It leaves
the road a very short distance beyond a dead-end road, also on
the left. As you proceed farther down the trail, the Hollow narrows
and the vegetation changes from aspen to fir and then to maple.
A waterfall can be seen on the west about a mile from the intersection
with FS[245]. Friendship Campground is a short distance from the
intersection. This is a delightful trail followed either direction.
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