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Cache Trails
1994 Edition

by John Wood

Copyright, 1994 John Wood
Published by Bridgerland Audubon Society

Acknowledgments
My participation in the preparation of CACHE TRAILS has been a pleasant task because of the help and interest of a number of people. Fortunately, I have trail companions who are also good editors. I want to thank Gene and Mary Washington, Jan Roush, and Scott Datwyler for their help in the mechanics of getting CACHE TRAILS to the public.

Ann Schimpf started these guides and if she had not moved away, she would be doing this one. I have only followed her lead.

The untimely death of Betty Boeker prevented her active participation in the preparation of this guide but her enthusiasm was felt at every step.

My thanks go to the Bridgerland Audubon Society for backing this project, to Susan Robertson who took over the financial arrangements of the last edition in mid-stream and brings order to this one, and to Diane Browning and A Bookstore for providing the depository for the guide.

Contents

Introduction

If there is anything that is really a constant it is change. So many changes have occurred in the CACHE TRAILS system that a reprint of the last edition of this guide seemed infeasible; rather the decision was made to create a new edition. However, the contributions of past editions have laid a solid background to build upon, and a careful reader of this edition will recognize pieces that are as permanent as our mountains. One group that must be singled out for praise for the changes is the staff of the Logan District of the Wasatch/Cache National Forest. These men and women have invested time, money, and spirit in making the changes for our enjoyment.

The Guide is now divided into the United States Geological Survey (USGS) quadrangle map areas. This was done so that a simplified version of a map (or sometimes several maps) could be placed in the Guide on a single page and still be large enough to read the information. The trail and road numbers are the same as those used in the Forest Service compilations with a variation on the road designations that is explained further in the NOTES. An alphabetical list of trail names, approximate lengths and the USGS map on which the trail is located is included in this Guide. Trail names are sometimes historical, often from oral tradition. The trail numbers reflect the order in which the trails were built or revised rather than any geographical information. The distances in Logan Canyon are measured from the First Dam Bridge in most cases.

The information, with each trail description, includes the name of the USGS map, the approximate distance, an average grade that will be correct somewhere on the trail but not everywhere, and a brief description of some features of the trail. If you want more information on wildlife, plants, tracks, geology, hiking and backpacking, a number of books and pamphlets are available that cover these subjects. There are well- qualified people at places where maps can be purchased who can advise you on suitable information.

Each user of CACHE TRAILS must make a personal decision regarding the difficulty of the trail. An eight-percent grade (8 feet up for every 100 feet forward) may be hard for one person but easy for another. However, the distances and average grades given will give you some idea of the challenge of a trail. You can always turn around and go back if you still have half your energy available. Other factors need to be considered as part of trail difficulty. Physical fitness charts do not include elevation change, ultra-violet radiation, or barometric pressure in their recommendations. All our trails are at 5000 feet elevation or higher, so the charts will not tell you when you are at risk from any or all of these factors.

The weather in these mountains offers few surprises. It might be said that "what you see is what you get." If the weather is clear when you start out, it will probably continue that way for a number of hours. The reverse is also true: if it is overcast, in may clear up, but don't be surprised if it does not. The usual fifty-fifty chance is almost as good as the Weather Bureau forecast in any case. It can be quite cold in the early morning in all seasons, so dress accordingly. The best attire usually consists of several light layers of clothing that can be removed or replaced as needed. A light rainjacket that can serve as a windbreaker is a good item to have along.

Do not use the water in the streams unless you boil it, treat it with iodine tablets, or use an approved filtered pump. It is no longer safe to assume that clear running water is uncontaminated, a regrettable fact of overpopulation. Chlorine tablets are ineffective. The undesirable, disease carrying, Giardia cysts live comfortably in ice water all winter and inside the beaver, deer and moose.

Here are some suggestions that apply to forest travel in general. They should be considered in setting your own needs and preferences. The suggestions are valid for designated wilderness areas as well as in non-designated wilderness areas.

A suggested checklist.

Personal.

  • Good, firm, footwear. You will encounter some rocky sections.
  • Sun screen and sunglasses suitable for your needs. Lipsalve.
  • Insect repellent.
  • Nibble-food such as hard candy, crackers, dried fruit.
  • An extra layer of clothing available in a day-pack or fanny-pack to avoid hypothermia (a fancy word for "freezing to death"). It can happen even in the summer.
  • Plenty of water. Two quarts per day are recommended; one quart may be sufficient for short trips with more water at the trailhead.

Trail Etiquette.

  • Fire building is discouraged.
  • Do not cut off switchbacks on designated trails.
  • Wash away from water sources and use biodegradable soap.
  • Bury human waste 6" to 8" deep and 200 feet from water sources.
  • Pack out more than you pack in.
  • Remember you are a caretaker of the mountains, not a despoiler.
  • Use common sense to preserve future enjoyment.

Designated wilderness area addenda. (Mount Naomi and Wellsville Mountains.)

  • Mountain bikes are not permitted in the wilderness areas.
  • Group size should be small enough to allow all members to enjoy the experience without undue noise and dust. Twenty people will scare even a moose.

What do you do if you become lost? You will be relieved to know that this is not a major problem in the Cache area. The Wellsville and Bear River Ranges are not very wide, east to west. Should you find yourself confused, scrambling to a high point or ridge will generally bring Cache Valley or Logan Canyon into view and thus reorient you. This rule of thumb works quite well if you are bushwhacking, except for some locations in the Logan Peak vicinity and those on the far eastern reaches of the Bear River Range. The limited number of drainages on the trails in most areas makes the rule of following a stream down to a recognizable point a good one. Don't bushwhack without the proper quad map.

There are a number of trails that are under consideration and await time and money to be developed. Some of these trails are marked on the quad maps and are worth following just to see where they go. They may not be in top shape but a sharp eye can follow them.

All of the roads shown on the included maps are available for ORV travel. There will be changes made from time to time, so those who are interested in the latest classification should check at the Forest Service office.

Fire danger must be kept in mind, especially in July through September, and backpackers should use portable stoves rather than use scarce wood. If a fire should occur in your area, someone will be alerted to your potential danger and act accordingly. Fires for esthetic reasons are not necessary.

Although CACHE TRAILS was intended for hikers and mountain bikers, many of these people are also Cross-Country skiers. Some very pleasant hikes can be taken in the summer that will enable the skiers to locate landmarks for wintertime skiing as well as maintaining condition for the winter.

All the trails are open to hikers, mountain bikers, and horsemen except for the wilderness areas where biking is not permitted. Caution is required when one of these very diverse means of locomotion encounters another. The Utah Mountain Bikers Association has prepared a brochure of good practices that are mentioned below. Cyclists should yield to all other trail users. It is a safety measure because of the speed of approach. Avoid surprising hikers and horses by making sounds to make your presence known. Hikers should step out of the trail to let bikers and horses go by, horses can "spook" if you are not well out of the way.

Do not make a cut-off on switchbacks. The switchbacks were not built for tired hikers but rather to prevent erosion of the trail. A cut-off can erode a gully several inches deep in one heavy rainstorm.

Keep dogs under control. If you want to see wildlife, it would be to your advantage to leave dogs at home.

Carry out more than you carry in. Leave no trace.

Practice minimum-impact camping techniques.

NOTES

The maps in this booklet are simplified, though still in proper scale, from the USGS quadrangle maps. They will not give you detailed information. The best map for trailhead location is the Forest Service Visitors map of the Wasatch/Cache National Forest and is available at the Forest Service Office at 1500 East, US 89 in Logan, just beyond the USU entrance at 1200 East. The details of terrain and trails can be found on the appropriate USGS map (7.5 minute, scale 1:24,000) which shows contours of 40 feet elevation (or less in some instances) and covers an area of about 6.5x8.5 square miles. The quadrangle name is given in CACHE TRAILS with each trail. These maps are available at several locations, including the Forest Service Building, at Trailhead Sports on Main Street, and at the USU Outdoor Recreation Center. A USGS topographic map entitled Logan (Utah-Wyoming-Idaho) at a scale of 1:100,000. The map area covers 32 times the area of the 7.5 minute maps mentioned here and is available at some of the above locations.

Trail and road designations (example numbers):

The Forest Service Visitors Map shows road numbers in a vertical or horizontal box. A vertical box designates an unimproved road, a horizontal box designates an improved road. In CACHE TRAILS the unimproved road is designated by curly brackets{}, square brackets [] represent improved roads. Trailhead names (in capitals) are given with trailhead numbers to correspond to the names and numbers in the FS map.

Trailhead TH12

Trail 123

Unimproved road {123}

Graded road [123]

State road UT123

Grade: rise/run (compared with grade in degrees). Average values are given for each trail.

100% (45 degrees)

20% (11 degrees)

10% (5.7 degrees)

Elevations in feet are four-digit numbers, for example, 5600 ft, and are sometimes set off in parentheses to separate them from other numbers. Some of the small maps are compressed, making the addition of elevations at appropriate places on the maps inconvenient or distracting. Elevations in such cases are also given with the Trail information. Most of the trails are not greater than 8% except for very short segments. Some of the seldom-used trails are steeper than 8% in places. If in doubt consult the topographic map. Maps are USGS 7.5 minute maps. Trail and road designations and trailhead numbers correspond to the Forest Service numbers and are shown on the latest Forest Service map. The current Visitors map was constructed from the USGS quadrangle maps. TONY GROVE LAKE TH25 is at the Backcountry Trailhead sign about 0.25 miles from the loop road at the lake. Overnight backpackers should park there rather than at the loop.

The Bear River Ridge is the highest segment of the Bear River Range. This ridge is made up of mountains and saddles. Most of the trails that cross over the ridge are at the saddles, not the peaks. The general trend of the Bear River Range can be visualized on the small maps by connecting the peaks that are shown on the maps.

The only creatures in the forest area of any great concern are ticks, flies, mosquitoes and moose, all of which can be managed if you exercise a little caution. Check for ticks after you return home or to camp by removing and shaking your clothing. If one has bored into your skin, a liberal smearing of grease will discourage it from going any further because you have plugged up its breathing tubes, forcing it to back out. Don't pull it out as the head may break off. The flies and mosquitoes can be discouraged with a good insect repellent. The moose? Just don't get too close. Moose are solitary creatures except for females with a calf. They are not afraid of you and they do not want to be bothered. Should you spot one, make some noise when you are some distance away and make a big detour. If you surprise a moose, look for a tree to hide behind and exercise lots of patience until it moves away.

The dams on the Logan River are numbered in the order they appear as you go up the canyon. The First Dam is at the mouth of the canyon. The Second Dam is a small dam immediately below the Logan City power plant and may not be visible from the highway. The Third Dam is about 7 miles up the canyon and is immediately below Spring Hollow Campground.

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