Finding our way back to Ferron from Ephraim on the Arapeen Trails
By Lynn R. Blamires
This is another day
As I stared at a map of the Arapeen OHV Trail System, pondering what to write about in September — the peak of Utah’s riding season — I realized I had left readers hanging with the article “An ATV Adventure from Ferron to Ephraim on the Arapeen Trails” that I wrote last month. The article detailed an 83-mile adventure we had going over the mountain to get to Ephraim, along with the adventure of one of our riders who missed the start of our ride in Ferron. The article ended with, “The ride back is a story for another day.” This is “another day.”
Ephraim is also a good place to stage a ride.
We ended our ride that day in Ephraim, but it is also a good place to stage a ride. The Willow Creek Inn is a good place to spend the night. They have 20 nice rooms available, and they offer a better-than-average hot breakfast that is included with the price. The Willow Creek Inn offers a 10 per cent discount to the OHV community. Just let them know that you are a rider at the time you make your reservation.
A new hotel in Ephraim
The Cobblestone Hotel and Suites, a new addition to Ephraim, has recently opened with 54 rooms available. They offer pools indoors and out, with a hot tub, and they are pet-friendly. They also include a hot breakfast in the price of the room.
How to avoid soggy sandwiches
After checking into our rooms upon arriving in Ephraim, we bonded over Mexican food at Los Amigos. In preparation for our return trip, we topped off our tanks at the Maverik and stopped at Subway to get a sandwich for the trail. My experience with soggy sandwiches on the trail has taught me to order a sandwich with the condiments on the side. It allows me to make my sandwich fresh when we stop for lunch, and I end up with more stuffing in my sandwich.
11 machines head back to Ferron
Before lining up for our departure the next morning, we sat down to a hot breakfast, which included biscuits and sausage gravy, my favorite. We lined up in the parking lot while my tail gunner, David Schoss, took a count. We had 11 machines, including the rider that caught up with us. That is a good number for a ride.
Riding Willow Creek Road
We started up Ephraim Canyon, but before we got off the asphalt, we turned south on the Willow Creek Road at an elevation of about 7,000 feet. The trail meanders through camping spots on a gentle climb. Then, as it turns east to climb up to Skyline Drive, the terrain becomes challenging.
Potholes big enough to swallow an OHV
I warned people when we started from Ferron that there were ruts on the trail that would swallow a machine whole if they were filled with water. We found those on this section of the trail. Fortunately, they were dry, but there were those mentioned in the article about the ride from Ferron who read their owners’ manuals and were worried about water deeper than 19 inches, would have been in a full-on panic if these pot holes had been full of water.
Lunch at 12-Mile Flat
We turned onto Skyline Drive and enjoyed the views down into the canyons from on top of the world. We dropped down about 900 feet onto 12-mile Flat and stopped at the picnic tables in the campground, where we enjoyed lunch. My stuffed sandwich was delicious.
Riding on top of the world
We were still above 10,000 feet, and the weather was perfect. Skyline Drive goes for 106 miles between Highway 6 on the north and Interstate 70 on the south, and for about 58 of those miles, the elevation of the trail stays above 10,000 feet.
Keep track of 11 machines
We enjoyed our lunch break and stops at the comfort stations, and then lined up for the last leg of our trip. We still had 11 machines in our group, which is good, because it turns into a real mess if that number goes down before everyone gets back to the trucks.
Passing reservoirs
We backtracked up on the Skyline and turned east, beginning our descent on trail #7 toward Ferron. The trail took us by the Indian Creek Guard Station located at Ferron Reservoir and Willow Lake. The trail continued down the mountain by the Ferron Picnic and OHV Staging Area into Ferron Canyon.
A 59-mile ride
We rode by Millsite State Park and back to the Big Mountain Lodge, finishing a return trip of 59 miles with smiles on our faces. When you go, take plenty of water, keep the rubber side down, and make your own adventure on the Arapeen Trails.
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