Riding through burned-out woods on the Paiute ATV Trails
By Lynn R. Blamires
Second night in the brothel room
It was the second day of our stay at the Moore’s Old Pine Inn. After two nights in the “Fallen Dove Brothel” room at the Inn, we were ready for adventure. We met in front of the original Hotel for a briefing and line-up. I think it is essential to review the drop system and start with a prayer.
The jail at the Lazy L Ranch
We left Marysvale on a road just south of Liz and Charlie’s RV Park, which took us by the Lazy L Ranch. On this property, the jail that was supposed to have held Butch Cassidy resides. I don’t know, it is hard to separate the truth from folklore.
Riding up the switchbacks
Our ride took us across Marysvale Valley on the Dry Creek Road to the mouth of Dry Canyon. This is a pretty canyon with impressive rock walls, where the trail climbs up 700 feet on some switchbacks into the Fishlake National Forest.
The waterfall in Dry Canyon
We stopped at the top to view a waterfall recently discovered on Dry Creek. They call it Dry Creek for a reason. The flow in the fall was a disappointment compared to the amount of water splashing down in the spring. Still, it was a good place to take a break and regroup.
Riding into the burned-out woods
Refreshed, we moved on to a junction with the main Paiute trail. We turned north for a couple of miles, then turned south onto a trail that does not show on the Paiute trail map. This trail took us into a massive section of burned-out woods from a fire four years ago. There was nothing straight about this narrow track – we weaved in, out, and around eerie stands of burned trees. We were fascinated by the destruction of this fire.
The views from Big Table Mountain
We worked our way around Big Table Mountain to the edge of a canyon on the south side. We didn’t know it at the time, but we were looking down into the Dry Creek Canyon – the canyon we rode through to get to this point. We had climbed to 9,800 feet and decided to take a break for lunch. A view this good needed some time to be appreciated.
A different kind of fire on the mountain
We looked down into the canyon and west into the valley. We could see Piute Reservoir and Marysvale nestled up against the base of the Tushar Mountains. To the east, we could see some patches of fall colors– a different kind of fire on the mountain.
A missed opportunity
The trail out to the edge of the canyon was faint and not well-traveled. Had I looked more closely at the map, I would have seen that the trail continued around the mountain, connecting with the trail we came in on to make a loop. We missed that opportunity and rode out the way we came in.
The Monroe fire
Back on the main trail, we turned north toward Manning Meadow Reservoir. We were on the south edge of the Monroe fire, the largest fire this year in Utah. It burned a total of 73,000 acres. As we passed the reservoir, we could see how close the fire had come to the cabins in Manning Meadow. This one fire accounted for 44 percent of the total acres burned in Utah this year.
Fire information for Utah
I have been following the fire information this year. Especially fires that affect the ATV trails I love to ride. This is what I have learned –
| Total number of fires – 1,131 |
Total acres burned – 164,699 |
| Human-caused fires – 679 |
Total acres burned – 10,226 |
| Naturally caused – 358 |
Total acres burned – 55,996 |
| Unknown causes – 94 |
Total acres burned – 98,477 |
You can monitor this information yourself at https://utah-fire-info-utahdnr.hub.arcgis.com.
The reservoir was empty
We continued on our loop, dropping down to Upper Box Creek Reservoir. We stopped for a break because a vault toilet was available there. I have stopped here before because it is such a pretty lake. Not that day, the reservoir was empty. I have never seen it in that condition before.
Taking a wrong turn when leading is embarrassing
Coming to the junction that closed the loop we had ridden, we turned left. The last time I came to this point, I turned right and was almost to Manning Meadow Reservoir before I realized my mistake. Backtracking, I found the group I was supposed to be leading, waiting at the turn. That is so embarrassing.
Finishing a ride of 67 miles
We made it back to the Inn in Marysvale, finishing a ride of 67 miles, with one more night to spend in the “brothel” room. When you go, take plenty of water, keep the rubber side down, and find a room at the Old Pine Inn. It will be memorable.
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