7 miles up, 7 miles down, and a bonus waterfall

May 31, 2022

1500 feet of climbing in 7 miles today and then a white knuckled ride down for 7 miles. We were on ATV roads today mostly dirt with a few rocks and sand thrown in to make sure we were paying attention. We started off at Tropic Reservoir and rode up 1500 feet on winding dirt roads. The road would go up then level out then go up again til we made it to the top. On the descent we had to stop periodically so that our numb hands could get feeling back in them…. There were a few treacherous hairpin turns on the way down but all of us negotiated them well. The terrain surrounding us today was much different. We rode through pine forests and aspen groves with some rocky cliffs but no hoodoos or red sandstone.

After getting down the mountain we headed for the Aquarius Trail Hut in Hatch where our guides had lunch waiting for us. These huts are used by mountain bikers who are biking from Brian Head to Escalante. The huts are made out of shipping containers and are completely self sufficient. Solar power, pit toilets, and a water storage tank.

After lunch we shuttled to the cascade falls trailhead for an amazing view where we could see forever, all the way to Zion and beyond. Several of us hiked the path over to check out the falls. The water was gushing out of a hole in the red rock and falling into the valley below.

Tonight we are in the Duck Creek Lodge which feels luxurious because we each have our own bedroom. Dinner was a drive over the mountain to Cedar City for Italian food. The summit of the mountain was at 9910 ft and there were lots of hair raising hairpin turns going down the mountain.

Today was a great day for spotting wildlife we saw chipmunks which are all around everywhere, quite a few deer at multiple times, a marmot, and finally a group of elk grazing in a field. That was our best wildlife day yet.

Today's ride: 14 miles (23 km)
Total: 470 miles (756 km)

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