An excellent romp.

After looking around for a while on Google Earth, I finally decided on riding around the area past Wallsburg, Utah. It just felt like the place to be. And it was. If all rides were this good, I probably wouldn't have a job. Or a motorcycle. I guess it's a good thing all rides aren't this good.

The animals in this pic are... 4 legged. I don't know what they are, because I'm not much of a sportsman. They were right there in the middle of Wallsburg, though, and didn't really seemed to concerned about what was going on. They did keep their eye on me, though.

Most of the trees on this circuitous route are aspen or various flavors of pine. Again, it's a great time of year to be out riding in the Uintas, the changing colors are quite a sight. This trip was no exception. Some of the canopies formed by the trees over the road was quite breathtaking. But, I didn't stop and take nearly enough pictures. When I ride this late in the day, I kinda feel an urgency to get where I'm going. I don't want to be out on unfamiliar trails after dark.

Now, it's been a while since I've seen one, but I'd swear this is a beaver dam. We had a few of these periodically on the Little Colorado River in Arizona growing up. The beavers were mostly a nuisance, damaging the few trees that grew along the banks in the high desert where we lived. Up here in the mountains, though, I'm guessing there's ample wood to keep beavers busy for a very long time.

At the mouth of the canyon at Wallsburg, there's a sign warning that the road is impassible due to snow & other treacheries. There's no snow yet, but the road was a bit rough in spots. For the most part, though, it was pretty nice. It's not really scenery you just want to blow through, though. My average speed through the mountains was only 16mph. Take it easy. That's what you're out here for, isn't it?

If you're following with GPS software, you'll see "Good Eats" as a waypoint. This is at Daniel's Pass, where some small-town folk will make you feel right at home.

There's not much AT Daniel's Pass. A general store, cafe, and hotel are about all you'll find. Still, the service is great, the people are friendly, the food is terrific. Oh, and the soup is hot. You've been warned.

It's a perfect little rustic getaway. My first experience with this place was after riding a portion of the "Adventure Highway" east of Heber, Utah. The lady I talked to at the time indicated that she'd been there for some time. And, she liked being there because she felt like good service and a friendly face to talk to were two important things in life. She made an impression on me with her sincerity, and I make it a point to stop by Daniel's Summit every time I'm out there. In today's case, I even made it a point to end up there after I had finshed tromping through the mountains.

It's not as out-of-the-way as some would like, but it's definitely small, and you'll get that feeling as you take in the area. If you're in the area, it's well worth the time to stop by and say "howdy." It's also convenient in that Daniel's Summit is central to a good many mountain trails, only one of which I had time to explore today. This can be your "base camp" as you go tromping off through the wilderness. (Treading lightly, of course.)

All-in-all, an outstanding short ride. Full round trip from the Provo/Orem area is only about 2 hours, I'd guess. If you take the time to really run around and explore the different trails, I'm sure you could spend a lot more time up here than that. Beautiful area, though. It's making me seriously consider coming up here for my next day-trip. There would definitely be worse places to go.

GPX File
Google Earth