It is going to be a beautiful day. Clear sky, no wind. The temperature is about ten degrees colder than yesterday and is expected to continue dropping toward Thanksgiving. That's good news for the local ski resort as that means they can continue to make snow for the limited amount of terrain they have open.

Linda and Sean are heading to Beaver, UT, to participate in the job fair for Eagle Point Resort with plans to work there this winter. I plan on taking the ATV and making a third attempt at unnamed peak 7076. My two prior attempts to reach the base or saddle of the mountain were cut short—the first due to snow and the second due to losing the trail. The trail is part of the Color Country OHV Trail system, and today I will follow the track in the opposite direction.

Just off of Minersville Highway UT-130, I park in the paddock generally reserved for cattle during the summer months; the gate, now open, leaves the paddock accessible for a makeshift staging area. Before unloading my quad, I put on my jacket. It is already cold. I'm glad I brought gloves as well as I drive the ATV down the connecting road.

Like most counties, Iron County is playing catch-up to add some organization to their OHV trail systems. Enthusiasts have used backcountry roads and trails for years; some are mindful of ecological impact, some not. Federal agencies and local governments attempt to provide organization, safety, and access by updating maps, providing signs, and staging areas for increasing recreation. According to the interactive map, when the trail turns north, this is Trail P20; the sign says Trail P17, so clearly, there is still some work to do.

Not heavily used, the track works its way along ridgelines through an area long ago stripped of Juniper trees. The course is rugged and slow going turning up a ravine toward the high saddle.

UNP 7076 summit view of high saddle and Dry Willow Peak in background

I park my ATV on a beautiful grassy hillside. Of course, the grass is brown; however, the rolling hillsides extending south are stunning to behold despite the mundane color. I turn and hike towards unnamed peak 7076.

UNP 7076 is an actual peak, meaning the mountain rises on all sides towards a point. I won't be walking around a plateau looking for the highest elevation; I will arrive at the end when I step onto the summit—my favorite kind of peak to climb.

The view is stunning; I spot a truck parked a thousand yards or so down the path I was hoping to follow on the ATV. A gunshot informs me they are probably hunting, and I am without any fluorescent color once again. I hiked back to my quad and decided to return the way I came avoiding any potential tragedy by not entering into lines of fire. It's cold on the return trip, especially in the shade, and I arrive at my truck in good order—another fantastic day in the backcountry of Utah.