Last week I stood near the unlisted, unranked peak of 6252 in my first attempt to climb UNP 6353. It is always the drawback of creating a route with TOPO maps, even while using Google Maps to follow roads and trails. Sometimes I miss something. And standing on that saddle last week, I noticed an ATV trail in the wash below. I'm back this week, observing the road for any hint of way or path heading east, which will get me into the next ravine over. I had created another GPS route, using the satellite view of Google Maps, but I'm still too far west and following parallel to the wash I want. An upcoming hill is discouraging, and this is the final rise before my current path turns left and away from my destination.
At a glance, I spot tracks, heading to the right. It's a funny location, near the trailing end of the hill, but I take it. I follow a rocky track up and over, which drops me into the ravine that I am hoping for and back squarely on the route. Another fork in the road and I turn left, which is counter-intuitive to the direction of travel but sticks to my plans. A few more feet, and I am at the location I saw from the high saddle last week.
I chose this location for several reasons. First, a beautiful, but small clearing to park my Fj, and a rising ridgeline starts here and rises to the summit. I'm a little further north than the start of the ridge, but there is a gentle wash that will take me directly from my current location to join the ridgeline as it leads northeast.
This entire area is tall grass and Juniper trees. I've mentioned before but needs repeating that this is mountain lion country. I always carry a firearm when hiking solo in this type of environment. Thankfully I've never had to use it, but it pays to have one and continuously check your surroundings. It's springtime, with plenty of baby deer and sheep available, so it's doubtful a big cat would try to take down another predator of my size, but one never knows.
Ridgeline view south
I wander between the sage following various game trails and reach the first saddle on the ridge. Already the views south are beginning to open up, and I can make out the small Websters Knolls to the southwest. I follow the hill to the next saddle, where it connects with the western face of UNP 6353. It appears that I could walk a general northerly direction and connect with the summit, but I know there is a ravine in that direction, and I don't want to backtrack if possible. This section is steep but short as I arrive on the ridgeline that moves north and south. This ridge follows a north and south line from the summit at 6,353' feet, south to Pine Valley Road. It is a stunning ridgeline with rugged rock abutments and a sharp eastern face.
Northern most rise is Frisco Peak, Blue Mountain in forefront.
The ridgeline itself is a gentle rise, and I continue south to the peak. A false summit exists, as I drop into a small saddle and rise again to the actual summit. Marked with a nice size cairn, I marvel at the views in every direction. I can't find any summit registration in the cairn, but I drop my pack and eat some snacks. The valley below is stunning. With its steep eastern face and westernmost prominence for the range, UNP 6353 creates a fantastic viewpoint of the Escalante Desert valley. The sky is clear, and I have views north from Frisco Peak to Pine Valley Mountain Range in the south.
Summit view east, Lund Flats.
Several crows are gliding on the wind as I catch sight of a hawk, as it loops and soars above me. Soon its wings drop back, and in a fantastic blaze of speed, it swoops straight for me. I don't flinch as I watch in awe; this bird of prey drops out of the sky. Fifty or so feet above me, it pulls out of the dive and sails overhead. I watch to see if it circles back around, worried that I might be to close to a nest, but I never see it again.
Summit view southeast toward Cedar City. The rail spur visible as a straight line.
The sun is beautiful, but it begins to turn hot as I hike off the summit. I angle down the hillside, not worrying about the wash between me and my previous path as I am high enough on the ridge to avoid any steep rock. The track works out just right as I cross my trail at the connecting saddle and follow my path back to the jeep. Fantastic hike.