It was considerably colder than I expected as I threw my backpack into the jeep, grabbing my fleece coat before closing the door. I should have looked out the window before venturing outside this morning.
It's almost noon, and I've been up since 3:00 am. Well, not up the whole time, but my typical schedule. Wake up between 3:00 and 4:00 am, work on the computer for about an hour, then go back to bed. I was excited this morning finally figuring out some formatting options for footnotes inside the Obsidian software, so I probably worked a little later than average. I was waking up the second time a little after 6:00 am.
The sun is shining through the windows; however, the temperature is reading in the low 30 degrees as I plug away on the work I started this morning. I'm not slacking off, I tell myself; I'm just waiting for it to warm up before heading out hiking. Hiking with snow on the ground is a strange position for me to be in although the local ski resort has opened, Brian Head is still only open on weekends. Their official opening date is November 19, 2022. According to the NRCS SNOTEL sites scattered around Northern and Southern Utah, the snowpack has been early and heavy, reporting a whopping 598% snow water equivalent this winter (so far). [1] The snow will not matter until I can ski the mountain and test my reconstructive knee surgery in early spring. [2]
It is cold and windy as I walk toward the barn to say goodbye to my beautiful wife. She is busy giving Cazador a clipping. Show horses are demanding, and Linda likes to keep his winter coat to a minimum. Linda is opting to help the horse stay warm with blankets on cold winter nights; because, with long hair and challenging workouts, the sweat doesn't get a chance to dry before turning to ice if the hair remains too long. I open the door to the sound of buzzing and a swirl of hair. Trying not to breathe, I yell goodbye and shut the door.
Browse exit resides at the bottom of what locals call The Black Ridge. The geography around Cedar City was formed primarily by volcanic activity. The black ridge was a millennium ago lava flow damming up Ash Creek and creating the valley behind it. Eventually, the water pushed through the barrier, and then human beings showed up and built a dam. Go figure.
Traveling along I-15 southbound just south of the final Cedar City interchange, the freeway passes over a saddle and begins the long downward slope to the black ridge. The Cedar City saddle elevation is approximately [3] 5,981'. Over the next 19.5 miles, the height will drop about 1,200 feet to 4,777. Past the black ridge and over the next 5 miles, the elevation will drop another 694 feet to around 4,083. I mention this because there are times during the fall and spring when you can drive an hour in either direction and go snow skiing or water skiing, depending on the conditions. I've done both on the same day just for the kick of it. I'm heading south today to hike and enjoy a little warmer temperatures.
Just south of Pintura, UT, is the exit for Browse, UT. An unincorporated area within Washington County. [4] Browse is the best know for its small rustic guard station. Built-in 1923, the cabin served as an office for the Mill Creek Browse Experimental Range. [5] The small station then served as seasonal housing for the Forest Service and the Utah Fish and Game Department before being named in 1996 as eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. [6]
Beatty Hill is a bump along the road leading to the small guard station and the base of Pine Valley Mountain range. The drive is along a maintained gravel road, although this late in the season and with an extremely wet monsoon season, there are considerably more bumps and washes than I remember the last time I was in the vicinity.
“Summit view west toward Pine Valley Mountains” copyright Brickbarnblog2022
I park west of the red rocky knoll and pull on my pack. It is still windy, but an easy 15 degrees warmer than when I walked out of the house this morning. The hike is pleasant, and the views are indescribable as I hike up the small ridgeline toward the summit. The wind is reaching gusts of around 25 mph, [7] so I hang just off the ridge until time to break to the top. A small cairn resides at the high point, and I drop my pack and pull out the camera. Stunning. The rugged, snow-dusted peaks of Pine Valley stand behind the red hills of smaller mountains.
“Summit View of Anderson Benchmark” copyright Brickbarnblog2022
Across the I-15 valley, the rugged western face of Anderson Benchmark stretches northward toward the equally harsh highpoint of Black Ridge. I marvel as the sun reflects off Sand Hollow reservoir in the distance (south), and sand blows off the accompanying mountain as a reminder that the seasons are changing and bright sunny days will be just a little further and farther between.
“Sun reflecting off Sand Hollow” copyright Brickbarnblog2022
I had hoped to drive to the Guard Station; however, the road is closed at the end of the gravel to keep the road in good working order until next summer. In addition, I wanted to see Utah's only known Sequoia tree [8] that resides near the Guard Station, but that will likely be a story for another day.
“Road Closed” copyright Brickbarnblog2022
Written November 15, 2022
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References:
1. [Utah Snowpack Totals (ksl.com)](https://www.ksl.com/weather/snowpack) viewed on 11/15/2022.
2. March, 28, 2022
3. I'm using my best guess as to location and looking up elevation on CalTopo mapping software.
4. [Browse, Utah - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browse,_Utah)
5. [Browse Guard Station in Browse, Utah (wchsutah.org)](https://wchsutah.org/buildings/browse-guard-station.php)
6. Ibid.
7. My best guess. I would love a wind gage for Christmas if any family member reads this.
8. Commonly referred to as a Redwood tree (I have probably referred to it in this manner myself); however, it is not. The species is "Sequoia dendron giganteum and is approximately 108 feet tall." [Giant Sequoia Tree in Washington County, Utah (wchsutah.org)](https://wchsutah.org/miscellaneous/giant-sequoia.php)