The use of the term cave is exceptionally liberal in my mind; however, I'm grateful for the dry confines of the alcove as I watch the remnants of this year's monsoon season wash over the rocky crags around me. This year's season has been unusually wet, with daily showers causing flash floods from Yellowstone to Las Vegas. Our desert landscape cannot hold onto the moisture when delivered in such a deluge. There is a certain quality to this storm as I watch the rain sweep over the hillside drenching the sagebrush and releasing that sweet smell of a storm on the ground away from the city's asphalt and cement.

Thunder booms through the valley, but I don't see any lightning, which tells me there is probably more storm behind me as I sit and wait. The past few days have been dry, and I was excited to load up the quad for today's short ride. Trail #31039 is part of the Dixie National Forest trail system and was identified on the website as a "short meandering ride that passes by a cave." [1]

I've been steadily developing an adventure map for this area [2]; however, this was the first mention of a cave I have seen. I've enjoyed spelunking several of the lava tubes on Cedar mountain, and I've taken the tour-guided depths of places like Lehman Caves near Great Basin National Park. But, I doubt if this cave will be the type of cave that would require even a flashlight to survey.

Parking my truck just off the paved portion of the Veyo-Shoal Creek road, [3] I unload and pack the quad. The cave trail connects with the 30003 Colie Flat trail and creates a loop along the Upper Enterprise Reservoir. The wide road provides an excellent staging area to load and unload.

I go through my mental checklist as I drive the short distance along 30006 Veyo-Shoal Creek road. I carry my hiking poles, backpack, water, snacks, and a drone. Unnamed peak 6508 sits just to the north of the trail, and I'm hopeful that I'll be able to find a good line to the summit.

Trail #31039 is identified by a leaning sign titled "Grassy Flat Trail." [4] The track specifies a 50-inch limit at the barrier a hundred feet in; however, like most trails, a workaround has been created to allow slightly larger side-by-sides to enjoy the path. A beautiful campsite sits near the barrier tucked back among the juniper trees, and a stone fire pit shows plenty of use, so I drop a pin on my GPS, marking it for future reference.

The path twists and turns up the hillside toward the base of UNP6508. Juniper trees and bushes create blind turns as I try to keep my eye on the trail, the hillside, and an excellent route to the summit, all at the same time. Finally, I spot another wide turnout with a stone fire ring. [5] Backing the quad between two trees, I pull on my pack and start my climb.

The northern face of UNP6508 is steep as I move toward the minor western ridge that I can vaguely see through the trees. A significant lava point sits directly above me, and I'm excited to stand on its edge to fly the drone I am carting with me in my pack. It's not heavy; however, it is bulky, and I've got to figure out a better solution when lugging the drone around.

As I break onto the summit area, the minor ridge turns into the summit ridge. A prominent cairn exists, but I can't find a registration log, so I don't waste much time. The summit of UNP6508 [6] is unremarkable, with trees blocking most views. I screenshot the actual coordinates for my records and head for the lava point.

The significant lava point ends just south of the summit with a sharp drop of several hundred feet. I set my pack on the chunky lava rock and decided to use my drone case as a launching platform. I'm not an experienced drone pilot by any stretch of the imagination; however, this is the exact reason I wanted a drone in the first place with a stunning view and the ability to take pictures looking back in my direction while standing on the hillside.

I spend about 45-minutes piloting the drone out and back, doing a couple of flybys and ending with a close-up shot of me on the cliff face. In hindsight, a concentrating look coupled with a resting bitch face does not make for a pleasing profile picture. Unable to land on the small platform, I attempt a controlled crash into a nearby bush. I'm successful; however, I need to practice those landings. Packing the drone away, I'm startled by a loud thunderclap. I look to the west and the small puffy cloud that resided there an hour ago is now a large dark cloud covering a significant area. I see spots of rainfall but nothing substantial yet.

I spot the cave [7] just as the storm's leading edge starts to hit. Directly off the track is a large alcove opening where I can back the quad into the cave's interior. As the storm drops on the hillside, cows look longingly at the shelter I have confiscated for my sheltering purposes.

As I watch the rain, I think there's a song here; soon, however, the storm turns to a drizzle, and I'm on my way again. I love "first tracks" as I ride along the splattered trail. As I exit the 50-inch narrow path onto the main road, small mud spots remain from previous storms. Upper Enterprise Reservoir is beautiful in the distance, following the loop back to my waiting truck.

References:

[1] https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/dixie/recreation/ohv/recarea/?recid=70936&actid=94

[2] [Hardscrabble OHV Trail - CalTopo](https://caltopo.com/m/AE44)

[3] 37.51436, -113.85132 (Staging area)

[4] 37.48151, -113.84129 (Grassy Flat Trail)

[5] 37.48801, -113.85177 (Tent campsite, begin hike)

[6] 37.49129, -113.85080 (Summit UNP6508)

[7] 37.49201, -113.86297 (Cave)