I worried that the rains from yesterday would leave the long clay roadway too muddy or slippery to drive on once I turned off the gravel base road. It is early Saturday morning, and the air is crisp and clear. I've loaded the quad ATV into the back of the truck, and this will be my first ATV ride and significant hike of the year.
Linda and I spent yesterday afternoon traveling to Enterprise, Utah, for lunch at Merv's, and after consuming their fantastic hamburgers and french fries, we decided to drive one of the backcountry roads connecting UT-56 with CR-1740.
Our side excursion resulted from my solo ascent of Rocky Mountain Peak (6404) last Monday, where I could see large swaths of orange coloring sweeping the valley to the west. What could only be a wildflower bloom, the pale orange tint had intrigued me enough for a quick visit down Desert Mound road.
Wildflowers at Schoppmann Road and Lund Highway. Photo by author.
The side trip had not disappointed us, and we took some beautiful pictures of the orange wildflower crisscrossing the valleys' wash basins and small impressions.
Making the final turn around the edge of The Balds ridgeline, I begin my descent into the massive valley seeing the same swath of orange currents through the valley from my elevated position.
The orange wildflowers form a fevered pitch near my turnoff for Schoppmann Road, and the clay surface is dry and hard-packed. I pull to the side and take a few pictures.
Indian Paint Brush. Photo by author
The winter snows and early spring rains have germinated every seed in the valley. On my 5-mile ATV ride to the base of Twin Peaks North, I witness every variety of desert wildflowers I can imagine, although none so prevalent as the orange blooms. My hike is a straightforward ridgeline ascent up the felsic-volcanic peak. Storms gather and move along the Blue Mountain ridges west of my position, creating a stunning backdrop to the valley below. To the east stands blue sky and cumulus clouds, and at the distant sound of thunder, I decide not to linger on the summit for long.
Trail view of Twin Peaks, North. Photo by author.
The sounds of thunder echo through the mishmash of canyons and valleys as I race along the gravel wash way back to my waiting truck. It has yet to start raining; however, it doesn't take much moisture to turn the solid clay surface of Schoppmann Road into a slippery free for all, so I don't waste much time loading my equipment and driving back to Lund Highway. With three more peaks to ascend in the Badger Utah quadrangle, I'll be back; unfortunately, by the time I return, I suspect the lush green valley and wildflowers will be gone, replaced with the brown pallet of our high country desert landscape colors.
Twin Peaks, North summit view west of Blue Mountain. Photo by author.
Written June 6, 2023
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