At Burrville, named for the Burr family, the trail turns sharply
to the east to cross a low pinyon and juniper covered ridge, which
is the southern end of Mormon Mountain. At the east edge of the
ridge the trail crosses Utah Highway 24 where caution is necessary
because of fast traffic.
On the east side of Highway 24 the trail crosses the dam of Koosharem
Reservoir. This reservoir provides irrigation water for Grass Valley
to the south and good trout fishing for those wishing to take time
out from the trail. Fishing from the dam is prohibited, but most
people favor the western shores anyway.
After crossing the Koosharem Reservoir dam, the trail turns northward
along the east side of Plateau Valley. At the southern end of the
valley the trail is along dirt roads that serve a series of summer
homes and hunting cabins. Throughout this stretch vandals have proved
their worth by shooting out the red figure in the trail signs.
The east side of Plateau Valley is marked by the straight slopes
of Boobe Hole Mountain. Here pinyon-juniper woodlands on the lower
slopes give way to aspen in the mid elevations that in turn lead
to spruce fir forests near the top. The trail through the northern
end of the valley is indistinct in places. About halfway through
the valley the graded road turns west to Highway 24 while the trail
continues north along fence lines, primitive wheel tracks, and horse
trails to Forest Road 053. Despite the trail's indistinct marking,
it is hard to get lost because the country is open sagebrush and
grassland where you can see your destination for many miles. The
first portion of Road 053 is smoothly graveled allowing for rapid
travel.
Near the entrance to the Fishlake National Forest a split in
the trail has caused some confusion for travelers. The first edition
of the Paiute ATV Trail Map shows the trail following Forest Road
052 down Little Lost Creek to Forest Road 047 across Scorups Meadow
and over to Soldier Canyon. Trail markings on the ground, and subsequent
editions of the map, show the trail following Forest Road 053 to
Rex Reservoir and then Forest Road 050 to Soldier Canyon.
The route shown on the first edition of the map goes down Little
Lost Creek, a lovely little canyon with steep sandstone walls. On
a hot day the streamside vegetation of cottonwood and willow provide
cool relief. The quiet murmur of the creek adds to the tranquillity
of the canyon. There are several good camping spots; using the ones
on the side of the road away from the stream helps protect the streamside
environment. At Scorups Meadow there are views of the White Rim
and Musina Peak on the north side of Salina Canyon.
The main route crosses Coonah Bench on the way to Rex Reservoir
Along this route, sagebrush openings soon give way to patches of
pinyon and juniper which alternate with patches of scrub oak. The
section of road between the Forest boundary and Soldier Canyon can
be deeply rutted because of the soils here and the penchant of inconsiderate
travelers to see who can be the first out in the spring when the
roads are muddy. From south to north there are good views of the
Tushar Mountains, the Pahvant Range, and the Valley Mountains.
Rex Reservoir, located about in the middle of this branch, is
a favorite fishing spot. There are several good camping spots around
the north, west, and south sides of the reservoir. However, the
land east of the road is privately owned and should be avoided.
North of Rex Reservoir the trail crosses the divide between the
Lost Creek drainage and the Salina Creek drainage. At the divide
there are views of the Gooseberry Valley to the east, Salina Canyon
to the north, and the White Rim and Musina Peak farther north. This
portion of the trail can be rutty until it reaches Soldier Canyon.
The trail down Soldier Canyon follows a generally good road,
which can be rutty in places. The sandstone cliffs rising on the
sides of the canyon are remnants of sand beaches around a saline
lake, much like today's Great Salt Lake, that existed here fifty
million years ago. The deep arroyo of Soldier Creek is reported
to have started around the turn of the century. Measurements at
Scorups Meadow show that it is still headcutting. There are several
rock check dams along this stream. They were built by the Civilian
Conservation Corps during the depression to halt erosion and restore
the canyon to its presettlement condition. They have held up well
over the years and remain monuments to that era of conservation
work.
At the mouth of Soldier Canyon the trail crosses Salina Creek
and passes beneath Interstate 70 in a tunnel. From the north side
of the interstate the trail follows a paved road into Salina. Because
ATV's handle more poorly on paved roads than on dirt, extreme caution
must be exercised. From the mouth of the canyon, riders get a panoramic
view across the Sevier River Valley to the Pahvant Range; Beehive
Peak is the prominent red pyramid standing above the general ridgeline.
After the trail exits the mouth of Salina Canyon it enters the
valley of the Sevier River The town of Salina is strategically located
here because both the Sevier Valley and Salina Canyon have been
important transportation routes. In addition to Interstate 70, a
railway line once passed through the town on its way to Richfield
and Marysvale. A spur line also extended up Salina Canyon to serve
the coal mines there. The Paiute Trail passes beside irrigated fields
and then the outskirts of Salina. This is one of four towns that
are directly on the trail.
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Last changes:
Thursday, December 09, 2010
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