I’ve been on top of Candland Mountain twice before, once along the trail from Highway 31 to the highest point of the mountain, and again during a loop hike up Flood Canyon and down Mill Canyon. That left only one trail shown on the USGS topo map onto Candland that I haven’t hiked (although I’m sure there are others not on the map), and I’ve been looking for bigger and bigger hikes to do so this one worked perfectly. The bottom of this trail, #063, is near the Left Fork of Huntington Creek National Recreation Trail, which I’ve also hiked in its entirety. Trail 063 is a continuation of the Mill Canyon trail, joined in the middle by trail 398, and I’ve found that near the very top of Candland Mountain none of the trails on the ground match the USGS topo. The map doesn’t even show #063 connecting with the Left Fork trail but they are indeed connected both by a trail and an old road. I’d awakened at 5:30 AM and before 7:30 I was already heading down the trail. It was easy going and all familiar terrain for the first mile until I reached the bridge over the Left Fork of Huntington Creek.
Leaving the Left Fork trailhead
Staker Creek
Bridge over Staker Creek
Confluence of Staker Creek and the Left Fork of Huntington Creek
View down the Left Fork toward Seeley Mountain
Left Fork bridge
Just past the bridge I left the trail and went cross-country up a steep hill to join another trail that connects with #063. On the way I strayed slightly from my path to investigate a metal pole I’d spotted. Nearby was a cairn, and looking at the map in my GPS I couldn’t figure out why it was there but after returning home and viewing the location on the USGS topo I realized it was just a section marker. I’d never seen one what wasn’t a stamped metal disk. After some easy ups and downs I was starting up the long grade at the bottom of trail 063.
Left Fork trail where I deviated from it
Straight up the hill
Section marker post
Section marker cairn
Back on a trail
Seeley Mountain (left of center) and Bald Mountain (right)
Old road near trail 063
For the next while the trail climbed and climbed, sometimes through the trees and occasionally breaking out into the open with some nice views. Near the top of a ridge there was a trail sign for #063 pointing north, and I assume that’s a newer alignment that leads to Mill Canyon, but I continued southeast.
Starting up trail 063
View toward Miller Flat Reservoir
Steep-ish trail
Bald Mountain above Scad Valley Creek
Trail 063
1935 aspen carving
Miller Flat Road at Scad Valley Divide
No Trespassing sign
Almost to the top of the ridge along Candland Mountain
Trail sign that doesn’t match the USGS topo
The trail continued to climb, traversing a large, green, open slope before finally reaching the very top of the ridge along Candland Mountain. In 2012 the Seeley Fire had burned right up to the ridgetop from Huntington Canyon so there were a lot of burned and fallen trees on the northeast side. It was a relief to be finished with the steep climbing section and walking along the relatively flat top of the mountain.
1920-something carving
Traversing a green, grassy slope
Troughs at a spring
View toward the spine of the Wasatch Plateau
1951 aspen carving
Burned and fallen trees on the east side of the ridge
Kip J., 1 Bear
Trail atop Candland Mountain
What really sucked is seeing some semi-permanent camps set up by horse packers. There were several stashes of camping supplies, barrels, structures, and trash all along the ridge. It’s pretty douchey treating Forest Service land like your own private property.
Somebody’s camp stash
Springbar tent
Wood stove and cot
Log structure
Barrels of supplies
Firewood pile
Wooden posts and barrel
Camp bench
Majesty luncheon meat can
I hiked as far as point 10,265′ and then went downhill from the ridge to the northeast to get a better glimpse into Huntington Canyon. I found a shady spot to sit down for a quick lunch and then reversed course and went back down the trail I’d come up.
Top of Candland Mountain
View down the Left Fork
Large cairn
View toward Seeley Mountain and East Mountain
View across Huntington Canyon to Trough Springs Ridge
Trail atop Candland Mountain
Deer
Elk
Bear claw marks in an aspen tree
After descending most of the way back down toward the Left Fork trail, I left the trail and bushwhacked down a steep slope, taking a shortcut to see an old coal mine. The 1923 topo map calls it the Old Larsen Mine, so I’d imagine it’s much older than that. The mine opening has been filled in and most of the area has been partially reclaimed, but there’s still an enormous amount of coal on the ground.
Steep bushwhack down to the mine
Sandstone shelf at the mine
Rail protruding from the ground
Rock wall
Standing on a huge coal pile
Another rock wall
Coal and sandstone rocks below the mine
Pitchfork
Old road below the mine
Coal spillage
The rest of the hike back on the Left Fork trail was in full sun and it was a bit hot. I stopped once for a quick break in the meager shade of some willows near the creek. In the last mile I saw the first people I’d seen on the trail all day–a small group of three on their way to do some fly fishing. I got back to the trailhead after covering 10.2 miles and climbing well over 2,000′ elevation.
Left Fork trail
Miller Flat Creek
Left Fork bridge
Back at the trailhead
Photo Gallery: Left Fork to Candland Mountain