For this hike along the length of Castle Valley Ridge and back I just wanted to cover some distance and not necessarily have any big elevation gains. It was less than a 400′ elevation difference between my starting point on the north end of the ridge and my turnaround point on Gentry Mountain, but with all the ups and downs along the ridge it was about 2,000′ of climbing total, both ways. Still, spread out over 13.3 miles all that climbing felt pretty negligible. It was breezy but not cold when I started around 7:30 AM, and the wind would keep blowing all day, which was nice because there’s little shade along the route and it helped keep me comfortable in the afternoon. The views into Castle Valley were very hazy in the morning but cleared up in the afternoon as the sunlight changed angles.
Castle Valley Ridge trailhead
Seven miles (actually a little less) to my destination
Purple wildflowers
Hazy view down Second Water Canyon
Lupine along the trail
Aspen trees
I think a lot of the trail follows the route of an old road but for most of its length it’s not obvious it used to be a road. The trail appeared to be moderately well-traveled, probably used almost exclusively by deer, elk, and hunters. I don’t think many people hike in this area for fun. There was one one area where the trail wasn’t well-defined, but being on a ridgetop it was obviously easy to keep my bearings. 🙂
Trail on an old road
Above the left fork of Second Water Canyon
Second Water Canyon trail sign
Lone Pine Tree Ridge panorama
Entering a burn area
Old road through the trees
Monument Peak
Sawmill Canyon
Fence and gate
First Water Canyon panorama
First Water Canyon zoom
Small snow drifts ahead
Trail above a snow drift
I briefly lost the trail here
I found a shed elk antler about two miles before reaching Gentry Mountain and I stashed it nearby in some bushes, which saved me from having to carry it about four miles total, but I did retrieve it on the way out and strapped it to my pack and hauled it home. I got to Gentry Mountain and first found a shady place to sit and eat lunch. Then I walked around on the road a bit, checking out a drill site and enjoying the view into the South Fork of Corner Canyon.
Shed elk antler
Okay, I’ll oblige
North Fork of Corner Canyon
Gentry Mountain in sight (upper left ridge)
Last stretch of trail to Gentry Mountain
Trail through the Steeps
Road 111 on Gentry Mountain
Gentry Mountain road
Two drill holes
South Fork of Corner Canyon
Since the hike back down the ridge covered all the same ground I just put my head down and pressed ahead, with one earbud in listening to a podcast. The view toward Price cleared up enough that I could at least make out where my neighborhood was, if not specifically see my house (maybe I could if I’d brought binoculars). The time seemed to pass quickly and the return hike seemed faster but it was really almost exactly the same as the hike out. This was the longest hike I’d done in a very long time but still a couple of miles short of the longest hike I’ve ever done, but I felt so good after this one that I knew I could beat my old record easily now.
I can see my house from here
Snow drift above First Water Canyon
Almost back to the trailhead
Photo Gallery: Castle Valley Ridge