I was originally going to hike Ibapah Peak this weekend but I let a small chance of rain scare me away from those plans. With the 12 hours of round-trip driving I didn’t dare risk getting skunked by muddy roads or lightning. But I still wanted to keep these legs in mountain shape so I did a low-risk hike only 45 minutes from home, going up Pole Canyon on trail 073 (one of the few trails in Huntington Canyon that I haven’t hiked yet) to Wild Cattle Ridge and then on to point 9,905′. It rained during the drive but had stopped when I reached my parking spot on the side of UT-31. I hit the trail at 6:45 AM and ascended through the burn area caused by the 2012 Seeley Fire.
Trail sign in Huntington Canyon
Initial climb from the highway
This trail is open to:
Trail through young aspen trees
Fence and gate
Trickle of water
Heavy new aspen growth
The trail turned to the north and climbed a fork at the head of Pole Canyon that was spared by the fire. A few cattle trails branched off the official trail, a couple of which looked more well-traveled, but I stayed on the rougher trail 073. Near the top there was recent trail work, with the surface evened out and water bars placed in some areas. Whoever did that must have come in from the top because there were no signs of recent traffic below. The sun made a brief appearance–maybe 10 minutes–before it went back to being overcast.
Above the burn area
Side trail with heavy use
Rough and seldom-used official trail
Thattaway
New water bar on the trail
Sunlight on point 9,905′
Almost to the ridgetop
Where the trail reached the road at the top of Wild Cattle Ridge, a sign pointed back down the trail saying it was 2.1 miles to Huntington Canyon, which my GPS confirmed was correct. The sign at the bottom had said 3 miles to the top. I walked up the road and then took a two-track road and then a cattle trail to point 9,905′. I crossed paths with a guy who was also hiking near the peak–his ATV was parked nearby, and he had a tripod strapped to his pack so I assume he was out spotting big game. We chatted for a minute and exchanged observations of deer and elk we’d both seen nearby. I climbed the last short steep off-trail section to the point and sat down to rest and eat an early lunch.
Trail sign on Wild Cattle Ridge
Road on Wild Cattle Ridge
Parked ATV
Cow and a closed two-track
Faint trail to point 9,905′
Trough Springs Ridge to the north
Point 9,905′
View down Pole Canyon to Huntington Canyon
I followed the same route back down into Huntington Canyon and it sprinkled lightly while walking the road back to the top of the trail. A short distance down the trail, a cow just stood there and stared at me and wouldn’t budge for a few minutes before it finally got out of my way. On the way down I noticed several fallen trees that I hadn’t noticed on the way up that had been cleared from the trail by my friend Wade, who often maintains local trails like this that are also open to motorcycles. I got back to the truck at about noon and was wishing I’d planned a longer hike! With it being overcast almost the whole time the temperatures were great and I only drank just over half a liter of water (out of the four I was carrying). Not bad for a seven-mile hike with 2,100′ elevation gain in the middle of August.
Electric fence insulator
Stubborn cow
Rabbitbrush on the trail
Burn area
W.A.
Back to Huntington Canyon
My parking spot on the highway
Photo Gallery: Pole Canyon