In the past I’ve typically hiked in the mountains reluctantly, only because it was too hot in the desert, but this year I’ve been itchin’ to get on top of some peaks. I actually had a more interesting hike in mind for this weekend but we had substantial rain 2-3 days earlier and I wanted to avoid muddy roads–I just washed my truck! So instead I put together a plan to hike some peaks starting from the paved Consumers Road, very close to home. My goal was the ridge northwest of Bull Point. Along that ridge is point 8,910′, which is currently unclimbed on Peakbagger, and another nearby peak which is shown on the 1914 Castle Gate topo map to have a benchmark on it, but that benchmark doesn’t appear on any later maps. Just before sunrise I parked near Coal City in a spot where old maps show Cedar Mesa Ranch, although I can’t find any signs of the old ranch there. I first walked along a two-track road, then climbed over a gate in the Gordon Creek Wildlife Management Area and followed a much older, closed two-track. So far the ground was dry, and it would turn out there was zero mud during the entire hike. I guess I could’ve done that other hike. It was quite chilly and somewhat breezy and I was wishing I’d brought gloves.
Starting up the road
A gate to climb over
Sun shining on the mountain to the west
Old closed road
Where the old road ended I found an old campsite with some cans and broken glass lying on the ground. From there to the top of the ridge I would mostly be following game trails, and judging by the droppings it was mostly elk using these trails. I crossed a small canyon and began the long climb out the other side. I saw some bootprints that appeared to be fairly fresh. I assumed they were at least from this year, if not the last few weeks.
Junk at an old campsite
Above the canyon
Game trail into the canyon
Climbing out the other side of the canyon
View toward Gentry Mountain
Rocky trail
Coal City
Recent bootprints
The trail worked its way around a couple of small cliff bands and then leveled out. A skiff of lingering snow still held on in the shaded areas. There was a small knoll that looked inviting to stand atop so I hiked a bit out of my way.
Cliffs above the ridge
Trail around the cliffs
Trail across a rocky ledge
Tiny bit of snow hanging on
Dead tree
Point 8,910′
Little knoll that I had to climb
View from the knoll
Bull Point
The ridge widened a bit and the trees and brush became more sparse. There were a lot of small-to-medium round cactuses, many of which had small flower buds but only a few were actually blooming.
More climbing ahead
Indian paintbrush
Steepish hill
Cactus bloom
Elk droppings
Windswept trees
Last push up the ridge
View back down
Faint game trail leading to the ridgetop
I gained the top of the ridge where there’s an old, closed road dating to sometime between 1962 and 1972, according to what I could see in older aerial imagery. I first went left and hiked the ridgetop to point 8,910′. The ridge had a flat, elongated top there and it was difficult to tell which point was actually the highest. There were two small bumps that each appeared to be higher when standing on the other.
Old road
Rock pile and fallen wooden post
Standing on point 8,910′
Ford Ridge
Ford Ridge radio towers
I turned around and went back the other way to the point where the old topo shows a benchmark. Along the way I found a couple pieces of receipt paper from the Maverik in Helper, both dated March 22. So those footprints were fresh within the past couple of weeks! There were some structures on the ridgeline, the first of which I suppose was a wind break/fire ring. Another structure was square with an opening on one side. If it was a shelter it would only hold one person without much room to spare. Where I expected to find the benchmark was a huge cairn, much like the one I’d seen on Flattop Mountain three weeks earlier. I only spent a few minutes there, enjoying the view toward Price, before heading back down.
View toward BM 8,800′
Stacked rocks, perhaps a fire ring?
Inside the stacked rocks
Small square structure
Small square structure
Huge cairn at BM 8,800′
View down-ridge toward Bull Point
Pinnacle Peak peeking out
Price, Utah
Monument Peak (right side of ridge)
The descent back to the truck was uneventful and went quickly. I stopped near the cowboy camp and spent more time looking around but didn’t find much else besides a broken Pepsi bottle and a section marker. The temperature was finally comfortably warm once I hit the two-track road. I got back to the paved road at 11:30 AM and had covered just over six miles, and counting all the ups-and-downs it was 2,100′ elevation gain/loss. I had carried 3 liters of water and a lunch but never touched any of it. My breakfast and coffee early that morning was enough to tide me over for what turned out being a much faster and easier hike than I expected.
View up-canyon toward the ridge
Back on the road
Broken Pepsi bottle
Section marker
Cactus
Back at Consumers Road
Photo Gallery: Coal City to Bull Ridge