Lynn Blamires

ATV Adventures: Hunting for topaz on an ATV

I am not new to hunting for topaz. I know that you can find pieces bleached clear from exposure to the sun in the washes at the base of Topaz Mountain near Delta, Utah. However, I wanted the specimens whose amber color had not been washed out from exposure. That meant getting to unexposed rock.

My son is a mining engineer with access to serious mining "stuff" so I told him of my plan to blow up part of the mountain and that I needed some dynamite. He said I couldn't have any - Rats!

I talked to my friends who got excited about the idea of a hunt for topaz. After doing some research on the Internet they suggested that we look for small trees growing out of rocky areas. We could then use hammer and chisel to get to the booty. That sounded like a plan to me. I loaded my Polaris two-up and with my wife, we picked up our friends and their Rhino in Orem and headed for Delta.

Hook and Ladder -- an ATV adventure in Moab

With all of the Moab OHV trails the Northern Utah ATV Trail Riders could have picked to ride, I was comfortable with the Hook and Ladder Trail. It did not sound life threatening like the other choices -- Hell's Revenge, Metal Masher, or Steel Bender.

Traveling south of Moab on Highway 191 past Wilson Arch, we turned east on State Road 179 where we unloaded and started our ride. Traveling north, we soon found ourselves climbing rock benches through scrub juniper. Sandy trails dotted with patches of slick rock took us around sandstone hoodoos and over landscape for which Moab is famous.

Planning for 2011 on Utah's ATV trails

Utah offers more than 50,000 miles of ATV trails. The trick is finding them, especially for the new rider. A good way to learn where to ride is to attend an ATV jamboree. The ride groups are kept small and guided by experienced locals who make the rides enjoyable. The following is a list planned for 2011 in order of their occurrence:

(Lynn Blamires courtesy photo) Riders descend into Peek-a-boo Canyon near Kanab in Southern Utah.

Peek-a-boo Canyon and Montezuma's Lost Gold

They say that ignorance is bliss. I would say that describes my condition on the way to the trailhead on the day of a ride. I have bliss written all over my face and I am completely ignorant of what the adventure might turn out to be.

Lynn Blamires courtesy photo
ATV riders cruise through burned junipers on the Castle Cliff Trail.

Riding ATV trails in turtle country

Attending the 10th Annual Tri-State ATV Jamboree in Washington County, I was interested to learn of a conflict between the desert tortoise population and the ATV jamboree.

Lynn Blamires courtesy photo
Michealyn Erickson negotiating the rut.

Viewing the Bryce Canyon hoodoos from the Paunsaugunt ATV Trail

About this time of year I get a bad case of cabin fever. Laying out my calendar for the year, I book up every free weekend and some of the days in between with ATV adventures. By the middle of August I realize what I have done to myself and resolve to be better next year. Maybe I should look for an ATVaholics Anonymous and try their 12-step program. On the other hand, why fight it?

LYNN R. BLAMIRES courtesy photo
Riders cruise through Yellow Jacket Canyon in Southern Utah's Kane County.

A cold ride on an ATV in Kane County

Looking for one more good ATV adventure to round out the year, I was watching the weather in Southern Utah. The temperatures in Kane County were registering in the mid 50s. I talked six other riders into a trip the first week of December. We planned to meet a guide from the Tri-State Jamboree at Mt. Carmel Junction; the turn-off to Zion National Park.

Lynn Blamires courtesy photo
Riders navigate the San Rafael Swell during the Arapeen ATV Jamboree.

Planning for 2010 on Utah's ATV trails

The days are getting longer. Today I will have 13 more minutes to frolic in the sunlight then I did two weeks ago. Maybe I am just a little anxious for spring. Anyway, this is the time to do some ATV maintenance and planning for trails to ride this year.

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Lynn Blamires courtesy photo
Reed Embly on the top of Harris Mountain.

Discovering the history of Mail Drop Trails

This time of year I look for ATV trails in warmer parts of the state. I had some pretty cold rides last winter. I found just such a ride in Kane County on the Mail Drop Trails, a ride replete with pioneer and Indian history.

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Lynn Blamires courtesy photo
ATV riders head toward Justensen Flats in the Coal Wash area of Utah's San Rafael Swell.

Exploring San Rafael Swell trails

Riding the "Swell" has a completely different meaning to an ATV rider than it does to a person on a ship in the ocean.

Riding the ATV trails of the San Rafael Swell is one of the unique privileges available to the OHV community. The trails range from easy to challenging, the history is fascinating, and the scenery is spectacular.

(Photo courtesy of LYNN BLAMIRES) ATV riders overlook Whitney Reservoir on the Whitney Trail east of Coalville.

Whitney ATV Trail

When riding a new trail, I like to go with someone who is familiar with it. It allows me to enjoy the trail without worrying about finding my way back. I have been the leader who doesn't know where he is going often enough to know that I would rather follow when the ride is new to me. I heard about the Whitney ATV Trail last year, but didn't get to ride it until late this summer.

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2009 Mountain Man - Beaver to Marysvale on ATVs

Last year we called it the Iron Man. It was a 250-mile ride on the Paiute ATV Trail in Central Utah that starts in Salina and passes through Koosharem, Marysvale, past the Fremont Indian State Park, and returns to Salina.

This year we changed the name to the Mountain Man because some of the people believed the name suggested trails that caused the rider to risk life and limb. Sixteen riders thought Mountain Man sounded less threatening.

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