Lynn Blamires, Special to the Standard-Examiner

Looking for some lower-elevation trails to ride on a fall day, we picked the trails at Lake Mountain on the west side of Utah Lake across from Provo. “Do we pack a lunch?” my friends asked. “Nah,” I replied. “We will eat lunch at a restaurant in Eagle Mountain.”

My riding buddies knew that I hadn’t ridden this trail before. So they knew that I had no idea what I was talking about and they went anyway. Go figure.

We met for breakfast, hoping that the temperature would warm up a little. It didn’t. That is another thing about the people who ride with me — when I say it will warm up, they know I am just hoping. They dress to keep warm and go anyway.

We turned off of I-15 on the Pioneer Crossing Road to Saratoga Springs and then turned south on Highway 68 (Redwood Road). Following the road around Lake Mountain, we turned north on Soldier Pass Road to a staging area on the left.

The temperature was fine if we were standing still, but that wasn’t going to happen. We bundled up and headed out to find Eagle Mountain, because we didn’t pack any lunches.

Lynn Blamires, Special to the Standard-Examiner

Soldier Pass Road actually took us over Soldier Pass. I shouldn’t have been surprised because, well, it is Soldier Pass Road.

Turning off the pass road, we climbed the mountain for several hundred feet on the Lake Mountain Communications Road. This would have taken us up to the top of the mountain where there is a series of cellphone and radio antennas. I have been there before and the view of the lake and the mountains across the lake are very scenic. However, we didn’t want to go there because we hadn’t packed any lunches.

Turning off the com road, we crossed the mouth of Mercer Canyon and came down Wildcat Canyon to the Lake Mountain Road. By then, we could see signs of civilization, which we read as Eagle Mountain and lunch.

Coming into town, we turned west on Eagle Mountain Boulevard. Coming to a roundabout, we did a do-si-do and wound up at a choice of several places to eat. We chose Los Aribertos because that is where all the construction workers were going. Following construction workers and truck drivers because they know where to eat is a myth. They find places to eat where there is enough space to park their big rigs. However, we had some pretty good Mexican food for lunch.

Food bags filled, we started back to see if we could find our way to the trucks. Not wanting to follow the same track back, we looked for other trails.

Lynn Blamires, Special to the Standard-Examiner

The first two we took proved to be dead ends. I don’t like dead ends and I avoid them if I can, but I have found myself on them for some reason. It usually happens when I am exploring trails for which I don’t have maps.

The third try was successful. We went up Ivan’s Canyon and climbed a steep no-name knoll. At the top, it appeared to me that there was only one trail to take — apparently not because no one followed me.

I waited at the bottom for everyone to gather again. They came from two directions – two went around the knoll and the other came down the trail I took.

There are so many trails on this trail system and it is so fun to take one to see where it goes. It is a pretty safe place to explore because all the trails come back to the Soldier Pass Road.

The area south and west of the mountain is where the bulk of the trails are and very few of them have a destination. It is one place that you can go to ride just for the sake of riding and you can always find a new trail.

However, in addition to the trail to Eagle Mountain, there is a trail that connects with the trails at Five Mile Pass going to Eureka. From there, they hook up with the Prospector Trails south into Juab County. These will all connect and make a trail that will go down the western side of the state to Washington County.

The best time to ride these trails is in the spring or fall when the mountain trails are closed. When you go, take plenty of water, keep the rubber side down and ride the Lake Mountain Trails to nowhere.

Contact Lynn R. Blamires at quadmanone@gmail.com.

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