Lynn Blamires, Special to the Standard-Examiner

It was the third day of the Ticaboo Rally and the ride on tap was the Poison Springs Wash Trail. I rode this trail last year at the Ticaboo Rally. What could I say that I haven’t already said?

However, every ride is an adventure, even if is the same trail. I look for something new, and this ride was no exception. As many times as I have been to Ticaboo country, I never fail to be amazed at the unique and rugged beauty found here.

The Poison Springs Trail is a wash that winds through a canyon coming out at the Dirty Devil River. On the map, the trail is called Poison Springs Wash. The common definition of a wash is a shallow channel that allows water to “wash” down from higher elevations. In this case, it is not a shallow channel, but a narrow canyon with high walls.

We started our ride at mile marker 20 on Highway 95. There is a staging area on the west side of the highway. From the staging area, the trail goes east to Cedar Point and Poison Springs Canyon or you can take the trail west over Bull Creek Pass in the Henry Mountains.

We headed east about 2 miles from the highway to a junction where we turned north. Riding this track for about 2 1/2 miles, we turned east again and began our descent into the canyon.

Lynn Blamires, Special to the Standard-Examiner

Last year when I rode this trail, it was just after the canyon had flooded from a bad storm that did millions of dollars of damage to nearby Hanksville. The trail was washed out and the county was just reopening the trail with their graders. The trail was much smoother this time.

When storms hit this year there was a lot of water, but it affected different areas. There was evidence of water in this canyon, but it hadn’t been washed out.

This was outlaw country. It is easy to see how a posse would have trouble tracking a band of outlaws through the labyrinth of canyons open here to an hombre on the run. Cattle rustlers also used this route for the protection the canyon provided.

There is proof that Butch Cassidy and his band of outlaws used this canyon to evade the law. There is a large boulder in the canyon, if you know where to find it, that has his name chiseled into it.

I love a good Western, and in this country where nothing changes, my imagination ran wild. I could see points high on the top of the canyon walls where a cowboy with a rifle could be posted as a lookout. He could easily spot riders in a posse tracking Butch’s gang.

Lynn Blamires, Special to the Standard-Examiner

Several box canyons are found on this trail and evidence of the Ancient Ones are found on these rock walls. Pictograph panels contain some rare finds. The depiction of an owl is on one panel while another had an archer and some Kokopelli Dancers. The presence of these panels makes this trail even more appealing.

While some trails in the backcountry can be treacherous, this one is not. It is an easy ride through an amazing canyon. Every turn presents wonderful and unique vistas. They have to be seen to truly be enjoyed.

We wound our way through the canyon and came out at the Dirty Devil River where we stopped for a lunch break. Last year, I enjoyed my lunch in the shade of a cliff at this spot.

I tried to duplicate that experience again this year. Sections of the ground looked damp, but not that bad. It was that bad. I stepped on a muddy slope and what happened next would make a good cartoon. I flailed my arms in a futile attempt to stay upright. Flinging my sack lunch some distance in the process, I landed in a heap in the mud. Retrieving my lunch, I gave up on eating in the shade of the cliff.

Lunch over, we crossed the Dirty Devil and climbed out of the canyon. We rode a few miles on the benches above the canyons cut by the river. Turning around, we rode back through the canyon, which was like riding a new trail.

Photo supplied

We made it back to the trucks, finishing a ride of about 45 miles. When you go, take plenty of water, keep the rubber side down and see the history and beauty of Ticaboo.

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

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