Lynn Blamires, Special to the Standard-Examiner

Being on the edge of the 2022 ATV riding season, I left good weather in Davis County in search of good weather in Washington County. Actually, I was looking for some trails to ride down south and I found both.

The NUATV club had a two-day ride scheduled so I signed up and decided that I would figure out how to pay for the gas later. Looking at the price of motels in St. George, we decided to stay in Mesquite and commute.

Instructions directed us to meet on the north side of Interstate 15 at the Black Rock exit. I find it interesting that we refer to some exits by name and some by number. I guess Black Rock is more fun to say than exit 27 and the reason we met on the north side is that the south side has a staging area that requires an Arizona permit.

Unloaded and lined up, we headed south on the Black Rock Mountain Road on a gradual climb toward Low Mountain. Gradual needs to be defined because we had a lot of ups and downs in our climb.

Low Mountain gets its name from the fact that it isn’t very high. We started our ride at an elevation of 2,800 feet. Low Mountain is 6,411 feet high and we stopped for lunch in a stand of lodge pole pines at 7,000 feet.

Lynn Blamires, Special to the Standard-Examiner

Crossing over Dinner Flat, we passed the mouth of Little Purgatory Canyon. We then climbed over a small ridge and dropped into a valley by a water tank and took a break before facing our first challenge.

Challenge also needs to be defined. We had a series of rock steps to climb that would have been a problem for a small ATV, but the big side-by-sides we were driving handled them easily. Challenges like this are fun if you don’t think you are going to die in the process.

We soon came to a junction that took us to an overlook where we looked over I-15 some 3,200 feet below. Standing near the edge, the drop was 1,000 feet straight down before sloping to the bottom. The view was amazing and the trucks on the interstate looked like ants — no, like stink bugs — making their way through the Virgin River Gorge.

Climbing to 6,400 feet, we passed by Low Mountain. It was difficult to make out because it was only 11 feet high from our vantage point, but there it was.

One of the remarkable features of this ride was to pass through the variety of flora and fauna as we ascended from the desert floor to the mountain forests. As previously stated, we stopped for lunch in the cool shade of tall pines.

Photo supplied

Lunch is always a highlight of any ride. It is a chance to socialize in another setting in Utah’s wonderful backcountry. Finally, we reached a point where no one would share their treats with me anymore, so I guess it was time to go.

We took another route down the mountain to make a loop instead of an in-and-out ride. This section had several switchbacks, which gave the riders toward the back of the line views of those below as they worked their way back and forth down the face of the steep slope. About halfway down in elevation, we passed the mouth of Tombstone Canyon.

About this time, I noticed the trail was dotted with beer cans. I had brought a grabber and a trash bag. I figured that if I could collect enough aluminum cans, it would help with the cost of gas. So, I would find a can and Fred, my riding buddy, would reach out and grab it, throw it on the floor, and stomp on it. Alas, the attempt was futile. The plastic grocery sack held about 25 cents worth, but the trail looked better.

With the exception of a couple of technical sections, this trail was relatively smooth and we could make enough speed to feel a cool breeze on our faces. The weather was beautiful and we enjoyed the temperature in long-sleeved T-shirts.

The last section of our ride was on Black Rock Road, and as we crossed over the interstate to our staging area we finished a ride of about 52 miles. This trail is suitable for UTVs and jeeps. When you go, take plenty of water, keep the rubber side down and enjoy this trail for the variety of changing altitudes and the picturesque overlooks.

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

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