ATV Adventures: Paiute ATV adventure Part 2, including a night to remember
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- This was one of the bolder water crossings at Fish Creek.
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- The ride up to Kimberly on the way to Marysvale was in the beautiful fall colors.
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- Lynn Blamires
We were a group of 12 machines 73 miles into our ATV Adventure from Fillmore. Last week, I told you about our ride to the Meadow Hot Springs and a morning ride on the Fillmore Loop east of town. It was noon and we thought it prudent to top off our tanks and our tummies before lining up for the next part of our adventure. We were headed for Marysvale where we had reservations for the night.
Riding over Interstate 15, we took the frontage road to Meadow on the same route we took to the hot springs the night before. At the base of the overpass to the hot pots, we turned south onto a dirt frontage road to Kanosh. This ran by farmers’ fields beside the freeway into town.
We passed through town on a designated ATV route and followed Corn Creek up Kanosh Canyon. We were back in the mountains on a beautiful fall day. The trail was marked No. 15. While it is in the Pahvant mountain range, this trail skirts the higher elevations.
We passed Three Creeks Reservoir, crossed the Devil’s Dance Floor and dropped down Mud Spring Hollow. We rode under I-70 and came to the Fish Creek water crossings. We were making good time on fast trails.
The trail crosses the creek three times and the water is deep enough to get your feet wet. Each driver approached these crossings differently. Most were quite dainty and cautious, but a couple of riders used a devil-may-care attitude that made a big splash. I think I was one of them.
We climbed out of a narrow canyon and followed the freeway east to a road that took us up by Kimberly — a ghost town on the side of Gold Mountain in the Tushar Mountain Range. Passing over a ridge, we had a great view of I-70’s twin ribbons far below.
We stopped at the Siver King Mine for a bathroom break. I knew it was time to stop because the line formed quickly.
We rode down Spring Gulch past the top of the Deer Creek Trail that goes down to the rest area on Highway 89 and came to a “T” junction. We turned right for a fast trip to the top. At 11,400 feet, the views are unforgettable. Turning around, we followed a winding trail cut into the side of the mountain that took us into Marysvale.
It was dinner time, but Tomatoes, the only restaurant open in town, was full. We decided to ride north to the restaurant at the Big Rock Candy Mountain Resort. It was worth the ride.
Arriving back in Marysvale, we had added another 93 miles to our ride. We split up to go to the places we had reserved for a night’s rest. Here is where it gets interesting.
The night before, Bry Davis, my riding buddy, and I shared a room at the Quality Inn in Fillmore. The beds were comfortable and the breakfast that was included was hot.
In Fillmore, I had reserved the Quality Inn, but in Marysvale, the place I wanted to stay was booked. I have stayed at Liz and Charlie’s RV Park where they have cabins quite nicely appointed. I had no idea that what I was booking was a very basic cabin until we pulled up in front of it. On the upside, it had a bed, heater, couch, fridge and microwave. On the downside, it had no running water and we shared a biffy with many other cabins.
Thoughtfully, showers were included, but they were coin-operated. One quarter was not enough to complete a shower. My friend, Bry, realized that after he was thoroughly soaped up. It makes me laugh to think of him looking for another coin in that condition. He wasn’t laughing.
Oh, and I thought of these conveniences as inconvenient. They were located about 100 yards from our cabin. In the middle of the night, that seemed like a mile. That dance I did on the way wasn’t funny to me, but it made Bry laugh.
Bry took the couch and gave me the bed. I know that my night’s sleep was better than his. Ironically, the next morning I learned that another motel in town had plenty of rooms available. I jumped too quickly at the lower price. It was a night we will not soon forget. When you go, take plenty of water, keep the rubber side down and choose your accommodations carefully.
Contact Lynn R. Blamires at quadmanone@gmail.com.