ATV Adventures: Remembering the bad parts of a great ride on the Paiute trails
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- The calm before the storm. Crossing a bridge on the Paiute ATV Trail System.
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- The calm after the storm. A beautiful rainbow after the storm on the Paiute Trails.
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- Crossing over the Tushar Mountains on the Paiute Trails.
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- Lynn Blamires
Life is what happens when all your plans fall apart. It is called an adventure and is made up of a mixture of the elements, friends and scenery. Unexpected events make for great stories.
The year was 2011 and our adventure began in Salina at the Butch Cassidy Campground. The fact that the camping area was right next to the highway didn’t mean anything at the time.
We settled down to sleep for the night at about 10 p.m. excited about a three-day ride on the Paiute trails. That is when we noticed the traffic on the highway. Double-trailer coal rigs were routed through town on Highway 89 right by our camp.
These trucks applied compression brakes approaching the on-ramp at a point next to our campground. The noise was difficult to talk over, let alone sleep through. We timed the interval between trucks to be about 90 seconds.
I was determined to ignore the truck noise, but I couldn’t ignore the hole in my air mattress. What a letdown — literally. My re-inflation efforts only lasted an hour. That was a miserable night — a story that was retold many times.
In the morning, we all looked like frazzled cats. It was proof that camping is where you spend a lot of money to live like homeless people.
Running on adrenalin, we hit the trail heading north. After stopping in Koosharem for lunch, we rolled into Circleville at about 3 p.m.
Menacing storm clouds were gathering ahead of us on the trail. I suggested that we check into a motel, get a hot meal and a good night’s sleep. Being caught in a mountain storm is not fun and I had thoughts of sleeping in a real bed.
My friends were having none of it. They thought it was too early in the afternoon to stop. My best reasons for not risking the hazards of a storm fell on deaf ears. Reluctantly, I mounted up and we headed for Wade’s Canyon
The main Paiute Trail goes west out of Circleville and is famous for 11 tight switchbacks near the top of the mountain. The trail had a 50-inch restriction, it is 60 inches now but rougher than an old cob. The trail was steep and the turns were tight. Bad weather only increased the problems.
I was in front of about a dozen riders and well into the climb when the storm hit. I didn’t want to don rain gear if it was only going to blow over. When I noticed that I was splashing through water about 4 inches deep in each track on the trail, I decided that it was a real storm.
I had a new two-piece rain suit that I had not tried on. The top fit fine but the pants were a tight fit. The dance I did to get them on was more of a dance in the rain than a rain dance. Finally, to the relief of those waiting for me, I was ready to go. However, when I threw my leg over the seat, my rain pants split wide open. The rain was torrential and the seat on my ATV was designed to funnel the water right to the very spot unprotected by my newly ripped rain gear.
By the time we had reached the top, the storm had passed and we stopped to let everyone catch up. When they did, we learned that there was more to the story.
The back of the pack got the worst part of the storm. Lightning was striking all around them and the thunder was deafening.
Abandoning their machines, they flattened themselves in low places on the ground until the storm passed. Because of the intensity of the storm, all of those low places were filled with water.
Having regrouped, we continued our ride. Crossing Grizzly Ridges, Round Flat and Big John’s Flat, we rode over the tops of the Tushar Mountains and down the other side.
It was a pretty ragged crew that rode into Marysvale that evening. We were fortunate to find rooms for the night. I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.
The ride back to Salina on the third day was delightful. We dried out, had a good night’s sleep and didn’t get struck by lightning. It was a great trip!
When you go, take plenty of water, keep the rubber side down and go have your own adventure. It will give you something to tell your kids.
Contact Lynn R. Blamires at quadmanone@gmail.com.