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Enjoying a water crossing on trail No. 39 on the Arapeen Trail System.

Lynn R. Blamires, Special to the Standard-Examiner

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Stopping for a break on the Arapeen trails after winding through the Manti La-Sal National Forest.

Lynn R. Blamires, Special to the Standard-Examiner

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Lynn R. Blamires tries to keep his hat on while riding the Musket Shot Trail.

Lynn R. Blamires, Special to the Daily Herald

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Round-trip rides are a favorite, where I ride from one city to another, spend the night and then return.

An ATV jamboree is an example of a destination trip. A city invites the ATV community to spend a few days in town and take guided rides on trails nearby. I led a round-trip ride last week with a group of 14 brave souls in 10 machines from Ferron to Ephraim and back. The ride took us through the Arapeen Trail System — one of Utah’s premier ATV trail systems.

The Big Mountain Lodge in Ferron is an excellent place to stage a round-trip ride. They have 27 rooms, making it possible to quarter larger groups, and their accommodations are only surpassed by their hospitality. Jennifer and Heather ensured we had a hearty breakfast before hitting the trail, and they also had sandwiches available to take with us.

We held a meeting to brief the group on the plans for the ride, then lined up and prepared to leave. We left directly from the lodge, which had ample space to leave our trucks overnight. We were missing one person who was confused about the start time. More about his adventure later.

The numbers best describe the Arapeen trails. We left town on trail No. 7. It took us to the Millsite Reservoir and then split. We took the left fork, which dipped down by the Wrigley Springs Reservoir and then up on No. 77 to rejoin No. 7, passing Willow Lake and Ferron Reservoir. From there, we climbed up to Skyline Drive (No. 1) and dropped down to Twelve-Mile Flat Campground for lunch. Whew! That doesn’t even give you a clue as to how beautiful these mountain trails are.

Lunch was a highlight of the ride. It gave us a chance to enjoy a quiet hour in a peaceful mountain setting, have a meal and enjoy swapping stories. Tummies topped off, we got back on the trail.

I was riding with my grandson, Mark. His riding style is similar to mine; we enjoy seeing a little of a lot of scenery. We flew through the foliage listening to the sounds of Colt Ford singing “Busted.” It doesn’t get better than that.

We were on No. 35, taking a different route back up to Skyline Drive. Here is where numbers are significant. A number is easy to look up on a map to determine your location. The Arapeen map is worth having for the information it features. There are over 50 fishing spots pinpointed, ride suggestions, points of interest, places to stay and more. We turned onto No. 39, where there is a fun water crossing. Trying to describe the location of a trail without a landmark is not easy, and this one is particularly noteworthy due to a water crossing.

I love a good water crossing. However, one member of our group read the owner’s manual for their machine and was worried about water deeper than 19 inches. We teased her about having her wade out and measure the depth before crossing.

No. 39 took us back to the top of the mountain, where we followed Skyline Drive to the junction and a sign indicating the main road down to Ephraim. The beauty of the Skyline lies in the views you have along its route. The elevation is above 10,000 feet on this stretch, and the weather is refreshing at this time of year.

We rode into Ephraim about 4 p.m. and checked into the Willow Creek Inn, having finished a ride of 83 miles. We bonded over Mexican food at Los Amigos and relived our experiences. I have a reputation for getting lost when I lead a ride. People have come to expect it. I hadn’t gotten lost, but I did make one wrong turn.

We gassed up at the Maverik, where we met the rider we were missing at the start of our ride and learned about his adventure. He arrived shortly after we had left and tried to catch up. He didn’t have a map and was using a GPS with little knowledge of the Arapeen Trail System. He came over the mountain, but found himself 35 miles south of Ephraim. Lodging was full, so he had to travel 11 miles further north to Spring City to find a place to stay. His ride was 110 miles.

The ride back to Ferron is a story for another day. When you go, take plenty of water, keep the rubber side down and get a map of the Arapeen trails to make your own ATV adventure.

Lynn R. Blamires can be reached at quadmanone@gmail.com.