Pictures from Bullion Canyon Pocket
Recently, several folks from the Forest Service took a hike up the Bullion Canyon Pocket. This is within the area we are recommending as a wilderness area on the Fishlake National Forest. Here are some of their pictures, let us know what you think. Pictures are courtesy of Frank Erickson and Mark Muir.
Here are some thoughts from Mark Muir, our planning team hydrologist.
In addition to high plateaus and rolling vistas, the Fishlake National Forest also offers an incredible alpine experience that rivals some of the more famous destinations in the West. Although on a much smaller scale, “the pocket” offers classic glacial cirque topography that you would expect to see in more noted ranges such as the Sierra Nevada in California or the Wind Rivers in Wyoming. The trail winds in and out of these glacial cirques, with 12,000 foot peaks looming above you. Volcanic geology makes the rocks very interesting and colorful, and there are some old mining sites along the way as well. For everyone who lives in south-central Utah, this hike should really be on your list of things to do before you die. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this place featured in a backpacking magazine, as an undiscovered alpine get away.
My experience with the Tushars goes back to my childhood when I fished Merchant Creek and the Beaver River several times each summer with my dad and brother. Back then, I never even knew they were called the Tushars–we spoke simply of “going to Beaver” and I never saw the high peaks as my focus was strictly on the water and the fish. Since then, I’ve returned to the Tushars many times for work and pleasure, including fighting fire, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, hiking, camping and–of course–more fishing. They are a great component of the national forest system that truly embody the spirit of multiple use. Traveling through the Tushars, you see a little of everything: grazing, mining, logging, and recreation. The undeveloped part of High Tushars are reminiscent of classic national forest wilderness elsewhere: high peaks, alpine forests, rocky and–much of the year–snowy. What they lack compared with the grand western wilderness areas in other states is expanse: rather than covering hundreds of thousand acres the high country covers a few thousand acres. But what is there certainly meets the definition of wilderness.
By the way, the Tushars are third on my list of Utah’s top mountain ranges. The rest of the list? 1. High Uintas. 2. Wasatch. 3. Tushars. 4. Monroe Mountain. 5. Pahvant Range. 6. Deep Creeks. 7. Stansbury Mountain. 8. LaSals. 9. Pine Valley Mountain. 10. Boulder Mountain. The list is purely subjective, based on my experience alone.
Comment by Frank Erickson — October 28, 2005 @ 11:56 amI like Frank’s description. It would be great to hear from the past experiences of
, my
other folks who have visited the Tushars or spent time there in their childhood.
While you don’t have to go quite as far back as Frank to get to my childhood
great grandfather, who lived in Junction for years, used to tell me about the area.
Ever since those anecdotes from grandpa, I have had a great interest in seeing the
area, it has met my most fantastic expectations.
I also like Frank’s list. I haven’t been in all the areas that Frank describes, but
would be interested to know why each of these areas is on his list and what each
offers unique from the others. It would be interesting to compare which of these
ranges offer a big “W” wilderness experience and which ones offer a “w” wilderness
experience. I would also like to know more about the local values that people have
for these ranges. For the most part, my personal experience has been limited to my
top two High Unitas and Wasatch. As a Forest Service employee, I have been to many
of the other mentioned mountain ranges, but not spent a lot of time recreating and
experiencing them yet. I hope to in the future.
Frank, what criteria did you think about to make your “subjective” choices?
I find it a bit interesting that you don’t list the Henry Mountains.
Also, do you have corresponding list for desert areas of Utah? It would be
Comment by Kenton Call — October 31, 2005 @ 6:48 pminteresting to get your thoughts on those areas. One challenge that we face in
planning, in my mind, is that “Wilderness” means many different things to different
people. For a long time, I associated “Wilderness” - based on my personal experiences -
with alpine areas and glacial peaks - like you see in the Wasatch and High Uintas.
Ever since discovering the desert backcountry of Utah, however, I have expanded my
associations to include many of the desert wonderlands of Utah. Are there places in
between that warrant inclusion into this discussion? Certainly, many would argue that
some of those “places in between” offer uniquely valuable wilderness experiences as
well. I’d love to hear from those people on this blog.
In the last 8 years I have either ridden or hiked into the “Pocket”. I think that
Comment by jim catalano — November 15, 2005 @ 5:50 pmthe beauty and isolation of that part of the Tushars should be a wilderness. I my
age I doubt that I will see the area again, but I would to see perserved for the
future.
I love riding up the Tushars the trails are great. I fill that we need area like like this for everyone to enjoy. Not to lock it up in wilderness.
Comment by Fred Christensen — December 13, 2005 @ 12:44 amKenton–
Comment by Frank Erickson — January 5, 2006 @ 1:03 pmYou asked me what my criteria were for selecting which mountain ranges were on my list. The first three–the Uintas, Wasatch, and Tushars–were places I went as a kid with my parents and grandparents. Later, I spent a lot of time of time skiing and hiking in the Wasatch and appreciated how much of the range is still undeveloped, in spite of the fact it is the backyard of Utah’s four most populous counties: Salt Lake, Utah, Weber and Davis. Still later I worked and recreated in the High Uintas. The massiveness of that range is really unparallel by anything else in Utah. In 1976, I cross-country skied the Uintas from East Park (north of Vernal) to the East Fork of the Bear River (south of Evanston), an epic journey. Because a large portion of the Uinta Range is included in the High Uintas Wilderness the opportunity for others to enjoy a similar “epic journey” remains. Monroe Mountain and the Pahvants are on the list because they are the ranges close to where I live now and although much of both ranges are accessible to vehicles, there are “pockets” in both ranges that provide great hiking opportunities and great scenery away from the sights and sounds of vehicles. The rest on the list each have a personal story behind them. For example, I’ve not yet had a successful trip to the Deep Creeks. Each time I tried to go there, something went wrong!
Regarding access let me say this: My great-grandmother walked to Utah with the handcart companies, something I’ve very proud of. She did it out of necessity, not choice, but I hope future Utahans have a chance to test their mettle in the way she did because doing so builds character. I’m fine with sharing the mountains (and deserts) with those who need to drive because I, too, drive in the mountains. But I hope there will always be a few places reserved for those with the ambition and fortitude to rely on their own two legs to see and enjoy.
Great comments Frank.
Your thoughts underscore a common theme that I’ve found with outdoor recreation and wilderness discussions. Folks talk about these things from a very personnal standing. When discussing wilderness values many people will think back to their childhood or their formative years. For me, I relate my values to experiences in the Black Hills, the central Sierras, and the Oregon Cascades.
The Tushars compare well with those experiences with the notable exception of size. They really are a small mountain range. I believe many of the folks we talk to here in southern Utah also relate to values formed in childhood. I think it helps discuss and understand the filters that we, and others, place into our communications.
Comment by Frank Fay — March 2, 2006 @ 1:39 pmFF
It is so wonderful to hear from the users of these areas. The focus should be on preserving these locations for the users.
Comment by Betty Stokes — March 23, 2006 @ 2:28 pm