The Pocket

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In 2005 a young lad from Salt Lake City swung by the Beaver Forest Service office to inquire about hiking on the Fishlake Nat’l Forest.  The kind woman at the front desk sold him a topo map and suggested checking out a special spot north of Mt Delano called “The Pocket”.  Neither of them realized the impact this recommendation would have on this kids future.  It was mid-July when he returned to the Tushar’s equipped for a three day backpacking adventure.  Even though the upper Bullion Canyon trail system is well marked and located in stunning country,  he saw no other humans for days. The trails here are steep and challenging,  the solitude is absolute, and the scenery is spectacular.  These factors, the thin air, or both led the young man to feel a euphoric high when he summited Mt. Belknap and caught his first glimpse of Blue Lake a thousand feet below.  After admiring the views and the goats, he came down, literally and figuratively, to puke his guts out and collapse in his tent at Bullion Pasture just under 11000 feet. The boy is now able to feed his alpine addiction every day because he moved to Beaver and feels like the luckiest man in the world, especially because his sweet wife followed him there too!

Yup, this was me ten years ago and nothing has changed up there, it is and always will be beautiful, remote and seldom seen!   This trail description is the easiest of three ways to hike to “the Pocket” and your vehicle will do most of the climbing for you (compared to going over Mt. Delano, or up from Miner’s Park near Marysvale). This is NOT AN EASY HIKE.  The “Pocket” is hard to get into, hard to get out of and is a minimum of six miles round trip.  You also need to allow 1.5 to 2 hours driving time from Beaver because the last 10 miles is narrow, bumpy, and dangerous!  Drive up Beaver Canyon to mm 16 and turn left on FR 123 towards Big John’s Flat.  Any car can travel the five miles to Big John’s, but beyond this you will probably damage your car.  Best left to trucks and OHV’s because this road is part of the Paiute 01 ATV trail and it’s wild!  Once you summit the ridge above Mud Lake, continue driving north along the ridgeline road 1.6 miles to the restroom and parking lot at the Bullion Pasture Trailhead.  The hiking and fun begins here!   Follow trail 074 1.5 miles down into Bullion Canyon to the well signed junction with trail 216. Turn right, or south on the 216 and you’ll shortly cross Pine Creek and enter dark shady woods.  Keep climbing the switchbacks until you emerge on a ridge with views to the south and your first sneak peak into the “Pocket”.   On this ridge and the next one south the trail jogs slightly uphill and you’ll know you’ve arrived at the “Pocket’s” center when a crystal clear stream just starts flowing from underneath the glacial moraine (pile of rocks plowed downhill by glaciers).  If you want your thighs to burn just try hiking out of the “Pocket” to the east.  The 216 trail crests the ridge then curves south through two flat spots before sidehilling gently down to the South Fork of Bullion, intersecting with the 224 trail, which comes down from Mt. Delano’s summit.  Leave yourself plenty of daylight for the return trip because it’s 3.9 miles back to Bullion Pasture T.H. from this 216\224 junction and you WILL be huffing and puffing on the way out.  A useful and free brochure\map of the Upper Bullion Canyon trail system is available at USFS office and usually at the trailheads.  

This entire hike is between 10,000 and 11,000 and the elevation will affect you!  Drinking plenty of water, snacking frequently, and going easy are some ways to combat high altitude sickness.  If you plan to backpack or camp at these elevations, I strongly recommend conditioning and training at high altitude well in advance so you don’t suffer or get sick on your adventure.  Thin atmosphere will allow the sun to burn you quicker.  Wear sunblock!  Be prepared, be safe, and go get way high up, “Into the Tushars”.