West Fork Merchant Valley

October 14, 2015

Anyone who’s driven up Beaver Canyon would recognize Merchant Valley,  it’s where the views become expansive, the highway finally levels off, and where wild animals and domestic cows love to hang out.  The main stem of Merchant Creek drains country to the north of the Ski Resort, and East of Big John’s Flat,  fed by Mt Holly’s west slopes.  But there’s much more country drained by the West Fork of Merchant Creek and therefore more water and one heck of a hiking trail.  All the streams to the west of Big John’s Flat, including Poison, Griffith’s , and Shelly Baldy Creek, converge to form the West Fork of Merchant Creek. Three more tributaries add volume to the West Fork’s waters and will be waypoints as you hike up trail #222, namely Deer, Gill, and Duncan Creeks.  The aerial view of this hike looks like a lollypop, with a two mile long stick, then a 5.3 mile circumference candy pop which is a loop and can be enjoyed either direction.  The first two miles are the most pleasant and with smooth level tread are really fun to ride on a mountain bike.  So up and back on just the “stick” is 4 miles round trip and has many beautiful clearings dotted with huge aspen trees and occasional views of the tall peaks to the northeast.  The crowning jewel of the “candy top” loop is the dramatic view into the South Fork of North Creek and the fall colors painted across Baldwin Ridge which leads right up to Mount Baldy.  This killer viewpoint is at the head of Duncan Creek, where you can see the entire Mineral Range to the West.  I hiked and pedalled all 9.3 miles of this route (the stick and the loop) on October 9th when half the leaves still clung to treetops and the other half littered the forest floor, turning the tread into a “Yellow-Brick Road” of sorts.  The wonderful scent of autumn leaves composting on the ground into next year’s topsoil fills the air.  Pine tree boughs reach out and filter the falling golden petals,  holding them until winter storms blow them loose.  Soon these same green boughs will all slowly turn white, filtering one snowflake at a time from the frigid November air.  Our window to hike at 9000 feet is closing until next May, so get out there NOW!

Drive up Beaver Canyon (Ut 153) to mm 15.4 and turn left on FR 584. In 500 feet you must veer to the right, staying in the open clearing where the soil is white and fairly smooth, heading northeast.  This dead end dirt road spur (FR584) is half mile long, but may be too rough for sedan’s, so just park before you get into trouble and walk up the road, looking for a large green map\sign just beyond where this road crosses Deer Creek.  Up and to the right, behind this green map there is a log-worm fence with an ATV barrier, called the Duncan Creek Trailhead,  this is where our trail # 222 begins.  The first things you’ll enjoy about this hike are the beautiful clearings with smooth, grassy tread, huge, well-spaced aspen trees’ and the quiet solitude just minutes from the pavement.  You may have spotted a few cabins on the east side of this valley, which sit at the southern end of Sawmill Ridge.  Sawmill Ridge blocks our view of Delano, Mt. Holly, and Lake Peak at first, but the farther north you proceed, these Peaks pop out from behind the ridge to say hello.  The Gill Creek and Duncan Creek crossings are both about 1.75 miles up tr. 222,  one right after the other,  and then the trail climbs up onto the East bank of Duncan Creek, where there is a sign at a trail junction.  Here is where you begin and end the “lollypop’s” 5.3 mile loop.  Clockwise, you’ll finish hiking up Duncan Creek using trail 064, enjoy the amazing view into S. Fk North Creek,  hang a right on the 223 trail, proceed east\northeast to intersect with the Bosman trail (058).  This 058 trail is heavily used by horsemen and descends gradually towards Big John’s Flat.  You’ll pass the turnoff to Blue Lake (tr. 172) still heading down to the river crossing,  but don’t cross this river, it’s the West Fork of Merchant.  You turn hard right just before the river onto trail 064 and head southwest, paralleling said river.  After one mile there’s a long open clearing with small flowing tributary at southern end.  The trail crosses this stream then climbs a couple switchbacks before heading westerly back to Duncan creek and the loop’s beginning.  There’s one unnamed stream just east of Duncan which has more flow than Duncan and it is just 500 feet away from loop’s start\finish.  It’s great to see a lot of trail use lately and it’s mostly due to hunting season, and for this reason I highly advise wearing bright color’s when venturing into big game habitat.  Also, do not carry antler’s over your head this fall as you journey “Into the Tushars"!