Cove Creek

June 3, 2016

    At the northwest corner of the Beaver Ranger District is a hiking trail that gets cooler and cooler the farther you go.  Cool in the literal sense because  you leave a hot, dry trailhead at 6700’ and when you enter the shade of the forest and deep canyon it really feels nice.  Subjectively, it gets cooler to me because not many folks get way up in there to Butterfly Flat, so it’s wilder, and the head of Cove Creek was burned over in the Twitchell fire so the regeneration of aspen and wildflowers is impressive.   This is the same Forest Trail 054 that I wrote about last issue that has a “Smurf Forest” at the southern trailhead near Manderfield Res. but there is 19 miles of trail between the two ends and I would love to hear of someone accepting that challenge!  Do it with some friends and camp overnight half-way at Pine Creek Pass and leave a shuttle car at the far end.  School’s out (Yippee!) and I’ll bet Beaver has some youngster who would do this kind of mountain adventure like their ancestors.  Be forewarned though, hundreds of downed tree’s will need to be hurdled until our trails crew gets in there, so I would inquire at the Forest Service Office as to current trail conditions before I tried horseback riding the 054.  You are welcome to call me at 801-243-0095 for current trail conditions too. However, I can attest that the first two miles of trail are clean from the northern trailhead.  This trailhead is reached by turning east at Historic Cove Fort, the actual stone fortress (exit 1 off I-70),  proceed 2 miles going through both tunnels under the interstate, then drive another 1.5 miles of dirt road and hang a right on FR 1136.  3\4 of a mile later, park your car under the huge power transmission lines and Cove Creek stream is 300 yards to the south.  If you have a truck, you can park a bit closer at the stream next to the smaller single wood-pole power line.  Like I said, this trail is blazing hot for the first mile, so get an early start as our summer temps are finally here.  

    The first mile climbs up a rocky foothill covered with oak brush and mountain mahogany, then is nice and flat under a tunnel of crispy, black mahogany branches.  Then, as you spot a few aspen, big-toothed maple and tree-sized gambel oak, Cove Creek Canyon swallows you up with shade, the sound of running water, soft tread, and solitude.  Cool, cool.  Right?  After hiking 1.5 miles there is an astounding solitary Ponderosa tree that is worth hugging, sniffing, and examining the bear scratches on it’s bark.  Just before the two mile mark on this hike you should appreciate the work of a 2014 “American Conservation Experience” crew who created new tread through a snake infested rockslide,  eliminating two really nasty stream crossings below.  The same crew installed 15 erosion control structures, called water bars, near the trailhead to keep the trail from becoming a rocky gully like it once was.  The flash flooding and severe erosion along cove creek due to Twitchell fire will continue to keep our Forest Service trails crew busy,  so be cautious on this wild, ever-changing trail.  Hiking is great fun and good for the body and soul, so please don’t let our hard work be for not.  Go enjoy the Tushar’s!