Trail 068

September 13, 2017

I had an absolute blast doing the research for this week’s hike!  I was thinking this piece of trail connecting Big Flat to LeBaron Reservoir would be boring to write about, but I was SO wrong.  It was a combination of trying something new, mountain biking downhill on the return trip, that autumn chill in the air, and the fact that I slept out on the trail the night before to ensure an early start which led to a euphoric feeling whilst hiking the 068 trail.  The funniest thing happened when I thought a six a.m. start would be an advantage,  it’s not light enough to see a dang thing.  With my headlamp and some gridwork, I found the trail by 7-o'clock and was glad there wasn’t too much cutting because I didn’t want to start my chainsaw that early and ruin possible wildlife encounters.  As I hiked up the switchbacks from the bottom of Iant creek toward Gunsight Flat,  I used my pocket knife to cut away some encroaching aspen shoots.  Then finally a log needing some power cutting spanned the trail and the serene morning silence was shattered, so I thought.  Three deer up on the flat section  were so sound asleep that my buzzsaw didn’t scare them and they all posed for close-up snapshots.  My boring morning hike had life and excitement after all.  As I proceeded north through a clearing from logging ops, the early sun was illuminating the shape of beef cows heading to water on Gunsight Flat.  With perfect lighting and Mount Baldy visible afar, these cows were very fun to photograph.  They were being quiet too until mom said MOOO,  which apparently means “hey kid, come drink your breakfast from my teet”.  The cows told me I was being a dork and I should move on,  they were right though, I did need to get going because I was due in Salt Lake for my mom’s 70th birthday by five o’clock!  Trail 068 leaves Gunsight Flat to the north near the dam of a watering hole and gets steeper and  rockier until it crosses the main highway, UT 153, which is a dirt road at that spot.  A couple signs and trail tread above a short piece of culvert will guide you across the road on your way to Big Flat, which is only 1\3 mile further north.  The trail is nice and level from here to the Buck Ridge bathroom, which sits at the south end of Big Flat, but across the highway to the west.  Parking at the bathroom is a great place to begin this hike and the trail takes off back on the East side of hwy 153 just 50 feet from the sign for forest road # 582. You’ll head south and do this hike in the opposite direction I just described.  So, to recap in reverse, 1\3 mile south from Buck Ridge bathroom trail crosses hwy 153, descends on rocky tread to watering hole at Gunsight Flat, crosses this flat and F.R. 145, climbing gently through logging clear-cut, passing junction with Iant Ridge trail (229), trail heads straight south and is perfectly flat, straddling the Beaver\Paiute county line and then switchbacks down to Iant creek with incredible views east to Betenson Flat, south to Circleville Mtn. and west down Iant creek which joins the Beaver River at mm 14 in Beaver Canyon.  Trail 068 continues on to Lebaron Reservoir and beyond, but passes through private land and is confusing to find and follow, let alone the legal aspects therein.  Next summer I hope to remedy that problem and will write a second edition to trail 068.  “On to LeBaron and  Into the Tushars!!!”  Questions or comments I can be reached at 801-243-0095.