Our drive from Green River, WY to our new spot for a couple weeks in Cache National Forest was only a couple hours and we got to see a part of Utah we have not been to before. We took a chance after spotting what looked like some boondocking spots by some trails we planned to check out. However, when we drove down the road we spotted a No Camping sign and had to continue on a couple miles. We found a GORGEOUS spot perched on a grassy hill up in the forest. The surrounding mountains are decorated with aspens, fir trees and wildflowers. It’s very green and even smells it. So far we’ve seen elk and a moose from our camp.
Our first mountain bike ride was Jardine Juniper and I really really liked it. This ride is an all singletrack out and back that isn’t very long at 11 miles, but we climbed 2000’. The trail pretty much climbs from the start, all the way up and then it’s all downhill on the way back down. Well built switchbacks lead to some long traverses and plenty of shade. We passed through amazing forests the entire way and had great views of some big mountains the higher we went.
At the top there is a small loop that goes around the peak and an offshoot we rode to check out a giant old Juniper. The sign for the loop indicated a scenic route to the right, or a shady route to the left. It’s a loop so I knew we would get to see everything, but we picked to climb up the scenic route so we could spend the most time looking at the great views of the valley below, and the Bear River Mountains across.
The offshoot to the Jardine Juniper was steep and a bit technical but totally worth it. A viewing platform sits at the base of the tree and we took in the scenery and caught our breath before heading back down to the start. This is the oldest Rocky Mountain Juniper at around 1,500 year old! That’s older than most civilizations that currently exist on our planet. It’s pretty amazing to think about all it has lived through.
The only thing wrong with this trail is the downhill is so fast that it’s over long before you want it to be!
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