Hodges Loop

With temps expected to reach 92 we got an early start and headed towards Bear Lake to ride Hodges Canyon and Richardson Fork. Our ride was 16 miles with 2614′ of climbing.

These are both atv trails and nothing spectacular riding wise, but had great views. We took Richardson down and then climbed back up Hodges which was nice and shaded. Both trails must get heavy atv use because they were deeply rutted and rough. After finishing this loop we added on a smaller loop up Peter Sinks Trail and down Burnt Fork. Peter Sinks was A BITCH of climb. Had we known that we might not have added this loop on. But, the payoff is Burnt Fork. I love Burnt Fork. It’s fast at the top with lots of jumps and then enters the forest and twists and turns. It’s extremely fun but too short. Hot and dusty, we drove the short distance down to Bear Lake to dip in and cool off.

Bear Lake

When we saw Bear Lake for the first time we understood why it is called the Caribbean of the Rockies. The striking turquoise blue color is caused by natural limestone sediment in the water that absorbs and reflects color. Bear Lake is 109 miles of natural freshwater and sits almost perfectly situated half in Utah, half in Idaho. There is an old legend that a lake monster lives in Bear Lake but we didn’t see it.

Ricks Spring

On the way back from Bear Lake we stopped at Ricks Spring. Ricks Spring Cavern is both a spring and a diversion of the Logan River. In 1972 scientists discovered the diversion when they placed green dye in the river and it appeared downstream at Ricks Spring. I was hoping it was named after the singer Rick Springfield, but no. It’s named after Utah pioneer Thomas E. Ricks who discovered the spring.