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| Oakley Ridge & Seymour Canyon, UT | |
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| | Oakley Ridge & Seymour Canyon, UT | | | |
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Oakley Ridge & Seymour Canyon, UT
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| Hiking | 5.00 Miles |
1,400 AEG |
| | Hiking | 5.00 Miles | 2 Hrs 55 Mns | | 1.76 mph |
| 1,400 ft AEG | 5 Mns Break | 18 LBS Pack | | |
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none
[ show ]
| no linked trail guides |
| Partners |
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[ show ]
| partners | | Temps: 58-72°
After two long days of driving (the second including a 90 minute hike), of the dozen hikes I had tentative plans for over the next 6 days, we decided to start off with the closest one to the Air BnB we would stay at in Wanship.
Based on conflicting information, this would either be an extended loop or an out-and-back with no specific end-point, so we set off with no expectation either way.
The Oakley Ridge Trail begins with an almost immediate series of short but steep switchbacks, followed by a long switchback along the contour, back to over a dozen short and steep switchbacks to a saddle, where if one followed it a few hundred feet North, it would mark the end of the Oakley Ridge Overlook route.
A note about the first switchbacks... they cross a wide rockfall 'drainage' at least four(?) times, where the footing is very tentative, so even with trekking poles one need be careful. Neither of us enjoyed these crossings in the least bit... just get across and move on.
A single gal (25-30's?) with two dogs, who passed us shortly before the saddle had gone that short distance to the overlook and met us at the saddle. With the path North to the overlook being well-beaten and the path to the South was almost overgrown, we asked her if that was the continuation of the Ridge trail. So much for asking, because the only information she had was from All Trails. Without even the slightest hesitation, she headed up to the ridge.
While my GPS track for the Oakley Ridge Trail continued for some distance South up the ridge, it would included half-again the elevation we had already gained, just over a week of recovery from Covid along with the 7-8K+ altitude, I wasn't ready for the climb... especially not knowing if the trail continued as a loop. So, we headed back down.
Shortly after turning back we encountered a group of equestrians, who let us know it WAS a loop, with the return portion along the Seymour Canyon Trail. If I'd known that positively earlier, I MAY have toughed it out and continued climbing, but oh well, sometimes that's just the way things go.
Whatever, we headed back down until the junction with the Seymour Canyon Trail, shortly before the trailhead where we began. Looking at the map and the terrain, it appeared Seymour Canyon would not be that steep so we decided to check it out, wondering how soon and which we'd encounter first, the gal & dogs (who didn't know the trail) or the equestrians (who DID).
Although starting at the slightly lower altitude again, the trail up the canyon (which turned into an old road) was steeper than I cared for and after about a half-mile and 380' gain we stopped for a lunch break. It turned out to be a very abbreviated break as shortly after sitting down, Tracey had bees swarming around her. I only noticed a few individual bees but after scanning around it appears there may be a nest in a dead log across the road from us so we pulled up stakes and headed back to the car.
Ending the hike a few miles shorter than expected for, we headed off to the next closest trail I had a GPS track for, just East of Kamas, barely 5 miles away. |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
